Mixing Liquids

We experimented to find out what happens when you mix different liquids together. We used corn syrup, dish soap, laundry soap, vegetable oil, and hand soap. First, we mixed each with water. 

Some made bubbles.

Some made layers.

Some looked wavy. 

Some blended together.

Some completely mixed together. 

We shook them well, and let them sit overnight. The next day, we observed what had happened when they settled. Before clean-up, we had a little fun mixing the mixtures. Check out some of the results!

Many kids left science class with big plans to ask permission to try this at home!

We made a bulletin board of an ocean scene. The interactive writing shows what we have been learning about solids, liquids, and gases.

Ewww!

Science continues to be fun, but gross, too! We experimented to learn what happens when we mix different solids with a liquid (water). Some solids get bigger, some get darker, and some dissolve.

This candy cane was completely dissolved by the next day!

This is what happened to a graham cracker!

Patterns

We've been learning about patterns in math class. Repeating patterns have a unit that repeats over and over.

Blue, yellow, red... repeat!

Growing patterns add something each time. Shrinking patterns take away something each time. We made steps out of cubes to demonstrate.

the blue blocks are the "people" on the steps

We applied what we learned about patterns with shapes and colors to numbers, too. Counting by 1s, 2s, 5s, or 10s creates a growing pattern in which you add the same number every time!

Particle Solids

This week, we began to study solids made of particles. We experimented with cornmeal, dry rice, and a variety of dry beans to find out how they pour and how they roll in bottles. Although these solids pour like liquids, they are different in some ways. You can rest an object on top of a pile of these solids -- you can't do that with liquid! 

We also mixed these particle solids together, like a soup mix, and then used screens with different sized holes to separate the different types of solids again.

Two-Digit Numbers

In math, we've been ordering numbers from least to greatest or from greatest to least. First we look at the tens place. If it matches the tens place in another number, then we use the ones place to determine which number is bigger or smaller.

Learning about Liquids

In science, we have been exploring liquids. We observed seven different liquids in bottles to find out their properties. We tried tipping, shaking, rolling, and spinning the bottles. Here are the vocabulary words we have been using:

       *  Transparent – you can see light and images through it

       * Translucent – you can see light through it, but not clear images

       *  Bubbly – bubbles stay in it for a while, especially if you shake it

       * Foamy – bubbles stay on the top for a while

       *  Viscous – thick, moves slowly

rolling bottles of liquid

Do bottles of different liquids roll differently?

Is it bubbly or foamy?

Does it make a tornado?

We also experimented to discover that:
* Liquid falls to the lowest part of a container, no matter which way you tip the container
* The top of the liquid forms a line level with the ground
* The same amount of liquid can look VERY different, depending on the container you put it in

Scientists at work

Back Into the Swing of Things

Before Winter Break, we were working hard and having fun in First Grade. We're going to pick up where we left off!

In Writer's Workshop, we are writing nonfiction "All About" books to teach our readers about a topic. We have been working on answering questions that readers might have, putting interesting information on every page, teaching with pictures and words, and working with partners to make our writing even better.

In science, we were learning about solid materials. We built towers to discover which materials are best for building. Towers seemed to work best when they had a wide base and when they were built with strong, rigid materials. Check out some of our towers!