Earth Science
*I can identify landforms and other specific characteristics on the Earth's surface.
Three quarters of the Earth's surface is covered in water and most of that water is in the oceans. Only a small part of all the Earth's water is freshwater, like that found in rivers or lakes. Some of the common landforms are hills, mountains, valleys, floodplains, sinkholes, caves, canyons, dunes, volcanoes, islands, straits, gulfs, etc.
*I can explain how the surface of Earth changes due to weathering.
The Earth's surface changes due to moving water, glacier movement, water freezing and thawing, wind blowing sand, plant growth, gases in the air, pollution, and catastrophic events such as earthquakes, mass wasting, flooding, and volcanoes.
*I can explain how the surface of Earth changes due to erosion and deposition.
Water, wind, and ice carry rock, soil, and sediment and then deposit the material in a new location. Gravity is a very important force in this process (example: mudslides, avalanches, landslides). Erosion is a destructive process and deposition is a constructive process.
Physical Science
*I can show that the total amount of matter is conserved when it undergoes a change.
When an object is broken into smaller pieces, when a solid is dissolved in a liquid, or when matter changes state (solid, liquid, gas), the total amount of matter remains constant.
*I can explain how energy can be transformed from one form to another or from one location to another.
*I can design and construct a device which involves energy transfer.
*I can design and construct a switch that can turn a light on and off in a circuit.
Energy transfers from hot objects to cold objects, which results in a temperature change. An electric circuit requires a complete loop through which electrical energy can be transferred. Conductors allow electricity to flow through easily, while insulators do not allow it to flow easily. Electricity and magnetism are closely related and can work together.
Life Science
*I can explain how changes in an organism's environment are sometimes beneficial or harmful to its survival.
An ecosystem can change gradually (like climate change) or quickly (like with a fire). When the environment changes, some plants
and animals survive while others die or move to a new location. Fossil records can show evidence of these environmental changes.
*I can compare fossils to one another and to present day organisms by using similarities and differences.
Most types of organisms that have lived on Earth no longer exist. Fossils help us to compare organisms that lived long ago to those
existing today.
Science Inquiry
*I can list and explain each step in the scientific process.
Question - what you want to find out
Hypothesis - your guess
Experiment - materials needed, procedure - what you will do
Data - your results and observations
Conclusion - the answer to your question
*I can plan and conduct a simple investigation and communicate my results to others.
Science fair