Fossils

Hello all!

This week we are learning about fossils! We are reading five articles and answering the questions that go with them. When all the articles are completed and the final assessment is finished the articles get to go home so that the whole family can learn all about fossils!

Want to get a leg up on the Fossil Vocabulary Words?! Well here's the list! We'll be reading all about these soon!

• extinct - no longer found alive
• fossil - the preserved remains of plants or animals that lived long ago
• organisms - living things such as plants and animals
• paleontologist - a scientist who studies fossils and organisms that lived long ago
• imprint - a mark on a surface such as mud or rock
• decay - to rot or decompose
• sedimentary rock - rock formed by sediment deposits; usually forms in layers
• preserved - in its original condition
• amber - a hard orange-yellow substance formed from tree sap
• climate - weather conditions in an area over a long period of time
• ferns - flowerless plants found in tropical regions
• carnivore - an animal that eats other animals
• herbivore - an animal that eats plants
• ecosystem - all of the living and nonliving things that interact in an area

Soil

• Mineral - a solid object formed in nature that has never been alive; they are identified by their hardness, color, and shape
• Rock - a hard object made of one or more minerals; these make up the majority of the Earth
• Soil - the loose material in which plants can grow in the upper layer of Earth
• made of weathered rock which contains minerals, humus, and water and air pockets
• Humus - a part of soil made up of decayed parts of once-living things; it is dark and soft and contains much of what plants need to grow
• Layers of Soil
• Topsoil - the top layer made of the smallest grains and containing the most humus
• Subsoil - layer under topsoil that is made of larger grains and some humus
• Bedrock - solid rock under soil; weathering breaks this down into soil
• Bedrock will be made of different minerals depending on where it is and this will affect what minerals are in the soil

• Different Types of Soil
• Clay soil - small grains, holds water and becomes sticky, dries up into hard clods that can be broken into powder
• Sandy soil - large grains, large spaces for water to easily pass through, less humus than others
• Loam - a type of topsoil that contains a lot of humus, water, and air which makes it ideal for growing plants
• Soil is an important resource, or material that is found in nature that living things use 
• Soil is used to grow food, and is held in place by the roots of plants 
• Many things humans do harms soil (i.e., cutting down too many trees without replanting)
• Soil Conservation
• Conservation - saving resources by using them carefully
• Strip Cropping - planting strips of thick grass or clover between strips of crops; this helps keep water in the soil and keeps the soil from being washed away
• Contour Plowing - planting rows of crops around the sides of hills instead of up and down; this keeps water from running off in straight lines, so the soil won't be washed away

The soil is washed away because there are not enough roots to keep it in place when heavy rain comes.

Strip Cropping used to produce more crops and prevent soil erosion

Contour Plowing keeps water from flowing down in straight lines and carrying away the soil.

The Moon

The Phases of the Moon

• Phases- the different shapes the moon seems to have in the sky
• It takes about 1 month for the moon to revolve around Earth and to rotate once, so the same side of the moon is always facing Earth.

Moon Phases in Order

1. New Moon- you can't see the moon because the Sun is shining on the other side
2. Waxing Crescent: very small part of the right side is lit
3. First Quarter: the right half of the lighted side can be seen
4. Waxing Gibbous: all but a little bit of the left side can be seen
5. Full Moon: The entire lighted side can be seen
6. Waning Gibbous: all but a little bit of the right side can be seen
7. Third (Last) Quarter: the left half of the lighted side can be seen
8. Waning Crescent: very small part of the left side is lit

Waxing Phases are getting MORE light (Wax on)

Waning Phases are LOSING light  (Waning off)

Eclipses:

There are times where the Earth and the Moon may cast shadows on each other and these are called eclipses.

Lunar Eclipse: happens when Earth’s shadow falls on the moon; the moon appears red during a full lunar eclipse.

Solar Eclipse: happens when the moon’s shadow falls on Earth; this hides some to almost all of the sun from view

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Moon Project: 

Directions:

1. Create a poster of the 8 (eight) moon phases.
2. Label each phase.
3. Title your poster.
4. Be creative while creating the poster.
5. Write 3 (three) facts about the moon and the moon phases.

This project is due on Friday, March 24, 2017.

Quick Reminders

  Tomorrow will be our test on Physical and Chemical change. A study guide for this was sent home today, but if your child is absent or misplaced their guide I will have it linked below.

  The 3rd 9 weeks math study guide was sent home today. The test will be next week on Wednesday. We will be going over a review packet on Monday and Tuesday, so please help us to get all of the students prepared for these tests!

  The 3rd 9 weeks science study guide will be sent home tomorrow as we did not want it to get confused with the guide for tomorrow's test. The science 9 weeks test will be next Friday and will be reviewing on the days prior.

  Ms. Mason's and Ms. Smith's class will be opening the class store where students can buy prizes using their classroom behavior money. Donations would be greatly appreciated as the students have been working very hard to earn their money. Students may also earn some extra classroom bucks by donating these much needed classroom supplies: paper towels, Clorox wipes, and Expo Spray.

  Thank you and have a wonderful afternoon!!

--- Ms. Mason

Click Here for Physical and Chemical Change Study Guide

Physical and Chemical Change

Changes everywhere!!

Physical Change- change to matter in which no new kind of matter is formed

• Examples:
• Origami (art of folding paper)
• Cutting Paper
• Ice Melting

• Mixture- a substance that  contains two or more different types of matter
• These types of matter CAN BE SEPARATED!! That is very important!
• Examples:
• Alphabet Soup
• Trail Mix
• Marbles and Beads in a bag
• Solution- a mixture in which the particles of the different kinds of matter mix together evenly.
• This is different from a regular mixture because you CANNOT SEPARATE the different kinds of matter BY HAND!!
• Examples:
• Salt Water
• Sweet Tea
• A Penny (this is a solution of two metals called an alloy. A penny is made of zinc and copper)

Chemical Change- change that forms a different kind of matter

• Examples:
• Cooking Food
• Rusting Nails
• Burning Wood
• What are some ways we use chemical changes in our lives?
• Burn fuel to power our cars.
• Cook food so we can eat it.
• Digestion
• FUN FACT: Plants use chemical changes to make their food!

Light Report Confusion!

There has been some confusion about the light report.

This is an in class assignment that does not need to be worked on or completed at home. We are working on the students' informative writing abilities to better prepare them for the writing test. Due to this we are not accepting "Final Drafts" from home. 

We will be meeting with each student to read and edit their rough draft in order to explain the writing process and correct any misunderstandings they may have about how to write the report. 

Thank you and sorry for any confusion! If there is ever any project or assignment to be completed at home, information will be included in the newsletter.

Have a wonderful evening!

-Ms. Mason

Light

There are no real notes for light this week because the students are watching light videos and taking notes on the information provided. The students are sharing their information by interviewing each other, and using these facts to complete a 5 paragraph report on light for their test.

The videos are The Magic School Bus Gets a Bright Idea which can be found on Netflix, and Science Video for Kids: How Does Light Travel? which can be found on YouTube. I will also post the link to the second video on the fun videos and websites page.

Kinetic and Potential Energy

Energy - the ability to cause change

Potential Energy - the energy an object has because of where it is and its shape

Ex. A ball sitting at the top of a hill.

Kinetic Energy - energy of motion

Ex. A ball rolling down a hill.

Kinetic and Potential energy almost constantly convert from one to the other everywhere. A child on a swing has potential energy at the top of the swing, and kinetic as they go down and back up again. The child is constantly converting their energy from potential to kinetic and back again.

Force, Motion, and Simple Machines

Vocabulary

• Force- a push or a pull
• Motion- a change in position
• Speed- the measure of how fast something moves over a certain distance
• Gravity- the force that pulls objects towards each other.
• Weight- a measure of the pull of gravity on an object
• Friction- force of resistance between two objects rubbing against each other
• Work- the measure of force it takes to move an object a certain distance
• Simple Machine- a tool that helps people do work
• Lever- a bar that moves on or around a fixed point
• Inclined Plane- a flat surface set at an angle to another surface

There are many forces in the world such as wind blowing on an object, you pulling a wagon, or water pushing on sand.

How much force it takes to pull something is measured with a tool called a spring scale.

When a strong force is applied it can cause an object to move, but not all forces cause motion. Sometimes they are not strong enough.

An example would be an ant trying to push a toy car vs. a child pushing a toy car. Which one will make the car move?

An object will only move if a force is applied to it, and the more strength the force has, the faster the motion will be. This is called speed.

The object will then only stop if another force is applied to it.

So, why does something like a rolling ball eventually stop without you putting your foot on it?

The reason the ball will eventually stop is because of gravity and friction.

These are invisible forces that are acting on the ball as well.

Gravity pulls the ball down against the ground, and friction begins to build between the ball and the ground.

This will eventually cause the ball to slow down and stop.

There are many simple machines in the world that we use without even realizing it.

Many of the things we use in our daily lives have various simple machines in them.

Mass and Weight

Weight and Weight

Vocabulary:

• Mass - the amount of matter in an object
• Weight - the downward force of gravity on an object
• Balance - a tool used to compare two masses

Mass vs. Weight:

   If an object has more mass then it will have more weight.
   This is why a marble made of wood would float, but a marble made of glass would sink despite the fact that they are the same size.

Total Weight:

    When you have an object made of multiple parts, the weight of the object will depend upon the individual weights of each part.
    If you have one part that weighs 3 pounds, one that weighs 2 pounds, and one that weighs 1 pound, how much would the object weigh?
    If we were to put it together in a different way, would the weight change?

Solar System

THE SOLAR SYSTEM IS THE SUN AND THE OBJECTS THAT ORBIT AROUND IT.
THE SOLAR SYSTEM IS THE SUN AND THE OBJECTS THAT ORBIT AROUND IT.


THE SUN IS THE CENTER OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM.

The Sun is important because it provides the Earth heat.

It is one of the prime ingredients for most Earth life-forms.

PLANETS


A planet is a large body of rock or gas that orbits the sun.

The solar system has nine planets. (Pluto is a dwarf)

INNER PLANETS


Mercury

Venus

Earth

Mars

They are the four planets closest to the sun.

Inner Planets have rocky surfaces, and they are warmer than the outer planets.

EARTH IS DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER INNER PLANETS.  IT  HAS A WATERY SURFACE.  IT IS THE ONLY PLANET WITH A LOT OF OXYGEN IN ITS ATMOSPHERE.  EARTH HAS PLANT LIFE AND ANIMAL LIFE.

OUTER PLANETS


1.  Jupiter

2.  Saturn

3.  Uranus

4.  Neptune

5.  Pluto

OUTER PLANETS ARE MADE MOSTLY OF FROZEN GASES.  THEIR SURFACES ARE COLDER THAN THE INNER PLANETS BECAUSE THEY ARE FARTHER AWAY FROM THE SUN.  MOST OUTER PLANETS HAVE MANY MOONS.

OUTER PLANETS ARE MADE MOSTLY OF FROZEN GASES.  THEIR SURFACES ARE COLDER THAN THE INNER PLANETS BECAUSE THEY ARE FARTHER AWAY FROM THE SUN.  MOST OUTER PLANETS HAVE MANY MOONS.

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The students will be working together to complete an in class project this week for their grade. They will be working in groups to research various facts about the planet they are assigned. All of these facts will be put onto a class chart in the hallway for everyone to see and learn from. Then on Friday we will create a Solar System diagram, with each group illustrating their own planet, and display this down the hallway as well!

If you have any questions please feel free to leave a friendly comment or send me an email! Thanks for visiting!

Genetics

Today, we began discussing genetics and traits. We will be continuing this discussion all week and focusing on figuring out what an animal will look like as an adult, or what an animal did look like as a baby. 

Talk with your child about their traits and where they came from (or where they might have come from), and talk with them about recessive and dominant traits that run through the family. I will post a link to a very good website about Genetics on the "Fun Videos and Websites!" page. 

The grades for this week will come from the students illustrating what animals will look like at a different age based on a picture they are provided. I.E. They are given a picture of a baby chimp and have to draw what the chimp will look like as an adult based on the traits they see in the photo. 

Microorganism

What is a microorganism?


Well...

“micro” means extremely small

“organism” means a living thing
So! This tells us that a microorganism is an “extremely small living thing.”


There are actually different kinds of germs.

Germs are bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms that cause diseases

The two main types of germs are bacteria and viruses.

Bacteria are unicellular organisms that can live by themselves or as parasites

Viruses are the main component of most human diseases.

There is actually a big debate between scientists about whether viruses are “alive” or not.






This is a Tardigrade or Water Bear. It is a micro-animal that was discovered in 1773! This picture was made using an electron microscope! That is a very awesome microscope that basically shoots tiny electrons at the thing it is looking at and uses special lenses to help you see it!

They are considered the most resilient animal because they live in places that would instantly kill other animals, including OUTER SPACE! HOW CRAZY IS THAT?

There are actually microorganisms used to make a lot of foods!

A bacterium called Acetobacter tropicalis is found in chocolate.

A bacterium called Lactobacillus acidophilus is found in yogurt.



Those are just some examples. There are THOUSANDS more.

Cells

 The building blocks of life.

• Smallest unit of a living thing that can perform all life processes.
• All living things are made of cells
• Different cells have different jobs
• Made of different parts
• Plant and animal cells have some parts that are the same and some parts that are different
• Microscopic- can only be seen through a microscope
• Microscope- tool used to see things too small to see with just your eyes
• Work together to perform a job
• A group of cells becomes a tissue; a group of tissues become an organ; a group of organs become an organ system

Major Cell Parts

The 3 major parts that almost all cells have are the:

• Nucleus- the control center for the cell. Instructions for the cell’s activities are stored here.
• Cell Membrane- the cell’s outer border. It separates the cell from the environment, and decides what comes in and out of the cell.
• Cytoplasm- contains the things that the cell needs to carry out its life processes.

Plant Cells VS. Animal Cells

Plant cells have the nucleus, cytoplasm, and cell membrane just like animal cells, but they also have a few things that are different. Some of these are:

• Chloroplasts- special cell parts that trap the Sun’s energy to make food
• Cell Wall- this is outside of the cell membrane and helps to support and protect the cell

Digestive, Nervous, and Skeletal System Pictures

These are some pictures (from Ms. Mason's class) of the fun activities we did for the digestive, nervous, and skeletal systems. The kids worked really hard on these and I am very proud of them!

And just a quick reminder that they have a test on the skeletal and muscular systems tomorrow. We made a study guide in class today, so tomorrow's test should be a breeze!

Have a wonderful afternoon!

Muscular System

Muscular System Notes
Note: You only have to write what looks like this.

Muscles
Muscles provide the tug on the bones needed to bend, straighten, and support joints. Muscles can pull on bones, but they can't push them back to their original position, so the muscles work in pairs.

• The flexor muscle contracts to bend the joint. 
• The extensor contracts to straighten (or extend) the limb at the same joint.

Muscles get their signals to contract and relax from the brain.

Smooth Muscles
Smooth muscles — also called involuntary muscles — can't be controlled by you. Your brain and body tell these muscles what to do without you even thinking about it. But smooth muscles are at work all over your body. In your stomach and digestive system, they contract (tighten up) and relax to allow food to make its journey through the body. 


You'll find smooth muscles at work behind the scenes in your eyes, too. These muscles keep the eyes focused.

Cardiac Muscle
The muscle that makes up the heart is called cardiac muscle. The thick muscles of the heart contract to pump blood out and then relax to let blood back in after it has circulated through the body.


Just like smooth muscle, cardiac muscle works all by itself with no help from you. A special group of cells within the heart are known as the pacemaker of the heart because it controls the heartbeat.

Skeletal Muscle
Skeletal muscles are voluntary muscles, which means you can control what they do.  These muscles help to make up the musculoskeletal system — the combination of your muscles and your skeleton.
Skeletal muscles are held to the bones with the help of tendons. Tendons are cords made of tough tissue, and they work as special connector pieces between bone and muscle. 


Skeletal muscles come in many different sizes and shapes to allow them to do many types of jobs. 
Some of your biggest and most powerful muscles are in your back, near your spine. These muscles help keep you upright and standing tall.

They also give your body the power it needs to lift and push things. Muscles in your neck and the top part of your back aren't as large, but they are capable of some pretty amazing things: Try rotating your head around, back and forth, and up and down to feel the power of the muscles in your neck. These muscles also hold your head high.

Face Muscle
Facial muscles don't all attach directly to bone like they do in the rest of the body. Instead, many of them attach under the skin. This allows you to contract your facial muscles just a tiny bit and make dozens of different kinds of faces. 

Your tongue is actually made of a group of muscles that work together to allow you to talk and help you chew food. Stick out your tongue and wiggle it around to see those muscles at work.

Major Muscles

• In each of your shoulders is a deltoid muscle. Your deltoid muscles help you move your shoulders every which way — from swinging a softball bat to shrugging your shoulders when you're not sure of an answer.

• Down under your ribcage are your rectus abdominus muscles, or abdominals. They're often called abs for short.

• When you make a muscle in your arm, you tense your biceps muscle. When you contract your biceps muscle, you can actually see it push up under your skin.

• Your quadriceps , or quads, are the muscles on the front of your thighs. Many people who run, bike, or play sports develop large, strong quads.

• And when it's time for you to take a seat? You'll be sitting on your gluteus maximus, the muscle that's under the skin and fat in your behind!

Organ System Rubric

Organ System Rubric

You will pick either the nervous, skeletal, muscular, or nervous system. Then you will create a poster showing this full organ system. Please be sure to label and color the organs, and put your name and the name of your system on your poster! It will be due Friday, October 28th.

Category	20 Points	10 Points	0 Points
Title and Labels	Title of System and Labels for each organ	Only the title or labels	No title or Labels
Neatness and Color	Words easy to read and organs colored neatly	Only organs colored or words easy to read	Not easy to read and no color
Complete Organ System	All organs discussed in class for that system shown on the project	Only some of the organs discussed in class for that system shown on the project	None of the organs discussed in class for that project shown on the project.
Student Information	First and last name, date, and student number	First and last name; no date or student number	No name, date, or student number
Facts	5 sentences (or more) of facts about the organ system	2-3 sentences of facts about the organ system	0-1 facts about the organ system

Skeletal System

WHAT IS THE SKELETAL SYSTEM?

This system makes up the shape and form of our bodies.

The system is made up of our:

• Bones
• Cartilage
• Joints
• Tendons

BONES

At birth, our skeleton is made up of 300 bones. When we become adults, our skeleton is made up of only 206 bones. 

Bones are helpful because:

• They support us
• They help us move
• They protect us

When bones break, they grow back on their own, and heal themselves.

Calcium (as in milk) is good for our bones and makes them strong. 

Bones are held in place by joints.

PURPOSES

The skeletal system has several purposes.  A few of these are to:

• Support our bodies
• Help us move
• Protect our organs
• Produce blood cells

Without the skeletal system we would be nothing but puddles!

JOINTS

Joints are where bones meet. They allow us to move and help us grow. There are many types of joints, some including:

• Ball-and-socket
• Hinged Joint
• Fixed Joint

CARTILAGE

Cartilage is soft tissue that cushions the end of your bones. Cartilage is at the tip of your nose and in your ears.

TENDONS

Tendons are what keep everything together. They attach our muscles to our bones.

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These are the notes on the skeletal system. We will be having a test on this and the muscular system next week! A quick reminder that we have a test on the properties of multiplication tomorrow. See the previous post for the notes on that!

Thank you for visiting!

If you have an ideas, questions, or concerns, please feel free to send an email or leave a friendly comment below!  

The Nervous System

Here are the notes for the Nervous System! Remember we have a test on this and the digestive system on Wednesday the 19th!

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The Nervous System - The system of nerve cells and fibers that send signals between parts of the body.

Brain

• This is where all information is processed and responses are formed. Basically, the brain gets an email then writes and sends a reply.

The Spinal Column

• This is where the central nerves are located.

Peripheral Nerves

• These are what get the information from the world around us and send them to the brain as nerve impulses. The brain will then send back a response for the nerves to share with the muscles in order to make them move.

Within the nervous system there is the autonomic system. This is various organ systems that function without you having to think about it.

Examples of this are your heart beating and breathing. You don't have to think "breath in" and "breath out" in order for it to happen.

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Thank you for visiting! If you have an ideas, questions, or concerns please feel free to send an email or leave a friendly comment below!

Have a wonderful weekend!!