Electricity 2

by Arin, Joshua, and Declan

Today, in fourth grade, we were working on a sort of circuit tester for the project we will be conducting next week.

We made a cool and yet disconnected circuit using all of the materials we used last week. The battery was in a holder with a wire sticking out of each side. One wire was connected to a bulb holder, while the other dangled disconnected.

Another wire was connected to the bulb holder, and that one also hung dangled. So there was not enough electrical current to make the bulb light up. (Oh, right! The bulb was screwed into the bulb holder!) Once you connect the two dangling wires, the bulb list up, because that is a complete electrical circuit. 

The word circuit is an old-fashioned word for ‘go around’, which makes perfect sense. A circuit goes around!

A circuit can be made with not only electrons passing through a wire, but also can be made with water passing through a pipe or hose.

Next week, we will use the dangling wire points to touch them to a surface, and see if it makes the bulb light up. We will be talking about conductors, those surfaces that do make the bulb light up. It does work on the clip of Declan’s watch, like we have tested in preparation. 

“Positive and negative sources are opposites, meaning they each need to be connected or opposed to each other,”

-Arin

NEXT WEEK’S QUOTE WILL BE FROM JOSHUA.

Look at the photo below showing four stages of wiring connection to make the bulb light. Only the bulb in the last picture lights up.

Electricity One

by Joshua, Arin, and Declan

In science, we just started an Electricity Unit and classmates are practically zapping each other with excitement.

“No, I zapped myself with a wire,” says Declan.

There were injuries, sparks and heat here and there.

Yesterday, we tried to light up a lightbulb using three out of five electricity-related items that were supposed to make the bulb light up. The items were:

Battery

Battery Case

Wire

Lightbulb

Lightbulb Holder

The correct combination for lighting the bulb is shown in a photo.

First you need a D battery, a bulb, and a wire. (Be careful of shocks and burns!) Touch the wire to the negative side of battery. Then take the other side of the wire and touch it to the silver part of the bulb. Then the very bottom of bulb to positive side of battery. It will light up!

WEEKLY THOUGHTS ABOUT ELECTRICITY FROM THE MAKERS OF THIS POST:

You need a positive and a negative charge from the battery to power the bulb

-DECLAN

Look down to see photos of work and experiments that worked and didn't

Come back next week for new powered-up information!!!

The Ballerina Chicken

By Shae

November 20th, 2015, about ten students witnessed a Ballerina chicken in action right in front of the school building.

“Like literally, she was dancing,” says fourth grader Arin Andrews.

Indeed, this chicken about every five minutes would leap into the air like a graceful butterfly. Some say, she lives only about 15 seconds away at  the home of Niema, a girl in 3rd grade, and her sisters.

The following video shows the short musical: “The Butchers and the Vegetarians.” Here are the following actors:

              Cedar,

              Arin,

               Forrest,

               Sage and Sarah,

              Nora and Joanna

              and Shae.

S.A.F.E.

by Alex

You only get to do SAFE in 4th grade. It's really fun and our last day was on 10/20/15. On the last day we got to go in the SAFE trailer and they have not real smoke in one room and you have to do 

what you would do to get out of a real fire. And in one room you get to find things that aren’t safe. 

But you only get to do safe in 4th grade so when you're in 4th grade remember you will have SAFE!

You will also get one whole lesson about how cigarettes are bad for you. And on the last day of 

SAFE you will get to practice calling 911. But if you were the person who called 911 outside when you were doing the SAFE trailer, you don't get to call when you're inside.

THE BOOKS THAT WERE CHOSEN

By Arin

Blog readers may be interested in the books that are being read in grade four. Fourth, fifth and sixth graders participate in the MCBA, Massachusetts Children’s Book Award, twenty-five books on a list that kids can read and vote on.

If you read at least five of the chosen books, you can participate in the MCBA party at the end of the MCBA year! 

Some favorites of this year are…

Wings of Fire #1

Flora and Ulysses

Athlete vs. Mathlete

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library 

+20 more!

MCBA lists can be gotten from the Spear Library and any of the local libraries. This year the schools have combined the school-board-made list with some books that the schools (Leverett, Shutesbury, etc.) have recommended. Some of the school-added books are:

Bad Kitty Drawn to Trouble

Better Nate Than Ever

The Power of Poppy Pendle

There are also lots of games and contests that are included in the very awesome MCBA years at SES!!! We keep track of how many books each kid has read in the year. I have read 14 and I am getting ready to read Wings of Fire.

Here’s a funny ending: my fourteenth book that I read, Counting by Sevens (a tragically sad tale) is about math. And 7x2=14! Talk about counting by sevens!

And adults, some of these books are books that parents/guardians would enjoy. Here are two especially that I have read: 

Counting by Sevens

The One and Only Ivan

WHY ARE TIMES FOR SPECIALS CUT SHORT?

A question brought up by Joshua Goodhind

Post written by Arin Andrews

Last year, these three specials were longer, Art, Music and P.E.

When we were in third grade, there were four very important specials. They were Art, Music, Computer/Library, and P.E.. P.E was forty-five minutes long, Music was 1 hour, and Art was 1 hour. This year, we’re cut short on time with these three specials.

P.E is now forty minutes. Fourth graders agree that it’s too short to get real exercise. It feels like it whizzes by way to quickly.

⛺️Art is now fifty-five minutes. It’s also been cut short by five minutes. Though the period is longer than the P.E period, it still feels like it’s not long enough.

Music is fifty-five minutes too. That’s barely enough time to go into the real perspective of music and learn all the things you need to know.

Computer/Library, strangely enough, has not changed its timing. It always has been an hour, and it’s never changed. The question here is: what’s the motivation to change and not change the timings for these specials that we love?

One more thing, they don’t seem to be exchanging the specials for other things. There are no more special clubs at the school than there have been in past years. There are no more time-consuming activities than usual. Is it just because they don’t think kids get enough work time done???

If you come up with any answers or information about the topic, find a way to tell the bloggers and Josh; we really are wondering about this meddlesome question.

FROM, THE BLOGGERS

ARIN, ALEX, FORREST and MAISIE

✚JOSH—he’s curious too.

Gilbert!!! (by Sara)

In March, after a discussion our class decided to get a fish. We were hoping to get the fish that Monday but we realized we never asked our principal Ms. Mendonsa. In the afternoon we saw Ms. Mendonsa in the library and asked her if we could get a fish. She said she thought it was a great idea to get a class fish.

The next Monday we were hoping to see the fish but Ms. Scott said that she could write a persuasive letter to Petco to get a free tank, heater, and filter and also a coupon for a fish for free instead. We asked Ms. Scott what kind of fish we were getting and she said either a betta or a goldfish.

On Monday we finally got to see the fish and its amazing tank and all the cool things Ms. Scott bought with her own money for the tank. It took a while to name our betta fish because there were a lot of wonderful names like Cookie, Bubbles, Clyde, Jewel, Mr. Hercules Devil, Finn, Gilbert, and King. Eventually the class decided to name him Gilbert.

He is super colorful and seems to think swimming under the filter is a game. He blends in with all the colorful plants that Ms. Scott bought for him. I hope he is happy in his new home!