Weekly Update

We are continuing to work on life science.  Our focus this week is 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)

So we'll be covering/reviewing

• life cycles of various organisms
• animal behaviors
• animal characteristics
• environments (biomes)
• physical/behavioral adaptations
• camoflauge
• mimicry
• hibernation
• food chains
• food webs

Here are a list of vocabulary words and definitions to help us better understand this topic.

Update

We have been working hard learning about life sciences.

Students have been busy learning about how living things are classified, researching characteristics of different groups of organisms, and becoming fluent with science vocabulary.

We will be having a vocabulary quiz on Wednesday 10/4.  The Quizlet link to study these words is here.

I'm hoping to wrap up this standard by Friday 10/6 as we move into ecosystems, adaptations and environments next week.

In social studies, students have been using latitude and longitude to locate places.  We've been using data from the National Hurricane Center to track hurricanes and tropical storms.  We will start to move on to learning about Native Americans soon.

Update

After the long hurricane break we will be taking our first test, tomorrow Tuesday, September 19th on the human body.

After the human body we will continue with life sciences.  

Students will be categorizing living things, learning about energy pyramids, comparing organisms, among other things.

Here are some vocabulary words students will be exposed to

Study online at quizlet.com/_23kv1y

1.	amphibian		cold-blooded vertebrate typically living on land but breeding in water
2.	arthropod		A group of organisms that have jointed appendages, an exoskeleton, bilateral symmetry. Includes insects, arachnids, and crustaceans
3.	bird		An warm blooded vertebrate that is covered in feathers, breathes through lungs and lays hard-shelled eggs.
4.	cone		Reproductive structures of most gymnosperms
5.	exoskeleton		a rigid external covering for the body in some invertebrate animals, especially arthropods, providing both support and protection.
6.	fish		A cold blooded vertebrate that lives in the water and has fins.
7.	flower		The reproductive structure of an angiosperm
8.	function		Purpose
9.	gills		organs that exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide with water
10.	leaves		organ of plants that contain photosynthetic systems and provide surface area for photosynthesis to occur
11.	lungs		An organ found in air-breathing vertebrates that exchanges oxygen and carbon dioxide with the blood
12.	mammal		warm blooded vertebrates that have hair and produce milk for their young
13.	organism		An individual living thing
14.	reptile		An cold blooded vertebrate that lays eggs and has lungs and scaly skin.
15.	scales		each of the small, thin horny or bony plates protecting the skin of fish and reptiles, typically overlapping one another.
16.	seed		plant embryo and a food supply encased in a protective covering
17.	skeleton		The framework that gives the body its recognizable form; also designed to allow motion of the body and protection of vital organs.
18.	spore		A reproductive cell with a hard, protective coating
19.	stems		organ of plants that provide structure and transportation, protect against predators, and carries the water up and nutrients down
20.	structure		The arrangement of parts in an organism

Update

We will be having a test on Friday September 8th covering  SC.5.L.14.1 Identifying the organs in the human body and describing their functions, including the skin, brain, heart, lungs, stomach, liver, intestines, pancreas, muscles and skeleton, reproductive organs, kidneys, bladder, and sensory organs.

Students were giving vocabulary practice sheets today to help them practice matching the organs with their functions.

Check out the Vocabulary Quizlet links on the sidebar of the blog.  These are helpful links that students can use to practice these vocabulary words.

Update...

We have started our unit on Life Science.

The first topic we are covering is the human body. 

SC.5.L.14.1 Identify the organs in the human body and describe their functions, including the skin, brain, heart, lungs, stomach, liver, intestines, pancreas, muscles and skeleton, reproductive organs, kidneys, bladder, and sensory organs.

Students will be learning about these organs, what they do, and how they fit into different body systems.

Continent and Ocean Study Games and Videos

Here are some resources to help you practice knowing where the continents and oceans are located.


Continent and Ocean Practice Quiz

Practice Game against timer

This video doesn't include the Southern Ocean

Solar Eclipse

Here are a couple of videos about the upcoming solar eclipse from PBS's Star Gazers.  Each is about 5 minutes and gives a quick overview of what to expect, what's happening, and how to view safely.

If you found those cool, James Albury, one of the cohosts will be doing "Ask a Scientist" at the Florida Museum of Natural History on Sunday August 13th from 1-4 pm.