Science for Parents
2016-2017 Academic School Year
1st Six Weeks
Dear Parents,
This newsletter is intended to give parents an idea of what is being covered each six weeks in science and what their students should be learning.
Please contact Erika Vasquez, Director of Instruction for Science, if you have questions.
Kindergarten
Vocabulary Unit 1
- Cloud cover – the amount of sky obscured (covered) by clouds
- Conservation – the wise use of natural resources
- Environment – all of the living and non-living elements in a particular (geographic) area
- Germs – a small living organism that makes other living organisms sick
- Healthy – promoting good health; being well physically and mentally
- Litter – garbage that is not disposed of properly
- Natural resources – material that an organism gets from its environment to meet its needs
- Precipitation – water that falls to the Earth’s surface as rain, snow, sleet, or hail
- Problem – a question or situation that needs to be solved
- Recycle – processing materials to make something new
- Responsible – able to answer for one’s conduct
- Safety – the condition of being reasonably free from danger and hazards that may cause injury or illness
- Solution – the answer to a problem
- Temperature – a way of measuring how hot or cold something is; temperature is measured using either the Fahrenheit (F) or Celsius (C) scale
- Weather – day-to-day condition of the atmosphere in an area; weather has short-term variations (minutes to weeks)
- Wind – moving air
Unit 01: Exploring Environmentally Appropriate and Responsible Practices
During this unit, young learners are encouraged to get involved in ‘doing science’ by using scientific investigation and reasoning skills such as identifying problems, making observations, recording data, and proposing solutions. Students set up and practice using their science notebooks to record their questions, observations, data, as well as reflecting on problems and solutions. Fostering an enjoyable appreciation of science should be at the forefront of instruction. As these skills are practiced, an awareness of patterns in the natural world should emerge. Students will observe the modeling of the science notebook and the use of safety practices throughout this unit. Please refer to the TEKS Resource System Resource “Science Notebooking: A Reflective Tool for Assessing Student Understanding” (Elementary) for more information.
In order to introduce the concept of Earth’s materials, this unit explores the use and conservation of Earth’s resources and includes learning experiences about resources that the Earth provides. It is also important for students to understand how Earth’s materials provide for our lives and the lives of other living things. The concept of making wise choices in the way that we use daily materials is also introduced. We make choices every day that affect our resources. To conserve them, we need to make careful decisions and practice reusing and recycling materials. Finally, this unit also provides a brief introduction to the four components of weather (temperature, precipitation, cloud cover, and wind). Students will be observing weather throughout the year, but for this unit they will be discussing only one component- wind. Students may observe the effect of wind on litter in the environment.
Unit 2 Vocabulary
- Change – to become different from the way it was before
- Color – a property of an object that describes the appearance such as red, blue, etc.
- Cooling – the process of becoming cooler; a falling temperature
- Freeze – to change from a liquid to a solid
- Heating – the process of becoming warmer; a rising temperature
- Mass – the amount of matter in something
- Melt – to change from a solid to a liquid by adding heat
- Property – a characteristic that can be observed, measured, or changed without changing the substance itself, such as size, shape, color,
density, mass, odor, luster, conductivity, or hardness - Senses – the means through which the body feels and perceives, including seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting
- Shape – the outline of an area or a figure
- Size – the overall dimensions of an object or organism; how big something is
- Texture – the feel, appearance, or consistency of a surface or a substance
Unit 02: Exploring Properties of Objects
1st Grade
1st Grade Vocabulary Unit 1
- Calm – atmospheric conditions with no wind or any air motion
- Clear – the appearance of the sky when no clouds are visible from the point of observation
- Cloud cover – the amount of sky obscured (covered) by clouds
- Clouds – a mass of water droplets or ice crystals that have clumped together (condensed) in the atmosphere
- Cloudy – the sky is covered, or full of clouds
- Cold – a condition of the air when the temperature is low; lack of heat
- Icy – a condition in weather when the air temperature is bitterly cold; freezing
- Precipitation – water that falls to the Earth’s surface as rain, snow, sleet, or hail
- Rainy – long periods of rainfall
- Temperature – a way of measuring how hot or cold something is; temperature is measured using either the Fahrenheit (F) or Celsius (C) scale
- Weather – the condition of the atmosphere at a place for a short period of time, including humidity, cloud cover, temperature, wind, and precipitation
- Wind speed – how fast the air is moving; wind speed is commonly measured with an anemometer
- Windy – the condition of very fast moving air
Unit 01: Investigating Properties and Patterns in Weather
Unit 2 Vocabulary
- Change – to become different from the way something or someone was before
- Cooling – the process of becoming cooler; a falling temperature
- Evaporating – to change from a liquid to a gas by adding heat
- Freezing – to change from a liquid to a solid by loss of heat (cooling)
- Heating – the process of becoming warmer; a rising temperature
- Melting – to change from a solid to a liquid by adding heat
- Property – a characteristic that can be observed, measured, or changed
- Texture – the feel and look of a surface, for example rough or smooth
- Unit – an accepted quantity used as a standard of measurement, such as the meter, liter, and gram
Unit 02: Investigating Properties and Patterns
2nd Grade
Unit 1 Vocabulary
- Calm – atmospheric conditions with no wind or any air motion
- Clear – the appearance of the sky when no clouds are visible from the point of observation
- Cloud cover – the amount of sky obscured (covered) by clouds
- Clouds – a mass of water droplets or ice crystals that have clumped together (condensed) in the atmosphere
- Cloudy – the sky is covered, or full of clouds
- Cold – a condition of the air when the temperature is low; lack of heat
- Icy – a condition in weather when the air temperature is bitterly cold; freezing
- Precipitation – water that falls to the Earth’s surface as rain, snow, sleet, or hail
- Rainy – long periods of rainfall
- Temperature – a way of measuring how hot or cold something is; temperature is measured using either the Fahrenheit (F) or Celsius (C) scale
- Weather – the condition of the atmosphere at a place for a short period of time, including humidity, cloud cover, temperature, wind, and precipitation
- Wind speed – how fast the air is moving; wind speed is commonly measured with an anemometer
- Windy – the condition of very fast moving air
Unit 01: Investigating Properties and Patterns in Weather
Unit 2 Vocabulary
- Change – to become different from the way something or someone was before
- Cooling – the process of becoming cooler; a falling temperature
- Evaporating – to change from a liquid to a gas by adding heat
- Freezing – to change from a liquid to a solid by loss of heat (cooling)
- Heating – the process of becoming warmer; a rising temperature
- Melting – to change from a solid to a liquid by adding heat
- Property – a characteristic that can be observed, measured, or changed
- Texture – the feel and look of a surface, for example rough or smooth
- Unit – an accepted quantity used as a standard of measurement, such as the meter, liter, and gram
Unit 02: Investigating Properties and Patterns
3rd Grade
Unit 1 Vocabulary
- Attract – to cause to draw near or adhere (stick together) by physical force
- Celsius – the international unit of measurement for temperature
- Gas – a state of matter in which the substance takes both the shape and the volume of its container
- Liquid – take the shape of their container, filling the bottom of the container first
- Magnet – an object that attracts (pulls) iron and a few other magnetic materials, such as nickel and cobalt
- Magnetic – able to be attracted by a magnet or magnetized
- Magnetism – a force of attraction that causes a magnetic material to move
- Mass – the amount of matter in something
- Matter – anything that has mass and takes up space
- Mixture – a combination of two or more substances that can be easily separated in some physical way
- Nonmagnetic – not capable of being magnetized
- Physical property - properties of matter that can be observed, measured, or changed without changing the matter itself
- Repel – to present an opposing force to; push back or away by a force
- Solid – definite shape and size
- States of matter – the forms matter can take, such as solid, liquid, and gas; sometimes called phases of matter
- Temperature – a way of measuring how hot or cold something is; temperature is measured using either the Fahrenheit (F) or Celsius (C) scale
Unit 01: Investigating Properties of Matter
During this unit, students accumulate more sophisticated information about the physical properties of matter as they become increasingly familiar with standard units of measurement. The study of matter lends itself to hands-on, minds-on experiences that capitalize on students’ natural curiosity about the physical world around them. Through these experiences, students model the processes used by scientists to study and better understand the natural world.
Students continue to use science notebooks, not only as a record of their observations and data, but as a tool to construct meaning from their experiences. Students collect data by observing and measuring using the metric system and construct graphic organizers, simple tables, charts, and bar graphs to organize, examine, and evaluate measured data. Furthermore, students analyze and interpret patterns in data to construct reasonable explanations based on evidence from investigations and continue to communicate valid conclusions (supported by student-collected data) in writing, by drawing pictures, and through verbal discussion. Additionally, students are introduced to the idea that repeated investigations may increase the reliability of results. With an increased emphasis on classroom and outdoor investigations (60% of instructional time per the introductory material of the TEKS for Grade 3), it is essential to model good safety habits and set appropriate safety expectations for students. The beginning of the year is a good time to review and reinforce the importance of safety; however, teachers, as well as students, should revisit appropriate safety measures and proper use of equipment throughout the year.
Unit 2 Vocabulary
- Celsius – the international unit of measurement for temperature
- Condensation – the process of changing from a gas to a liquid
- Cooling – the process of becoming cooler; a falling temperature
- Energy – the ability to change matter
- Evaporation – the process of changing from a liquid to a gas
- Freezing / freeze – to change from a liquid to a solid state by loss of heat / thermal energy
- Gas – a state of matter in which the substance takes both the shape and the volume of its container
- Heating – the process of becoming warmer; a rising temperature
- Liquid – a state of matter in which the substance takes the shape of the container, filling the bottom of the container first
- Melting / melt – to change from a solid to a liquid by adding heat / thermal energy
- Physical change – change which alters the physical properties of a substance without changing its identity
- Precipitation – water that falls to the Earth’s surface as rain, snow, sleet, or hail
- Solid – a state of matter in which the substance has a definite shape and size
- Temperature – a way of measuring how hot or cold something is; temperature is measured using either the Fahrenheit (F) or Celsius (C) scale
- Water cycle – the change of water from one state to another as it moves between Earth’s surfaces to the atmosphere
- Water vapor – the gas state of water
Unit 02: Investigating Matter and Change
During this unit, students measure, test, and record physical properties, including temperature, and continue to predict, observe, and record changes in the states of matter caused by heating and cooling. The idea of heat as a form of energy comes into play in this unit. Change in state or phase can be accomplished by subjecting matter to heating and cooling (the addition and reduction of heat). Water is the most familiar substance used to demonstrate change of state, and those changes can be linked back to benchmark temperatures on the thermometer. Students at this level may not distinguish between heat and temperature, but they begin to see that heat is one form of energy that can change matter. By Grade 3, students have used a thermometer to measure the relative temperature of a variety of substances. In this unit, students become more familiar with the Celsius scale and develop personal referents for familiar benchmark temperatures, including temperature points related to changes in the state of water. They describe and classify samples of matter as solids, liquids, and gases.
4th Grade
Unit 1 Vocabulary
- Concept map – a diagram that shows relationships between concepts
- Condensation – the process of changing from a gas to a liquid
- Cooling – the process of becoming cooler; a falling temperature
- Evaporation – process of changing from a liquid to a gas
- Gas – a state of matter in which the substance takes both the shape and the volume of its container
- Heating – the process of becoming warmer; a rising temperature
- Heat transfer – transfer of thermal energy from one object to another
- Liquid – take the shape of their container, filling the bottom of the container first
- Magnetism – a force of attraction that causes a magnetic material to move
- Mass – the amount of matter in something
- Matter – a substance that has mass and takes up space
- Melting – to change from a solid to a liquid state by adding heat / thermal energy
- Metric system – the decimal measuring system based on the meter, liter, and gram as units of length, capacity, and weight or mass
- Physical property – a property that can be observed, measured, or changed without changing the matter itself
- Size – the overall dimensions of an object or organism
- Solid – definite shape and size
- States of matter – the forms matter can take, such as solid, liquid, and gas; sometimes called phases of matter
- Temperature – a way of measuring how hot or cold something is; temperature is measured using either the Fahrenheit (F) or Celsius (C) scale
- Triple beam balance – a tool used to measure masses very precisely
- Volume – the amount of space that a substance or object takes up
Unit 01: Physical Properties of Matter
During this unit, students use prior knowledge, as well as the ability to identify the states of matter, in order to investigate (measure, compare and contrast) physical properties, including size, mass, volume, states (solid, liquid, and gas), temperature, and the ability to sink or float. Students gain a deeper understanding of the impact of the addition or reduction of heat, which will be required in order for students to be able to make logical predictions. Students are introduced to new tools used to measure and record data, including the triple beam balance. Furthermore, students use the metric system when collecting and recording data. Students set up their own science notebooks and record and communicate scientific data and observations through construction of simple tables, charts, and bar graphs. Please refer to the TEKS Resource System Resource “Science Notebooking: A Reflective Tool for Assessing Student Understanding” (Elementary) for more information. Students demostrate safe practices as outlined in the Texas Safety Standards.
One of the challenges of this unit is the mathematics associated with volume. In order to provide purposeful scaffolding, students in Grade 4 science should measure liquid volume, and only work with volume of a solid in a conceptual format. The mathematical calculation of V = L x W x H is not introduced until Grade 5 Mathematics. Another challenge of this unit involves the concept of density and buoyancy. Students should be provided with experiences in which they will make informal observations about an object’s ability to sink or float. The academic science vocabulary terms density and buoyancy should are not formally taught or assessed in Grade 4.
Unit 2 Vocabulary
- Dissolve – the process by which substances break down into small pieces and spread evenly in water
- Evaporation – to change from a liquid to a gas by adding heat
- Matter – anything that has mass and takes up space
- Mixture – a combination of two or more substances that can be easily separated in some physical way
- Physical properties – properties of matter that can be observed, measured, or changed without changing the matter itself
- Solution – a type of mixture in which the particles of one or more substances are uniformly dispersed (spread out) throughout another substance; the solution has the same uniform appearance and composition throughout
Unit 02: Mixtures and Solutions
Texas Safety Standards
5th Grade
Unit 1 Vocabulary
- Personal protective equipment (PPE) – equipment, such as goggles and aprons, used for protection in an investigation
Unit 01: Science Safety and Notebooking
Unit 2 Vocabulary
- Boiling point – the temperature at which a substance changes from a liquid to a gas; for water this temperature is 100°C
- Celsius – the international scale of measurement for temperature
- Conductor – a substance or object that allows energy to flow through it easily
- Dissolving – the process by which substances breakdown into small pieces and spread evenly in liquid (water)
- Electrical energy – energy that is absorbed or delivered by an electric circuit
- Insulator – a substance or object that does not allow energy to flow through it easily
- Magnetism – a force of attraction that causes a magnetic material to move
- Mass – the amount of matter in something
- Matter – anything that has mass and takes up space
- Melting / freezing point – the temperature at which a substance changes from a liquid to a solid or a solid to a liquid by the loss or addition of heat; for water this temperature is 0°C
- Mixture – a combination of two or more substances that can be easily separated in some physical way
- Physical properties – properties of matter that can be observed, measured, or changed without changing the matter itself
- Properties – characteristics used to identify matter
- Relative density – floating or sinking when compared to water
- Solubility – the ability of a substance to dissolve in another substance, such as sugar dissolving in water
- Solution – a type of mixture in which the particles of one or more substances are uniformly dispersed (spread out) throughout another substance
- Temperature – a way of measuring how hot or cold something is; temperature is measured using either the Fahrenheit (F) or Celsius (C) scale
- Thermal / heat energy – energy related to the temperature of an object or a substance
- Volume – the amount of space that a substance or object takes up
Unit 02: Physical Properties of Matter
6th Grade
Unit 1 Vocabulary
- Emergency safety equipment – equipment such as an eye/face wash, a fire blanket, and a fire extinguisher used to take care of an emergency situation
- Protective safety equipment – equipment, such as goggles and aprons, used for protection in an experiment
Unit 01: Science Safety and Procedures
Unit 2 Vocabulary
- Conductivity – ability to conduct electrical current
- Density – the amount of matter that will fit into a given amount of space
- Ductility – ability to be stretched into a wire without breaking
- Hardness – ability of a mineral to resist scratching
- Luster – how the surface of a mineral appears when it reflects light (e.g., shiny or dull)
- Malleability – ability to be formed or shaped under pressure (e.g., metals hammered or rolled into thin sheets)
- Mass – the amount of matter in something
- Metalloids – substances that exhibit some properties of metals and nonmetals
- Metals – substances that have the physical properties of luster, conductivity, and malleability; may appear in all three states of matter
- Nonmetals – substances that have the physical properties of being dull, insulators, and brittle; may appear in all three states of matter
- Streak – the color of a mineral seen when rubbed on a streak plate
- Volume – the amount of space that a substance or object occupies
Unit 02: Physical Properties of Matter
During this unit, students use various tools to measure mass and volume of substances to calculate density of regular and irregular objects in order to identify an unknown substance. Students implement comparative and descriptive investigations of metals, nonmetals, and metalloids using physical properties of luster, conductivity, and malleability. Additionally, they test the hardness, luster, color, and streak of minerals. The concept of minerals is not addressed in the Earth Science units for this grade; therefore, the focus of the standard is on testing the physical properties for classification, not on the minerals themselves. Students use the periodic table to identify the locations of metals, nonmetals, and metalloids for the purpose of seeing how substances with like properties are classified. Students use their science notebooks to collect and record data from investigations on tables, and to communicate valid conclusions supported by the data. Students demonstrate safe practices as outlined in the Texas Safety Standards.
In Grade 6 Mathematics, students are concurrently learning to divide positive rational numbers to include decimal dividends and divisors (6.3E). Since students have not yet mastered solving for quotients including dividends and divisors with decimals, science teachers are encouraged to work closely with the mathematics teachers to ensure the same language and processes are being taught in both content areas with regards to calculating density. If teachers elect to allow students to use calculators in Grade 6 Science during this unit, it is recommended to revisit calculating density later in the year, without the use of calculators. Students will not be allowed to use calculators to calculate density on the STAAR Grade 8 Assessment.
7th Grade
Unit 1 Vocabulary
- Emergency safety equipment – equipment such as an eye / face wash, a fire blanket, and a fire extinguisher used to take care of an emergency situation
- Protective safety equipment – equipment, such as goggles and aprons, used for protection in an experiment
Unit 01: Science Safety and Procedures
Unit 2 Vocabulary
- Biomass – total mass of living organisms in a given area
- Chlorophyll – the green substance (pigment) contained in the chloroplast of plant leaves that captures the energy in sunlight
- Chloroplast – a structure in a plant cell that contains chlorophyll; site of photosynthesis
- Compost bin – a collection of decaying plant material; may be used for fertilizer
- Decomposition – the process by which decomposers break down dead material and waste into simpler substances
- Energy pyramid – diagram that demonstrates the flow of energy through a food chain
- Glucose – a sugar molecule; product of photosynthesis
- Photosynthesis – process by which producers / plants use the energy in sunlight to create their own food
- Trophic level – the position that an organism occupies in a food chain, i.e., what it eats, and what eats it
Unit 02: Flow of Energy
Unit 3 Vocabulary
- Force – a push or pull that can change the position or motion of an object / material
- Geotropism – growth that happens in living organisms in response to gravity, such as the downward growth of plant roots
- Motion – a change in the position of an object
- Turgor pressure – pressure exerted by water inside the cell on the cell wall
- Work – when a force is used to move an object through a distance in the direction the force is applied
Unit 03: Force and Motion
8th Grade
Unit 1 Vocabulary
- Atom – smallest particle of an element that maintains the properties of that element
- Atomic mass – average mass of one atom of an element (from particles in the nucleus)
- Atomic number – the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom; used to determine an element's position in the periodic table
- Electrical charge – a property of a subatomic particle; positive (protons), negative, (electrons), or neutral (neutrons)
- Electron – a negatively charged particle in the electron cloud surrounding the atomic nucleus
- Electron cloud – the negatively charged space containing electrons that surrounds the atomic nucleus
- Neutron – a (neutral) particle with no electrical charge within the atomic nucleus
- Nucleus – the positively charged center of an atom containing the protons and neutrons
- Periodic table – a conceptual model in which the elements are organized according to their properties; often displayed as a chart
- Proton – a positively charged particle within the atomic nucleus; used to identify an element
- Subatomic particle – a particle smaller than an atom, such as a proton, neutron, or electron
- Valence electron(s) – electron(s) located in outer energy level (electron shell)
Unit 01: Atoms
During this unit, students demonstrate and use knowledge of safe practices, including wearing safety goggles, washing hands, using materials appropriately, as well as use of other preventative safety equipment such as, aprons, gloves, and chemical splash goggles. Safety is included in this first unit of study to establish procedures and protocols for the school year. Students set up and organize their science notebooks. In addition, they use the science notebook to collect, record, and analyze information related to the operation of safety equipment and safe practices in the science setting. Please refer to the TEKS Resource System Resource “Science Notebooking: A Reflective Tool for Assessing Student Understanding” (Secondary) for more information. Throughout the year, students will continue to demonstrate safe practices in the context of their science studies as outlined in the Texas Safety Standards.
Students use their science notebooks to describe the structure of an atom including mass / size comparisons, electrical charges, and locations of subatomic particles. Additionally, students determine the electrical charge of a nucleus, based on the presence and number of positively charged protons. Students interpret the relationship between the information on the periodic table and the atomic structure of atoms / elements for the purpose of drawing, constructing and decoding models. Students calculate the number of neutrons in the nucleus by subtracting the atomic number from the atomic mass on the periodic table. (Note: Although it is not appropriate to discuss isotopes in Grade 8, it is appropriate to communicate to students that there are other versions of atoms with different atomic masses that will be studied in high school chemistry.) Students identify the advantages and limitations of atomic models and relate the research and development of atomic models to their impact on scientific thought and society. Students are expected to only identify valence electrons in terms of location at this time. Students identify elements based on the number of protons in an atom.
Unit 2 Vocabulary
- Atomic number – the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom; used to determine an element's position in the Periodic Table
- Chemical property – a characteristic of a substance that describes how it combines with other substances to form new ones
- Groups (families) – the vertical columns on the Periodic Table
- Periods – the horizontal rows on the Periodic Table
- Periodic Table –a conceptual model in which the elements are organized according to their properties; often displayed as a chart
- Periodic trend – a regular variation of certain characteristics of elements to increase or decrease along a period (row) or group (column) of the Periodic Table of elements
- Physical property – property of matter that can be observed without changing the composition or identity of the matter
- Reactivity – tendency of a substance to undergo chemical changes in a system
- Valence electrons – electron(s) located in outer energy level (electron shell)