Friday, June 3rd

What are we working on?

The last month has been crazy here in 5th grade!  In addition to working through their regular classes, 5th graders have been busy creating and selling products at the TREP$ marketplace, celebrating their accomplishments this year in the LEAD program with a graduation ceremony and picnic, and connecting their classroom activities to some awesome exhibits at the Liberty Science Center.  Scroll down for pictures!

In science class, students have been participating in the Polluted Shark Tank.  Based (loosely) on the TV show 'Shark Tank,' students created products and pitched them to each other as potential investors.  Students learned about some environmental problems that are affecting our world, then chose one in particular to research.  They then created a website using Weebly for Education and built a model of a product to help in their chosen environmental issue.  Finally, students set up and delivered their presentations as their peers toured the polluted shark tank and decided which products were worth investing our classroom "cash" in!

What's coming up?

All work left in marking period four is due on WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8th.  Most notably, this includes all 3 current events due for the fourth marking period.  Current events cannot be accepted after this date, so please make sure they are all completed and turned in.

Reminders

1. CURRENT EVENTS ARE DUE WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8th.  The original due date was Friday, June 10th.  Since they are due 2 days earlier, Current Event 4 is no longer required.  

THREE current events are due by Wednesday, June 8th.

2. Almost unbelievably, this school year is almost over.  ALMOST.  Students are expected to work hard and stay motivated for all classes through June 14th!

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The Polluted Shark Tank

Grace and Tia show off their product: the Trinitramide-X

As described above, the Polluted Shark Tank encouraged students to get creative to research and invent a product to help solve any type of pollution that is affecting our environment.  They had to develop both a product and a website to help promote that product in order to persuade fellow classmates to invest in them.

Students created feedback forms during the project presentations to help recognize and celebrate each other's strengths as well as to help each other identify areas of the projects that could be developed even more.

Students were then encouraged to reflect on the entire process.  Here's what some had to say:

AJ:
I thought The Polluted Shark Tank was one of the best science projects we have done in the whole year. I also really liked that we were able to choose the kind of pollution we wanted to create a product for instead of Mr. Morris choosing it. I think the best part of this project was creating the model. The model was really fun to build for me except when I got told I had too much tape. I think the model was the part of the project that really showed your product. The worst part would have probably been people putting their hand down into my project and playing with stuff that could break easily and saying something was a diving board and throwing an eraser in. If we did this again I would probably still work alone. First because you don’t have to worry about the other person not getting their part of the work done. Secondly, you do have to get blamed for a bad presentation when the other person is not saying anything and horsing around. So if we did this a second time I would still do this alone. In all I think The Polluted Shark tank was a very good project and one of the funnest ones!

Emma:
I enjoyed working on the polluted shark tank. I liked working on it because it was awesome to think that we were going to sell something that would help so many animals. The best part of the project was building the model with my partner, Catie.  It was fun to work together to try to figure out what kind of model it could be.  The worst part about it was making the website because it was very difficult and challenging. It was a good experience working with a partner.  We both did an equal amount of work.

Paige M:
I thought the polluted shark tank was really fun. The best part I have to say is making the product demo. The worst part was probably making the website was hard at most times. I did not work with someone because I thought it would be easier to work alone. I would do It again it was very fun.

Nicole:

I really liked the polluted Shark Tank Project. I liked it because I got to work on my own and  I got my work done a lot quicker. I think the best part of project was making my product.The worst part was probably making the website because I liked the hands on project more. Yes, I would work alone again because, I liked working alone better than with a partner.

Brayden:

I did enjoy the polluted shark tank. The best part of the project was making the model. My least favorite part was the polluted brainstorm. I worked alone and I would do it again. I don’t want to work with a partner because they might not do as much work or we might not finish. This was a fun project and I hope we get to do something like this next year.




Erica:
The Polluted Shark Tank was a really fun project! I think the best part  of the project was creating a website. I was very fun because I actually felt like an entrepreneur and that I was going to become a big business. Working with a partner was very helpful because if I didn’t know what to do/ couldn’t make a decision Lilly would help me and we would talk about it together. We both did an equal share of the work. We each did 2 slides on the website and worked on the last one together. I would love to do Polluted Shark Tank again.

James:
I enjoyed most of the Polluted shark tank even though it was for about 5-6 weeks. The best part of the project had to be make the model of the invention. The worst and hardest part had to be managing and working the website that was very cranky. If I had the choice to work with someone for the next Polluted shark tank I woulds turn it down because I'm best working alone because it would be hard to contact my partner and work on it. So that's my thoughts on the Polluted shark tank.

Take a look at some of the students' websites.  The password to view is: byram123

pollutionsuckernm.weebly.com

nonoairpollution.weebly.com

superair9000.weebly.com

easestack.weebly.com

magneticlittergrabber.weebly.com

nonacid.weebly.com

tbysstoplittering.weebly.com

cleanstack.weebly.com

thecleanmachinellc.weebly.com

vashleyavictoria.weebly.com

herojewelery.weebly.com

disintegratingbag.weebly.com

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TREP$

It was a packed house at the TREP$ marketplace.

TREP$ was a huge success!  In this program, done in Interdisciplinary class, students went through a series of intensive workshops to learn and develop business skills.  They then used this knowledge to create a business and actually sell their created products for real money at the TREP$ marketplace, held on May 12th.  

After all the money was counted, the total amount of revenue that was collected at the TREP$ marketplace exceeded $5,000.

The students worked so hard and did such an amazing job with this program.  We are SO proud of them.  Of course, it would not be possible without our incredibly supportive families and community, so THANK YOU to all who attended the event and helped our students take the first step on what may be a lifelong path of entrepreneurship.  

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L.E.A.D.

This year, the 5th graders have been working with Officer Marcus Lisa of the Byram Township Police Department to work through the L.E.A.D. (Law Enforcement Against Drugs) program.  Officer Lisa worked with the students, not only in teaching them to stay away from drugs and alcohol, but also on showing them how to handle tough situations, communicate effectively, work through making difficult decisions, and much more.  

The students graduated from the L.E.A.D. program on Friday, May 20th, and celebrated with a picnic complete with a barbecue lunch and ice cream!

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Liberty Science Center

On Thursday, May 26th, the 5th grade class took a trip to Liberty Science Center.  Students had a blast as they made their way through a number of exhibits.  Some student favorites included the touch tunnel, the simulated sport area, the skyscraper exhibit, and the suspended play area.  The trip also included a hands-on workshop in which students explored polymers and made slime!

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Thanks for reading our newsletter.  Good luck to all 5th graders moving on to 6th grade, and have an amazing summer!!

Friday, April 8th

What are we working on?


This month, students have been using a variety of strategies to investigate the stuff that makes up EVERYTHING - matter!


What's coming up?

All work left in marking period three is due on FRIDAY, APRIL 8th.  This work includes the station assignments, check-ins, and current events.

Students will have a test on Matter during the week of April 18th.  Study guides and reviews will be posted in Google Classroom

Reminders

The fourth marking period begins on Tuesday, April 12th.  Students will have a new set of four current events due for this marking period.  As always, please encourage them to budget their time so the current events don't all wait until June!

For Interdisciplinary 

Reminders 
- Our TREP$ marketplace will be held the evening of Thursday, May 12th.  PLEASE make sure that your child's schedule is clear for this evening.  We realize this date may conflict with sports, but it is extremely important that all of the students who have been working so hard in class are able to participate in the marketplace.  
- If your child has not yet brought in the 2 dollar table fee for TREP$, please send 2 dollars in to your child's ID teacher.
- Thank you for helping your children at home, TREP$ wouldn't be possible without supportive and understanding parents, but please remember that money to buy supplies should be considered loans - how they are paid back is up to you, but if at all possible please avoid giving handouts!
- Anyone and everyone is invited to the Marketplace on May 12th.  We can't wait to see you there!

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Now, back to what really "matter"s:

Students have been working their way through six matter-based stations to investigate all different aspects of atoms, molecules, and everything else to do with matter, according to the soon to be implemented Next Generation Science Standards  These stations were:

1. 'Do You Want to Build a Snowman?' - Students were asked to watch two videos.  One was a detailed explanation of the states of matter and how these states can change BUT the molecules don't!  Students then watched a clip from Disney's Frozen and explained to Olaf what would really happen to a snowman in summer.

2. 'Separating Mixtures' - Students learned that mixtures can be separated only when you use the properties of the items involved.  Students were challenged to separate one of three mixtures: a. sand, salt, and iron filings; b. salt, pepper, and lentils, or; c. paper clips, glitter, and beads

3. 'The Case of the Mysterious White Powder' - A lab that we did this unit involved determining the properties of baking soda, borax, corn starch, salt, and sugar.  Students were tasked with the job of identifying which substance was which when they were given unlabeled samples.

4. 'Element Commercial' - Students chose one element from the periodic table and gathered research on it in order to put together a commercial for that element using the presentation website animoto.com

5. 'Magic Matter' - Students learned about the law of conservation of matter by combining baking soda and vinegar, and determining what happens to the molecules involved when chemicals combine!

6. 'Opinion Writing' - Students read through an article on what scientists are trying to do with hydrogen, and they responded to that article, using the text as evidence to support their arguments.

Done with all your stations?  How about a game of periodic table battleship?

Some students have volunteered to share with you what we've been up to!


Lilly:

Station 2 was so much fun! We were put into 2 groups of 3. We had to pick 1 of three mixtures. Mixture C was full of glitter, beads, and paper clips, Mixture B was Salt, Pepper, and Lentils and last Mixture A was made up of, sand, salt and iron filings. My group chose Mixture C. We needed to separate the glitter, paper clips and beads. We used the magnet to separate the paper clips. Next, we put the beads and glitter in the shifter. We shifted most of the glitter in the coffee filter and put it aside. We put the extra glitter and beads in the a tray and added water.  After we washed  the beads to get glitter off. After we washed the beads, we put them back in the pile and dumped out the water. It was so much fun working together with my friends and working with the materials we were given! I hope we do something like this again!

Charlotte, Erica, and Lilly were able to fully separate this mixed up cup of glitter, beads, and paper clips!



Erica:

Station 2 was super fun! What helped my group separate the mixtures was the properties in the items. For example, my groups items were beads, paper clips, and glitter. To get the paper clips out of the mixture we used the magnet because paper clips are magnetic. To separate the glitter and beads, my group put the beads and glitter in a strainer and shook it back and forth. As the glitter was coming off the beads, the glitter dropped into a coffee filter. Once most of the glitter was in the coffee filter we poured water into the strainer to get all of the glitter off of the beads. After that, we placed all of the items on a tray with the glitter still in the coffee filter. We kept the glitter in the coffee filter because we didn't want to take any chances on the beads and glitter getting mixed together again. I would love to try and separate different mixtures in science again (with the best science teacher!)

Natalie S. & Rachel:
In science class, we had complete six stations. Our favorite station was station two, separating mixtures. In this station, we had pick a mixture to separate such as, sand, salt, and iron fillings, salt pepper and lentils, and beads, paper clips, and glitter.  We had the following tools to help us separate the mixture our hands, coffee filters, magnets, water, screens, and an evaporation dish. Both of us picked the iron fillings, salt, and sand mixture.  We had to figure out how to separate it.  We did this by using a magnet to take out the iron fillings,  we put the sand and salt over the screen and poured water over it.  The sand clumped up and the salt went through the screen.  Lastly, we took the salty water and boiled it.  The water evaporated and left us with the salt.  WE DID IT!!!  We were able to separate all of these mixtures because of the properties of the things in them. This station was super fun, but still educational.

Jasmine:

Jasmine and Katie pour a sand/salt/water mixture through
 a strainer to try to get the sand on its own.  Good thinking, girls!

My favorite station is the separating mixtures station.  I like this station because it is hands on and you only have three people to work with.  In this you got to chose one mixture and separate it.  I think that it was fun and that he keeps coming up with creative stations.  That all of Mr.Morris's stations were all fun but this was my favorite to do.

Maddie:

Maddie and Julia get the
pepper out of the mixture
so they can boil the saltwater

My favorite station was station 2 separating mixture. In this station we chose a mixture and separated it. It was A LOT of fun. I chose the mixture with the lentil beans, salt, and pepper. I took the lentils out with the strainer and added water to the rest and strained it. The salt dissolved in the water but the pepper did not.  Then I boiled the water.  The water disappeared and the salt was left over.  I think all of Mr. Morris's stations are fun but this was my favorite.

                                Julia:

Separating mixtures is one of the stations that we can do in science. In that station, you have a cup filled with mixtures like sand, paper clips, and salt. Your goal in that station is to separate the ingredients in that mixture based on properties that they have. During that station, you have tools that you can use for help. You have tools like a magnet, a coffee filter, an evaporation dish, a spoon, and a boiling system. The station sounds hard, and it can be, but to do the station you have to think about cooking, like when you cook with salt. The salt sinks to the bottom of the pot with the water in it. And sand floats if you don’t put a lot in at a time. I like stations that can be challenging sometimes, and that’s why I liked this station.

Hannah P:
My favorite station was Station 2 - separating mixtures.  I liked station 2 the best because you get to separate the mixtures. There were 3 different mixtures that you had the option to separate. My group did the mixture with paper clips, beads, and glitter. My group first, took out the paper clips with the magnet. After we took out the magnets, we used the screen to separate the beads from the glitter. Of course there was still glitter on the beads, so we put the beads in water. The glitter soon came off of the beads, and we took the beads out. We combined the glitter that came from the shifter and the glitter that came from the beads.  We were able to separate the mixture fully based on the properties of everything in it.  That is why Station 2 is my favorite station.





Nate, Devon, and Ryan figured out a way to use static electricity to separate the pepper from the mixture!  As you can see below, they were able to fully separate the mixture.  Nice work, gentlemen!

Ashley and Troy work together to try to separate salt, sand, and iron filings.

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Bryana, AJ, and Kyla are hard at work

recording how powders look and feel 

Lilly and co. are busy recording how
powders react differently to different liquids

As part of the unit, students observed and recorded the properties of five different white powders.  They used their observations to later identify the powders in a small group.

       

Carly:

Frank, Hanna, Emily, and Carly discuss their thoughts
 on which powder is which

My favorite station was station 3. At station 3 we were given 5 powders that we had found the properties of in class, and at station 3 you have to identify the different powders. We used three different liquids to identify the powders. The liquids were vinegar, water, and iodine. Identifying the powders was fun because we got to work in a group and use our own ability to figure out the different powders. Instead of being helped by a teacher we got to work together as a team. In station 3 I learned how to use different liquids to identify different powders. A little while ago in class we found different properties of five powders. The five powders we cornstarch, borax, salt, sugar, and baking soda. We had to use the different properties we found a few weeks ago to identify the different powders. We succeeded in the end  and got all of them right. 

Christian V, Eric, Christian G, and Liam observe the white powders, and use their notes to try to determine what they are!

Catherine:

Hunter, Gabbie, and Catherine observe the texture of the powders

My favorite station was Mysterious white powder. We used previous information to find out if a white powder was baking powder, borax, cornstarch, salt or sugar. We mixed water, vinegar and Iodine in all of the powders. It was a really fun hands-on project. I really like doing this kind of project and hope in the future we can do more. I learned about that mixing this together could have a different reaction with liquids.This was one of the best projects I’ve done!

Natalie P.:

Natalie, Emma, Nicole, Matt, and Rachel successfully
identified all 5 powders!

Station 3 was so much fun! The class before we started stations, we looked at baking soda, borax, cornstarch, salt, and sugar, then we wrote down what they looked like, felt like and how they reacted to vinegar, water, and iodine. Then when we did station three we used to notes to figure out which one was which by doing the same things. In this station we learned how to compare and figure out differences about the properties. Station three was fun because it was like figuring out a mystery.

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Marcus:

I am really liking science class. Most of the stations are fun, and they teach me a lot about matter. I also like how  Mr. Morris incorporates  a sense of humor into the stations. For example, for station 1 we had to explain how snowmen melt in the summer, and Mr. Morris put in a clip of the movie frozen, where Olaf wanted to be in summer. He also put in the song Do you want to Build a Snowman.

My favorite station was station 4 animoto. I liked that I got to make a commercial about an element of my choice. I chose uranium because it is cool, and it has a lot of cool facts about it. I liked how I could do the research put it on a doc, and then put it on the animoto. The video was really cool at the end!

Here is Marcus's video: https://animoto.com/play/0pgXaZxp1D7FXxqMfN8vTg

Katie:

At station 4, we used the website Animoto to create a video about one element on the periodic table.  I liked station #4 because I got to learn about and element I wanted. I also liked it because I learned a lot about Hydrogen. One thing that is learned was that Hydrogen is a gas and soon to be a solid. Another cool fact is that scientist are soon going to make Hydrogen a Diamond.  I liked this station a lot and I hope you like my video.  

Here is Katie's video: https://animoto.com/play/4d8foS0ck52387bJm8cpNg

Brayden K:

My favorite station was the element commercial. It was really fun and I learned a lot. One of the things I learned was what sulfur was used for. Some of the things it was used for are fireworks, sulfuric acid, and vulcanization in rubber. Sulfur is a yellow rock and is very flammable. Also, when sulfur burns, it is blue. One of the facts about sulfur is that it takes up 3% of the Earth’s mass. Sulfur costs $500 to buy in a store and has a mass of sixteen. Sulfur is also the sixteenth element. Sulfur is a solid, not a gas or liquid.

I liked this station because it was different from all the other stations we did in the past, as well as the ones we are doing now. It was also really fun to use animoto. Also the station was easy and short, but still one of the best we did in the school year.

Please check out just a small sample of some other amazing research videos created by the 5th graders below!

MEITNERIUM by Aidan U.

                                                       NEON by Tia

GOLD by Gabbie and Carly

                                                            IRON by Julia C.

TITANIUM by Nicole M

                                                               GOLD by Hanna R.

IRON by Emily S

                                                                       Titanium by Cameron E

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At Station 5, Magic Matter, students got a chance to observe the law of Conservation of Matter.  They combined baking soda with vinegar and weighed the mixture.  After the reaction, the weight of the mixture went down.  They then put a balloon on the same beaker.  With the balloon, the weight of the mixture stayed about the same - the students learned that matter can't disappear, but it can turn into a gas and escape! 

Emily, Tauri, Robert, and Frank see what happens when you combine baking soda and vinegar, but use a balloon to trap CO2 molecules.  Sometimes molecules can change from a solid or liquid to a gas!

Victoria:

My favorite station was Magic Matter. In that station we Mixed vinegar and baking soda twice. The first time we mixed it in a beaker, and it fizzed out of the beaker. The molecules reacted to make Carbon Dioxide and it evaporated out of the beaker. The second time we did it we put a balloon on the top of the beaker. When we put the balloon on the beaker it made the balloon fill with the carbon dioxide gas. The molecules didn't leave. The balloon was a lot Heavier than a regular balloon because it still had some baking soda and vinegar.

Gabbie and company experiment by pouring baking soda into a flask full of vinegar.

Ashley:

My favorite station was the station with the balloon, station #5. I liked that station because I never knew the conservation of matter rule, the rule was “The law of conservation of matter states that matter can not be created nor destroyed.” Another one of my favorite parts of the station was when we combined the baking soda and the vinegar together and made carbon dioxide. I also enjoyed doing the other stations, but my favorite station was station 5.

John records the weight of the flask with a balloon full of Carbon Dioxide, and compares it to the weight of the flask before the balloon was attached.

Ryan M.:

The station that I really enjoyed was station 5 because I really enjoyed when we put vinegar and baking soda into the the balloon and instead of the balloon floating up you can just throw it up and it will come zooming right back down. Also I liked the part when we put the vinegar and baking soda into the erlenmeyer flask and it exploded like a volcano. Then when we put the erlenmeyer flask on the scale and it weighed up to 438.5. Last we put vinegar in it and it was about 403.1. The weight went down at first, but when we put a balloon over the flask we realized the matter didn't disappear, it just turned to a gas and left. Then when the balloon was on top it caught all the gas in it. As you can see my favorite station was station 5 and my favorite part was when we put the vinegar and baking soda in the balloon.

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Devon:
My favorite station I completed during science was Station 6; we had to complete a piece of writing about compressing Hydrogen in a temperature that is almost equivalent to absolute zero (the coldest temperature ever which -459 degrees fahrenheit) so that they could make hydrogen a solid. I wrote quite a lot and enjoyed it just as well I thought I would. I love to study atoms and their mass. The Periodic table is a table showing all the elements (all the known atoms in the universe.) That is why I loved writing on Station 6.

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Bryana:

I had so much fun doing the stations. They taught me a lot of stuff. My favorite station was station 4. This is my favorite station because it helped me a lot with my element. I chose Platinum as my element. I found out so many facts about Platinum. I had so much fun researching facts for my project. For the animoto, I had so trouble using the slides, but at the end I understood how to use the animoto. I also liked the other station for example for station 1 we had to watch a video and pull facts out of it that was really fun. For station 2 I really liked how we got to separate the mixtures but It was really hard. For station 3 I really liked the idea that we had to find out what powder each bag contained. For station 5 the conservation of matter I really liked how the mixture pumped  the balloon up and how heavy the balloon was at the end. For station 6 opinion I really liked the newsela because it told us how scientists wanted to find out if they can change a solid in a liquid. If we finished a station we would have to cross it out on the matter checklist. I had so much fun with all of the stations and I hope I get to learn more about the different element in the future.     

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