Connecting Science and History!

It is the middle of a hot week here in Virginia and I have been teaching a week-long workshop on Physical Science. So blessed to have 27 amazing elementary teachers playing, debriefing, and playing some more this week with me!  Take a look at some of the pictures and see if you can identify a common theme among them:

If you said the teachers look like they are having fun learning; you would be right!  But these pictures actually show two activities that connect to topics found in the Virginia Social Studies Standards of Learning.  

Making Water Flow Up!

Let's start with the fountain. Yes, we made a fountain in the classroom and did not make a mess! The history of the fountain can be traced back to Ancient Rome. Using a system of aqueducts, cisterns, and the force of gravity, Ancient Rome was able to received and store water. Gravity helped to move the water and cisterns, which are similar to what we know as water towers today, helped to store the water.  

Water flowed from the cisterns either through pipes to individual houses or to public distribution points. Fountains were not only decorative; but functional. People could bring their buckets to the fountain to collect water. Some of the fountains had elaborate sprays. These were due in part to the height of the cisterns.

Our fountain works off of air pressure. On top of the bottle is a balloon filled with air. Once released, the air rushes into the bottle and begins to force the water out through the straw. Even though the straw is pointed up, the pressure is great enough to make the water flow up and out of the straw! Keep reading for directions on how to make this easy, yet fun water fountain that will have your students or children shouting-"Can we do this again?"

Learning about Ancient Rome (grade 3) and the importance of aqueducts and fountains!

Sometimes Accidents in Science Create Fun 

In 1940, Franklin Roosevelt called rubber a "strategic and critical material." When our military success in the war became dependent on rubber production, the US government asked companies to invent a synthetic rubber that could be made with non-restricted materials. Scientist James Wright quickly began experimenting with various materials in his quest to discover synthetic rubber. 

The now famous goo, known as Silly Putty, was accidentally created through the combining of boric acid and silicone oil. Tests on the "new goo" done by Wright concluded it could bounce, stretch farther than regular rubber, did not mold, and had a high melting temperature. Unfortunately, it did not have the properties necessary to replace rubber. Originally called "nutty putty," the substance was a lot of fun to many people. After a series of events, it eventually made its way into the toy market and the rest is history!

Science is just plain fun at times!

Even though our Silly Putty is made from items you can find in Wal-Mart, we still had a great time exploring chemical changes! 

If you would like to have some fun this weekend, here is what you need:

Water Fountain

2 liter bottle

Straw

Blue Tac or Modeling Clay

Water

Directions:

Get ready for some fun!

1. With a pen or a pair of scissors, poke a hole in the empty bottle just big enough for a straw to fit through.
2. Seal the straw with Blue Tac or Modeling Clay.
3. Pour water into the bottle over the level of the hole (we put the hole down lower on the bottle).
4. Plug any leaks by squishing down the clay and make sure the straw is pointing up!
5. Blow up the balloon, twist it slightly, and then put over the opening of the bottle. Let it untwist and get ready!

Silly Putty

To make silly putty, you need the following items:

1. 1 4 oz bottle of glue
2. 1/4 cup of  StaFlo starch

Pour these materials into a quart sized bag, seal, and mix together.

When the solid begins to form, open the bag and continue to knead inside the bag. Eventually you will be able to pull it out of the bag and have fun!

What other connections can you find between history and science? Just remember, science rocks!

M

Summer Science Fun

Ah, the air temperature has finally gotten over 75, the cicadas were out in full force last weekend up in Northern Virginia, and we just finished the last grading period. All parents and teachers know what that means!

Of course now comes the hard part! What do you do when you hear-"Mom, I'm bored!" Don't worry my friends, I have you covered! Science can always make the long summer afternoons a little more fun for all!

Marvelous Matter!

In two weeks I am doing training with a group of preschool teachers from Hampton. I am blessed to get the opportunity to do some really simple science with them. Super excited about this workshop as I will be teaching them about matter!

Solids, liquids, and gases oh my! Using water, teachers will learn the properties and other really cool stuff about matter. In preparing, I wanted to find an activity that would tie it all together and allow the teachers to learn how they could connect a topic again at another point in the year.

The best part about teaching matter is this- it's everywhere. Stop reading this blog now and look up. What do you see?  Do you see examples of solids? What about any liquids? Right now as you breathe in you are breathing a gas called oxygen and then you exhale a gas called carbon dioxide! I know you were just thinking how science is so cool!! 

So in my quest to find the perfect idea, I stumbled across this:

Of course those of you who know me really well know I see all things through a lens of science! And this was just the right way to end my workshop! What is better than taking a solid which has a specific property (allows light to pass through but not the images on the other side) and create something fun and pretty at the same time!

Using Matter to Make a Sun Catcher!

Here is what you need:

• Different colored flat, glass, beads. ( I found these  and they were a really good price for bulk: http://www.wholesalersusainc.com; you can also get them from Michael's or any craft store) 
• Clear Glue (you can use the regular glue, but it does not dry clear)
• Picture frame (I got mine at the dollar store-who can beat a $1)

Steps:

Lay out the colors and work with your kids to make the design. You can provide your kids with a template or you can allow them to be creative.

First you put down a lot of the clear glue on the glass frame. I simply took out the guts of the back part of the frame so the glass was exposed.

Next, Hugh and I laid out our pattern on the table before we put them into the glue. Here you can see Hugh putting his together. Notice he has the beads in the rows as he wants to add them in the frame.

Hugh working on his creation!

This was what Hugh and I created together:

Beth decided to get more personal and tried her hand at making a letter B for her name!

Letter B for Beth!

Then all you do is put them in a place to allow them to dry really well. Here are two of the three final products(Beth's had not finished drying!):

So think of other ways you could use these translucent solid pieces of glass beads!! I already have dreams of doing the glass table I have outside on the back deck!

So how does this connect to Matter???

Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space. It can exist in 4 different states-solids, liquids, gases, and plasma. All matter has certain properties that helps it to be distinguished from other objects. The physical properties of an object can be observed with the five senses. These glass beads are a great example of matter and an example of how understanding the physical properties of an object can lead to innovation!

To start off a lesson on matter, give your children a couple of these glass beads. Ask them to use their senses (except their sense of taste) to generate a list of words to describe them. They may describe the colors they see, how hard they feel, maybe they might even say they feel cold.

You can have the children sort the beads into groups based on the physical properties. They can even compare and contrast using a graphic organizer! Then you can have them build the sun catcher!

So go get some glass beads and create a piece of matter art!

Science and Technology

Last week I was lucky enough to get a new I-Phone and the best part-it was free! Gotta love the fact your phone is so old,  you qualify for a free upgrade! 

Like a kid on Christmas morning, I had more fun finding apps! As I scanned the apps I downloaded, I realized almost ever single one of them had something to do with making my life more efficient or effortless.

This of course got me thinking. Can technology really make our lives easy or does it just complicate it more?

From the first microscope to the newest telescope, technology has changed the way we learn about the world, how we problem solve, and how we relate to each other. Scientist have certainly been able to unravel the mysteries of how this world works. Although they may never have all the answers, technology is allowing them to get close.

I still remember the day in July of 1999 when our school system began running Group Wise! Suddenly we went from having conversations on the phone to only speaking to people through electronic means. That was also the year I learned how to develop a web page and systematically managed to put the VBCPS Middle School Science website up as the VBCPS website! To this day I can’t tell you what I did, but I remember when I had to call IT and let them know “VBCPS, we have a problem!” Oh well, for five fleeting minutes, my work was famous!

As I have gotten older, I find myself picking up the phone more; wanting to simply hear a voice as opposed to reading words on a screen. I often wonder what my children’s life will be like in 10 years given the rate of change with technology.

I have found in the last five years that there are some technological tools that have made my life a little easier. Here are some cool apps I found that you might like as well-although I am sure many of my friends already know about them! I tend to be behind in the technology age! 

Grocery IQ

This app was downloaded after I asked my husband the question-can we find a grocery app that would allow us to have one list that updated automatically regardless of who put in the information. 

What a cool little app! After downloading it, I accepted a link from my husband and bzinga! We now have the Flannagan Grocery List! Yep, when either Bill or myself go to the grocery store, we can see what needs to be purchased. Just this morning I got up and there was the new Flannagan list for the upcoming vacation week!

So what else can this little app do? It has a built in coupon section. For the categories in the grocery list, you will find coupons linked to it. The only caveat to this is the coupon may not always be for what you need to buy but rather is for something also found in the category-like produce. Once you clip a coupon, you can print directly to your printer if it is wi-fi enabled or you can email them to yourself to print. 

There is also a location feature that allows you to find all the stores in your area. 

WAZE

This little app is free and is a fun, navigation tool! Billed as a community navigation tool, this app allows you to post traffic updates, where cops are hiding, and can even allow you to share a drive. I also love the fact you can search for the cheapest gas! If you want to, you can even put in your mood for the day while you drive. The other day I was a ninja-yep slicing and dicing my way through traffic to get home!

In the groups setting, you can share the most relevant and up-to-date information about your commute. Of course the information is from people who actually drive the route every day! The only problem I have had with this app was on a recent trip to DC. For some reason, my route kept changing all by itself. Maybe the software had become possessed, or maybe someone was trying to get me to go a different direction. Either way, I had to keep rerouting myself. But as my husband reminded me, no technology device is perfect!

While technology may not be perfect, there are some technology tools that  make life a little easier. If a simple little grocery app can make our trips to the grocery store more productive, it was worth the download!

Early Spring for All

If you haven't heard-Phil gave his prediction for this year! 

And so ye faithful, 

there is not shadow to see 

An early Spring for you and me.

Enjoy any dusting of snow we may get tonight! If Phil's prediction is correct, spring is on her way!

If you are looking for a great site to share with the kids on Monday, just click here. 

For all of my high school friends, here is a great article on how to use data that is out on the web to analyze previous predictions from Groundhog's Day to see how often Phil has been correct! Just click here!

Senses Garden

Besides being cheap when it comes to doing science,I also like to think of ideas that help connect the curriculum and kids to the real world!

In Pre-K and K here in Virginia, teachers have to teach children about the senses. Senses are really important to scientists. They help us collect information which can be used to help us answer our questions. Typically I have created center activities in which children learn about each sense and the body parts that are associated with either sight, smell, taste, hearing, or feeling. But when I was at my mother-in-laws last week, my kids gave me a great idea!

As we were watering her flowers, my daughter Beth noticed grandma has a rosemary plant. Both of us were excited as we love the smell! This is where the idea came from!Why not create a sense garden in that spot of the school yard that needs a little bit of freshening up! So what could you plant?

For sense of Sight: plant various plants that will showcase color throughout the spring or even in the fall-roses, tulips, maybe even plant a flowering bush!

For Smell-this is my favorite-plant basil, thyme, rosemary!

For Texture-Lamb's Ear for the softness of its leaves, Coreopsis for its feathery leaves, or a Sedum such as Hen and Chicks for their spiky leaves.

For Sound-if you can, add a small pond with running water or a small outdoor fountain! Or use some wind chimes. You can also put up a bird feeder to draw birds to your garden.

For Taste-be sure to get approval-but you could plant some berry bushes!

So how do you connect a garden to the curriculum-easy-have children go out and explore the plants and work with you to generate words that describe the plants.This is a great way to build vocabulary.

Writing-you can work with children to write what they hear when they go out into the garden or to write sentences that describe what the garden looks like to someone who is not there.

Measurement-a sense garden is great opportunity to measure how plants change over time-students use non-standard or standard units of measurements to measure plants.

How to build a raised garden-found this at home depot-http://www.homedepotgardenclub.com/us/en/landscaping/projects/how-to-build-a-raised-garden-bed?contentid=1142

or here is another idea-simply plant the plants in containers! My mother-in-law took an area by her pool and dug up the grass, put down weed blocker paper, covered the paper with rocks,and then planted her herbs and other items in containers! This way you could move the garden if you needed to! Much cheaper as well-with containers you don't have to buy all the other materials to make a raised garden bed!

Go Science!