Space Exploration Missions

As part of the solar system unit students have and will be studying some of the missions NASA has made into space to learn more about other planets.  Here are some links that provide great information from NASA.

This link has articles and facts about the missions to each planet.
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/index.cfm

Kids Activities relating to space:
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/kids/index.cfm

Build your own space fleet.  Print out and make your own space probes.
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/kids/papermodels.cfm

Solar System Study Guide

The assessment on the solar system will be administered on Thursday, March 3rd.  Students should be able to answer the following questions to do well on the test. 

Solar System Study Guide

1. The four inner planets are rocky and small. Write a description of the outer planets.

2. Which two planets are out of order in this list of our solar system? The planets are listed in order of distance from the sun.
Mercury-Earth-Venus-Mars-Jupiter-Saturn-Uranus-Neptune-Pluto
A. Mercury and Earth
B. Earth and Venus
C. Saturn and Jupiter D. Uranus and Neptune

3. What is a special characteristic of Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus?
4. How does a telescope help us understand the moon?

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5. A probe landed on Mars and did soil tests. What information did it discover?

A. There are no living organisms in Martian soil.
B. Mars is slightly oval in shape.
C. Mars is about one-fourth the size of Earth. D. The gravity on Mars is much less than on Earth.

6. Pictures from space are sent to Earth. How are they printed?

7. Why is space travel difficult for people?

8. What holds the planets in their orbits around the sun?

9. Which object has the most gravity?

A. Earth
B. moon
C. Jupiter D. sun
10. Without gravity, what would be the shape of the solar system?

A. Planets would revolve in perfect circles.
B. Much different than it is now.
C. Planet’s orbits would cross. D. All planets would be in the same orbit.

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11. What is the difference between an asteroid and a meteor?

12. How do we know about outer space, beyond our solar system?

13. How are the orbits of Earth around the sun and the orbit of the moon around Earth alike?

Remember there is also the opportunity to earn extra credit by making a simplified version of Galileo's telescope.  Telescopes are due by March 14th to earn extra credit.  

Mrs. Tanner

Our student teacher Mrs. Tanner will complete her student teaching in Mrs. Michaels' class on Thursday.  IT would be greatly appreciated if all the students in Mrs. Michaels' class could bring in a thank you note for Mrs. Tanner on Thursday. 

Solar System on a String

Mrs. Engles class today made a scale distance model of the solar system on a string.  Mrs. Michaels class will be making theirs on Tuesday.  When your child shows you their solar system string please ask them the order of the planets, their name, if they are solid or gas?  Students should also be able to tell you about the measurement used in our solar system, the A.U.

Solar System

Students are required to learn a lot about the solar system in the next two weeks.  Please study the planets, their order and the space probes that have helped us to know more about them.  Students also need to know the difference between asteroids, comets, and meteors.  The following link has a literacy component and lessons you can do at home to enrich the lessons taught in class.

http://www.schools.utah.gov/curr/science/core/6th/TRB6/default.htm

There is a lesson titled following in Galileo's footsteps.  It explains how to make a telescope.  Any student who makes the telescope will earn extra credit.  Please bring the telescope into class to share what was learned. 

Week 18 Newspaper

     This week there has been limited time to work in the computer lab and some students have asked if they could work on their newspaper assignment at home.  I thought this was a great suggestion!  I have attached the pdf file for the newspaper in case some students forgot to take their newspaper home.  On the last page of the newspaper is an online assignment about runes.  Students need to write a message in runes so that students tomorrow can decode it.  The website for that is: www.omniglot.com/writing/runic.htm .  Students can also read and listen to all the newspaper articles for this week online at: http://www.estudiesweekly.com . After you are at this site, create your student's own personal and private account by clicking on to the pink box, and the for the access code, type: ancient.  You will then be able to set up your child's account.  For the username please type in first and last name in lowercase with no spaces, ex:terrigoff.  The password is ancient.   Students can also once signed in take the weekly quiz online.  I will open up the testing window for the Unit 18 test tonight and close it by 9am tomorrow morning.

Colonial Studies

Students these next few weeks will be studying the thirteen colonies.  Students will be expected to do the following in class with a partner or small group:

1.  Study one colony and make a powerpoint presentation to teach the class about what they learned.
2.  The presentation must answer the following questions:

• Where the colonists came from and why?  (ex: religion, seeking riches)
• What year did they come?
• Did the colonists set up a government?
• What was the colonists relationship with the Native Americans?
• What kids of work/jobs did the colonists do?  (ex: farm, fish, trade goods)
• What were the religious beliefs of the colonists?
• What was daily life like?
• Include and interesting facts, important people and or events. 

3.  The powerpoint presentations must have at least five slides with a picture/clipart on each slide. 

It would be very helpful for students to have a flashdrive to store their presentations or to take home easily to work on. 

Next week Mrs. Engles class will begin reading The Witch of Blackbird Pond which tells the story of an outsider coming to live in a Puritan community in the colony of Connecticut.  This book gives great insight into the daily life of early colonists.