Unit 1 - Environments (under construction!)
August - November: Our first unit in science focuses on the environment and how different environmental factors affect the organisms that live there. Along with our study of Nature's Fury in reading, we are also learning how
natural agents of change (like weather phenomenon) can affect the environment. We planted a terrarium to determine what plants needed to germinate, continue to grow, and survive. Then we used those plants to conduct a controlled experiment.
Our question was: Do plants really need light, soil, and water to grow? You would be surprised at what we found out! Ask your
child to share their observations. We also conducted some experiments with animal organisms. We used isopods and beetles to determine preferred environments of these two organisms. We also got to hatch brine shrimp to discover viability and salt tolerance. We are working on using the scientific method with each of our experiments, but we really need to work on making careful observations and record keeping of those observations. Within all of this, we also learned a little more about the food chain and the flow of energy through ecosystems. We learned about the different producers and consumers that make up the food chain and how they depend on each other for survival.
Vocabulary
erosion -
weathering -
environment - everything that surrounds and influences an organism
environmental factor - one part of the environment; can be biotic (living) or abiotic (nonliving)
terrarium - a miniature garden in an enclosed container
organism - any living thing
germinate - to sprout and begin to grow
variable - something that can be changed
isopod -
beetle -
preferred environment - the set of environmental conditions that an organism appears to choose over other conditions
brine shrimp - tiny animals related to crabs and lobsters; found in salt ponds and salt lakes
salinity - how salty water is, the concentration of salt in water
optimum environment - environmental conditions that are the best conditions for an organism
viable - able to live and grow
salt tolerance -
salt sensitive -
energy -
habitats -
controlled experiment - an experiment where one variable is changed
food chain -
producer - can make their own food
using energy from the sun through a process called photosynthesis (plants)
consumer - cannot make their own food; must eat other organisms in order to get energy to live
herbivore - eats only plants/vegetation
carnivore - eats only meat
omnivore - eats both plants and meat
decomposer -
Food Chains
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/games/foodchaingame.swf
Unit Test Reminders
August - November: Our first unit in science focuses on the environment and how different environmental factors affect the organisms that live there. Along with our study of Nature's Fury in reading, we are also learning how
natural agents of change (like weather phenomenon) can affect the environment. We planted a terrarium to determine what plants needed to germinate, continue to grow, and survive. Then we used those plants to conduct a controlled experiment.
Our question was: Do plants really need light, soil, and water to grow? You would be surprised at what we found out! Ask your
child to share their observations. We also conducted some experiments with animal organisms. We used isopods and beetles to determine preferred environments of these two organisms. We also got to hatch brine shrimp to discover viability and salt tolerance. We are working on using the scientific method with each of our experiments, but we really need to work on making careful observations and record keeping of those observations. Within all of this, we also learned a little more about the food chain and the flow of energy through ecosystems. We learned about the different producers and consumers that make up the food chain and how they depend on each other for survival.
Vocabulary
erosion -
weathering -
environment - everything that surrounds and influences an organism
environmental factor - one part of the environment; can be biotic (living) or abiotic (nonliving)
terrarium - a miniature garden in an enclosed container
organism - any living thing
germinate - to sprout and begin to grow
variable - something that can be changed
isopod -
beetle -
preferred environment - the set of environmental conditions that an organism appears to choose over other conditions
brine shrimp - tiny animals related to crabs and lobsters; found in salt ponds and salt lakes
salinity - how salty water is, the concentration of salt in water
optimum environment - environmental conditions that are the best conditions for an organism
viable - able to live and grow
salt tolerance -
salt sensitive -
energy -
habitats -
controlled experiment - an experiment where one variable is changed
food chain -
producer - can make their own food
using energy from the sun through a process called photosynthesis (plants)
consumer - cannot make their own food; must eat other organisms in order to get energy to live
herbivore - eats only plants/vegetation
carnivore - eats only meat
omnivore - eats both plants and meat
decomposer -
Food Chains
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/games/foodchaingame.swf
Unit Test Reminders
unit_3_reminders.doc | |
File Size: | 28 kb |
File Type: | doc |