Cumulative Science Test - Thursday, May 5

On Thursday, May 5, students will take a multiple choice, cumulative science assessment that covers concepts taught this entire school year. The best way to study is to go over all the practice TCAP reviews we have covered in class and/or go through all the questions at the end of each of the chapters in the textbook. The students will not be permitted to use their journals.

TCAP Practice Homefun

The next homefun activity is the Science TCAP Item Sampler. The questions are in TCAP format/font/color.

 

http://www.tn.gov/assets/entities/education/attachments/tst_ach_gr4_sci_item_sampler.pdf

 

 

TCAP Challenge Homefun Requirements:

• The science section must be completed in its entirety. (There are 30 questions)
• The science section MUST be reviewed with an adult (mom, dad, grandparent, sibling older than 18, aunt, etc.). There is an answer key in the document.
• Whatever is turned in must be signed by the adult that reviewed the student's answers.

Options:

• Your family does not have to print out the test booklet, if paper and ink is an issue. Your child can take the practice test by looking at a computer and writing down their answers on a piece of notebook paper. However, an adult must still check over the answers and go back to any sections in which your child struggled.  
• I recommend having your child work independently on a given amount of the questions, and, then, the adult reviews the questions with the child. Discuss them to help rule out any misconceptions. One-on-one instruction is very powerful!

The work, signed by the adult that reviewed the answers, is due Friday, April 29.

 

There will not be anymore TicTacToe for homefun, so those science homefun journals are going home to stay and help be a resource for studying. After TCAP, start sending in your child's science textbook to make sure it is accounted for. Science homefun is not necessarily over. There may be worksheets that go home for homefun after TCAP.

 

Sincerely,

Logan Caldwell

Supervising Teacher

Campus School

Chapter 8 Study Hints (Electricity and Magnetism)

Hints to study for Chapter 8:

Questions on pages 362-363 in textbook
All Academic Vocabulary (Homefun) from Chapter 8
Chapter 8 Study Guide that was passed out April 8
Questions on pages 360-361in textbook
Questions on pages 333,  345, 357
The quick check questions throughout the lessons
Understand how electromagnets work, the parts, & what materials can be used to make a simple one
Series vs. Parallel Circuits
How does a loudspeaker work?

Fourth Quarter Extra Credit Optional Science Challenge - Create Your Own Invention

Create Your Own Invention and Rubric

Fourth Quarter Extra Credit Optional Science Challenge

 Your child has the opportunity to earn up to six 100 extra credit science test grades for the fourth quarter. They will earn two test grades per category listed below.

The challenge is to create an original invention that solves a problem. There are three categories your child may complete to earn the extra points. Category 1 must be completed, if your child has chosen to take the challenge, but he/she has the option to complete Category 2 and/or 3.

Category 1: The Invention (This covers the diagram/planning, inspiration, intended use, and problem solving portion of the rubric.)

Category 2: Commercial

Category 3: Write-Up

Assuming the invention is not too large, your child may bring it in the week of May 9 or May 16 to share with the classes. 

(Please email me, if the size may be in question.)

The sky is the limit!

Inventions
	Excellent 4	Proficient 3 pts	Basic 2 pts	Limited 1 pts
Diagram/Planning	Excellent The plan for the invention provides a detailed and complete diagram and plan for the creation of the invention.	Proficient The plan for the invention provides an accurate diagram and plan for the creation of the invention.	Acceptable The plan for the invention provides a diagram of the invention.	Limited The plan for the invention does not provide a diagram of the invention.
Inspiration	Excellent The student was able to give a detailed explanation of his/her inspiration and where the inspiration was found for the creation of the invention.	Proficient The student was able to give a detailed explanation of his/her inspiration for the creation of the invention.	Acceptable The student was able to give an explanation of his/her inspiration for the creation of the invention.	Limited The student was not able to give an explanation of his/her inspiration for the creation of the invention.
Intended Use	Excellent The student was able to give detailed and in-depth use or uses of the invention that was created.	Proficient The student was able to give a detailed use or uses of the invention that was created.	Acceptable The student was able to give a vague use or uses of the invention that was created.	Limited The student was not able to give examples of a use or uses of the invention that was created.
Problem Solving	Excellent The student showed considerable insight into problems that may occur from use of his/her invention.	Proficient The student showed insight into problems that may occur from use of his/her invention.	Acceptable The student showed limited insight into problems that may occur from use of his/her invention.	Limited The student did not consider any problems that may occur from use of his/her invention.
Commercial	Excellent The student performed a detailed engaging commercial focused on his/her invention and corresponding material.	Proficient The student performed a detailed commercial for his his/her invention and corresponding material.	Acceptable The student performed a commercial regarding his/her invention and corresponding material.	Limited The student did not give a detailed nor an engaging presentation regarding his/her invention and corresponding material.
Write-Up	Excellent The write-up is detailed and includes the entire process for the creation of the invention and commercial. The writing is free of errors and has good sentences.	Proficient The write-up is somewhat detailed and includes the entire process for the creation of the invention and commercial. The writing has only 2-5 errors and has mostly good sentences.	Acceptable The write-up is a brief overview of the invention and commercial process. The writing has 5-10 errors.	Limited The write-up does not include a complete overview of the invention and commercial process. There are more than 10 errors.

An average of 3.5 - 4 Points in each category earns an extra 100 test grade.

An average of 3-3.4 points for each category earns an extra 92 test grade.

Scholastic Book Orders due Friday, March 4

Scholastic Book Orders due Friday, March 4 to ensure they arrive before Spring Break. Thank you!

Chapter 7 Study Hints

Know the vocabulary homefun from Chapter 7
Study the study guide questions.
Read pages 304-315 and be able to correctly answer the questions throughout the chapter and at the end of the chapter.
Go over the questions on pages 318-321.
Know how to apply the concepts of inertia, motion, friction, distance, and position in real world situations.
Draw conclusions about speed, acceleration, distance from the graphs on page 305 and 309.

Box Tops Request

Box Tops are due February 22, so I can prepare them for shipping on March 1st. Last semester we received a check for $650 and I'm hoping we can match that this semester.  Our goal for the year is $1000. You can put the Box Tops on the sheets or send them in baggies. It would help Ms. Coleman greatly if you could trim them and put them in bags of 50 if you have that many. Thanks for your help.

Diane Coleman

Extra Credit: Rube Goldberg Third Nine Weeks Project

The directions and rubric for the third nine weeks extra credit project can be found at:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwMKLL0OTWOLWEtUcVRsU2c5Vms/view?usp=sharing

All parts of the project must be complete to earn credit. There will not be partial credit. If all of the parts are complete, you will earn two 100% for a test grade for the third nine weeks.

Chapter 6 Study Hints

Review all vocabulary homefun words.
Read each lesson and go over the questions at the end of each lesson in the textbook.
Identify forms of energy and the transfer of energy in real-world situations.
How is matter measured?
Physical and Chemical Changes
Light energy characteristics
Complete homefun study guide.
Answer the questions at the end of the chapter and the TCAP prep questions in the textbook.

Chapter 6 Lessons 1-2 Study Hints

Chapter 6 Lessons 1-2 Study Hints

Matter Unit Review

Name: _________________________

physical change	gas	solid
liquid	matter	mixture
	heat	filter
mass	evaporation	volume

1) _____________________________ is anything that takes up space.

2) A ______________________ has a definite shape and takes up a definite amount of space. 

3) A _______________________ does not have a definite shape but does take up a definite amount of space.

4) A ______________________does not have a definite shape and does not take up a definite amount of space.

5) A _________________________ is two or more types of matter that are mixed together but keep their own properties.

6) The change of a liquid to a gas without boiling is called ______________________.

7) A tool used to separate things by size is a _____________________________.

8) A ____________________ is a change that begins and ends with the same type of matter. (it could change state, size, shape, position, or texture)

9) Adding or taking away _______________ makes some types of matter change state.

10) ___________________ is how much space a substance takes up. 

11)  __________________ is the amount of matter that makes up an object.

12) What tool could you use to measure mass?

a) balance     b) thermometer         c) graduated cylinder          d) tape measure

Also study:

 elements, periodic table, atoms, compound, other ways to cause physical changes, chemical changes, other tools to measure matter, mixtures, & solutions 

Chapter 5 Assessment Study Hints

Faulkner's Homeroom will take the assessment on Monday, December 14.
Sublette and Caldwell's Homerooms will take the assessment on Wednesday, December 15

Read Chapter 5, and know the answers to the questions through the chapter and at the end of the chapter.
Know what the term mineral resources refers to.
Know Tennessee's mineral resources.
Know the water cycle components and the order.
Know what climate and weather are and the difference between the two terms.
Know how humans affect nonrenewable resources, climate, and erosion.

Chapter 5 Lessons 1 - 2 Study Hints

Study homefun vocabulary.
Be able to answer the questions during and at the end of Chapter 5 Lessons 1 and 2.

Green Team Sign-up

The Green Team is about to start up again for this school year. Our Green Team last year was responsible for completing the Sustainability Challenge in partnership with Clean Memphis last year! They started a recycling campaign and conducted energy audits. After the energy audits, students gave the teachers ideas on ways to conserve energy, and we were able to save money and energy with these efforts.

This year, we are aiming to go for gold with the Sustainability Challenge! This entails the Green Team students being active participants and advocates in making Campus School as eco-friendly as possible. Our focus this year will continue to be recycling and energy conservation. However, we are also going to focus on water and air quality. There is no cost to participate in Green Team.

Our club will meet on Mondays this year in Ms. Caldwell's room (Room #103) from 3:00-4:00 or 4:15. We will NOT meet every Monday. We will meet as events/projects are coming up. (Communication for meetings will be via email and always located on Ms. Caldwell's blog.) We realized other after school activities meet on Mondays; however, this was the only day that the teacher organizers could meet due to other school-related obligations.

Our first Green Team meeting will be Monday, November 30 in Ms. Caldwell's room. We will meet after school until 4:15. All pick up will be at half circle drive.

If your child is interested, please fill out all of the information on this Google Form by Friday, November 13:

http://goo.gl/forms/WmROoBOq1J

If your child is interested, but cannot attend this first meeting, please still sign up on the Google Form above to stay informed of future meetings.

Just Moon Phases Test Study Hints - Tuesday November 10

This test is assessing your child's ability to interpret, make predictions, and draw conclusions based on the lunar cycle and its patterns. 
Hints:
Study the lunar cycle (the order of the phases) on page 162, and practice by answering the questions on page 167 about the moon phases listed on page 166.

Second Nine Weeks Extra Credit - Science

EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY for the second nine weeks.
Due by Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Earn an extra 100 for a science test grade.

Your child must observe the moon, record the date, time, and draw a picture of the moon phase each night from Monday, October 26 until Sunday, December 13.

Print and use the document below to record the data: 
(Your child will need to print at least two calendars to successfully complete the assignment.)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwMKLL0OTWOLZzUwVlYwSGVlTGc/view?usp=sharing

If a night gets skipped or it was too foggy/cloudy, there are apps and news stations that record/report the moon phases for our area. This is an acceptable resource. 
For example:
http://www.moongiant.com/

Sun, Moon, Earth Test (Chapter 4) Date Change & Study Hints

Due to testing mandated by the district, the Sun, Moon, Earth Test (Chapter 4) will have to be moved back to Tuesday, November 3. The benchmark testing (MAPS) mandated from the district must be taken online, and the students are scheduled to take the science portion on Friday, October 30.

There is not anything to study for the benchmark testing, but, please, review the questions at the end of each lesson in Chapter 4, the end of the chapter, the questions on page 167, and the questions on page 170-171 for the test on Tuesday, November 3.

Fourth Grade Updates/Expectations (for Math, Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science)

Dear Families,

Fourth Grade Updates/Expectations (for Math, Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science)

• Look at your child's planner each week to see upcoming due dates.
• Review the blogs.

These are two methods of communication between what we are learning in class and home assignments. Please thoroughly check these two resources prior to emailing the teacher with questions.

• If you are going out of town, you must get approval for an excused absence from Dr. Copeland before the trip. Otherwise, this is an unexcused absence.
• After feedback from you, we have updated how the averages are calculated for all subjects for the reminder of the school year.

Tests/Summative Assessments 50%

Classwork 20%

Quizzes/Formative Assessments 20%

Homefun 10%  

• Quizzes/Formative Assessments' purpose are to monitor student learning to make instructional adjustments. This can be a quiz, teacher observation, or any quick method. You may not get much or any notice as the nature of these types of assessments is to see where the students are at that moment. 
• For end of a unit/book/chapter tests or summative assessments, you will receive adequate notice, and students should prepare/study. 
• Please send an email or call to make a scheduled appointment if you would like to meet with one of us. The morning or in the middle of the day does not allow us to give you the time that you deserve to discuss your concerns/questions.
• Your child has a couple of usernames and passwords in the front of their planner. The one for iReady and ThinkCentral is the same. Typing Club does not require a password. 
• Typing Club is optional at this time. Some parents inquired about ways to help their child to improve their typing skills for the TNReady test. This is a good resource for your child to be familiar with the keyboard. 

Language Arts/Social Studies

• Classwork/Journal Grades will be taken throughout the year. If a student does not turn in their classwork or journal they will earn a 0. If they are able to turn it in on a later date, 20% will be deducted for each day it is late. For example, if a journal grade is worth 5 points, and the student can't find it or doesn't present it to the teacher until the 3rd day after it was due, they will only receive 2 points out of 5 for the grade. It will be the child's responsibility to bring the work directly to the teacher. 
• Please keep an eye out on Mrs. Cassidy's blog for resources under the Practice Skills tab as they will be updated as the students begin a new skill.
• ThinkCentral is a new program online we will be using for writing to get ready for the TNReady writing assessment. Instructions have been sent home and are found on the blog. The username and password are in the front of your child's planner. 

Math 

• Classwork/Journal Grades will be taken throughout the year. If a student does not turn in their classwork or journal they will earn a 0. If they are able to turn it in on a later date,  20% will be deducted for each day it is late. For example, if a journal grade is worth 10 points, and the student can't find it or doesn't present it to the teacher until the 3rd day after it was due, they will only receive 4 points out of 10 for the grade. It will be the child's responsibility to bring the work directly to the teacher. 
• Reminder: There are resources on the blog for each concept in math. Please check for regular updates. As new skills are learned, new material is posted to the blog on the Skills Review and Practice page.  Additionally, there are links for multiplication practice, including printable resources, for home practice within the "helpful links" section. Please check out the PowerPoint, "One Month to Change a Lifetime" at the bottom of the math blog homepage.  It contains information on an alternative method for learning multiplication facts.

Science Update

• There will be a new tic tac toe board for the second nine weeks. (This will happen every nine weeks.) 
  
• Your child must do the middle square EVERY time.
  
• Then, they will pick two other squares that connect with the middle square to make tic tac toe.
  
• An adult MUST sign for the family game activity (and it be turned in on the assigned due date). Your child will not get credit if the adult does not sign.
  
• Do not sign on the tic tac toe board. Sign in the journal.
  
• If you cannot find something on the blog, find where the months are listed (on the right hand side) and expand the month. This will list the headers for each post and make the information easier to find.

Thank you for a successful first nine weeks and your support!

Sincerely,

L. Caldwell, L. Faulkner, & E. Sublette

Dr. Parris' Visit

Chapters 1-3 Study Hints

Chapters 1-3 Assessment is Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Study Hints:

1. Know the academic vocabulary that has been assigned for homefun for Chapters 1, 2, and 3.
2. In your textbook, go over the questions at the end of each lesson in Chapters 1, 2, and 3.
3. In your textbook, go over the questions on pages 66-67, 134-135.
4. In your textbook, go over questions 1, 3, 4, and 6 on page 96-97.
5. In your textbook, read Chapters 1, 2, and 3.

Other hints...
Know causes for endangerment/extinction of species.
Understand what happens when something is introduced or taken from a food web.
Know some insects that go through incomplete metamorphosis.
Understand what tropisms are.
Know how reproduction helps a species survive.
Know the difference and state some examples of innate behavior and learned behavior.

You do not have to turn anything in. This is to help YOU!

Learning is a Ball Donors Choose Project

I've created a classroom project request at DonorsChoose.org, an award-winning charity. 

I'm asking for donations of any size to help my kids. For the next 4 days, any donation you make to my project will be doubled (up to $100). If you know anyone who is passionate about education, please pass this along. Your donation will brighten my students' school year, and you'll get photos and thank yous from our class. 

Here's my classroom request: 

Learning is a Ball! 

To have your donation matched dollar for dollar, enter the promo code SPARK on the payment screen. This awesome match offer lasts through September 20. 

My students and I greatly appreciate your support. 

Ms. Caldwell