Year+6+Science+2011

=Change Detectives = Week 1: Mess scene investigation 

A 'Mess scene' was created for students to examine common changes to materials including:
 * Salt in a glass of water with open salt container next to it
 * Melted chocolate
 * Ice-poles melting in their clear wrappers
 * A glass full of bubbles from sodium bicarbonate and tartaric acid reacting
 * A burning candle
 * A perfume bottle tipped over

Students were asked to observe the scene and use the evidence presented to investigate what they think happened in each of the cases. Students were asked a number of questions such as:
 * What can you observe about each example?
 * What changes have occurred to the original objects and materials?
 * Do you think the changes can be reversed? Why? How? Why not?

Students recorded their responses in their science journal and from these we started to develop a word wall.

Week 7: Candle capers



This was a really interesting experiment to investigate how candles need air (oxygen) to keep burning. Students worked in cooperative groups to make predictions about which features of a candle allow them to burn and describe the conditions that are necessary for a candle to burn.

Using tea-light candles and 4 glasses of different sizes students conducted an investigation into the effect of the amount of air on the time the candle stays alight. Students had to discuss how they would make the test fair by only changing one variable. We had to discuss how much air is contained in each jar, for example, by measuring the amount of water each jar holds. Students soon realised how important it was to ensure their glass was free of any water residue as this affected their results. Afterwards students graphed their results on a line graph.

Evaluations of the Experiment: * The flame kept relighting *I t changed colours * When the flame was blue it was small * Fire lasts longer than air * When fire drinks water it dies * If there is water in the candle it bubbles
 * What happened? **
 * Why does that happen? **
 * More air in the bigger jars than in the smaller jars
 * Fire needs fresh air
 * What does the air have to do with it?**
 * Oxygen feeds the flame
 * What about a fire burning in an open field?**
 * Has so much air it expands