Ms. Hoover's Science Page
School Year 2020-2021!
Welcome Back!
Dear Parents and Students,
After a very unique school year, let’s hope we’re entering the 2020-21 school year healthy and safe. Wherever and however the school year starts, virtually or in person, we will continue to work with the Next Generation Science Standards exploring natural science phenomena. Students will also be working with computer coding and our engineering program FUSE.
Our 4th - 6th graders will once again be working with the Energizing Student Potential (ESP) program to explore energy and its many uses as well as how it affects our planet. We will be organizing a community energy fair to help our community learn more about this vital topic and share what we’ve learned.
Students will also be participating in a science fair which they will present individual projects to fellow students, community and parents. The 6th grade projects will be judged and the best will go on to our Network 9 science fair. Go Honeybees!
5th and 6th graders will also get the opportunity to experience the FUSE engineering program where they will explore the world of STEM with coding, robotics, architecture and 3D printing. This grant allows us to continue to build our STEM program and provide opportunities for students to learn more about exciting tech and STEM careers.
Also, look for the 4th graders to continue to work with coding. We began working with block coding last year and plan on getting everyone comfortable with this coding language.
I am super excited for the 2020-21 school year and I hope you are too. Please provide your child with one composition notebook and two pocket folder to keep in the science lab. We are also always in need of kleenex, paper towels, hand sanitizer and pencils.
Looking forward to next year,
Ms. Hoover
After a very unique school year, let’s hope we’re entering the 2020-21 school year healthy and safe. Wherever and however the school year starts, virtually or in person, we will continue to work with the Next Generation Science Standards exploring natural science phenomena. Students will also be working with computer coding and our engineering program FUSE.
Our 4th - 6th graders will once again be working with the Energizing Student Potential (ESP) program to explore energy and its many uses as well as how it affects our planet. We will be organizing a community energy fair to help our community learn more about this vital topic and share what we’ve learned.
Students will also be participating in a science fair which they will present individual projects to fellow students, community and parents. The 6th grade projects will be judged and the best will go on to our Network 9 science fair. Go Honeybees!
5th and 6th graders will also get the opportunity to experience the FUSE engineering program where they will explore the world of STEM with coding, robotics, architecture and 3D printing. This grant allows us to continue to build our STEM program and provide opportunities for students to learn more about exciting tech and STEM careers.
Also, look for the 4th graders to continue to work with coding. We began working with block coding last year and plan on getting everyone comfortable with this coding language.
I am super excited for the 2020-21 school year and I hope you are too. Please provide your child with one composition notebook and two pocket folder to keep in the science lab. We are also always in need of kleenex, paper towels, hand sanitizer and pencils.
Looking forward to next year,
Ms. Hoover
Science Supplies
Students need:
- composition notebook
- two pocket folder (red for 4th grade, yellow for 5th, green for 6th)
- hand sanitizer, paper towels, bleach wipes
Science Fair 2019 Information
Students should be starting their experiments at home now. If they've turned in a rough draft, I have taken a look at them and have started passing them back. If your child needs some additional help, I am conferencing with them one-on-one this week and they'll have their rough draft returned after the conference.
As per Illinois Science Fair rules, students may only display their project and results on a tri-fold board. Please do NOT bring in anything other than a board, they will not be allowed to display it. Students should complete their experiments at home.
Students will be making models of a correctly organized tri-fold board in class to use when they work on their board at home. Boards can be purchased at Office Depot, Michael's, Staples or over the internet through Amazon.
As per Illinois Science Fair rules, students may only display their project and results on a tri-fold board. Please do NOT bring in anything other than a board, they will not be allowed to display it. Students should complete their experiments at home.
Students will be making models of a correctly organized tri-fold board in class to use when they work on their board at home. Boards can be purchased at Office Depot, Michael's, Staples or over the internet through Amazon.
This is what a board should look like. The title can stretch across the top of all three sections. Not all students will have a data chart and photos, but they should display their results in the center.
If you want more examples, there are photos from previous science fairs farther down the page. Boards are due 12/2.
Science Fair will be from 2:00 -- 3:00 on 12/5. Everyone is invited to come.
Science Fair will be from 2:00 -- 3:00 on 12/5. Everyone is invited to come.
Dear Parents and Students,
I am super excited to start the 2019-2020 school year. This coming year we will continue to work with the Next Generation Science Standards exploring natural science phenomena through hands on investigations, field trips and engineering challenges.
Our 4th - 6th graders will once again be working with the Energizing Student Potential (ESP) program to explore energy and it's many uses as well as how it affects our planet. We will be organizing a community energy fair to help our community learn more about this vital topic and share some of the engineering challenges like our solar ovens, windmills and electrical generators.
Students will also be participating in a science fair which they will present individual projects to fellow students, community and parents. The 6th grade projects will be judged and the best will go on to our Network 9 science fair. Go Honeybees!
5th and 6th graders will also get the opportunity to experience the FUSE engineering program where they will explore the world of STEM with coding, robotics, architecture and 3D printing. This grant allows us to continue to build our STEM program and provide opportunities for students to learn more about exciting tech and STEM careers.
Also, look for the 4th graders to continue to work with coding. We began working with block coding last year and plan on getting everyone comfortable with this coding language.
I am super excited for the 2019-20 school year and I hope you are too. Please provide your child with one composition notebook to keep in the science lab. We are also always in need of kleenex, paper towels, hand sanitizer and pencils.
Looking forward to next year,
Ms. Hoover
I am super excited to start the 2019-2020 school year. This coming year we will continue to work with the Next Generation Science Standards exploring natural science phenomena through hands on investigations, field trips and engineering challenges.
Our 4th - 6th graders will once again be working with the Energizing Student Potential (ESP) program to explore energy and it's many uses as well as how it affects our planet. We will be organizing a community energy fair to help our community learn more about this vital topic and share some of the engineering challenges like our solar ovens, windmills and electrical generators.
Students will also be participating in a science fair which they will present individual projects to fellow students, community and parents. The 6th grade projects will be judged and the best will go on to our Network 9 science fair. Go Honeybees!
5th and 6th graders will also get the opportunity to experience the FUSE engineering program where they will explore the world of STEM with coding, robotics, architecture and 3D printing. This grant allows us to continue to build our STEM program and provide opportunities for students to learn more about exciting tech and STEM careers.
Also, look for the 4th graders to continue to work with coding. We began working with block coding last year and plan on getting everyone comfortable with this coding language.
I am super excited for the 2019-20 school year and I hope you are too. Please provide your child with one composition notebook to keep in the science lab. We are also always in need of kleenex, paper towels, hand sanitizer and pencils.
Looking forward to next year,
Ms. Hoover
Supplies for 2019 - 2020
- composition notebook
- 4th graders and new students need a green two pocket folder for computers
- we also always need Kleenex, hand sanitizer, paper towels, bleach wipes and pencils
Science Fair 2018
Year Two for FUSE. Here are the 5th & 6th Graders hard at work persevering, putting in effort and growing as engineers.
Check out some of the 5th Graders Food Chain models below ...
What is an insect?
4th graders are participating in a program with the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum this year in which they are studying insects and how their specialized parts enable them to survive. They began the program looking at where insects can be found in Chicago and then have been studying the insect parts vis-a-vis images and models. Once they identified the many parts of an insect, they then built their own models of insects in groups.
Trip to the Notebaert Museum to see insects in real life!
Insects Structure and Function
4th Graders used models to test various types of insect mouths in order to determine how an insects structure can limit the type of food they are able to eat.
How did Earth's surface form? Is it still changing? What are the forces at work on our planet?
6th graders will be spending the year trying to answer those questions as we work through Earth science this year. Above are images from our recent work on how water had a hand in shaping the Grand Canyon. Students designed this experiment to see how water impacts Earth's materials like sand and rock in order to help answer their questions about the formation of the Grand Canyon.
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FUSE
5th graders started off their FUSE year learning more about coding. Students wrote code using simple symbols to instruct a robot how to build a tower of cups. Here they are writing code for their "robots". After writing their code, they sent their "robots" (or fellow classmates) to try other codes out. While some codes were instantly successful, others needed some tweaks. Students discussed what they needed to improve their codes and debugged their codes. PERSEVERANCE + EFFORT = GROWTH! |
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5th Grade Field Trip to Morton Arboretum.
4th Grade Field Trip to the Garfield Park Conservatory.
The 2018-2019 School Year!
2018-2019 is going to be our best science year ever! This coming year we will continue to work with the Next Generation Science Standards exploring natural science phenomena through hands on investigations, field trips and engineering challenges. Plan on seeing our students at the Garfield Park Conservatory, Museum of Science and Industry, Morton Arboretum, the ComED training facility and, fingers crossed, Starved Rock State Park.
Our 4th - 6th graders will once again be working with the Energizing Student Potential (ESP) program to explore energy and it's many uses as well as how it affects our planet. We will be organizing a community energy fair to help our community learn more about this vital topic and share some of the engineering challenges like our solar ovens, windmills and electrical generators.
Students will also be participating in a science fair which they will present individual projects to fellow students, community and parents. The 6th grade projects will be judged and the best will go on to our Network 9 and district wide science fairs. Go Honeybees.
5th and 6th graders will also get the opportunity to experience the FUSE engineering program where they will explore the world of STEM with coding, robotics, architecture and 3D printing. This grant allows us to continue to build our STEM program and provide opportunities for students to learn more about exciting tech and STEM careers.
I am super excited for the 2018-19 school year and I hope you are too. Please see the list of materials that students need for science below. While you're here, check out some of the fun stuff we did in 2017-18.
Our 4th - 6th graders will once again be working with the Energizing Student Potential (ESP) program to explore energy and it's many uses as well as how it affects our planet. We will be organizing a community energy fair to help our community learn more about this vital topic and share some of the engineering challenges like our solar ovens, windmills and electrical generators.
Students will also be participating in a science fair which they will present individual projects to fellow students, community and parents. The 6th grade projects will be judged and the best will go on to our Network 9 and district wide science fairs. Go Honeybees.
5th and 6th graders will also get the opportunity to experience the FUSE engineering program where they will explore the world of STEM with coding, robotics, architecture and 3D printing. This grant allows us to continue to build our STEM program and provide opportunities for students to learn more about exciting tech and STEM careers.
I am super excited for the 2018-19 school year and I hope you are too. Please see the list of materials that students need for science below. While you're here, check out some of the fun stuff we did in 2017-18.
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We can always use ...
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FUSE
4th Grade -- Light, Sound, & Energy
4th graders explored energy first by looking at how light travels and creates images by triggering nerve cells in our eye. They went on to explore how light waves and sound waves are similar. But what creates sound? 4th graders are exploring simple instruments to help them "see" sound waves in the vibrations of rubber bands, tambourines, xylophones, tuning forks and water.
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What is energy? What does it look like? 4th graders discussed these questions and came up with a working definition of energy in their lives and the world around them. They looked for images of energy in magazines and began to categorize the images into different types of energy. They created posters and shared the results with a gallery walk. From that exploration, we tweaked our definition of energy and separated energy into potential or stored energy and kinetic or energy in motion.
Can energy change forms? How do we use potential energy? How does potential energy turn into kinetic energy? 4th graders built boats using rubber bands and milk cartons. They then loaded up their boats with lots of potential energy by twisting the rubber bands. When they let go, the boats moved across our pond, turning potential energy into kinetic.
Science Fair 2017
Thank you to everyone who helped to make Science Fair such a success. The students did an awesome job. All of the judges were impressed. Check out the slide show below to relive the memories.
4th Graders
Life Science
4th Graders are starting to look into what living things need in order to grow, reproduce and survive. We started our investigations with a trip to Garfield Park Conservatory.
Next we dissected plants in the greenhouse to help us identify the external structures of the plants. We will use our observations and questions to design an investigation to help us identify the external structures needed for a plant to survive.
After defining survival, 4th graders looked at what special features or adaptations enable an organism to survive in their environment. We first started looking at external features like tails, fur, long ears and coloring or camouflage. 4th graders participated in an investigation where they took on the role of predators and tried to catch their prey -- light and dark colored moths in light and dark environments. We collected data over three trials and then discussed our results to help analyze why light colored moths got eaten at a far higher rate than dark moths. Below are some pictures of our predators attacking their prey.
But what special features do humans have that enable us to survive? What do we really need? Our arms, legs, head, thumbs?
Scientific Inquiry
4th Graders are working on using the scientific method to answer questions about the world around them. Above you'll see them trying to answer the question, "Which magnet is the strongest?". They designed a procedure to test this question and gathered data to make a claim and support it with evidence. Turns out, circle magnets are the strongest for the majority of groups.
Here the 4th graders are testing out the best surfaces for bouncing tennis balls.
5th Grade -- Energy
Where do we get the resources we use on a daily basis to power our homes, schools and businesses? The geosphere of course! Students in 5th grade studied natural resources like coal, natural gas, wind and solar energy and how these resources can be used to produce electricity. They visited the ComEd training facility to learn more about how ComEd delivers electricity to our homes and how they can conserve energy for the future.
5th Grade -- Earth Science
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How do the four spheres of the Earth interact with each other? 5th graders used climate graphs to learn about the five main climate zones on Earth -- dry, tropical, polar, cold and temperate. They examined how the atmosphere impacts the biosphere by identifying how temperature and the amount of water in an ecosystem leads the various organisms in the biosphere to adapt to their climate zones.
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5th Graders building
models of the water cycle. |
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How can we clean polluted water?
5th graders have been exploring how the hydrosphere and the biosphere interact. We identified how much water on the planet is salt and how much is fresh as part of our discussions of ecosystems. Students were able to identify how animals have adapted to the type and quantity of water in various ecosystems and climate zones.
But how does all of this affect humans? Students were challenged to think about how their daily lives are impacted by the amount of fresh clean water they have access to. In math, they charted how much water they use in their households and continued that discussion in science as we thought about water as a natural resource. We then watched Jay-Z's video diaries about his experience with Unicef and how many people through out the world don't have access to clean water. Students reflected on the videos and how they could help children in other parts of the world have access to clean water. Based on this discussion, we built water filtration systems that would clean large pieces of trash, dirt, oil and soap out of fresh water. Below are some photos of the building process.
But how does all of this affect humans? Students were challenged to think about how their daily lives are impacted by the amount of fresh clean water they have access to. In math, they charted how much water they use in their households and continued that discussion in science as we thought about water as a natural resource. We then watched Jay-Z's video diaries about his experience with Unicef and how many people through out the world don't have access to clean water. Students reflected on the videos and how they could help children in other parts of the world have access to clean water. Based on this discussion, we built water filtration systems that would clean large pieces of trash, dirt, oil and soap out of fresh water. Below are some photos of the building process.
Students spent time after they tested their prototypes reflecting on what was successful and what was less successful so that they could make improvements on their initial prototype.
Life Science
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Food Webs
Students have been working on creating food chains or models of how energy moves through an ecosystem. Last week, we braved the cold to go outside and create a food web. Food webs are more complex models of overlapping food chains as students discovered as their got all tangled up. |
Visit to the Peggy Notebaert Museum
It was a rainy cold day, but the 5th graders were real troopers and headed out into the Notebaert's back yard to look for the abiotic and biotic features of a prairie, woodland, and wetland ecosystem. We toured the three areas looking for wildlife and saw a lot of plants, some bugs and possibly a turtle. Students then made connections about the parts of the ecosystem and how they interacted.
Plant Survival
Where do plants get the energy they need to survive? The soil? The sun? Both? 5th graders are attempting to answer that question by growing Wisconsin Fast Plants. They weighed the cup, soil and seeds and will measure the mass of the plant vs. the soil when the plants mature within the next couple of weeks. If the plants got the energy to grow from the soil, the mass of the system should stay the same. If the plant gains mass without depleting the soil, we've shown that the plants get their energy from elsewhere.
6th Grade -- Rocks & Landforms
How did the Grand Canyon form? How do the hydrosphere and the geosphere interact with each other? Where do rocks come from? Just a few of the questions that the 6th graders are trying to answer this first quarter.
CPS' 6th grade science curriculum focuses primarily on Earth Science and how the four spheres of the Earth interact with each other. We will be spending a lot of time this year looking down at the ground and then up into the sky.
CPS' 6th grade science curriculum focuses primarily on Earth Science and how the four spheres of the Earth interact with each other. We will be spending a lot of time this year looking down at the ground and then up into the sky.
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What happens when rivers flow through land? 6th graders explored how rocks and other surface material gets weathered through mechanical weathering (we shook rocks in cans) and then observed what happened when they poured water over their sediments. Erosion took the sediment away forming a valley or canyon and later deposited the sediment at the end of the stream table to form a delta.
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6th graders working with rocks and stream tables to help them answer their questions about how landforms formed and where rocks come from.
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Welcome Back!
Hello Parents,
Welcome to an exciting 2017-18 school year in science and engineering. I hope you had a fabulous super exploring, learning and creating. This year, we will continue our mission to explore, learn and grow in science with hands-on inquiry based learning aligned to our state science standards. With that in mind, we will continue to ask questions, plan investigations, create models, analyze data, build arguments using evidence and communicate all that we have learned. Look for a 4th grade Science Fair, a 5th grade Energy Fair and some great coding projects for 6th grade.
The 6th graders will work with Project GUTS again this year to explore basic block coding and how it helps scientists build models. We will use the models to help us understand how geologists find buried natural resources like petroleum and natural gas.
In addition to the exciting science content, we have an exciting new engineering curriculum through a program called FUSE. Click the button at the end of this letter to connect to their website. Students will have an opportunity to explore Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) through online based learning modules which will guide them through a variety of challenges using technology and everyday materials. We will be building everything from super fast roller coasters, to musical amps and light up clothing.
I am very excited about this upcoming school year and I hope you are too.
Ms. Hoover
Welcome to an exciting 2017-18 school year in science and engineering. I hope you had a fabulous super exploring, learning and creating. This year, we will continue our mission to explore, learn and grow in science with hands-on inquiry based learning aligned to our state science standards. With that in mind, we will continue to ask questions, plan investigations, create models, analyze data, build arguments using evidence and communicate all that we have learned. Look for a 4th grade Science Fair, a 5th grade Energy Fair and some great coding projects for 6th grade.
The 6th graders will work with Project GUTS again this year to explore basic block coding and how it helps scientists build models. We will use the models to help us understand how geologists find buried natural resources like petroleum and natural gas.
In addition to the exciting science content, we have an exciting new engineering curriculum through a program called FUSE. Click the button at the end of this letter to connect to their website. Students will have an opportunity to explore Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) through online based learning modules which will guide them through a variety of challenges using technology and everyday materials. We will be building everything from super fast roller coasters, to musical amps and light up clothing.
I am very excited about this upcoming school year and I hope you are too.
Ms. Hoover
Science Supplies 2017-2018
All students need one composition notebook for the school year.
We are also asking for pencils, Kleenex and Clorox wipes for the lab. Anything you can donate would be great.
Thanks!
We are also asking for pencils, Kleenex and Clorox wipes for the lab. Anything you can donate would be great.
Thanks!
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Earth
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4th, 5th and 6th grade all started the 4th quarter off with the same guiding question, "What is Earth made of?". Through out this quarter each grade level will explore various components of our planet to answer this question in different ways. 4th grade will be exploring the forces that shape Earth's surface, 5th graders will be looking at how the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere interact to create Earth's climate, and 6th graders will be investigating the fossil record to better understand how Earth has changed over time.
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Energy
6th Grade
6th Graders are studying the forms of energy -- electric, elastic, gravitational, sound, thermal, radiant, mechanical and chemical -- and how they can change forms. We will study various energy transformations as well as use these transformations to do work. Here are some photos of Ms. Henry's class investigating various forms of energy.
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5th Grade
Energy Fair!
Windmills
5th Graders continue to investigate how natural resources can be used to generate electricity with their Windmill Challenge. Students created a prototype of a windmill using recycled materials such as corrugated cardboard, toilet paper rolls, chopsticks (Thanks Noodles Etc.), straws and lots and lots of masking tape. They tested their prototypes and were able to make improvements to their initial designs. Later, they measured the energy outputs using a cup that lifted pennies as their windmills turned.
5th Grade will continue to work on investigating the sources of energy that we use to generate electricity and do work such as our fossil fuels, nuclear power, and the renewable energy sources like solar, hydro-power and wind. We will be studying how they can generate electricity as well as the pros and cons of using each type of energy source. We will be building a generator to produce electricity and designing energy efficient windmills to do work.
5th Graders working on posters about the various energy sources to present to the class.
2nd Quarter, 5th Graders will be participating in the People's Gas/ComEd Super Saver's Program. They will be learning about natural resources and how we use them in Chicago to power our homes and businesses. Click the link to learn more about the program and check out their webiste. http://www.supersaverskids.com/
4th Grade
4th Graders began their study of energy by exploring the two types of energy -- potential and kinetic. We discussed how energy is either stored or being used. Here you can see them working on creating double bubble maps with images of stored energy and energy in use that they found in magazines.
After defining and working with potential and kinetic energy in images, 4th graders explored how potential and kinetic energy work in real life by playing with, I mean investigating, energy toys. They identified the forms of energy in dominoes, bouncy balls, yo-yos and other toys and created flow maps of the energy transfers that they observed.
Potential to Kinetic Boat Designs
How do energy transfers work in real life? 4th graders built two types of boats from milk cartons, chopsticks (Thanks Noodles Etc.!) and balloons to explore how the potential energy stored in rubber bands and balloons transforms into kinetic energy that can move boats. They analyzed how successful each prototype was and made improvements to the initial design -- some were more successful, others not so much, but we learned a lot about energy and the engineering design process.
Shoesmith's Hour of Code!
Code 60+ Challenge
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The Chicago Public Schools is encouraging all students to get involved and interested in computer science. Chicago codes is a program that allows students to work independently at home on some of the coding skills we've been working on in class. It is a free 5 week challenge that lets students earn digital badges and, with every badge, be entered into a raffle to win a free tablet. The button to the right will link you to the Chicago codes website for more information.
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December 5th -- 9th was Computer Science Week here in CPS. 4th, 5th and 6th graders participated in a variety of different activities to introduce them to block coding. It was challenging but a lot of fun. Students are encouraged to continue to work on their coding challenges at www.code.org
They can set up accounts, save their work and try different types of coding languages.
4th Grade Science Fair!
What a great day! The projects were fabulous, the judges impressed and the students the stars. Check out the photos below.
5th Grade Food Webs
5th Graders create a living model of a food web by connecting the sun to producers, consumers and decomposers.
5th Grade Food Chains
5-LS2-1 Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.
5th graders have been studying organisms, ecosystems and how energy travels through out an ecosystem. As a summative assessment, they were asked to develop a visual model that represents a food chain in a specific ecosystem. Check out some of their projects below.
5th graders have been studying organisms, ecosystems and how energy travels through out an ecosystem. As a summative assessment, they were asked to develop a visual model that represents a food chain in a specific ecosystem. Check out some of their projects below.
Do plants need light to grow?
4th Graders investigated the question, "Do plants need light to grow?" The students grew rye plants and then put half of the plants in the dark. Over the course of several weeks, the 4th graders took measurements and made observations about how their plants were changing and growing. They determined that plants grow better in the light than in the dark because the plants grew less on average and were lighter green.
6th Graders Creating Simple Cell Models
6th Graders have been investigating cells, the building blocks of living things. They looked at onion skin under a microscope to observe the parts of plant cells. They were able to see the cell wall and the overall structure and pattern of the cells. They then created a model of a simple bacteria cell out of a potato starch solution and Ziploc bag. Their cell was then placed in an iodine solution. The next day, the students observed that the iodine had turned the potato starch purple demonstrating the permeability of the cell membrane.
4th Graders Making Observations in the Butterfly Garden
Do plants need soil?
5th graders were curious about where plants get their food. Is if from the soil or from somewhere else? They were asked about where a plant gets their food and made a few predictions about whether or not a bean could grow without soil. After a few attempts and some grow lights, we were successful at growing lima bean sprouts. The 5th graders drew the conclusion that plants get their energy from the sun, air and water.
Do plants need air?
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Investigating plants in the greenhouse
Welcome Back to Science!
Welcome back to school! I am so happy to be back and see new and familiar faces. This fall, I will be teaching everyone on the second floor, 4th -- 6th grade. While we will be doing some of the same things as last year -- growing plants, talking about living and nonliving things, and investigating scientific ideas around life -- we will also be adding some new layers like coding and creating computer based models, bringing back science fair and working in the garden.
I look forward to working with all of the students, new and returning. If you have any questions, please email me at mehoover@cps.edu
I look forward to working with all of the students, new and returning. If you have any questions, please email me at mehoover@cps.edu
What exactly is engineering?
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Everyone is talking about a STEM education and how important engineering is for our students. But what exactly is engineering? Engineering is a way to think about solving human problems that can be as simple (or crazy) as how to move students through the hallway to as complex as how to send humans to Mars. The video on the left is one that I show students to help them understand the process and how people use engineering almost all of the time. It's informative and pretty cute.
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If you didn't get a chance to attend the "Coffee, and . . ." presentations on science at Shoesmith, here is a link to the power point presentation. |
Light
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How does light move? What absorbs light and what doesn't? What happens when you shine a light on another object? 4th graders have been working on answering those questions and more in science. They used light boxes and a dark room to prove that you need light to see an object, no matter how shiny it is. Then they started testing various materials to see which ones were transparent, translucent and opaque.
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Force and Motion
3rd graders have been learning a lot about forces -- what they are, what they do and how to use them. They experimented with balanced and unbalanced forces and shot balloons down strings in order to see how strong and weak forces can act on an object. In the pictures above, they are exploring different types of forces such as air on cars by measuring the distance that cars travel, with and without index cards taped to them acting like giant fenders. They've discussed gravity, friction, and patterns of motion as well.
Properties of Matter
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2nd graders have been exploring matter, ie anything that takes up space and has mass or weight. They've learned all about the three phases of matter -- solids, liquids, and gases - and how the atoms in each phase would look like if we could see them. They also looked at and identified the physical properties of matter. Here they are testing various materials for the other traits that scientists use to classify matter such as strength, transparency, absorbancy, and flexibility.
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Super Savers Program
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5th graders have been learning about energy and energy consumption in Illinois thanks to the Super Savers program from ComEd and People's Gas. The students were provided with a kit with free materials that can help them use energy more efficiently and conserve energy at home. They were also given a Super Savers program book from which they learned about how Illinois gets the power it needs to fuel cities like Chicago and how they can make smart choices about energy in the future.
For more information, you can visit the Super Savers website located here http://supersaverskids.com/ |
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Engineering and Design Challenges
Body Armor
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1st graders have been studying animal adaptations and how special characteristics can help an animal survive. We've looked at everything from camouflage to shells to spraying ink to stripes. They've looked at videos and pictures of animals that have these traits and know a lot about how animals survive and protect themselves. So it was no wonder Mrs. Schnall asked them to come up with a design that would help protect their bellies when playing floor hockey. They were given cups, cardboard, a balloon, several popsicle sticks and scrap paper to asked to design a belt. We then tested out their prototypes by measuring the dents left in floral foam when they dropped a weight on their belt from 1 meter. You can see some of their designs to the right.
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Hand Pollinators
2nd graders have been looking at ways animals and plants can work together to help each other grow and survive. We've been talking about the relationship between flowers and the animals that help pollinate them. In the course of this study, students have learned about how the bee population has been declining. So in order to solve this real human problem, students were given a variety of materials and asked to build a tool that could help farmers pollinate their plants without bees. They built their hand pollinators out of pipe cleaners, pipe cleaners, wire, marbles, pom=poms, popsicle sticks and foil. Here are some photos of them building and testing their prototypes.
Bird Beaks
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3rd graders have been studying how organisms adapt to their environment. They looked at inherited and learned traits both in their classroom and in the animal world. At the end of their investigation, they were challenged to create a bird beak out of a variety of materials including spoons, a cork, some rubber bands, tape and pom pom balls. They then tested their prototypes on two types of cereal -- fruit loops and rice krispies. The students recorded their data in their science journals and then discussed why their prototypes might have been more successful with one type of cereal. From there, they drew conclusions about why birds have different types of beaks and how that relates to the idea that organisms adapt to their environment.
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Plant Packages
Now that 5th and 6th graders are familiar with what plants need to survive, we challenged them to design a package or container that would enable them to ship a plant safely through the mail. Students were given a variety of materials, scissors and tape and set loose to image, design and create. When they were finished, each group presented their prototype to the other students or investors. The class then voted on the top three packages which will be sent to Michigan to see if they provide the plant with enough food and water to enable them to grow.
Living vs. Nonliving
Students have been exploring what makes something living vs. what makes something nonliving. Students were given an opportunity to examine items such as meal worms, crayfish, flowering plants, Popsicle sticks, cork, thistles, fossils and rocks. They then classified them into two categories -- living vs. nonliving. Students recorded their groups in their science journals, analyzed their data and then came up with the characteristics of living things.
Together we decided that all living things need food as a source of energy, water, air and they grow and reproduce.
Together we decided that all living things need food as a source of energy, water, air and they grow and reproduce.
Plants
Students in Kinder and 1st grade planted Wisconsin fast plants and are observing their growth. We will use their observations to learn about parts of a plant and the plants lifecycle. To the left you can see the beginnings of tiny sprouts starting to appear in the egg cartons.
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2nd graders were curious to find out if a plant really needs water to grow. They planted rye seeds and watered them while Ms. Hoover planted rye seeds and didn't water them. Here are some of their plants' early growth.
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3rd graders were given potatoes to plant.
We wondered if potatoes really are living things -- if we give them food and water will they grow new potatoes? To the right you can see what happened.
Where do plants get their food and water? Are the environments in important to the living things that live there? 4th graders built eco-columns to find out. Part aquarium, part terrarium, will house growing rye and alfalfa and create a complete ecosystem when fully operational.
5th graders were given lima beans and challenged to answer the question, "Will they grow without soil?" We planted lima beans in paper towels, put them on the whiteboard under heat lamps. Check out what happened.
6th graders were faced with the problem of sunlight. Do living things need sunlight? They were given garlic bulbs some of which were given light and some of which were not to surprising results.
Insects & Animals
Students observed baby crayfish when they were looking at living and nonliving things. Each week after the crayfish moved in, I measured them and found an average length. Over the past three weeks, I've charted their growth. I will continue to monitor their growth and posting their progress.
Design Challenges!
First Grade
First graders were challenged to work together and come up with a strategy for building paper chains. They then were given 20 minutes to complete this task. Here you can see the first graders in Ms. Kendall's class examining their data in the form of a bar graph which is displayed in the hallway by the science lab.
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Second Grade
Second graders had to build a boat to rescue their family from an island. They were given foil, wax paper, styrofoam and a coffee filter. Working in teams, students created a design that they drew in their science notebooks and from their team's design, they built a prototype. Each team tested their prototype with penny passengers, placing pennies on their prototype one-by-one until their boats sank. We then displayed our classes data with a data chart.
Third Grade
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Given 20 pieces of spaghetti, five marshmallows, two pieces of paper and a length of masking tape, could you build the world's tallest tower? Third graders can! The third graders built structures using the simplest materials and their skills as teammates. To the left, you can see the winning structure in Mrs. Walker's class. Not all structures survived, but the skills they practiced working together and collaborating are valuable life skills we'll be working on all year.
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Fourth Grade
Fourth graders were given the challenge of having to rescue themselves and their gummy bear friends from a burning plane. They had a wide range of supplies -- balloons, paper, coffee filters, string, cotton balls, egg cartons, a plastic cup -- and the ideas of their team to help them create one device which they tested on the playground. They gathered both quantitative and qualitative data on their prototypes which they collected in their science notebooks.
Fifth Grade
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How to escape your walled castle and fly over the enemy camp? Ask a 5th grader. They were challenged to build a device that would launch them from their castle and to safety given Popsicle sticks, rubber bands, corks, plastic spoons and a plastic cup. Working in teams, they designed and built prototypes that they tested, measuring the distance that each pompom flew.
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Sixth grade
Could you get an egg balanced on a white board and cardboard tube into a cup of water with just a broom? 6th graders were given some supplies and asked to build a model simulating this set up and asked to figure it out. They experimented with several different plans and then were given a chance to test their final plan.
What is Science?
What is science? Students were asked this question in science this week. They were then given time to brainstorm their ideas using a Circle Thinking Map. Students were given the choice to use pictures or words or both as they put their ideas down on paper. They then did some research and talked to their fellow scientists, listened to a read aloud about science or heard a silly song, before adding new ideas to their map. It was wonderful getting a chance to see what exposure to and ideas about science some of the students had. Some of the work is in the hall, some of it can be seen below.
