Thursday, March 19, 2020

4th Grade Science Experiments

4th Grade Science Experiments Great 4th-grade science fair projects involve answering a question, solving a problem, or testing a hypothesis. Usually, a teacher or parent helps work out the hypothesis and design the project. Fourth graders have a good understanding of scientific concepts, but they may need help with the scientific method and organizing a poster or presentation. The key to developing a successful project is finding an idea that is interesting to a 4th grader. Experiment Ideas The best experiments usually begin with a question to which you dont know the answer. Once youve formulated a question, you can design a simple experiment to help figure out the answer: Do cockroaches have a preference for direction? Catch and release cockroaches. Which way do they go? Is there a common trend or not? You can try this project with ants or other crawling insects as well.Do colored ice cubes melt at the same rate as clear ice cubes? Add food coloring to an ice cube tray and compare how long the colored cubes take to melt compared to the regular ones.Does magnetism travel through all materials? Put different materials between a magnet and metal. Do they affect how strongly the magnet is attracted to the metal? If so, do they all affect the magnetic field to the same degree?Do all crayon colors last the same? Draw a really long line with one color, then draw the same length of line with another color. Are both crayons the same length?What is the effect of microwaving seeds on their germination rate? Test seeds that sprout quickly, like radish seeds, and different microwave times, such as 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 30 seconds, one minute. Use a control (no mi crowave) treatment for comparison. Will seeds germinate if you soak them in a liquid other than water? You can try milk, juice, vinegar, and other common household liquids. Alternatively, you could see if plants will grow if they are watered with liquids other than water.Make a simple homemade windmill. What is the best number of blades for the windmill?How much salt (or sugar) can a plant tolerate? Water plants with a different solution of salt or sugar. How high of a concentration can the plant tolerate? A related question would be to see if plants can survive if they are watered with soapy water such as leftover dishwater.Do birds have a preference for birdhouse material? In other words, do they seem to care if the birdhouse is made of wood or plastic or metal?Do worms react when they are exposed to light? Do they react differently when they are exposed to different colors of light?Do ants prefer different types of sugar? Test using table sugar, honey, maple syrup, and molasses.Can you taste the difference between foods that contain fat and fat-free versions of the same product? Compare the water filtration rate of different brands of coffee filters. Take one cup of liquid and time how long it takes to pass through the filter. Do the different filters affect the flavor of the coffee?Do white candles and colored candles burn at the same rate?Write messages using different types of invisible ink. Which was the most invisible? Which method produced a message that was easy to read after it was revealed?

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Uneasy vs. Uneased

Uneasy vs. Uneased Uneasy vs. Uneased Uneasy vs. Uneased By Maeve Maddox I read the following quotation in a newspaper account of a local city council meeting: Im uneased by the fact that we have land in the city [that is not zoned]. Surely, the councilman meant to say that he was uneasy about the fact! At once I began a Web search and discovered that this strange use of uneased is not- so far- in the millions, but its out there in the thousands: I am uneased by heights, but I love zip-lining for some reason. I am personally uneased by even letting my kid walk to the front door by himself. They were uneased by your appearance and took a few days before getting used to seeing you about town. Its not always clear what uneased in the expression uneased by is intended to convey. Sometimes, as in the councilmans quotation, it seems to be used where uneasy would be idiomatic, but sometimes it seems to mean uncomfortable, in pain, or frightened. In the following paragraph on a professional medical site, any of the four could be intended: A mammogram should never be painful. This common conception is the reason many women put off scheduling their annual mammograms. If you ever are uneased, inform your mammography technologist so that they may alleviate your discomfort. Note: This illustrative quotation contains other writing errors, but for now, let’s just consider uneased. The word ease can be either a noun or a verb. For example: Miss Hannigan desired a life of ease. (noun) We admire aid workers who ease the suffering of refugees. (verb) The verb ease (ease, eased, has eased) has acquired numerous meanings since its earliest OED citation: to give ease to (1340) to relieve or lighten a burden (1374) to give ease of mind (1385) to relieve the bowels (1440) to relax (1863) to make to fit (1891) to break in gently (1892) The following examples (all in past tense) illustrate these meanings: Joplin home eased orphans plight Following advice he had received from Pollard, Woolf had eased up on Seabiscuit, allowing his horse to see his rival, then asked for more effort.   The home mortgage market improved last quarter as demand increased and many banks eased their lending standards for the most creditworthy borrowers, Black and White Ointment quickly  eased  the itching, burn and sting. The A E crisis hitting hospitals all over the country could be eased if the paperwork burden was eased on family doctors. Defra has  eased  restrictions on the movement of animals in England. The man eased the injured foot into a shoe. The carpenter planed and eased the dragging door. The new governor eased the misery of the people by lowering taxes. Confessing to the lie eased his conscience. Far removed from the conveniences of indoor plumbing, the people eased themselves in the bushes. A conscience or a pain might go uneased, but in standard usage, people are uneasy about things that bother them. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Masters Degree or Master's Degree?26 Feel-Good Words8 Great Podcasts for Writers and Book Authors