Sound Energy

Last week, we finished our unit on sound energy. We did a lot of really fun experiments and learned a lot about how sound works.

We learned that sound is the vibration of atoms in matter.






We learned that sound travels better through a solid than through a gas, and that sound doesn't travel at all in outer space!



























Finally, we learned how changing the size of an instrument can change the frequency and the pitch of the sound.





















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PTA Food Drive

PTA is holding a canned food drive to help families in need during the Thanksgiving holiday! If you can, please send in any non-perishable food items on or before next Monday the 24th. Your child will earn classroom bonus money for donations that they bring in!

Coffee Shop Game

Today you learned about entrepreneurship and starting a business. Go to CoolMathGames and play this really fun and addictive game where you use resources to try to earn a profit in a simulated coffee shop.

Festival of Lights 5K

Last year, a whole bunch of Beauclerc teachers joined up to run the Festival of Lights 5K race. It was a blast!





This year, we're doing it again! But I'm also encouraging my students to join us for the run. Hundreds of people come out for the run, including lots of families. Already, a bunch of teachers have signed up, including Mrs. Jenkins, Mrs. Phenneger, Coach Nelson, Mrs. Cromer, Mrs. Adams, Mr. Gibbons, and Mrs. Goodman. And six Superstars have told me they're planning to run!! Afterwards, we'll go out to dinner somewhere nearby.

The run starts at 6:00 PM in San Marco on Saturday, December 13th. There will also be all sorts of fun events going on in the same area before the race, including pics with Santa Claus, jugglers, and more.

If you want to join us for the run, go to 1st Place Sports and register! And let me know once you've gotten registered, because I'll be supplying each of my Superstar runners with antlers for the run!





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First Nine Week Luncheon

We had a great luncheon to cap off the first nine weeks - including some special visitors!  

We were all very tired at the end of the day...

Elephant Toothpaste

We finished our week-long Slime Lab experiments involving chemical and physical changes with the coolest chemical reaction of all - Elephant Toothpaste!  

This chemical reaction actually separates the oxygen from hydrogen peroxide and forms heaps of oxygen-filled foam bubbles.  Check it out!

To do this experiment at home, follow these simple directions:

1. Make sure to wear some sort of protection over your eyes.
2. Pour around 100-200 milliliters of hydrogen peroxide into an empty soda bottle.  The exact amount doesn't really matter.  But the more hydrogen peroxide, the more foam!  
3. Add a squirt of liquid dish soap and a few drops of food coloring.  
4. Swish the bottle around so that the hydrogen peroxide, soap, and food coloring mix.  
5. In a separate container, mix a spoonful of dry yeast with four spoons of water.  
6. Remove any excess clumps of dry yeast.
7. Pour the dry yeast mixture into the bottle and observe the fountain of foam!  

I'll post directions for the other slimes and goos we made this week later this weekend.