Our upcoming unit in science will involve taking a closer look at sand & soil. Spring break is the perfect time to locate sand and soil especially if you are going on vacation. We would LOVE samples for all over the U.S. Your child brought home a note today that further explains this, along with 2 small bags for samples. If you are going away, just make sure to pack it in your suitcase. If you are remaining in the area, there are great samples to be found here. Thanks for helping your child add to our science study of sand and soil.
Monthly Archives: March 2015
A quick science unit on light…
Posted onWe will have a science test on Thursday and a review sheet was sent home today. If your child misplaced it, I have added the information below:
- When light is reflected the light hits the object and it bounces off.
- To make a shadow you need: a light source, an object, and a blocked path.
- The shadow is shortest at noon.
- Light travels in straight lines and some waves.
- When light travels from air to water it slows down and looks like it bends (think about pencil experiment).
- When a light source is blocked a shadow forms.
- Man-made light: light bulb, lantern, lamp, flashlight
- Natural light: sun, stars, firefly
- Opaque: No light passes through (examples: rock, people, wood)
- Translucent: Some light passes through (examples: tissue paper, waxed paper)
- Transparent: Light passes through (examples: glass, overhead, glasses)
- When light passes through a prism, it separates into colors.
- Think about the best color shirt to wear on a hot day and why.
Click on the pictures below for an extra review:
MobyMax Website for Extra Practice
Posted onYesterday your child brought home instructions for a web-based curriculum called MobyMax. We are using it in the classroom. All students will have access to MobyMax at home to review skills. We are hopeful that this site will be a useful way for our students to practice skills during the school year and over the summer months. If they complete a lesson, they earn game time which is an incentive for them.
MobyMax is tailored to your child’s individual needs, and I think you will be very impressed by how fast your child will excel while using Moby. Moby’s features include:
- Placement tests that accurately identify where your child excels, and where his or her “missing skills” are needing improvement. *We completed these at school.
- Targeted instruction to “fill in” those missing skills.
- Systematic review sessions that ensure that your child retains 100% of what he or she has learned.
Best of all, your child can access Moby from your home computer at any time.
Login steps for your child:
- Please go to www.mobymax.com/mi1457
- You can also go to georgetown.edublogs.org and click on the mobymax whale image. This will take you right to the site.
Once logged in, your child will immediately start the lessons and begin working on grade level skills.
You can sign in as a parent as well by selecting “Parent” from the drop-down menu and entering your child’s username and password. You will be able to monitor your child’s progress and even send messages to me.
Missing Books
Posted onEarth Changes
Posted onFlashcards came home last week reviewing the key vocabulary words for our Earth Changes unit. Our test will be on Wednesday. Here is the link for the flashcards online (just in case your child misplaces the cards): Flashcards.
Math Review
Posted onYour child was learning about geometry and measurement. We focused on geometric figures called quadrilaterals (four = quad & side = lateral). Terms that we used to further sort shapes were: parallelogram, rectangle, square, and rhombus. We played a geometry “headband” game so that the students could work on these terms by asking specific questions. Of course we included other 2D shapes.
This unit has many vocabulary terms, therefore, math flashcards came home last week to assist.
We have also been talking about area and perimeter. Perimeter = distance around the rectangle. The formula that the students have been using is: side + side + side + side = Perimeter of a rectangle. Area = square units inside the rectangle. The formula that the students have been using is: base x height = Area squared.
No homework
Posted onWe do not have any homework tonight. Happy St. Patrick’s day!
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
Posted onWe are focusing on the 3-Rs (Recycle, Reuse, Reduce) in science. This is a very easy unit for the students because it builds on their knowledge about natural resources from social studies. Flashcards are coming home today, but you can visit the following link in if your child misplaced them: http://www.easynotecards.com/notecard_set/11324 .
The test will be on Tuesday (March 17).
Here are a couple sites that your child can visit for extra review or games: