According to Merriam-Webster, a cloud is a visible mass of particles of condensed vapor (such as water or ice) suspended in the atmosphere of a planet (such as the earth) or moon. Fifth grade is currently investigating the water cycle. As a lab demonstration, students set up a model of a cloud (shaving cream), and slowly filled the “cloud” with water to visualize how clouds fill up with water vapor and create precipitation. Students were able to see the connection between the model created in the lab and the real world.

“Clouds are the sky’s imagination.”

pro·gres·sive din·ner

/prəˈɡresiv,prōˈɡresiv ˈdinər/

noun

1. a social occasion at which the different courses of a meal are eaten at different people’s houses.

A progressive dinner is a unique dining experience where each course of the meal is enjoyed at a different location, creating a fun, interactive, and social atmosphere. Instead of sitting down to one meal at a single restaurant or home, guests travel from place to place—perhaps starting with appetizers at one venue, moving to another for the main course, and finishing with dessert at a third. This dining style adds an element of exploration and variety, allowing people to enjoy different environments, cuisines, or settings throughout the evening. It’s perfect for making an ordinary dinner into an exciting adventure!

On Earth, our view of the illuminated part of the Moon changes each night, depending on where the Moon is in its orbit, or path, around Earth. When we have a full view of the completely illuminated side of the Moon, that phase is known as a full moon.

But following the night of each full moon, as the Moon orbits around Earth, we start to see less of the Moon lit by the Sun. Eventually, the Moon reaches a point in its orbit when we don’t see any of the Moon illuminated. At that point, the far side of the Moon is facing the Sun. This phase is called a new moon. During the new moon, the side facing Earth is dark.

Fifth grade created a personal Lunar Calendar recently. Students were able to choose any month/year-past,present,or future; some chose their birthday month/year, some chose a significant month/year in history such as July 1969-First Lunar Landing and September 2001, and some students randomly chose the month/year.

Students started by constructing a calendar, researching the lunar phases for that month/year, illustrating and labeling each day with the correct moon phase, and making a presentation to the class.

We have a slightly different view of the Moon each night. We describe how the Moon looks with the eight Moon phases, or shapes:

🌑 New

🌒 Waxing Crescent

🌓 First Quarter

🌔 Waxing Gibbous

🌕 Full

🌖 Waning Gibbous

🌗 Third Quarter

🌘 Waning Crescent

We convert measurements to ensure accurate comparisons between different quantities by expressing them in the same unit, allowing for meaningful calculations and understanding across various fields like science, engineering, cooking, and even everyday life. This is especially important when dealing with different measurement systems like metric and imperial/customary units.Essentially, it lets you understand and utilize measurements from different scales in a consistent way. 

Fifth grade worked in pairs moving through different measurement conversion stations. The stations included units such as grams, milliliters, feet, inches, and even time!

According to Merriam-Webster, refraction is a deflection from a straight path undergone by a light ray or energy wave in passing obliquely from one medium (such as air) into another (such as glass) in which its velocity is different.

During a lab, students were able to see for themselves a phenonemon that makes an object seem to disappear, but it reality, it is just an effect of refraction. Students were to view the object placed under the empty cup first, then water was poured into the cup (that’s when the object “disappeared”) and suddenly the object “disappeared.” This was due to the scientific principle of refraction.

The root of refraction is seen in the notion that the path of a ray of light or wave of energy is "broken" when it is deflected or turned. The effects of refraction can be seen in a rainbow, which is formed when light rays passing into (and reflecting out of) water droplets are bent at different angles depending on their color, so that the light separates into bands of color. The amount of refraction depends on the angle and the type of matter; refraction can occur even when passing through different kinds of air. A mirage, such as you might see in the desert or over a patch of asphalt in the summer, occurs when light passing through warm air meets the very hot air near the surface; reflecting the sky, it often resembles a lake.