FOSS at HOme - FOSS welcome page
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1 EARTH MATERIALS FOSS AT HOME FOSS ® AT HOME EARTH MATERIALS The FOSS ® (Full Option Science System™) program offers a number of ways to get parents involved in their child’s science education. Included here are short descriptions of several ways to bridge from classroom to home. Letter to Parents. The letter to parents can be sent home at the start of a new science module. The letter describes what children will be learning and ways that parents can enrich the science-learning experience. FOSS Science Stories. FOSS Science Stories is a series of original books developed to accompany and enrich the FOSS modules. The books include a variety of articles written in a number of styles, including narrative tales, expository articles, technical readings, and historical accounts. Here are some suggestions for using FOSS Science Stories at home. • Expository and Historical/Biographical Readings. The expository and historical/biographical readings provide excellent opportunities for students and parents to discuss the science content students are learning in the module. Specific articles include Digging It Up: Mining for Minerals, Identifying Minerals, and Where Do Rocks Come From? • “Questions to Explore.” Students can read the article in class and then answer the “Questions to Explore” at home in their science notebooks. You might consider this strategy after students read Postcards from the Ledge or Rock of Ages. • After the Story. See the Science Stories folio in the Teacher Guide for suggestions on how to extend the stories at home. For example, after students read Written in Stone, have students write a letter to someone and describe their experiences in studying rocks. No. 1—Teacher Sheet FOSS Earth Materials Module © The Regents of the University of California Can be duplicated for classroom or workshop use. Name ____________________________________ Date _____________________________________ Investigation 1: Mock Rocks No. 1—Teacher Sheet Dear Parents, Our class is beginning a new science unit using the FOSS Earth Materials Module. We will investigate a selection of the most common rocks and minerals that make up Earth’s crust, and learn some techniques used by geologists to identify them. Geology requires analysis. To develop analytical skills and techniques, we will first take apart a simulated rock called a Mock Rock. We will observe them, break them apart, dissolve them in water, and evaporate the liquid to discover the ingredients from which our rocks are made. We will then move on to real rocks and minerals, using scratch tools and acid (vinegar) to test for specific minerals. Finally we will look at granite, the base rock from which continents are made, and analyze it to discover the minerals it contains. You can increase your child’s understanding and interest in earth materials by asking him or her to talk about the investigations we are doing at school. Rocks, which appear so commonplace, may become objects that inspire questions and promote close observation. You and your child may want to start a rock collection, or visit the library or (if possible) a rock and mineral display to expand your rock and mineral knowledge. A visit to a landscape materials center or a jewelry store (gems are minerals) can expose the broad range of uses for earth materials. Watch for Home/School Connections sheets that I will be sending home from time to time. These activities describe ways the whole family can look more closely at rocks and miner- als around your home. Your child will be asked to bring a rock or mineral to class for a few weeks to begin a class collection. He or she may choose to bring a special sample you picked up on a family outing, or a rock collected right around the neighborhood. We’re looking forward to weeks of fun with rocks and minerals! If you have questions or comments, or have expertise you would like to share with the class, please drop me a note. Comments: LETTER TO PARENTS Cut here and paste onto school letterhead before making copies. SCIENCE NEWS
Transcript of FOSS at HOme - FOSS welcome page
1Earth matErials
FOSS at HOme
FOSS® at HOmeeartH materialSThe FOSS® (Full Option Science System™) program offers a number of ways to get parents involved in their child’s science education. Included here are short descriptions of several ways to bridge from classroom to home.
Letter to Parents. The letter to parents can be sent home at the start of a new science module. The letter describes what children will be learning and ways that parents can enrich the science-learning experience.
FOSS Science Stories. FOSS Science Stories is a series of original books developed to accompany and enrich the FOSS modules. The books include a variety of articles written in a number of styles, including narrative tales, expository articles, technical readings, and historical accounts.
Here are some suggestions for using FOSS Science Stories at home.• Expository and Historical/Biographical Readings. The
expository and historical/biographical readings provide excellent opportunities for students and parents to discuss the science content students are learning in the module. SpecificarticlesincludeDigging It Up: Mining for Minerals, Identifying Minerals, and Where Do Rocks Come From?
• “Questions to Explore.” Students can read the article in class and then answer the “Questions to Explore” at home in their science notebooks. You might consider this strategy after students read Postcards from the Ledge or Rock of Ages.
• After the Story. See the Science Stories folio in the Teacher Guide for suggestions on how to extend the stories at home. For example, after students read Written in Stone, have students write a letter to someone and describe their experiences in studying rocks.
No. 1—Teacher Sheet
FOSS Earth Materials Module© The Regents of the University of CaliforniaCan be duplicated for classroom or workshop use.
Name ____________________________________
Date _____________________________________
Investigation 1: Mock RocksNo. 1—Teacher Sheet
Dear Parents,
Our class is beginning a new science unit using the FOSSEarth Materials Module. We will investigate a selection of themost common rocks and minerals that make up Earth’s crust, andlearn some techniques used by geologists to identify them.
Geology requires analysis. To develop analytical skills andtechniques, we will first take apart a simulated rock called a MockRock. We will observe them, break them apart, dissolve them in water, and evaporate the liquidto discover the ingredients from which our rocks are made. We will then move on to real rocksand minerals, using scratch tools and acid (vinegar) to test for specific minerals. Finally we willlook at granite, the base rock from which continents are made, and analyze it to discover theminerals it contains.
You can increase your child’s understanding and interest in earth materials by asking himor her to talk about the investigations we are doing at school. Rocks, which appear socommonplace, may become objects that inspire questions and promote close observation. You andyour child may want to start a rock collection, or visit the library or (if possible) a rock and mineraldisplay to expand your rock and mineral knowledge. A visit to a landscape materials center or ajewelry store (gems are minerals) can expose the broad range of uses for earth materials.
Watch for Home/School Connections sheets that I will be sending home from time totime. These activities describe ways the whole family can look more closely at rocks and miner-als around your home. Your child will be asked to bring a rock or mineral to class for a fewweeks to begin a class collection. He or she may choose to bring a special sample you picked upon a family outing, or a rock collected right around the neighborhood.
We’re looking forward to weeks of fun with rocks and minerals! If you have questions orcomments, or have expertise you would like to share with the class, please drop me a note.
Comments:
LETTER TO PARENTS
Cut here and paste onto school letterhead before making copies.
SCIENCE NEWS
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eartH materialS
Student Sheets. Throughout the module, students complete various recording and response sheets. Students should bring the sheets and/or their science notebooks home for families to review and discuss. For example, student sheet number 10, Scratch Test: Hardness, is a good opportunity for students to explain and review with parents that hardness, a mineral property, is the resistance of a mineral to being scratched.
Home/School Connections. Home/School Connections are activities developedspecificallyforthewholefamilytoenjoyathome.Forexample, in Investigation 2 (student sheet number 34), students are asked to share information about birthstones, gather data about family members’ and friends’ birthdays, and make a bar graph. Students can use the data they collect to add to the class bar graph.
Interdisciplinary Extensions. Each investigation has suggestions for art, language, math, social studies, and science extensions. These are good family activities. For example, after Investigation 3 students and their families gather about 20–25 small rocks in a jar, screw the lid on tightly, and shake the jar vigorously. After several minutes of shaking, students dump the contents from the jar onto dark paper and observe what has taken place. This introduces the idea of mechanical weathering as a process that breaks rocks down over time into smaller and smaller pieces. Students can record their observations in their science notebook. Students might also do the Math Problem of the Week at home.
FOSSweb (www.fossweb.com). FOSSweb is an interactive website wherefamiliescanfindinstructionalactivitiesandinteractivesimulationsspecificallydesignedforeachFOSSmodule.
NOTE: Pages 3 and 4 of this folio can be photocopied and sent home for parents to read. Those pages provide information on the resources for students and their families on FOSSweb.
NOTE: All student sheets, including the Letter to Parents, Home/School Connection, and Math Problem of the Week, are available in FOSS Teacher Guides and online at www.fossweb.com. They are also available in Spanish. See For Parents and Teachers: Home/School Connection on page 4 of this folio.
No. 34—Student Sheet
No. 22—Student Sheet
FOSS Earth Materials Module© The Regents of the University of CaliforniaCan be duplicated for classroom or workshop use.
Name ____________________________________
Date ___________________________________
HOME/SCHOOL CONNECTIONINVESTIGATION 2: SCRATCH TEST
BIRTHSTONES
Tell your family what you learned about birthstones from the FOSS Science Stories book. Tell them about the difference between rocks and minerals.
Ask family and friends when their birthday is and see if they know their birthstone. (If they don’t, you can tell them!) Then complete the chart below and make a bar graph to show which month among your family and friends has the most birthdays.
January Garnet February Amethyst March Aquamarine April Diamond May Emerald June AlexandriteJuly RubyAugust PeridotSeptember SapphireOctober OpalNovember TopazDecember Turquoise
Name of person Birthday month1. ____________________________________________2. ____________________________________________3. ____________________________________________4. ____________________________________________5. ____________________________________________6. ____________________________________________7. ____________________________________________8. ____________________________________________
Home/School Connections 2No. 34—Student Sheet
Gar
net
Am
ethy
st
Aqu
amar
ine
Dia
mon
d
Emer
ald
Ale
xand
rite
Ruby
Perid
ot
Sapp
hire
Opa
l
Topa
z
Turq
uois
e
FOSS Earth Materials Module© The Regents of the University of CaliforniaCan be duplicated for classroom or workshop use.
Name ____________________________________
Date ___________________________________
Problem of the Week No. 22—Student Sheet
MATH EXTENSION—PROBLEM OF THE WEEKINVESTIGATION 1: MOCK ROCKS
On his vacation Jay hunted for special rocks for his collection. On the fi rst day he found two rocks. The next day he found four rocks. On each day of his vacation Jay found two more rocks than he had found the day before. On what day did Jay have 42 rocks in his collection?
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FOSS at HOme
FOSSWeB (WWW.FOSSWeB.COm)The FOSS program maintains a resource-rich website for students and their families and friends. To explore the resources available for the Earth Materials Module,firstenterwww.fossweb.cominyourbrowser.
The FOSS website requires plug-ins for your browser. We recommend that you click the “Test Your Browser” link at the bottom of the home page before you begin to ensure your computer has the minimum requirements.
Click the grades 3–6 icon to get a menu that links to each of the 3–6 modules. There you can choose Earth Materials and travel to a wealthofinformationandactivitiesspecifictothismodule.
actiVitiEsIn the Earth Materials Module, you’llfindtwoactivities:RockDatabase and Mohs’ Drill & Castle of Doom. You can introduce both activities after students have completed Investigation 2, Scratch Test.
In Rock Database, children can view images and descriptions of a number of rocks and minerals. They can select images by choosing one of these categories: igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary, or minerals. Or they can choose from the entire list of rocks and minerals, using a pull-down menu.
In Mohs’ Drill & Castle of Doom, children are challenged to use what they have learned about the hardness of minerals to drill through the castle walls. You might ask,
• Whataresomeofthepropertiesofthemineralswehavestudied?• Doallmineralshavethesamehardness?• Howdidwetestforthehardnessofamineral?
Tell children,
Geologists use a numerical scale called Mohs scale to help identify and rank minerals according to hardness. The hardest mineral on this scale is a 10, a diamond, and the least hard is a 1, talc. Geologists used the same tools we didtofindoutthehardnessofamineral.Theyhaveassignednumberstothetools:fingernailsarea2ontheMohsscale,thepennyisa3,andthepaperclip is a 5. Higher numbers on the Mohs scale can scratch lower numbers. For example, diamond can scratch talc.
Review the introductory screen. Click the ? button. Review this information with the children. Return to the introductory screen and click anywhere on the screen to move to the activity.
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MOVIES
The Movies section includes a video clip of Apollo astronauts collecting rocks on the Moon.
PICTURES
In the Pictures section, you can view images of different rocks and minerals, fossils, landforms, and structures made from rock. These pictures might be used as a starting point for further research for the end-of-module project.
WEBSITES
The Websites section includes links to sites that can extend and enrich children’s experiences with the Earth Materials Module.
VOCABULARY
IntheVocabularysection,youwillfindtheglossarywordsanddefinitionsusedintheEarth Materials Module. They are provided in English and Spanish.
BOOKS/SOFTWARE
This section includes an annotated list of books, videos, and software recommended for the Earth Materials Module. You should be able to findmanyofthesetitlesatyourlocallibrary.
FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS: HOME/SCHOOL CONNECTION
The For Parents and Teachers section includes the Home/School Connection that describes ways for families to do science together. Forexample,inInvestigation3,familiescanfindrocksintheirneighborhood, and then students can demonstrate to family members how to test the rocks for calcite. Look in this section for other resourcesincludedinadownloadablePDFfile,includingageneralletter introducing the module, student projects, and math problems that relate to the science investigations.
1014951Copyright The Regents of the University of California
