How are sounds produced?

• Vibrations

How can you describe sound?

• Pitch & Volume

How do you know if an object will make a low or high pitch sound?

• Low- the object has a long column of air so it will take a longer time for the sound waves to move through it. Think long, low, slow vibrations

• High- the object has a short column of air so the sound waves  will move quickly through it.

Would (object) produce a high or low pitch sound? How do you know?

• Choose any object to ask this question. See if your child can provide details to explain their thinking (level 4).

What parts of the body produce sound?

• Air from the lungs moves to the throat, pushes over the vocal cords which causes them to vibrate, and allows sound to be made.

How does the body receive (hear) sound?

• Sound waves are funneled by the outer ear to the middle ear. The eardrum is hit by the sound waves causing it to vibrate. The hammer, anvil, and stirrup then vibrate behind the eardrum. The sound waves move to the cochlea in the inner ear which turns the sound waves into signals the brain can understand to hear the sound.

How can we describe matter?

• Matter is anything that has mass (the amount of matter in an object) and takes up space (volume).

What gives matter its unique qualities?

• Matter can be described by the structure (formation) of its particles. 

How do the properties of matter affect its behavior?

• Solids maintain their own shape because the particles are close together and have a set formation.

• Liquids can flow freely and take the shape of their containers because they particles are spread apart more and move around.

How can you describe a  solid, or a  liquid? 

• Solid- objects that have their own shape and do not move on their own.

• Liquid- objects that take the shape of their container and can flow freely.

What properties of solids and liquids make them different?

What makes matter change from a liquid to a solid? A solid to a  liquid?

• Liquid to Solid- when a liquid loses heat (energy) the particles stop moving around and become packed more closely together. It then becomes a solid.

• Solid to Liquid- when a solid gains heat (energy) the particles begin to move around more and start to spread apart. It then becomes a liquid.

Does liquid have a  shape?

• A liquid does not have a shape of its own. It will take the shape of its container.

Can a solid change its shape?

• A solid cannot change its shape on its own. It will only change if something else changes it (example: cutting paper).

How does temperature affect matter?

• The more temperature that is added to a substance, the further apart  the particles will become, making it more liquid. The more temperature that is taken away from a substance, the closer the particles will become, making it more solid.

Does the weight of water change between a solid and liquid?

• The weight of water will remain the same whether it is a solid or a liquid. Since the amount of water does not change, the weight will not change. However, the volume of water changes when water freezes into a solid. The water expands when it becomes ice, making the volume larger. When the ice melts back into a liquid, the water goes back to the original volume.

How does energy from the Sun serve as a source of light that warms the land, air, and water?

• The sun provides energy in the form of light and heat. It can warm the land, air, and water at different levels. The sun's energy is what powers the water cycle to continue.

What tools can we use to measure weather conditions (temperature, wind direction, wind speed, precipitation)?

• Temperature- measures how warm or cool the air is. It is measured with a thermometer which uses degrees Fahrenheit or Celsius.

• Wind Direction-  measures where the wind is coming from using cardinal directions (North, South, East, and West). It is measured with a wind vane or a wind sock.

• Wind Speed- measures how fast the wind is traveling using miles per hour (mph). It is measured with an anemometer.

• Precipitation- measures how much rain, snow, sleet, or hail falls from the sky using inches. It is measured with a rain gauge.

How do we compare weather patterns that occur over time?

• It is important to look at patterns that occur in the weather daily, weekly, monthly, etc. to help predict what the weather will be like in the future. 

• It can help us to determine which kinds of weather we need to prepare for. It can also help us to track seasons and when they change.

What are observable patterns for the time of day and time of year? 

• Time of Day- The sun always rises in the East and sets in the West. It is lower in the sky when it rises and sets making the temperature of the air cooler. The sun is at its highest peak in the middle of the day which makes the temperature of the air at its warmest.

• Time of Year- Since the Earth is tilted on an axis, it receives different amounts of sun at different times of the year. When the Earth is facing towards the sun, the weather tends to be warmer. When the Earth is facing away from the sun, the weather tends to be cooler.

How is the life cycle of an animal explained?

• An animal's life cycle can be explained by the various stages of development that allow for it to grow and change.

How can the stages of an animal life cycle be summarized?

• All animals have 4 main stages in their life cycles. They begin with birth, then move to growth, reproduction, and eventually death. 

• The details of the life cycle will vary among animal species. Different animals may have different lengths for each stage. Each stage can also happen differently for many animals. 

How do the life cycles of animals compare to each other?

• Some animals may have a few stages in their life cycle, while others may have many more stages. Those animals that go through total transformations by metamorphosis have more stages.

• Animals might look the same, similar, or completely different at specific stages of development. 

• Animals have various needs at different stages of development.

How do plants and animals resemble their parents?

• Young animals are very similar to their parents and will resemble other animals of the same kind. Since they are not fully grown at birth, they still have many differences between themselves and adults.

• Plants similarly will resemble other plants of the same kind as they begin to grow.

How do organisms vary among individuals? 

• Animals & plants can have the same appearance as their parents, but they can also look different.

• Animals & plants have the same needs as their parents. They will have the same life processes as their parents.

• Animals & plants can have the same interactions with the environment as their parents, but the interactions can also be different.

• Groups of organisms of the same type/ are related have some characteristics in common.

• Groups of organisms of the same type/ are related have characteristics that make them different.