Iverson
Merrill
Olsen
Vasquez
#21: Mystery Science - Plant Adventures, Lesson 4: Adaptations & Habitat
Learning Target: Should you water a cactus?
Success Criteria: I can learn that plants have different needs in terms of sunlight and water.
Supplies: Per student, 1/2 blank paper.
Directions: During synchronous (IN CLASS) learning, WHILE listening to Doug's Exploration video (19-min), think and discuss wonderings. Skip Hands-On Activity, Grass Head. Instead, watch and discuss what happens and why in the following videos: Cacti | Fun Facts About Cacti | The Good and the Beautiful, AMAZING Cacti and Succulents, and Plants with Weapons! Watch Wrap-up (1-min). If time, draw and label your favorite cactus. Have fun and stay curious!
#22: Mystery Science - Plant Adventures, Lesson 5: Adaptations & Habitat (2.0 labs)
Learning Target: Where do plants grow best?
Success Criteria: I can think like gardeners.
Supplies: Per student, Plant Cards, Ziploc bag.
Directions: During synchronous (IN CLASS) learning, WHILE listening to Doug's Exploration video (10-min), think and discuss wonderings. During Hands-On Activity (35-min), play Plant Survivor, a game that encourages you to think about what plants need and how habitats change over time. Have fun and stay curious!
2-PS1-1 Matter exists as different substances that have observable different properties.2-LS2-1 Plants depend on water and light to grow and on animals for pollination or to move their seeds around.2-LS2-2 A range of different organisms lives in different places.2-ESS3-1 Some events on Earth occur quickly; others can occur very slowly.2-ESS3-2 Wind and water can change the shape of the land; models can show the shape and these changes to the land.
#20: Mystery Science - Plant Adventures, Lesson 3: Light, Leaves, & Competition
Learning Target: Why do trees grow so tall?
Success Criteria: I can learn the importance of sunlight to plants, which is collected by their leaves.
Supplies: Per student, Grass Seeds Growing worksheet.
Activity Directions: During synchronous (IN CLASS) learning, WHILE listening to Doug's Exploration video (25-min), think and discuss wonderings. Skip Hands-On Activity, Grass Head (45-min). Instead, watch this time-lapse video of grass seeds growing. [5 seconds of the video = 1 day in real time], discuss, then draw: “What happens in the dirt on Day 3 and Day 4? What happens on Day 5 and Day 6?” Finally, write a FIRST... THEN... NEXT... sentence. Have fun and stay curious!
#19: Mystery Science - Plant Adventures, Lesson 2: Water, Sunlight & Plant Growth
Learning Target: Could a plant survive without light?
Success Criteria: I can experiment with growing radish seeds in light and dark conditions.
Supplies: Per student, Draw the Radishes worksheet.
Activity Directions: During synchronous (IN CLASS) learning, WHILE listening to Doug's Exploration video (18-min), think and discuss wonderings. Skip Hands-On Activity (40-min). Instead, watch How Does A Seed Become A Plant?, Grow Your Own Plants!, and What Happened to Our Plants? and discuss. Finally, watch and discuss Wrap-Up (7-min). Stay curious!
#18: Mystery Science - Plant Adventures, Lesson 1: Seed Dispersal (2.0 Labs)
Learning Target: How did a tree travel halfway around the world?
Success Criteria: I can learn how seeds must get away from their parent plant in order to survive.
Supplies: Per student, Glider, Rotocopter, & Spinner printouts.
Activity Directions: During synchronous (IN CLASS) learning, WHILE listening to Doug's Exploration video (24-min), think and discuss wonderings. In the Hands-On Activity (25-min), Fly Your Own Seed, you create a model seed from paper. Then, you release these seeds to model how they disperse and observe if any seeds are able to escape the parent plant’s “Zone of Darkness” and survive. Finally, watch and discuss Wrap-Up (1-min). If time, watch these BBC Private Life of Plants videos to show how different kinds of seeds travel in different ways from their parent plant. Stay curious!
#17: Mystery Science - Animal Adventures, Lesson 3: Biodiversity & Engineering (1.5 Labs)
Learning Target: How could you get more birds to visit a bird feeder?
Success Criteria: I can investigate which kinds of birds are likely to visit a bird feeder based on what they eat.
Supplies: Per student, Lab #2: Colorado Birds Field Guide reference, My Bird Feeder worksheet.
Activity Directions: Lab #1: During synchronous (IN CLASS) learning, WHILE listening to Doug's Exploration video (27-min), think and discuss wonderings. Lab #2: Next, reference the Colorado Birds Field Guide to identify a bird you want to design a bird feeder. In the Hands-On Activity (40-min), Design a Bird Feeder, learn how to draw in 3-dimensions [from teacher] then draw your own bird feeder design to attract a specific type of bird. Finally, watch and discuss Wrap-Up (3-min). During asynchronous (AT HOME) learning while building a prototype of your bird feeder using available/recycled materials, refer to Project FeederWatch and these ideas:
Hungry birds are everywhere! See what birds are grabbing for a snack right now at the Wild Birds Unlimited feeder in Ithaca, New York. Below the live feed, you can check out past visitors to the feeder.
Watch toucans and other tropical birds munch on fruit at the Panama Fruit Feeder Cam.
Check out the hummingbirds visiting a feeder at the Tandayapa Bird Lodge in northwest Ecuador.
Food isn’t the only thing that will attract birds. Take a look at who visits this backyard bird bath. How many different kinds of birds do you count?
Have fun and stay curious!
#16: Mystery Science - Animal Adventures, Lesson 2: Biodiversity, Habitats & Species (1.5 Labs)
Learning Target: Why do frogs say "ribbit"?
Success Criteria: I can learn what a case study in biodiversity is using the frogs of North America.
Supplies: Per student, Who's Calling & Types of Frogs worksheet.
Activity Directions: During synchronous (IN CLASS) learning, WHILE listening to Doug's Exploration video (21-min), think and discuss wonderings. In the Hands-On Activity (35-min), Who's Calling?, you learn to identify frogs by their unique calls and investigate which of two locations has a greater variety of frogs. After listening to recordings of frog calls, you create words that will remind you of the sounds, and then use those words to identify frog sounds in different environments. Finally, watch and discuss Wrap-Up (4-min). If time, watch and discuss Frog video and learn song. Stay curious!
Learning Target: How many different kinds of animals are there?
Success Criteria: I can examine how scientists organize animals into groups based on their characteristics.
Supplies: Per student, Animal Cards, Challenge Cards [yellow paper], Zip Lock bag.
Activity Directions: During synchronous (IN CLASS) learning, WHILE listening to Doug's Exploration video (21-min), think and discuss wonderings. In the Hands-On Activity, Animals Sorting Game, you study animal traits and use these traits to sort animal cards into mammals, birds, reptiles, and invertebrates. Then, you are challenged to make decisions about animals that don’t fall neatly into any of those categories. Finally, watch and discuss Wrap-Up (4-min). If time, learn the Animal Song. Stay curious!
Learning Target: How can you stop a landslide?
Success Criteria: I can compare multiple solutions for preventing erosion.
Activity Directions: During synchronous (IN CLASS) learning, WHILE listening to Doug's Exploration video (17-min), think and discuss wonderings. Skip Hands-On Activity. Watch and wonder about the effects of erosion: Coastal Erosion and how to stop it, and Erosion and Soil. Brainstorm ideas to design and test ways to keep water from washing away a hill. Watch and discuss a solution, Dirt Locker Hillside Terracing System. What other solutions? Finally, watch and discuss Wrap-Up (3-min). Stay curious!
Learning Target: What's strong enough to make a canyon?
Success Criteria: I can make hypotheses and investigate the causes of canyons.
Activity Directions: During synchronous (IN CLASS) learning, WHILE listening to Doug's Exploration video (12-min), think and discuss wonderings. Watch Hands-On Activity introduction and discuss what happens when water drips over this “land” to observe how water can change its shape and to understand how, over long periods of time, canyons can be formed through a similar process. Finally, watch and discuss Wrap-Up (3-min). If time, discuss this photo to analyze erosion as well as Make Your Own Erosion!, The Grand Canyon, Difference between Weathering and Erosion, The Power of Water for Kids: How Erosion by Water Shapes Landforms, and Landslides--National Geographic. Have fun!
Learning Target: Why is there sand at the beach?
Success Criteria: I can investigate the effects of rocks tumbling in a river. Then, based on your observations, add picture details to explain why there is sand at a beach.
Supplies: Per student, Draw the River Rocks handout and pencil.
Activity Directions: During synchronous (IN CLASS) learning, WHILE listening to Doug's Exploration video (22-min), think and discuss wonderings. Watch Hands-On Activity Steps 1 - 9 to pretend to be a river by tearing pieces of construction paper to model what happens to rocks as they travel along the river. Then on Step 10, complete Draw the River Rocks handout. Finally, discuss Step 11 question. Watch Wrap-Up (3-min).
During asynchronous (AT HOME) learning, EXTRA listen to Everybody Needs a Rock, by Byrd Baylor.
Learning Target: If you floated down a river, where would you end up?
Success Criteria: I can develop a model of the earth’s surface and use it to discover an important principle about how rivers work.
Activity Directions: During synchronous (IN CLASS) learning, WHILE listening to Doug's Exploration video (16-min), think and discuss wonderings. Watch Hands-On Activity directions for inspiration. Watch Wrap-Up (4-min).
During asynchronous (AT HOME) learning, build a paper mountain by watching the Hands-On Activity Directions. Then, ask permission to make "rain" fall on your model while in the tub or shower using a spray bottle or droplets falling off your fingers. Observe patterns of how water and rivers flow.
EXTRA - Watch The Tallest Waterfall in the World! and Where Does Water Come From? to learn more.
Learning Target: Could you build a house out of paper?
Success Criteria: I can examine how large structures like houses are built from smaller pieces.
Activity Directions: During synchronous (IN CLASS) learning, WHILE listening to Doug's Exploration video (12-min), think and discuss wonderings. Watch Hands-On Activity directions for inspiration. Watch Wrap-Up (3-min).
During asynchronous (AT HOME) learning, design and build your own structure using an unconventional building material: recycled paper!
Your FIRST challenge is to build a tall tower. When complete, open Seesaw. Click the green, circle "+," click "Post Student Work," then click "Photo." Take a picture of your tower with you standing beside it. Use the mic to explain how you were able to build it so tall AND so strong. If it didn't work, explain what changes you think you should make to improve your design.
Your SECOND challenge is to a build tower strong enough to support a hardcover book. On the SAME Seesaw page, take a picture of your tower holding ONE or MORE books. When your tower fails, use the mic to explain WHERE and WHY you think your tower collapsed. After BOTH pictures and explanations are in Seesaw, click the "green check" to add it to your journal. Have fun!
EXTRA - Do you think you could build a house all by yourself? Watch this man build his own log cabin in the woods. Lots of stacked-up logs make the sides of the house, mud fills the cracks in between, and fire-hardened planks cover the roof and floor. (4:17, My Self Reliance)
Learning Target: What materials might be invented in the future?
Success Criteria: I can learn how new materials are invented.
Activity Directions: During synchronous (IN CLASS) learning, [1] WHILE listening to Doug's Exploration video (13-min), think and discuss wonderings. [2] Watch Hands-On Activity directions. [3] Watch Wrap-Up (1-min).
[4] During asynchronous (AT HOME) learning, follow the Seesaw directions to come up with ideas for inventions that use an exciting futuristic material: glass that bounces and stretches like rubber then post your completed Activity. Have fun!
Learning Target: Why are so many toys made out of plastic?
Success Criteria: I can learn about melting, about the solid and liquid states of matter, and then discover why plastic was invented.
Activity Directions: During synchronous (IN CLASS) learning, [1] WHILE listening to Doug's Exploration video (20-min), think and discuss wonderings. [2] Watch Hands-On Activity directions for duplication at home.
[3] During asynchronous (AT HOME) learning, (a) watch videos [at right] to discover how melted plastic can be formed into useful inventions to help our world. Think about other inventions that can be created out of plastic! (b) Optional with adult supervision - watch the Hands-On Activity direction to conduct an investigation to determine which types of candy melt in hot water. Decide which candy is the best choice to bring to a hot summer camp.
Learning Target: Can you really fry an egg on a hot sidewalk?
Success Criteria: I can consider the insulating and conducting properties of different materials.
Activity Directions: During synchronous (IN CLASS) learning, in Seesaw, [1] WHILE listening to Doug's Exploration video (12-min), think about these questions: What would you use to get a hot dish out of the oven? Discuss What would you use to hold a cup of hot chocolate that’s too hot for your hands? Discuss How can you find out which of these materials are insulating (can protect your fingers from a hot pan)? Discuss [2] Watch Hands-On Activity directions for duplication at home. [3] Watch Wrap-Up (3-min).
[4] During asynchronous (AT HOME) learning, follow the Seesaw directions to test different materials to determine which are insulators and which are conductors then post your completed Activity. Have fun!
Learning Target: Why do we wear clothes?
Success Criteria: I can explore the different properties of materials used for clothing, such as texture, flexibility, and absorbency.
Activity Directions: During synchronous (IN CLASS) learning, in Seesaw, [1] WHILE listening to Doug's Exploration video (20-min), think about these questions: Why do people wear clothes? How many reasons can you come up with? Discuss What properties does this piece of clothing have? When is a good idea to wear this and why? Discuss What kind of hat do you think you need? What properties will your hat need to have? Discuss Watch Activity introduction. Discuss
[2] During asynchronous (AT HOME) learning, follow the Seesaw directions to design and build a hat that protects you from the sun then post your completed Activity. Have fun!
Learning Target: How can I use descriptive words to explain the different objects I find?
Success Criteria: I can learn to appreciate and enjoy nature so I value and want to protect our environment.
Activity Directions: During asynchronous (AT HOME) learning, DAY 1: complete your Seesaw Nature Scavenger Hunt Activity then post it to your Journal. Remember to read or listen to your SeeSaw Directions also. EXTRA: Ask permission to ADD the iNaturalist app to a family phone to help you identify plants and animals and learn more about nature! DAY 2: In support of our book, "Wild Fibonacci--Nature's Secret Code Revealed" and our pinecone exploration in class, watch the three videos [to the right] by selecting the icon links. Look for Fibonacci Spirals all around you!
Learning Target: How do scientist know so much?
Success Criteria: This activity helps focus your observations, spark curiosity, and invite questions for deeper understanding!
Activity Directions: [1] WHILE listening to Doug's Exploration video, think about these two questions: What do these stories have in common? and What did both scientists do that was similar? [2] Listen to the lesson Exploration [10-minutes]. [3] Complete the Hands-On Activity: Curiosity Challenge [20-minutes]. [4] Post your completed Activity in Seesaw by following directions. [5] Since we cannot work in partners, plan to read and comment on a MINIMUM of THREE classmates' scientific questions. Please post POSITIVE comments or reflections ONLY. Have fun!
Learning Target: Open ended questions give us a chance to respond clearly and practice our language and critical thinking skills.
Success Criteria: An open-ended question cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. Open-ended questions are an important strategy to "own" and reflect on your learning and build inquiry based thinking skills.
Activity Directions: Complete the Seesaw Activity and post. Have fun!
Learning Target: I can login and post my learning in Seesaw.
Success Criteria: I am comfortable sharing my learning using Seesaw and moving between my homeroom and ENCORE classes.
