This Week...

SCIENCE: We will be wrapping up comparing and contrasting adaptations displayed by animals and plants that enable them to survive in different environments such as life cycles variations, animal behaviors and physical characteristics. (SC.5.L.17.1) Short test on this Tuesday or Wednesday (depends on how much we accomplish in class).

We'll be starting our new unit on weather and the water cycle this week as well.

SOCIAL STUDIES: We are also studying ancient Americans.  Students will be able to compare cultural aspects of ancient American civilizations (Aztecs/Mayas; Mound Builders/Anasazi/Inuit).  So far we've learned about the Maya, and will be focusing on the Aztec, Anasazi and Mound Builders this week.

SUPER GREAT NEWS! Another Donor's Choose project was funded!  We will be getting two new tablets this week.  Students will be able to use these tablets with our new robots as well as for other purposes.  I'm looking forward to the interesting ways students will be able to use both of these new things.

TESTING THIS WEEK
Unit Test: Computer Based District Assessment on Life Science Tuesday
Adaptation Test: Tuesday or Wednesday (depending on how much we accomplish in class)
Vocabulary Quiz: Friday Life Science Vocabulary Quizlet Link

This Week

We've been working on learning about adaptations.  

Students will be able to compare and contrast adaptations displayed by animals and plants that enable them to survive in different environments such as life cycles variations, animal behaviors and physical characteristics. (SC.5.L.17.1)

We've also been studying ancient Americans.  Students will be able to compare cultural aspects of ancient American civilizations (Aztecs/Mayas; Mound Builders/Anasazi/Inuit).  So far we've learned about the Maya, and will be focusing on the Aztec next.

We've also started a 5th grade garden.  Students will be getting some hands on experience with plants to help them understand plant structures, and life cycles.

And, the MOST EXCITING thing happening is our Dash and Dot robots.  Through a Donor's Choose project our class now has three little robots.  Students will be learning about code and creating programs that the robots will be able to run.

TESTS
Still aiming for Friday test on animal adaptations and our Life Science Unit Test. 

Wrapping Up Life Science

We are wrapping up our focus on SC.5.L.14.2 comparing and contrasting the function of organs and other physical structures of plants and animals, including humans, for example: some animals have skeletons for support -- some with internal skeletons others with exoskeletons -- while some plants have stems for support. Hoping for a short test on this Friday 9/30.

Starting animal adaptations next week, and looking to wrap that up by Friday 10/7 with a short test.

Aiming for a Life Science Unit Test Friday 10/7.

Additionally we have really started to dig into social studies.  We're learning about the early civilizations in North America.  

No vocabulary quiz this week (9/29).

This Week

There is no vocabulary quiz this week.  Students can use the Human Body Quizlet link to help them better understand what we are learning in class.

Animal Classification

Life Science Vocabulary Quiz on Sept. 16th

Quiz on these words Sept. 16th 1.amphibian: an animal that spends part of its life in the water and part on land; an animal that lives on land  as an adult but lays its eggs in water (related word: amphibious) 2.animal: an organism that is made of many cells, cannot make its own food, and can move during at least  part of its life; a member of kingdom Animalia 3.arthropod: a large category of animals without backbones that includes insects, spiders, and crustaceans 4.bird: warm-blooded vertebrate with feathers, wings, and a beak whose young are born from eggs 5.classify: to group things based on similar characteristics (related word: classification) 6.consumer: an organism that eats other living things to get energy; an organism that does not produce its  own food (related word: consume) 7.decompose: to break down into simple nutrients (related word: decomposition, decomposer) 8.egg: an animal's female reproductive cell (related word: ovum) 9.embryo: an early stage in the growth of an organism in which the organism is made up of a small number  of cells 10.fish: an animal that lives in water, has fins and scales, and breathes through gills 11.food chain: a model that shows one set of feeding relationships among living things 12.food web: a model that shows many different feeding relationships among living things 13.invertebrate: an animal that does not have a backbone 14.larva: a young animal that will eventually undergo metamorphosis (related word: larvae) 15.mammal: a warm-blooded animal with hair that produces milk for its offspring 16.nymph: an immature form of an insect that will go through metamorphosis to become an adult; usually  closely resembles the adult insect 17.organism: any individual living thing 18.photosynthesis: the process in which plants and some other organisms use the energy in sunlight to  make food 19.plant: an organism that is made up of many cells, makes its own food through photosynthesis, and  cannot move; a member of kingdom Plantae 20.producer: an organism that makes its own food; an organism that does not consume other plants or  animals 21.pupa: the stage during the life cycle of an insect between the larva and the adult 22.reptile: a cold-blooded animal with scaly skin (related word: reptilian) 23.vertebrate: an animal with a backbone and an internal skeleton