Density Lab: ELD/SDC Day 3- Properties/Assessment/Observations of Liquids

This week I have a new student from Somalia and I needed to make sure that he could be successful. So as an opener we reviewed the properites of a liquid. I started with what are the 3 states of matter and students responded: solid, liquids and gas. I asked for examples around the room. Then, we did the hand movements: fist for solid, fingers moving for liquid and gas fingers moving out. 
I have bottles filled with colored water, oil, hand lotion, clear corn syrup, and fabric softener.  I instructed the students that they were not to open the bottles, but that they could roll, shake, and swirl the bottles.  Then, I showed different posters with the properties: has color, bubbly, foamy, transparent, translucent, viscous, opaque. Next, I had students sort into two lines for the following: transparent/translucent, viscous/not viscous, color/no color.
Next, I gave them the Salad Dressing Assessment.  8 of them answered A- The oil will always be on the top and 4 answered C- it is random, sometimes the oil will be on the top and sometimes it will be on the bottom.All students were able to draw a picture and most were able to write one sentence explaining their thinking.  Here are some of the answers:

• A-Because oil is lighter than vinegar
• A-Because when you shake it. It will go up because it separates from vinegar. Then, it went up.
• A-I think it is the same as oil and water
• C- Because it is random oil separates everywhere and sometimes vinegar goes down or up.
• C- Because it is random

I gave out observation sheets that shows the senses and we filled in the title: Observation of 4 liquids and the columns: blue, yellow, green and pink.  I talked to them about being careful with the liquids and if there is a spill to let me know and clean it up with paper towels. I instructed them in the proper way to smell the liquid through wafting. 
We observed each liquid together in their small groups of 2-3.  They filled out their observation charts as I charted their answers on a big chart. We practiced orally sentences like-I see the liquid has a light pink color. I see the liquid is transparent, I noticed that the liquid is not viscous, I noticed that the liquid smells like the stuff they put on my arm when I get a shot at the hospital, etc.
On Monday, we will review the observations.  Then, start with the 2 layer pours.

Density Lab: ELD/SDC Day 2- Cartesian Diver

Today the students worked together on white boards to do 3 things with the Cartesian Divers: Scientific Diagrams, Observations and Questions. I had tro use eyedroppers instead of ketchup packets because the ones that I had gotten only one of them floated. 
First, I introduced the Cartesian Diver and how it worked.  Then, we split the white board into 3 sections. A top section for the picture and a T-chart below to record observations and questions.  I listed the materials on the board and show them what each one was: water, eyedropper and 2-liter bottle.
Their goal was to draw and label the cartesian diver, and have 3-5 observations and questions. I told them to play with the cartesian diver. 
We had to work on the words: squeeze, up, down, and water level.  We also worked on their oral language. Using beginning stems like: I see...and I made them say it in a full sentence correctly before writing it down.

• the eyedropper go up and down when I squeeze the bottle
• bubbles on the eye dropper.
• the water in the eye dropper go up when the eye dropper goes down
• the eye dropper was jumping
• the bottom of the eye dropper there is a bubble
• when you tap the bubble it goes up very fast

Questions that students came up were interesting-

• Why is there a bubble in the eye dropper?
• What happens if the water is hot?
• What happens if there is more air?
• Why does the top of the eye dropper stick out?
• *Why does the eye dropper go up and down?
• Would the eye dropper go to the top if the cap was off?

* more than half the groups had this question

Just one more note- my backroom was cold and the classroom was warm about 72 degrees.  By the time I moved the Cartesian divers to the warm room the divers had sunk to the bottom of the bottle.  I thought I was doomed until I thought about it and I opened the closed system. It all equalized so the eye droppers floated to the top again. The students noticed, but I did not provide any explanation to it.  Only one group wrote down that observation on their white board.

Density Lab: Day 1:Question of the Day: What is Density?

Today, we started the Liquid Density unit.  I  looked at Carl's Day 1 and asked students- What is Density? We have just completed studying states of matter, but students have not had enough experience with this idea so I decided to give them a little more direction and told them that all objects have density. Some objects are more dense and some are less dense.  I showed them a water balloon and a balloon filled with air that was about the same size. I put the two balloons in the hands of the Level 1 ELD so that they could feel the density.We worked on the words: less dense and more dense.  I also gave them a ping pong ball and a golf ball to reinforce the less dense and more dense.  Then, made a T-chart and drew and labeled things that they knew about.  When I drew the pictures I showed the particles. In the less, I drew a few dots and in the more, I drew alot of dots packed in together. 
The students started coming up with their own ideas of less and more dense- beach ball and bowling ball, and granite and pumice. Their homework was to go home and find other examples of things that are less dense and more dense. 
Tomorrow, we will review less and more dense by sorting some more objects with partners on a T-chart labeled more and less.