Marking Period 1: Science
Unit 1: The Birth of Rocks
This unit takes the perspective that every rock has a story. Students will develop an appreciation for the processes that shape the Earth’s surface. After considering where volcanoes form and how they erupt, they turn to investigations of rocks breaking apart and creating potential hazards. Through hands-on investigation, students explore the world of rocks and design ways of protecting humans from their dangers.
Topic 1: Could a volcano erupt in your backyard?
Topic 2: Why do volcanoes explode?
Topic 3: Will a mountain last forever?
Topic 4: How could you survive a landslide?
Marking Period 2: Social Studies
Unit: Regions of the United States
Students will study the regions and states of the United States. Then, students will work in groups to research a selected region (its climate, states, important facts, etc) using print and digital resources. Students will then choose an ongoing issue, cause, obstacle, or event in their selected region. Students will investigate ways to make improvements and recommend what we as citizens can do to make a change. Once all information is gathered, students will begin writing an informative report and publish their report in an engaging presentation.
Marking Period 3: Science:
This introductory energy unit will encourage students to think about the energy that things need to move. Students will explore how energy makes things go, from powering vehicles to moving one’s body. Students will experiment with rubber band racers to discover the relationship between how much energy is stored in a material and how much is released. They will investigate the role that hills play in making roller coasters move and the energy transfer that happens when two objects collide. Students will realize that thinking about the world in terms of energy helps them make sense of how and why things speed up and slow down. Hands-on activities focus on engineering, testing hypotheses and using results to develop their ideas.
Unit 1: Stored Energy And Motion: How can a car run without gas?
Students will build rubber-band racers and use them to carry out an investigation to examine the relationship between stored energy and motion. Students analyze and interpret data from their races. As engineers, students modify their racers to improve how well they move.
What do these items have in common?
Unit 4 and 5: Could you knock down a building using only dominoes? Can you build a chain reaction machine?
In this mystery, students learn about storing, releasing, and transferring energy by completing the chain-reaction machine
Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRrgCOK0YgI
Marking Period 4: Social studies
Unit: All About NJ
Students will learn all about NJ and what makes this region unique. They will study the different regions, government, climate, economy and landmarks.
Grading:
Participation
Weekly completion of study guide
Unit assessment and projects