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Rocks & Minerals | |
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How
much do I weigh on the Moon?
-Go to the
weighing station to find out! As you learned in class, gravity is the force
that pulls things towards the center of the Earth. When we weigh something, we
are actually measuring this force! Your bodyweight will be different, depending
on what planet you're standing on!
Estimating
Mass
-In class, we did
an activity in which we estimated the mass of various objects and then
determined their actual mass using a balance and place value blocks. This
activity gives you plenty of practice with estimating mass in Grams and
Kilograms.
Chemical
and Physical Changes Lab -See if you can correctly
identify which changes are chemical changes and which changes are
physical
changes.
Chemical
& Physical Changes Quiz -
In class, we discovered what the differences
were between a chemical change and a physical change. See if you can
correctly identify which changes are chemical changes and which changes are
physical changes in this quiz. See if you can get a perfect score of
20! Click the "Start Now" button to begin your adventure!
Solids
& Liquids -When we learned about physical changes
in class, we learned that all solid matter can change into a liquid if you give
it enough energy in the form of heat. In this activity, test various kinds
of matter by heating and cooling them. Find out which materials have a
higher melting point and which materials cool quickly. Having trouble loading
the activity? Click
here!
Solids
& Liquids Quiz Game -When you have finished
the solids and liquids virtual lab, why not try your hand at a quiz game that
goes with the activity!
Characteristics
of Materials -This activity lets you experiment on
a wide variety of different materials. When you are finished, you will
discover which materials are flexible (Can they bend?), which materials are
transparent (Can you see clearly through it?), which materials are waterproof,
and which materials are strong. Having trouble loading the activity?
Click here!
Characteristics
of Materials Quiz Game -When you have finished the
characteristics of materials virtual lab, why not try your hand at a quiz game
that goes with the activity!
Reversible
& Irreversible Changes -When we explored the
differences between chemical and physical changes in class, we discovered that
physical changes could easily be "reversed" or changed back to their original
form. In this activity, you will perform various tasks of dissolving,
heating, and filtering to discover which materials undergo reversible & which
materials undergo irreversible changes.
Exploring
Density
- This activity allows you to compare how different items float or
sink in different liquids. Be sure to use the drop-down menu to change liquids.
Just click and drag the different items into the liquid container.
Based on your experimentation, which liquid is the MOST dense in this activity??
Be sure to click "Launch Gizmo" to begin
your adventure!
Types
of Forces -This website doe a great job of
summarizing the types of forces that act on objects.
Forces
in Action -In this activity, see how far the truck
travels when you increase or decrease the slope. You can also see how
placing different sized parachutes and different sized weights on the back
of the truck affects the motion of the truck as well.
Exploring Friction
-In this activity, see how far the sleigh travels on different surfaces using
either a small push force or a large push force. Which surface did the sleigh
travel the furthest? Why do you think so? Which surface did the
sleigh travel the smallest distance? Why do you think so?
Forces
& Motion -This website does a great job of
exploring the concepts of net force, motion, friction, and acceleration.
The
Energy Resource Game
-Which energy
resources are non-renewable? Which energy sources are inexhaustible?
Play the energy resource game to find out! First, identify the resources,
then click and drag the item to one of the 3 black holes. If you identify
the resource correctly, it will disappear!
The
Great Balloon Race -Why
do hot air balloons rise? It all has to do with density!! The more
packed together something is, the more dense it is. As we have discovered
in science lab, when matter is less dense, it tends to float.
When matter is more dense it tends to sink. But how does
this work with a hot air balloon? Well, when the air inside a balloon is
heated, the air molecules move around faster and spread out, becoming less
dense. That's why a hot air balloon rises! To lower the hot air
balloon once again, we allow the air in the balloon to cool down.
See how good your air balloon flying skills are in this activity. See if
you can beat my personal best score of 2:00 minutes for the "easy"
race!
Line
Rider -See if you can carefully
design a sledding track that will allow our sledder to make a successful run
down the track. Be sure not to make your slope too steep! Have fun
and good luck!
Other Great
Websites about Matter, Energy, & Forces
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Simple Machines Around the House -This is one of the best activities
that I've ever seen on simple machines. Be sure to check out all four
rooms in the house to learn about simple machines. Also, be sure to check out
the tool shed to learn about compound machines.
Build a Rube
Goldberg Machine! -Who is Rube Goldberg? He was a
cartoon writer who had a cartoon called "The Inventions of Professor Lucifer
Gorgonzola Butts." In his cartoon, the professor would build these really
crazy and complicated machines that would do simple tasks. Using levers,
pulleys, and ramps build your own Rube Goldberg machine. See if you can
adjust these simple machines to drop the burger onto the tray to send it
rolling.
Tinker
Ball! -This activity is also like designing a Rube Goldberg
machine. See if you can get the ball to drop into the cup.
Simple Machines in a
Lawnmower -It always amazes me just how many simple machines
are around us at all times. See if you can find all SIX simple machines in
this
lawnmower!
Other
Great Websites about Simple Machines
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Name That Rock!
-This activity is one that I built and designed myself. Play this game to learn
about some of the most common rocks in the world.
The 15 Most Wanted Quiz
Game! -This activity is one that I designed for my
sixth graders. It will also help you learn to identify some of the most common
rocks found throughout the world.
Mohs' Drill & Castle
of Doom! -Learn about Mohs Mineral Hardness Scale while escaping the Castle of
Doom! The walls are closing in on you. To escape, you must drill through the
walls. See if you can find the right drill to blast through the wall.
Rock
Cycle Interactive
-Begin your adventure by
collecting and learning about various rocks. All of the rocks that you
collect are ones that we are learning about and will be on our lab practical!
Also, be sure to click on the
Rock
Cycle Diagram.
There are a lot of good animations to click on to help you better understand all
of the processes that happen in the rock cycle.
Drag
& Drop Rock Cycle Chart -This activity will help
you review all of the basic processes that happen throughout the course of the
rock cycle. See if you can correctly place each label into this rock cycle
chart.
Layers of the
Earth -This site does a great job of quickly
explaining the three basic layers of the Earth.
Shape
it Up! -In science lab, we explored how the Grand
Canyon was formed by the powerful eroding force of water. This activity
explores how wind, water, volcanoes, and glaciers have an impact on the shape of
our land over time. Be sure to play this game more than once!
Although you might get the same landform with the same erosional force, it might
be showing you a different length of time!
The Water Cycle Explained (Video) -Click on the various parts of this interactive to learn more about all of the processes that are involved in the water cycle.
Water
Cycle Diagram -Click on the various parts of
this interactive diagram to learn more about all of the processes that are involved in
the water cycle.
Water
Cycle Game -This activity is a great way to
learn about and remember all of the important parts of the water cycle.
Other Great Websites about Rocks
& Minerals
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Exploring
Life Cyles -Click on the animals to play the different life
cycle games. Be sure to play the movie to get an overview about the life cycles
of animals.
The
Secrets of Survival Challenge -Penguins live in rugged
terrain and face some of the harshest weather on the planet. In this
activity, discover how these birds have adapted themselves to such a harsh
environment!
Worlds Within the
Sea -See if you can follow the clues until you have connected
all of the creatures in each of the three ocean ecosystems: The Deep Sea, The
Coral Reef, and The Continental Shelf.
Habitats of the Rainforest -This game is similar to the one
above, except that it explores three different ecosystems found in the
rainforests of the Central African Republic: The Forest, The Bai, and The River.
Click on each of the three boxes to begin your adventure.
Life in the City -You might not think that the city would be
a habitat that would support a great diversity of life. This activity takes you
to a city park and gives you a closer look at the surprising world around us!
Build a Fish -See if you can design a fish
with the right adaptations to survive. Try different combinations and see which
ones work together.
Food Chain Reaction -A lot of people don't realize just how
much the survival of each plant and animal affects the balance of a food web.
Play this game to learn more.
Recycle City
-Click on different parts of the map to learn more about Recycle City.
Then play the Dumptown Game to learn more about the ways in which we can recycle,
reduce, & reuse waste.