Yr5 Weekly Update – 02/17/17
Central Idea:
Matter exists in different forms which can be changed and used for different purposes
UOI
We have had another exciting week, with students working together to plan and carry out their own scientific investigations. Students were asked to reflect on which of the changes of states (melting, dissolving, evaporation, condensation, etc) they felt less confident with and would like to inquire into further. Next, they organised themselves into small groups to research and then design an experiment to help develop their understanding of the chosen change of state. We’ve seen many instances of children demonstrating their curiosity and being active inquirers! Through this experience we have learned a lot about what it means to design a ‘fair test’ and the importance of following the scientific method. In addition, we have continued with our ‘Science of the Day’ experiments. We have observed some pretty impressive demonstrations and are learning lots from the explanations given.
*** Next week we will be doing some baking experiments to learn about chemical changes. Students will be taste testing the food to gather observational data. We know that some students do have food allergies/restrictions and may have to refrain from the taste testing. The ingredients we will be using are as follows: flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, milk, cooking oil, vanilla, eggs. Please send your child’s class teacher an email to let them know about specific allergies/restrictions your child might have.
Literacy
Once again, our Literacy work this week has been tightly connected to our Unit of Inquiry. We have continued to focus on how to plan and write up a procedure. Using their success criteria checklists, students have independently done this for the experiments they have designed. Next, we will focus on providing a clear oral explanation (using appropriate scientific vocabulary) of the science behind their experiments.
We have continued to explore new scientific vocabulary during our guided reading sessions. As a follow up to the reading, students have used word maps to explore the meaning of the words and to identify any misconceptions they might have. It’s been wonderful to see how students are now using many of these technical words when engaged in discussions connected to our Unit of Inquiry!
Maths
Although we will continue with fraction work at a later time, this week we have shifted our focus to measurement. As an engaging start to this topic, students participated in a few practical and hands-on measurement challenges. They were very busy measuring temperature, mass, and volume in order to problem solve. All the while, students continued to develop their observation skills and were required to interpret various pieces of data. These fun learning experiences were designed as a pre-assessment to help the teachers work out what our students already know about measurement. This information will guide us in our future planning, ensuring we can best meet our students’ needs. Students are already putting these skills to use as there is plenty of measuring needed when doing scientific experiments!
Home learning:
- Twenty minutes daily reading;
- Make a list of some objects in your house that have their mass marked as between 200 g and 500 g. Is one mass more common than others? Be prepared to share your findings by next Friday;
- Try being an inquirer at home this week and research a famous scientist! Find out where this person is from, when they lived and what important work they are known for. Can you explain how they showed curiosity and were inquirers? Can you find out how their discoveries/inventions have improved our daily lives? Use at least two different sources of information and don’t forget to record these sources. Please bring in your report (or poster) by next Friday so that we can have a sharing time in class.
