Non-Newtonian Fluid: Examining Solids and Liquids

As part of our ‘Spooky Science’, our class investigated a mysterious substance. Not quite liquid, not quite solid, but a little of both… this is a non-Newtonian fluid! You can make this substance at home by mixing a 2:1 ratio of cornstarch to water. Once mixed well, this substance can behave like a solid and like a liquid!

We tested this substance in a variety of ways, including: slapping/poking the surface, sinking a spoon into it, rolling it into a ball, and trying to pour it into another container. We learned that when we kept the substance still (ex: holding it in our hands without moving), it often would pour or drip like a liquid. But if the substance was being moved (ex: rolling it between our hands), it would take on a more solid appearance.

Check out the video below to see how this substance behaves when placed on top of a speaker cone:

Some questions to discuss at home:

Could we use ingredients other than cornstarch and water to create other non-Newtonian substances? Why or why not?
What if the ratio (2:1 cornstarch to water) was different?
Are there other substances that are not really a solid or a liquid, but a bit of both?
What variables or human error might have impacted our tests?

Welcome to Grade 7!

Welcome (back) to our Grade 7 students! I am so excited to have the opportunity to teach you (and learn from you) this year. Whether you are returning to Room 22, coming from a different classroom, or are new to Lochdale School, I hope that you feel welcomed into our class community!

Some important information for this week:

Please review our School Supply List
Please check School Cash Online
Make sure to dress for the weather (we are outside rain or shine)
Come to school with a water bottle
Please return Cross Country forms to Ms. Liang or Ms. Tan ASAP

I’ll be updating our class blog with more information later this week!

Ms. Ward

Books Around the World: Australia

Fluffles (True Stories of Animal Heroes) - Vita Murrow, illustrated by Rachel Qiuqi - 9780711261570 - Murdoch books

Today, we began exploring the next continent in our Books Around the World… we started in Australia! Mr. Murray read us a story about Fluffles, a koala who survived the large wildfires in Australia. This country is home to many different species of animals, including koalas, who are impacted by natural disasters like wildfires.

Look at the video below to learn more about Australia!

Fabulous Fungi: The Most EXPENSIVE Fungi!

Have you ever eaten a truffle? Black and white truffles are some of the most expensive and rare types of edible fungi! They are sometimes foraged in the wild, or they may be cultivated (grown) in special truffle orchards.

Why Truffles Are So Expensive — Eat This Not That

Truffles have a reciprocal relationship with the trees in the forests. They grow under the ground, near the roots, and have are symbiotic (the trees and the truffles help each other survive). We learned more about amazing, weird, and wonderful fungi during our mushroom dissection this week!

Storybooks Around the World: South Korea

The Ocean Calls: A Haenyeo Mermaid Story: Cho, Tina, Snow, Jess X.: 9781984814869: Books - Amazon.ca

This week we visited Jeju Island in South Korea! The Haenyeo are a group of female divers who have been harvesting from the coast of Jeju Island for generations. They harvest a variety of seafoods and treasures to make a living and to provide for their families. Dayeon, the main character in The Ocean Calls, really wants to dive like her grandmother. However, she must first overcome her fear of the water and the ocean.

We spent time in the classroom thinking and writing about a time when we found the courage to overcome something that scared us.

For more information on freediving, check out the video below.

Skeletons and Sea-Creatures: Learning about the Blobfish!

Blobfish…Why the ‘World’s Ugliest Animal’ Isn’t as Ugly as You Think It Is

In Defense of the Blobfish: Why the 'World's Ugliest Animal' Isn't as Ugly as You Think It Is | Smart News | Smithsonian Magazine

The blobfish is the world’s ugliest animal. But we don’t think the contest was very fair

Adapted from The Smithsonian, 2013

Poor sad blobfish, voted the world’s ugliest animal.

It’s that time again, when the whole world gathers together to pick on the blobfish.

Yesterday, after the votes were counted, the blobfish was named the world’s ugliest animal. The run-off was led by the Ugly Animal Preservation Society. The Society was looking for a mascot, an ugly mascot. As the Society says: “The panda gets too much attention. We want to see the uglier animals too!”

But we think the world was too hard on our friend the blobfish (or, if you want to call him by their proper name—and really, they’d prefer it if you would!—Psychrolutes marcidus).

Honestly, we think that droopy blobfish up there is actually holding up alright considering everything it’s been through. Psychrolutes marcidus are a deep water fish that live off the coast of Australia, somewhere between 2,000 and 4,000 feet beneath the waves. Down there, the pressure is up to 120 times higher than it is at the surface.

You wouldn’t want to be in the deep ocean without a strong submarine. And, likewise, the blobfish really doesn’t like being up here.

Many fish have something called a swim bladder, an organ full of air in their body that helps them move. When you take fish with swim bladders out of their natural habitats that air sac “may expand when they rise, which harms the fish”.

See what we mean about the blobfish having a hard time?

The blobfish doesn’t really have much of a skeleton, and it doesn’t really have any muscle. So, up here, it’s saggy and droopy. In fact, super-deep water fish often have minimal skeletons and jelly-like flesh. They are almost like a water balloon!

Image above: what’s inside a blobfish? The bones are dyed red, the cartilage is dyed blue. What do you notice?

So why do we think the world is too hard on the blobfish? Because if we put you 4,000 feet below the water your body and organs would be crushed and you’d probably become gooey and gross.

Meanwhile, the blobfish can withstand the deep sea. We think they are quite a lovely fish when they are left alone in their home.

The Blobfish: 5 Facts About the Ocean's Ugliest Mug – 30A

Image: (left) the blobfish in the deep ocean look very different from the blobfish we usually see in photos (right)

Picturebooks Around the World: Nepal (and Mount Everest)

Have you ever thought about climbing Mount Everest? This perilous, treacherous climb draws many tourists every year. We learned that Mount Everest is located between Nepal and China. We learned that this mountain has cultural and religious significance to many people in Nepal.

We also learned that there are some possible environmental impacts caused by all of these people climbing the mountain. Many climbing expeditions leave behind lots of garbage, which is causing this pristine mountain to look more and more like a garbage dump.

Everest: Top Sherpas slam Nepal's plan to clean rubbish from mountain - BBC News

Above: many people hike along Mount Everest, accompanied by experienced guides (Sherpas).

Below: many people from both Nepal and China are working hard to try to clean up the garbage on Mount Everest.

Tidying up the top of the world

Some questions to consider:

-Why do you think it might be challenging to clean the garbage off Mount Everest?

-Would you ever climb Mount Everest?

-Why should we care about the garbage on Mount Everest? How might it impact the environment?

Exploring Asia Through Picturebooks: Food, Family, and Story

Watercress: Wang, Andrea, Chin, Jason: 9780823446247: Books - Amazon.ca

Recently, we visited China through Andrea Wang’s Watercress. The children in the story learn to find a balance between their family’s traditions and the pressures of North American culture. While on a road trip, her family stops to harvest watercress from the roadside. She feels embarrassed as she wades through the ditch, collecting watercress with her parents and siblings. At dinner that night, her mother shares stories from her own childhood, exposing her children to new aspects of their family’s story, their heritage, and their Chinese culture.

Many people find connection to their family and culture through the food that they eat. Are there foods that you enjoy with your family?

Check out the video below to hear about Cecilia Chiang’s connection to family and food through story.

Exploring Asia through Picturebooks: Immigration, Family, and Taiwan

I Dream of Popo: Blackburne, Livia, Kuo, Julia: 9781250249319: Books - Amazon.ca

We are continuing to learn about different countries in Asia! We read a book called I Dream of Popo, a story about moving away from your family based on the authour’s childhood experience moving from Taiwan to America. The child in the story keeps in contact with their grandmother back in Taiwan, and their love prevails despite physical distance!

Taiwan Map and Satellite Image

Taiwan is a small country off the coast of China. It is a very culturally distinct country, with lots of unique culture!

To learn a little more about Taiwan, please watch the video below. You can compare and contrast these Taiwanese noodles with the Japanese noodles we learned about earlier!

Picturebooks Around the World: Exploring Japan

We are continuing to ‘travel the world’ via our picture books! We learned about the invention of instant ramen, created by chef Momofuku Ando. He was inspired by the many people in Japan who experienced famine after World War II. Ando wanted to create a easy, inexpensive, and filling food that many people would enjoy:

Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuku Ando: Wang, Andrea, Urbanowicz, Kana: 9781499807035: Books - Amazon.ca

Check out the video below about the history of this amazing invention!