Identify Traits

Welcome back once again!


This week we are moving right along with a new concept. We will be studying inherited traits.This follows right along with our TEKS, The student will know that likenesses between offspring and parents can be inherited or learned. they will be able to identify traits that are inherited from parent to offspring in plants and animals.


The students were asked to list several different trait they might have and think about which parent has the same trait. Here is what the students came up with.

1. Color of eyes


2. Hair


3. Height


4. Nose


5. Mouth

Check out this link and see if you and your child can come up with some more to add to our list. Examples of inherited traits.

We will also cover the Scientist who first observed different traits.

Gregor Mendel :Be sure to check out this web link for lots of information on genetics and Gregor Mendel.

Students will know the difference in inherited and learned traits. Help your child make a list of traits that are learned and we will compile and discuss the difference in class. Some of these traits might be waking up, brushing your teeth, walking, eating, or reading. Which of these are learned and which are instinctual? If they were learned, how did you learn them?

Check out this web link for some fun genetic games which will reinforce what we have learned this week on traits. Genetic Games there are several different games you can choose. have fun and see you at class.

Ms. Singleton

Life Cycles

Welcome back parents and students, can you believe its already time to move on to a new unit?


This week we are going to jump right into cycles. Cycles are also an important unit, because they are part of our TEKS. Here Students know that some change occurs in cycles. The student is expected to describe and compare life cycles of plants and animals.



To begin our unit on life cycles I have ask each student to write down what they already know about life cycles.


The first life cycle we are going to research is the life cycle of the ladybug. Everyone knows what a ladybug looks like, but how many know their life cycle. To began with I am asking students to go to the web link I have provided on Ladybugs and fill out the activity A ladybug's life. This is a fun activity because it gives the students a chance to write a fun story about ladybugs.



The life cycle of the ladybug is similar to that of the butterfly. I chose the ladybug because it was a different insect and students need to know that several insects have the same type of life cycle. The ladybug Lay's eggs, then the eggs hatch in two to five days into a larva. The larva stage last for 21 days. Like the Caterpillar the larvae forms a pupa were metamorphosis takes place. Then after 7 days an adult ladybug appears.


The next life cycle we will learn about is a plant. The life cycle of the plant is a little more complex. First we will learn about the seed and germination. How it grows and becomes a plant. To begin with click on the link Life Cycle and see how plant grow and germinate. Next check out the fun activity called the Great Plant Escape. On this web activity you will help detective leplant and his partners Bud and Sprout unlock the amazing mysteries of plant life.


The final life cycle we will cover this week is that of the Frog. Frogs also go through metamorphosis. The difference in the frog and the ladybug is the frog spends his time in the water while going through metamorphosis. Frogs lay their eggs in the water or other wet places. The eggs are together in a floating mass called a egg spawn. The eggs develop into a tadpole. The tadpole spends his time in the water much like a fish. Metamorphosis begins to take place in the water. The Tadpole starts developing legs and lungs preparing him for a life out of the water. when the tadpole has completely gone through metamorphosis he will emerge from the water and live on land. Click here to see the life cycle of the Frog.


That's all we are covering this week have fun and enjoy the activities provided.


Ms. Singleton

Energy

Welcome back Parents and Students,



This week we are moving into Energy. Our TEKS state that the student knows that energy occurs in many forms. The student is expected to differentiate among forms of energy including light, heat, electrical, and solar energy;

Check out this link, it has hundreds of resources connected to Energy. When you enter this link it looks like a kids bedroom, but take a few minutes and check out the different links that come up as you move the mouse over different objects. I think you will be amazed.


One form of energy is electrical. Electricity is just one source of energy that we use every day. This week students learned how important electricity is and also how dangerous it can be. Click on the links below to play a couple of games on electrical safety. In these games the student has to identify dangerous situations, see if you can find all of them.
Electrical safety
Hazards of Voltageville .


Natural Gas is another form of energy that is very useful to us. Just like electricity natural gas needs to be handled safely. Here is a link about natural gas safety that will be a good activity for your students to explore.


Next students will explored solar and light energy. We discussed solar energy and how we get heat from this type of energy. This is a perfect time to reintroduce the greenhouse effect on the earth. The following activity will be done in class this week. Recreate the Greenhouse effect.

Students together listed some of the problems we are facing with the greenhouse effect on the earth. Your student should be able to recognize the different types of energy and their uses.

Recycling

Welcome back parents and students.
This week our class has been discussing recycling and conservation of our resources. Learning about recycling is important because it is part of our TEKS ( Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills). Your student should make wise choices in the use and conservation of resources and the disposal or recycling of material.
Students have been discussing a few changes they can make at home to help recycle. We know that our landfills are getting full of materials that should be recycled. We have been exploring the thought of what would our city look like if there were no more landfills and we had to keep our waste. Our city would turn into a dumptown. Click on the highlighted word dumptown and explore and play a fun game on recycling.

Recycling takes a little bit of organization. Different materials need to be sorted together and most recycling programs want you to already have articles for recycling sorted. Students made a list of items that could be recycled together. Here are some of the categories they came up with.

1. Aluminum cans



2. Glass bottles



3. paper



4. plastic



5. steel/tin cans



6. electronics



7. organic material for compost



8. motor oil



9. batteries



10. others

Learn how to sort recycled items. Here is a fun game to help students learn how to sort and recycle everyday items. Click on Recycle Roundup.

In this activity students help Gus clean up the park by sorting the trash into the correct bins. You have two minutes to sort the most trash.

To finish up our unit on recycling we are studying natural recycling. This is commonly known as natural decomposition. Composting is the natural decomposition or breakdown of organic materials such as yard and kitchen waste. Compost process takes place naturally on earth by the normal activities of the earth's natural recyclers worms and insects. These natural recyclers require a balance in their diet between carbon and nitrogen. The chemistry of composting is very simple to understand in terms of browns and greens. brown wasts are high in carbon and green waste are high in nitrogen. The optimal balance for composting is 2 parts brown to 1 part green. Students learn to avoid adding products like meat, bones, dairy and wastes with herbicides and pesticide's.

To help students learn about compost I have attached a link to a fun game called compost 4 fun. In this game student will sort everyday items that can be turned into compost.

I hope you have enjoyed this unit, see you next week.

Ms Singleton

Welcome

Welcome to Science Rocks!
At this edublog site you will find links to games, resources,and many other activities that you and your child can do together. I hope this will help your child have a better understand of what we are studying this year in the 5th grade. Lets have a great year and discover some interesting things in Science.

Ms. Singleton