5th Grade Science Class 1/31/20

This morning in science class, we evaluated our initial thinking by revisiting the probe after the lesson. We also answered the phenomenon questions together.

We completed the lesson review on pages 104-106. I collected notebooks and books to grade the food chain assignment and check for the completion of the pages in the lesson.

5th Grade Science Quiz next Friday

Focus on:

yellow highlighted vocabulary words

what plants need to produce energy

examples of producers, consumers, decomposers

types of consumers

order of organisms in food chains

how food chains can be disrupted

be able to analyze and write about a food chain using concepts of predators and prey and energy

5th Grade Science Class 1/29/20

This morning, we completed the close reading activity about food webs and chains on pages 98 and 99.

Then, we completed the inquiry activity about a forest ecosystem together on pages 100 and 101. The students finished the class by writing a sentence about their learning today.

* For those who did not finish yesterday or today, I will be checking the food chain assignment in the notebook on Friday for points.

5th Grade Science Class 1/28/20

This morning, we introduced the vocabulary for this lesson. Then, we read and discussed organisms in ecosystems on pages 96 and 97. Then, we talked about how energy flowed through the chain we played with when we did ecosystem tag. Finally, the students were required to create their own food chain using the format that I put on the board. This is worth 12 points.

**There will be a quiz on Lesson 3: Energy Transfer in Ecosystems on Friday, February 7th. It will cover pages 92-106 in the Unit 2 book. I will post a "focus on" guide, however, because this is a quiz, there will not be a formal review.

5th Grade Science Class 1/24/20

It is so great to be back! I really missed all my students!

Today in science, we briefly spoke about Earth's cycles (where they left off last semester) and then, we began the new lesson.

We began lesson 3 with the probe on page 91. The students completed this independently and then we discussed their thinking.

We continued with the phenomenon on page 93. We watched the video and then wrote the following questions:

1. How do birds get energy?

2. What do birds need for energy?

3. How does energy travel from one organism to another?

4. Can plants give animals energy too?

Finally, we ended the class with the ecosystem tag activity on page 94 and 95.

Review of Class on December 12th

I have posted what we discussed in class today. I included a short guided review for tomorrow's quiz. Tomorrow's assessment is a quiz since we had a short test last Friday. I have decided to assess students in smaller chunks at the end of this semester. Good luck!

5th Grade Weekly

MONDAY

Elective

TUESDAY

Pages : 66 -69

Topics: Earth’s Systems

WEDNESDAY

Pages: 71 -73

Topics: Word Origins, Lesson 1 Review

Homework: Extend it on page 74 (Five sentences)

THURSDAY

Pages: 80 and 82

Topics:Water cycle and inquiry lab activity

Homework:
Study for quiz

FRIDAY

Quiz (page 66 Earth’s Systems and Word Origins page 71, Water Cycle page 82)

Important Concepts :
Atmosphere

Biosphere

Geosphere

Hydrosphere

Word origins of atmo, bio, geo, and hydro

Analyze data in chart (page 80)

Water Cycle, Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation, Runoff (page 82)

December 5th, 2019 (Science 5th Grade)

WHAT DID WE DO TODAY (DECEMBER 5th)?

Today we reviewed for one last time the topics related to Lesson 2: Interactions of Living and Lesson 3 Role of Decomposers. We also briefly started to work with the new module, Earth’s Major Systems.

RESOURCE FOR PARENTS

Some of the concepts studied over this week are shown below. I included translations to some of the words for those parents who speak Spanish only so they can see what we are studying in our labs and inquiries. Keep in mind that we are an English immersion school, and that students have not seen or studied these words in Spanish. This is only my note for parents who may need it to understand what their child is learning about. Students have learned the words in context in English and not just the definition by memory; therefore, they have to apply the concepts with critical thinking and not know the definition in memorized form.

Español	English
descomponedores	decomposers*

dióxido de carbono	carbon dioxide*
nutrientes	nutrients*
suelo	soil
ecosistema	ecosystem*
depredador	predators*
presa	prey
hábitat	habitat*
especies invasivas	Invasive species*
bacterias	bacteria*
hongos	fungi

WHAT HAVE WE BEEN LEARNING ALL WEEK?

The Big Idea of this module is to help learners understand how matter cycles between the living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.

In lesson 1, students learned about plant survival.

Plants need water, nutrients, sunlight, space to grow, and air to survive. Plant roots take in nutrients and water. A plant takes in air and sunlight through its leaves. Plants use water, air, and sunlight to make their own food.

In Lesson 2 students learned about the interactions of living things

Students used models to show the relationships between living things in an ecosystem.

A balanced ecosystem allows organisms to meet their needs. An ecosystem’s biotic and abiotic factors are essential for the survival of living things. However, the introduction of invasive species can affect the interactions of living things in a balanced ecosystem.

In lesson 3 students learned about the role of decomposers.

Phenomenon: Mushrooms, mold, bacteria, worms, and insects are examples of decomposers.

Decomposers such as fungi play an integral role in the cycling of matter in an ecosystem. They are responsible for breaking down dead plant and animal matter, which returns matter back into the ecosystem. Some examples of decomposers are bacteria, mold, mushrooms, and earthworms. Rotting fruits and vegetables are broken down by decomposers, and their nutrients are recycled back into the environment where they are taken up by plants

EXAMPLES OF QUESTIONS WE HAVE DISCUSSED IN CLASS IN PREPARATION FOR OUR ASSESSMENT :

What are two things that decomposers such as bacteria and fungi do?

Decomposers break down dead plant and animal matter in the ecosystem.
Decomposers are essential to the environment because they return nutrients back to the soil, which helps the plants grow.

Which is one way that animals are different from plants? _________________

- Unlike plants, animals are living things.
- Unlike plants, animals eat food.
- Unlike plants, animals grow and change.
- Unlike plants, animals make food using energy from the Sun.

Correct Answer: Unlike plants, animals eat food.

Fill in the blanks using the available answer choices. The loss of water through a plant's leaves is called _________________________.

Options :

Respiration
Transpiration
Photosynthesis
Fungus

Correct Answer: Transpiration

How do decomposers help plants? ________________

They help with photosynthesis.
They provide oxygen.
They hold water.
They enrich the soil.

Correct Answer: They enrich the soil.

Which of the following are the basic needs of plants? Write an X next to all that apply.

sunlight ____

water ____

shelter ____

air ____

Correct Answer: Sunlight, water., air

Energy and other materials from dead organisms are recycled back into the soil by _____.

producers
herbivores
omnivores
decomposers

Correct Answer: decomposers

A_________________________ can sprout from the soil like plants, but cannot make its own food.

- Fungus
- Predator
- Prey
- Producer
  - Correct Answer: Fungus

What are examples of decomposers?

Fungus
Bacteria
Insects
Worms

Students also correctly mentioned mushrooms, mold, and yeast because we have discussed and seen all of them actively in labs.

Students explored the decomposers (worms, bacteria, fungi, insects) role in food cycles and they all drew a personal illustration that helped them understand their role. Students also reviewed their answers in the Science probe on page 37.

ANSWER PAGE 37: The best answer is Shani. As decomposers use the food from dead organisms. some of the matter becomes part of the decomposer's body. Other matter breaks down and returns to the soil, water, or air, Other organisms use this matter and change it into something they need to survive.

VOCABULARY:

Decomposers are organisms that break down plant and animal matter which return nutrients to the soil.

Students started their LAB related to observing decomposition and identified each project with their name.

On December 2nd we will review the topics before a quiz that week (DEC 2 - DEC 6) about the topic.

Good Video to Review Decomposers in Depth (November 20th Topic)

Wednesday, November 20th - Mr. Lopezcepero - (Role of Decomposers in Ecosystems)

Today, students started with Mr. R. Lopezcepero. Students had time to introduce themselves and I probed their knowledge of the topics covered with their previous substitute teacher. They will continue with me (Mr. Lopezcepero) until Ms. Trickett's return.

The fifth-grade students reviewed and explored the role of decomposers in ecosystems (page 52). We watched a video timelapse of mushrooms and other types of fungi and their roles in the ecosystem. FUNGI TIMELAPSE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us79TMh5Dkk

We also explored "Why Mushrooms Are Awesome", as a way to gain their interest in the topic using visual and auditory learning before we talked about the topic.

WHY MUSHROOMS ARE AWESOME - BIOLOGY FOR KIDS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us79TMh5Dkk

Important vocabulary :

1. Decomposer
2. Fungi
3. Bacteria

Students previewed question two from page 50 of the book where they wrote about a question they have about decomposers and the role of mushrooms in the ecosystem.

For our Science Probe and lab, we are going to investigate how bread and bananas decompose over time. HOMEWORK: Students should bring a slice of bread, piece of fruit (ex. banana), or any piece of food that decomposes quickly in a ziplock bag for tomorrow. We will leave some bread in the freezer and others in a hotter setting over Thanksgiving break to compare safely once we get back on December 2nd. We will also look at some premade microscopic slides related to the topic when we come back from Thanksgiving break.

5th Grade Science Class 10/4/19

This morning, we completed the phenomenon on page 7 and the simulation on pages 8 and 9.

5th Grade Science Class 10/3/19

This morning, students used their book/notebook to complete the lesson 4 handout. Then, they answered the lesson 4 phenomenon questions on page 51.

1. The ice melts because energy (heat) is added to it causing the particles to begin to move and spread out.

2. The same water can be turned back into ice by removing energy (freezing it).

3. Ice and water are both matter in different states. The particles in these materials behave differently.

They also revised the probe on page 49.

After learning, I agree with Joyce because we learned that particles in matter are too small to see with ordinary magnification tools. The arrangement and movement of particles determine the state of matter.

Finally they completed the Unit 2 Lesson 1 probe on page 5. I signed off on all pages from lesson 4.

Important!

Students should have both their Unit 1 and Unit 2 science books in class tomorrow. We will be transitioning to Unit 2 soon!

5th Grade Science Class 10/2/19

This morning, we read, discussed, and labeled the diagram on page 58. We also read about pharmacy technicians on page 60 and how scientists have discovered a protein that will keep ice cream solid longer. Finally, we completed the lesson review on pages 62-64.

We wrote:

Summarize It

The particles in a solid are tightly packed together and vibrate in place. The particles in a liquid are less tightly packed than those in a liquid and can slide past each other. The particles in a gas are far apart and can move around each other very easily.

1. a. adding energy and b. removing energy

2. a. definite volume and d. no definite shape

3. Plasma is found in stars in the universe and in lightning and neon signs. It does not exist naturally under normal conditions.

5th Grade Science

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