Fourth Term Science Review Answers

1. What is a hypothesis?
An educated guess we make about something we have observed. It is the second step of the scientific method. We can test it with an experiment.
2. What is the scientific method?
A series of steps scientists use to answer questions they have about the world and the universe.
3. The scientific method, in order.
1. Observe and ask questions. 2. Make a hypothesis. 3. Plan an experiment. 4. Do an experiment. 5. Make conclusions about your experiment.
4. What is a moon?
A natural body that revolves around a planet.
5. What is our moon like?
Almost no atmosphere, little gravity, made of aluminum, oxygen, silicone, and iron.
6. Why do we live on Earth and not the moon?
The moon does not have an atmosphere or water, it is cold, and we would not be able to grow food.
7. How are the Earth and the moon the same?
They have craters.
8. How are the Earth and the moon different?
Earth has an atmosphere, more gravity, lots of water, seasons, people, and life.
9. When did astronauts walk on the moon?
1969 to 1972
10. How long does it take the moon to rotate around Earth?
29 and half days
11. What is a moon phase?
the different shapes of the moon that we see from Earth
12. What is the universe?
Everything. Gas, dust, stars, planets, solar systems...
13. What is at the center of our solar system?
our Sun
14. What is gravity?
a force created by objects that holds things down, like planets hold us down, and the Sun holds the planets
15. What is a nebula?
where a star is born, the center of a galaxy, AND usually an old star that collapsed
16. What is the life of a star like?
First it is born in a nebula. It is very hot, very small, and blue or white, when it is a baby. Then it becomes larger and more yellow. It is not as hot. Then it grows and grows into a giant red sun called a red giant. Then, it explodes as a supernova. Supernova can become black holes or nebulas.
17. How old is our sun?
it is a middle aged star, 4.57 billion years old
18. What is light?
a type of radiation energy that is radiation, we can feel it and see it
19. How long does it take light to reach the Earth from the sun?
8 minutes
20. Why should we wear white on a very hot day?
because white things reflect light and keep us cool, but dark things absorb heat from the sun
21. Why can we see things?
because light bounces off of them (reflection)
22. Draw a picture of the solar system with the sun, moon, asteroid belt, and all the planets.


23. What is conservation?
protecting and preserving the environment
24. What is pollution?
contamination of the environment
25. What does it mean to reduce?
use less
26. What does it mean to recycle?
make soemthing new from something old
27. What does it mean to reuse?
use again
28. What are cells?
the building blocks of life
29. What things are made of cells?
animals and plants, so things like juice, food, trees, dogs, cats, us
30. What are the two types of cells?
plant cells and animals cells
31. Why do plant cells have a cell wall but animal cells do not?
because animals have skeletons to give them structure but plant cells do not
32. Draw and label a plant.

33. How do parts of a plant help each other?
The leaves make food during photosynthesis, the stem stores water and food, transports nutrients and water to the leaves, and holds the leaves up to the sunlight. The roots absorb water and nutrients and keep the plant in the ground.
34. Explain all the steps of photosynthesis.
First animals make carbon dioxide. The plant absorbs sunglight, water in the ground, and carbon dioxide from animals. It then goes through the process of transpiration and makes food in the cholorplasts, which are in plant cells inside the leaves. The process of transpiration releases water and oxygen into the air, so people can breathe.
35. Why do plants need photosynthesis?
For food
36. Why do plants need us?
for carbon dioxide
37. Why do we need plants?
for oxygen and food
38. What is an ecosystem?
A place where plants and animals live together and depend on each other
39. Describe one type of ecosystem. (see your book) Answers will be different for each person, but the types of ecosystems are tropical rain forest, decidious forest, desert, grassland, taiga, and tundra.
40. What is a renewable resource?
A resource we can use again and again in a human lifetime, like water, air, wind, or sunlight. Plants and animals are renewable.
41. What is a nonrenewable resource?
A resource we cannot replace in a human lifetime, like coal, natural gas, or oil.
42. What is a fossil fuel?
A resource in the ground that we get because animals and plants absorbed solar energy millions of years ago, and when they died that solar energy became oil, carbon, and natural gas.
43. What is energy?
the ability to change matter
44. What is kinetic energy?
moving energy
45. What is potential energy?
the possibility of energy
46. What is mechanical energy?
kinetic and potential energy
47. What is chemical energy?
energy from a chemical reaction, like fire
48. What is solar energy?
energy from the sun
49. What is heat?
the transfer of thermal energy between objects that are different temperatures
50. What is electricity?
energy from moving electrons
51. What is static electricity?
potential electricity, like lightning
52. What is current electricity?
electricity that flows
53. What happens when heat is transferred through convection?
the heat moves through air or liquid
54. What happens when heat is transferred through conduction?
the heat moves through objects touching each other
55. What four types of energy can electricity become?
heat, light, sound, and mechanical energy
56. Describe an electron. What is it like? What does it do?
It is always moving, it is crazy, it is really fast, and it likes to move to different atoms.
57. Draw and label an atom.
nucleus has protons and neutrons and there is an electron cloud on the outside
58. Draw an electric current.
flowing line
59. What is the difference between an insulator and a conductor?
insulators keep electricity from moving, conductors help it move
60. How can we protect the environment?
Conserve and protect it, conserve natural resources, use renewable resources for energy like wind and sunlight, reuse, reduce, and recycle materials.

Science Exam Review

Science Review Questions:

1. What is a hypothesis?
2. What is the scientific method?
3. The scientific method, in order.
4. What is a moon?
5. What is our moon like?
6. Why do we live on Earth and not the moon?
7. How are the Earth and the moon the same?
8. How are the Earth and the moon different?
9. When did astronauts walk on the moon?
10. How long does it take the moon to rotate around Earth?
11. What is a moon phase?
12. What is the universe?
13. What is at the center of our solar system?
14. What is gravity?
15. What is a nebula?
16. What is the life of a star like?
17. How old is our sun?
18. What is light?
19. How long does it take light to reach the Earth from the sun?
20. Why should we wear white on a very hot day?
21. Why can we see things?
22. Draw a picture of the solar system with the sun, moon, asteroid belt, and all the planets.
23. What is conservation?
24. What is pollution?
25. What does it mean to reduce?
26. What does it mean to recycle?
27. What does it mean to reuse?
28. What are cells?
29. What things are made of cells?
30. What are the two types of cells?
31. Why do plant cells have a cell wall but animal cells do not?
32. Draw and label a plant.
33. How do parts of a plant help each other?
34. Explain all the steps of photosynthesis.
35. Why do plants need photosynthesis?
36. Why do plants need us?
37. Why do we need plants?
38. What is an ecosystem?
39. Describe one type of ecosystem.
40. What is a renewable resource?
41. What is a nonrenewable resource?
42. What is a fossil fuel?
43. What is energy?
44. What is kinetic energy?
45. What is potential energy?
46. What is mechanical energy?
47. What is chemical energy?
48. What is solar energy?
49. What is heat?
50. What is electricity?
51. What is static electricity?
52. What is current electricity?
53. What happens when heat is transferred through convection?
54. What happens when heat is transferred through conduction?
55. What four types of energy can electricity become?
56. Describe an electron. What is it like? What does it do?
57. Draw and label an atom.
58. Draw an electric current.
59. What is the difference between an insulator and a conductor?
60. How can we protect the environment?

Here are the links to documents that will help you:

1st term final exam: https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B3Gs8USRVEoYNTVhZGVhOTItMDc2MS00NWQ1LTkwODQtYWE5ZGM2NzIwMDEy&hl=en&authkey=COnYnfQE

2nd term final exam: https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B3Gs8USRVEoYMTAxMTI4ZDctMzMzNy00MzVmLTgzYTktMjMyNTZjZTNhZmQz&hl=en&authkey=CLvNp44E

3rd term final exam: https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B3Gs8USRVEoYMjI0OTFjNGEtNDYyNy00ZTNjLTk0ZjgtYmFlMGE4YjgwM2Y5&hl=en&authkey=COOauoIH

4th term test 1

4th term quiz

Here are some other useful documents. Just click on the one you want:

Worksheet on the Scientific Method

Worksheet over Space

Science Test Study Guide from Term 1

You should also study the cells and plants we learned about. Cells are not in your book. Here is a blogpost I wrote to help you: http://hoyengradoquinto.blogspot.com/2010/09/science-exam-review.html.

Here are helpful blogposts from Term 2:
Study Guide 1: http://hoyengradoquinto.blogspot.com/2010/06/science-study-guide-part-1.html

Study Guide 2: http://hoyengradoquinto.blogspot.com/2010/06/science-study-guide-part-2extra-credit.html

Study Guide Answers: http://hoyengradoquinto.blogspot.com/2010/06/study-guide-answers.html

Here is a helpful blogpost from Term 3:

Cells and Cell Structure: http://hoyengradoquinto.blogspot.com/2010/07/cells-and-cell-structure.html

Answers to the first review will be posted at 6:30 p.m. tonight.

Science Project

Hello class.

Your science project is due on Thursday! You need a 5 paragraph essay about your project. Remember, you need to make a DECORATION and a COSTUME from old materials that you either reuse or recycle.

Here's how to make a paper mache mask: http://www.ehow.com/how_2085169_make-paper-mache-mask.html.

Here's a video:


Here's a link to Halloween costume ideas: http://familyfun.go.com/halloween/halloween-kids-costumes/ and here is another one: http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/halloweentheme/a/091399.htm.

Finally, here are some websites with information about making haunted houses:
http://www.knowledgehound.com/topics/halloween_props.htm
http://party.kaboose.com/holidays/halloween/halloween-party.html#Decorations
http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/kids-halloween-party-ideas.htm
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Halloween/video/diy-haunted-house-disembodied-parts-11883192

Remember, YOU CANNOT BUY ANYTHING!!!!

Science Test Review

1. What is the difference between kinetic and potential energy?
2. What has more potential energy: a book on a shelf, or a book falling down?
3. What is energy?
4. If you throw a baseball, where does the ball's kinetic energy come from?
5. What kind of energy do we get from the sun?
6. What is mechanical energy?
7. What is chemical energy?
8. Where do we get electrical energy?
9. What is the difference between light from the sun and heat from a lightbulb?
10. In our experiment, why did the butter melt?
11. What is an conductor?
12. What is a better insulator, a person or a textbook?
13. What is the difference between convection and conduction?
14. What is a fossil fuel?
15. What is a renewable resource?
16. What is a nonrenewable resource?
17. What is conservation?
18. How can people use nonrenewable resources like wind, water, and solar energy?

Answers posted at 7:00 p.m.

Science Review, Update

If you study what is in the last review, you should do well on the exam.

The differences between deciduous trees, cacti, and evergreen trees are:

1. Cacti live in deserts. They have adapted to the long periods without water by storing water AND protecting the water with needles. The needles are really leaves.

2. Evergreen trees are "ever green" which means they are green all year round. They have needles, too, and they never lose all their needles at once.

3. Deciduous trees are found in deciduous forests. They lose their leaves in the fall and grow new leaves in the spring.

Also, what you need to know about oxygen and carbon dioxide is that they are both part of photosynthesis. Plants need carbon dioxide to create food during photosynthesis, and then they release water, which has oxygen in it. People and animals need oxygen, but we breathe out carbon dioxide. Plants need carbon dioxide and create oxygen. So we need each other.

Science Exam Review

DO NOT FORGET: Your social studies country projects are due TOMORROW. Check out this blog post for more information by clicking on this link.

Your science exam covers cells, plant structure, photosynthesis, and land ecosystems, along with some vocabulary.

Here are the vocabulary words:
Photosynthesis, chlorophyll, ecosystem, food chain, leaves, stem, roots, transpiration, carbon dioxide, oxygen, climate zone, tropical rain forest, deciduous forest, grassland, desert, taiga, tundra, cell, chlorophyll, habitat

For your cell review, look at these posts: Cells and Cell Structure and the Cell Review and answers.

You need to be able to draw a plant cell and label the cell wall, the vacuole, the chloroplasts, cell membrane, vacuole, cytoplasm, mitochondria, chloroplasts, endoplasmic recticulum, ribosomes, and nucleus and nucleolus.

To review plants, read pages 102-103. You need to be able to draw a plant and label it.
You do not have to draw a flower, only the roots, stem, and leaves. Please know what the roots, stem, and leaves do. You should also know the difference between a cactus, a deciduous tree, and an evergreen tree.

You should know how plants can adapt to different ecosystems.

You need to know about photosynthesis. Read pages 104-105 for more information. You need to draw a picture of the photosynthesis process (in your book and notes) and explain what happens in a short essay.


You should know about ecosystems. To study, answer these questions:
1. What is a tropical rain forest like?
2. What is a deciduous forest like?
3. What is a grassland like?
4. What is a desert like?
5. What is the taiga like?
6. What is a tundra like?
7. Why are there different ecosystems? (page 168)
8. What ecosystem has many different types of plants and animals?
9. What are the animals in each ecosystem like?

If you have any questions, leave a comment or send me an email.

Just a Quick Update

Hi Class and Parents!

I just wanted to remind all of my students that you DO NOT have math homework this weekend, but you DO have a science project due on Tuesday. Make sure you make a travel brochure and a poster with all the correct information (climate, ecosystem, animals, plants, food chain, landforms, what countries have that ecosystem). Your presentations will be during science on Tuesday.

You DO NOT have school on Monday.

You have a half day on Wednesday because of the musical. On Wednesday, you need to be at the theater at 5:00 PM--NOT 6:30 like the circular said. There will be a route to pick you up.

If you have any questions, let me know!

Answers to Cell Review

Please look above... you need to know everything except lysosomes.

1. A cell is the building block of life. Cells are the smallest unit of life. Some animals and plants can be uni-cellular--made of only one cell. Other cells that make bigger plants and animals (like us), attach to each other and build animals or plants by joining each other.

2. The two types of cells are plant cells and animal cells.

3. See the picture above so you know what parts to label. You need to label a plant cell. You should know these parts: cell wall, cell membrane, vacuole, ribosome, nucleus, nucleolus, chloroplasts, endoplasmic recticulum, golgi apparatus, cytoplasm, and mitochondria.

4. Here are what the parts do:
Cell wall: Protects the cell and gives the cell and plant structure
vacuole: Stores water and helps give the cell shape
nucleus and nucleolus: Holds DNA information and directs and manages the cell. (It tells the cell what to do.)
chloroplasts: where photosynthesis occurs
ribosomes: hold protein in the cell
mitochondria: supplies energy for the cell

Quiz over Cells, TOMORROW!!!

You need to know...

1. What is a cell?

2. What are the two main types of cells?

3. You need to label a plant cell. You should know these parts: cell wall, cell membrane, vacuole, ribosome, nucleus, nucleolus, chloroplasts, endoplasmic recticulum, golgi apparatus, cytoplasm, and mitochondria.

4. You should know what the cell wall, vacuole, nucleus and nucleolus, chloroplasts, ribosomes, and mitochondria do.

(I will post the answers to these questions at 7:00 p.m.)

Science Presentations for K5

Hello class. Remember, you have to give a presentation to K5 on Friday (at 8:20 a.m.).

You need to have a poster with LOTS of pictures OR you can build a model of you topic (like build a model of a cell or a plant). You should try to have a very short activity, like a little song or a game to play with the students, but remember they are only 5 years old. Also, keep your words simple, because they do not know a lot of English yet.

Your presentation should be in English, and including the presentation and activity, it MUST be less than ten minutes. If you want to give them a worksheet or a picture to color, please send it to me by Thursday morning.

Remember, you are TEACHING these kids. They will be tested over what you teach them next week. Please make sure you have good presentations.

Here are the groups and topics:

Topic: Plant Cell Structure
Students: Sofia, Manuela, Nathalia
You need to show us want a plant cell is and explain what cells are. You should talk about the most important parts of the plant cell, like the chloroplasts and the cell wall.

Topic: Photosynthesis
Students: Juan Luis, Kent, Pablo
You need to explain what photosynthesis is and how it happens.

Topic: Structure of a Plant
Students: Jorge, Antonia, Luisa
You need to talk about the parts of a plant, like the roots, stems, and leaves, and what each part does.

Topic: Types of Plants
Students: Juan Felipe, Daniela, Laura
You should talk about these types of plants: deciduous, evergreen, and succulents (cacti). You might also want to talk about mushrooms and why they are NOT a plant.

If you need help with anything, please let me know.

Cells and Cell Structure

In science we are going to start learning about biology. In biology, we will study types of cells, plants, and ecosystems.

This blog post is about cells. Cells are the basic unit of life. They are the smallest living thing. Sometimes cells are called "the building blocks of life" because all living things are made of cells. Some things, like bacteria, are only made of one cell. People are made of many, many, many cells.

These are building blocks:


Cells work like these building blocks: they combine and join each other to make bigger things. They can make plants, flowers, trees, grass, dogs, cats, people, snakes, elephants--anything! Fruit is made of cells, so when you drink a class of lulo, you are DRINKING CELLS! So WEIRD!

There are two main types of cells: plant cells and animal cells. Plant cells can be different types and animal cells can be different types. For example, skin cells, bone cells, and blood cells are all different types of animal cells.

Please watch this video about cells:


This cell is an ANIMAL cell. Animal cells have a "membrane", or a very thin skin, that surrounds them. They do not have a "wall" like plant cells, because animals have a spine. (Do you know what a spine is? See below...)


This is a plant cell. Plant cells have an outside wall because plants do not have a spine.


*Hint: This is a spine:

OKAY: For homework, please tell me 3 things that are the same about plant cells and animal cells and two things that are different. Use the pictures, the information in the blog, and what you see in the video. Write your answers in your science notebook.

Study Guide Answers

Answers:
1. an object that orbits a planet
2. the Earth and the Moon are both spheres and they are made of similar materials. They are different because the Moon is smaller and has less gravity and the Earth has an atmosphere but the Moon doesn't.
4. It makes a crater.
5. the far side of the moon
6. Neil Armstrong, 1969
7. Draw the phases of the moon. (see earlier post)
8. it appears to be growing because more of the sun's light is reflecting on it.
10. it appears to be getting smaller because less light is reflected on it.
11. When it is a full moon.
12. when it is a new moon
13. Draw a solar and lunar eclipse. see posts below
14. Draw the phases of the moon. OOPS repeat question of number 7!!
15. Draw a crater. see posts below


The second section is about the solar system and the universe. It is also multiple choice and drawing pictures You should study...

1. Gas, dust, empty spaces, matter
2. born in a nebula, white dwarf, yellow star, red giant, supernova, nebula or black hole
3. the sun. It is a middle-aged star
4. the galaxy we live in. It is a spiral galaxy.
5. Spiral, Barred Spiral, Irregular, and Elliptical. (There are other types, but these are the important ones.) I'll post pictures of what they look like at the end of this answer sheet.
6. A constellation is a group of stars that, when seen from Earth, seem to form a pattern. A famous one is Ursa Major.
7. Asteroids are usually large rocks that orbit the Sun. Comets are "on fire" and have a tail that we can see, and they have HUGE orbits... so huge that one might only pass every 40 years or even 100 years.
8. between Mars and Jupiter
9. see posts from before
10. Jupiter
11. Saturn
12. Venus and Mars
13. from the sun? Uranus
14. a dwarf planet is a small rocky body that orbits the Sun, usually in the Kuiper Belt (beyond Uranus). Pluto is a dwarf planet. So is Ceres and Eris.
15. a force created by an object that pulls smaller objects towards it
16. A large object, like the Sun, pulls on other objects, like the planets, with it's gravitational force, and that keeps the planets orbiting around it
17. The space race was a competition during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union (now Russia). It was a competition to see who could get the best technology the fastest and who could explore space the best. The Soviets sent up the first satellite, Sputnik, in 1957. They also sent the first dog, monkey, man, and woman into space. The USA was always a little bit slower than the Soviet Union. In 1969, the USA landed two men on the moon--Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldridge. The Space Race ended when the Soviet Union collapsed and formed Russia. Now the United States and Russia work together.
`8. The Soviet Union... it was called Sputnik.
19. The USA
20. See my previous posts.
21. Draw the electromagnetic spectrum. Label it. Previous post.
22. Light is radiation energy. We can feel it and see it, but it can't move things. It is very fast.
23. the ability to change something in the universe
24. radiation is waves of energy that travel through space
25. 8 minutes
26. opaque
27. transparent
28. a mirror
29. it bends
30. black
31. See posts below.
32. concave

Fill in the blank:

1. absorb
2. telescope
3. refraction
4. eclipse
5. satellite
6. galaxy
7. energy
8. black hole
9. dwarf
10. visible spectrum
11. planet
12. orbit
13. moon
14. gravity
15. atmosphere
16. star

This is an irregular galaxy. It doesn't have a shape, it is just a mess:

This is an elliptical galaxy. It is shaped like an egg.

This is a barred spiral galaxy. It is like a spiral, but the middle section is one long line.

This is a spiral galaxy, like the Milky Way.
Good luck! Don't forget to do the extra credit!

Science Study Guide Part 2/Extra Credit

I have posted a LOT of videos and pictures and information to help you with the science final. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE... read and study everything I have posted, and tell all your friends to do the same. It is very important everyone uses this blog because we haven't reviewed very much in class. We will review tomorrow morning, but not for very long because we need to review for math.

DO NOT FORGET: Your math final is Wednesday!! Also, there is an extra credit assignment in a different post. Please do it! It will help your grade!

Okay... on to science... this is the last review I will post.

PRACTICE TEST!

1. What is a moon?
2. Name two ways the Earth and the Moon are the same, and two ways they are different.
4. What happens when an asteroid or meteorite hits the moon?
5. What do we call the part of the moon we can't see?
6. Who was the first person to walk on the moon, and what year did that happen? (I posted a video of this earlier.)
7. Draw the phases of the moon.
8. When the moon is waxing, what is it doing?
10. When the moon is wanning, what is it doing?
11. When can we see the entire moon?
12. When can we not see the moon?
13. Draw a solar and lunar eclipse.
14. Draw the phases of the moon.
15. Draw a crater.


The second section is about the solar system and the universe. It is also multiple choice and drawing pictures You should study...

1. What is the universe made of?
2. Describe the life cycle of a star.
3. What star is closest to us, and how old is it?
4. What is the Milky Way?
5. There are four types of galaxies. Draw them and label each type.
6. What is a constellation? What are some famous constellations?
7. What is the difference between asteroids and comets?
8. Where is the asteroid belt?
9. Draw the planets in order.
10. Which planet is the biggest?
11. Which planet has rings around it?
12. Which planets are closest to Earth?
13. Which planet is the farthest away?
14. What is a dwarf planet? What is the name of a dwarf planet in our solar system?
15. What is gravity?
16. How does gravity create orbits?
17. Explain the space race. Who was competing?
`8. What country sent the first satellite into space?
19. What country landed men on the moon first?
20. Draw the structure of a star.
21. Draw the electromagnetic spectrum. Label it.
22. What is light? What is it like?
23. What is the definition of energy?
24. What is the definition of light radiation?
25. How long does it take light to reach the Earth from the sun?
26. Is a table opaque or translucent?
27. Is a window translucent or transparent?
28. What object in a bathroom would reflect light best?
29. What happens when light is refracted?
30. What color shirt absorbs the most light?
31. Draw a laser and tell me why it is different than the sun.
32. What kind of lens would you want if you wanted to make something look bigger?

Fill in the blank:

1. Darker colors ________________________________ more light than white.
2. We can use a _____________________________________ to see objects in the universe.
3. _____________________________________ is when light bends because it pases through a transparent object.
4. An ________________________________ occurs when one object in the sky blocks another object.
5. A ____________________________________ is an object that we send in to space to gather information.
6. A ______________________________ is a group of stars that are from the same nebula.
7. ____________________________ is the power something has to change things in the universe.
8. A ________________________________ can be formed when a star collapses. It is a place where there is dark matter. It has very strong gravity and absorbs the things around it.
9. Pluto used to be the ninth planet, but now it is a ______________________________ planet.
10. The _________________________________________________________________ is the various types of visible light that we can see.
11. A large solid object that travels around a star is a ___________________________.
12. The path of an object around another bigger object is an _________________________.
13. An object that rotates around a planet is a _______________________________.
14. The force that holds the solar system in place is _________________________.
15. The layer of gases around a planet or moon is called the ____________________.
16. A ________________________ produces light and is born in a nebula.

Answers posted at 7 p.m. tonight!

Concave and Convex Lenses

Okay, this is about lenses.

This is a convex lens. It is thicker in the middle, and it makes light waves come together. This makes things look smaller.


This is a concave lens. It is thinner in the middle, and it makes light waves separate. This makes things look bigger.


Don't forget to do the Extra Credit located in an earlier post! You'll need to use spoons!!!

LASERS vs. Regular Light

Above: A Laser

The difference between a laser and regular light is that a laser only shines light in one single direction, like this:


A light saber, like in Star Wars movies, is a type of laser.


Lasers are very sharp and some can cut through metal. Doctors use lasers in surgery, too.


A regular light bulb, or the sun, is very different. Light normally spreads in all directions. For example, the sun shines light all around it, so that every planet in our solar system can see the sun, and if we were in another solar system or galaxy and had a telescope, we could probably see our sun.




A regular light bulb is just like the sun. Light from a light bulb spreads in all directions.


Understand??? If you have any questions, please leave a comment.

I'll post more about light tomorrow.

Things You Should Know How To Draw.

Hey kids! What's up?

Here are some things you should know how to draw. Be sure to check out the other posts from today, especially since there's an extra credit assignment hidden in one! : )

These are moon phases:


Here's a video about them...


This is a video of a real lunar eclipse:


And this is a video of a real solar eclipse:


Here's another one...


You should be able to draw a picture like this. You only need to label the moon, the sun, and the Earth.


Of course, you need to be able to draw the solar system...


Here's a cool picture that shows the size of all the planets...


This is a comet:


An asteroid:


A crater:


And here is the structure of the sun:


I'll post more about lasers and light bulbs tonight.

The Electromagnetic Spectrum AND Extra Credit!

This website is a great place to learn more about space: http://www.youtube.com/user/SpitzerJim.

Here's a video about infrared light and the electromagnetic spectrum...


Here's another video about the electromagnetic spectrum...


This video is weird and the story isn't cool, but it might help you remember the order of the electromagnetic spectrum.


Science experiment for extra credit...
1. Go get a spoon.
2. Look at yourself on both sides of the spoon (reflection).
3. Which side of the spoon is concave? Which side of the spoon is convex?
4. What happens when you look at yourself in a concave "mirror"? What happens when you look at yourself in a convex "mirror"?
5. Email me your answer. 10 points of extra credit on your science exam!

Cool Stuff About Science...

Here is the video of the first person who walked on the Moon.

Neil Armstrong, 1969

Here is a video IN SPANISH (because I'm nice) with pictures from the Hubble Telescope.


Here is a video like the grammar rock videos. I don't like it... but it might help you study the planets. Just don't forget that Pluto is a DWARF planet now.


Here is something about the size of the universe that I like...


Here is a video about Pluto becoming a Dwarf Planet.


Here's the people that discovered something bigger than Pluto...


So, I'll post more later today, but I like these videos and thought you might, too.

Science Study Guide Part 1

Okay, my ninos, chicos, and muchachos...

The goals:
1. Understand properties of the moon.
2. Understand properties of the solar system and universe.
3. Understand properties of light.
AND Use vocabulary from all three chapters correctly.

The first section is about the moon. It is multiple choice and then you need to draw pictures. Here are things you should study...

1.The definition of a "moon."
2. How the Earth and Moon are different.
3. How the Earth and the Moon are the same.
4. What a crater is and how it is made.
5. What is the “far side of the moon?”
6. Space exploration of the moon.
7. When the moon rotates, what it rotates around, and how often it rotates
8. Moon phases. You should know every phase and be able to draw it.
9. You might need to draw a picture of the moon phases, craters, the moon, a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse, or the moon rotating around the Earth.

The second section is about the solar system and the universe. It is also multiple choice and drawing pictures You should study...

1. What the universe is and what it is made of.
2. All about our sun.
3. All about stars and the life of stars.
4. What the Milky Way is.
5. What a galaxy is. Learn the different types... you might need to draw it!
6. What is a constellation?
7. What an "asteroid" is and what a comet is. You also need to know where the asteroid belt is in our solar system.
8. The names of planets and the properties of each planet.
9. You should be able to draw the planets in order in the Solar System.
10. You should know what gravity is and how it keeps everything in place in the universe.
11. You need to know about space exploration and the competition between the Americans and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
12. You should be able to draw our Solar System, the different types of galaxies, a comet, and the structure of a star.
HINT: Something I mentioned but that might not be in your notes... When a Red Giant explodes, it is called a supernova.

This is a supernova:


The crab nebula below was a supernova (a star that exploded) and then it became a nebula (where stars are created). This one is called N49, and it will be a nebula someday.

Okay, so you also need to know about light. Basically, you need to know exactly the same things for light on the final as you did for last week's quiz. It is also multiple choice and you will need to draw pictures.

1. You should know the electromagnetic spectrum and be able to draw it.



2. You should know the properties of light... like, it's fast, we can feel it and see it, it can't move things, etc.
3. You should know the definition of energy, radiation, and light.
4. You should know how long it takes light from the sun to reach Earth.
5. You should know what opaque, translucent, and transparent are.
6. You should know what materials reflect light, refract light, and absorb light.
7. You should know the difference between a laser and regular light.
8. You should be able to draw the electromagnetic spectrum, a convex and concave lens, a laser, a light bulb, and light refracting.

The last part of your exam is over vocabulary. Know these words:
orbit
refraction
dwarf
planet
color spectrum
absorb
energy
eclipse
telescope
black hole
satellite
galaxy
moon
star
atmosphere
gravity

I'll post more tomorrow to help you study!!

Science Exam

The Crab Nebula, one of my favorites.

Well, my darling students, you only have two exams left! Science and Math! ALMOST FINISHED!

Over the weekend I'll post a lot of review questions and tips for both the science and math final, but for right now, I just want to tell you what your science final is going to be like.

It has FOUR sections:
1. the Moon
2. The Solar System and the Universe
3. Properties of Light
4. Vocabulary

Sections 1-3 are mostly multiple choice, but you will also have some short answer and you will need to draw pictures. Section 4 is fill-in-the-blank.

I'm sad we are finished learning about space. It was my favorite chapter in science so far.