2020/21 Lesson 10: The Moon

What would it be like to live on the moon? Maybe one day that will be a reality! But for now it is fun to imagine what it would be like. 

Here are some facts we learned about the moon:

The earth and moon rotate together so we always see the same side of the moon. We looked at a model of this in class.

The first men to walk on the moon were Americans named Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in 1969. 

No one has walked on the moon since 1972. 

It takes 27.3 days for the moon to orbit the earth. 

The phases of the Moon are the different ways the Moon looks from Earth over about a month. As the Moon orbits around the Earth, the half of the Moon that faces the Sun will be lit up. The different shapes of the lit portion of the Moon that can be seen from Earth are known as phases of the Moon.

"The lunar phase or Moon phase is the shape of the Moon's directly sunlit portion as viewed from Earth. The lunar phases gradually change over a synodic month as the Moon's orbital positions around Earth and Earth around the Sun shift." Wikipedia

We twisted open a cookie to see if the frosting looked like the phases of the moon!

We experimented with "Fizzing Moon Rocks"!

If you want to make some at home, just mix baking soda with water. Roll the mixture into a ball and let dry. Using a pipette, squirt some vinegar on the baking soda rock and see it bubble and fizz. 

Finally, we drew the phases of the moon on a cup. As you twist the cup, you can see the different phases. It was so fun to learn about the moon!

2020/21 Lesson 9: The Ocean

 The Ocean is a fascinating place! Did you know that oceans cover over 70% of the earth? Wow! There are 5 oceans on earth: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and the Southern. Oceans provide 50% of the oxygen on earth, 97% of the water on earth, and provides over 270 billion dollars to the United States. The ocean is used for transportation, recreation, and is home to over one million species of animals. 

We looked at pictures and videos of many sea creatures. Sharks are always the most popular answer when asked what creatures live in the ocean. So, we had to spend a little more time discussing sharks!

Mark Rober videos are always a hit! Watch his shark blood videos to see if sharks are attracted to blood from a mile away. Click on this link: Can sharks smell blood?

We also discussed the zones of the ocean. We learned that most ocean life live in the Sunlight Zone. 

We had fun looking through microscopes to see objects from the ocean including: fish scales, sand, plankton eggs, and a feather (not from the ocean). 

 We looked at sea shells, coral, and sponges from the Atlantic Ocean. 

Finally, we cracked open an oyster and saw the pearl that was inside!

2020/21 Lesson 8: Camouflage

 Animals camouflage to blend into their surroundings. Camouflage is a defense tactic that animals and organisms use to disguise their appearance. Usually it helps them blend into their surroundings. Animals use camouflage to mask their location, identity, and movement. This allows prey to avoid predators and for predators to sneak up on prey. We saw some pictures and videos of animals that camouflage so well, we couldn't find them! 

We played a game called "Hiding in plain sight" where we camouflaged paper moths. Students created a moth by coloring it to look like a place in the classroom. We hid the moths in the room and then had to find where they were hidden. 

2020/21 Lesson 7: Force and Motion

 Lesson:

We had fun learning about force and motion. Objects move when force is applied to them. Pushing, pulling, stretching, tearing, and twisting are all examples of forces. The more force that is applied to an object, the more the object moves. 

Simple machines have been created that apply the rules of motion. These simple machines help us accomplish tasks easier. They may help us move heavy objects with ease.

Examples of simple machines include: pulleys, levers, wedges, wheel and axles, inclined planes, and screws.

Experiment: 

Cotton Ball Launcher!

We had a lot of fun applying the knowledge of force and motion with simple machines while we built cotton ball launchers out of toilet paper rolls!

Here is a link if you'd like to create a new launcher!

https://youtu.be/ZWJfIdZOpP4