3rd Grade
MAY 11, 2020
Mystery Science Lesson: “How can you keep a house from blowing away in a windstorm?”
Please click on the Link Below:
In this Mystery, students explore the effects of natural hazards, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and dust storms.
In the activity, Design a Windproof House, students build paper house models. Then, using limited materials, students design multiple solutions that will make their houses sturdy enough to survive a wind storm, and compare the merits of their solutions.
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5-4-20
3rd Grade Science Lab Assignment:
Mystery Science Lesson: "Why are some Places always hot?"
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In this Mystery, students are introduced to the concept of “climate” and explore the world’s five major climates. In the activity, Climate Decoder, students color one part of a world map to figure out the different climates of that region.
You may select one of the maps to color and do the climate decoder activity or you can choose to do all the maps. If you don't have access to a printer to print the sheets please see the "Answer Key."
4-22-20
Earth Day Activity
(Earth Day 2020)
4-13-20
Please click on this link to continue learning about weather and Cloudshttps://climatekids.nasa.gov/cloud-formation/
Did you know about NASA’S CloudSat?
“CloudSat” is Part of NASA's weather and climate tracking satellites. This particular satellite uses advanced radar to examine the inner structure of clouds.
Thanks to this Satellite we know even more about clouds! CloudSat has revealed how often the clouds above Earth rain and snow.
To learn more about NASA’s CloudSat other click here: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/cloudsat/
Make a Cloud in a Bottle!
Have you ever wondered how clouds form? In this activity, you can make your own cloud to see for yourself!
Clouds form from the condensation or freezing of water vapor. Condensation is the process of a gas changing into a liquid. In this activity, the gas is water vapor and the liquid is the cloud you create. When water vapor cools, it turns into a liquid – or condenses – onto a surface.
For example, take a cold water bottle outside on a warm day. You will notice that water droplets form on the outside of the bottle. These droplets are water vapor from the atmosphere condensing on the surface of the bottle. They do this because the surrounding air cools when it touches the bottle. Clouds form the same way. Water vapor in the atmosphere cools and condenses on particles in the air, creating a cloud.
Follow the steps below to create your own cloud and see this process in action!
Materials Needed:
Transparent glass jar
Warm tap water (not boiling)
Metal tray or hard-plastic frozen ice pack
Ice
Spoon or stirrer
Match
Adult help
1. Form the water vapor
Fill a jar with 2 inches (5 cm) of warm water and stir. The warm water will form water vapor through a process called evaporation. Evaporation is the process of liquid changing into gas. The water vapor will begin to rise inside the jar. You will not be able to see the water vapor. It is an invisible gas.
2. Form smoke particles
Ask an adult to light a match, blow it out and quickly drop it into the jar. The smoke particles will provide a surface for the water to condense on.
3. Cool it
Immediately place an ice-filled metal tray or hard-plastic frozen ice pack on top of the jar.
4. Watch the cloud appear
Observe the inside of the jar carefully. A misty cloud should appear near the top of the jar. Why does this happen? The warm water vapor mixes with air and smoke particles. It rises inside the jar and then cools when it comes near the tray of ice. As the water vapor cools, it condenses into very tiny droplets on the smoke particles. When enough condensation occurs, we see it as a cloud. If you have a hard time seeing the cloud, slightly lift the metal tray or ice pack from one side of the jar and look for wisps of cloud escaping the jar.
5. Make it disappear
Remove the metal tray or ice pack. What happens? The cloud disappears. Why? As the cold cloud warms up, the condensed water droplets evaporate once again and turn into water vapor.
Cloud Charts Courtesy of NASA:
