Fifth grade has fascinating topics of study!
- Weather the Weather!
- Geoloy Rocks!
- Wee Beasties: Investigating Microscopic Organisms
- Pendulums Swing as Pendulums Do!
- Physics is Phun: Investigating Energy, 1
- Physics is Phun: Investigating Energy, 2
- Eco-Trekkers
- New Unit: Greening the Schoolyard
- STEM Fair
- MSA Science
Weather the Weather!
This unit opens our studies in Science this year...and what's
more relevant than the weather? Weather affects us every day!
Let's think about adding a weekend weather segment to the Friday
broadcast on SKAR news. We'll be crossing from summer to autumn
when we study this topic so we can pit our forecasting skills
against the network meteorologists. Anyone want to guess the date
of the first snowfall in Relay? How about the number of days we
will be off for snow closures?
Geoloy Rocks!
Rocks, minerals, volcanoes, earthquakes, mountains, moving
plates, continental drift...what's not to love about a unit on
these exciting topics?! Maybe we'll even figure out how fossils
of marine animals have been found on mountains! Start collecting
some interesting rocks and minerals to share during our first
unit.
I will send an update when I post the Family Field Trip that you
can take on a weekend, and collect some terrific specimens right
here in Baltimore!
Wee Beasties: Investigating Microscopic Organisms
During the second quarter, we break out the microscopes and
really have some fun! We will investigate plant and animal cells
up close and personal! Do all cells have mitochondria? How about
cytoplasm and chlorophyll? What cells in your body protect you
from disease? Too bad we have to wait to find out!
Pendulums Swing as Pendulums Do!
We'll have a great time during the third quarter, learning about
the science behind pendulums, and at the same time, we will be
conducting an investigation in the same manner as you will follow
for your STEM Fair project. It's never too early to select an
area of interest and narrow the focus for your project!
Physics is Phun: Investigating Energy, 1
A textbook will talk about electricity as moving electrons, and
no, that's not very exciting. Just wait until you test static
electricity, build a circuit and light a bulb, and create an
electromagnet that uses common items! Then we move into magnetism
and test different magnets and various substances as we uncover
the mysteries of magnets during the third quarter of the year.
Physics is Phun: Investigating Energy, 2
Start boning up on your knowledge of my hero, Sir Isaac Newton.
It's really a serendipitous series of events that lead to some of
his research and investigations into force and motion, which are
the focus of our study. You already know a bit about the topic
since the success of your third grade Safe Racer was all about
force and motion. We'll study this topic during the third quarter.
Eco-Trekkers
Circle May 13th on your 2010 calendar! That's the date that we
will all travel together to Miami Beach...in Essex, of course.
This unit of study finds us learning more about food webs,
ecosystems, and the flora and fauna of four ecosystems in our
area: meadow, forest, beach/ocean, and wetland/marsh. Our trip is
a hands-on investigation into the conditions and the critters and
the plants in each system. And, yes, you will be swishing for
insects in the meadow, studying a grid in the forest, dipping for
life in the marsh, and going into the water to seine for life at
Miami Beach!
New Unit: Greening the Schoolyard
This new unit is being piloted and will be ready for
implementation in late 2010.
STEM Fair
All students in my class are expected to participate in the Relay
Elementary STEM Fair by creating and conducting an investigation
related to a question that you have. Your project will be the
culminating activity for the Pendulums unit, and will be scored
for a grade in Science.
The STEM Fair will be held over a period of three days. Projects
must be in school by 9:00 AM on the first day for preliminary
judging. Final judging by a panel of distinguished judges will be
held on Day 3.
Students must be present during judging for the interview
component of the fair. We will hold the exhibition of the
projects and award prizes at our Relay STEM Fair, the evening of
Day 3.
MSA Science
Aren't we the lucky ones! Fifth grade students are the only
students at Relay that are tested on Science! Let's do our best
and show all of our teachers here at Relay that you learned all
that they had to teach you!!