• Use scientific tools (such as a graduated cylinder, balance, and ruler) to measure mass and volume.

• Learn how to use lab equipment safely and follow proper lab rules and attire.

• Explore how mass, volume, and density are connected by doing hands-on experiments.

• Build and utilize models to gain a deeper understanding of the concept of density.

• Make predictions, formulate hypotheses, and use data to support and explain ideas.

• Use evidence to design and explain solutions to real-world problems.

• How do you answer questions about our world?

• How can you use information to solve a problem?

• Why is it important to be able to communicate globally?

• How can you stay safe while engaged in scientific inquiry?

• Understand energy in motion: Students will collect and analyze data to see how an object’s speed and mass affect its kinetic energy (the energy of movement).

• Explain energy transfer: Students will use evidence to show how energy moves to or from an object when its kinetic energy changes.

• Learn about stored energy: Students will explore potential energy and understand how it depends on an object’s position.

• Understand energy conservation: Students will learn that within a closed system, energy is never created or destroyed—it just changes from one form to another.

• What is energy, and how can it be described?

• How is energy conserved as it moves through a system?

• How are different forms of energy related?

• Where does the energy we use come from, and where does the energy go?

Egg Drop Experiment

This can be a messy experiment, but a fun way to see how gravitational potential energy is

converted to kinetic energy. As a family, you will design a compartment that can safely protect an egg from breaking when you drop it from a height of several meters. 

● Which materials were the most successful in protecting an egg? Why do you think so?

● Did you use friction or air resistance to your advantage in your design?

● How do you think engineers use models and tests similar to this activity when they design?

● What would be the advantages of using models instead of actual cars?● Can you apply what you learned in this activity to other areas of your life? How do you answer questions about our world?

• Students will explain the difference between thermal energy, temperature, and heat, and describe how heat moves from warmer to cooler objects.

• Students will compare the motion and spacing of particles in solids, liquids, and gases, and explain how heat affects their movement and state.

• Students will describe and identify examples of heat transfer through conduction, convection, and radiation.

• Students will apply their understanding of heat transfer to design or test a solution that meets a human need, such as keeping something warm or cool.

• Does the amount of heat energy in matter affect its behavior?

• How can scientific principles be used to design, create, and evaluate technology for human needs?

• Students will be completing a hands-on experiment to compare thermal insulators and conductors. During this activity, they will test how different materials—such as wool, cotton, aluminum foil, and bubble wrap—affect heat loss in water. They will also observe how heat moves through metal, insulated containers, and air.

• If you want to stay warm on a cold day, should you wear a wool sweater or a cotton shirt? Why?

• What are some things that are made of insulating materials that prevent heat flow?

• What are some things that are made of conducting materials that encourage heat flow? 

• If you place the bottles of water in the sunlight, the water will become warmer. Which process of heat transfer warms the water: conduction, convection, or radiation? Could you explain what is happening?

• If you pour the water into a metal pot and heat it on a stove, the water will become warmer. Which process of heat transfer warms the water? Can you explain what is happening?

• Communication systems have both positives and negatives.

• Each form of communication has a specific function.

• The use of electrical and electromagnetic energy in communications technology.

• Electricity and magnetism are two aspects of one electromagnetic force

• Why is it important to have various methods of communication?

• How does structure relate to function?

• How does electromagnetism include both electricity and magnetism?

• Why is electromagnetism a fundamental part of modern communications systems?

Your child has been learning how electric and magnetic fields interact, like in electromagnets, motors, and generators. In this experiment, your child will see that when an electric current flows through a wire, it creates a magnetic field. Using a battery, a wire, a compass, and a magnet, they will observe how the compass needle reacts to a magnet and then to the current in the wire, helping them visualize the connection between electricity and magnetism. 

•  Large electromagnets are used to pick up large piles of scrap iron. Why would it be essential to be able to switch it on to create a magnetic field and then turn it off to have no magnetic field?

• Why does the electronics industry package delicate pieces of equipment in wrapping that prevents electric or magnetic charges from entering the package?

• Structures and vehicles are designed to account for particular forces.

• People and goods are transported by various methods with associated costs.

• The parts of a structure support its functionality.

• Structural and transportation systems function interdependently.

• Why is it important to have various methods of transportation?

• How does structure relate to function?

• How should decisions be made about the use of resources?

• How do different transportation and structural components interact/work together?

Amusement Park Fun!

Students plan a visit to a nearby amusement park or carnival to explore how rides and attractions are designed. Before arriving, they discuss different subsystems—structural, guidance, suspension, propulsion, and control—that make rides safe and functional. At the park, students identify real-life examples of each subsystem and record their observations, connecting engineering concepts to a hands-on experience. 

Information needed to ask questions about the trip:

What’s a subsystem?
A subsystem is a smaller part of a ride or park that has a specific job. All the subsystems work together to make rides safe, fun, and exciting.

Subsystem Vocabulary

• Structural: Supports the ride and keeps it standing safely. An example would be the metal frame of a roller coaster or the supports under a Ferris wheel.

• Guidance: Makes sure the ride moves along the correct path. The rails on a roller coaster, the tracks for a log flume, or the path of a carousel.

• Suspension: Helps the ride move smoothly and reduces bumps. The wheels, springs, or shock absorbers on rides like bumper cars or a swinging pirate ship.

• Propulsion: Gives the ride motion by starting it, speeding it up, or keeping it moving. Motors that pull roller coasters, conveyor belts, or launch systems on rides.

• Control: Keeps the ride safe by controlling speed, start/stop, and safety systems. Ride operator buttons, sensors, emergency brakes, or control panels.

Questions to ask:

• Can you show me which part of a ride is the structural subsystem?

• Which ride uses guidance to stay on track?

• Did you notice any suspension that made the ride smoother?

• Which rides had propulsion to make them go faster?

• How did the control system keep riders safe?

• Which subsystem was your favorite or most interesting? Why?

The planet’s systems interact over scales that range from local to global in size, and they operate over fractions of a second to billions of years. These interactions have shaped Earth’s history and will determine its future.

Global movements of water and its changes in state are propelled by sunlight and gravity.

Mapping the history of natural hazards in a region, combined with an understanding of related geologic forces can help forecast the locations and likelihoods of future events.

• What evidence is there that the earth’s surface is constantly changing?

• What internal and external factors change Earth’s surface?

• Why is it important to understand where and how frequently catastrophic events are likely to occur?

• What causes the movement of water throughout the hydrosphere?

Living in the Water Cycle

Your child will explore the water cycle by taking photos or making sketches of water in nature and at home, such as puddles, clouds, snow, steam, or a glass of water. They will use these images to create a poster showing the different stages of the water cycle, label each part, and explain what they learned about the role of the sun and gravity. This hands-on activity helps children connect science to the world around them while encouraging observation and creativity.

Questions to ask:

• How do you interact with the water cycle every day?

•  How does the amount of sunlight affect the water cycle? Does more evaporation take place at night or during the day? Why?

• How does air temperature affect the water cycle’s precipitation stage?

Students will understand that resources are distributed unevenly around the planet and that the organisms within an ecosystem are interconnected and dependent on one another. They will recognize that the availability of resources limits population growth, and that disruptions to any physical or biological component of an ecosystem can lead to changes in all populations within it. Additionally, students will explore how human activities impact the ecosystems they inhabit and how these actions can indirectly affect ecosystems around the world. 

• How does energy cycle within an ecosystem?

• How do organisms interact with the environment and each other?

• How can one organism’s addition or removal from an ecosystem impact the other organisms within the ecosystem? 

Walk outside with your child to your backyard or a nearby park and observe the different animals.

Your child may be able to identify the animals he or she sees, but your child might not realize how they are competing for resources in your own backyard!

Here are some questions to discuss with your child:

● What animals do you see, and what needs do they have?

● Do a bird and a squirrel compete with each other for the same resources?

● How does one bird compete with another bird of the same species?

● What resources do the plants need for survival, and how are they competing with each other? 

• Animals have developed specific behaviors and adaptations that increase their odds of reproducing in their lifetimes.

• Plants reproduce using a variety of strategies including specialized structures and interdependence with animals.

• Biodiversity arises in species as a result of random changes in individuals that increase the likelihood they will mate and pass that change to new generations.

• As human consumption of natural resources increase, so do the negative impacts on Earth.

• Energy and matter are recycled through ecosystems

• Humans can mitigate their impact on ecosystems

• Why are variations within a population essential for the species' continued survival?

• How have plants and animals influenced each other's adaptations over time?

• How does a disruption affect an ecosystem?

• What are the possible impacts of humans on ecosystems, and what can be done to mitigate harmful effects?

 Asexual Reproduction in Plants

To help your child learn more about asexual reproduction, test the vegetative propagation capabilities of a household plant. Choose a common household plant, such as the spider plant (scientific name: Chlorophytum comosum). Try vegetative propagation using several different parts of the plant, such as a piece of stem, a piece of root, a leaf with no stem, a leaf with some stem, or the tip of a leaf.

Place a toothpick on either side of your plant part (or in the case of the leaf, put the toothpick right through it). Then place the plant part in a cup of water and position the toothpick so a portion of the plant part is not submerged, and it has access to light and air. Change the water every few days to prevent it from getting stagnant. Observe how long it takes the plant to start growing, and note if any part of the plant does not grow at all. You and your child could also try planting the plant parts in some potting soil to see if that changes your results. You can also try this with a potato that has sprouted or with an avocado pit.

Here are some questions to discuss with your child:

● Which parts of the plant successfully formed new plants?

● How does the DNA in the new plants compare to the DNA of the parent plant?

● Why might this strategy be an advantage for plants in the wild?

● How might gardeners use this method to populate their gardens?