SCIENCE NEWS

Welcome Back! I hope your Thanksgiving was as relaxing as mine was. I was rested and ready to return to your children! I want to update you on science and where we are.  We have finished Units 1-7 and have 8-12 to complete.  We will begin Unit 8: Space after the first of the year. We have several things we are focusing on between now and Christmas break.  Currently we are studying science inquiry and tools, and the scientific method. Ask your child the four inquiry tools we talked about today. Inquiry and the scientific method is really important as we look down the road to the Science Fair which is in March. 

Also, we are reviewing our 60 vocabulary words that we have already learned. I am so proud of the way most students have retained that information; they will do great on that quiz! Look on the vocabulary tab on the right side of this blog to find those words. Look for that test sometime next week also.

Another item we will work on between now and the break is open response questions.  Once the students know the science content, answering open response questions will be a breeze for them. 

This is not science, but actually PLCS....We will be having a basketball test sometime next week. Students have a pink study guide they have had for several weeks. Mrs. Kingins is reviewing basketball this week prior to the test next week.  Students who turn in the pink study guide get a 5 point bonus.  Also, there will be two other bonus questions making the test actually worth 115 points!

Feel free to contact me with questions or concerns. alecia.ladd@graves.kyschools.us  328-4900 x 2721

Thanksgiving Break!

I want to wish your family a restful, safe and blessed Thanksgiving break! We finished Unit 7 Weather today with a summative assessment (test).  I am undecided about our direction between now and the end of the year.  Our next Unit 8 is Space; however we may work on the scientific method and review vocabulary to catch up some loose ends.  Likely Space will wait until January.

• Unit 7: Weather Test 11/22 (Tuesday)
• Review the first 60 vocabulary words...review test coming after Thanksgiving
• Because of our Friday schedule, we are going to move unit tests after Thanksgiving to Thursdays
• Updated UNICEF total: $183.72 Wow!
• http://mrsladdsscientificblog.blogspot.com/  

Science

We are studying Unit 7 on weather now.  If you notice in the vocabulary words six of the ten words are a "weather tool used to measure_________". That should make the words easier to learn.  The vocabulary test will be Friday, November 18th, and the Unit 7 test will be on Tuesday, November 22nd. 

 

UNIT 7:  Weather

1.       thermometer – weather tool used to measure temperature

2.       barometer – weather tool used to measure air pressure

3.       anemometer – weather tool used to measure wind speed

4.       rain gauge – weather tool used to measure rainfall

5.       hygrometer – weather tool used to measure humidity

6.       wind vane – weather tool used to measure wind direction

7.       front – when two air masses meet

8.       humidity – the amount of water vapor in the air

9.       weather – condition of the air at a specific time and place

10.   climate – pattern of weather over a long period of time

Christmas Program: Save the Date

Ms. Johnson announced that the Christmas Program will be Tuesday, December 13th, times to be announced.  She asks fourth grade students to wear red shirts and caps (any color, like baseball type caps).

Thank You Parents and Grandparents!

We are so appreciative for the CAKES, PIES, and other goodies you sent for our CAKE WALK at Fall Festival!  We had a lot of fun dancing, yelling, and giving away cakes!  Thanks again for your support!

Fall Festival Tonight (October 28) 5:00-8:00 Fourth grade has a beautiful tree for the auction!

We are starting a new unit on Earth changes on Monday. Our vocabulary quiz will be on the following words next Friday (November 4):

UNIT 6 – Earth Changes

1.       volcano – sudden earth change where lava is released

2.       earthquake – sudden change of the vibrating of the Earth’s surface

3.       tornado – sudden change of a funnel cloud causing great damage

4.       hurricane – sudden change of a huge storm forming in ocean

5.       mudslide – sudden change of huge bodies of land sliding down of a mountain side; usually causes from flooding

6.       weathering – breaking down of sediment

7.       erosion – gradual wearing away of the Earth’s surface by wind, water, wave or ice

8.       deposition – the depositing of sediment; creates sand dunes

9.       sediment – bits of rock

10.   flooding – natural disaster causes by excess rain

 

The unit test will be on Friday, November 11th.

 

 

UNIT 5 – Water/ Air

1.       evaporation – liquid to a gas

2.       condensation – gas to a liquid

3.       precipitation – water falling to the ground; rain, snow, sleet or hail

4.       water cycle – constant recycling of water

5.       air pressure – amount of air pressing down on earth’s atmosphere

6.       atmosphere – blanket of air surrounding the earth

7.       greenhouse effect – earth’s atmosphere trapping energy from the sun

8.       buoyancy – the ability to float

9.       density – causes an object to sink

10.   air mass – huge body of air

Fourth grade students took thir Volleyball/Newcomb test on Wednesday.  They also have a water/air vocabulary quiz on Friday, October 21st.

WELCOME BACK!

I am so glad to be back from break! Didn't we have beautiful weather for our time off?  Today the kids were kissed with bubbles to celebrate their KCCT scores! The students improved in EVERY category with an overall 105!  That is the reason Mrs. Sullivan passed out SMARTIES to all the students! We are so proud of our Knights!

For homework tonight (10/10) students are to write a rough draft of a friendly letter from our field trip to the River Discovery Center.  We went over the five parts of a friendly letter and went through the process step by step.

There have been some changes to my original plan for science. As you know, we are continuing to study rocks this week with a four unit vocabulary quiz and a unit four test on soils/rocks on Friday.

I also passed out green study guides for Vollyball/Newcomb today for PE.  We will have a test next week over this for PLCS.  Specific date TBA.

WELCOME BACK!

Students will be taking a test over Unit 3 Ecosystems on Thursday.  They should review their study guide plus vocabulary.  The kids seem to be very knowlegable, so I expect great scores!

On September 19th, we will begin a new unit Earth: Soil/Rocks.  Please study vocabulary nightly with your child.  

Science Earth: Soil/Rocks Vocabulary Words:
1. soil- earth material made up of weathered rock, humus, water, and air
2. rock- earth material made up of one or more minerals
3. igneous-type of rock formed from magma or lava that cools and hardens
4. sedimentary- type of rock formed  when layers of sediment compact and cement
5. metamorphic- type of rock formed from heat and pressure
6. rock cycle- when one rocks turns into another rock
7. fossil- preserved clue to the past
8. crust- outer earth layer that we walk on
9. mantle- middle, thickest earth layer
10. core-center layer of earth

Science

Homework Blog

Parents:


The fourth grade teachers are using a blog for homework, announcements, important events, etc.  We hope that it will be very beneficial.


Fourth Grade Central Knights Homework Blog: http://fourthgradeknights.blogspot.com/

Welcome...

Welcome to Mrs. Ladd's Fourth Grade Science and PLCS Blog!!

I am in the process of making this as parent friendly as possible as well as to have resources and materials that will greatly benefit students.

To navigate around, on the right-hand column, there is a listing of the pages and you can click on them and it will take you to the page.  I hope that you will find these pages helpful and a tremendous benefit.

If you have any suggestions or anything else for my blog, please let me know.

Thanks!