We practiced using descriptive language this week and played a game with the results. Here are some videos along with a conversation we had at the end of the activity.
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We did a demonstration in class this week to see how sound travels, in waves. Here is a video of the activity. More on this later! To get a little movement in during math, we did a GoNoodle about multiples, otherwise known as SKIP-COUNTING! Last week we practiced identifying independent and dependent variables and writing hypotheses in groups through a snowball fight :) The kids had to sneak to the center of the room, grab a testable question, take it back to their group, and then identify the IV and DV and write a hypothesis for the question (in the correct "IF...THEN..." format. Here are a few videos of the game. Some of my friends and I have been using a metronome to practice reading poems. We tried to beat our previous records, though we got a bit off tempo the faster we went :) To get more familiar with the science vocabulary, the kids played a game in groups on Quizet. This website is a fabulous and fun way to learn vocabulary and to study for tests. To study the vocabulary for this unit, the kids can access the tools at this site: https://quizlet.com/_56c6mn This week we did an inquiry activity to learn the difference between testable and untestable questions in science. A testable question:
The types of testable questions we talk about in fifth grade must have two parts: a cause and effect. Here is an example: Does changing the amount of light affect the growth rate of plants? The cause in the testable question is also known as the INDEPENDENT VARIABLE. The independent variable is:
The effect in the testable question is known as the DEPENDENT VARIABLE. The dependent variable is:
In the example above about light and plant growth: I, the scientist, am changing the amount of light the plants get- what I change = Independent variable We are measuring the rate of plant growth- Data = how fast a plant grows = Dependent variable Here are some examples of TESTABLE QUESTION formats:
To see if a question is testable, ask yourself... Does it contain a cause and an effect? Can you design a fair investigation to test it? Can you MEASURE the effect? If yes, it is testable! During our investigation, the kids wrote down questions they had about the fake snow on post-it notes. After they'd had some time to play with the snow, we sorted the questions to see which ones could be tested with an experiment (testable) and which ones would be answered with research. Here are some examples: Testable questions: If we changed the amount of water added to the powder, would the amount of snow vary? Does the temperature of the water affect the amount of snow that is produced? Does the type of liquid affect the amount of snow that is made? Research questions: What is the stuff made of? How does the snow form? |
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