How I Transferred Energy This Weekend

This weekend I used a lot of energy. One specific time that I transferred energy was when I put my hair into a bun. The energy was transferred from me to the elastic in my hairband. The elastic went from potential energy, stored energy, to kinetic energy, moving energy, back to potential. This type of energy is called elastic energy and is mainly from elastics and stretchy things.

Sincerely, Sabrina

 

 

 

 

 

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Computer Tech-Swift Playground-Create New Functions

Swift playground, a coding app, has been a fun way to learn code. In my last blog post I explained what it is, but in sum, swift playground is a coding app where you go through levels of lessons, learning little by little how to code.

In one of the function lessons, create new functions, I really struggled in, I struggled to figure out how my new function worked.

This is what my code ended up looking like. In this lesson I was asked to create a turn right and incorporate that into my code. In order to turn right I needed three turn lefts which I already had. That worked so I had to use it in my code. I started my code and it all worked except for one little turn. If I put turn right it turned left, so I tried turn left, but it still turned left. I was stuck. In order to fix this problem I went through my whole code again and realized that it was an error in the function, turn right. From there I was able to fix it and move on. You must fail to succeed, and that was exactly what I did.

 

Sincerely, Sabrina

Computer Tech-Swift Playground

In computer tech we are currently working in swift playground, a programming app met for beginners and people with little experience. In swift playground you go through different levels each with different lessons that teach you little by little how to code. I find swift playground very enjoyable, I feel this way because it makes learning code so much more interactive and fun while also helping me learn more than I thought I would be able to. When we first started swift playground I struggled a lot with reading the long directions and not just jumping right into the activity. Once I tried the first lesson I realized that the directions make such a difference and really are necessary. After I read the directions I was able to complete the task with no problem! Overall I find that swift playground is a great and fun learning source and you should go download it.

 

Sincerely, Sabrina

Science: Energy

What is energy?

Energy is the ability to do work. Think about one way energy is used on a normal day, for instance, you might not realize it, but when you are eating breakfast you are using energy. I can’t wait to learn more about energy!

Sincerely, Sabrina

 

About Me

In computer technology we are learning how to use a programming website called scratch. In scratch we are creating projects that share some facts about us. I created a project where my scratch icon (a dinosaur) would move from different backdrops explaining how they relate to me. My first part of my project started in a big colorful city. I introduced myself with a speech bubble saying “Hi my name is Sabrina”. Next my background switched and I was in a bedroom that was representing mine. I used another speech bubble to tell that my favorite color was yellow. I next switched to a pool and said that I am a swimmer. Next I go back to my room into my bed. I finally go outside and talk about my favorite season, spring. That is as far as I got, but I am excited to create more.

Science – Getting Messy

Today in science we finally got to conduct experiments about mixtures and solutions. We had three experiments to do. First we mixed colored sugar with oil. 

In order to do this we had to mix food dye with sugar. We measured 4 teaspoons of sugar with three drop of pink food dye. The food dye mixed in with sugar very easily, but we did need to press it against the sugar at the beginning. Once we made our sugar we wrote our hypothesis. Our hypothesis was if we mix one teaspoon of sugar and oil then it will gradually dissolve and maybe color the oil. Once we conducted the experiment we learned that our hypothesis was wrong. The sugar mostly went to the bottom leaving a thin layer at the top and the oil was in the middle. The oil kept it’s original form and didn’t change when mixed with the sugar. In this solution the sugar was the solute and the oil was the solvent.

Our next experiment to conduct was mixing one teaspoon of sugar with water. Our hypothesis was, if we combine one teaspoon of sugar with water than the sugar will dissolve in the water and the water will change color. When we tested this experiment we learned that our hypothesis was right. The sugar started to dissolve in the water soon after we combined them. We left this solution for an hour and when we came back the sugar was completely dissolved. The water also turned pink, just as we thought. In this solution the sugar was solute and the water was the solvent.

Our final experiment to conduct was adding one teaspoon of sugar with vinegar. Our hypothesis was, if we add one teaspoon of sugar to vinegar then the sugar will partially dissolve and color the vinegar. We then confirmed our hypothesis, the sugar partially dissolved and colored the water. In this solution the sugar was the solute and the vinegar was the solvent.

Overall these science experiments were really fun and I learned a lot!

Refugee

In class, we are reading a book called “Refugee by Alan Grats” In the book, it rotates stories from different times about refugees. All of the characters are powerful and powerless at some point. 

Josef…

Josef is a refugee from Germany during the Holocaust, he is Jewish. At the beginning of the book, Hitler and the Nazi party have the power. They have control over almost everything Josef and his family are doing. But later on in the book once Josef ha escaped Germany and is on a boat to Cuba, they get refused to enter Cuba. They can’t stay in Cuba, but they can’t go back to Germany so they capture the captain and force him to not bring them back to Germany. During this part, I feel that Josef has the power.

Isabel…

Isabel is a refugee from Cuba and she is leaving Cuba because of dictatorship. At the beginning of the book, Fadel Castro has the power, and then people started to protest and he was forced to let them out of Cuba. Then later in the book Isabel gained the power when she left Cuba, this was because leaving Cuba seemed like mission impossible and then she accomplished it so she felt very powerful and like she could do anything.

Mahmoud…

Mahmoud is a refugee from Syria and he is forced to leave because of war. In Mahmoud’s story, he stays at a refugee camp until he can go on a boat and the boat takes weeks to come. I think the boat has the power because the boat is controlling everything Mahmoud is doing and how Mahmoud is feeling. Later on in the book when Mahmoud lands in grease I think he feels very powerful because he has accomplished his mission.

Refugee is an amazing book if you have not read it. It deals with real-life problems from other peoples views. 

Sincerely, Sabrina

 

Science Centers

In class we are working on science centers. In these groups we do both experiments and written work. In the past two days my group has been doing work on mixtures, solutions, and compounds. 

First we read about mixtures. A mixture is a combination of two or more substances. In a mixture, each substance maintains it’s physical properties. Next we read about solutions, a solution is a type of mixture in which one substance dissolves in the other. Finally we read about compounds, a compound has molecules with atoms of different elements. Compounds cannot be separated and you can’t see the individual elements each atom is made of.

Once we had read we started the stations. We started with the station create it. In that station we had a cup of beads that we had to separate into piles by color and identify the property’s of the beads. We noticed that the beads were hard, small, multi-colored and square. Next we had to make a mixture of the colored beads and see if the property’s change. We noticed that the property’s of the beads didn’t change.

The next station we did was sort it. In that station we had different elements and we had to sort them into solutions, mixtures and compounds. Under mixtures we had sand and water, sand and iron filing, and salad. Under the solution pile we had, soda, sugar and water and air. Under the compound pile we had table salt, baking soda and water.

The next station we did was match it. In this station we had to match the words to their definition. The definition of physical property’s is a characteristic of matter. The definition of solvent is the substance that dissolves in another substance to to make a solution. The definition of solute is the substance in a solution that there is more of. The definition of dissolve is to break down into smaller pieces until it is invisible.

The final station we did was explain it. At this station we looked at a lemonade recipe and we wrote our observations. Next we wrote a response. In my response I wrote, I learned that sugar is the solvent and hot water is the solute. I wonder if you didn’t mix the solution how long would it take for the sugar to dissolve in the hot water?

Overall this science lesson was really fun. My favorite station was create it with the beads. I can’t wait for another science activity!

Sincerely, Sabrina

Immigration Spark Video

Civics…

I learned that the more money you have, the more likely you are to have a successful life in America.  I also learned that you needed to be healthy and strong to come to America.

Geography…

I learned that the potato famine brought 500,000 immigrants to America. I also learned the gold rush made many people come to America. I also learned that almost all Americans have ancestors that are immigrants.

History…

I learned that there were so many reasons why people came to America and every single one of them made an impact.

Economics…

I learned that immigrants were more likely to own their own business because no one wanted to hire them. I also learned immigrants coming to America helped steam ships make money.

Passion Project #6

Since my last blog post I have finished a lot. I have finished building my box and my cap. Now my cap is fitting just perfectly. I have started adding my information in my box, and I have everything planned! I am going to add little pockets to a few of the corners to add fun facts in them. I decided that two layers would be enough in my box so in the next few days I will be finishing adding the information and finalizing my box by gluing everything. I have come so far and I am so excited to have my final project.

Sincerely, Sabrina