Space Adventure, Here We Come!

Welcome back,

This week, in science class, I have planned a very exciting look into the wondrous world of our solar system. The TEKS have specified an objective for this as well. The solar system holds a wonderful mystery for the students to explore (and see if they can find some answers).

We have been asking ourselves if we believe that there is even a possibility of life on other planets. One way we are making our decisions is by exploring the different conditions on the different planets. We have discovered the Mercury is the closest planet to the sun, therefore, it is the hottest. As a matter of fact, the temperature on Mercury reaches more than 800 degrees Fahrenheit.

Some fun activities for you to do with you children are listed below:

1. Planet Mass Comparison- At this site, you are able to place all of the different planets on a scale and compare their masses to one another.


2. Make a Solar System- Here, you can create your own solar system. You can even add asteroid belts and comets to see how they affect the solar system.


3. Planet Pursuit- This site is a wonderfully fun site that lets you visit each planet. You actually get to be an astronaut.

Enjoy!

T. R. Clark

What's the Weather Like?

Hello parents,

This week in science class, we are exploring the exciting world of weather, and yes, this is listed in the TEKS as one of the subjects that must be covered this year. This is one of my favorite topics. It is so fun to find out what causes the weather to react certain ways.

Learning what causes specific types of weather is not only fun for the students, but I love to see them talking about why it is snowing or raining or windy.

There are many great weather centered activities out there for you to do with your children. Here are just a few of them:

1. Forecast Earth- This is a very informative site that will let you and you children find out new and interesting information about weather patterns in different regions of the world.


2. Wild Weather Adventure- This is a great game that is jam packed full of fun and excitement. You can choose how many people are playing, and then you must answer a trivia question in order to move forward.


3. Interactive Weather Maker- In this fun filled activity, you are able to change the conditions and see how they affect the weather.


4. Disaster Discovery- This a very fun activity that allows you and you child to learn more about different types of natural disasters.

I hope these activities are as fun for you as they were for me.

T. R. Clark

Crazy about water!

Ah, we meet again,

This week, we are learning all about the water cycle. The TEKS lists this as one of the topics that must be covered this year, and I am so glad it does. I think knowing exactly how water moves around the earth is not only fun, but it is also very important.

One reason it is such an important topic, is knowing what kinds of things can affect the quality of the water. By knowing that water can be stored underneath the earth's surface, we can better understand that the improper dumping of dangerous chemicals can lead to groundwater contamination. No one wants to drink water that contains motor oil. Even the plant we eat could contain the chemical in question.

A good activity to do with you child would be to play The Water Cycle Game. Here you are able to actually move the water to each stop on the water cycle. It is a good way to help each student get a deeper understanding that water is constantly in motion.

You and your child could also do a Water Cycle Word Search. This would help your child with the vocaublary associated with the water cycle.

Finally, by just exploring the Water Cycle, you and your child will be able to find out alot of interesting facts about the water cycle. For example: About 290 cubic miles of precipitaion falls every day.

I hope everyone has fun exploring the water cycle. Stay tuned to find out what other exciting things we will be doing in science class this year.

T. R. Clark

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

Welcome back parents,

We are currently studying how recycling benefits the world we live in. This is one of the objectives listed in the TEKS. The students are very excited about this unit, and so am I. By following the three Rs, we not only make less waste, we actually protect many of out nonrenewable resources. In case you are not familiar with the three Rs, I have come up with a foolproof explanation of each one of them.

1. Reduce- By reducing the amount of things we use, we can in turn reduce the amount of waste using unnecessary things can leave behind. This can easily be done by doing simple everyday things you we don't normally think about, like printing on both sides of the paper.



2. Reuse- By reusing items, like water bottles and plastic baggies, we can reduce the amount things the manufacturers need to produce. Doing this reduces the amount of waste we leave behind too!



3. Recycle- Many items we use every day cannot be reused, but they may be able to be recycled. This actually helps use conserve our nonrenewable resources.
   

Here are a few fun activities you can do with you child:

I think it would be fun for the kids to practice their recycling abilities with you. By playing Michael, Michael, Go Recycle, you and your child will be roaming through the park, picking up items other people have left on the ground. You then will need to place each item in the correct recycling bin.

Another couple of fun gamse are the Recycling IQ Game and Recycle Fun. Both of these games are good at helping your child sort the different types of recyclables. In the Recycling IQ Game, you must put the items floating by on a balloon in the right bin. In Recycle Fun, you and your child must use the crane to pick up items and then place them in the right bin.

Recycling Roundup is qutie a bit like the Recycling IQ Game and Recycle fun, but you must move the gorilla around the park to pick up items, and then you can help him place them in the right bin.

I just know you will have a blast learning about recycling with you child. Until next time, have a great week.

T. R. Clark

Welcome!

First of all, I would like to say thank you for visiting our science class edublog. The purpose of this edublog is to keep you, the parents, informed on what is happening with your children this year in school. I plan on doing this by posting new information about whatever we happen to be studying every time we start a new unit in science class this year. I will also post links to useful and fun websites that you and your children can enjoy together. Who knows, maybe the kids will even forget that they are doing something educational! Again, I would like to welcome you to, not only this blog, but also the new school year.

Enjoy,
T. R. Clark