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Thursday, December 10th, 2009

This week in Science we have discussed Electricity, including circuits and their parts, conductors and insulators, as well as reflection and refraction.

The students learned that a complete circuit consists of a source of energy, such as a battery or plug, a device, such as a lightbulb, or whatever is trying to be operated, and finally wires to connect the two. We include that circuits often contain a switch to make opening and closing the circuit easier, but that it is not a necessity. The learned that conductors are materials that allow heat and electricity to flow through them easily, such as most metals and water. We add to that the fact that insulators are materials that do not let heat and electricity flow easily, such as cloth, feathers/fur, wood, plastic and rubber.

Reflection is the bouncing back of light, such as our image in a mirror, or off of tinted widows i a car. It bounces back at the same angle, but opposite. Refraction is the bending of light. The refraction of light changes the way that the object looks. Refraction occurs when the light changes from one state of matter to another, such as through air to a glass of water, gas to liquid, etc. Items that refract light usually include some type of lens. Such as eyeglasses and contacts, cameras, telescopes, microscopes, magnifying glasses etc.

Wednesday in class the students received the following sheet and had to sort the pictures into two columns, one labeled conductors and one labeled insulators. There should have been eleven of each.

Extra Credit Opportunity

Do not forget that you can go onto Brainpop.com to watch the videos and e-mail them to me for extra credit. You can do this for both Mathematics and Science. First click on the link above. When you arrive at the site, click the login button found in the middle of the screen, at the very top. Your student should have received the new username at password that is for our school. After logging in, you can choose either Math or Science. Your student can watch any video about a subject that we have already discussed in class. After watching the video, there is an option for taking a quiz. Have them choose the Graded Quiz option. After taking the quiz, the students will need to enter in my e-mail address, jechols@mesquiteisd.org and the results will come straight to me. I award extra credit points to any quiz that receives 7 points or higher. If you have any questions please e-mail me so we can get your students off and running.

Quizzes that your students are available to take now:

Mathematics:
Binary- works on place value- TEKS 5.1A, 5.3B, 5.3C
Decimals- comparing numbers- TEKS 5.1B, 5.2D, 5.3A
Mixed Numbers- TEKS 5.2A, 5.2B
Adding and Subtracting Fractions- TEKS 5.2C
Converting Fractions to Decimals- TEKS 5.2D
Adding and Subtracting Integers- TEKS 5.3A
Comparing Prices- TEKS 5.3A
Multiplication- TEKS 5.3B, 5.3D, 5.5B
Division- TEKS 5.3B, 5.4
Factoring- TEKS 5.3D, 5.5B
Adding and Subtracting Fractions- TEKS 5.3E
Rounding- TEKS 5.4
Estimation- TEKS 5.4
Problem Solving Using Tables- TEKS 5.5A, 5.13A, 5.13B, 5.13C, 5.14C
Graphs- TEKS 5.5A, 5.13A, 5.13B, 5.13C, 5.14C
Prime Numbers- TEKS 5.5B
Equations with Variables- TEKS 5.6
Geometry- TEKS 5.7
Parallel and Perpendicular Lines- TEKS 5.7
Polygons- TEKS 5.7
Transformations- TEKS 5.8A, 5.5B
Coordinate Plane- TEKS 5.9
5.10A, 5.10B, and 5.11 we have not discussed yet
Basic Probability- TEKS 5.12A, 5.12B, 5.12C
Mean, Median, Mode and Range- TEKS 5.13B
5.14 A, 5.14B, 5.14C, 5.14D and 5.16A we have not discussed yet

Science:
Scientific Method- TEKS 5.1A, 5.2A, 5.2B 5.2C, 5.2E, 5.2F, 5.3A, 5.3B, 5.4A
Science Projects- TEKS 5.2C, 5.2E, 5.2F, 5.3A, 5.10C
States of Matter- TEKS 5.5A
Compounds and Mixtures- TEKS 5.5C
Property Changes- TEKS 5.5D
Matting Changing States- TEKS 5.5D
Heat- TEKS 5.6A
Climate Types- TEKS 5.8A
Food Chains- TEKS 5.9B
Humans and the Envrironment- TEKS 5.9C
Behavior- TEKS 5.10B
Genetics- TEKS 5.10B
Insects- TEKS 5.10C
5.3D, 5.4A, 5.5A, 5.6A, 5.6B, 5.6C, 5.6D, 5.7A, 5.7B, 5.7C, 5.7D 5.8B, and 5.8D we have not discussed yet

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

Today in class we added five new cards to our vocabulary rings. The words we added were:

chemical Reaction
precipitate
change
reactant
safety goggles

We also discussed the difference between a physical change and a chemical change. Using our illustrated word wall words we figured out that a Physical Change is when a substance changes it's appearance, but does not change what it is made out of. The examples your student should know are: a hair cut, a piece of chalk being broken, a paperclip being unraveled, a piece of wood being carved into a bat, and a piece of paper being ripped in half. Then we compared that to a chemical change, which is when the substance changes appearance, and changes what it is made out of, often a new substance is formed. A chemical change includes two main parts, the reactants (substances being combined and the precipitate (the substance that is created because of the combination). The examples we discussed are A penny in oxygen or water which creates rust, a firecracker being lit and creating ash, a piece of bread in oxygen molding, an iron nail in oxygen rusting, a piece of wood being burnt and creating ash, a leaf getting less sunlight so creating less chlorophyll and changing colors (like what happens in the fall).

We will not have Science tomorrow due to the various school day activities. However, check here for an announcement about extra credit.

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

Yesterday in Science we created our new vocabulary cards. This week we are learning 4 new physical Science words and 6 new Nature of Science words. Remember: Nature of Science has to do with the processes and tools etc. that are involved in Science.

This week's words are:

Concentration (P)
Dilute (P)
Volume (N)
Chemistry (N)
Chemist (N)
Vial (N)
Beaker (N)
Solid Volume (P/N)
Liquid Volume (P/N)

Today, the students did a 4 question review of the concepts discussed the end of last week and this week.

November 15th, 2009

Hello all,

We have now moved from Life Science on to Physical Science. Physical Science focuses on the make up of matter, the three different states of matter that materials can exist in, mixtures and solutions, the ways that mixtures and solutions can be separated. In the upcoming weeks we will discuss light and sound, energy, magnetism and electricity. Physical Science can be fun, however, it is a large portion of new knowledge that your students will be learning. It is important that they are studying their ten weekly vocabulary words.

Students should know:
* All things are made of MATTER.
* Matter is the "stuff" that all things are made of.
* There are three basic states of Matter: Solid, Liquid and Gas
* Solids have particles that are packed closely together, vibrate in place, and have a definite size and a definite shape.
* Liquids have particles that are packed loosely spaced, have a medium amount of room to move, have a definite size, but not a definite shape, they take the shape of the container they are placed in.
* Gases have particles that are very far apart, move freely and quickly, they have no definite size, and no definite shape. They spread out to the size and shape of the container that they are placed in.

* Mixtures are two or more substances that are combined to make something else, that do not change the original materials, or change what they are made of.
* Mixtures can be separated.
* Ex. of mixtures include: salads, chex mix, salt and pepper, iron filings and sand air, lemonade, kool-aid etc.

* Solutions are a special type of mixture that can not be easily separated. One material seems to disappear in the other, this is called dissolving.
* Solutions consists of two parts:
- Solute: the solid part of a solution
- Solvent: the liquid part of a solution
* Ex. air, lemonade, kool-aid, tea, saltwater, sugar water

Please check out the links on the right side of the home page to find more information about the above topics, including games for the students to play.

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

This week in Science we will begin our studies of the Physical Sciences. This will include Matter, the Physical States of Matter, and how they can Change, Forces, Motion, Energy, Heat, Electricity, Magnetism, Light, Sound, and lots more.

Physical Science is a very fun unit, and the students usually really enjoy it.

This week we begin discussing Matter, or "the stuff everything is made of"; the Three states of matter (solid, liquid, and gas) and physical changes that include, evaporation, condensation, melting and freezing. By the end of the week your student should be able to tell you the three states, give you their characteristics and tell you the temperatures and state changes of the four physical changes listed above.

Solids: Have a definite size
Have a definite shape
The particles move very slowly, they vibrate in place.
The particles are very close together
Liquids: Have a definite size
Take the shape of the container they are in
The particles move at a medium speed
The particles are spread a little bit apart
Gases: Have no definite size, take the size of their container
Have no definite shape, take the shape of their container
The particles move very fast
The particles are really far apart

Evaporation is when a liquid changes to a gas. In water this is like liquid water being heated to 100*c or 212*F and turning into water vapor. These temperatures are also referred to as water's boiling point.

Condensation is when a gas changes to a liquid. In water this is when a gas like water vapor cools down and turns back into a liquid, like on the outside of our cups, or in the sky to make clouds.

Melting is when a solid changes to a liquid. In water, this is when an ice cube heats up to above 0*C or 32*F and it will start to melt into liquid water.

Freezing is when a liquid changes to a sold. In water this is when liquid water cools down to 0*C or 32*F and turns into ice.

A really good at home video to watch is found on the BBC website link on the right of the screen. It is under physical processes, this allows you to add and take away heat to view the change occurring.

If you notice on the side of the screen under vocab there is a new link. This is a link to the ten new words that your student is adding to their vocabulary rings each week.

October 22nd, 2009

Hello everyone! :)

This week in Science we continued discussing Adaptations. Specifically adaptations and how they help an organism survive in an ecosystem. The students were given an assignment that is due tomorrow that is called Eco-adaptation. This required them to create a (real or unique) creature that would be able to live in the Rain Forrest Ecosystem.

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

Tuesday and Wednesday this week, we did not learn any new content, due to shortened rotation schedules to allow for time to CogAt test in our classrooms.

However, today, I was off campus at an ESL training. My sub, however did introduce a "new" lesson to the students. Luckily, it's a concept we've discussed in-depth, several ties in class.

Today's lesson was called I Have A Niche.

A Niche is what an organism's specific "job" is in an ecosystem. It can include, what it does, what it eats, and what eats it. For example, an owl's Niche is that it flys at night, lives in trees, hunts and eats vermin. Follow this link to see an explanation.

For today's lesson the students were given a Grassland Ecosystem picture. This Ecosystem included a pond, the air, the soil, and a burrow in the soil. The students were then given 13 organisms that they needed to correctly identify, and then place in it's correct Niche in the Ecosystem.

This activity should be completed in class, if it is not, I will provide time in class on Friday. :)

See you tomorrow!

Monday, October 12th, 2009

Today we begin our discussions of biomes, and the adaptations of organisms that are found there. You can follow the linked work above to go to a Berkely website that has really good information on different biomes. Our Science Saurus defines a biome as a very large area of land with a certain kind of climate and certain kinds of organisms living there. An adatptation is a structure (body party) or behavior (something you do) that allows an organism to survive in it's environment.

Our two classes go to the computer lab on opposite days, however we will be watching this video in the computer lab. Underwater Astonishments.

Students, after you've watched this video, click on the comment button, and answer the following question. Remember, do not leave your name. Put your teacher's name, and your number. For example, Echols #19, or Kuykendall #19

What type of adaptations did you witness during the video? How could these be useful to that organism.

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

Today in Science, Mrs. Kuykendall's class did what my homeroom class did yesterday, you can see yesterday's post to help you follow along. After that the students got a reminder that their Vocab Folders and Composition books are due tomorrow for a final check to end the Six Weeks. Here is a link to show you what I am expecting out of their Vocab Folders.

Don't for get to check out the Math Blog, remember it will be updated and linked to sites by the end of this weekend. :)

Monday, September 21st, 2009

Today, the two classes are a bit off on their schedules. I did one Math and one Science with my homeroom, and no Science with Mrs. Kuykendall's class, however that will be different tomorrow. Tomorrow, Mrs. Kuykendall's class will get Math and Science and my homeroom will only get Math.

In Science, we reviewed what a food chain was, what it consists of, and learned a song (with movements) to remember what the organisms in a food chain eat, and what they are.

It is important to remember that a food chain's ENERGY originally begins with the Sun, it "gives it's energy to" a producer (grass, tree, flower, seed etc.), the producer "gives it's energy to" a herbivore (cow, grasshopper, mouse etc.), the herbivore "gives it's energy to" either an omnivore or a carnivore, then that consumer "gives it's energy to" another carnivore. The words "gives it's energy to" are crucial to remember because it's the organism that is getting eaten, not the one eating. So the SUN has an arrow that points to the PRODUCER, which has an arrow that points to the HERBIVORE, which has an arrow that points to either the OMNIVORE or CARNIVORE, and then that organism has an arrow that points to the CARNIVORE and so on. I like to have the students label the Sun and the arrows with an "E" to remember that it is Energy that is being transferred around.

I will post the words to the song, and their movements tomorrow.

Owl Pellet Dissection

Here's the link to the pictures from Owl Pellet Dissection Day :)

Sunday, September 20th, 2009

Last week was a busy week, we learned lots of new information in Science!!!

Science: Ecosystems, Food Chains, Food Webs

To see some of our vocabulary words that are illustrated, click here. When you follow this link it will take you to a Flickr page. These are the words that will be hung on our word wall by the end of the Life Science Unit. The first page that comes up is a quick synopsis of the words included. You can click on each of the pictures/words individually to see their descriptions. These descriptions include explanations of what the students should be "seeing" or getting out of the word cards. You can also click on the slideshow button on the top right and watch the cards slide by, with their descriptions showing. This could be a very useful topic for discussion between you and your student at home.

Monday and Tuesday we built our Terrarium's and Aquariums. On Wednesday we added our animals, and on Thursday the students put it all together. Next week, we will begin daily observations of the changes in both the Terrariums and the Aquariums. The purpose of this activity is to witness the unique interactions between two differnt environments and how they combine to create an ecosystem that provides the essentials for both living and non-living things in that environment. Here is a slideshow of a few finished Eco-columns. link: Eco-column Slideshow.

On Friday, we reviewed our vocab cards: Herbivore, Omnivore, and Carnivore; as well as our Objective 1 (Nature of Science) cards: Gram, Meter, Decimeter, Centimeter, Millimeter, Contract, Expand, Stretch, and Permeable. Ask your students about these words, and what the pictures told us about them. Then the students broke up into partner pairs and did a word sort. They had a 5 key words that were gray, Producer, Consumer, Herbivore, Carnivore, and Omnivore. Then there were about 19 or so other cards that had on organism listed on each card. These were all organisms that we had discussed while reading the book Butternut Hollow Pond, earlier this week.

Check out the NEW MATH BLOG!!!

Monday, September 14th, 2009

Today in Math, we discussed TEKS 5.2A, which addresses fractions. The TEKS is read : The Student Will... generate a fraction equivalent to a given fraction such as 1/2 and 3/6, or 4/12 and 1/3

To introduce fractions we discussed the two parts of a fraction, the numerator (the part at the top) and how it told us the part of the problem that we are looking for in the problem, and the denominator (the part at the bottom) and how it tells us the total number of parts that the whole is divided into. It is important for our students to remember that fractions represent EQUAL parts of a whole, not just parts.

We created equivalent fraction parts using construction paper. We had a red sheet which represented our WHOLE, a Orange sheet which represented HALF (1/2), a Green sheet which represented FOURTHS (1/4), a Yellow sheet which represented EIGHTHS (1/8), and a yellow sheet which represented SIXTEENTHS (1/16). We did a lot of discussion comparing the fractions. We discussed how the denominator in each told us how many pieces were equal to the whole RED, and then we discussed and compared the colored sheets to each other. For example, the Green 1/4 is equal to 1/4 of the Red, but it is 1/2 of the 1/2, and the Yellow is 1/8 of the Red, 1/4 of the 1/2 and 1/2 of the 1/4. Lastly, we discussed how the 1/16 is 1/16 of the red, 1/8 of the 1/2, 1/4 of the 1/4 and 1/2 of the 1/8. I gave them a sheet protector to keep these pieces in. We will be creating similar pieces tomorrow for 1/3, 1/6, 1/9 and 1/12 using Pink, Purple, Black and White paper.

These fraction pieces are good manipulatives for you to study with at home and review your students, and for them to use to aide them with their homework practice problems. I also will be sending flash cards home with some students, they will keep them for two weeks, and I will then rotate them to a new student. We still have several students who do not know their basic multiplication facts, and they are only going to continue to struggle, until these become a part of memory, everything we do this year will build on that one element.

In SCIENCE, we began our Terrarium/Aquarium (Ecosystems) project today. We discussed how a terrarium was a land habitat, and an aquarium was a water habitat. That the prefix terra- means land and aqua- means water; and how they can help us figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words. We will be continuing this experiment both tomorrow and Wednesday.

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

Hello it's been quite a week so far!

In science thIs week...

Tuesday, we introduced the word ecosystem to our science vocabulary. The students did a "making words activity, that will also be used for a spelling grade. Wednesday, I was out at a science staff development learning about fun, new experiments that we will do in the classroom. While I was out the substitute should have reviewed a few vocabulary words that the students should be familiar with, these were: producer, consumer, carnivore, herbivore, omnivore, predator and prey. Today, Thursday, we watched a clip of a Dirty Jobs episode that discusses Avian Vomitologists, scientists who study bird (owl) regurgitation. Why!? To
tomorrow, Friday, we will be dissecting owl pellets. This fun experiment allows us to "see" what the owls are eating and gives us, quite literally, an inside look at the food chain. While watching the episode we briefly touch on the terms adaptation, a structure or behavior that allows an organism to survive in it's environment, and niche (please note this word is scientifically pronounced Nee-sh, not Ni-t-ch), which is an organisms specific role/job/function in an ecosystem. For instance, the owl's niche is to keep the rodents and vermin from over-populating and ruining crops and harvests.

In math...

Tuesday, we made arrays, picture representations of a number sentence, and each student was given a number, and was responsible for showing all of the possible arrays for that number. Wednesday with the sub, the students finished making their array displays and then learned what a prime number was, any number whose factors are one and itself. They then created a chart of these numbers that we referred to in today's lesson... Prime factorization/factor trees. Tomorrow, we will take that information and study GCF, Greatest Common Factors.

Next week we start our BIG ecosystems projects, we will need all 2-liter bottles by that day!!! I'm so excited for the upcoming activities, IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT!!

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009

WELCOME BACK from a wonderful LOOOOONG Weekend!!!

Last week we focused on the new ways to multiply and divide. It is important to remember that the students do not have to use the new ways. They can choose the one that fits them best.

From talking to you at Meet the Teacher / Open House several of you asked for notes to help you help them :) with their homework. I made some over the holidays and will be providing a link within this blog. If you click on the underlined words, it will lead you to a GoogleDoc document. This can be printed to help. If it is still difficult, let me know, and we can schedule a time to sit and discuss them if you'd like!

Today in Math, we discussed making arrays. Arrays are picture representations of number sentences. A number sentence is just another way to say a "problem". Arrays have rows and columns and make squares or rectangles. Each student was given their own number and had to create all the arrays that went with it.

In Science we continued discussing Ecosystems a bit, and did a Making Words activity that will help as a Spelling grade for Mrs. Kuykendall.

This Friday, we will be starting our projects that involve our Egg cartons, and next Monday we will need our 2-liter bottles. Thanks to all of those who have sent them already :)

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009

Welcome to Mrs. Echols' blog.  It is now half way through the second week of school.
It's always rough getting back into the routine of things, but here we are.  :)
Tonight is Meet the Teacher Night, here is a Wordle that will tell you a little bit
about what we will be discussing tonight at our meetings.  Please let me know if you
have any other topics you'd like to discuss. 



So far this year in Science we've started out easy and at a slower place. 
We have discussed Scientists, what they do, who they are, misconceptions, stereotypes,
where they work, the tools they use etc.  The students had to create their image of
what a scientist is, and then the class made a graph comparing what we all had in common.
We have also began discussing the Scientific Method, and the seven steps that we will be
using this year.  This Friday we will begin discussing Food Chains and Ecosystems.  We
are gearing up for a fun experimental unit that will help us on that journey.  As a
reminder for that experiment, we do need clean 2-liter bottles and egg cartons, the more
the merrier :)

In Math, We are moving at a much more quick of a pace.  The first week of school we reviewed
concepts that should be familiar with our students, place value (up to the billions), writing
numbers in standard (1,234) form, expanded (1,000 + 200 + 30 + 4) form, and in written (one
thousand two hundred and thirty-four) form.  Our students need to make sure that they are able
to express numbers in all three of those forms from 0 up to 999,999,999,999.  We also worked
shortly on adding and subtracting four digit numbers with four digit numbers.  When practicing
this concept, it is crucial that our students are remembering to carry and borrow if it
is needed.  This week we have been working on Multiplication and Division.  Up until now, our
students should have been using Standard form for both of these, standard form would be
what we (parents, teachers) learned in school.  Monday, we discussed multiplication using
the distributive property, (32 X 5 can also be written as two problems... {30 X 5} +
{2 X 5}) and lattice, which breaks a big three digit by two digit problem down into six smaller
one digit by one digit multiplication problems (THIS IS REALLY COOL TO USE!!!).  Yesterday we
began discussing alternate division techniques and the students practiced what is called
"chunk it".  This is a method of division that breaks a larger, three digit by one or two digit,
division problem into three smaller one by one or two by one division problems.  (ALSO VERY COOL
TO USE)!!! 

As you probably noticed these are both very useful tools, but the success of our students in Math
this year will depend in how well they know their multiplication facts! Please work with your
child at home on getting these memorized, if they do not already know them.  In fifth grade
they should be working up to their 12 X 12's. 

I'm looking forward to a great year with you and your student!!!

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009

Here's a good website I ran across, called Nasa Kid's Club. It's got some really useful and interesting information about our Solar System :)

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

We did not switch today, however, we continued our exploration of interesting and fascinating Scientists in our homeroom classes. Today we learned about Maria Mitchell and John Muir.

Maria Mitchell was an Astronomer who won an award for being the first person to discover a comet, using a telescope. She wrote a nautical almanac that included information on the tides, the phases of the moon and on eclipses.

John Muir was a Conservationist who, due to an accident, was temporarily blind in the mid 1800's. During his recovery he decided to become a Naturalist and began a 1,000 mile walk to Florida. He studied the trees, flowers, never harmed animals, and appreciated nature for it's beauty. Along his walk he proved that Yosemite Park was formed by glaciers. He is often referred to as the Father of our National Parks, and pushed for the preservation of the Grand Canyon and the Petrified Forest in Arizona.

Friday, May 22nd, and Tuesday May 26th, 2009

These two days we wrapped up our Health Projects (pictures should be coming soon) and began learning about some really fascinating Scientists.

Today we learned about Benjamin Banneker and how he took his skills in Math and Science and used them to solve every day problems. He created a watch of his own, by observing and sketching another; and created his own Almanac that was so popular it was second only to the Bible in popularity. WOW!!!

We also learned about Annie Jump Cannon and how she classified stars based on their color. We created a color wheel, that we will "play" with on Friday and combine the colors of the spectrum to make "white light". It should be fun!!!

Thursday, May 21st, 2009

Today we went on our tour of Terry, so we did not rotate. The kids got to see performances from the Cheerleaders, Band, Orchestra, Choir, got to meet the Art teacher and Librarian. It was a really good day. We are back on track tomorrow and will wrap up our Health projects.

Tuesday and Wednesday May 19th and 20th

We did not rotate these two days, so we did not have Science/Health :(

We will be "back in business" on Friday, doing Three more presentations and the last on Tuesday, with a quiz of the notes they've taken during their classmates presentations.

Monday, May 18th, 2009

Today we began presenting our Health projects, so far we are off to an excellent start, I can really tell the awesome work that some of the groups put into it. On Friday, I will have notes from the presentations and hopefully, pictures of the wonderful creations :)

Thursday, May 14th and Friday, May 15th

These two days groups will be wrapping up their projects, making sure their posters are finished, and they know their lines, etc. We will begin presenting projects next week Monday-Thursday. Just like in our last project, I will upload the notes that I get from each class, and publish them to the blog. On Friday, the students will have a quiz over what their classmates "taught" them. :)

I am really enjoying this project, and the students are too.

Those of you that filled out the picture information......... you can begin looking for those pictures next week as well. :)

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

No Science today!!!

Thursday, May 7th and Tuesday, May 12th, 2009

We are working on our Health projects. The students will have only Thursday and Friday this week to complete them in class. Next Monday, we will begin presenting.

Here are the rubrics for Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 7, Chapter 9, Chapter 10. These show the exact expectations for your students, and how they will get their grades.

Tuesday, May 5th, 2009

Today we began our exciting HEALTH unit.

Health has so much useful information for our students, however can sometimes become a bit monotonous. To fix this problem, we have decided to learn a bit differently, through project-based learning.

As the students entered the room yesterday, each was given a small slip of paper with a random number, 1-7 on it. Thus, our groups were formed. All of the ones together, twos together and so on. Each group was assigned one of the seven important chapters that we have left. These groups will now become "experts" on that topic. They will have Tuesday, Thursday of this week, and Monday, Tuesday, Thursday of next week to work on their group projects.

In this assignment, each group was given a list of specific tasks that they need to make sure they include while "teaching" the class. The will be graded on a rubric that will be posted later this week, based on how well those tasks were completed.

Friday the 15th, Monday the 18th, and Tuesday the 19th the groups will do their presentations for the class. Each presentation should be at least 20 minutes long, and no more than 30 minutes long. On Friday, we will complete presenting if necessary, and take a quiz over what we've been taught.

I am, as are the students, very excited about our projects. Research shows that retention of knowledge is much higher, when it is "self-taught" or when a students becomes and "expert" on a subject. We've done something similar this year, with great success.

Keep looking for specifics on each groups requirements later this week.

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

Today was the BIG DAY!!!
The kiddos seemed confident, used awesome strategies and took their time.
I'm so proud of the effort and work that they've put in these last few weeks. :)

And now............. it's time for Health.

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

Today, with their homeroom teachers, the students got their last of the Big Book of Vocab words. They were..........

Tools
Hypothesis
Variable
Model (we discussed this one yesterday as well)

WELL TOMORROW IS THE BIG DAY!!!!!!!!!!
THE DAY TO SHOW WHAT WE KNOW!!!!!
GET A GOOD NIGHT'S REST, EAT A GOOD BREAKFAST, SEE YOU TOMORROW. :)

Here are some new interesting links 4-28-09

Space Science link

International Space Station

To see the following two with pictures, e-mail me and I'll send you the whole powerpoint. It does not all upload.
Here's some cool info on Mars being visible in August
Here is some footage of preparation of the shuttle for launch


Here's the Earth/Moon chart that they added on 4-27

Friday, April 24th - Tuesday, April 28th, 2009

Friday April 24th
Today we discussed WED and the forces that cause these to happen. Your student should have a series of hand movements to show you, that will help them remember.

Our Big Book of Vocab Words were:
Weathering
Erosion
Deposition
Gravity

Monday, April 27th
Today we Discussed the the Solar System, Outer Space and the Phases of the Moon. Students added a chart comparing the Earth and the Moon, as well as the Lunar Cycle into their books.

Our Big Book of Vocab Words were:
Characteristics of the Earth
Characteristics of the Moon
Solar System / Planets
Characteristics of the Sun

Tuesday, April 28th
Today we reviewed a few of the last key concepts to prepare for Thursday. We discussed what the word retain means, and how it could apply to soil and experiments; Tree Rings and how we count them, and what they stand for. The students should also be able to tell when the tree had a healthy year and a unhealthy year. Lastly, we reviewed Stalagmites and Stalactites as well as the ways to remember them!!! **** Stalagmites, stand up tall and mighty, Stalactites hold on tight to the ceiling. Also, have your student show you how a tree uses photosynthesis. They have movements to remember this too. :)

Their Big Book of Vocab words were:
Photosynthesis
Organism
Niche
Solid/Liquid/Gas

Thursday, April 22nd, 2009

Today we discussed Natural Resources. The students were given a set of twenty-four cards, and with a partner, they had to separate those cards into 6 groups of four. The six groups were Rocks, Soil, Water, Gases in the atmosphere, Oil and Sunlight. I came around to the groups when they were done to check for understanding.

Our Big Book of Vocab Words were:
Fossil Fuels
Renewable Resources
Non-renewable Resources
Inexhaustible Resources

There are important examples of each that they need to know.

Renewable Non-Renewable Inexhaustible
Animals Oil Sunlight
Plants Natural Gas Wind
Water Coal Ocean Tides
Air Minerals
Soil

*Minerals come from rocks
* Wind is caused by the uneven heating of the Earth's surface by the Sun
* Ocean Tides are caused by the moon's gravitational pull on the Earth; we have 4 a day, 2 high tides and 2 low tides
* All fossil fuels are Non-Renewable Resources

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009

I won't see the students for Science today, but with next Thursday right around the corner, I wanted to check in with them. While in the computer lab, the students will watch the following, informative Science videos.

The Water Cycle Song



Weathering and Erosion Game Show

Vocabulary Review Game

A Honda Commercial that would be good when discussing Simple/Compound Machines


A Lunar Eclipse that you can watch


Awesome Weathering and Erosion video that I will be using for sure.

Photosynthesis


HILARIOUS and informative Solids, Liquids and Gases video

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009

Today we reviewed reflection and refraction. This activity focused on TEKS 5.8B that says, the student will.... identify and demonstrate everyday examples of how light is reflected, such as from tinted windows, and refracted, such as in cameras, telescopes and eyeglasses. We did a few more examples of each: Reflection: mirrors and shiny, flat surfaces. Refraction: a pencil in a glass of water, microscopes, magnifying glasses, binoculars etc.

The students then sorted this page into two groups, one for objects that reflect and one for objects that refract.

Our Big Book of Vocab words were:
Reflect(ion)
Refract(ion)
Complete Circuit
Magnet/Magnetic

Monday, April 20th, 2009

Today our Big Book of Vocab Words were:

Boiling Point
Freezing Point
Rotate
Revolve

We did a group activity combining the three natural cycles that we've discussed and drew them onto one picture to show how they interacted together.

Thursday, April 16th, 2009

Today in Science we reviewed the adaptations that are required for certain organisms to survive in specific environments. The students worked with a partner and had to figure out the characteristics of the environment that applied to their organism.

They had ten organisms, they found the habitat in which they lived, and then they described their environments. Here is what they should have come up with........ or something similar

Cactus-Desert Community- A, H, K, O, P, R
Moray Eel- Ocean Community- E, F or G, J, M, S
Polar Bear- Polar Community- A, I or J, L (winter), O, R, S (pregnant females)
Blue Whale- Ocean Community- E, F or G, J, L or M, R
Woodpecker-Deciduous Forest Community- C, I, M, N, can justify R and S
Squirrel- Deciduous Forest Community- C, I, M, N, S
Toad-Deciduous Forest Community- A and D, G, I and J, M, N, R and S
Mushroom- Deciduous Forest Community- A, I, K, M, N, R and S
Jack Rabbit- Desert Community- A, H, K, O, R

KEY:
A- land B- underground C- trees D- freshwater E- salt water F- moving water
G- calm water H- dry I- moist J- wet K- hot L- cold M- average temperature
N- shady O- sunny P- sand soil Q- rich soil R- open area S- enclosed area

Our Big Book of Vocab words were:
Habitat
Biomes
Climate
Ecosystem

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

We did not meet today.

Their Big Book of Vocab words were.............

Adaptation
Inherited Traits
Learned Behaviors
3 Types of Rocks (Igneous, Sedimentary, Metamorphic)

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009

Our Big Book of Vocab words for today were:
• Herbivore
• Carnivore
• Omnivore
• Predator/Prey

After reviewing our words, the students broke up into pairs and answered twelve practice questions on Inherited Traits and Learned Behaviors. One of the things I really stressed with them today was to make sure that they are proving their answers right. That is just as important, if not more, than answering the question. :)

Monday, April 13th, 2009

Our Big Book of Vocab Words were:
• Food Chain
• Food Web
• Producer
• Consumer

Today, we read #26 Food Chains and Food Webs to get a quick review of the facts. Food Chains and Webs should always start with the sun, the sun gives it's energy to a producer and then producers to consumers. Producers give their energy to a special type of consumer called a herbivore or an omnivore. Then, these consumers are eaten by other omnivores or carnivores. The students should remember that the arrows stand for energy being transferred from one organism to the next.

Finally, the students played a game with their table mates that focused on inherited traits!!!

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

Today we started our new rotations. I loved having the opportunity to see our students in a different environment, with a new group of kiddos.

Wednesday in their homerooms, students created a Big Book of Vocabulary. They will get four words each morning in homeroom to write everything that they remember about that word. For the first ten minutes of each class we will review everything that they should know for those four words. After that we will review the key concepts and play a game or do an experiment etc, something that involves an understanding of the concepts.

Friday, the students finished their body systems foldables and turned them in.

Our Big Book of Vocab words were:
Metamorphosis
Water Cycle
Oxygen-Carbon Dioxide Cycle
Nitrogen Cycle

Tuesday, April 7th, 2009

Friday April 3rd and Monday April 6th, 2009

Friday we discussed Plant and Animal Cells. We illustrated what each looks like, and discussed the main structures in each. We then constructed a Double Bubble Map comparing the two.

Plant and Animal Cells both have:
Cell membrane- let things in and out
Mitochondria- "power plants" of the cell
Vacuoles- store stuff for later use
Nucleus- tells everything else what to do
Cytoplasm- jelly-like substance that surrounds everything

Plant Cells Have:
Cell Wall- surround the cell membrane and give plants their rigid structure
Chloroplasts- aide in photosynthesis, hold chlorophyll, which gives plants their green color

Monday we started a foldable discussing all of our seven main body systems and are learning about their main organs and functions. See Thursday's post for more on this.

Wednesday, April 1st, 2009

Hello,

Since I don't get to see you today, please answer this question for me, make sure to put a name of some kind so that I can identify you. :) Initials, and teacher would be a great idea too!!!

Make sure to answer all THREE parts!!!

Questions:
What is the purpose of the digestive system?
What is the purpose of the circulatory system?
What is the purpose of the respiratory system?

See you tomorrow :D
Mrs. E

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

In class we reviewed The essential tools and applied their uses to different scenarios. The students were given 16 pictures of tools they were: computer, net, ruler, metric ruler, compass, timer, camera, balance, tape recorder, hot plate, magnifying glass, microscope, calculator, goggles, thermometer, and a magnet.

I read about 35 scenarios to the students and they had to hold up the tools that they would use for that situation. For instance, if they needed to keep a daily log of the appearance of an object, they would use the camera. If they needed to track the temperature change of a plant on the North of a building, they would need a thermometer and a compass.

After we finished they had about ten minutes to flip their cards over and play memory/concentration with their neighbor.

Monday, March 30, 2009

ALL SYSTEMS GO!!!!! was the title of our activity today. We reviewed the Circulatory systems, it's four main parts (heart, veins, arteries and capillaries) and it's main function (pumping blood). We reviewed the Digestive system and it's nine main parts (teeth, mouth, esophagus, stomach, liver, gall bladder, pancreas, small intestine and large intestine) and it's main function (processing and digesting food). We also reviewed the Respiratory system and it's six main parts (nose, naval cavity, trachea, bronchial tubes, lungs and diaphragm) and it's main function (breathing). The students received pictures of each and color coded the parts for easy reviewing. Please encourage them to study the functions of each system.

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

Today we read in our National Geographic Explorer about Butterflies in an article titled "Living Color". I read the article to the students and they completed a patchwork as I read, see my earlier post from Monday, March 2nd for another example of when we used this learning strategy. The students created some very interesting patches for our "quilt" of knowledge. The article taught us:

• Monarch butterflies migrate in October, fly up to 2,000 miles and up to 10,000 feet in the air.
• Butterflies migrate because they need a warmer place to live.
• They are found in many different habitats and places.
• Butterflies are insects, they have six legs, a head, a thorax, an abdomen, wings, antenna, and a probiscis.
• Butterfly wings are symmetrical, which means that both sides are exactly the same.
• A butterfly's wings comes from it's unusually feeling scales.
• Scientists are experimenting with makeups, computers and cell phones that use this technology.
• Butterflies go through metamorphosis, a special type of life cycle that consists of four stages: Egg, Larva, Pupa and Adult.
• Butterflies start as eggs, then become caterpillar, and then spin a chrysalis, and then emerge as an adult.
• Adult butterflies feed only on liquids, nectar especially. As they feed they pick up pollen from the flower and drop it on other flowers, this is pollination.
• Monarch butterflies eat milkweed, when they are caterpillars, which contains a toxic poison, but it does not affect them. As an adult, when a predator eats one, it leaves a nasty taste, and prevents that animals from eating another one.
• Humans are impacting the butterfly life cycle by using pesticides meant for other animals, that also hurts them, and by clearing the land that they call home.
• The largest butterfly is the Queen Alexandra's birdwing which can grow to 11 inches long.
• The smallest butterfly is found in China, and is the Tongeia minima, and is only half an inch long.
• Some butterflies can fly as fast as 30mph.
• The painted lady butterfly can fly for 620 miles, without resting. WOW!!!

Butterflies we discussed and their pictures:
Peacock Butterfly
Owl Butterfly
Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly
Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
Monarch Butterfly and it's caterpillar
Chinese Peacock
Queen Alexandra's Birdwing Butterfly
Tongeia minima Butterfly
Painted Lady Butterfly

Wednesday, March 25th, 2009

No Science with me today, but the students did do a few practice questions in class with their homeroom teachers.

Tuesday, March 24th, 2009

Today we played vocabulary bingo in an effort to review for the upcoming TAKS. It's on April 30th, only 25 school days, and not counting the Wednesdays that I don't see the kiddos, only 19 Science days. WOW!!! We play bingo a bit differently. Instead of calling out the words and having them cover it up, I call out the definition, or give them an example, and they have to figure out what the word is. Then, when they get bingo, to be able to claim their prize, they have to call out their words back to me, and give me either the definition or an example back. It's great, a "fun" learning experience.

We also did a bit more English today, we reviewed capitalized abbreviations and titles.

Monday, March 23rd, 2009

Today we discussed the 7 main forms of Energy.

These are:
Heat, Light, Sound, Electrical, Chemical, Nuclear, Mechanical.

The students created a tree map in their composition books that has each type of energy as a branch, and examples listed below it. They were to list the few from the book, and then create some of their own.

Heat: Oven, Furnace, Toaster, Sun, Heat in your body
Light: Light bulb, the Stars, Computer Screen, Lightning
Sound: Loudspeakers, Radio, TV, Wind, Thunder, Someone's Voice
Electrical: Electricity from a power plant, Car Battery, Dry Cell Battery in a flashlight
Chemical: Energy stored in the foods you eat, Energy stored in Fuels such as Wood and Gasoline
Nuclear: Energy used to generate electricity in a nuclear power plant, Energy used to kill cancer cells (will be called Radiation Energy later in school)
Mechanical: can be broken into Kinetic- the energy of motion, and Potential- the stored energy

We touched on the importance of knowing that one thing can produce several forms of energy. The Lightning for example, produces, Heat, Light, Electrical etc. The TV produces, Heat, Light, Sound, and uses, not produces, Electrical.

We also did an English assignment in class today that discusses the proper usage of Proper Nouns and Proper Adjectives. The did a review sheet that is due tomorrow.

Friday, March 13th, 2009

Today the students finished their articles in our National Geographic magazines. These articles included Nature's Spirals a discussion on the Fibonacci sequence and how they are found in nature in Sea Shells, Bighorned Sheep, Sunflower Centers, and Spiral Galaxies.

The article also discussed the lost culture of Timbuktu (an actual place) and how it was formed on the possession of salt and gold.
Some key words from this article were:
Arabic- language spoken in the Middle East and North Africa
Culture- group of people's way of life, ideas, customs, and traditions
Nomad- person who does not live in one place all the time
Pilgrimage- journey to worship at a sacred place

The final passage was titled Body Works, and it discussed the microscopic workings of our bodies. This focused on our eyes, and how the rods inside of them help us see in black and white and color; our Brain and it's power in everything. How we breathe, or as they put it "Catch Air"; How Oxygen is delivered in our body, and how our body works when we work. There are several very nice diagrams of the Eye, the Lungs, and our Heart.
Some key words from this article were:
Blood vessel- tube in your body that carries blood, such as a vein or artery
Nerve- wiring that sends messages between your brain and every body part
Organ- body part with a specific purpose
Sense- ability, such as sight, that helps you understand your surroundings

Lastly, we worked in partners and read a short paragraph on Global Warming and focused on the terms Global Warming, Greenhouse Gases, Atmosphere, Deforestation and the Layers of our atmosphere. These layers are: Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, and Thermosphere.

The Troposphere is the layer were greenhouse gases become trapped, the Stratosphere is the layer that contains the Ozone Layer, the Mesosphere is the layer that slows down meteors until most burn up, the Thermosphere is the outermost layer of the atmosphere.

The back discussed Sequoia trees, also known as Redwoods, and how special they are.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Today we read in our National Geographic about Madagascar. We followed Scientist Mireya Mayor (a National Geographic Emerging Explorer) on her journey. She tells us that she would describe her job as "Must like adventure. Must be patient. Must not mind mud. Must not scare easily. Must get close to predators. And finally, must love lemurs." She walks us through some of her daily adventures and introduces us to many interesting animals. These were: Madagascar's panther chameleons, tomato frogs, comet moths, hissing cockroaches, jumping rats, fossas, and Aye-Aye's (a type of lemur). We discussed the words amphibian, endemic, mammal and savanna, as well as mentioned what nocturnal meant.

Amphibian- animal that begins life in the water but later moves onto land.
Endemic- found in only one place.
Mammal- animal that feeds milk to its young.
Savanna- flat, grassy plain with few or no trees
Nocturnal- animal that sleeps during the day and hunts at night.

We will explore this issue later this week, and after spring break.

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

Even though we did not switch today, students took their benchmarks in their homeroom classes.
This benchmark was the 2006 released TAKS test, it should be a good measure of how they will perform in April. The benchmark that they took today can be found by clicking on the linked word "benchmark" or by following the directions below:

1. go to http://www.tea.state.tx.us
2. click on Testing and Accountability on the left side
3. click on Released TAKS tests
4. click on TAKS
5. go down to the 12th entry that says April 2006 Grade 5 (1st administration includes Feb. Reading)
6. From there you can choose the Released Test, and Science is on pages 59-84
OR
From there you can choose the Answer key, and the Science key is on pages 8-12

We will be making new tutoring groups next week, to get us ready for our BIG day! :)

Tuesday, March 10th, 2009

Well, I'm back...... what a crazy week it's been.

Monday, with my sub the students did a review to get them ready for our benchmark on Wednesday.

Today, we reviewed the review for the benchmark and talked a bit about sound. Our key concepts were that it travels in waves, rippling out. It is consisted of compressions and non-compressions, that vibrations cause it, and it can be low or high in tone/volume etc.

Tomorrow is the BIG, benchmark day......... hope we are studying :)

Thursday, March 5th, 2009

Today we discussed Conductors, Insulators and Circuits. First we went over conductors and insulators and sorted pictures of these into two sections. In our discussion of circuits, we went over the differences between series and parallel, as well as open and closed. We made foldables to make these concepts more "visual".

Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

Today we practiced a Reading technique called "patchwork" or "quiltwork". In this activity the students were in groups of three or four. The had one large poster paper that was divided into four sections. Then in, their section they "took notes", without writing notes, about a book. Today we read What's Out There? A book about Space by: Lynn Wilson and Illustrated by Paige Billin-Frye. In this book we explore the various aspects of Space.

Topics of Discussion Include:
Constellations, Planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, March, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune), Orbits, Solar Systems, Stars (The Sun), Day/Night, Rotation, Revolutions, Years, Seasons, Moon Phases, The Moon, Neil Armstrong, Gravity, Space Suits, Atmosphere, Mars Expeditions, Inner/Outer Planets, Asteroids, Meteoroids (Shooting Stars), and Comets.

The students then got discussed their "patches" of the "quilt" with their group members and picked a few favorites to share with the class.

Friday, February 27, 2009

We explored light for one last day. Today we watched a Bill Nye video on Light and Optics. We reinforced things that we have already learned, and learned a few new things.

The video discusses the difference between Reflection and Refraction, Convex and Concave Lenses, the students were even taught hand motions to review these concepts. They should have walked away knowing that Reflection is the "bouncing" of light, Refraction is the "bending" of light, Convex lenses bend light inwards and makes the paths cross at a focal point and then makes an inverse image on the other side of the focal point, and that Concave lenses spread light beams out and tend to make images look smaller and farther away.

On the right side of the blog, I've shared the notes and a practice quiz that reviews what we learned in the video, so that the students can check for their understanding.

We took a quiz in class over the vocabulary that has been introduced this week.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Today we experimented with light. The students had four stations to complete with their group members.

In "station 1" the students studied a cardboard square, a wax square and a clear plastic square. Their job was to interpret how the light in the room was interacting with the objects. They should have been able to label the cardboard as opaque, the wax as translucent, and the clear plastic (transparency) as transparent.

In "station 2" the students were given a sheet with "mystery symbols" on it. Their job was to use the mirror in their materials bucket to figure out what the secret words were. The words were BOX and DECK. Many of the students went on to create their own mystery words, using the mirrors, for extra credit.

In "station 3" the students explored the behavior of light when traveling from the air, through water, and back out again. The laid a flashlight on the edge of the table, covered the tip with foil, and poked a hole in the foil to let the light shine through. The students then experimented with how the path of the light changed the closer/farther they got to the clear plastic cup with water. Then, the laid a blank, white piece of paper on the other side of the cup and observed how the path of light seemed to bend when coming out of the water. Hmmm....... I wonder why???

In "station 4" the students were given clear plastic CD cases, Thank you Dr. Murry, to use; along with three pictures. These pictures were of a lightbulb, a hand, and a monkey. The students were to illustrate a reflection of the image, without, looking at their paper, or the original picture. The results were fabulous!!! I have lots of pictures to share, and will be sending home permission notes to post a few of them!!!

In station 1, the students were to gather a basic understanding of the nature of light, and how it reacts to certain objects. In station 2, they had the opportunity to witness reflection and how it creates an opposite image. It is also a good tie in to symmetry, in Math, because if a letter is asymmetrical, it can not be used in a "secret message" In station 3, the groups were experimenting with refraction, and the fact that when light travels from one form of matter (air, to solid, to liquid, to solid, to air again) it will change direction (bend or break) and this is called refraction. Lastly, in station 4, the groups are revisiting the concept of reflection, and how objects can reflect (bounce back) an image, but in a "opposite" manner.

The materials had several additional materials the students could experiment with on their own, including the "bendable" mirrors, which act as convex and concave lenses; and a straw, that could have been used in conjunction with the water station, to further emphasize the refracting (bending) concept.

It was a great day!!!!

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Today was Wednesday so we did not switch classes. The students received missing assignment reports, if they had any, and were to get their assignments turned in today. Tomorrow we will be doing an experiment with LIGHT!!!! Friday is the last day of our 4th Six Weeks.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Today we reviewed some of our important vocabulary words, and their illustration cards that we post on our wall. We reviewed: Force, Turn, Friction, Gravity, Inclined Plane, Wedge, Pulley, Wheel, Lever, Fulcrum, Load and Gear. We began discussing Light and it's properties. We watched a 12 minutes video introducing us to the topic, and we will be experimenting on Thursday to apply the new knowledge that we gained today.

This morning I added two very neat links to the blog. You can find them on the right side of this page. The two at the top, are the new ones. One shows us animations of any Earth Science concept, and the other is just a really good source of information. Enjoy.

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

First of all, I'd like to thank those of you for your condolences that have shared this last week. We had a very trying week, and it was much appreciated, as well as needed. :)

Today in Science we began discussing Citric Acid. We created a Circle Map, where we brainstormed all of the "new things" that were learned today. After discussing this we made a Window Pane Foldable in which we discussed the "four" tastes and the areas in which we taste them. Our four tastes included, sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. We taste sweet tastes at the front tip of our tongue, salty tastes on the sides of the front of our tongue, sour tastes in the middle of each side of our tongue, and bitter tastes on the farthest back portion of our tongue. We also brainstormed examples of these tastes:

Sweet: Cake, cookies, sugar etc.
Salty: French Fries, chips, peanuts, pretzels etc.
Sour: Lemons, candy with citric acid :), etc.
Bitter: Dark Chocolate (some of us even new that it's called Special Dark and in a Green wrapper, thanks to Hershey's :P

Wednesday-Friday, February 18-20, 2009

Hello,

I have been out since Wednesday, luckily I had a wonderful sub who took care of our classes!!! Wednesday was early release day, and we do not switch. On Thursday the students watched a Bill Nye video on Forces and Motion, and on Friday the students took a quiz. This quiz can be found if you click on the word quiz. I plan on returning to work on Monday to update progress reports and get those sent out, as well as move on to new subjects with the students.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Today we reviewed a lower grade concept. Simple Machines!!! Simple Machines is usually an easy topic for our students. Today we brainstormed a list of the 6 types of Simple Machines, the students created a Tree Map with a partner and then we made a foldable as a class. None of the classes completed their foldables today, and will be working on them in their homeroom classes tomorrow. The foldables, and the reading information that they used to make their tree maps are all due on Friday the 19th. We will be taking a quiz that day, and they will be able to use any notes in their composition books.

Monday, February 16th, 2009

Today we are beginning our discussions of Force and Motion. We read a bit in our book together and took a few notes we then the students broke into pairs and created a tree map classifying the four major types of forces into their groups, with important facts and information. We also discuss important vocabulary words: Motion, Speed, Intertia and Acceleration. Afterwards we summed up our readings in our Science Detective #6.

Thursday, February 12th, 2009

No Science today, we were taking our Math Benchmarks. However, our students do have Catch a Clue due tomorrow!!!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Students, sorry I don't get to see you today. Answer the following question... Hint, it involves a process of the water cycle.

Make sure that you answer describing the process, and make sure to include your name in your response.

How can a solution of salt and water be separated apart?

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Today in Science we discussed Physical and Chemical Changes more in-depth. The students made a web prior to our review writing what they remembered about the Changes and then predicted what words we would hear in our reading. After reading the review the classes got with a partner and answered 5 Literal Questions, 2 Inferential Questions, and 2 Making Connections Questions. We did a "Sharpen our Skills" activity, together, that took the Science content that we just learned and applied it to English concepts. Lastly, the partners completed a Logic Puzzle to figure out which of five students completed each type of Change.

The Catch a Clue Physical and Chemical Changes packet is due on Thursday when they come to class. The Comprehension Questions will be a Science grade and the Sharpen Your Skills will be an English grade.

Monday, February 9th, 2009

Hello all,

Today was a hodge podge of activities between the three classes. In Mrs. Brewer's class we were finished presenting our group projects, however Group 4 had an excellent addition to their project, that they worked on outside of school that was AWESOME!!! The completed their evaluations and we read in our National Geographic Explorer about Gold Fever and Icebergs. We discussed how Gold is both a mixture and a solution and that is also one of our Elements, it's symbol is Au. We then stopped and the groups started an experiment that we will be completing tomorrow in class. We will measure how much mass 50 mL of water has, add a 5 mL spoon full of salt, measure it again and find out how much the mass of the salt is that we added. The students will then brainstorm ideas of how we could separate the salt out of the solution that we have created. The students also had the opportunity to read a bit about Icebergs when their group finished the experiment.

Mrs. Kuykendall's class completed presenting their Group projects today and then they too did their evaluations. Group three and Group five went. The students read Gold Fever as well. After they were finished we started the same experiment as Mrs. Brewer's class, that we will also be completing tomorrow.

Mrs. Echols' class completed their posters and all five groups presented today, it was a busy day!! The students also completed their EVALUATIONS of themselves, their group members and the other groups. After rotating classes at the end of the day, the students read Gold Fever as well. We will do the entire experiment tomorrow and play "catch up" a little bit!

Thursday, February 5th, 2009

Today Mrs. Brewer's class and Mrs. Kuykendall's class presented their projects. My homeroom is a bit behind due to a bit of group concerns. We hope to finish our posters and present on Monday. The groups that presented today were OUTSTANDING!!!

In Mrs. Brewer's class we learned lots of new things and had some very informative lessons. In Mrs. Kuykendall's class we were entertained by several students, including one who rapped for us.

Make sure you click on the linked words to "See" the amazing things our kiddos are doing!

Wednesday February 4th, 2009

Hello, today in the computer lab, you the students, are supposed to peruse the website and see what good stuff you can find. I also want you to leave a comment posted to this question:

What is the difference between a mixture and a solution?

February 3, 2009

Today the students will be creating their posters and working in their groups. Their posters are what they will be using for their class presentations on Thursday. The poster should have each group members name on the back, their subject/title on the front, as well as their group name. Later today, I will upload a list of students and what groups they are in with their "Chemistry Names". They are really creative, it's fun to see how our students' minds work!! I'm really looking forward to see how our projects go.

February 2, 2009

Today in class we started a "jigsaw" project. In a jigsaw project each group is responsible for becoming the 'expert' in their area. Today each group will be doing that. The groups were given 4 tasks to complete between now and Thursday.

#1 Read their assigned information
#2 Come up with a Chemistry related Group Name
#3 Focus on key vocabulary words and information from the reading
#4 Create a poster to present to the class on Thursday

The information was broken up into 5 sections.

Pages 1-3 The first section come from a passage in our FOSS books simply titled Mixtures and Solutions. This passage is a basic review of concepts that we've already covered, such as mixtures and what they are, solutions and examples. It goes into further details to discuss what a solute and a solvent is. A key point of focus should be on the fact that solutions can be separated by evaporation.

Pages 4-6 The second section comes from the same passage, but it was broken up due to length. this focuses on the smallest particles called atoms and specific types of Elements. The 'Super Scientist' Henry Cavendish is explored and his contributions to understanding the elements. The Greek roots in chemistry are also explored.

Pages 7-8 The third section comes from a passage called "A Salty Story". This story focuses on salt flats and Salt Lake City, Utah and follows the process of salt mining to salt use in our homes.

Pages 9-10 The fourth section continues our information gathering of salt and it's many uses, as well as little known, yet important, facts, folklore surrounding salt, and two very important 'Super Scientists' Robert Boyle and Marie Curie.

Pages 11-12 The fifth section talks about our Earth and it's Elements. It focuses on our body and it's components that include (Oxygen 65%, Carbon 18%, Hydrogen 10%, Nitrogen 3%, Calcium 2%, Other 2%). Continuing, it discusses the major elements in the Earth (Iron 35%, Oxygen 28%, Silicon 13%, Magnesium 17%, Nickel 2.7%, Sulfur 2.7%, All other elements including calcium and aluminum 1.6%)

Tomorrow we will make our posters, and on Thursday we will present. I plan on taking pictures during our presentations, hopefully I get the posted by this weekend.

Friday January 30th 2009

Today we took a quiz over what we have learned in Physical Science so far. The students were allowed to use any notes that they had in their composition books, and all of those notes and illustrations were done together.

After the quiz we discussed how atoms and molecules create compounds. We drew our compounds and created their formulas using a list of Elements and their symbols.

You can see the quiz by clicking on the word "quiz" anywhere in this blog. There will be a link for you to click on that says 'view published presentation in a new window.'

Here's to happy blogging! Have an excellent weekend!!

Introduction to Our Blog

Well, here we are for our first blog. I've noticed that a lot of our students are looking for ways to study at home, or on the weekends. To help themselves get that extra edge. That thrills me. We also have some awesome parents who do everything that they can to get our students where they need to be.

After some thinking, I've decided that the best way to make a community of learners is to create a daily blog. Every day after school gets out, I'll post what we've done for the day, with any important notes that your students may need, or that you may need to help them.

The new year is already a month in and our TAKS test will shortly be upon us. I'm hoping to have our best scores ever this year!! :)