Summer SAVY 2017, Session 5/Day 4- What’s the Matter (Rising 1st)
Dear parents:
Today was a wonderful fourth day in our “What’s the Matter” course! We were very busy again today with lots of hands-on investigations. We began our day reading from, 14 Experiments That Failed. Next we reviewed our learning so far regarding matter and change, and we added more information to our matter concept map. I am so impressed with student learning retention and ability to stay so excited and focused as we have been learning this week.
Next, I did an activity with the students to see if they would understand that physical changes made to an object, such as reducing the size of a piece of paper, would not change the properties of the object. To do this, I gave students an array of items to reduce anyway they wanted to do, and when they came back to the group, all agreed that the physical change did not affect the properties. Then, I talked to students about the difference between a physical change in matter and a chemical change in matter. After that discussion, we conducted an experiment using baking soda and vinegar so students could see an example of a chemical change. We poured vinegar into an empty water bottle and then placed the opening ring of a balloon that had been filled with baking soda, over the bottle. We tipped the baking soda into the bottle and students watched as the balloon inflated with the release of carbon dioxide, and then they watched it deflate after the reaction ceased.
After this activity, students made ice cream to demonstrate another chemical change in matter. Students placed ice cream making ingredients (sugar, vanilla and half & half cream) in their baggy, and prepared a container filled with ice and rock salt. They then walked the hallways with us while they churned their cream and ingredients for 9 minutes! It was a great aerobic workout! Students identified that they had experienced a physical change as the cream changed from a liquid to a semi-solid form and the cream made a chemical change as it changed from cream into ice cream. We have stored the ice cream in the SAVY freezer for your students to eat during Open House tomorrow, with your approval, as they described the experiment.
Our final activity was for students to design their own experiment! Each student has done the planning for the experiment including: Question, Hypothesis, Materials, and Steps. They will actually conduct their experiment with you as their lab assistant tomorrow during the Open House! The parent Open House is in our classroom, Murray 1, between 9:15-9:45 tomorrow. I am so excited for you to see what your students have been doing all week in “What’s the Matter”.
Mrs. Tyson
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