7/8 Thunder and Lightning FUN FUN FUN

What better way to learn about thunder and lightning than MAKING thunder and lightning!  We made thunder poppers to demonstrate the force of air causing loud vibrations.   KH won our contest as the loudest popper!  Way to go!  We also practiced transferring electrons and causing reactions between a negatively charged object (person on slide) and a positively charged object (person on ground) to create a tiny SPARK of lightning.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

What is Thunder?

Thunder is the sound that lightning makes. Sounds simple but why does lightning make a sound. Any sound you hear is made up of vibrations, the vibrations travel through the air as waves until they reach your ear.
This means lightning must cause some vibrations.
Lightning is a huge discharge of electricity. When lightning strikes huge amounts of electricity shoots through the air, this causes two things to happen.
1. The electricity hits the air and starts it vibrating, anything vibrating causes a sound.
2.The lightning is also very hot and heats up the air around it. Hot air gets bigger: it expands. As lightning is very hot the air gets bigger very quickly and pushes against the air particles starting another vibration.
These vibrations are what you are hearing when you hear thunder, the rumbling of thunder is caused by the vibration or sound bouncing of the ground and the clouds.

Why is thunder not at the same time as the lightning?

We SEE the lightning before we HEAR the thunder because light travels faster than sound.
The light from the lightning travels to our eyes much quicker than the sound from the lightning so we hear it later than we see it.

Source:  http://www.sciencemadesimple.co.uk/page86g.html

5/6 Food Web Diorama

Click HERE for the Diorama template

5/6 Symbiosis Song

This is a great example of symbiosis and mutualism!  Enjoy!

http://www.watchknow.org/Video.aspx?VideoID=1607

Thunder and Lightning

5/6 Science Test Ecosystems Ch 1

Click HERE to take the test.

AFTER you finish the test, go to this website:  http://beta.freerice.com/  and play the game.  After you have donated at least 100 grains of rice (at least 10 correct words) you can go play:  PLAN-IT GREEN or RECYCLE ROUNDUP

This Week in Science (9/27-10/1)

7/8 Science Thunder Lighning Assignment

7/8 graders, please complete the assignment found here:

http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/thunderlightning


Please remember to only use initials when you post.

What We Did In Class Today!

Not only did we have a test on Chapter 10, we made clouds/rain/frost in CLASS!  Weather is AWESOME!

7/8 Test Ch 10

Click HERE to take the test!

After the test, come back to the science lab for FUN, WEATHER experiments!

This Week in Science (9/20-9/24)

7/8 Quiz on Chapter 10 B/C

Click HERE to take the quiz! If you remembered to bring your book home, feel free to use it:)

For a few extra credit points go to this site and follow the instructions!  (Please only post using your initials not your first/last name.  I've posted an example.  http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/precip

Transpiration Finale

Great experiment!  Great results!

Transpiration - flash slideshow maker

5/6 Science Test Plants Chapter 2

Click HERE to take the test!

After the test, you can play games at this site:
http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/games_activities/index.cfm

7/8 States of Water Project

Use this template:  Pyramid Template and design a pyramid with definitions and graphics about the states of water (solid/liquid/gas).  Use the words melting/freezing/sublimation/condensation/evaporation with arrows to show the changes of state.  (SEE PAGE 213).  This project is due tomorrow or better yet at the end of class today:)

7/8 Science Test Ch 9

Click HERE to take the test on Chapter 9.

When you are done with the test, you may play the following EDUCATIONAL, WEATHER games:


http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/goes/wwa/#
(up to three students may play the game together at the same computer)


http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/games.shtml

Transpiration--Updated

5/6 Science--Check out what we did today!

Transpiration - slideshow with music

Transpiration investigation
You will need – a clear plastic bag and an elastic band
This experiment will show you how much water is transpired through the leaves of plants. Try this with a few different plants to see if the results are different.
Many plants take water in through their roots and pass it out through their leaves through tiny holes called stomata
Step 1
Tie a clear, clean plastic bag firmly around some leaves on a bush, taking care not to harm it. Make sure the bag has no holes in it.
Step 2
Check the bag daily to see what happens. Are all bushes the same?

7/8 Science Extra Credit

You asked for it, you got it!:) Click HERE to take a quiz that will be extra credit added to a past quiz grade that could use a "boost." 

5/6 Science Extra Credit

You asked for it--you got it!  Great job checking the blog!

Click HERE to take quiz for an opportunity at extra credit on an upcoming test!

5/6 Plant Experiment Update

Here's the latest!

7/8 Science Checking the Blog?

Hey there 7th/8th graders, I hope you are having a nice weekend!  For those of you who are checking the blog, I have a treat for you!  You can take tomorrow's quiz on chapter 9 sections B and C TODAY and use your book!  Great job looking ahead and doing your  homework! 

CLICK HERE TO TAKE YOUR QUIZ

This Week in Science (9/13-9/17)

7/8 Science Atmosphere

Click HERE to take quiz.

7/8 Lab FUN

Today in science we caused an exothermic reaction between hydrogen peroxide and yeast! We were able to "see" the oxygen gas released. If you want to look up this experiment online and learn more, just Google "Elephant Toothpaste." We are studying the composition of the atmosphere. It was unanimous--OXYGEN is AWESOME!

5/6 Photosynthesis Song

5th/6th Science Plant Experiment Update (Tuesday)

Here's the latest! Corn seeds are looking good! Bean seeds, not so much.

Bean sprout side down.

Corn in sunlight.

Bean sprout side up.

Corn in the dark.

Corn in sunlight.

Edible Cell Project!

The edible cells are AWESOME!  We REALLY enjoyed our work!

Edible Cell Projects - free slideshow

5th/6th Science Plant Experiment Update

We are performing TWO different experiments in class right now. In the first experiment, some groups planted corn seeds in soil and placed them in the light. Some groups planted corn seeds in soil and placed them in the dark. We wonder what will happen and why?

In the second experiment some of us planted bean seeds "sprout" side up and some of us planted bean seeds "sprout" side down. What will happen?

We placed our hypotheses on wallwisher.com. Pretty cool!  (Many of us had the same hypotheses so I "cleaned up" our wall a bit:)



Here's the latest look at what is happening. (Pictures taken, Friday, September 3)

This Week in Science (9/6-9/10)

7/8 Chapter 2 Test

Click HERE to take the test!

Want extra credit for the test? After you have completed the test, create a webquest for second graders using Google Docs that answers the following questions:

(A webquest asks the question and provides a link to the answer)

• 1. What is weather?
• 2. What is temperature?
• 3. What is precipitation?
• 4.  What is wind?
• 5.  Where can  I find what the weather might be tomorrow in my town?

(One point will be added for each question/answer link that is correct and can be understood on a 2nd grade level.)

SEND YOUR WEBQUEST TO:  athill@crosslcmsschool.org to receive credit.