First 9-week Science Curriculum 

Water:
            -  Parent Newsletter
            -  Essential Question:
                        -  How does water change?
                                    -  What is the water cycle?

                  -    Big Ideas:
                                    -  The water cycle is ongoing and is powered by the sun.
                                    -  Water circulates through the Earth’s crust and atmosphere as part of the
                                        water cycle.
                                    -  Water can exist in three states of matter: solid, liquid, gas.
                                    -  Clouds are formed when condensation occurs in the atmosphere.
                                                    -   When liquid water evaporates, it turns into a gas in the air and if cooled
                                      can reappear as a liquid or a solid.

When this unit is complete, the students will:
            Water Changes:
                                -  Identify the three states of water
                         - Identify the boiling and freezing point of water.
                         - Recognize that water changes from a solid to liquid or gas when heat is added.
                         - Recognize that water changes from a gas to liquid or solid when cold is added.

             Precipitation:
                              - Identify different states of precipitation
                         - Explain how temperature affects the form of precipitation

             Cloud Formation:
                  - Explain how clouds are formed.
                                    -  Identify the characteristics of clouds.

             Water Cycle:
                        -  Illustrate and label the different stages of the water cycle.
                        -  Compare and contrast the different stages of the water cycle during a drought and
                           rainy season.

Unit Vocabulary Words:

Weather:
             -  Parent's Newsletter
            -  Essential Question:
                        -  How does the weather reporter know what the weather will be tomorrow?

            -  Big Ideas:
                                    -  Some natural events have a repeating pattern.
                        -  Weather changes from day to day, but temperature and precipitation tend to follow
                            patterns within the same months every year.

When this unit is complete, the students will:
            Weather Instruments & Maps:
                        -  Recognize instruments used to identify weather (thermometers measure temperature;
                           rain gauges measure the amount of precipitation; barometers measure atmospheric
                           pressure; wind vanes measure wind direction; and anemometers the speed and force
                           of the wind.)
                        -  Identify fronts, temperature and precipitation using a weather map
                        -  Interpret data on a weather map to understand weather conditions

             Weather Prediction & Climate:
                        -  Observe and record weather conditions
                        -  Using observations and records, predict weather patterns for a given time period
                        -  Differentiate between weather and climate

             Precipitation:
                        -  Identify the different states of precipitation
                        -  Compare / contrast the precipitation during different seasons

Unit Vocabulary Words:

Interesting Websites related to 1st 9-weeks in Science

Severe Weather Webquest:

Experiencing a severe weather condition can be terrifying. Many people will live through more than one and some may never experience any. But what would it be like to live through an earthquake, or a tornado?