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Below is a summary of the social studies and science units for the year.
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During our Communities Unit, students will learn how our local community has changed. We will explore the urban, rural, and suburban areas of our city. Students will compare our city to other cities around the world.
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During our Government Unit, students will explore rules and laws. The "teams" in our classroom will become cities. Each member of the city will have a community job to help his/her city run more efficiently. Cities will hold city council meetings to solve problems that are occuring in their cities. One person will be elected mayor of the city. Students will participate in the voting process and learn more about our government leaders - the mayor, governor, and President.
Kirstyn deposits her voting ballot into the box.
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Before beginning our Continents and Oceans Unit, we will review reading and drawing maps. We will learn the difference between various kinds of maps, and even create landform map models!
Students each get a state map and draw their state's shape on a tortilla shell.
Then they cut the shape out using a plastic knife.
Next, students cover their map with icing, which will be the "glue" to help other items stick.
The first landforms to go on the map are rivers (twizzlers)!
The second landforms added are mountain ranges (chocolate chips) and moutain peaks (Hershey kisses)!
Finally, students add other landforms, including lakes (blue sprinkles) and deserts (cinnamon)!
Then students cover the rest of the map with land (green coconut)!
Students use index cards to create a map key for their landform maps.
We will explore the continents and oceans as we travel "Around the World" to learn how different countries celebrate holidays! Students will create suitcases and get passports to be stamped on each continent. As we travel, we will stop in at least one country per continent where students will learn about local traditions and customs during the holiday season. Students will create a souvenir while in each country to bring back in his/her suitcase!
To kick-off this unit, we read Chester the Worldly Pig by Bill Peet.
Then we create our very own Chester Maps!
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During our Economics Unit, students will learn all about how the people in our community work together to provide goods and services for each other! Since our classroom management system is based on economics, students will use their money to buy goods to manufacture a product to sell at our next class store! Student "factories" will decide if unit production or assembly line production is the best way to create their products efficiently. Students will create advertisements and write persuasive commercials to present to the class before selling their products at our classroom store!
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During our Regions Unit, students will spend one week traveling through each of the four main regions of the United States - the Northeast, South, Midwest, and West! While in each region, students will learn about its people, weather, history, traditions, landmarks, and more! To document their learning, students will create scrapbooks of photographs and souvenirs from each stop on the tour. This unit will correlate with our Tall Tale Study in reading and writing.
Elijah adds important facts to his scrapbook. An example of a completed scrapbook page.
Kirstyn asks her family to solve State Riddles Jacob shows off his scrapbook to family
written by students at our Regional Scavenger members during the Tall Tale Tea and
Hunt! Regional Scavenger Hunt!
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Our Magnet Unit is filled with hands-on explorations. Each day students will learn a new concept about magnets through experiments. Students will predict, gather data, and draw conclusions on a daily basis. Students will keep a magnet portfolio to document their findings, and reflect, through writing, each day on their learning.
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Our Animal Unit is an in-depth study on the six animal groups - mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and insects. We'll explore the characteristics of each animal group, as well as their adaptations, habitats, and life cycles!
The Life Cycle Relay Game
Sarah-Parker carries the egg across in Stage 1. Shawn crawls across as the caterpillar in Stage 2.
Luke hops across inside the chrysalis in Stage 3. Alex flutters across as the adult butterfly in Stage 4.
Alex and Olga get hands-on experience with amphibians and reptiles!
It takes the entire class to hold this snake skin!! Students play Amphibian Match-Up!
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During our Weather Unit, students will gain hands-on experience using weather tools such as thermometers, rain gauges, and wind vanes. Students will each have a chance to be our "Meteorologist of the Day" where they observe and graph the weather to present to the class. Students will use our Promethean Board as a television screen to show us a weather map and explain the weather forecast!
Prince and Sarah-Parker create tornadoes in a bottle!
Kirstyn enjoys being our Meteorologist! She uses weather maps to give us the daily weather forecast!
Each day a different student uses our weather station to read, chart, and report the weather to the class.
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During our Matter Unit, students will explore the properties of the three states of matter - solids, liquids, and gases. Students will work in matter stations to conduct hands-on experiments, read about matter, use the computers for research, and more!
Our Oobleck Science Fair Project Pictures
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