Greeting all and Happy New Year! (is it too late to say Happy New Year in February LOL)
I know I haven't blog about the events that occur in the Science Lab but trust me it has been on my mind to update my faithful 10 subscribers on the Science Lab! January and February has been a busy month at Blue Ridge and the Science Lab has been percolating with learning and teaching. Currently, I am experimenting with our 5th graders on soil. The first thing I discussed with them is that all soil is not called dirt and that soil is a mixture(science vocabulary word) of organic remains, rock particles, and clay. To compare and contrast some different soils I had the students observed four types of commonly used soil; Peat, Clay, Silt, and Sand. After using their "naked eye" to observe the soil, the students then took a sample of each soil and used a high power microscope to observe it. This was an excited and eye opening experience for the students. Not only was it their first time using a real microscope but they also got a chance to actually see the rock particles, clay, and organic material in the soil that is not visible to the naked eye. After using the microscope I had the students test each soil sample to see which soil would retain the most water and which releases the most water. We preformed this experiment with small clear plastic cups and coffee filters. I always remind my students that all Scientist collect data, so to record their information after investigating they used a chart to analyze their data. Below are some pictures of the Lab! Until next time, be blessed!
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| Data Chart |
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| Lab equipment use for the investigation |
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| Students working |
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| "Thinking like a Scientist" |
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| "Thinking like a Scientist" |
