Science Grade 3-5

This web site Mass and Weight would work great in the Grade 2 science curriculum for the topic on matter. Before we used this site I would have the students answer the question on the following quiz to spark their interest and understanding. After the quiz was complete We would use the SmartBoard as a class to experiment with different weights and masses. This would be a start to the students understanding this topic as they would also have a chance to use a real scale and explore both mediums for learning.

Student Exploration: Weight and Mass


Vocabulary: balance, force, gravity, mass, newton, spring scale, weight


Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)

1. Your weight is the pull of gravity on your body. Suppose you step on a bathroom scale on the Moon. How would your weight on the Moon compare to your weight on Earth?

A. greater on the Moon B. less on the Moon C. same on Earth and the Moon


2. Your mass is the amount of matter, or “stuff,” in your body. How would your mass on the Moon compare to your mass on Earth?

A. greater on the Moon B. less on the Moon C. same on Earth and the Moon


Gizmo Warm-up
On the Weight and Mass Gizmo™, you can use a balance to compare the masses of objects.

1. Place the dog on the right pan of the balance. What happens? _____________________________

2. Place the 5-kilogram (kg) mass on the other pan. Which has more mass, the dog or the 5-kg mass?

__________________________________________


3. The 5-kg mass is heavier than the dog, so take it off the pan and place a 1-kg mass on the pan. Add 1-kg masses to the left pan until it goes down. Then take one of the 1-kg masses off the pan so that the masses are above the dog.


4. Use this process of adding and subtracting other masses from the left pan until the two pans are balanced. Add up all the masses on the left pan. This is equal to the mass of the dog.

What is the mass of the dog? _________________________________________________

Smart Board Activity #2

Sentence builder is a great web site that I will use with grade 1 students to help them learn the proper format to use when building sentences. this site offers SmartBoard use and allows students to touch the words that they would like to use in their sentence. after the sentence is constructed the student can touch the run button to see their sentence come to life. This site applies to the Grade 1 Language arts curriculum

Smart Board Activity

The 'magnetic poetry' board would be a wonderful addition to any language arts program but for this case in particular I would use it with a Grade four class. This site activity offers students a variety of words that can be changed simply by clicking on them and typing the word you want. Students will be able to collaboratively use the SmartBoard to create a poem of any style they choose. Students are able to grab a word and place it anywhere on the page. Using the words provided will teach children to use their resources and be creative. Having words made available will also help students that have difficulty spelling and finding the word they want.

National Geographic for Kids

In my classroom I would use this site to provide students with fun and educational resources to complete a research project on their animal of choice. National geographic for kids offers facts and activities about many different types of animals that will make exploring and learning fun. Students would have to research to find basic facts about thier animal and create a short bibliography including illustrations.Click on this link to discover what my students will find Getting to know animals. This project and website will fit into the grade 3 language arts curriculum for the bibliography and writing portion as well as the grade 3 science curriculum for the acquired knowledge about animals of the world and endangered and non-endangered alike.

Fraction Shootout

This website is great for a hands on approach to solving and practicing fractions. In the Grade four math curriculum it displays that using manipulative's is a great way to enhance and cement learning for students in fractions. Fraction Shootout is unique because it is set up like a soccer game. To score a goal you have to solve the fraction. A partner can take the next turn and try to score on your net. The score is kept and students can test their skills with a partner. Another useful part of this site is that if a student gets a wrong answer a step by step solution is given to help learning take place. Ideally I would use this site after the introduction and some prior learning has taken place. It is not essential for students to have highly developed skills to utilize this site but having an idea and knowing the concept would be necessary.