SCIENCE STATE ASSESSMENT IS MAY 7TH and 8TH
What are we learning?
During the first quarter, we studied the scientific process and earth science, specifically space.
Fifth grade's next study continues Earth science with a focus on the water cycle, weather, and climate. Some areas we targeted were types of models demonstrating the water cycle, the importance of the oceans to the water cycle, weather instruments, climate zones, and how proximity to water, changes in altitude and latitude affects the weather and precipitation rates within climate zones.
Fourth grade will study Earth's features including rocks and minerals and how Earth's surface changing. Students should be able to identify characteristics of minerals and how to test them. They will also study the different types of rocks (igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic) and compare how they are made. Finally, 4th graders will learn about how Earth's surface changes through weathering, erosion, and deposition and how these processes play a role in the rock cycle.
For the remainder of the second quarter, we studied physical science. This included: properties of matter, measuring matter, changes in matter, energy, the law of conservation, magnets, and utilizing resources.
In the third quarter, we will continue our study in physical science. The focus will move from matter to energy and force and motion. Students will review types of energy (sound, heat, light, solar, chemical, etc) and dive deeper into electrical energy where they will investigate types of circuits and how electricity moves and transforms.
We will finish the year in life science.
Fifth graders will focus on the human body - specifically organs and the jobs they do. They will be expected to also make connections to plants and how they're similar (ex: the backbone is to human body as stem is plant).
Fourth grade will focus plants including organs, reproductions, life cycle, and comparing to conifers and ferns. They will also study and compare life cycle categories complete and incomplete metamorphosis.
Both grades will explore flow of energy in environments and adaptations.
Energy
Force and Motion
- investigate and describe some basic forms of energy, including light, heat (thermal), sound, electrical, chemical, and mechanical (energy of motion)
- Investigate and explain that sound is produced by vibrating objects and that pitch depends on how fast or slow the object vibrates. (4th)
- Recognize that heat flows from a hot object to a cold object and that heat flow may cause materials to change temperature.
- Investigate and explain that energy has the ability to cause motion or create change.
- Investigate and explain that electrical energy can be transformed into heat, light, and sound energy, as well as the energy of motion. (5th)
- Investigate and explain that an electrically-charged object can attract an uncharged object and can either attract or repel another charged object without any contact between the objects. (5th)
- Investigate and illustrate the fact that the flow of electricity requires a closed circuit (a complete loop). (5th)
- Identify and classify insulators and conductors
Force and Motion
- Identify familiar forces that cause objects to move, such as pushes or pulls, including gravity acting on falling objects.
- Investigate and describe that the greater the force applied to it, the greater the change in motion of a given object. (5th)
- Investigate and describe that the more mass an object has, the less effect a given force will have on the object’s motion. (5th)
- Investigate and explain that when a force is applied to an object but it does not move, it is because another opposing force is being applied by something in the environment so that the forces are balanced. (5th)
Key Vocabulary
Scientific Process
evidence experiment investigation observation science scientific method scientist chart/data table diagrams graph inference observation flaw metric prediction scientific tools mass / weight variable (5th) time record keeping trial repetition reliability empirical evidence (5th) 5th - Weather and Climate
environment desert, forest, grassland, mountains, rainforest, swamps, tundra, wetland seasons weather: hail, rain, sleet, snow erosion weather components (air pressure, temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind direction, wind speed) weather tools (barometer, thermometer, hygrometer, rain gauge, wind vane, anemometer) clouds (cirrus, cumulonimbus, cumulus, stratus) climate climate zone elevation environment equator latitude polar temperate tropical |
5th - Solar System
dust galaxy mass Milky Way constellations earth axis orbit planet revolution / rotation seasons star pattern stars / sun / moon moon’s shapes (observable) / phases space exploration / technology asteroid belt comets 5th Earth's Water
collection condensation evaporation freshwater heat gain/warming heat loss/cooling liquid water precipitation reservoir resources: renewable or nonrenewable runoff saltwater solid water/ice states of matter water cycle water vapor/gas |
4th Space and Earth
constellations earth axis orbit planet revolution / rotation seasons star pattern stars / sun / moon moon’s shapes (observable) / phases space exploration / technology 4th Earth natural resources igneous sedimentary metamorphic mineral habit, streak, color, hardness, cleavage rock scratch and streak plate weathering (and types) erosion deposition 4th-5th Matter
attract/repel classification magnetic mass physical properties measurable states of matter temperature volume water displacement sieve condense decay evaporate physical change physical weathering temperature change dissolve (5th) mixture (5th) surface area (5th) filter/filtration (5th) particle size (5th) chemical change (5th) |
Just for fun!
Space elevators are being investigated for human transportation. Check out the levels here.
Click here to see a forecast of events for our solar system, galaxy, and universe.
Wnat to know how big things are in comparison to each other. Watch this one!
Check out what lives at the deepest depths of the ocean with this infographic.
Activities
Check out these clips!
Scientific Process Videos
|
|
Space Review for Fifth Grade
|
|
|
Earth Science Review
|
|
|
Physical Science
|
|
|
Life Science
|
|