Salamander Class

A salamander

Spring 2015
Week 1 (Monday January 19th) Living Things

Fall 2014
Weeks 6-9
Weeks 10-15 Unit 11-12, stopping at Sound
Week 16 review
Week 17 Final Exam and Winter Experiments
Week 20 Electricity

Salamander Science Weeks 6 -9

In Salamander Class week 6 we studied Chapter 10, lesson 3 on Mixtures. The students answered the question, "How do you make a mixture?"

Week 6 Vocabulary: mixture, dissolve, solution, combination, separate, filter

Because of the 10/10 holiday, they had no homework. We did their homework in class the following week.

Week 7: We reviewed last week's lesson on Mixtures, and made a fruit shake experiments. A fruit shake is a yummy and healthy example of a mixture.

Drinking our solutions and mixtures

Week8: review and Midterm

Week 9: We are beginning a new chapter on Matter in Motion (page 362-364). The goal for this week is for the students to be able to describe motion and how something has moved using the vocabulary words, position, motion, friction, lever, repel and speed. The ESL lesson will also reinforce position words: in, on, under, next to, near, left, right.

Here is a link to study their vocabulary with various online games.

On this week, Halloween falls on our Friday so I want to do a fun Halloween experiment with them. We will make green slime and dancing ghosts.

(For Salamander weeks 1-5 click here).

Science and Halloween

Beware the Mad Scientists!

In Salamander Science class on Friday the 31^st, I thought we might do some fun experiments to celebrate their good exam scores.

I will demonstrate a Carve a Jack-O-Lantern demonstration (Physical Change) and make green slime. If we have more time we can make dancing ghosts.

1.                                                                                                            Green Slime

• Elmer's glue (most kinds of white craft glue will work)
• 2 disposable cups
• Food coloring (you pick the color)
• Water
• Borax Powder (available at most large grocery stores near the laundry detergent)
• A plastic spoon (for stirring)
• A tablespoon (for measuring)

1. Fill one small cup with water and add a spoonful of the Borax powder and stir it up. Then set it aside.
2. Fill the other small cup with about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the glue.
3. Add three tablespoons (20 ml) of water to the glue and stir.
4. Add a few drops of the food coloring and stir it up until mixed.
5. Now the fun part...Add one tablespoons of the Borax solution you made earlier and stir well. Watch the slime form!
6. After the slime forms let it sit for about 30 seconds and then pull it off the spoon and play with it!

Tip: Keep your slime in a tightly closed plastic bag when you are not playing with it, and keep it away from carpet and your little sister's hair.

Now for the SCIENCE part.... This POLYMER is unique because it has qualities of both a solid and a liquid. It can take the shape of its containers like a liquid does, yet you can hold it in your hand and pick it up like a solid. As you might know, solid molecules are tight together, liquid molecules spread out and break apart (drops) POLYMER molecules CHAIN themselves together (they can stretch and bend like chains) and that makes them special. Jell-O, rubber bands, plastic soda bottles, sneaker soles, even gum are all forms of polymers. The polymer you made should be kept in a sealed plastic bag when you aren't playing with it. Also, be sure to keep it away from young kids or pets who might think it's food. Have fun!

The project above is a DEMONSTRATION. To make it a true experiment, you can try to answer these questions:

1. How can you make the polymer stretch the farthest?
2. Does the amount of Borax added change the slime?
3. What method of storage will make the polymer last the longest?
4. What brand of glue makes the stretchiest polymer?
5. Does the amount of water added to the glue affect the gooeyness of the slime?

2.    Static Powered Dancing Ghost

Resources:

http://chemistry.about.com/od/halloweenchemistry/a/halloweensci.htm

http://www.sciencebob.com/blog/?p=360

Salamander Science: Matter weeks 1-5

(For weeks 6-9 click here).

The first 5 weeks we have been studying Matter, how to describe the 3 states of matter, their properties and how matter changes.

Our vocabulary:

• balance 天平 
• measure 測量 
• compare 比較 
• flexible 靈活
• invisible 無形
• describe 描述 
• property 特性 
• rough 粗糙的
• solid 固體 
• liquid 液體
• gas 氣體
• mass

How Matter Changes: Vocabulary

• physical change 物理變化,
• fold 折,
• tear 撕,
• temperature 溫度,
• turn into 變成
• chemical change 化學變化,
• rust 生鏽,
• cause造成 

How temperature affects Matter Vocabulary (week 5): 

(spelling list week 5 with Teacher Angel here)

• melt 融化,

• low 低的,

• evaporate 蒸發,

• boil 煮沸

• condense 凝結,

• • freeze 結凍,

• wax 蠟

Some essential questions all the students must answer is:

1. How can you describe matter?

2. What are the properties of a solid?

3. What are the properties of a liquid and a gas?

4. What changes matter?

5. How are a physical and chemical change different?
6. How does temperature affect matter?

Extra Experiment:

Because I teach the English language part of it, I don't get to do the fun demonstrations that the class does with their Mandarin speaking teacher. If I had time I'd make Ziploc bag ice-scream. I made this last semester with my K2 class and it was a smashing success. 

States of Matter Online Games:
http://www.brainpop.com/games/mattersorter/
http://www.scienceunleashed.ie/Games/States%20of%20Matter.swf
http://www.quia.com/rr/38085.html
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities/detectivescience/statesofmatter.html