Tag: Science

Chocolate Tasting: Analyzing and Observing

Would you be able to tell how much a bar of chocolate costs just by tasting it? Our class put our skills to the challenge yesterday but investigating the appearance, smell, texture, and taste of 6 different chocolates (of varying price points).

Many of us were able to try and make educated guesses about how much each chocolate cost. We learned that usually, chocolate with a smoother texture and more defined cocoa flavour could be more expensive due to ingredients and labour. We also learned that most fair-trade and rainforest-certified chocolate is more expensive.

History Mystery: Death in the Ice… Exploring the Franklin Expedition

Have you ever heard of the mysterious disappearance of the Franklin Expedition? This History Mystery involves two ships, sailing from Britain to the Artic of Canada on a search for the Northwest Passage. Despite being well-equipped with food, water, and technology, the ships (and crew) disappeared, and even over 150 years later people still cannot agree on what happened to them!

Check out the trailer, above, for an introduction to this History Mystery, and click the link below for our evidence (so far):

Death in the Ice_ History Mystery Pt. 1

Performing a (Mock) Dissection:

Have you ever performed a dissection? We learned that dissections were (and are) a tool that scientists use to learn more about the biology and anatomy of plants, animals, and even people. We performed a ‘mock’ dissection using Twinkies! Our students needed to practice their precision, observation, and patience when taking samples, making incisions, and removing ‘organs’ (filling) from their ‘test subjects’.

Marketable Skills: Baking Bootcamp!

What skills does it take to make the perfect chocolate chip cookies? How is baking similar to science? Why is it important to read recipes thoroughly? We began learning about key baking skills this week! Our Grade 7s went through ‘Baking Bootcamp’, where we learned about: when and how to wash our hands, how to keep our materials and workspace sanitary, why accuracy is important, how to use a funnel, how to stir effectively, and how to measure dry and wet ingredients.

While baking may seem like a stress-free activity, it requires many different skills such as: reading comprehension, math (measurement, conversion), cooperation and communication, etc. It also requires a lot of scientific knowledge to make a successful baked good! Feel free to watch the video below to learn how some common mistakes can impact the success of a cookie recipe, and stay tuned for more updates!

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:

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

Reindeer Toothpaste Experiment

Our class created our own version of the famous ‘elephant toothpaste’ experiment! To do this experiment at home (with adult permission and supervision), you can…

-fill an empty plastic bottle or cup around 1/2 way with 3% hydrogen peroxide (if using a higher %, please wear gloves and eye protection)

-add a large squirt of dish soap

-optionally, add food colouring and/or peppermint extract

-then, in a separate cup mix a large spoonful of instant yeast with some warm water for 30 seconds (until dissolved)

-quickly and carefully pour the yeast mixture into the hydrogen peroxide mixture and step back

We learned this experiment creates and exothermic reaction, which means it gets hot! We noticed that when we increase the amount of soap and yeast, the bubbles continued to form for a much longer amount of time.

Pleases note: Always be careful when doing Science at home, and make sure to have adult supervision and permission.

Tea Tasting: An Optional At-Home Activity

Hi everyone! On Thursday, November 26th I will be sending home a sample of one of the teas we have been learning about in Science. Please feel free to brew and taste the tea together at home! Here is some information about the tea:

    • The tea is Jade Fir tea from the Namasthe/Ranger Tea Company, a Canadian-owned handcrafted tea brand
    • This teas ingredients are: Spring harvest mountain green tea and Douglas Fir tips 
    • The Fir tips are sustainably harvested from unceded Coast Salish territories and forests by Indigenous members of the company
    • Because this is a ‘wild’ brew, you might see some large pieces of pine, sticks, etc.
    • Douglas Fir tea has been used for centuries as a ‘thirst-quencher’ (rehydrating and energizing properties)
    • This tea has citrus-y, pine-y flavours that may be new or unusual to many people, but it has been enjoyed by many Indigenous cultures for thousands of years

 

  • Please ensure that there are no allergens in the tea, and always consult with a doctor if you are pregnant/taking medication before drinking this tea

 

To serve: Steep the tea in hot water for 3 minutes. Strain and enjoy. You may also want to add a little maple syrup for sweetness, or a slice of lemon for flavour. 

Please let me know if you try the tea, and I hope you enjoy this unique blend of Green tea and Fir tea! I’ve attached a video of an Indigenous chef discussing how he sustainably harvests ingredients for tea:

 

 

Tea Time Science: Diffusing Different Teas

Did you know that tea is the most popular drink in the world (other than water)? People all over the world drink different kinds of tea. You might drink iced sweetened tea, hot mint tea, or even fruit-flavoured tea with boba! Today, we examined some of the Science behind making tea.

We started by making observations about the tea. What colour(s) did we notice? What texture/size were the particles? What scents/smells did the tea have?

We made observations about 6 kinds of tea: Earl Grey, Vanilla Rooibos, Chamomile, Green Tea, Honeybush Orange, & Red Raspberry. Then, we predicted what colour the tea would be when we diffused it (steeped it) in water.

Then, we added hot water to our tea and let it steep. We observed how the tea changed in colour and scent when steeped in water. Finally, created a Science Journal page by painting a small ‘swatch’ of each tea.

One of the most surprising discoveries for our class… the Green Tea was not very green, and the Earl Grey tea was not grey at all!

STEM Challenge: Da Vinci & Parachutes

After our very successful catapult STEM challenge (pictures/video to come), our class will be exploring the genius of Leonardo Da Vinci and his amazing flying machines! We will first be examining his blueprint/design for a parachute, and using his journals as inspiration to design our own parachutes!

When we design our parachutes, students may bring up to 2 OPTIONAL MATERIALS from home (ex: paper towel roll, fabric). We have just begun blueprinting our designs, but stay tuned for our results!