Science & Social Studies
February 10 - 14
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” - Theodore Roosevelt
Weighty Word of the Week
MELODIOUS- having a pleasant tune
"A gracious word may smooth the way. A joyous word may light the day. A timely word may lessen stress. A loving word may heal and bless." - The War Cry
The Week in Review
What a crazy week!
Through the cold we found a way to give all we had to school! We had snow, indoor recess, and ended our week on Friday with a great Rise and Shine Assembly and E-Time!
In Science this week we rotated through stations as we discovered more about the Moon, Earth and Sun and how those systems work together. We learned about the different phases of the Moon and what causes them. We also learned a lot about various careers in space science and how those can relate to our work in 5th grade as scientists. That wasn't all though. We also spent a great deal of time learning about the hemispheres of the Earth, what causes orbits, and why we have the seasons!
In Social Studies we found out why the Declaration of Independence is so important to us, even today! That took us into the fight for our independent nation during the Revolutionary War. Our learners completed a Thinking Map comparing and contrasting the powerful British army and the young Continental Army.
Through the cold we found a way to give all we had to school! We had snow, indoor recess, and ended our week on Friday with a great Rise and Shine Assembly and E-Time!
In Science this week we rotated through stations as we discovered more about the Moon, Earth and Sun and how those systems work together. We learned about the different phases of the Moon and what causes them. We also learned a lot about various careers in space science and how those can relate to our work in 5th grade as scientists. That wasn't all though. We also spent a great deal of time learning about the hemispheres of the Earth, what causes orbits, and why we have the seasons!
In Social Studies we found out why the Declaration of Independence is so important to us, even today! That took us into the fight for our independent nation during the Revolutionary War. Our learners completed a Thinking Map comparing and contrasting the powerful British army and the young Continental Army.
On Deck: Science
This week we will begin to look at physical properties of matter as we search to classify matter into it's various states; solid, liquid, and gas. We will be learning what makes each of these unique and the properties that come with it that we can measure and observe.
On Deck: Social Studies
Following declaring our independence from Britain, the United States Constitution is one of the most important documents in all of history. Our learners will be engaged in exploring about the importance of this document, and how it helped create the nation we have today!
Orange Tuesday
Please encourage your student to wear ORANGE on Tuesdays for no other reason than it's a great color!
HighTouch-HighTech
On January 30, our students went through an exciting 90 minutes learning about osmosis in plants and how they move water and nutrients vertically from the roots to the stem. Each class got to go outside on this freezing day and we had a blast! Check the pictures and videos!
3,2,1 Osmosis!
3,2,1 Osmosis! (5E)
AquaUpdate
Sad news to share from the aquarium in C105 this week. On Thursday, the beloved, controversial Dalmatian Molly named Nyx passed away due to unknown, and hopefully natural causes. He (or she) was assumed to be just over five months old and is survived by his best friends; the Operations Crew, Apollo, and Flick.
Nyx had a very vexed few months in the aquarium. He began life in the tank as the definition of what a Dalmatian Molly should look like; white with small black spots. Over time those spots became darker and larger, and by the end of his life he was more of a black fish than any sort of dalmatian pattern. Nyx controversial and questioned personality came from an incident in mid-November when a member of the Ops Crew mysteriously was missing part of their stomach. A small bite-sized shape could be seen and so it was naturally inferred that another fish took a bite out of it. Only one fish in the tank was large enough to do that, and so the blame was subsequently placed upon Nyx. Despite being the most despised fish, Nyx never let that affect him. He was always on time and a willing participating for feeding, and up until his final few days he was one of the most active fish in the tank.
Things took a turn for the worse beginning on Monday. During a normal morning feeding Nyx attacked the top water and began splashing water everywhere, something that I had never seen before. Monday morning was the last time I saw Nyx eat anything. For the next few days he did not do much. He spent all day behind the filter in the dark, not hanging around other fish. Thursday morning came and he was acting very abnormally so I isolated him in his own tank. Within hours Nyx had passed away. It is my hope that whatever caused Nyx death was not a contagious sickness he gave the other fish, but only time will tell. This week in the picture gallery we will look at the life and evolution of Nyx.
Rest in peace, Nyx.
Nyx had a very vexed few months in the aquarium. He began life in the tank as the definition of what a Dalmatian Molly should look like; white with small black spots. Over time those spots became darker and larger, and by the end of his life he was more of a black fish than any sort of dalmatian pattern. Nyx controversial and questioned personality came from an incident in mid-November when a member of the Ops Crew mysteriously was missing part of their stomach. A small bite-sized shape could be seen and so it was naturally inferred that another fish took a bite out of it. Only one fish in the tank was large enough to do that, and so the blame was subsequently placed upon Nyx. Despite being the most despised fish, Nyx never let that affect him. He was always on time and a willing participating for feeding, and up until his final few days he was one of the most active fish in the tank.
Things took a turn for the worse beginning on Monday. During a normal morning feeding Nyx attacked the top water and began splashing water everywhere, something that I had never seen before. Monday morning was the last time I saw Nyx eat anything. For the next few days he did not do much. He spent all day behind the filter in the dark, not hanging around other fish. Thursday morning came and he was acting very abnormally so I isolated him in his own tank. Within hours Nyx had passed away. It is my hope that whatever caused Nyx death was not a contagious sickness he gave the other fish, but only time will tell. This week in the picture gallery we will look at the life and evolution of Nyx.
Rest in peace, Nyx.
1 month
Just a young tot.
3 months
After the suspected crime of eating another fish.
5 months
The final few days
Nathan Harvey
5E / C105
My Conference Hours are:
Monday - Friday 2:10-2:55
Email: nharvey@coppellisd.com
Website: http://tinyurl.com/5Ehome
Location: 161 S Moore Rd, Coppell, TX
Phone: 214-496-7357
Twitter: @HarveyCISD
At Austin Elementary, we are driven to unlock the passion and cultivate the uniqueness inherent in every learner.