Sorting and grouping materials.

We have been looking at the properties of materials and today we tried sorting and grouping them using different categories.

We used a Venn diagram and some of the properties we know, to sort the pictures of materials.

The fabrics were quite difficult to sort into categories.

There were a few different ways to sort the rock collection.

The mixed materials caused most debate and variety of suggestions for categories.

A coat for a snowman

In our investigation of good materials to use for insulation, we decided to see how we could stop a snowman from melting. Materials can be used to keep things cold as well as hot!
We learned that our coats trap our body heat and stop it from escaping, therefore keeping us warm, but a snowman's coat should keep it COLD and stop it from melting.
For our test we needed to choose different materials to try and we had to think of ways to make it a fair test.
We decided to measure the amount of water that was produced as a way to test the coats. We left one snowman with no coat as a control.

•  we made sure that the cups of water that were to be our snowmen were all filled to the same level.
• coats needed to be the same size and put on at the same time.
• snowmen kept in the same place at the same temperature
• measurements taken at the same time and at regular intervals

Most of us measured the water every 10 minutes although one group chose every 20 mins. Sometimes it was a bit messy! We discovered that some materials absorbed the water and the toilet tissue coat disintegrated! It was tricky getting some of the coats to stay on - especially the plastic ones.
Although the wool tended to absorb some water it seemed to be the one that was most effective at slowing down the melting.
It was interesting to see whose predictions were accurate too.

Class work

We do other things in class  other than scientific experiments! Here are a few examples.

We were writing descriptions of imaginary characters.
We swapped books and drew each other's characters from the description.
There were some very strange creatures!

Sometimes we do group challenges. This was a maths one  that needed lots of calculations.

There are many ways to practise spelling. Here we are playing a spelling city game on the Smartboard.

In art we have been weaving. Our creations are nearly finished! We used different colours and texture in our designs!

Milk art

Today we experimented with milk art! 
We poured some milk (full fat works best) on a plate and added a few drops of food colouring. Next we dipped some cocktail sticks in washing up liquid and touched the surface of the milk. The effect was instant!
The washing up liquid breaks the surface tension of the milk and allows the food colouring to flow through and the result is 'awesome' according to Kasey!
You can see what happened in our videos!

Lava lamps

Today we looked at how oil and water don't mix. First of all we put oil and water in a jar and saw how they form layers. Next we added some washing up liquid and shook the jars to see how the soap helped to join the oil and water molecules together and allow them to mix.
We learned that this is why we need to use soap to wash properly!
We used the fact that oil and water don't mix to make our own lava lamps.
First we added water to a bottle and then filled it up with vegetable oil. We dropped some food colouring in and then came the exciting part!
We added Alka Seltzer tablets to produce a gas and when it bubbled up it took the food colouring with it, producing a lava lamp effect. We can activate them again by adding more tablets when we want to.

Gloopy oobleck!

In our study of liquids and solids we found a substance that can't decide what it is!
Gloopy oobleck is made from cornflour and water and is great fun to play with - but can make an awful mess!
We rolled it into balls and it was solid but when we stopped rolling it, it became a liquid! It felt solid when we punched it and liquid when we pushed it. We really enjoyed experimenting with it. You can add food colouring to it too if you want coloured gloop.

mixing cornflour and water

making a gloop ball

This is what happens when you stop rolling it!

punching the gloop!