States of Matter

We are currently studying about the states of matter for science. We have discussed the properties of solids and liquids, and we will be discussing gases this week, and moving on to discuss evaporation, condensation and the water cycle.
Here are some great resources to help you study and discuss the states of matter with your child:

Websites

Here are some websites with some good introductory explanations and demonstrations to show what the states of matter are. 

• I Teach Bio Video- great explanatory video about the states of matter
• Harcourt States of Matter Demo
• Study Jams States of Matter video

 Games

Here are some great games and activities to help your child practice the states of matter and learn about how the states of matter change.

• States of Matter sorter - sort objects by their state of matter
• Changing States of Matter  -
  
• Gases Interactive –
• Solids and Liquids-
• Interactive States of Matter – What Happens when you freeze/heat different things

Videos

 States of Matter Rap - 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBBmdqti_Kg

TMBG States of Matter Song - 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btGu9FWSPtc

Demo of states of matter with people- 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9xB4hhWvXY

States of Matter Explanation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMbmQzV-Ezs

 Funza Academy – particles in states of matter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gez2rmeCpfE

  

 States of Matter – particles -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-KvoVzukHo

 Eureka - Molecules in Solids

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ldia7qEXF0

Eureka - Molecules in Liquids

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxpwwPOwR30

Eureka - Evaporation and Condensation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QH52gQy0Ac

 

 Melted Glass – Columbus Museum

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAPc6JH85pM

Comparing and Ordering Numbers

Our current math topic is practicing comparing and ordering numbers.
We will be comparing two 2-digit numbers and ordering three 2-digit numbers.
Here are some resources for practicing the math skills we are working on currently.

Alligator Math Comparing

Umigo – video

CompLabTeacher – Video practicing ><

Games and Practice ordering and comparing numbers

 

Number comparison

• Comparing Numbers: a brief explanation of the symbols used when comparing numbers
  
• Number Compare on Crickweb: Practice comparing 1 and 2 digit numbers
• NumberNut: More practice comparing
• Kids Compare Numbers: More practice comparing
• Toon University: Number Comparing Game

Number ordering

• Topmarks Caterpillar Ordering: number ordering game
• Topmarks Chinese Dragon Ordering: number ordering game
• Topmarks Ordering Shirts: number ordering game

The Four Seasons

In science, we have been studying the four seasons. We have been talking about the characteristics of each different season, the cycle of the four seasons and comparing the seasons. Here are some resources you can check out to help your child understand more about the seasons. 

What are the four seasons – the basics:

• Turtle Diary – Simple video talking about the four different seasons
• Sticks and the Seasons - Interactive animation of the different seasons
• Brainpop Seasons (You must have a membership to access this video)

Some websites and videos showing why we have seasons -

• The Science of the Seasons for Kids - Explanation of tilt of earth creating seasons
• KidsGeo The Reason for the Seasons - Another explanation of why we have seasons

  Kids Know It: Seasons - Video explanation of seasons

Sun Earth Seasons – good visuals of tilt and sun

Why do we have seasons? – simple explanations of the tilt and seasons

What Causes Seasons to Change - Great simple visual with subtitles to explain seasons

Counting and Number Patterns to 120

         We are currently working on place value concepts and patterns in counting. Here are some great resources for you to look at with your child to help them with the concepts we are practicing in class. Some of the concepts we are working on include –

• Place value: understanding that the teen numbers are made up of 1 group of ten, plus some ones.
• Number Patterns: seeing patterns on a hundreds chart
• Skip counting: counting by 2’s, 5’s and 10’s

Here are some websites that will help your child learn about and practice these concepts:

• Math is Fun - Learn about skip counting
• Appleton School District Math Resources - A website with links to multiple games and activities practice skip counting and the hundreds chart.
• Kennedy Math – Links to different Hundreds Chart activities
• Apples 4 The Teacher – Hundreds Chart you can color online
• ABCYa  Hundreds Chart - Practice using the number chart
• Interactive Hundreds Chart - Using a Hundreds Chart for more and less
• ABC YA - Base Ten Fun – building numbers using base ten blocks

Online Interactive Activities and Games

• Learning Planet Skip Counting Squares Game
• Skip Count – Balloon Pop
• Connect the Dots by skip counting
• Skip Counting Fish -  this game moves fast!
• Fruit Shoot Skip Count
• Place Value Fruit Shooting
• ABC YA Base Ten Bingo

Videos

  Skip counting – Harry Kindergarten

Harry Kindergarten – Numbers in the Teens

Skip count by twos – have fun teaching

Skip count by fives – Have Fun Teaching

Snowflake Counting by Ten – Teacher Tipster

Counting by Fives – Schoolhouse Rock

Skip Count  by two’s - Complabteacher

Skip count by Fives - CompLabTeacher

Skip Count by Ten’s – CompLabTeacher

 

Maps!!

Over the last few weeks, we have been studying and reading stories about maps. We have learned about some of the important features of maps, how maps work, and how they can help us. 

Here are some of the important features of maps that we have discussed:

        The compass rose:  shows the four cardinal directions on a map - to remember these four directions, you can say, "Never Eat Soggy Wheat! "

 

 

        A map key or map legend: shows what the different symbols on a map stand for - some places frequently shown on the map key include landforms (trees, rivers, lakes), roads, and public locations (airports, schools, libraries, hospitals, fire stations). 

       A map title: telling what the map is showing. This seems basic but is quite important, since different types of maps may show the same location, but for different purposes, such as a topographic map, a population map, a resource map, etc. 

Here are some map resources to help you learn more about maps:

Mapzone's Mapability - a nice interactive website to learn more about maps

Drive on the map - a cute little game where you need to use the cardinal directions to get to a destination

Videos

• There’s a Map on my Lap – A reading of the book, with the Cat in the Hat. 
• How to Read Maps Song - a fun little song that talks about map features
• Tour the States song - a song with a map drawing of the 50 states.
  
• Tour the World song - a song with a map drawing of the countries of the world

Plant parts lesson

We have been studying about plants in Science - what plants need to grow, identifying the parts of a plant, and discussing what those parts do. Here are some great resources to learn about plants:

Here are some videos to start off with.
Here is a time lapse video of a plant growing:

 
Here is a song about the things plants need to live and grow:

Here are a few links to some slideshares, which are slideshow/powerpoint presentations that give information about plants:

• Plant Needs Slideshare
• Basic Needs of Plants (Includes what the parts of the plants do)

Here are some websites with interactive activities/games for learning about plant growth

• Growing Plants game
• Plant Parts Labeling
• Plant Life interactive webpage
• Label the Plant

I hope these resources keep your child interested and motivated to learn more about plants!

Shapes

We have begun a new topic this week, and we are talking about shapes. We will start by talking about plane shapes (2 dimensional, flat shapes) and their attributes. Then we will learn about how to use our basic plane shapes to build bigger, more complex shapes and pictures. We will also be discussing solid figures (3 dimensional shapes) and their attributes. Here are a few resources for you and your child to access during this topic. 

Here is a great little video with a song to help your child practice their 3-dimensional shapes - cone, cube and sphere! Your child should be able to identify and describe each shape, so please remember to discuss with your child how to describe each shape:
Cone - has one circle face (flat surface) and a vertex (point or corner) at the top.
Cube - has six square faces (flat surfaces) and eight edges.
Sphere - is round and not flat. It has NO flat faces and no edges.
Cylinder - has two circle faces (flat surfaces).
This song is a great starting point for your child. Go around your house and have your child find objects that are cones, cubes, spheres and cylinders!

Teacher Tipster - teaches a song to remember the names of the 3 dimensional shapes - including pyramid and rectangular prism.

Here is a video that talks/teaches about three dimensional shapes.