My 4th grade daughter has decided that Science with Mommy is much more fun 
than Science with Mr. R (her public school teacher). Twice now, she has come 
home with Science for homework that she does not seem to understand.
In the first unit, they were studying the water cycle. To create the unit and 
help her understand the cycle, I did an experiment for her. I put water in a 
pan on the stove to boil - "ground water". As it came to a boil, it changed 
into water vapor (e-vapor-ation). My range is a double oven, so as water 
evaporated above the pan, it created condense-ation on the bottom of the 
upper oven and on the front of the oven as well. It then dripped back into 
the pan as it formed water droplets, creating "rain" or "precipitation". This 
really helped her to understand those long, long words, as well as the term 
"ground water".
Thursday evening, she came home with further homework: this one was on air. 
They had done two experiments in class and then were to answer the questions 
about them at home. She said she didn't remember the experiments, but I 
really believe that she did - she just wanted to try them at home herself 
(fine with me). These experiments were on the properties of air: space, mass, 
and pressure.
    In the first experiment, we filled a large flat bottomed bowl (an empty 
plastic ice cream container works *very* well) half-full of water. Then we 
took a round fat glass (a small jar or clear plastic drinking glass would 
work just fine, too) and stuffed some paper towels in it. Then you ask your 
student to predict what would happen to the paper towels in the glass if you 
turn the glass upside down into the water. Then, after they have predicted 
(part of the scientific process) what will happen, you actually do that to 
the glass/towel. The results should be that the towels will NOT get wet. Why? 
Air takes up space which is trapped in the glass, creating mass.
    In the second experiment, take the paper towels out of that glass and 
throw them away. Fill the glass half full of water. Then, place a square 
piece of cardboard that is slightly larger than the top of the glass, on top 
of the glass. Have your student predict what will happen if you turned the 
glass upside down. After the prediction, turn the glass upside down - taking 
care, please, to do so over a sink or that bowl of water from experiment #1. 
The air pressure should keep the cardboard on the lip of the glass for a 
short period of time, but depending on the weight of the cardboard you have 
chosen, it will eventually spill all over the place! What kept the cardboard 
on? Pressure.
Note: I misspelled those words condense-ation and e-vapor-ation on purpose, 
to help my daughter see them as fancy versions of shorter words that explain 
what is happening to the water.
                                 -donna
--- GEcho 1.00
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