Today we entered into the realm of chemistry! We began about matter, atoms, mass and weight, using snow as an example substance because it shifts very easily between the three states of matter: solid snow, liquid water, and gaseous vapor. To demonstrate this, we heated snow to melting, then boiled the resulting water, and I held a metal sheet containing more snow above it to show how the vapor turned back into beads of liquid water when the cold metal sheet reduced its temperature.
We also discussed how if they were on the moon or one of the other planets their weight will be different because the gravity is different, which is based on the planet's mass. The homework for this week is a sheet to work out their weight on the moon and the various planets of the solar system. This site lists the proportional gravity of the different planets and calculates weight for them. You could also have your kid search out this information themselves if you feel they're up to it.
A number of kids left their sheet behind. We'll be open 4:00-8:00 Wednesday, 4:00-6:30 Thursday and 4:00-8:00 Friday if you want to drop by, otherwise they can pick it up when they come to class again next week.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
This week at SET
Today, we finished up our discussion of orbits and Earth's tilt by discussing the impact of the moon on Earth's rotation and stability, and how the very creation of the moon involved an impact!
At the end of class, I also showed them some solar bodies to give them an idea of the scale involved when dealing with planetary bodies, because a lot of them were struggling with the size and weight of the moon, Earth and our sun. A quicker comparison of solar sizes can be seen here, with the advantage of keeping everything within the frame.
Despite the sun's immense size, from Earth it appears almost exactly the same size as the moon does, which is why Earth has the phenomenon of solar eclipses, something the other rocky planets around us do not. Mercury and Venus lack moons and Mars does not have a large enough one. You'd have to go all the way out to the gas giants to see eclipses on other planets, but if you did, they'd happen all the time. And although Pluto would seem a good bet for eclipses all the time due to its large, close moon and extreme distance from the sun, its odd orbit and rotation means it only happens every 120 years - but when it does, for several years Pluto experiences a eclipse about once a week.
In addition, a lot of the kids didn't know it's bad to stare directly at the sun. I explained that this permanently damages the eyes, but you may want to repeat that to them a few more times to make sure they remember.
For homework, look at the moon! The moon waxes (the lighted part grows bigger) until the side we see is all lit up, then wanes (the lighted part grows smaller) down to a new moon where it's entirely black. It isn't immediately apparent which direction the moon is going in, so look at it for a few nights in a row and see if it's getting bigger or smaller. If it's getting bigger, it's a waxing moon, and smaller is a waning moon.
(And our weather unit may have concluded, but there's always more interesting things to learn about! For example, there's a very hard to catch phenomenon of lightning bursts that go up from the clouds rather than down, producing a brief but beautiful effect known as sprites. For many years these were known only to a lucky few high-altitude pilots who glimpsed them and scientists weren't even sure they existed, but modern film has now managed to capture numerous sprites in increasing detail.)
Also, Christmas vacation is coming up. As you can see from the schedule we won't be meeting for the last two weeks of December, the 24th and 31st. That isn't the end of this session, however! Fall session for SET school continues meeting through January, with the spring session only beginning in February.
At the end of class, I also showed them some solar bodies to give them an idea of the scale involved when dealing with planetary bodies, because a lot of them were struggling with the size and weight of the moon, Earth and our sun. A quicker comparison of solar sizes can be seen here, with the advantage of keeping everything within the frame.
Despite the sun's immense size, from Earth it appears almost exactly the same size as the moon does, which is why Earth has the phenomenon of solar eclipses, something the other rocky planets around us do not. Mercury and Venus lack moons and Mars does not have a large enough one. You'd have to go all the way out to the gas giants to see eclipses on other planets, but if you did, they'd happen all the time. And although Pluto would seem a good bet for eclipses all the time due to its large, close moon and extreme distance from the sun, its odd orbit and rotation means it only happens every 120 years - but when it does, for several years Pluto experiences a eclipse about once a week.
In addition, a lot of the kids didn't know it's bad to stare directly at the sun. I explained that this permanently damages the eyes, but you may want to repeat that to them a few more times to make sure they remember.
For homework, look at the moon! The moon waxes (the lighted part grows bigger) until the side we see is all lit up, then wanes (the lighted part grows smaller) down to a new moon where it's entirely black. It isn't immediately apparent which direction the moon is going in, so look at it for a few nights in a row and see if it's getting bigger or smaller. If it's getting bigger, it's a waxing moon, and smaller is a waning moon.
(And our weather unit may have concluded, but there's always more interesting things to learn about! For example, there's a very hard to catch phenomenon of lightning bursts that go up from the clouds rather than down, producing a brief but beautiful effect known as sprites. For many years these were known only to a lucky few high-altitude pilots who glimpsed them and scientists weren't even sure they existed, but modern film has now managed to capture numerous sprites in increasing detail.)
Also, Christmas vacation is coming up. As you can see from the schedule we won't be meeting for the last two weeks of December, the 24th and 31st. That isn't the end of this session, however! Fall session for SET school continues meeting through January, with the spring session only beginning in February.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Weather
Hi, everyone!
Today's class was
about predicting the weather. Previously, we'd discussed how
rainclouds form and how where it rains is determined in part by the
shape of the land, and today we talked about air and wind in general. The air above us actually weights a great deal, but we don't notice it because the air around and below us is pushing up on us as well. If you feel like destroying a ruler, you can see just how hard it's pushing with this experiment at home.
The kids all made
weather vanes and barometers. Between the two, they should now be
able to predict the weather with the help of the sheet they have.
The weather vanes
have holes in their middle for a metal rod or string. Hang them up
outside to see which way the weather's blowing.
The barometer
works by going up or down in response to the air pressure. If air
pressure drops, the air inside the can bulges, and the straw will
point lower. Air pressure rising means the rubber is pushed down,
raising the straw.
By measuring where the barometer points over time, you can tell if the pressure is getting higher or lower, and how fast. Combining this with the direction the wind is coming from can let you predict the weather relatively accurately.
So for homework this week, have the kids keep track of the day's wind and the barometer's level, then write what the weather actually was like that day.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Water tables and soil composition
Hi everyone!
This Tuesday we studied the water table and water cycle in class, including how soil composition is a factor in how the rainwater behaves. Clay in the soil prevents water from soaking in as quickly, so the more of the rain runs off. Sand and larger rocks are the opposite, and the water sinks down and away. Bedrock underneath can stop water from going deeper, and holds it near the surface where plants can reach it.
While obviously getting down to bedrock is difficult, just a shallow hole can show you a lot! I explained that in my backyard, there's a thin layer of loam, which is a mixture of dead plant material that soaks up water very well, followed by a thick clay layer. I told everyone to dig a hole to see what the soil in their own backyard is like, then bring that soil to class in a jar, ideally a glass one so we can see into it. They don't need to worry about preserving the soil layers for transport, but I'd like them all to tell what layers they saw when digging.
This Tuesday we studied the water table and water cycle in class, including how soil composition is a factor in how the rainwater behaves. Clay in the soil prevents water from soaking in as quickly, so the more of the rain runs off. Sand and larger rocks are the opposite, and the water sinks down and away. Bedrock underneath can stop water from going deeper, and holds it near the surface where plants can reach it.
While obviously getting down to bedrock is difficult, just a shallow hole can show you a lot! I explained that in my backyard, there's a thin layer of loam, which is a mixture of dead plant material that soaks up water very well, followed by a thick clay layer. I told everyone to dig a hole to see what the soil in their own backyard is like, then bring that soil to class in a jar, ideally a glass one so we can see into it. They don't need to worry about preserving the soil layers for transport, but I'd like them all to tell what layers they saw when digging.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Adaption!
This week's homework was a worksheet on adaptation. The kids should pick an animal and write a paragraph or more about how it's adapted to the environment. We already did the kangaroo, slow loris, albatross and chicken.
Also, The Life of Birds is a fun documentary that gets into their adaptions. It has a youtube channel.
Also, The Life of Birds is a fun documentary that gets into their adaptions. It has a youtube channel.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Hello, 1-3 Science!
We'll be having our second class tomorrow.
Last class, we talked about how scientists classify life and did a few worksheets. We ended with a worksheet on two things: an animal and a robot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3CdugM0rNg, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep80TSVQe70, and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoWyqQorqOY are videos involving cats and roombas. Can you tell if either one is alive or not from the videos? What similarities and differences do you see?
Also, remember to bring your three ring binder!
Last class, we talked about how scientists classify life and did a few worksheets. We ended with a worksheet on two things: an animal and a robot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3CdugM0rNg, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep80TSVQe70, and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoWyqQorqOY are videos involving cats and roombas. Can you tell if either one is alive or not from the videos? What similarities and differences do you see?
Also, remember to bring your three ring binder!
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Hello Everyone
Welcome to the SET School blog!
Here we'll be posting weekly updates on what we're doing in each class, as well as further reading for students. Remember to bring a three ring binder to class.
The blog is divided into sections for each class:
Lower Elementary - Grades 1 through 3 Class begins September 17th.
Upper Elementary - Grades 4 through 6 Class begins September 11th.
Here we'll be posting weekly updates on what we're doing in each class, as well as further reading for students. Remember to bring a three ring binder to class.
The blog is divided into sections for each class:
Lower Elementary - Grades 1 through 3 Class begins September 17th.
Upper Elementary - Grades 4 through 6 Class begins September 11th.
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