Makey Makey

Anyone can be an inventor! We will learn the basics of electric circuits using a BrainPOP movie and explore conduction by experimenting with connecting different materials to a MaKey MaKey. A MaKey Makey is kit that allows you turn everyday objects into touchpads. It allows you to use anything with at least a small amount of conductivity connected to the MaKey MaKey to control keys like the space bar or control a computer mouse.

Makey Makey

Paper Circuit Haikus

Today we will start a project which will merge paper circuits and poetry. You have written a haiku about light. First you will illustrate your haiku using a collage method, making decisions about which element of the illustration you wish to illuminate. Once the illustration is complete, you will design a paper circuit using copper tape, LEDs, coin battery and a switch. Once it is designed you will create it on cardstock, which will sit behind your illustration.

HaikuandCircuit from Heights Elementary School on Vimeo.

How to Make a Complete Circuit

Show what you know about how to make a complete circuit. Use the iPads and Explain Everything to create a short movie on how to create a complete circuit to light up a bulb. You may go to Pixabay to gather pictures for your materials. Include labels for your objects on the materials page. Label the critical contact points on your final slide. You can also demonstrate how the electrons flow with your laser tool. Use the storyboard to plan out your project.

Marionette STEAM Project

We will begin our research in the library on Newton’s Laws in preparation for the creation of a marionette in art class which will demonstrate those laws. After the marionette is built, we will use the iPads and the app Explain Everything to show what you learned and to demonstrate how the movement of the marionette demonstrates Newton’s Laws. Use the resources below to start your research.

Science Weekly newspaper article on Newton’s Three Laws of Motion

Science A-Z: Force and Motion book

Brainpop- Newton’s Laws of Motion

Science Channel – Newton’s Three Laws

marionette

A Complete Circuit

You have a battery, copper wire, and a light bulb. Can you make a complete circuit? Use Kid Pix to draw the parts of a light bulb and then arrange a wire (or two) and a battery to illustrate a complete circuit. Label the parts of the bulb, the components of the circuit, and the critical contact points.

complete-circuit

Visit the site below for interactive activities about electricity.

Circuits and Conductors

Changing Circuits

Predicting and Reporting the Weather

You will use the activities in the website below to help you better understand reporting and predicting weather. In the first activity, you will use common weather symbols to create a weather map to report the weather. In the next activity, you will use temperature, precipitation, and cloud coverage to predict the weather in various regions.

Volcano

Today we will use the iPads and the app Drawing Pad to draw a cross-section of a volcano. Label the different parts of the volcano and save to the camera roll. Upload your picture to Google Drive. You will use your picture in a paragraph in which you will write about the different types of volcanoes.

volcano2

Weather Research

Use the iPads and the following websites to help you collect information for your weather topic.
Weather Whiz Kids
Weather Web for Kids
Treehouse Weather Kids
Discovery Kids Weather
The Weather Channel Kids

You may also use the Britannica Online and Brainpop sites for further information.

If time allows start to gather pictures from Wikimedia Commons for your weather glog.

A Complete Circuit

Show what you know about how to make a complete circuit. Use the iPads and Explain Everything to create a short video on how to create a complete circuit to light up a bulb. You may go online to gather pictures for your materials. Include labels for your objects on the materials page. Label the critical contact points on your final slide. You can also demonstrate how the electrons flow with your laser tool. Use the storyboard to plan out your project.

Life Cycle of a Butterfly

Your caterpillars have arrived! To enhance your study of the life cycle of the painted lady butterfly, we will use Kid Pix to draw the four stages of the butterfly’s life cycle.

Learn more about butterflies by visiting the websites below.

Butterfly Life Cycle Activity

Zoom Butterflies

The Life Cycle of a Butterfly

target=”_blank”>KidZone Monarch Butterflies

Butterfly Discovery Game

Butterfly Life Cycle Game

Butterfly Origami

Weather Research

Use the following websites to help you collect information for your weather topic.
Weather Whiz Kids
Weather Web for Kids
Treehouse Weather Kids
Discovery Kids Weather
The Weather Channel Kids

You may also use the Britannica Online and Brainpop sites for further information.

If time allows start to gather pictures from Wikimedia Commons for your weather glog.

Rubberband Cars

Your STEM Day Challenge is to build a rubber band car that will travel at least one meter. Below are resources to help you with the research portion of the design process.

Question: How do you make a rubber band powered car?

Information to Read

1. Mr. Rob Hafernik, an engineer, explains how

2. Step by step directions with several photos

3. Wooden rubber band car instructions

4. Another set of step by step directions with photos

5. PBS Kids Design Squad instructions

Information to Watch

How to make a car that runs on old CDs (explained by kids)

Rubber band car using household items

Another step by step video

A Complete Circuit

You have a battery, copper wire, and a light bulb. Can you make a complete circuit? Use Kid Pix to draw the parts of a light bulb and then arrange a wire (or two) and a battery to illustrate a complete circuit. Label the parts of the bulb, the components of the circuit, and the critical contact points.

complete-circuit

Visit the site below for interactive activities about electricity.

Circuits and Conductors

Changing Circuits

Bugscope!

Our day has finally arrived for the Bugscope project! We will connect to the scanning electron microscope at the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign to examine the honey bee, an important plant pollinator. During our Bugscope session, we will control the microscope as we examine the insect at incredible magnifications. Have your questions ready because we will chat with the scientists during our session.

bugscope

Predicting and Reporting Weather

You will use the activities in the website below to help you better understand reporting and predicting weather. In the first activity, you will use common weather symbols to create a weather map to report the weather. In the next activity, you will use temperature, precipitation, and cloud coverage to predict the weather in various regions.

Plant Parts Scavenger Hunt

Let’s take advantage of the last few days of warm weather and go outside with the digital cameras in search of plant parts. Your group will be looking for and photographing roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruit, and seeds. Brainstorm with your group the function of each of the parts. In the lab we will use iPhoto to create a book with the pictures.

Biome Podcasts

You will create a podcast, using Garageband, with your group on the biome that you have been researching.

1. Create an engaging script with an introduction and conclusion.

2. Collect pictures to enhance your script.

3. Include the following elements in your podcast.

  • Title page with a picture, name of the biome, group members’ names
  • Location, climate, and terrain
  • Animals of biome
  • Animal adaptations
  • Plants of biome
  • Plant adaptations
  • Typical food chain for biome
  • Sources

4. Record and edit your section of the podcast in Garageband and export as an mp3

5. Import all the mp3 into one podcast and add pictures and music

 

Use the Live Binder below to help with your research.

Bugscope!

Our day has finally arrived for the Bugscope project! We will connect to the scanning electron microscope at the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign to examine the honey bee, an important plant pollinator. During our Bugscope session, we will control the microscope as we examine the insect at incredible magnifications. Have your questions ready because we will chat with the scientists during our session.

bugscope

A Complete Circuit

You have a battery, copper wire, and a light bulb. Can you make a complete circuit? Use Kid Pix to draw the parts of a light bulb and then arrange a wire (or two) and a battery to illustrate a complete circuit. Label the parts of the bulb, the components of the circuit, and the critical contact points.

complete-circuit

Visit the site below for interactive activities about electricity.

Circuits and Conductors

Changing Circuits

Bugscope!

Our day has finally arrived for the Bugscope project! We will connect to the scanning electron microscope at the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign to examine the honey bee, an important plant pollinator. During our Bugscope session, we will control the microscope as we examine the insect at incredible magnifications. Have your questions ready because we will chat with the scientists during our session.

bugscope

Tree Observation

Today we will begin to create an animation that shows how the oak tree outside of the school changes with the seasons. We will begin the animation with the two observations that you made so far this year. We will add to the animation as the seasons progress until we have a finished illustrating all of the changes over the course of the year.

Bugscope!

Our day has finally arrived for the Bugscope project! We will connect to the scanning electron microscope at the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign to examine the honey bee, an important plant pollinator. During our Bugscope session, we will control the microscope as we examine the insect at incredible magnifications. Have your questions ready because we will chat with the scientists during our session.

bugscope

Reporting and Predicting the Weather

You will use the activities in the website below to help you better understand reporting and predicting weather. In the first activity, you will use common weather symbols to create a weather map to report the weather. In the next activity, you will use temperature, precipitation, and cloud coverage to predict the weather in various regions.

A Complete Circuit

You have a battery, copper wire, and a light bulb. Can you make a complete circuit? Use Kid Pix to draw the parts of a light bulb and then arrange a wire (or two) and a battery to illustrate a complete circuit. Label the parts of the bulb, the components of the circuit, and the critical contact points.

complete-circuit

Visit the site below for interactive activities about electricity.

Circuits and Conductors

Changing Circuits

Plant Parts Scavenger Hunt

Let’s take advantage of the last few days of warm weather and go outside with the digital cameras in search of plant parts. Your group will be looking for and photographing roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruit, and seeds. Brainstorm with your group the function of each of the parts. In the lab we will use iPhoto to create a book with the pictures.

Predicting and Reporting Weather

You will use the activities in the website below to help you better understand reporting and predicting weather. In the first activity, you will use common weather symbols to create a weather map to report the weather. In the next activity, you will use temperature, precipitation, and cloud coverage to predict the weather in various regions.

Butterfly Life Cycle

Your caterpillars have arrived! To enhance your study of the life cycle of the painted lady butterfly, we will use Kid Pix to draw the four stages of the butterfly’s life cycle.

Learn more about butterflies by visiting the websites below.

Butterfly Life Cycle Activity

Zoom Butterflies

The Life Cycle of a Butterfly

KidZone Monarch Butterflies

Butterfly Discovery Game

Butterfly Life Cycle Game

Butterfly Origami

Rocks and Minerals Review

Today we will review Rocks and Minerals. Watch the Brainpop movie by clicking on the picture below then open up a blank Word document, place your heading in the header area, and answer the following open response question:

Elena found a piece of a mineral while on a hike. She wants to identify the mineral she found.

a. Identify two physical properties of minerals.

b. Describe how Elena can test the mineral she found for each of the physical properties that you identified in part (a).


mineral

If you are done early you can try the following games:

Rocks and Minerals game1

Rocks and Minerals Game 2

Rock Game

Quiz on Earth and Rocks

Planet Postcard

This week you will begin to create a giant postcard based upon the planet that you have been researching. We will use two slides in Powerpoint for your postcard. You will find two pictures for Slide 1, the outside of the card. For Slide 2, the reverse side of the card, you will insert an image for a postage stamp from the planet and write a friendly letter incorporating some of the facts that you researched. We will print the slides and gluestick them to card stock creating an 8.5″x11″ postcard.

Animal Research

Today you will visit the Enchanted Learning website to begin the research for your animal report. At the website you will click on the letter that is the beginning letter of your animal. Write your notes on the research guide that your teacher has given you. Click below to get started.

animalresearch

You can also use the WORLDBOOK ONLINE for extra information about your animal.

Animal Research

Today you will visit the Enchanted Learning website to begin the research for your animal report. At the website you will click on the letter that is the beginning letter of your animal. Write your notes on the research guide that your teacher has given you. Click below to get started.

animalresearch

Try this website at home to create your own original animal at Build Yourself Wild!

Simple Machine MiniBook

Today you will create a simple machines minibook that you will use as a study guide. Create one page for each of six simple machines. Each page of the book should include a title (name of machine), a definition, and a picture of an example of the machine.

Lever

Use the following websites to help you.

Beacon Learning Center Work

MIKIDS

If you are done early:

Take the quiz

Edheads Simple Machines

Johnson Space Center Videoconference

Today we will connect with the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas to learn about gravity and how astronauts adapt to their new home, the Space Station. We’ll  discover the everyday challenges of how astronauts live in orbit live from a mock-up of space station living quarters and take a look at the food that NASA has prepared for the astronauts.

NASA


Reporting and Predicting Weather

You will use the activities in the website below to help you better understand reporting and predicting weather. In the first activity, you will use common weather symbols to create a weather map to report the weather. In the next activity, you will use temperature, precipitation, and cloud coverage to predict the weather in various regions.

Bugscope Session

Our day has finally arrived for the Bugscope project! We will connect to the scanning electron microscope at the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign to examine the honey bee, an important plant pollinator. During our Bugscope session, we will control the microscope as we examine the insect at incredible magnifications. Have your questions ready because we will chat with the scientists during our session.

bugscope

Johnson Space Center Videoconference

Today we will connect with the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas to learn about gravity and how astronauts adapt to their new home, the Space Station. We’ll  discover the everyday challenges of how astronauts live in orbit live from a mock-up of space station living quarters and take a look at the food that NASA has prepared for the astronauts.

NASA


Plant Parts Scavenger Hunt

Let’s take advantage of the last few days of warm weather and go outside with the digital cameras in search of plant parts. Your group will be looking for and photographing roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruit, and seeds. Brainstorm with your group the function of each of the parts. In the lab we will use iPhoto to create a book with the pictures.