Second Step
In our Anger Management unit we have concentrated on the importance of calming down so we can make logical decisions. Ask your child about their calming down technique. This week students will be presented with a problem and they will work in small groups to brainstorm solutions to the problem. They will test their ideas using the Super Sensible Solution Question Poster. Help them use these questions when working through problems with friends and family at home. When they are calm and think they have an idea to solve a problem, test it with these questions: Is it safe, How will it make others feel, Is it fair, and Is it possible? If they answer no to one or more, then they need to keep brainstorming.
Social Studies
We will use the basic map skills we acquired last week to begin a journey across the five regions of the United States, starting with the Southeast. We will learn about the states that make up this region, as well as some of the landforms and special features of this part of America. We will not be using the textbook, as it does not contain information on this standard. Instead, we have worked to create a folder that contains info on all five regions. These belong to the class and can be checked out, but students are asked to return them each day and not make any markings in them. We appreciate your support in keeping these pristine, so they can be utilized year after year without being reprinted. The quiz will be Friday.
Science
We will be starting a new unit on Light Energy this week. We will use the following questions to guide our initial investigations: What happens when light hits objects or travels through a different substance and What happens when light energy is absorbed? We will use flashlights and baby powder to observe how light travels (in a straight line until it strikes an object or travels from one medium to another). Later in the week, we will use flashlights and index cards to see what happens when light is blocked. There will be no science quiz this week.
Planner: Important messages that come up last minute or cannot fit in the newsletter are put on the board for your child to copy down each morning. If they consistently bring home a blank planner, please send us an email so we can encourage them to record these important notes that keep the whole team (us, your child, and you) on the right track and in the know. We do our best to monitor this, but we are unable to check 55 of them each day.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
Heat Energy: Calling All Conductors!
Heat Energy: Calling All Conductors!
In our study of heat transfer, we have begun to discuss conductors. And we're not talking about the people who drive trains! We're talking about materials that allow heat energy to move through them easily. Our spoon lab in class clearly showed that metal is a much better conductor than either wood or plastic. In fact, wood and plastic are actually very poor conductors of heat energy because they do not allow the heat energy to move through them easily. This is why the handles of your parents pots and pans are made of plastic or wood; it keeps the cook from burning their hand when they pick up the hot pot. They don't allow the heat from the metal part of the pan to reach your hand and hurt you.
If you did have a pan that was solid metal, including the handle, how would you pick it up? Potholder to the rescue!!! Potholders are made of cloth, which is another material that blocks heat energy. It is an example of an insulator. It traps the heat of the metal handle and keeps it close to the handle so it can't get to your hand. Can you think of other insulators...how about blankets, winter coats, feather comforters, and so on? All of these items trap the heat of your body and keep it from conducting to another object. This keeps you warm and cozy!
Can you think of other examples of conductors or insulators? Leave a comment! I want to hear what you think!
In our study of heat transfer, we have begun to discuss conductors. And we're not talking about the people who drive trains! We're talking about materials that allow heat energy to move through them easily. Our spoon lab in class clearly showed that metal is a much better conductor than either wood or plastic. In fact, wood and plastic are actually very poor conductors of heat energy because they do not allow the heat energy to move through them easily. This is why the handles of your parents pots and pans are made of plastic or wood; it keeps the cook from burning their hand when they pick up the hot pot. They don't allow the heat from the metal part of the pan to reach your hand and hurt you.
If you did have a pan that was solid metal, including the handle, how would you pick it up? Potholder to the rescue!!! Potholders are made of cloth, which is another material that blocks heat energy. It is an example of an insulator. It traps the heat of the metal handle and keeps it close to the handle so it can't get to your hand. Can you think of other insulators...how about blankets, winter coats, feather comforters, and so on? All of these items trap the heat of your body and keep it from conducting to another object. This keeps you warm and cozy!
Can you think of other examples of conductors or insulators? Leave a comment! I want to hear what you think!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Heat Energy
Excerpt from NSTA Sci Links:
Have you ever touched a hot pot? If you have, you know that heat energy can move from one object to another object, or from the pot to your hand. Heat energy also moves from one area to another area-for example, from a warm room to a cool room.
Heat energy always moves from a warmer object or area to a cooler object or area. If you hold an ice cube in your hand, heat energy moves from your hand to the ice and melts it. If you open a door on a cold winter day, heat energy moves from inside your warm house to the cold outdoors.
Heat energy moves in three different ways. They are conduction, convection, and radiation.
1. Conduction:
The movement of heat between objects that touch each other.
Example: Think of cooking vegetables in a pan. Heat energy moves from the hot metal to the vegetables.
Some materials allow heat to move through them more easily than others. We will learn more about these materials later this week.
2. Convection:
The movement of heat energy through liquids and gases in currents.
Example: Think of water heating up on a stove. As the water heats up, the particles at the bottom start moving faster and farther apart. The water at the bottom of the pot becomes lighter than the cooler water above it. The lighter, warmer water rises in the pot. The heavier water falls to the bottom of the pot. In this way, heat moves upward in the pot in currents. This movement in currents is called convection.
3. Radiation:
Heat energy that moves through space.
Example: Energy from the Sun travels to Earth by radiation. When the energy reaches Earth, it warms the Earth's surface. The heated surface then heats the air above it. If you sit near a fireplace or campfire, you feel heat coming from the burning logs. The heat reaches you by radiation.
Have you ever touched a hot pot? If you have, you know that heat energy can move from one object to another object, or from the pot to your hand. Heat energy also moves from one area to another area-for example, from a warm room to a cool room.
Heat energy always moves from a warmer object or area to a cooler object or area. If you hold an ice cube in your hand, heat energy moves from your hand to the ice and melts it. If you open a door on a cold winter day, heat energy moves from inside your warm house to the cold outdoors.
Heat energy moves in three different ways. They are conduction, convection, and radiation.
1. Conduction:
The movement of heat between objects that touch each other.
Example: Think of cooking vegetables in a pan. Heat energy moves from the hot metal to the vegetables.
Some materials allow heat to move through them more easily than others. We will learn more about these materials later this week.
2. Convection:
The movement of heat energy through liquids and gases in currents.
Example: Think of water heating up on a stove. As the water heats up, the particles at the bottom start moving faster and farther apart. The water at the bottom of the pot becomes lighter than the cooler water above it. The lighter, warmer water rises in the pot. The heavier water falls to the bottom of the pot. In this way, heat moves upward in the pot in currents. This movement in currents is called convection.
3. Radiation:
Heat energy that moves through space.
Example: Energy from the Sun travels to Earth by radiation. When the energy reaches Earth, it warms the Earth's surface. The heated surface then heats the air above it. If you sit near a fireplace or campfire, you feel heat coming from the burning logs. The heat reaches you by radiation.
Newsletter
Social Studies
We will discuss popular clothing that was worn in Ancient Greece. We will also address the importance of their religion and temples, like the Parthenon, in their daily life. We will also introduce students the Olympics that the Ancient Greeks used to celebrate the king of their gods. There will be no quiz on Friday, due to FCAT prep and the pep rally.
Science
We will be addressing the concept of flow, or heat transfer, this week. Students need to be able to recognize that heat flows from hot objects to cold objects and that heat flow may cause materials to change temperature. We will investigate how heat energy moves using hot and cold water. There will be a brief quiz on Wednesday. Students will need to be able to infer the direction of heat flow by comparing temperatures of one object to that of another, as well as the three ways that heat is transferred: radiation, conduction, and convection. See blog and notebooks for additional info.
Second Step
A portion of our newsletter will now be used to keep you informed on the character education that your child is receiving each week; this way you can discuss and reinforce these concepts at home. This week we will continue to work at controlling our impulses so that we can solve problems better. The specific impulse we will be addressing is resisting the impulse to lie. It can be hard to overcome feelings of guilt and fear of getting into trouble. However, telling the truth is a way of taking responsibility for our actions. Being honest lets people know we are trustworthy.
Math Workshop
During this week in Math, we will be reviewing 3rd grade benchmarks areas. We will begin with Measurement Monday. The students will be working with rulers to take the measurement (in inches and centimeters) of different objects. The answers will include mixed fractions, with halves and fourths. On Tuesday, we will focus on multiplication and division strategies. The students will be given various story problems and will use their problem solving strategies to determine the correct equation that matches a story problem (also knowing multiplication and division are inverse) and solving various problems. On Wednesday, the students will practice area, perimeter and elapsed time. The students will be applying their knowledge of area (the space inside of a figure) and perimeter (the distance around a figure) to solve problems. On Thursday, we will focus on a review of fractions. The students will be working with finding equivalent fractions (for example 1/2 =3/6 or 3/4 = 6/8), identifying mixed and improper fractions from a picture given, and comparing fractions (greater than, less than, or equal to). Finally, on Friday, we will have a mixed review for the students. Please look for their work to come home each evening and ask your child to show you how they solved a few of the problems. The practice FCAT will not go in the gradebook, but was used as data to show us what areas we needed to focus on. This was a new test given this year, but historical data shows, those students who scored at least half correct, typically got a 3 or better on the FCAT. This week will be spent working on areas with room for improvement shown from the practice test. The homework sheet for this week will be Sheet #27, and will be checked on Wednesday and Friday.
We will discuss popular clothing that was worn in Ancient Greece. We will also address the importance of their religion and temples, like the Parthenon, in their daily life. We will also introduce students the Olympics that the Ancient Greeks used to celebrate the king of their gods. There will be no quiz on Friday, due to FCAT prep and the pep rally.
Science
We will be addressing the concept of flow, or heat transfer, this week. Students need to be able to recognize that heat flows from hot objects to cold objects and that heat flow may cause materials to change temperature. We will investigate how heat energy moves using hot and cold water. There will be a brief quiz on Wednesday. Students will need to be able to infer the direction of heat flow by comparing temperatures of one object to that of another, as well as the three ways that heat is transferred: radiation, conduction, and convection. See blog and notebooks for additional info.
Second Step
A portion of our newsletter will now be used to keep you informed on the character education that your child is receiving each week; this way you can discuss and reinforce these concepts at home. This week we will continue to work at controlling our impulses so that we can solve problems better. The specific impulse we will be addressing is resisting the impulse to lie. It can be hard to overcome feelings of guilt and fear of getting into trouble. However, telling the truth is a way of taking responsibility for our actions. Being honest lets people know we are trustworthy.
Math Workshop
During this week in Math, we will be reviewing 3rd grade benchmarks areas. We will begin with Measurement Monday. The students will be working with rulers to take the measurement (in inches and centimeters) of different objects. The answers will include mixed fractions, with halves and fourths. On Tuesday, we will focus on multiplication and division strategies. The students will be given various story problems and will use their problem solving strategies to determine the correct equation that matches a story problem (also knowing multiplication and division are inverse) and solving various problems. On Wednesday, the students will practice area, perimeter and elapsed time. The students will be applying their knowledge of area (the space inside of a figure) and perimeter (the distance around a figure) to solve problems. On Thursday, we will focus on a review of fractions. The students will be working with finding equivalent fractions (for example 1/2 =3/6 or 3/4 = 6/8), identifying mixed and improper fractions from a picture given, and comparing fractions (greater than, less than, or equal to). Finally, on Friday, we will have a mixed review for the students. Please look for their work to come home each evening and ask your child to show you how they solved a few of the problems. The practice FCAT will not go in the gradebook, but was used as data to show us what areas we needed to focus on. This was a new test given this year, but historical data shows, those students who scored at least half correct, typically got a 3 or better on the FCAT. This week will be spent working on areas with room for improvement shown from the practice test. The homework sheet for this week will be Sheet #27, and will be checked on Wednesday and Friday.
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