Science Benchmark Skills Check

I was so excited to hear kids say, "My mom made me study!"

I was also asked by parents, "Are you going to make a science review?"

So here it is!

As promised, here is a review for the Science Benchmark that we will be having this week.

Vocabulary

-One of the most imperative things to know is the words increase and decrease. 

Science Safety

-Know science gear (goggle, lab coat, gloves) and why it is useful

-Know science tools such as beaker, thermometer, balance, etc.

Properties of Matter

-EVERYTHING is made up of matter.

-There are three states of matter- solid liquid and gas

-Solid-Have their own shape (know examples)

-Liquids- take the shape of their container and are easily poured (know

examples)

-Gas-fill their container, most times, they can not be seen (know examples)

-Water can be a solid (ice), liquid (water) and gas (steam)

-Know what happens when you increase and decrease the temperature of water.

**Classifying Matter (this ties into lots of the different topics we have learned)

-You can classify matter by shape, size, texture, flexibility, color, and temperature.

-Classify means to sort things

Changing Matter

-You can change the properties of matter such as shape color and size by doing things such as cutting, folding and bending them.  These changes are not permanent.

-If you mix beads and blocks in a bowl you can take them apart (reversible change of matter)

-If you mix flour, sugar, milk and eggs, and make cookies you can NOT take the ingredients apart (that’s an irreversible change)

Structures

-A structure I something that is made up of a number of parts that are held or put together in a particular way.

-Structures can be held together by tape, glue, etc. 

-Certain shapes can make structures stronger…like a triangle

-Twisting or folding can make a structure stronger also.

Light Energy

-Know the word dim.

-When you decrease light, things get dimmer.

-When light is dimmer it makes it harder to see.

-There is natural light (sun, fireflies, fire, stars) and man made light (light bulbs, flashlights)

Sound Energy

-Sounds are made by vibrations

-The vibrations make sound waves that travel to our ears

-Sounds can be loud (increase) or soft (decrease)

-You can change the way something sounds by moving further away from it or even by covering your ears.

-Ex. A car horn going off in the school parking lot, will not sound as loud if you are inside the school building.

-The pitch of a sound can be high (like a flute) or low (like a tuba)

Heat Energy

-Heat can be increased or decreased. 

-If you increase heat, properties of things can change:

-Candle wax can melt

-Water can boil

-If you decrease heat, things such as water can freeze into ice

Magnets

-Magnets are used in our everyday life

-Magnets attract (pull together) and repel (push away)

-Magnets have two poles (north and south)

-Opposite poles attract

-Magnets attract things made of metal (iron, steel, nickel)

-The earth acts as a magnet because of its iron core

Motion

-Friction can make heat by rubbing two things together

-Motion works by PUSH and PULL

-Gravity is a pull

-Different motions are: turn, twist, spin, slide, roll, etc.

Man...I never know how much we have learned until making these skill checks! We have learned so much this year already and still have another half of the year to go.

Social Studies Benchmark Review

Thursday, we will be having a Social Studies Benchmark.  The benchmark is comprehensive and will test the students on all material we have learned since the beginning of the year.  The following Topics will be covered on the benchmark.  You may review these topics with your child by having a conversation with them.  Ask them if they remember the some of the following things.  If they get stuck, use this review to help jog their memory on such topics.  If you keep your child's graded work, it will also help you in preparation for the upcoming test.  This test will go into the gradebook as a major grade and will hold great value.  Happy Studying!

Landforms:
Your child should know all of the landforms and a short definition of each.  We went over these and made an "All About Landform Book" describing each landform

hill- raised piece of land
Mountain- Highest land form on earth
plateau- raised land that is flat on the top
island- land that is FULLY surrounded by water
peninsula- Land that is ALMOST surrounded by water
valley- Low area between to raised areas of land
forest-An area with many trees
plains-a large mostly flat piece of land

Bodies of water:
lake, ocean, stream, river
-Know that oceans are the biggest bodies of water

Maps:
-Know that a compass rose tells directions
-There are for directions on a compass rose (north, south, east and west)
-A map helps you to find locations
-A map key tells you what each symbol on a map stand for
-Know the difference between a map and a globe (one is flat, one is round)
-Know that the map of the world shows the five oceans and the seven continents

Continents:
There are seven continents, and we learned them with the following song(Where is Thumbkin):
There are seven,
there are seven,
Continents,
Continents.
North and South America
Europe, Asia, Africa,
Au-stra-lia
Ant-arc-ti-ca

Oceans:
Arctic, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Southern

Texas:
-Know the capital of Texas is Austin
-Know the symbol and Landmarks of Texas are: Blue Bonnet, Mocking Bird, Alamo, San Jacinto Monument

Citizenship:
Citizens are people what are part of a specific group (large group like the United States or a small group like Mrs. Humphrey's Class)

Patriotism:
Know that some one who is patriotic shows respect and honor for their country.
Some Patriotic Citizens we learned about were Paul Revere and Abigail Adams.
A patriotic symbol would be the Flag of the United States
We also show respect and honor to our country and state by saying the pledge of allegiance and the pledge to the Texas flag.

Voting:
Know that citizens vote in an elections
Know that you need to be 18 or older and a citizen to vote
Use a ballot and choose the best candidate for the job
Campaigns are held to find out more information about the candidates

Government:

-Be able to identify functions of government such as to keep order, make laws, and to keep us safe   
-Be able to break the government into three parts: Local, State and Federal
-Know who runs each Government: Local Government is run by the mayor (Webb K. Melder), The state government is run by the Governor (Rick Perry/ Greg Abbott), and the Federal Government is run by the President (Barak Obama)
-We pay taxes to help pay for government services
-Things are taxes pay for are: The library, public park up keep, Schools and hospitals
-Government services and jobs are : Mail delivery, Trash pick up, Firefighters, Police, Teachers

Holidays:
Know that Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving are all holidays and why each is celebrated.

Christmas Party Sign Up

Use the link below to sign up for our Christmas/Polar Express Party

Click Here to sign up!

This Week's Newsletter

Important things for this week:  I have place a sign up sheet on the blog for the christmas party.  

Also, we will also be having a Social Studies Benchmark Test on Thursday.  This will be a major grade.  I will be posting some info nation to study in the skills check part of the blog by Tuesday afternoon.

We Finally Did It!

We finally earned all the pieces to Mr. Potato Head. This means we earned a small class "party". The class voted in favor of a stuffed animal party!

Here are the rules for the party:

1. The stuffed animal must be able to fit into your backpack and can only be taken out  when you get to the classroom. 

2. The stuffed animal can not make noise. If it does make noise it will be confiscated until the end of the day. 

3. There was another rule...I just can't remember it!

Can't wait to meet all your kiddos special friends tomorrow!

Newsletter: Week of November 17, 2014

What are you bringing?

Have you signed up for our Class' Thanksgiving Feast?  We are still in need of someone...or two volunteers to bring another main dish and one more side.  If you haven't signed up for anything yet, we need your help!

Click Here to Sign Up! 

Attendance Incentive

In order to boost attendance rate, I have put in place a new incentive. Anyone who has perfect attendance throughout the month will receive a free breakfast from yours truly. You must be at school every single day and never late to get one doughnut and a glass of orange juice at the beginning of the following month. Our first breakfast will be held at the beginning of December. The students who have had perfect attendance for the month of November will be able to participate.

It's cold!

Please make sure you are sending your child with their coat, every day. We will continue to go to recess, and with the weather in the mid 40s, we want to make sure that everyone is prepared.  I don't want anyone getting sick and missing any school...keep warm!

Our Thanksgiving Feast

Attached is a link to sign up for our Thanksgiving feast. It will be held next Friday, November 17, 2014.  You may sign up for as much or as little as you please.  Every little donation counts.  Thanks in advance!

Click Here to Sign Up!

Newsletter: November 10, 2014

Here is this weeks newsletter!

Who will you vote for?

The following is a mock vote to be used for Mrs. Humphrey's Class only. Should be fun! Who will win? Mr. Orange Juice, or Mr. Apple Jiuce? Let the voting begin!

November Dates to Remember

Canton in Conroe is an annual craft show that is held  at our school.  

It will be this Saturday on November 8th.

There is also a Veterans Day Ceremony on November 11th at 8:30. 

 If you have a member of your family that is a Veteran, consider inviting them, 

so we may celebrate them and all their hard work for our country.

Donuts with Dads will end our festivities for the month on November 21st.  

This will be held before school from 7:00 to 8:00

Two Digit Addition

We have learned three different strategies to add two digit numbers together. These strategies and the split strategy, the jump strategy, and basic addition with regrouping. 

Below are some examples of each with steps. If your child is still having trouble and you would like extra practice at home, please let me know. 

Split Strategy

Jump Strategy

"Stacking" Addition with Regrouping 

Red Ribbon Week

Last week was red ribbon week. We talked about the importance of being drug free and taking the right paths in each child's future.  Lots of the students have great goals planned for their lives. 

Durin career day, we had veterinarians, businessmen, teachers, military, and doctors all in our classroom. I'm so proud of the high goals they have set for themselves.

 

Author Celebration: Personal Narratives

We spent quite a few weeks on writing personal Narratives. personal Narratives are true stories that happen to you. I loved hearing all the stories and experiences that each student has had outside of school. 

Because our unit was coming to an end, we celebrated our growth as authors with an author celebration. Here are some pictures of us sharing our stories with each other. 

Our Newsletter Is Going GREEN!

What’s The“BUZZ”? Our weekly Newsletter is going GREEN! You will now be able to find the newsletters on our blog, from here on out.                          This Weeks newsletter:

Our 2014 Field Trip to P6-Farm

Here is a plethora of pictures from our field trip.  We had a great time.  The weather was nice, the scenery was pleasant...and we even won a book to bring back to our classroom!