The Lava Lamp

Classwork:
Apply your knowledge of heat, energy, paricle motion and density to a lava lamp.

1. Draw it on p.48 in your interactive notebook.
2. Diagram the motion of the "hot lava" and the "cold lava" with arrows.
3. Explain how the lava lamp works.  Use the words heat energy, hotter, colder, faster, slower, expand, contract, more, less, and dense in your explanation.

States of Matter Unit Begins

Friday, September 19
Friday Quiz on Density

Monday, September 22-Wednesday, September 24
The guest teachers enjoyed the students, but not my lesson plans.  The textbooks were used as students reviewed the vocabulary associated with scientific inquiry, and the nature of physical sciences.  The assignments included  workbook pages 12-13, 16-18 and 50-53.  This was much easier to do once students had been given the workbooks! Doh! :/

We set up a new section in our notebooks on p.39, titled Heat, Temperature, and States of Matter.
There were a variety of videos that helped us to develop a better idea of the interaction between matter and energy, and particle motion associated with each phase of matter.
These are all easily accessible on You Tube:

• Bill Nye the Science Guy on Heat, on Energy, and on States of Matter.
• Eureka! Episodes 17-21

Thursday and Friday were our review days. We returned papers, organized notebooks and made sure that everyone could draw and describe the properties of each state of matter.  Hopefully, next week will go a little bit smoother!

Density Labs Day 3: Cubes

Due Today: Comparing Cubes

Class work: Density is a characteristic property of matter.
 We are completing our density lab investigations today.

In the lab today, make sure everyone gets a chance to measure and calculate density.  Be efficient-- one partner can measure mass while the other measures volume of different objects and then trade.  Be helpful! :)

The review questions on the bottom of the lab should be review-- finish for homework if you need more time.  Each box or cube  has a unique density because of its unique atomic structure and composition.  Calculate the density and identify your box! Have fun!

Density Labs Day 2

Due Today: Puzzling Scenarios

Class work: Remember that hot air rises because it is less dense!
 We are continuing our density lab investigations today...reviewing tomorrow.
Let's discuss our Puzzling Scenarios and examine the ideas you have about density.

In the lab today, make sure everyone gets a chance to measure and calculate density.  Be efficient-- one partner can measure mass while the other measures volume of different objects and then trade.  Be helpful! :)

Density of Lumps

Due Today: Homework on Density/Density worksheet

Class work: 
Today we are reviewing the idea that density is a characteristic property of matter and a ratio of mass per volume.  Get ready to make some measurements of mass and volume.  These measurements will be used to calculate density of some marbles in the lumps lab in order to predict if they will sink or float in water! 

 Why does salt water sink under fresh water? Pretend the marbles are water molecules that you could see. Where does the salt go? The cups have the same amount of "water" in them, but which one contains more stuff a.k.a. mass?  How does having a greater mass affect the density of equal volumes?

Hypothesis/Density Intro.

Due Today: Organized IA Notebooks
Did you update your Table of Contents? Are all your papers and notes in order by the date? attached?

CLASS WORK:
We are reviewing the format for making scientific hypotheses at the same time we are introducing the concept of density.  
Make a note of how to format your hypothesis on p.30 in your notebook.  

Get ready to practice making a hypothesis aloud as I layer the following liquids into the glass jar:

• lamp oil
• olive oil
• windex
• rubbing alcohol
• salt water
• corn syrup
• vinegar
• tap water

If you missed the class demonstration, watch this guy...Steve Spangler.
Why do they layer in that way? 

Make notes on density on p.31 in your notebook
Density is a characteristic property of matter.  Water has a density of 1 g/ml. If a substance has a density less than 1 g/ml, then it floats in water and if it is greater than 1 g/mL, the substance will sink in water.

More Measuring and Less Talking!

Due Today: The measurement labs!  You must finish today!

A measurement quiz was planned today.  
Hopefully, you'll finish everything, correct it all, ask me any questions you may have, get your work into your notebooks, and be prepared for your quiz no later than Monday.