Download MCAS science packet - Weston Public Schools

Science Review
Cycles and Systems
Charts
Vocabulary
WEATHER
•  The sun is the driving force behind
weather.
•  Air temperature, moisture, wind
speed, wind direction, and
precipitation make up the weather.
•  Tools to measure weather data:
•  Thermometers measure
temperature
•  Barometers measure air
pressure
•  Anemometers measure wind
speed
•  Hygrometers measure humidity
•  Rain gauges measure rainfall
•  Earth is surrounded by a blanket of
gases called the atmosphere.
•  Most weather occurs in the lowest
layer of the atmosphere called the
troposphere.
More WEATHER and CLIMATE
•  CLOUDS (3 basic types)
•  Cirrus (high, feathery, made of
ice crystals)--sign of pleasant
weather
•  Cumulus (lower than cirrus, fluffy,
puffy)--sign of fair weather
•  Stratus (much lower, gray layers)
•  WIND is moving air.
•  WEATHER is short term
temperature, wind, and moisture in
a given place at a certain time.
•  CLIMATE is the long-range
condition of temperature, wind,
and precipitation in a given place.
Here’s
a
site
to
learn
more:
http://www.scholastic.com/kids/weather/
THE WATER CYCLE
The Earth holds a limited amount of
water, which cycles in different forms
and in different locations including
the atmosphere and underground. •  Parts of the water cycle:
•  Evaporation (water turns into
water vapor).
•  Condensation (water vapor
cools and turns to liquid water). •  Clouds form when water vapor
condenses in the atmosphere. •  Fog forms when water vapor
condenses near the ground. •  Dew forms when water vapor
condenses on surfaces.
•  Precipitation (clouds can no
longer hold moisture and it falls
from the sky as rain, drizzle,
sleet, snow or hail. •  Accumulation (when
precipitation falls it may fall back
to oceans, rivers, lakes, and
ponds or it may soak into the
ground as ground water)
Here’s
a
site
to
learn
more:
http://www.epa.gov/ogwdw/kids/flash/flash_watercycle.html
ROCK CYCLE
Rocks and Minerals
•  ROCKS (3 basic types)
•  Igneous forms when magma
from the earth's mantle cools and
hardens (granite, pumice, basalt)
•  Sedimentary forms as layers of
mud, clay, sand, and other
materials build up over time.
(limestone, sandstone, shale)
•  Metamorphic forms due to heat
and pressure (slate, marble)
•  Rocks are made of minerals.
•  Minerals have different physical
properties:
•  hardness
•  color
•  magnetism
•  luster
Here’s
a
site
to
learn
more:
http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/visualization/collections/rock_cycle.html
THE SUN, EARTH, and MOON
Systems and Seasons
•  The Earth is part of the solar
system.
•  It takes Earth 24 hours to rotate
on its axis = 1 day.
•  It takes Earth one year to revolve
(orbit) around the sun.
•  The Earth is tilted on its axis. This
is why we have seasons. •  Earth's moon produces no light of
its own--it reflects sunlight.
•  As the moon rotates around Earth,
it appears to change shape. This is
called the phases of the Moon.
•  It takes almost 30 days (1 month)
for the moon to orbit Earth.
Here’s
a
site
to
learn
more:
http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/StarChild.html
LIFE CYCLES
PLANTS
•  Insect Metamorphosis •  Complete (egg, larva, pupa,
adult)
•  Incomplete (egg, nymph, adult)
• Each part of the plant
has a function.
• Roots support the plant
and absorb water and
nutrients from the
ground.
• The stem carries water
and nutrients from the
roots to the leaves and
provides support for the
leaves.
• Leaves make food
through photosynthesis.
• Some leaves are simple
(single blade).
• Some leaves are
compound (leaf divides
into separate leaflets).
• Veins carry water and
nutrients in the leaf.
• Flowers make seeds.
•  Frog
•  egg, tadpole (gills), tadpole with
rear legs (gills), froglet (lungs),
adult (lungs)
Here’s
a
site
to
learn
more:
http://www.mbgnet.net/bioplants/parts.html
MATTER
ENERGY
&
MOTION
•  Objects
and
materials
can
be
identiGied
as:
•  solid
(deGinite
volume
and
deGinite
shape)
•  liquid
(deGinite
volume,
but
takes
shape
of
container)
•  gas
(no
deGinite
volume
or
shape)
• Motion
is
the
act
of
changing
position
or
place.
•  Materials
can
change
from
one
state
to
another
by
adding
or
taking
away
heat.
•  solids
melt
into
liquids
•  liquids
freeze
into
solids
•  liquids
evaporate
into
gases
•  gases
condense
into
liquids
• Energy
is
the
ability
to
cause
motion
or
create
change.
• To
change
the
motion
of
an
object,
a
force
(push
or
pull)
must
be
applied.
• The
greater
the
force,
the
greater
the
change
in
motion.
• There
are
many
forms
of
energy:
light,
heat,
sound,
motion
• Two
main
categories
of
energy:
• kinetic
(motion)
• potential
(position/stored)
Here’s
a
site
to
learn
more:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/science/formsofenergy.html
Electricity
•  Electricity
in
circuits
needs
a
complete
(closed)
loop
through
which
the
current
can
pass.
•  Series
(only
one
path
for
the
current
to
follow)
Magnetism
•  Magnetism
is
a
force
between
poles
(north
and
south).
•  unlike
poles
attract
•  like
poles
repel
•  Parallel
(two
or
more
separate
paths
for
current
to
follow)
•  Breaking
a
magnet
in
half
will
result
in
two
magnets,
each
with
a
north
and
south
pole.
•  Electricity
can
move
more
easily
through
some
materials
than
others.
•  Conductors
(most
metals)
•  Electricity
does
not
move
well
through
some
materials
•  Insulators
(rubber,
plastic)
Here’s
a
site
to
learn
more:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks3bitesize/science/physics/electricity_intro.shtml
Ecosystems
and
Habitats
Engineering
•  An
ecosystem
is
a
community
of
living
organisms
and
nonliving
elements
(soil,
air,
sunlight,
and
water)
•  Science
helps
us
to
understand
the
world.
•  Engineers
use
science
to
solve
problems
and
to
design
new
technologies.
•  In
every
ecosystem
there
is
a
food
chain
or
food
web.
•  The
design
process
is
•  Identify
the
need/problem
•  Research
•  Develop
possible
solutions
•  Select
best
possible
solution
•  Create
prototype
•  Test
and
evaluate
prototype.
•  Identify
the
need/problem,
etc.
•  This
loop
continues
until
the
designer
is
ready
to
communicate
the
solution.
•  Producers
make
their
own
food
using
sunlight
(plants)
•  Consumers
obtain
their
food
by
eating
plants
or
other
animals.
•  Decomposers
break
down
and
feed
on
dead
organic
matter
and
return
it
to
the
soil.
•  Habitats
provide
food,
wather
and
shelter.
•  Adaptations
allow
organisms
to
"Git
in"
with
their
environment.
Here’s
a
site
to
learn
more:
http://mbgnet.net