SCIENCE
4/30 Our school-wide STEM day is this Friday, May 4th. There will be Target, so Mr. McAllister and Mrs. Montague will also be doing STEM activities in their classrooms! Mrs. Berenger and Mrs. Borg's classes will be combined, and we will be working on activities related to following directions.....our experiment is called, THE COLORS LAB.
4/16 We have lots of fun activities for science and STEM to finish up the year. I may be asking for a few, small donations for items needed for these lessons (bubble gum lab, the colors lab, & slime creation for the Garden Gala to name a few). Thank you in advance for your help!
reviewgamezone.com/game.php?id=666
reviewgamezone.com/game.php?id=666
3/26 We will finish up our Life science unit this week. There will be a science, social studies and math refresher boot camp the day we return from break. The students will visit each classroom to get a 20-minute review of a unit or 2-3 standards (depending on the depth of information). Study guides will be provided. After lunch we will make either a plant or animal edible cell! YUM!
3/18 We will have an open note quiz on cells tomorrow, so please make sure your notes are completed. If you were absent at all last week, see the cell notes document below to fill in the organizer in your science notebook. We will continue with multi and single celled organisms & classification this week.
3/13 Here are the cell notes in case you need to complete your organizer:
cell_notes.docx
CELL RAP:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zafJKbMPA8
cell_notes.docx
CELL RAP:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zafJKbMPA8
3/12 Mrs. Schager did not have time to get to the Nearpod cell activity because they had to go over the important vocabulary first. Therefore, we will finish our vocab and notes this week & I will sign us up for the second half of that lesson next week. Here are the standards we will be covering in the next three weeks:
S5L1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to group organisms using scientific classification procedures.
S5L3. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to compare and contrast the parts of plant and animal cells.
1. Construct an argument using scientific evidence to support a claim that some microorganisms are beneficial
2. Construct an argument using scientific evidence to support a claim that some microorganisms are harmful.
S5L1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to group organisms using scientific classification procedures.
- Develop a model that illustrates how animals are sorted into groups (vertebrate and invertebrate) and how vertebrates are sorted into groups (fish, amphibian, reptile, bird, and mammal) using data from multiple sources.
- Develop a model that illustrates how plants are sorted into groups (seed producers, non-seed producers) using data from multiple sources.
- Ask questions to compare and contrast instincts and learned behaviors.
- Ask questions to compare and contrast inherited and acquired physical traits.
S5L3. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to compare and contrast the parts of plant and animal cells.
- Gather evidence by utilizing technology tools to support a claim that plants and animals are comprised of cells too small to be seen without magnification.
- Develop a model to identify and label parts of a plant cell (membrane, wall, cytoplasm, nucleus, chloroplasts) and of an animal cell (membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus).
- Construct an explanation that differentiates between the structure of plant and animal cells.
1. Construct an argument using scientific evidence to support a claim that some microorganisms are beneficial
2. Construct an argument using scientific evidence to support a claim that some microorganisms are harmful.
3/3 We will start our Life science unit this week. Mrs. Schager's Nearpod lesson Tuesday on plant vs. animal cells will be a GREAT introduction. There will be an assessment on cells the week of March 12th...I'll know the exact date after I see how far we get by Thursday. All the information will be in their science journals.
2/25 Overall the students did very well on the electricity and magnetism test taken before break. That was A LOT of information to remember! I am so proud of their hard work!! Beginning March 5th, we will start our last unit Life science, which includes plant & animal cells, classification, and inherited traits. It's a great deal of information to get in, so I may to assign some at-home assignments to get through it all before the Milestones. Here is a review game that is full of Life Science information if the students want to get a head start. It doesn't have to played as a game; they can just print out the cards & answer key and use them as review if they'd like. I will link the Jeopardy review game in a few weeks:
life_science_scoot.pdf
life_science_scoot.pdf
2/12 Our Electricity/Magnetism Unit test will be on Thursday this week. We will be playing a Jeopardy game to review all the standards taught during this unit in our guided stations this week. All the information can be found in their science notebooks. I will remind the students to bring them home Wednesday night. :-)
Here is the Power Point for the game to use as an extra review tool:
electricity_review_game.ppt
Here is a Scoot game to review for test, too:
electricity_and_magnetism_scoot.pdf
Here is the Power Point for the game to use as an extra review tool:
electricity_review_game.ppt
Here is a Scoot game to review for test, too:
electricity_and_magnetism_scoot.pdf
2/5 We had a fun week with science, and it continues this week. The students will be completing their circuit craftivity, then create their own simple series circuit using a battery, a switch, a bulb and some wires. Friday is our school-wide STEM day where each group will be designing, building, testing and redesigning their own electromagnet! I'll try to designate students to take pictures to download to SeeSaw so you can see their creativity! Both their circuit craftivity and their STEM assignment will be graded, so there won't be any assessments in science this week.
We will have our unit test on Thursday, February 15th. We have been discussing all of these standards and the students are filling in information in their science notebooks as we go along. This will be used as their study guide and we will play an Electricity Jeopardy review game next Wednesday to help us prepare.
We will have our unit test on Thursday, February 15th. We have been discussing all of these standards and the students are filling in information in their science notebooks as we go along. This will be used as their study guide and we will play an Electricity Jeopardy review game next Wednesday to help us prepare.
1/29 We will be doing experiments and craftivities this week to show how static electricity attracts certain materials and what the difference is between a parallel and a series circuit. In lieu of a quiz, these in-class activities will be completed in small groups and students will be graded on participation and lab write-up completion. This should be fun week of learning in science!!
1/19 We will be working on these standards next week due to the snow days:
1/15 We will begin discussing electricity and obtain and combine information from multiple sources to explain the difference between naturally occurring electricity (static) and human-harnessed electricity. Next week we will do a couple of fun experiments to show what objects static electricity will and will not attract. If you have any extra balloons around the house, I'd love to get a few extra for our lab! Thank you!
1/15 We will begin discussing electricity and obtain and combine information from multiple sources to explain the difference between naturally occurring electricity (static) and human-harnessed electricity. Next week we will do a couple of fun experiments to show what objects static electricity will and will not attract. If you have any extra balloons around the house, I'd love to get a few extra for our lab! Thank you!
1/3 Please see attached document explaining the standards/skills we will be covering in our next unit, electricity and magnetism:
q3_physical_science_unit_plan.docx | |
File Size: | 141 kb |
File Type: | docx |
12/17 We will begin our electricity and magnetism unit after the break. If any of the students have a snap circuit kit and would like to demonstrate to the class, have them let me know so I can work it into our lessons. This will be a great way to introduce the unit when we return!
12/3 We will be finishing up our Matter unit this week. Since the Gobble, Gobble science day and last week's matter quiz covered all the standards, we will not be having an end of the unit test. Instead, the students will be polishing up their responses in their Gobble packets (if they were here that day), and completing an information sheet during rotations this week which will be turned in for their last science grade for quarter 2. We will begin our electricity and magnetism unit after the break!
11/26 We will continue our Matter unit this week. There will be a quick quiz on Thursday on physical changes, chemical changes, mass, matter, volume and density. All of the notes will be in their science journals, so I will encourage the students to bring them home on Wednesday to review. I will also be grading their booklets from our Gobble Science Day, so we will finish those up in class tomorrow to make sure they've filled in all the sections. If a student was absent, they can get the notes from a classmate and turn it in by Friday...no worries!
10/10 Congratulations to all of our Science Fair participants.........Callie received a certificate for 2nd place for the entire fifth grade! Way to go, Callie
Can't wait for Friday's Gobble, Gobble Science Day! Thank you for sending in supplies and for volunteering to help out!
Can't wait for Friday's Gobble, Gobble Science Day! Thank you for sending in supplies and for volunteering to help out!
11/7 Our class science fair projects are complete! They did an excellent job observing, experimenting, recording, researching and writing up the procedures for the board. You can see the boards displayed in the cafeteria during our STEM night this Thursday, 11/9 from 6-7:30. After, stop by Mrs. Borg's room where she and I will be making lava lamps with all our little scientists! Kids can take them home after their finished :-)
We are beginning our next unit, physical and chemical changes. We've actually already done a STEM day activity and science fair projects that are related to this. All the stations for our Gobble Gobble Science Day will also relate to these standards in a fun, interactive & educational way!
We are beginning our next unit, physical and chemical changes. We've actually already done a STEM day activity and science fair projects that are related to this. All the stations for our Gobble Gobble Science Day will also relate to these standards in a fun, interactive & educational way!
10/30 littlebinsforlittlehands.com/balloon-baking-soda-vinegar-experiment-kids/
www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Chem_p028/chemistry/big-pieces-or-small-pieces-which-react-faster#background
Above are two sites we will be looking at this week to help us write our classroom science fair report. Each group will be responsible for a specific section of the board (hypothesis, question, procedure, materials, data, results and conclusion.
www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Chem_p028/chemistry/big-pieces-or-small-pieces-which-react-faster#background
Above are two sites we will be looking at this week to help us write our classroom science fair report. Each group will be responsible for a specific section of the board (hypothesis, question, procedure, materials, data, results and conclusion.
10/23 Wow, what a super job they did on their landform projects!! Mrs. Geraci an Mrs. Schager are allowing us to display the models and trifold boards for a few weeks in the media center to share with the school. I am so proud of their hard work. The never cease to amaze me!
We will be completing our unit on Constructive and Destructive forces this week with discussions on how earthquakes are formed (plate tectonics, convergent, divergent and transform plates). We will also learn how human intervention can help with saving our natural resources and with natural disasters. There will be a unit test next Wednesday. I will put together a study guide and encourage them to bring their science notebooks home next Tuesday as well.
We will be completing our unit on Constructive and Destructive forces this week with discussions on how earthquakes are formed (plate tectonics, convergent, divergent and transform plates). We will also learn how human intervention can help with saving our natural resources and with natural disasters. There will be a unit test next Wednesday. I will put together a study guide and encourage them to bring their science notebooks home next Tuesday as well.
10/22 OFFICE 365 LOGIN:
(I had both homerooms write their logins in their agendas, so next time we have a project, it should work! They can try to get on at anytime...let me know if it still doesn't work (it might only work on certain browsers, too)
first name.last name (some have a number right after their last name)@students.cobbk12.org
Their password is their month and day (birthday) so if they are born on 1/9, then try 0109
There are a couple of students new to Big Shanty that have their student ID as their password, so if the b-day doesn't work and you've double checked to make sure everything else is correct, then try that. :-)
(I had both homerooms write their logins in their agendas, so next time we have a project, it should work! They can try to get on at anytime...let me know if it still doesn't work (it might only work on certain browsers, too)
first name.last name (some have a number right after their last name)@students.cobbk12.org
Their password is their month and day (birthday) so if they are born on 1/9, then try 0109
There are a couple of students new to Big Shanty that have their student ID as their password, so if the b-day doesn't work and you've double checked to make sure everything else is correct, then try that. :-)
10/10 I'm hoping to have these projects completed by next Thursday, so we can display them in class for all of Berenger & Borg's students to see. Please encourage your child to use the rubric as a checklist to make sure all of the necessary information is included. They are only required to make a poster OR a model, not both (unless they would like to go above and beyond). Also, the Venn diagram only needs definitions for constructive and destructive force; they do not need to define all of the examples in the sections.
We will continue with constructive and destructive forces until the end of conference week, then go into my favorite, physical and chemical changes (after a two week social studies unit).
Use the following PPT to complete the class activity:
features_caused_by_destructive_forces_tpt.pptx
We will continue with constructive and destructive forces until the end of conference week, then go into my favorite, physical and chemical changes (after a two week social studies unit).
Use the following PPT to complete the class activity:
features_caused_by_destructive_forces_tpt.pptx
10/1 Our constructive/destructive landform projects are underway! Mrs. Palladino said the kids worked diligently on the research part before break. I will also give them time this week to work on them in class. If they are doing a poster and have the pictures & info printed out, they are welcome to bring it to school to work on it too! However, if they chose to do a model, that part will need to be completed at home. I'm hoping to have these completed and ready to display by Monday, October 16th. I'm so excited about this project!!!
earthssurfaceproject-2.docx
earthssurfaceproject-2.docx
9/11 We will continue with constructive and destructive forces this week and next. I will assign the project next Tuesday, and students will begin their research in class Wed-Fri of next week. I will also attach the assignment to the blog in case they would like to work on the model or poster during the break (although it is not required to be done at home). If your child has a flash drive, please send it to class with them next week so they can save important information needed for their project. Thanks for your support.
Check out the below website that explains & demonstrates different areas of constructive and destructive forces:
www.onegeology.org/extra/kids/earthprocesses/deltas.html
studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/rocks-minerals-landforms/landforms.htm
In October, we will be discussing the scientific method and how it will apply the their science fair projects (Big Shanty is requiring all students to participate). No worries though, a majority of it will be completed in class.
I've already mentioned it to some of them, and they seem VERY excited about it! :-)
Check out the below website that explains & demonstrates different areas of constructive and destructive forces:
www.onegeology.org/extra/kids/earthprocesses/deltas.html
studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/rocks-minerals-landforms/landforms.htm
In October, we will be discussing the scientific method and how it will apply the their science fair projects (Big Shanty is requiring all students to participate). No worries though, a majority of it will be completed in class.
I've already mentioned it to some of them, and they seem VERY excited about it! :-)
9/4 What a great STEM day we had on Friday! I am attaching the Levee PPT in case your child didn't get a chance to complete all the activities in class on Friday (or he/she was absent). leveesstem-5thgrade.pptx
We began our six-week long unit on Constructive and Destructive forces last week and created a levee during our school-wide STEM day challenge on Friday. The class was paid a visit by Dr. Brain....you might want to ask them about that one. Mrs. Borg and I were so proud of how hard they all worked on this project; they were focused, engaged and used some great critical thinking skills!
We will continue with this unit for about six weeks. We will have various in-class partner activities and experiments that your child will be graded on through the unit. I will let you know if or when a quiz will be given. Students will be also assigned a project on a specific landform or surface feature that was either created by a constructive or destructive force (or both). They will have to explain what it is, how it was built, where it can be found in the world, etc. and have to create a 3-D model or draw a diagram to show the class. This will be presented wax museum style. I am in the process of creating the rubric now, so stay tuned!
We began our six-week long unit on Constructive and Destructive forces last week and created a levee during our school-wide STEM day challenge on Friday. The class was paid a visit by Dr. Brain....you might want to ask them about that one. Mrs. Borg and I were so proud of how hard they all worked on this project; they were focused, engaged and used some great critical thinking skills!
We will continue with this unit for about six weeks. We will have various in-class partner activities and experiments that your child will be graded on through the unit. I will let you know if or when a quiz will be given. Students will be also assigned a project on a specific landform or surface feature that was either created by a constructive or destructive force (or both). They will have to explain what it is, how it was built, where it can be found in the world, etc. and have to create a 3-D model or draw a diagram to show the class. This will be presented wax museum style. I am in the process of creating the rubric now, so stay tuned!
8/26 We will begin our Earth Science unit, Constructive and Destructive Forces this week. Hopefully we get far enough to begin our experiments next week! This Friday, September 1st is our first STEM day...students will be building levees to see if theirs can withstand a flood (well, a few cups of water anyway)!!! It will be such a fun day for them.
8/20 Tomorrow will be a big science day for us. We will be doing lots of activities for the Solar Eclipse (making models of the eclipse, making UV light sensitive bracelets, watching videos that explain the entire reason for an eclipse and even reading & watching some folktales about the sun and the moon). It should be a great experience for everyone....especially when we go outside to view the partial eclipse! I am so excited we all get to be part of this historical event!
8/10 We are going to rotate science and social studies every two weeks. I will integrate one or the other in our guided math groups weekly to keep standards consistent. We will begin our unit on constructive and destructive forces in two weeks after our Civil War projects have been completed. The students will be reading the chapter in class during morning work or they can take the book home to use as their 20 minutes of nightly reading. I will attach the power point once we've discussed it in class, so they can use it as a study guide. This is a long unit, so we will have smaller experiments, assessments and projects throughout the unit.
Weathering & erosion
http://www.onegeology.org/extra/kids/earthProcesses/home.html
Weathering & erosion
http://www.onegeology.org/extra/kids/earthProcesses/home.html
5/6 We will begin our animal creation project presentations Tuesday and Wednesday this week. They have been doing such an incredible job with their animal combinations (illustration and names). I can tell they are really enjoying this! There is a small writing part for this project which will be counted for Mrs. Borg's grammar/writing section.
5/1 We will finish our cell, classification and traits unit the next few weeks. The students will also be creating their own animal (kingdom, phylum, class, order, family......). This can be as silly or realistic as they'd like as long as they follow the criteria given in class. We will write a brief description of what our animal does/eats, where it lives, and how it behaves. These will be shared with the class along with an illustration of their animal.
4/14 Here are some fun, interactive games to practice classification of living things:
sciencenetlinks.com/media/filer/2011/10/04/classification.swf
This one you will have to copy and paste:
<object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/science/d60/d60_4/d60_4.swf" width="640" height="410">
<param name="movie" value="http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/science/d60/d60_4/d60_4.swf" />
<param name="flashvars" value="configXMLLocation=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/science/d60/d60_4/config.xml" />
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" />
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" />
</object>
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/6_7/variation_fs.shtml
sciencenetlinks.com/media/filer/2011/10/04/classification.swf
This one you will have to copy and paste:
<object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/science/d60/d60_4/d60_4.swf" width="640" height="410">
<param name="movie" value="http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/science/d60/d60_4/d60_4.swf" />
<param name="flashvars" value="configXMLLocation=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/science/d60/d60_4/config.xml" />
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" />
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" />
</object>
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/6_7/variation_fs.shtml
4/1 Hope you all have a wonderful break! When we return, we will have two great hands-on lessons: observing plant and animal cells under a microscope and reviewing classification of animals and plants using the Bee-Bots and the Osmos (this lesson will be in the learning commons with Mrs. Schager). We will also have a three-day boot camp review where the students will switch classes and review either a science or social studies unit for 45 minutes with one of our fabulous fifth grade teachers (they will also receive a study guide to glue into their notebooks to review before the Milestones).
3/26 We will continue learning about plant and animal cells this week along with classifying them, and also have a discussion on whether or not they think all bacteria is "bad". Ask your child about the Quiver app....their cells really "came to life!" If time this week, we will begin using the microscopes to observe cells and other microorganisms!
3/22 Here is the next Eagle Eye we've been working on...it's due next Wednesday, 3/29...all sections and 5 definitions on the back... Goes with pages 236-351 in our science textbooks. Thanks!
life_science_eagle_eye.doc
3/22 Here is the next Eagle Eye we've been working on...it's due next Wednesday, 3/29...all sections and 5 definitions on the back... Goes with pages 236-351 in our science textbooks. Thanks!
life_science_eagle_eye.doc
3/19 We began our Life Science unit last week and will continue with this until the Milestones. Students are learning about and designing their own plant and animal cells in art as well! I will be giving out the next Eagle Eye on Tuesday and the students will have until next Wednesday, 3/29 to read all the information and complete each the section.
Please take a minute to check out this video for some cool STEM project ideas....you can win a STEM kit for every 10 points earned. It's optional, but I'd love to see all of you try at least one (extra credit will be given).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNjlYPOjn_Q&feature=youtu.be
I have copies of the rubric, so just let me know if you are interested and I'll give you one! Thank you!
3/10 Our magnetism and electricity unit test has been moved to Friday, March 17th. This will give us plenty of time to complete our review activities and practice in class. They will have all the notes they need glued into their notebooks on Monday. We will begin our cell unit in two weeks. The next graded Eagle Eye will correlate to this unit and be assigned at that time as well.
2/26 We have come to the end of our electricity and magnetism unit. This week in our guided math/science rotations the students will do a few matching activities to help with review and work on some higher level thinking questions similar to what they will see on the Milestones. They will be able to use their notes and their textbook to help, then we will discuss these in depth next week. For the unit test, I will choose some of these questions, as well as concepts they learned during our experiments over the past month. Please have your child use the Brainpop (login: Bigshanty & PW: read) videos below for review as well. The test will tentative be next Friday, March 10th, but as always, things change, so I will let the student know when we get closer the date. Our next unit will be plant and animal cells.....a fun project will be assigned for that!
2/12 Here are are the videos we are going to watch during rotations next Week:
www.brainpop.com/science/energy/electromagnets/
www.brainpop.com/science/energy/staticelectricity/
www.brainpop.com/science/energy/electriccircuits/
www.brainpop.com/science/energy/electromagnets/
www.brainpop.com/science/energy/staticelectricity/
www.brainpop.com/science/energy/electriccircuits/
2/10 The students really enjoyed assembling their circuits and testing for conductors and insulators; they did an excellent job all on their own! We will be finishing up our electricity and magnetism unit next week, but we will wait until after break to review (I have several activities for this, so we will do a two-day guided science rotation review (well, I may throw in one math station, but that too will be science related). This will help prepare us for the unit test (date: TBD).
2/5 This week we will continue to experiment with assembling series and parallel circuits. Our little scientists did a great job on Friday figuring it out with little to no instruction. They will test their circuits with different materials to see if they make a good conductor or insulator.
Friday is our third STEM/career day. We will be making electromagnets with wire, nails and batteries. This should be another fun learning day!!
Friday is our third STEM/career day. We will be making electromagnets with wire, nails and batteries. This should be another fun learning day!!
1/27 Next week we will be conducting experiments to test insulators and conductors using batteries, wires and light bulbs. We will also discuss the difference between a series circuit and a parallel circuit.
1/13 Here's a short clip on Static Electricity fromBill Nye:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-77IzaXGcg
The kids got see Mrs. Berenger look like a crazy-haired rock star today! They did a great job on their static electricity experiment, too.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-77IzaXGcg
The kids got see Mrs. Berenger look like a crazy-haired rock star today! They did a great job on their static electricity experiment, too.
1/10 We will begin our new science unit, Chapter 4 Electicity and Magnetism on Thursday. Students will investigate electricity, magnetism and their relationship. We will experiment with baloons, fabric softener sheets, batteries, wires and more! They might even get a little "shocked" along the way!! HAHA! We will be reading pages 172-225 during morning hour and in guided stations in order to complete the related Eagle Eye (worth 2 non-fiction points). I will be giving those out once the chapter is completed. As always, the students will be allowed to take the book home if needed to complete the Eagle Eye. This will be due next Tuesday, January 17th.
Are you America's Top Young Scientist?
Check out the STEM contest below:
https://www.youngscientistlab.com/challenge?utm_source=DiscoveryEducation&utm_campaign=YSC&utm_medium=HotList_Dec20&utm_content=CallToEntries
Are you America's Top Young Scientist?
Check out the STEM contest below:
https://www.youngscientistlab.com/challenge?utm_source=DiscoveryEducation&utm_campaign=YSC&utm_medium=HotList_Dec20&utm_content=CallToEntries
11/27 Thank you so much for donating items and volunteering for our Gobble, Gobble Science Day. The kids loved it and learned so much about physical & chemical changes and mixtures & solutions. It was a great way to end the day before a long break. Borg's and Berenger's parents are the ABSOLUTE BEST!!!! Our next unit will be electricity and circuits (we will begin this after the holiday break).
11/13 Thank you for coming out to STEM night last Thursday. We had a great turnout; Mrs. Borg and I even ran out of materials for the lava lamps!
The kids had fun learning about mixtures and solutions and making FLUBBER on Friday. They are such super STEM scientists! They were also very well behaved during our career lessons; they were complimented on the great questions they all had. We are so proud of our students!
We will have the post-test on the STEM day questions, along with some additional questions on mixtures, solutions & chemical and physical changes and reactions this Wednesday. We have been working on this for a month now, so I am very confident they know the standards. We will do a practice round of questions on Tuesday, and I will also remind them to take their notebooks home that night.
The kids had fun learning about mixtures and solutions and making FLUBBER on Friday. They are such super STEM scientists! They were also very well behaved during our career lessons; they were complimented on the great questions they all had. We are so proud of our students!
We will have the post-test on the STEM day questions, along with some additional questions on mixtures, solutions & chemical and physical changes and reactions this Wednesday. We have been working on this for a month now, so I am very confident they know the standards. We will do a practice round of questions on Tuesday, and I will also remind them to take their notebooks home that night.
11/7 Thank you so much for signing up to either volunteer or bring an item for our Gobble, Gobble Science day next Friday......it's going to be so much fun...and yummy!!! Our parents are the best! <3
- Science Eagle Eye is due this Friday, 11/11. Use pp.126-163 in Science text. I'll remind the kids to bring home a book! It's worth 2 points and will take the place of their usual EE point(s) due for the week.
- This Thursday evening, 6-7:30, 11/10 is our STEM night at Big Shanty....come and try out all the cool activities the teachers have planned.....Mrs. Borg & I will be making Lava Lamps!
- Friday, 11/11 is our second Career/STEM day ALL Day. We might get a little messy, so please don't have your child wear their Sunday best. :-)
10/31 Mrs. Borg and I will be sending out the Sign Up Genius this week for the Fifth Grade Lab day...we will need a few parent volunteers to run the science stations, so let us know if you're interested! We will be doing two fun labs in class this week in our stations....try not not miss them Tuesday and Wednesday!
10/24 We will continue our next unit, Matter, this week and next . We will discuss mass, magnification, physical and chemical changes and chemical reactions. We are going to have an exciting day of labs coming soon....be on the lookout for a sign up genius..........more information to come!
10/14 We will begin our next unit, Matter, after conference week. We will discuss mass, magnification, physical and chemical changes and chemical reactions. There are many fun labs to go along with this unit!
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9/28 We will play review games and research questions that are on the study guide for our Constructive and Destructive forces unit in our math/science stations when we return from break. I will give out the study guide the day we return, and the test will be Friday, October 7th.
UPDATE: Science test will be Monday, 10/10...due to SOAR day on Friday!
UPDATE: Science test will be Monday, 10/10...due to SOAR day on Friday!
9/10 We will have an experiment day on Thursday. Students will rotate to different stations to demonstrate constructive and destructive forces (volcanoes and geysers) and erosion, weathering and deposition. They will be graded on class participation, before and after illustrations (labeled) and a brief outcome explanation for each lab. Safety goggles will be worn at all times.
9/6 This week we will be focusing on social studies and presenting our Bill of Rights projects. Friday we will be going to the learning commons where Ms. Shager will do a coding lesson with our class for STEM! The week of 9/12 we will do some mini-labs on erosion, weathering and deposition. I even have supplies to make mini-geysers with Mentos!
8/29 We will continue to work on constructive and destructive forces, weathering and erosion for a few more weeks. I am attaching the PPT in case the students didn't get a chance to complete either their vocabulary or compare/contrast bubble organizers. It's also a great study guide!
science
8/14 We are going to rotate science and social studies every week. I will integrate one or the other in our guided math groups weekly to keep standards consistent. We will begin our unit on constructive and destructive forces this week. The students will be reading the chapter in class and complete an Eagle Eye on it (this will be graded for science as well as count for one point). I will attach the power point once we've discussed it in class, so they can use it as a study guide. This is a long unit, so we will have smaller assessments and projects throughout the unit.
Weathering & erosion
http://www.onegeology.org/extra/kids/earthProcesses/home.html
Weathering & erosion
http://www.onegeology.org/extra/kids/earthProcesses/home.html
5/2 Our final science test will be tomorrow. We went over all the questions on the Ecology study guide and played Jeopardy for a final review. They did an awesome job....they are definitely ready!
*We've been working on many in-class labs and projects that will also count towards their science grade (bird adaptation habitat drawing and writing, bubble gum lab, pollution activity, and cougar lab).
* Several students have also started a power point on an animal of their choice. This is an extension activity to our Ecology unit, so it was not required, but I will definitely let them present since they've been working so diligently on it!
*We've been working on many in-class labs and projects that will also count towards their science grade (bird adaptation habitat drawing and writing, bubble gum lab, pollution activity, and cougar lab).
* Several students have also started a power point on an animal of their choice. This is an extension activity to our Ecology unit, so it was not required, but I will definitely let them present since they've been working so diligently on it!
4/15 our last unit test on Ecology will be Monday, April 25th. We will create a review sheet together in class to use as a study guide. We will also play a Jeopardy review game next Friday to help us prepare.
4/10 We will continue working on Ecology for the next two weeks. The students are working on a bird adaptation in-class project that is going to take another week or so to complete (there is a writing portion that we will finish after the Milestones). So far their illustrations are great...I'm so impressed at how well they are working at making these adaptations to their bird so it will survive in the habitat they were given. We will also do some review the next two days as well...I will remind them to bring their notebooks home on Friday, so they can review over the weekend.
3/20 We will not be having any tests in science for a while; most of the grades will come from in-class projects, performance tasks and experiments for our Ecology unit.
3/13 Great job on the unit test! Our solar system unit is over....now on to Ecology...more info to come as we move ahead.
3/6 Thank you for all your
Oreo donations....the activity turned out great!
I couldn't have done it without you!
The solar system test will be next Wednesday, March 9th. I want to make sure we have plenty of time to go over all the information on the study guide and play a review game.
Here are some fun, interactive moon phase websites and videos....check them out:
Moon phases
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/moon_phases/
http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/ess05.sci.ess.eiu.mphase/phases-of-the-moon/
http://www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/moon/phases.html
VIDEO:
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=cee+lo+green+phases+of+the+moon&&view=detail&mid=EE9EBF70703D278EA3CDEE9EBF70703D278EA3CD&rvsmid=A6725DB1B5500F277649A6725DB1B5500F277649&FORM=VDQVAP&fsscr=0
VIDEO:
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=cee+lo+green+phases+of+the+moon&view=detail&mid=0B085FE0022A0BBF42F80B085FE0022A0BBF42F8&FORM=VIRE9
VIDEO:
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=cee+lo+green+phases+of+the+moon&view=detail&mid=A6725DB1B5500F277649A6725DB1B5500F277649&FORM=VIRE1
Oreo donations....the activity turned out great!
I couldn't have done it without you!
The solar system test will be next Wednesday, March 9th. I want to make sure we have plenty of time to go over all the information on the study guide and play a review game.
Here are some fun, interactive moon phase websites and videos....check them out:
Moon phases
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/moon_phases/
http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/ess05.sci.ess.eiu.mphase/phases-of-the-moon/
http://www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/moon/phases.html
VIDEO:
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=cee+lo+green+phases+of+the+moon&&view=detail&mid=EE9EBF70703D278EA3CDEE9EBF70703D278EA3CD&rvsmid=A6725DB1B5500F277649A6725DB1B5500F277649&FORM=VDQVAP&fsscr=0
VIDEO:
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=cee+lo+green+phases+of+the+moon&view=detail&mid=0B085FE0022A0BBF42F80B085FE0022A0BBF42F8&FORM=VIRE9
VIDEO:
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=cee+lo+green+phases+of+the+moon&view=detail&mid=A6725DB1B5500F277649A6725DB1B5500F277649&FORM=VIRE1
2/26 Next week we will finish up our Solar System unit. Hopefully we can get to the toilet paper planet experiment and the Oreo cookie moon phase construction. They will really enjoy these. I will give out the study guide this Monday and the test will be on Tuesday, March 9th. We will play a Jeopardy review game the Monday before so they will be well prepared! Our final unit is one of my favorites....Ecology. I have so many fun activities planned for this including a relay race, a cougar hunt, polluting the Chattahoochee & a bird creation.
2/22 Wow, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the projects; they were fantastic! ......I learned some new information! We will continue with our solar system unit this week and next and have our final test (tentatively) next Friday. I will send home a study guide later this week.
2/8 Some of the students already started presenting their projects and they are AWESOME! Keep bringing them in as you finish, so we won't have to squeeze them all in on Friday. We will continue with the solar system unit when we return from break. We are still in need of 3 pkgs of Oreo cookies for our moon phase activity. If you think about it over break, pick one up and send it in when the kids return. Thanks for all you do! I can't wait to see the rest of the projects.
1/30 Just a reminder that the Solar System project is due on Friday, February 11th. I would love to begin some presentations on Wednesday of that week since Thursday is an ALP day. Let me know if you will be ready to present early. I am so excited to see them! I've heard some great ideas so far.
We will have a quiz on the planets and star characteristics on Friday. I will teach them the saying to help them remember them in order (My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Noodles). There will be a word bank to help with spelling. They will also be required to name at least 6 star characteristics and tell what color is the hottest star and which is the coolest. This will ALL be in their interactive notebooks. We will roll out the toilet paper this week, too, to simulate how far away each planet is from the sun. Before break we will cover rotation, revolution, seasons, day/night & moon phases.
If you could donate a pack of regular Oreo cookies for our moon phase activity, that would be AWESOME!! Thank you in advance.
We will have a quiz on the planets and star characteristics on Friday. I will teach them the saying to help them remember them in order (My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Noodles). There will be a word bank to help with spelling. They will also be required to name at least 6 star characteristics and tell what color is the hottest star and which is the coolest. This will ALL be in their interactive notebooks. We will roll out the toilet paper this week, too, to simulate how far away each planet is from the sun. Before break we will cover rotation, revolution, seasons, day/night & moon phases.
If you could donate a pack of regular Oreo cookies for our moon phase activity, that would be AWESOME!! Thank you in advance.
1/21 We discussed the solar system project and I think they have some great ideas. Here are some cool websites and videos related to this unit:
Planet Facts
http://planetfacts.net/Mercury-Facts.html
Planet Facts
http://planetfacts.org/
Planet Rap
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHAqT4hXnMw
Moon phases
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/moon_phases/
Earth’s revolution
http://astro.unl.edu/naap/motion1/animations/seasons_ecliptic.swf
Earth, sun & moon
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/9_10/earth_sun_moon_fs.shtml
Planet Facts
http://planetfacts.net/Mercury-Facts.html
Planet Facts
http://planetfacts.org/
Planet Rap
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHAqT4hXnMw
Moon phases
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/moon_phases/
Earth’s revolution
http://astro.unl.edu/naap/motion1/animations/seasons_ecliptic.swf
Earth, sun & moon
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/9_10/earth_sun_moon_fs.shtml
1/15 We will begin our Solar System Unit on Tuesday....check out the project requirements. I'm sure they are going to be just as amazing as the simple machines!
/uploads/2/5/3/9/25394086/solar_system_science_project.doc
/uploads/2/5/3/9/25394086/solar_system_science_project.doc
1/8 Wow, what a busy first week back! With all the events going on this week (discipline discussion in CAFE, guidance and Eagle Award ceremony) we got a little behind in science. Therefore, we will finish our light unit next week. I have several mini-experiments planned to show reflection, refraction, & how different types of lenses and prisms work. Our light and sound test will be next Friday, 1/15 (Thursday ALP will be out, so Friday works best).
We will begin our solar system unit on Jan 19th. I will try to send out the project guidelines and rubric next week, so the students can begin thinking about it over the long weekend.
I will also upload it in case you need an extra copy :-)
We will begin our solar system unit on Jan 19th. I will try to send out the project guidelines and rubric next week, so the students can begin thinking about it over the long weekend.
I will also upload it in case you need an extra copy :-)
1/4 Welcome Back to the second half of the year! This week in science we will be working on several mini experiments with light to show how the waves move in a straight line, how it reflects (mirrors) and refracts (concave and convex lenses), & how it shines white or certain colors (prisms and the light spectrum). They will also be able to introduce you to Roy G. Biv by the end of the week. Our light quiz will be next Tuesday (I'll have them write in in their agendas). This will give us an opportunity to play a review game on Monday. All the information for this will be in their interactive notebooks which I will remind them to take home over the weekend. I look forward to seeing all of their bright and cheery faces Tuesday morning!
12/11 COOL experiments and STEM activities planned next week for our Light and Sound unit!! Let's have fun, but stay focused! We're almost there :-)
12/4 We began our sound unit this week....the kids got a little wet, but they had a great time using the tuning forks. We will continue with pitch and frequency next week. We will have a sound quiz on Wednesday or Thursday (depending on how far we get on Tuesday.) I will send home the study guide on Monday which will contain all the information for the quiz.
We still need stuff for our STEM activity next Wed....especially items that make noise (beads, dry beans, rice...etc)
We still need stuff for our STEM activity next Wed....especially items that make noise (beads, dry beans, rice...etc)
11/29 Wow! I am so proud of how hard all the students worked on their simple machine projects....they turned out amazing; I love them all. They will be on display in the media center until the day before our winter break. They will be sent home with them, so if it is too large to take on the bus, you can come by anytime that week to bring it home. Thanks for all your help!
11/13 Here is a link to our science text if your child ever needs it for research or studying purposes:
https://www-k6.thinkcentral.com/content/hsp/science/hspscience/ga/gr4/se_9780153734168_/flashNavhigh.html?page=toc
Our Force, motion and simple machine test will be on Monday, 11/16. There is a great deal of information on it, so we played a Jeopardy review game today to help us (this covered the entire test). I also told them exactly what to study (force & motion study guide, simple machine notes & the 3 short essays at the bottom of the study guide). The most difficult part will be the force and motion section, so please encourage your child to study that in detail. I will give a final review right before Monday's test.
Here is the Jeopardy game we played today:
/uploads/2/5/3/9/25394086/force-motion-simple-machines_jeopardy.html
Just a reminder......simple machine projects are due Wednesday; if your child needs until Thursday, please let me know ahead of time, so I can plan presentations accordingly. Thank you!
https://www-k6.thinkcentral.com/content/hsp/science/hspscience/ga/gr4/se_9780153734168_/flashNavhigh.html?page=toc
Our Force, motion and simple machine test will be on Monday, 11/16. There is a great deal of information on it, so we played a Jeopardy review game today to help us (this covered the entire test). I also told them exactly what to study (force & motion study guide, simple machine notes & the 3 short essays at the bottom of the study guide). The most difficult part will be the force and motion section, so please encourage your child to study that in detail. I will give a final review right before Monday's test.
Here is the Jeopardy game we played today:
/uploads/2/5/3/9/25394086/force-motion-simple-machines_jeopardy.html
Just a reminder......simple machine projects are due Wednesday; if your child needs until Thursday, please let me know ahead of time, so I can plan presentations accordingly. Thank you!
Our force, motion and simple machine test will be next Friday, 11/13. Your child should be getting a study guide today that covers all the force and motion information. Simple machine notes are in their interactive notebooks. They may use those notes to complete the 15 point chart (which is part of the project). I am giving them time in class next week to work on the chart, diagram and part of their simple machine description. I hope this helps save some time! :-)
We began our force, motion and simple machine unit this week. Monday we will be doing the "Ball on a Roll" experiment, so I told the kiddos to dress comfortably because we'll be on the floor (I guess I will too) :-)
I am going to attach the simple machine project in case your child misplaces it or leaves it at school and wants to start working on it. Some students last year wanted to type the vocab chart and print it out, so I will attach that as well. I didn't give it out because we haven't covered them yet.
/uploads/2/5/3/9/25394086/simple_machines_tp_project.doc
/uploads/2/5/3/9/25394086/simple_machines_rubric-2.doc
10/10 We were a day behind this week due to our guidance lesson, pictures and firefighter visit; therefore, our final water/weather test will be this Monday 10/12. I am counting the open-note test from last week as part of this grade (15 points), so the questions will not be worth as much. We played a fun Jeopardy review game Friday, so I think they are more than prepared. We need to move on to force, motion and simple machines! This unit will go hand-in-hand with what they are doing in the STEM lab with Mrs. Montague(which we have this Wednesday finally). They will be construction a roller coaster….so cool!
***Just a reminder….the weather map symbol/key project is due on Wednesday. Use the rubric to see what will be graded. Have your child bring home his/her social studies notebook if they are having trouble remembering the physical features.***
***Just a reminder….the weather map symbol/key project is due on Wednesday. Use the rubric to see what will be graded. Have your child bring home his/her social studies notebook if they are having trouble remembering the physical features.***
10/3 The narratives turned out great! They worked very hard getting them typed-up and illustrated before break. I can't wait to share them with you at conferences. This group of children is so creative and humorous!
We will have a short open-note quiz on climate, weather, precipitation and weather instruments on Monday (all the questions were taken directly from their notes in their interactive notebooks, and I did tell them to make sure they were copying everything for this upcoming assessment). So no worries!
The final water/weather unit test will be next Friday, Oct. 9th. I will send home the study guide on Monday. We will go over the entire study guide, as well as play a Weather Jeopardy review game. They will be more than prepared!
We will start force, motion and simple machines next week, and I will be sending home requirements for their first big project (due the Wednesday before Thanksgiving break). I will also attach the copies to the blog in case it gets lost or misplaced. I am so excited about this one!
We will have a short open-note quiz on climate, weather, precipitation and weather instruments on Monday (all the questions were taken directly from their notes in their interactive notebooks, and I did tell them to make sure they were copying everything for this upcoming assessment). So no worries!
The final water/weather unit test will be next Friday, Oct. 9th. I will send home the study guide on Monday. We will go over the entire study guide, as well as play a Weather Jeopardy review game. They will be more than prepared!
We will start force, motion and simple machines next week, and I will be sending home requirements for their first big project (due the Wednesday before Thanksgiving break). I will also attach the copies to the blog in case it gets lost or misplaced. I am so excited about this one!
9/15 We've been working diligently to get our "Drop of Water" narratives published. We had to review several rules for typing on Word before we could begin, but I think they've got it! I will be grading them over break (using a rubric I shared with them through their writing process ), and I will keep them up in the hall for display until I share them with you at conferences.
The class will be teaching each other about precipitation tomorrow. I can't wait to see what great teachers they'll be! After break we will finish up our water unit (climate vs weather, weather instruments, & weather symbols).
The class will be teaching each other about precipitation tomorrow. I can't wait to see what great teachers they'll be! After break we will finish up our water unit (climate vs weather, weather instruments, & weather symbols).
8/25 We created water cycle bags this week. Some of the students brought them home if they wanted to continue observing them in their back yard. We also sang Water Travels in a Cycle (I'm sure some of you heard them sing it). It's very catchy, but really helps them memorize the process. We will be doing a performance task on this standard where the students will have to sequence the steps and create a scene on which to glue the parts of the water cycle. We started talking a little about cloud formation and precipitation which will be covered in two weeks. Next week we will be writing our narratives about "A Drop of Water". When completed, they will be required to type their papers in the lab and find images to illustrate the steps. These papers will be shared during conferences in October. I can't wait to see what they come up with!
We will be going to the STEM Lab for Science beginning next Tuesday. This will be a total of 5 class periods from Sept to Oct where the students will do fun, interactive stem activities with Mrs. Montague, the ALP teacher here at our school. This is going to be a great experience! More information to follow :-)
We will be going to the STEM Lab for Science beginning next Tuesday. This will be a total of 5 class periods from Sept to Oct where the students will do fun, interactive stem activities with Mrs. Montague, the ALP teacher here at our school. This is going to be a great experience! More information to follow :-)
8/12 The class got to observe our first science experiment this week on States of Matter. I had to demonstrate most of it because I was using boiling water. They did a great job on the write up, too.
We've rearranged our schedule so that we can do science 3-4 times every week, an not have to switch off every 2 weeks with both classes. This is going to keep science much more consistent. There may be times we are doing a science writing activity, so that will take the place of an actual science lesson. We are continuing water, weather and narrative writing for the rest of the nine-week period.
We've rearranged our schedule so that we can do science 3-4 times every week, an not have to switch off every 2 weeks with both classes. This is going to keep science much more consistent. There may be times we are doing a science writing activity, so that will take the place of an actual science lesson. We are continuing water, weather and narrative writing for the rest of the nine-week period.
Welcome to the Super Science blog. This is where I will update the standards, homework, projects, test dates and other important information related to science. I will also list important places to find tutorials and educational related sites. If we are doing cool experiments in class, I might take a few pics and upload them for you to see what's going on in our class.
We will begin Science with discussing lab safety and the scientific process then go straight into states of matter, water/water cycle and weather. They will write their first narrative through a drop of water's perspective.
Big Shanty will be running on a block/bell schedule this year, so the end of the day will be science, grammar or social studies. Therefore, your child will have science for two weeks, then grammar and/or social studies for two weeks. Extra reading and research will be required when they are not in science for the two-week time period.
I am so look forward to working with your child in science this year.
We will begin Science with discussing lab safety and the scientific process then go straight into states of matter, water/water cycle and weather. They will write their first narrative through a drop of water's perspective.
Big Shanty will be running on a block/bell schedule this year, so the end of the day will be science, grammar or social studies. Therefore, your child will have science for two weeks, then grammar and/or social studies for two weeks. Extra reading and research will be required when they are not in science for the two-week time period.
I am so look forward to working with your child in science this year.