Tuesday, October 6th: Today may have been the most frustrating day the students have ever experienced at Bradford! Why?
Black Boxes. We learned about black boxes: objects, events, or systems we cannot observe directly but can still explain using evidence. This idea helps scientists understand things we can't see, such as atoms, the Earth's core, or even the Big Bang.
The kids were each given a literal black box with something inside. Their challenge was to figure out what was inside without ever opening the box. They had to use their observations and evidence to create a conceptual model of what they thought the object looked like.
They worked incredibly hard and did a pretty good job—but they couldn't open the boxes, and we won't be opening them! For some reason, this drives kids absolutely crazy. 😂
Tomorrow, we’ll finish our Black Box investigation and continue exploring how scientists use models to explain things we cannot directly observe—an important skill as we continue our study of matter.
Black Boxes. We learned about black boxes: objects, events, or systems we cannot observe directly but can still explain using evidence. This idea helps scientists understand things we can't see, such as atoms, the Earth's core, or even the Big Bang.
The kids were each given a literal black box with something inside. Their challenge was to figure out what was inside without ever opening the box. They had to use their observations and evidence to create a conceptual model of what they thought the object looked like.
They worked incredibly hard and did a pretty good job—but they couldn't open the boxes, and we won't be opening them! For some reason, this drives kids absolutely crazy. 😂
Tomorrow, we’ll finish our Black Box investigation and continue exploring how scientists use models to explain things we cannot directly observe—an important skill as we continue our study of matter.
Monday, October 5th: Before getting started, each group agreed on a procedure and recorded it in their science notebooks. I checked to make sure they had a plan—not whether I thought it would work. Failure is okay in our labs. Quitting is not! The students couldn’t simply ask for a fresh cup of the mixture if something went wrong. They had to work through the problem and figure out how to make it work with the materials they had.
And guess what? They did it! It was great to see them problem-solve, adjust their thinking, and keep going when things didn’t go as planned. That’s what science is all about!
Today was also the first day of Respect Week. They talked about what respect meant to them and watched a video that I really like. Check it out...
And guess what? They did it! It was great to see them problem-solve, adjust their thinking, and keep going when things didn’t go as planned. That’s what science is all about!
Today was also the first day of Respect Week. They talked about what respect meant to them and watched a video that I really like. Check it out...
Friday, October 2nd: We had shorter classes today because of an assembly by Musicquita, a kid-centric Spanish music duo. They did a great job of entertaining the kids and got them singing and dancing. It was a fun event. In class, we closed out yesterday's lesson, read about the different states of matter, and previewed next week's work. Overall, I think the kids had a great week!
Thursday, October 1st: How do you separate a salt solution?I told the kids that salt disappears when you mix it with water. After all, I can’t see it in the solution, so it must be gone. Magic! Of course, the kids immediately told me I was wrong—but I wouldn’t believe them unless they could prove it scientifically!
The students worked in groups to develop procedures that would demonstrate that the salt was still present in the solution. They measured the mass of the salt and water separately and then compared that total to the mass of the saltwater solution. Boom! The masses were equal—or at least very, very close. Science wins again!
The students also came up with another way to separate the salt from the water: evaporation. That process is happening as we speak, and I’m hoping to see some impressive progress by tomorrow!
Throughout the investigation, we are also working on using the correct scientific terminology, including solute, solvent, solution, mixture, and dissolve.
Tomorrow, we’ll take this investigation one step further and connect it to an important scientific idea: the conservation of matter. The salt didn’t disappear—it was there the whole time!
The students worked in groups to develop procedures that would demonstrate that the salt was still present in the solution. They measured the mass of the salt and water separately and then compared that total to the mass of the saltwater solution. Boom! The masses were equal—or at least very, very close. Science wins again!
The students also came up with another way to separate the salt from the water: evaporation. That process is happening as we speak, and I’m hoping to see some impressive progress by tomorrow!
Throughout the investigation, we are also working on using the correct scientific terminology, including solute, solvent, solution, mixture, and dissolve.
Tomorrow, we’ll take this investigation one step further and connect it to an important scientific idea: the conservation of matter. The salt didn’t disappear—it was there the whole time!
Wednesday, September 30th: The kids finished their first investigation of matter on Making and Separating Mixtures. by answering their Focus Quesiton. This question can be answered using everything they learned during the experiment. We spent some time on this to make sure they understand how to answer a question completely. Yes, it took a while, but in the end they had good answers and a good understanding of what I expect of them.
We moved on to our next investigation... Seperating a Salt Solution. I claimed that the salt disappears in the water, but the kids told me I was wrong... it dissolves. I told them to prove it to me. They came up with finding the mass of the water, salt, and then the solution. Easy enough, but I needed them to write a procedure they could follow. That took some work to fill in the missing steps. Tomorrow we will put the procedures to the test.
We moved on to our next investigation... Seperating a Salt Solution. I claimed that the salt disappears in the water, but the kids told me I was wrong... it dissolves. I told them to prove it to me. They came up with finding the mass of the water, salt, and then the solution. Easy enough, but I needed them to write a procedure they could follow. That took some work to fill in the missing steps. Tomorrow we will put the procedures to the test.
Tuesday, September 29th: The kids completed their first investigation of matter by creating and separating mixtures. They began by recording their observations of three different substances: kosher salt, diatomaceous earth, and gravel. Then, they mixed the materials with water and explored different ways to separate them back into their original components. It was especially interesting to watch the kids' thought processes as they considered which methods would work, which wouldn't, and why. The trickiest part was separating the salt from the water. The kids had to understand that the salt had dissolved, not disappeared! This investigation gave them a hands-on opportunity to explore the properties of matter, make observations, and think like scientists.
Monday, September 28th - We spent time reviewing the Land and Early People test. The kids did a fantastic job, earning an average grade of 92.3%! That is something to be proud of, but what matters most to me is that they developed a solid understanding of the material.We then shifted gears and began science. We reviewed safety rules and procedures, set up our science notebooks, and spent the rest of class exploring the topic of matter, which will be our focus for the next month or so.
The kids were introduced to the concept that matter cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. This can be a challenging concept to grasp, especially when the changes are not always visible. To bring these ideas to life, we will conduct experiments almost every day, giving the kids opportunities to observe and explore these concepts firsthand.
I can already sense genuine excitement about our new science unit, and I look forward to seeing that enthusiasm grow as we dive deeper into the world of matter!
The kids were introduced to the concept that matter cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. This can be a challenging concept to grasp, especially when the changes are not always visible. To bring these ideas to life, we will conduct experiments almost every day, giving the kids opportunities to observe and explore these concepts firsthand.
I can already sense genuine excitement about our new science unit, and I look forward to seeing that enthusiasm grow as we dive deeper into the world of matter!
