Let's Explora the Door(as)

Thought I would show you our classroom doors. Our homeroom kiddoes spent a few afternoons planning and creating holiday decorations. It's not a contest, simply a feelin' for the season.

The green Loyalsock door is PappaZ's, Santa is on Mrs. Nemeth's door, while the Christmas tree focuses on Mrs. Pulizzi's door. Not yet completed is a snow-covered hill with blue sky adorning Mrs. Antonacci's door.

Hey, I took a picture of my critter's skull and photographed my version of a cleaned classroom.

Check out my Slide Show!

Way to go!!!! BRI!!!! I showed my first period class tomorrow's objectives and homework. I asked if anyone knew what was so historically significant about Dec. 7th. It took several class periods, but, Bri approached me in the hallway and told me it was the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, launching the United States into WWII.

Calcium Carbonate
And then, since we were using calcium carbonate to make hard water, in class, I asked if anyone knew what calcium carbonate is used for this time of year. The Czapper shot out with "ICE MELT!!"

Critter Skull on Display
AND, the animal skull on display in my classroom, courtesy of Mrs. Lesko, was identified as that of a red fox. Unfortunately, the student that answered that question saw the name I blackened out with a permanent marker. Mrs. Lesko found the skull in the woods near her house in the Pine Creek area. Oh yeah, Mrs. Lesko, I researched the skull on the internet. Gee, I love my 'puter.

Tired Teacher
Whew! Beaten down, today. Got in about 6:15 a.m. to set-up today's experiment. That meant, setting-up set-ups for six work stations. Pouring Borax (water softener), vinegar, water, calcium carbonate, sorting out 100-mL and 25-mL graduated cylinder, two bottles, a syringe, medicine dropper, funnel, plastic spoon, plastic cups, plastic test tube, and then checking each set-up 'twix classes to refill depleted set-ups. I donned a black apron, all day. Got lotsa comments, a couple of cat-calls from fellow teachers and one female staff member boosted my fragile male ego with a whistle and "hubba-hubba."

Thanks Mrs. Antonacci
Mrs. Antonacci volunteered to take my BASE students to the computer lab for some remedial math work, freeing me to do some much needed clean-up and rearranging of my classroom. When you teach backyard science, you tend to get overrun with "stuff." My new classroom is a third smaller than the one in the old middle school and I no longer have a back room for storage. By the end of BASE, I found I have a countertop between two sinks. Next, find my desk.
Have a warm night, folks.

First Word Uttered by Helen Keller? -- "Water"

That's right. Water was also the last words uttered by Ulysses S. Grant. The brain is 75% water. A desert rat and koala bear do not need to drink water -- they get it from their food. Each day the sun evaporates 1,000,000,000,000 tons of water and a person can live a month without food, but only about a week without water.

So, why the trivia?

We are starting a project called, "Testing the Waters." Tomorrow, we experiment with hard and soft water and each group will compare their results with theother groups in the classroom.

Kinda makes ya thirsty, eh? Well, it makes me thirsty. Gonna get a drink of water. Have a great night.

You must have a solvent to get to the solution

?
Kiddoes, today, learned that water is a universal solvent. Given enough time, it can dissolve just about anything. And, by dissolving another substance, allows water to mix with that substance or several substances to make an entirely new substance.
i.e.: Making chocolate milk -- dissolve the powder mix in milk, stir to combine the two substances and the solution is chocolate milk. I told my kiddoes, my chocolate milk involved filling the glass with powder and adding one or two teaspoons of milk. Yessir! My chocolate milk, you could eat with a fork.
I guess that is why I look like I do.
Have a great night.

The Polarity of a Water Molecule

Two or more atoms joined together in a magnetic bond make a molecule. Today, we discussed the magnetic forces that bond two hydrogen atoms and an oxygen atom to make water. We discussed the arrangment of the hydrogen on the oxygen and related the water molecule drawing as a person wearing floaties in the swimming pool.

We read in the book from page 100-102 and defined solvent, solution, hard water and soft water.

Kids, did you test your home water to see if it is hard? You know, wash your hands and observe the soap suds that result. Oh yeah, tell your parents how soap works.

Have a great night.