In this unit, you will learn to:
1.  Identify acidic, alkaline and neutral substances using litmus paper.
2.  Identify the taste of acidic and alkaline food.
3.  Draw conclusions on the properties of acidic, alkaline and neutral substances.

Properties of Acidic, Alkaline and Neutral Substances:

The different taste of our food are caused mainly by the chemicals present in the food. Food can either have acidic, alkaline or neutral properties. Therefore, litmus paper can be used to determine these properties.

Acidic substances will change the colour of wet blue litmus paper to red. Acidic food or solutions have a sour taste. Examples of acidic substances are vinegar, orange, grapes and fizzy drinks.

Alkaline substances will change the colour of wet red litmus paper to blue. Alkaline food or solutions have a bitter taste. Alkaline substances also have a soapy feel. Examples of alkaline substances are toothpaste, detergent, shampoo and baking powder.

Neutral substances will not change the colour of red or blue litmus paper. Natural food of solutions are usually tasteless. Examples of neutral substances are rice, common salt, sugar cane and mineral water.

Important Note: Under dry conditions, an acidic or alkaline food or substances does not change the colour of litmus paper.

Science Info: Acidic and alkaline foods are harmful to humans when consumed excessively. For example, if we take too much orange juice we will have a stomach ache. This is because our stomach becomes too acidic.

Test Yourself: A cup of coffee is bitter in taste. Is it an acid or alkali? (Put your answer in my comment.)

Experiment Science: Topic is Light and Shadow.
Learning objective: To investigate the relationship between the light source and the distance of the objek on the formation of shadow.

After the UPSR examination, all the year six students are having fun. So I brought them to the science lab to do some science works. And they really enjoyed it and they suggested to do it again after Hari Raya. Now they can really enjoy science works in science lab after the test. Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all my boys.

Objective:

Tie-dye fabric using dyes made from Kool-Aid ™ and vinegar.

What You Need:

1. Packets of unsweetened Kool-aid in dark colours
2. Vinegar
3. Small bowls
4. Warm water
5. Measuring cup
6. Rubber bands or string
7. 12-inch square pieces of white cotton fabric
8. Stir or wire, and clothes-pin or paper clips
9. Tray or pie pan as ‘splash’ collector
10. Gloves

To Do and Observe

Make your dye – for each color:
1. Pour 1/2 cup of warm water into a small bowl.
2. Add 1/2 cup of vinegar.
3. Add 2 packages of Kool-Aid
4. Stir the ingredients to mix.
5. Place the small bowl in the tray or pie pan.

Prepare and dye your fabric:
1. Fold and twist the square of the white fabric.
2. Use rubber bands or string to tightly hold the twisted fabric in place. Complicated twisting will make interesting dye patterns. Experiment.
3. Dip the cloth into a bowl of dye. Squeeze excess dye back into the bowl.
4. Remove the string or rubber bands.
5. Hang the fabric square to dry.

What’s Going On

Dyes are substances that colour materials. All dyes are compounds made of molecules. Material may absorb the dye or a chemical reaction between the molecules in the dye and material may bind the dye to the cloth. A mordant is a substance that helps fix the dyes to the material so that the color does not fade.

In this activity, Cool-Aid is used to dye cotton cloth. The colored molecules in Cool-Aid form a chemical bnd between the fiber and dye molecules. The mordant addded is vinegar, a traditional fixing reagent, which helps bind the dye to the cloth. This mordant is not strong enough to hold the dye permanently – it works better for art pieces than for clothes such as t-shirts.

Parent/Teacher Tips:

Try natural dyes made from fruits and vegetables. Frozen blueberries, blackberries, and beet juice work well. Prepare dyes by blending the fruit or vegetable in a food processor and filtering off the pulp. The resulting liquid makes a dye.

Place: SK Cator Avenue Science Lab Date: 01 July 09  (Wednesday)
Time: 9:30-10:30 am Class: 4 Marikh Teacher: Cikgu James
Learning Objective: Every student knows how to measure volume for liquid by using measuring cylinder, beaker and test tube.

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The UPSR Science Practical Work Assessment (UPSR PEKA) is a school based assessment that is implemented at school level as part of teaching and learning process. UPSR PEKA Assessment Guide contains information on the objectives, characteristics and organization of UPSR PEKA. It also outlines the procedures to assess the pupils’ practical work as guidelines to teachers as assessors and users of PEKA to carry out the assessment
in a coordinated manner.

OBJECTIVES OF UPSR PEKA
The objectives in conducting UPSR PEKA is to enable the pupils to :
* Master the Scientific Skills
- Science Process Skills
- Science Manipulative Skills
* Strengthen the knowledge and understanding on the theories and concepts in Science
* Inculcate the Scientific Attitudes and Noble Values

You can click this link to download PEKA Assessment Guide.

Program PEKA ialah ‘Penilaian Kerja Amali Sains’ untuk Tahun 4, 5, 6.

Below are the photos of my pupils doing science PEKA project in the science lab.

Wonder Pets ialah sebuah siri animasi keluaran Amerikan Syarikat yang muncul buat pertama kali pada 2006. Mulai 2008, Wonder Pets telah dialih bahasa ke bahasa Malaysia di TV9. Wonder Pets telah dicipta oleh Josh Selig.

Watak-watak utama Wonder Pets ialah tiga ekor haiwan peliharaan, iaitu Linny the Guinea – Pig (tikus belanda), Turtle Tuck (kura-kura) dan Ming-Ming Duckling (itik). Mereka bersatu menjadi tiga wira yang menyelamatkan haiwan dalam kesusahan sambil menunjukkan manfaat nilai bekerjasama.

Animasi ini bermula dari filem ringkas yang berjudul ”The New Adventures of Linny the Guinea Pig,” di mana Linny mengembara ke angkasa lepas dan lautan bersendirian. Kemudian barulah tercipta watak Ming-Ming Dukling dan Turtle Tuck. Dari situ, lahirlah Wonder Pets! Menariknya, kebanyakan dialog di dalam Wonder Pets dinyanyikan. Itulah keistimewaan Wonder Pets. Cikgu James sangat suka dengar dan menyayi lagu Wonder Pets, saya harap murid-murid saya juga suka menonton Wonder Pets. Sekian terima kasih.

Microorganisms are living things. ‘Micro’ means tiny and ‘organisms’ means living things. Microorganisms cannot be seen with the naked eye. They can only be seen using a microscope or a magnifying glass. Microorganisms can be found everywhere. They can be found in the air, water and soil. Some microorganisms can be found on human beings, plants and animals. Like humans, microorganisms also breathe, grow and move too.

There are various types of microorganisms:
a) Bacteria: Bacteria exist in different shapes, sizes and colors. They get food from dead and living things.
b) Virus: Virus is the smallest of all microorganisms. They feed on live organisms only.
c) Protozoa: Protozoa can be found in ponds, rivers and lakes.
d) Fungi: Fungi can be found on mouldy bread, rotten food and wet surfaces.

Today Cikgu James’ Science Project is about Microorganisms Grow

When microorganisms grow, they increase in number. Microorganisms can grow on dead things or living things. They growth of microorganisms can be seen on bread that is sprinkled with water and left for a few days. After a few days, dark spots can be seen on the bread. The dark spots are moulds. The number of moulds increases when the ouldy bread is left for a longer time. See the pictures below for my science project results.

Cikgu James celebrates year-end school holidays with all the pupils in SK Cator Avenue.
These are some of the photos cikgu went to Bukit Merah Laketown Resort.
Below showing the photos cikgu took at the beach just beside the Queensbay Mall in Penang.
Look carefully because you can see the Penang bridge just behind me and it is small.

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Year Five Utarid pupils was doing the science project in the school hall with Cikgu James. The title for this project is “Strength & Stability”. The pupils were divided into six groups, each group have to design and create a bridge model with manila cards. Each group will be given 40 minutes to finish their bridge. After this the strength and stability of the model bride will be tested. Which group’s model bridge with strongest strength and stability will score the highest mark and win this project. Have a look on the slide show. Thanks from CikguJames.