Stretching, Bending, Tearing, Squashing...

Matter can be changed either physically or chemically. Today we focused on physically changing a variety of objects. First students changed a piece of paper by tearing, folding, twisting, and squashing it. Next we physically changed Play-doh from a ball into a new creation. Students created their figure by stretching, bending, squashing, tearing, and twisting.

Colton created the Statue of Liberty.

Liquid to a Solid

On Friday, we continued our study of solids, liquids, and gases. We explored how a liquid can change into a solid. One way to change a state of matter is to freeze it. We took two liquids; milk and vanilla, along with a little sugar and froze those items together. Students placed their solution in a bag of ice and they shook the solution until it was frozen. When we opened the bag we found our solution had changed to ice cream!

I can't tell which the students enjoyed more making the ice cream or eating it! :)

Mixture and Solutions

What is the difference between a mixture and a solution? That is what students learned about today. A mixture is combining two or more items and the items keep their properties. Students created a mixture of Chex Mix and then sorted the items back out. The items looked the same when they were sorted and when they were separated.

Students also created a solution today. A solution is a kind of mixture with parts that do not easily separate. Students took milk and chocolate syrup and made a solution of chocolate milk. We cannot separate the milk and chocolate once they have been mixed, it is a solution.

Dancing Raisins

We began our science lesson today by talking about gases. Gases have no shape of their own, they take the shape of the container they are in. To show students that gases are all around, we experimented with what happens when you drop a raisin in club soda. Most students predicted that the raisin would sink to the bottom, and they did, for a moment. After a couple of seconds the raisins began to rise. The gas in the club soda was sticking to the raisins and caused them to rise... and then fall... and then rise... and before long we had dancing raisins!

Tornado Safety Poster Contest Winner!!

Congratulations to Zoe! She won first place in the

Tornado Safety Poster Contest for 2nd grade.

Let the Liquids Flow

Today we explored the properties of a liquid. We looked at seven different types of liquids. Some of the ways we described a liquid is foamy, bubbly, viscous, transparent, or translucent. How would you describe some of the liquids around your house?

Solid as a Rock

This week we have been looking at the properties of a solid. Students have been testing a variety of materials to determine if the items are rigid, flexible, soft, or smooth. We also tested whether an object sinks or floats. During our investigation we discovered objects can both sink and float.