Mystery Bone and other Experiments

 This week was all about science as the students began thinking like scientists as they examined some real bones!

They began by looking closely at some small bones and took their time drawing them as accurately as possible. They also thought like scientists and wrote down what they observed as well as any wonderings they had about the bones. Some even noted that the bones looked very similar to the metacarpals in the palm of our hands or the metatarsals in our feet! 

Fortunately, they figured out that it was neither of those when I told them that the bones were from my dinner the night before!

Next, some students had the chance to use a vice and saw to dissect a bone by bisecting it. Before sawing open the bones, the students predicted whether the bones would be hollow or solid. They based their predictions on an experiment that we did to test the strength of a hollow and a solid cylinder (an empty paper cup and a paper cup filled with dice). We tested the strength of each by placing heavy books and some weights on top of each until the cup eventually collapsed under the weight. Even I was surprised to see that the little hollow cup that weighed a mere 4.6g held up to 20kg before collapsing under 22kg! The 'solid' cup filled with plastic dice, which was 40 times heavier than the empty paper cup (165g: 4.6g) didn't do much better as it only held up 23.6kg, before collapsing under 25.6kg. 

The students were intrigued by the mushy brown stuff inside the bones and were even more surprised to see that it had hardened and changed colour overnight! So far, no one has figured out what it was...perhaps someone will make a connection when we discuss the circulatory system...which we started to when we had the microscopes out as they examined the bones as well as some of Mr. Brabant's blood! That's right, I bled for these students' benefit! (And no in case you were wondering, I didn't cut myself with a saw.)

The students once again did a great job observing and sketching what they saw through the microscopes and made some keen observations and asked some great questions!

On Monday, we will see what happens to the floating bone that we left in the vinegar as the schedule switches from swimming on Monday afternoon to 3 blocks of unit!