Solar Power!

Well we are two months into the 2012 - 2013 school year and the students are enjoying their time in the Science Lab.  This week we extended the distilling water experiment and made Solar Water Distillers. We discussed what solar energy is and where it comes from, then compared Solar energy effectiveness to the Hot Plates we used last week, which is converting electrical energy to thermal energy.  The students really enjoyed this experiment and are working better with problem solving in groups rather than asking me for all the answers (creating independent thinkers!).  Parents ask your student about this project, you can do it at home too!  Well until next time.............I wonder what experiment will we do next week, maybe something with Ice Cream.   O.O   ( :

                                                                                 

Need Distilled Water?

This week in the Science Lab students will learn what is Distilled Water, and how to make it.  Have you ever looked at the ingredients label on a store bought water bottle?  Well, most bottle water have chemcials in them to either make them more tasteful or added during the purfiication process.  To remove these ingredients you can distill the water.  Distillation involves boiling the water and then condensing the steam into a clean container.  To conduct this experiment, students will wear Safety Goggles and a Lab Apron, and they will also use the Hot Plate, Beaker, a pot and bowl.  Since we are using a Hot Plate, students must be extra careful not to endanger themselves or others.

BRE Eagle News Station is up and running!

This year is going to be great at Blue Ridge Elementary!  We are starting our very own news broadcasting news studio, and I have the privilege to be the sponsor. This year our morning announcement will be done through a live broadcast in the Science Lab, and streamed live to all the different classrooms at Blue Ridge.  In the next couple of weeks I will be interviewing prospective crew-men, anchors, reporters, and cameraman to be apart of this historic event.  Below are a few shots of the studio.