Classroom Chemistry Unit Review - Test Monday January 11th

Through out Classroom Chemistry inquiry students participated in various experiments, student-led research and visual learning to begin to understand the role that chemistry plays in our daily lives.

1) Discovering various ways to separate solids
 Technique #1: Water

"The water made the moss float because it is lighter" (Student from 16A)

*Water was not as effective if materials are the same density

Technique #2: Sieves  

"They were good because if you mixed everything together when you sieve it, the smaller ones go to the bottom and the larger ones go to the top".  (Student from 16A)

"If you mix two things that are practically the same size it won't work because they won't seperate" (Student from 16B)

Technique #3: Magnets

"The magnets worked for the nails because they are magnetic but the other materials weren't (like the glass) so they were stuck together" (Student from Room 16A)

Experiment #2: Mixing Liquids

How did you know if something separated, partially separated or did not separate?

-"If you took the eye dropper and you had one that was heavier then the other you could have separated it from that"  (Student Room A)

- "If you put two liquids and one is already separated with it and you mix it, and some of it is gone" Student on Room B (on how you know its partially separated)

Check out this great video that reviews vocabulary such as:

homogenous

heterogenous

dissolve

mixture

solution

Reversible and Irreversible Changes

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/10_11/rev_irrev_changes.shtml

Evaporation - Solids can be recovered by evaporating the water.  The water is lost into the air as it evaporates while the solid remains behind.

Decanting - to pour off a liquid to leave behind a sediment

Filtering - Solids can be stirred up to form a suspension which can then be poured into a filtering system.  Water will pass through the filter but the insoluble substance 

will collect on the filter

Creating Crystals:

Crystals are a solid unit in which molecules have been arranged in repeating patterns or networks and are created by the process of evaporation

Students in Room 16 created their own crystals with the following procedure:

1. Choose a pipecleaner and make a shape

2. Tie a piece of string to the top of your decoration

3. Pour boiling water into your jar

4. Add 4 tablespoons of borax, continue until the water is cloudy.  Once it is cloudy and no more will dissolve you're reached saturation.

5. Wrap the string horizontally onto your stick.  Dip your decoration until completely under water.

Carbon Dioxide

Carbon dioxide can be produced through the interaction of solids and liquids.  It is odorless, tasteless, colorless, heavier than air and does not burn.  We learned about two different ways that carbon dioxide can be produce in chemistry.

Balloon Blow-up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK5-2X_GqP8

Making Your Own Lava Lamp

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments/easylavalamp.html

Chemical Reactions

A chemical reaction has occurred when a substance changes color, odor, temperature (heat) or produces a gas.  In a chemical reaction a new substance is created.  Chemical changes are generally irreversible

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments/easylavalamp.html

Acids versus Bases

An acid is a substance that can donate hydrogen ions.   

Characteristics:

-Taste sour

-corrosive to materials

-can sting when touched

-become less acidic when mixed with bases

A base is a substance that can accept hydrogen ions.   

Characteristics:

-Have a bitter taste

-Do not react when combined with most metals

-become less basic when mixed with acids

Contest Queston

There was a special lunar event last week.  What was it, when did it happen and when was the last time this happened?  We will be posting questions all week, check back and bring the answers to school next week.

Canada's National Animal Mono Prints

Bald Eagle 

As part of our inquiry “Which Animal Should be Canada’s National Animal”, students researched animals from across Canada.  After studying the regions of Canada, students chose an animal to research that they thought should replace the beaver as Canada’s national symbol.  

  

We used a technique called mono printing to create our art.  The students were given a “sandwich” of three pieces of paper: white, wax paper and black card stock.

The first step was to sketch the animal on a white piece of paper.  The students then placed the wax paper on top of their drawing and began to paint in the background in small sections.  They then placed the black paper on top and rubbed the area where the paint was to transfer the paint.  This process continued until the entire picture was filled in.  They needed to go over some areas more than once to add more details to their picture. 

 

We discovered that the paint needed to be added in thin layers or it would spread too much on the print and become a big blob.  If we made a mistake during the process, we were able to let the paint dry and then go over it again to fix any mistakes that had been made.

                                         

Canada's Next Official Animal

For the Convention of Learning on December 16th students in room 16 will presenting their suggestions for Canada's next official animal.  The Beaver has been Canada's symbol since 1975, when a private member’s bill, which had been passed by the Senate  received Royal Assent, making the beaver the official national symbol of Canada.  More recently a Canadian senator has called for a national “emblem makeover” by replacing a vegetarian rodent with the world’s largest walking carnivore that thrives in the cold.  

Students will be presenting their work both orally and on a poster.   The following criteria needs to be included on the poster: 

•   Catchy title which includes the animals's name and Canada's Next National Animal.  It should be big and bold.  

•   Subtitles - Habitat, Food Chain (what does it eat, predator and prey), Physical Features (adaptations), Why should it be Canada's next animal?

•   Four paragraphs (one for each of the above topics)

•   Pictures - at least one well drawn, labelled picture of the animal, map showing where it lives and a picture of it's habitat.  

Students have been given a graphic organizer for their research.  The research should now be complete and they should be working on completing their paragraphs.  Good copies of all four paragraphs will be due on Thursdays.  If they would like to type their paragraphs they are encouraged to do so in a google doc so that it will be available for them to work on both at school and at home.  

Regions of Canada Postcard Assignment

The students in room 16 have been working hard exploring the regions of Canada with our "What does Canada Look Like" inquiry. For the past 2 weeks they have been researching an assigned region and are creating a postcard that will showcase their region.  This assignment is due on Monday November 23.  The following checklist has been provided for them in addition to the assignment outline and rubric.  We are looking forward to sharing them with you at conferences on December 3rd and 4th.

Representing Decimals

Students in Room 16 have been working to represent decimals in many different ways.  These ways include using fractions, expanded form, words, base ten blocks and money.   Ask your child to show you how they can represent decimals.

We will be having a quiz on representing decimals Wednesday November 18th.

Remembrance Day Assembly

Students from Rooms 13, 15 and 16 have been working very hard to prepare for our Remembrance Day Assembly next Tuesday, November 10th at 10:30 AM.

We look forward to sharing our art work, poetry and musical talents with you!  There will also be a very special speaker joining us.

Remembrance Day is a very respectful and reflective time for all of us.  Please remember that there is to be no applause, cheering or talking during this assembly.

Please come and join us, we hope to see you all there!