Science and Numeracy Week

Week 24: Science and Numeracy Week

Another exciting week has passed right after the ELC's Year End Performance.

Science experiments and activities has brought such joy in learning and helps children develop questions, problem solve and find answers. It opens up their mind and helps them to be more inquisitive and better understand the world around them. 

Science experiments encourage curiosity, experimentation and exploration. 

This week is Science and Numeracy Week and the Pre 2 students made an experiment called "AppleCano (Apple Volcano)" - an erupting apple.

An erupting apple science activity is an awesome example of chemical reaction and kids love these amazing reactions just as much as adults.

The erupting apple science experiments uses baking soda and vinegar for a classic chemical reaction experiment.

In green apple, the baking soda was placed first, then the vinegar was poured on top. In another apple, the vinegar was poured inside, and then the baking soda was added.

Why do baking soda and vinegar react to each other?

Baking soda and vinegar react with each other because of an acid-base reaction. Baking soda is a bicarbonate (NaHCo3) and vinegar is an acetic acid (HCH3COO). One of the products this reaction creates is carbon dioxide. 

In other words, they both have a lot of energy that they don't want and they can help each other get rid of it. 

A more detailed explanation:

The chemical name for baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. Its chemical formula is NaHCO₃, meaning it's made of one sodium atom, one hydrogen atom, one carbon atom, and three oxygen atoms. 

Vinegar is a mixture of acetic acid and water. Dilute acetic acid is the chemical name for vinegar, and its chemical formula is CH₃COOH. 

Baking soda is a base, and vinegar is an acid. An acid is a chemical that wants to get rid of a proton, or a positively charged hydrogen atom. A base is a chemical that wants a proton. When you mix an acid with a base exciting things can happen because the acid is ready to give away its proton and the base is right there to receive it!

Water is often added to acids and bases to tone down the intensity of this exchange. Water also acts as host in which the acid and base can break apart and react. In water, baking soda breaks apart into a positively-charged sodium ion (Na+) and a negatively charged bicarbonate ion (HCO_3-). An ion is a charged atom or molecule. Acetic acid doesn't break apart on its own in water as much as sodium bicarbonate; it's mostly diluted so it's not as strong.

When we mix baking soda and acetic acid in water together, acetic acid gives its proton to the broken-apart baking soda and together they form sodium acetate (CH₃COONa), water (H₂O), and carbon dioxide (CO₂). 

These products are created quickly, and the carbon dioxide comes out as a gas, so the whole event is spectacular as you've seen!

By reacting with each other, the acidic acetic acid and the basic sodium bicarbonate give up a lot of their energy and create things that have a lower energy relative to each other. The universe favors things at their lowest energy, and so we see a lot of exciting reactions involving acids and bases.

Please check the video below:

Strawberry Picking: A much needed break and reward for their hard work 
                                in our Year End Performance

Language Exploration: Letter Ww and Xx


Our letter of the week is Ww and Xx. 

Ww is for wagon, web and wig


Xx is for x-ray, box and wax

Math:

Morning Circle, Recess Time and Closing Circle:

This week's Superstar!

Last Earthquake Drill for this School Year and the students attentively listened and asked questions to Mr. Ulu as he explained the 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami that took place in Sendai. 

One of our dear friend is in the hospital so we sent her a video message to keep her going and to remind her that she's loved and she's not alone in this battle. We miss her a lot and we hope she can join us in our small party to celebrate our hard work and our journey in Preschool 2.

 

Last 3 days before we all move up. Goodbye Pre2 and Hello Pre3. But before anything else, we won't let this school year end without celebrating this milestone, hard work and accomplishments and throw a small party.