Exploding Soap, Does It Get Any Better?

Thank you students, for some enlightening demonstrations today. (get it? haha. OK, whatever.)  Looking forward to the rest on Thursday.

Katherine Floating in the Dead Sea

Now let's try some computer simulations, aka* Gizmos.  Go to: explorelearning.com
In upper right corner, click "login"
At the login page, enter password - jimbridger  and username - jb - click login button.
At class page, click Gizmos.
If the density gizmo loads, then proceed by following the directions on your handout. [If you did loose the handout, you can find it at "Lesson Info.] First, answer the pre-lab questions, then go to the warm-up, and also Activity A.  Then take a break, next day do activities B and C.

If the gizmo does not load correctly, then choose ?Support from the menu bar. Select Troubleshooting
. Then select ExploreLearning Systems Test Page, and run the system test. You may need to install Shockwave Full Version, or enable JavaScript or enable cookies.   (Terry, I made sure your computer would work on Thursday.)  None of these things are difficult, and there is probably someone in your family that can help, although I wouldn't be surprised if some of you  are the computer genius of the family.
You should check with your parents for permission to do this, and if they are reluctant then you may skip the homework.

One last problem, it may be that only one student can log in at a time (?) so try again later.

Lastly, go over your notes from class; add any details you can remember, especially the explanations of density.

*also known as

Sink or Float?

Thanks for class today, friends-- good concentration and good cooperation.  Take a few minutes to clean up and re-write your lab report, according to the outline given.  It doesn't need to be many words, but it is crucial that you be able to put into words the discoveries that you made.  That way you can keep them and build upon them.  What is the Big Idea that you come away with?

Then take a look at your personal density experiment, which you will present on next Thursday to the whole class.  Get your supplies and try it out with your little brother or your dad. Be prepared to demonstrate and explain in about 3-4 minutes.  Contact me if you have questions or needs. THINKING ABOUT THIS: Could about 6-8 of you students prepare to do your experiment on Monday? Comment below if you can--I would appreciate you volunteering.  Class is too short for everyone to do theirs on Thursday. THANKS!

Lastly, a BrainPop.  http://www.brainpop.com/science/motionsforcesandtime/buoyancy/preview.weml  

You will need to log in with username pcshome and passwork ilearnathome
Watch the movie, take the quiz and read all the FYI pages (click the circles at the top)

So which is heavier? A pound of feathers or a pound of lead?

What a crazy class today!  But I hope you can be comfortable with the temporary confusion--it will lead to understanding and order very soon, probably. I had some technical difficulties with my computer equipment, which didn't help, and I am recovering from my son's wedding.  But also, this is a subject that is best learned through testing and trial and hands-on experience. Keep your head in the game, focus on the subject, and really, really, really listen to instructions.  If I say make a data table, then make a data table before you do the lab work, so you can record as you go.  Most of you should make bigger tables with more room to write in.

Mass - how much stuff
Volume - how much space the stuff takes up
Density - how much stuff is in how much space

Is is tightly packed together?  Is it fluffy like a pillow? These are questions of density.

Here are some videos to enlighten us:

Density Worksheet:   Print out and complete  http://ms.lindenwold.k12.nj.us/ourpages/auto/2011/10/18/45786733/Density%20calculations%20homework.pdf

If you have not yet turned in your Blowgun Lab Report, work on that now according to the Lab Report Guidelines that I handed out.  (not just a page ripped out of your lab book) 

Measurement Lab

Thanks for a good class today; I appreciated how well you stuck to the task.  It was all a big hurry, so now is the time to gather your thoughts and pull out the "moral of the story" which is, how do we take accurate measures?  

You must have accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.   Deuteronomy 25.15

Your scales and weights must be accurate. Your containers for measuring dry materials or liquids must be accurate. I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt. Leviticus 19:36 

 

First, we wrote in our lab books our personal definitions of mass, volume and density.
Then we proceeded to measure.

1. No Need to Count Your Pennies - You should have a full-page copy of this lab activity sheet; Table 1 should have been filled out in class -- number of coins, mass in grams, and thickness in millimeters. Homework is to complete the worksheet: Graphs 1 & 2 and the questions on the back.

2. Length, Width & Height - This half-page should be glued or taped in your lab books, and you should have measured in centimeters, but to the nearest millimeter, so your numbers should have one decimal place, like this -->  3.1 cm, 8.6 cm and so on.  The volume is figured by multiplying each dimension (length x width x height) and the units for that is cm^{3,   (called cubic centimeters).}

3. The Water Displacement Lab - Finding the volume of irregularly shaped objects, like rocks or my  little yellow friend, Density Dan. Your pre-lab paper, which was how to find the water level on graduated cylinders, should have these answers:

1.  6 mL  2. 12 mL3. 1.6 mL4. 3.4 mL

and also taped or glued into your lab books was the half-sheet "Water Displacement".  To find the volume you had to find the difference (subtraction!) between starting and ending mL.   Do you understand this?

Now, write in your lab books your revised definitions of mass and volume.

Take this further:  Using only things you find in your kitchen, find the volume of your hand. (This is an exercise in problem solving -- don't ask your mom how to do it.)  In your lab book, describe step-by-step how you did this.

So, how many of you still have all your papers from class and they are neatly glued in your lab books?  Congratulations! Hopefully you can all read your own writing; some of you may consider putting a bit more effort into legible handwriting.  Also, if you are rusty or unfamiliar with decimals, ask your mom to have you work on that in math. For now you should be able to add, subtract and multiply using decimals to the tenth's place.   For math tutorials, try Khan Academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/math/arithmetic/decimals

Once again, practice vocabulary using Quizlet: http://quizlet.com/18339712/glencoe-physical-science-chapter-1-flash-cards/
Review the main ideas of this chapter with the Chapter Study Guide on Pages 32-35. Answer questions 1-10, 16, 18, 19

Homework for Thursday, September 19th

Thank you for a fine class; one of my goals, besides learning the scientific method, and having a fair amount of fun,  is that you learn to work as a team with purpose and focus and cooperation.  That takes a lot of practice, but I think you are going to be a great class.  It was awesome that you were able to wrap up and clean up so quickly, and be ready for the next class, like soldiers at attention.

You have the handout from class, Lab Report Guidelines.  Follow those instructions to make a rough draft of your first lab report.  Bring that to class and we will talk about how to make it better.  Typed is preferred; print out two copies, one for me and one to keep.  Try your best, and expect to make it better as time goes on.

Reading from your Textbook:  Finish section 2.2 on measurements, and read section 2.3 on graphing.  Finish the pages from the textbook review handout.

How should you spend your time?  I suggest an hour on Tuesday while the experiment is still fresh, to do as good as you can on the lab report, and then it might take about an hour on Wednesday to read and fill in the 3 remaining worksheets.  I am interested in finding out how long these things really take, so make a note of it somewhere.

Today's class was PG-13...

 for Graphic scenes of science.

Hopefully, most of you have received your textbooks by now.  Your names should be sharpied on the outside top page-edges. Good. Homework is reading the textbook, pages 6-17 and 3 of the 6 handout pages.

Chapter 1, section 1: The Methods of Science (textbook pages 6-13), and fill in the handouts from class pertaining to that section ( pages 19, 20, 27 ). There are 6 pages in the handout, but only do those three pages, which are not in order.)

Chapter 1, section 2, Standards of Measurement, read only pages 14-17.

Vocabulary!!! One great way to study vocabulary is by using Quizlet.  All the words from chapter one are here:  http://quizlet.com/18339712/glencoe-physical-science-chapter-1-flash-cards/  You can print out a vocabulary list or flash cards, you can test yourself online, or you can play games (I like Scatter best.)



When we come back on Monday, we will continue our experiment with the blowguns.
Thank you for your good-natured participation in our graphing lesson.

Don't Blow It!!

OK, you can blow it in this experiment, and what better way to test a toy than to play with it?  Still, I wanna a little learning for my pains, so let us think about what we are doing, and use the Scientific Method!

 Build-A-Better Blowgun

Purpose: to build a blowgun that is ________________________

Hypothesis:  If I [Independent variable goes here], then the marshmallow will shoot [Dependent variable goes here].

Materials list
-
-
-

Design Plans:  draw out, with dimensions/measurements

Test: how will I test?  How will I record the data?


What must I control?

How can I tell if one design is  really better?

Conclusion:

We will continue our investigations on Thursday.

For homework: 2 handouts from class. 
Ask your moms for help and also to check your work.  If you happen to have lost the handouts, here are the links:
Improving Observations by Measuring

Comparing Units of Distance   
Do as much as you are able, but you don't have to finish it if you don't understand.  We will practice making graphs in class.




FYI
And if you are interested in reading a summary of how candles/fire works, here is something you can read:

How Does a Candle Work?    

How Fire Works 

Stuff Matters

A word about books: In this class I will refer to different kinds of books, and I want you to be careful to distinguish between the different kinds:

• Textbook Physical Science - These belong to you; you may write and highlight in your own books.
• spiral bound notes book- to take notes from class and from the videos and textbook homework.  Please title and date each new entry.
• 3-ring binder for handouts (separate or part of your big binder)
• lab notebook, for experiments and demonstration labs.

The Scientific Method 30min [right-click on the colored words; it will take you directly to a new page.]   Print out these files:
Note Taking Guide    Questions Part 1    Questions Part 2
 Pause the video when asked and follow the directions.  Take notes, filling in the worksheets as you go.  YOU WILL NEED A CANDLE AND MATCHES AND Please FOLLOW SAFETY PROTOCOLS.

MythBusters!  watch the episode above (5 minutes), and write a summary in your  notebook: observations, hypothesis, experiment, conclusion.  How did they follow the scientific method?

If you need help, feel free to call on any day except Sunday.  415 892-8540  Computer or printer issues? tell me right away.  ALSO, DOES ANYONE HAVE A PVC PIPE CUTTER? Ask your dads...Put it in your backpack right now and bring on Monday. And leave a comment.