Frayer Models: developing concepts and vocab

Frayer Model:

Fill out a model (or some version of it) for each of these terms:
producer, consumer, decomposer, food chain, and food web.

You can make more models, use the pages from school, or invent some other organizer to show understanding of concepts. Have fun with it!! The idea is that you understand what the concepts are and how they can be used in models to help explain our world.
Use the link from the previous post to help you remember and find the words if you need to!!

Bonus terms:
Try to use these in your Frayer models: autotroph(ic), heterotroph(ic), herbivore, omnivore, carnivore.

Have fun!!
Feel free to post and respond to each other here!!

Food web fun

Food Chain Experiences;

The goal  of all of these experiences is to understand the flow of energy in an ecosystem and the role of various organisms. Later, we will introduce new species into an ecosystem (“virtually”) to see how invasive species can effect an ecosystem.

To assess your understanding throughout your experiences, you will fill out a Frayer model for each role.

You will also post to the blog,  highlighting the learning experiences from each station.

 

1.    On line sites: Food Chain game.

Go to this site: http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/games/foodchaingame.htm

 

Play the food chain game. You can play as many times as you need to in order to understand the flow of energy in an ecosystem.

 

You can then click on more advanced “bigger chains,” then work to play the decomposers/scavengers as well.

 

2.       Card game: Follow the directions on the table to choose a biome and create a food web. Be sure to show flow of energy using arrows. What do you notice about the numbers of organisms that fill each role?

 

3.       SMART lesson: Use the Smart Board as a guide to discussion different relationships in an ecosystem.

 

Snow days!

I hope that everyone is warm and safe and have found some time to have fun in the snow.

Are the kids bored already? If so, here are some fun snow day activities:

1. NOTICE the snow. See where it behaves in surprising ways. Where does it pile up and where is the ground bare? Analyze the location of these spots and hypothesize a reason.
Observe the overhangs where the snow seems to defy gravity and there's a ledge of snow jutting out from the roof or other structure.

2. Observe changes in the drifts. You can record snow totals and watch as the wind changes.

3. What does wildlife do to meet its needs? What kind of activity do you see, or NOT see based on storm conditions. Compare the 2 snow days.

4. Look for tracks. What are these organisms doing? Where are they headed? What type of pattern do you seen in the tracks?

Take pictures, measurements, diagram what you see, research info on snow.

Bring in any extra research that you may do, whether it's your own or that of another scientist.


LIGHT:
Just for fun, take out the flashlights! (Hopefully you didn't need them during the storm.) Gather all the mirrors in the house and see if you can plan the path of a single light beam, changing its angle all around the room. Then, test it, revise your plan, and try again.
Be sure to record this in some way if you want to share it.

Get a clear container and fill it with snow. IF you shine the flashlight on it, what do you expect will happen, based on what you know about the nature of light? What does happen? What if you change the snow in some way? Explore!

I look forward to seeing everyone on Thursday!

Have fun and stay safe!

2 Liter Plastic Bottles

Thanks for storing the 2 liter plastic bottles. They can be brought in on Wednesday, 1/28. Please be sure that they are rinsed. Taping a piece of paper on each bottle with student name and class would be great!
Thanks!

Engineering a way to show ideas on light

 Today is the last day students will be working on their projects to share what they read about light.

Tomorrow they will have brief presentations showing new ideas, applications of information, and deeper understanding. They have chosen various ways to present their research: models, posters, PPTs, storyboards, skits, demonstrations.

Tonight's homework is to reflect on their presentations. They have the instructions, but in case they can't be found, here is a copy:

*****************************

Reflection (excuse the pun J )

For your light projects/presentation answer these questions:

What key concepts are you sharing? How are you demonstrating them?

Any new ideas or creative ways that you are building upon information that we learned?

Outside applications/research?

Did you meet the requirements and/or go for the advanced demonstration of knowledge?

Bring this back on Friday on a neat piece of paper with name, date, class number.

Looking forward to your amazing engineering projects!!!

Light Investigations

Today's experiments on color combinations!
Ask your children about what we found.

Also, ask about waves. You can refresh their memories on frequency and wavelength relationships by asking about our experiments on water pans and with ropes. They might want to show you!!

Light Sites: homework and go deeper

Homework:

Investigate light sites. Read/explore/record on homework sheet, due Friday, January 16.

www.usborne-quicklinks.com
key words: Science Light

Waves, p. 8/9
Wave Behavior, p. 10/11


Want more?

To extend your thinking, check out:

Color: p. 22/23
Electromagnetic Waves, p.18/19


To review sound,
try pages 12-17