Grade 5

Are you shocked?

Let's investigate...

Grab the following items:

• Your science journal

• Carpeted floors

• Balloons

Let's explore...

• • Have you ever walked across a carpeted floor and then gotten a small shock when you touched a metal door knob or another person? This is due to a build-up of static electricity in you. The purpose of this investigation is to identify ways you can generate static electricity.

  • Blow up a balloon and tie it. Rub the balloon on a wool shirt or a carpet and place it next to your hair and observe what happens to your hair. Once this is accomplished, try rubbing the balloon on a variety of different shirts and other objects, and checking its attractiveness to hair.

  • Make notes of your observations in your science journal.

Essential Knowledge and Practice (connection to the science curriculum)

• identify ways to generate static electricity (5.4 c)

How can I make waves?

Let's investigate...

Grab the following items:

• Your science journal

• Rope or clothesline (about 15 ft.) or a jump rope

• Bucket or bowl that can be filled with water

Let's explore...

• • Waves can be made different ways and you are going to explore two different ways to make a wave. Tie one end of the rope to a secure surface at about waist level. Walk away holding the rope so that it is pulled tight and forms a straight line. Slowly move the rope up and down. The whole rope should move in unison with the movement of your arm. Then flick the rope very quickly up and down one time and observe the wave traveling down the rope. Draw in your science journal the motion of your hand (up and down) and the motion of the wave down the rope. What part of the wave do you think is the crest, and what part do you think is the trough? Be sure to label the crest and trough.

  • Now move the rope up and down quickly so that you get 2 waves traveling down the rope. How many waves can you get on the rope? What do you notice about the energy that you have to do to make the waves? Record these observations in your science journal.

  • Fill up a bucket with water. After the water settles, quickly tap the top of the water one time with you finger and observe the wave. Do this again multiple times and observe the wave. Then, lightly tap the water about every second and observe the waves. Can you tap the water and make the waves disappear?

  • Repeat the experiment with a container that is a different size. Do you notice any differences with the waves? If so, what are those differences?

  • Record your observations in your science journal.

Essential Knowledge and Practice (connection to the science curriculum)

• construct a model of a transverse wave and label a wavelength, crest, and trough (5.6 a)

How can the pitch of sound be changed?

Let's investigate...

Grab the following items:

• Your science journal

• String (about 2-3 ft) It helps if the sting is thin. You can use nylon or cotton.

Let's explore...

• Many bands or musical groups use instruments such as guitars. Guitars are in a group of musical instruments that depend on wire strings to produce sounds. The purpose of this investigation is to see how changing the length of a string and the tightness of a string affects the pitch made by plucking the string. Pitch is a term to describe sound and musicians often describe the sounds produced by their instruments as a high or low pitch.

• Tie off one end of a string about 2 feet long. Then pull the string so that it is straight and tight. With the other hand, pluck the string and listen to the sound it produces.

• Try pulling the string tighter and listen to the plucked string, noticing if it is higher or lower in pitch.

• Move your hand at different distances along the string, and pluck the string. Record in your science journal whether the pitch is higher or lower.

• • Identify patterns between the pitch and the length of the string and/or the tightness of the string. Communicate the findings of your investigation in your science journal.

Essential Knowledge and Practice (connection to the science curriculum)

• collaboratively plan and conduct an investigation to demonstrate that vibrating materials can produce sound and transmit energy, determine data that should be collected and organized to identify patterns, and communicate findings (5.5 a)

• two different pitches; record design changes made based on testing outcomes, and communicate results and challenges (5.5 d)

What is the relationship between force, motion, and mass?

Let's investigate...

Grab the following items:

• Your science journal

• Cardboard box

• Objects to put in the box

Let's explore...

• • Find a cardboard box and push it along the floor. Describe in your science journal what that feels like. Now add something to the cardboard box. You can add something like books, blocks, or canned goods to the box. Push the box across the floor again. Write in your journal what it feels like to push the cardboard box now. When you have completed your investigations, write a conclusion statement on the relationship between, the mass of an object and the amount of force required to move it using evidence from your investigation.

Essential Knowledge and Practice (connection to the science curriculum)

• plan and conduct an investigation related to net force and the movement of an object (5.3 c, e)

• plan and conduct an investigation to test the question, “What is the relationship between motion and mass?” (5.3 c, e)