Ocean....

We have been studying oceans for a few weeks, and we've done a lot of experiments. More than we've ever done! I enjoy experimenting, and I think the kids do too! If you like experiments and are going to study the ocean I would highly recommend the book "Awesome Ocean Science!" by Cindy A. Littlefield.
Here are some of the experiments we did. The first one here was seeing what happens to salt water when it's dropped into fresh water. Because of the density it sinks!



We also put a piece of a carrot in the fresh water, and added salt til the carrot started to rise!


This one was about estuaries.

Brie is preparing the "fresh" water.




Zeke is adding food coloring! (He added a lot!)





As you can see Zeke's river "flooded" the ocean! *He was supposed to gently squeeze it in*


We did it again, so we could see how the river water floated on top of the ocean!


I think my favorite experiment so far has been about the Coriolis Effect. If you want to try it fill a bowl almost to the top with water and sprinkle on a pinch of cornmeal. Now blow easily and steadily across the water surface and watch the way the cornmeal is carried by the currents. The same thing happens when wind blows across the surface of our spinning planet. (and yes I'm easily entertained!)
Zeke made a Lego 3D shark, and Brie made a crab. Not something we normally do, but fun!

Brie and Zeke both wrote poems about the ocean. They are also memorizing "At the seaside" by Robert Louis Stevenson.

I went to the ocean

and it had lots of motion.

I dipped my feet in and it was cold,

but I felt so very bold.

by: Gabriela

I went to the beach and saw cool seashells.

I got wet from the waves, and it was really cold.

We went back to the house and I saw a ship sailing,

and then we all had some hot cocoa.

By: Ezekiel

This is the first poems either one has written. I thought they did good! Zeke was very adamant about his not rhyming!! After they typed them up, they made these creations! We sprayed adhesive onto the paper and sprinkled some sand on it for the beach!

I'm glad they both remember going to the Pacific Ocean last year. When I read their poems I could tell they were both recounting their experience last year! I wish we could repeat it! We still have 2 weeks of our ocean study left, so we may share more experiments along the way!