Take a look at some of the activities we've been doing in class!

Students determined the speed of various objects (golf ball, ping pong ball, and marble) and compared speeds based on the size and mass of the objects.

Students compared the effects of different surfaces on various objects such as a toy car, a domino, and a wooden block. They measured the distance traveled by each object on each surface and drew a conclusion related to the amount of friction created by different surfaces.

Students created Solar Collectors with only a cardboard box, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, tape, glue, string, popsicle sticks, and paper clips! Their challenge was to see how hot they could get it! I took temperature readings with a laser temperature gun from five different spots within their collectors. The highest temperature reached was 98 degrees on a day that was 64 degrees outside! Great job!

Students worked with wooden planks to construct various structures that displayed Potential and Kinetic Energy. Most built ramps, hills, steps, etc. Each group had a ball to roll or bounce down their structures which showed it having potential energy that turned into kinetic energy.

Students used their Periodic Table of the Elements and sidewalk chalk to create big, colorful Bohr Models outside! Bohr Models are a visual representation of an atom. Students chose an element from the Periodic Table and drew their Bohr Model based on the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in one atom of that element.

Students tested the strength of spaghetti by experimenting with the amount of weight strands of spaghetti would hold. Students increased the number of strands of spaghetti each trial and recorded their data in a chart. They used the data to create a bar graph and then they explained how they thought this (testing the strength of objects) applied to "real life."

Students use the internet and classroom resources to research a topic we are studying. Then, they create a three-dimensional model out of materials of their choice. Students have used everything from simple pieces of cardboard to uncooked pasta! They present their models in class.

This assignment is part of a Choice Board from which students choose a project to complete related to a topic we are currently studying. 

This particular assignment is to create a book cover (also called a book jacket or dust cover) including required parts such as a summary, an illustrated front cover, a related book section, and an "About the Author" section. All parts of the book cover project are non-fiction except the name of the book can be fictional. The summary should be descriptive and detailed, the "About the Author" should be about a real person from the area, and the related books must be authentic books related to the topic.

This assignment is also part of a Choice Board from which students choose a project to complete related to a topic we are currently studying. 

This particular assignment is to create a folding brochure including at least five paragraphs of information and at least four related pictures. Students present these to the class.