Core Subjects EC-6 Science

Name three ways to make an electromagnet more powerful.

1. Make more coils with the wire. 2. Put an iron core (nail) inside the coils. 3. Use more battery power.

Weather

A broad term used to describe many various phenomena that can occur in the atmosphere of a planet. Usually activity over a short period of time.

Weathering

A process that breaks down rocks and soils into smaller fragments; these fragments then take part in chemical reactions and cycles that either continue to affect the surface or cause the fragments to be reformed into rocks and soils.

Areas of erosion and deposition in a river...

A river flowing down a straight path will be moving the fastest in the middle of the river, just below the surface. But if that river approaches a bend, the speed changes. At the bend: THE FASTEST PART OF THE RIVER BEND IS THE OUTSIDE OF THE BEND (do the elbow test...the bony part of the elbow represents the fastest part of the river bend). THE SLOWEST PART OF THE RIVER BEND IS THE INSIDE OF THE BEND (do the elbow test...the inner part of the elbow represents the slowest part of the river bend). SINCE FAST MOVING WATER DOES MORE EROSION, THE FAST OUTSIDE BEND IS WHERE EROSION OCCURS ON A RIVER Outside Bend = Fast = Erosion THE SLOWER INSIDE PART OF THE BEND IS WHERE DEPOSITION OCCURS ON A RIVER. Inside Bend = Slow = Deposition

Sun

A yellow star. The largest object in the solar system. Composed mostly of hydrogen and helium gases. Fusion is the process by which the Sun makes energy. It's surface is about 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Is at the center of our solar system. Is about 93 million miles from Earth. Its light and heat energy are the source of all life on Earth. It's 865,000 miles in diameter (110 times that of Earth)

Newton's Second Law of Motion

Acceleration is produced when a force acts on a mass. The greater the mass, the greater the amount of force needed (to accelerate the object). It is easier to push an empty shopping cart than a full one, because the full shopping cart has more mass than the empty one. If you use the same force to push a truck and push a car, the car will have more acceleration than the truck, because the car has less mass.

Newton's First Law of Motion

An object at rest will remain at rest and an object in motion will remain in motion (with the same speed and in the same direction) unless they are acted upon with an unbalanced force. This is known as the law of inertia. Purse on top of a car. If you're driving in a car and slam into a wall...the car will immediately stop and you will go flying forward because no force acted on you to stop your forward movement. Hockey puck will keep going although friction OR another hockey stick will eventually stop it. Rocket launching.

Rocks

Are made up of one or more minerals. There are three classes of rocks.

Climate

Average atmospheric conditions in an area over long periods (usually 30 years).

Elements of weather

Awesome Picture that shows this...visit my Science Core Subjects Google Doc (the picture of weather elements is on the first page, although the document is just a messy mess of stuff I feel is important to study!). https://docs.google.com/document/d/1E9EVd8PYtXvUffZAXklYFAAid_7Hm2vr3r0Kr4846gw/edit?usp=sharing Pressure Relative Humidity Wind Chill Wind Direction Wind Speed Temperature Precipitation Cloud Cover Visibility

Why is the ocean salty?

Because any erosion of minerals that occurs as the water runs to the ocean, will add to the mineral content of the water. When water evaporates from the ocean, it leaves minerals behind.

Why is nitrogen essential to living organisms?

Because it is a main component of amino acids that make up proteins. No nitrogen, no proteins.

What happens on Earth as a result of its tilt and orbit around the Sun?

Because the Earth is tilted about 23 degrees AND orbits around the Sun, the seasons take place. During the part of the year that the hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun, the people there experience winter. The hemisphere that is tilted toward the Sun experiences summer.

Galaxies

Communities of billions of stars held together by gravity. Galaxies can be classified into three groups--spirals, ellipticals, and irregulars. We are in the Milky Way galaxy, which is a spiral galaxy.

The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills requires that students participate in laboratory and field studies as part of their science instruction. Where would a teacher find out the state regulations for science laboratory and field investigations? A. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines B. Texas Hazardous Substance Act C. School District Handbook D. Texas Science Safety Standards

D is the correct answer. The Texas Education Agency document, Texas Safety Standards for Kindergarten-Grade 12, outlines safety guidelines for each grade level for laboratory investigations as well as field experiences. Science teachers must be familiar with these state guidelines and follow them when planning experiences for their students.

Hurricanes most commonly occur in the shaded areas on the map. June through November marks the hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean. Based on the given information, the conditions which are conducive to hurricane formation are - A. Cool, dense air B. Cool, moist air C. Warm, dense air D. Warm, moist air

D is the correct answer. Warm, moist air combined with other factors, lead to the formation of tropical storms. Some of these storms reach hurricane status.

Mr. Smith's 5th grade classroom consists of a number of English Language Learners (ELL) as well as students of mixed ability levels. How can Mr. Smith design his upcoming science unit so that students are successful, engaged, and challenged? A. Buy trade books at different levels on science topics and allow students to choose their own books. B. Set up after school tutorials for students who are struggling with the language and information. C. Run off puzzle pages on science vocabulary for students to work on if they finish their work early. D. Require students to complete a set of core activities, then allow students to choose from a list of related activities.

D is the correct answer. While the other choices represent legitimate options for supporting student learning, D represents the best choice for organizing instruction to insure that all students learn the key concepts and have the opportunity to select activities appropriate to their individual levels.

Stages of an insect

Egg, larva, pupa, adult

Newton's Third Law of Motion

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Deflating balloon. Jumping off a diving board...the diving board goes down and launches you up.

Name the layers of Earth's atmosphere. What takes place in each layer.

From the closest to the Earth to the furthest. 1. Troposphere 2. Stratosphere 3. Mesosphere 4. Thermosphere

Gas giants are made mostly of

Gases and liquids.

What makes up the rings around Saturn?

Ice crystals!

What does Earth's atmosphere do? What is it?

It surrounds Earth and protects life by blocking out dangerous rays from the Sun. It's a mixture of gases that becomes thinner until it gradually reaches space. It's composed of Nitrogen (78%), Oxygen (21%), and other gases (1%).

Moon. List details.

It's made of rock. It is between -387 degrees F and 253 degrees F (extreme temperatures due to the fact there is no atmosphere). 2160 miles in diameter (1/4 the diameter of Earth). It's 238,855 miles from Earth. It's the only natural satellite of earth! It's more than a quarter the size of the Earth, which is pretty darn big for a moon! It has many interesting features--craters, mountain ranges, lava plains. The moon has NO wind because there is no atmosphere...so no weather. Because there is no atmosphere to trap heat, the temperatures on the moon are extreme--100 degrees Celsius during the day and -173 Celsius at night. The moon doesn't produce its own light (it's not a star), but it reflects the light from the sun.

Olympus Mons

It's the highest peak in the solar system. This is a volcano found on Mars that reaches 75,000 feet hight!

Name the phases of the moon

New moon--The half of the moon we see is invisible. Waxing crescent--the right crescent of the moon is illuminated. First quarter--the right quarter of the moon is visible Waxing gibbous--only the left crescent isn't illuminated. Full moon--the entire illuminated half of the Moon is visible. Waning gibbous--only the right crescent of the moon is not illuminated Last quarter Waning crescent

What are the most abundant gases in Earth's atmosphere?

Nitrogen Oxygen Argon Nitrogen is the most abundant!

Cellular Respiration

Occurs in both plants and animals. The breakdown of carbohydrates (sugars) to produce energy (respiration) produces both carbon dioxide and water as waste products.

Precipitation

Occurs when water condenses (into a cloud) from a gaseous state in the atmosphere and falls to Earth. Once water condenses, gravity pulls it to the ground; gravity continues to pull until the water reaches the oceans.

Transpiration

Organisms (such as plants) play an important role in the water cycle. Most organisms contain a significant amount of water (85% of its body weight), and this water moves out of the organism quickly. In plants, water is drawn in at the roots and moves to the leaves, where it evaporates quickly. This process of transpiration (transporting water from the ground, through the plants' roots, and to the leaves where it evaporates) is responsible for much of the water that enters the atmosphere.

Cell theory. Who came up with it? When? Explain it.

Robert Hooke (1635-1703) All living things are made up of cells and all cells have arisen from other existing cells.

Which planets are rocky? Gaseous?

Rocky--Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars Gaseous--Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune Biggest planet--Jupiter Earth is the fifth largest planet...third planet from the sun.

Who came up with the Laws of Motion? When? How many laws are there?

Sir Isaac Newton. Late 1600's to early 1700's. There are three laws.

Asteroids

Small bodies that are believed to be left over from the beginning of the solar system (4.6 billion years ago). Can have unusual orbits around sun. They are rocky objects with round or irregular shapes up to several hundred km across, although most are much smaller. More than 100,000 asteroids lie in a belt between Mars and Jupiter...they lie in a location of the solar system where there seems to be a jump in the spacing between the planets.

Meteorology

Study of weather and climate phenomena.

Earth's position in space relative to the Sun results in what?

The Earth having a night and day and the seasons of the year.

What is the tilt of Earth?

The Earth tilts about 23 degrees on its axis.

The earth has a magnetic field. Where does it come from?

The core of the earth! It is made up of nickel and iron. The North Pole and South Pole are the poles of the magnetic force. The earth's North Pole is really the magnetic force's south pole...it causes compasses to point north toward it!

First grade students are beginning a unit of study about objects in the sky. The students will create a daily log and draw what they see in the sky at a set time during the day and in the evening before they go to bed. The learning experience described above is an opportunity for the teacher to highlight each of these unifying concepts in science except - A. cycles B. patterns C. form and function D. systems

The correct answer choice is C. Recording the day and night sky through a daily journal is a rich opportunity to help students begin to understand the big ideas of science - patterns, constancy and change, and systems.

After lake water flows through a dam, which processes help replace the water in the lake? A. Rainfall and runoff B. Erosion and weathering C. Refraction and reflection D. Separating and evaporating

The correct answer is A. New rainfall and runoff of water will replenish a lake. When there are drought conditions, the level of a lake will drop due to the fact there is no new water to replace the water lost.

Sixth grade students engage in a study of Texas horned toads in their county. As part of the study, they identify all the factors that could possibly affect the toad population. The type of study that the students are participating in is most likely- A. Descriptive field investigation B. Comparative field investigation C. Correlative field investigation D. Experimental field investigation

The correct answer is A. A descriptive field investigation is one that describes or quantifies parts of a national system and identifies factors that might affect the organism. Comparative field investigations, involve collecting data on different populations/organisms, or under different conditions (e.g., times of year, locations), to make a comparison. Correlative field investigations involve measuring or observing two variables and searching for a relationship.

Fossil fuels formed over a long period of time because heat and pressure were applied to — A. carbon filtered through limestone B. organisms buried in the ground C. bacteria on top of the mud D. nitrogen mixed in the water

The correct answer is B Fossil fuels are created from plants and animals that were buried in sediment millions of years ago. As the sediment builds over time, heat and pressure causes the plant and animal decay to turn into peat, then into coal, oil, petroleum or natural gas.

The Davis Mountains in West Texas used to be taller than they are now. Which of the following conditions most likely caused the mountains to become shorter over time? A. Heat and pressure B. Soil deposition C. Rain and wind D. River formation

The correct answer is C. Erosion, either by wind or rain, will cause the size of land formations to decrease over time.

One example of a trait passed from a parent plant to its offspring is — A. the amount of water in the plant's environment B. the amount of sunlight shining on the plant C. the color of the flowers on the plant D. the nutrients in the soil where the plant grows

The correct answer is C. The color of a flower (it's phenotype) is determined by it's genotype, or it's genetic makeup. Parents pass their genes on to their offspring. C is the only example of this.

The petals of flowers often are brightly colored. These petals provide a benefit for the plant because they — A. prevent insects from taking pollen to other flowers B. hide the plant from predators that would eat its flowers C. protect the leaves from injury by birds and insects D. attract insects that can carry the pollen needed for plant reproduction

The correct answer is D The function of the petals on a flower is to attract insects so they can carry pollen to other plants.

A teacher prepares a chart to display in the classroom at the beginning of a life science lesson. The purpose of the lesson is to learn about a concept that all items in List A demonstrate. The lesson is most likely about - List A List B Tree Human Lettuce Dog Wheat Mushroom A. Living things B. Nonliving things C. Decomposers D. Producers

The correct answer is D. All the members of List A are green plants, or producers, and none of the members of List B are able to produce their own food.

Which of the statements below does not describe a characteristic of high quality assessment in the classroom? A. Assessment is a continuous, ongoing process. B. Formative assessment is used to guide instruction. C. Prior knowledge/student misconceptions are an important part of assessment. D. All are characteristics of a high quality assessment

The correct answer is D. Each of the assessment pieces listed are an important part of a high quality assessment program. Utilizing multiple types of assessments give the teachers a more complete picture of student learning.

Leaders of the world gathered in Copenhagen, Denmark in November, 2009, to discuss Global Warming. Representatives from China, India, Brazil and South Africa protested recommendations to half global emissions by 2050. A possible reason for protesting this policy is - A. Not all countries in the world have the same population density, so the policy is unfair. B. It is not possible to reduce emissions without banning automobiles. C. Emissions do not have a direct effect on global warming, so the policy will not affect global warming. D. Some industrialized countries have been creating emissions for decades and should be asked to cut back more.

The correct answer is D. The protesting countries point out that industrialized nations have contributed to global warming because of emissions from factories, automobiles and other sources for decades. According the protesters, the policy is not equitable.

Which of these is the center of our solar system? A. Mars B. The moon C. Jupiter D. The sun

The correct answer is D. The sun is the center of our universe. The others choices are either planets or moons found in the solar system. Mars and Jupiter rotate around the sun like Earth does. The moon rotates around the Earth.

Which of these is most likely not a result of unbalanced forces? A. Triple-beam balance at 0 B. Book pushed off desk C. Toy car rolling down ramp D. Volcano erupting

The correct response is A. Resetting a triple beam balance to 0 results in a balanced system. All the other examples are the result of unbalanced forces which result in movement and/or a change in position.

Which of these mixtures would be easiest to separate? A. Fruit salad B. Powdered lemonade C. Hot chocolate D. Instant pudding

The correct response is A. The fruit salad would be the easiest mixture to separate because one can easily see what makes up the mixture. With the other choices, you can not see the different properties that make up the mixture.

Ice cream in a bowl changed from solid to liquid in a few minutes. Which of the following most likely caused this change? A. Bacteria grew in the ice cream. B. Heat was added to the ice cream. C. Water evaporated from the ice cream. D. Frozen berries were sprinkled on the ice cream

The correct response is B. Applying heat to a liquid will change it from a solid to a liquid. None of the other options will cause this to happen.

Water Cycle

The energy in this cycle is supplied by the Sun, which drives evaporation. The Sun also provides the energy to drive weather systems (which move water vapor in the form of clouds) from one place to another. Precipitation Evaporation/Transpiration Condensation

When there is a full moon, what is its position in relation to the sun and Earth...and at what time of day is it directly overhead?

The full moon is on one side of the Earth while the sun is on the other side of the Earth. So, it would be sun, Earth, full moon. It is directly overhead at midnight.

When there is a new moon, what is its position in relation to the sun and Earth...and at what time of day is it directly overhead.

The new moon is positioned between the Earth and the sun. It is directly overhead at noon.

Viewing the moon from the Southern Hemisphere would cause...

The phases to occur in the opposite order from in the Northern Hemisphere.

Why is the surface of Mars reddish to us?

The redness is caused by rust in the soil.

Rock Cycle What is it? Describe it...

The relationship among the types of rocks. As elements that make up rocks are never created or destroyed...just redistributed. First, liquid rock material solidifies close to the surface of the earth to form igneous rocks. The exposure of rocks to weathering and erosion at the earth's surface breaks them down into smaller grains producing soil and these grains are transported by wind, water, and gravity...and are eventually deposited as sediments...those sediments are deposited in layers and become compacted, forming sedimentary rocks. Extremes in temp and pressure can cause chemical and/or physical changes in one of these two rock types, forming metamorphic rocks. When exposed to high temperatures, any type of rock can be melted, resulting once again in material for the formation of igneous rocks, starting the cycle again. See Google Doc for a good photo of the Rock Cycle. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1E9EVd8PYtXvUffZAXklYFAAid_7Hm2vr3r0Kr4846gw/edit?usp=sharing

Evaporation

The reverse process in which liquid water becomes gaseous. Water cannot leave the ocean except by evaporation, and evaporation leaves the minerals behind. Precipitation is therefore clean water except for any pollutants it picks up as the water falls through the atmosphere (such as acids).

Earth. List details.

Third planet from the Sun. Is the largest and densest rocky planet. Earth's interior is divided into four layers--inner core, outer core, mantle, and crust.

What is the brightest object in our sky besides the Sun and the Moon?

Venus!

What is the closest neighbor to Earth in the solar system?

Venus!

What is one of the hottest places in the solar system? Why? How hot?

Venus! Because the greenhouse effect--the atmosphere around Venus traps the small amount of energy it receives from the Sun (it's closer to the Sun, BUT has heavy clouds that strongly reflect sunlight) along with the heat from the planet itself. It's about 900 degrees Fahrenheit on Venus.

Erosion

Weather also contributes to this phenomenon. It moves particles around on the surface of the Earth. Moves them to a new location.

Humans can use the nitrogen cycle to their advantage. Explain how in soil that lacks nutrients, a farmer can use the nitrogen cycle to his/her advantage to make the soil rich in nitrogen products and ready for any crop they want to plant.

When soils lack nutrients, especially nitrates, farmers will plant one of the legume family members (peas or beans); this family has a special relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. The bacteria provide the legumes with nitrates and the plants provide the bacteria with food and water (mutualism...a form of symbiosis). After the legume plant dies, it returns the nitrogen to the soil in the form of ammonia...and the detoxifying bacteria get to work. Once that happens, the soil is rich in nitrogen products and farmers can plant anything they want in that soil.

Solar eclipse happens when what?

When the moon positions itself between the Sun and the Earth and partially or totally obscures Earth's view of the Sun. The moon moves between the Sun and Earth every New Moon, but it doesn't always result in a solar eclipse!

Lunar eclipse happens when what happens?

When the moon travels through the shadow of the Earth. Occurs at the time of a full moon when the Earth is already between the moon and the Sun...only during the lunar eclipse the moon happens to be passing through the Earth's shadow.

What can you make a magnet out of?

Wires and a battery...when the current goes through the wire, the wire acts the same way that a magnet does. This is called an electromagnet.

Comets

balls of ice and dust that periodically come into the center of the solar system from somewhere far away; some make repeated trips! Can have unusual orbits around sun. When comets get close enough to the sun, heat makes them start to evaporate and jets of gas and dust form long tails that we can see from Earth.

Metamorphic rocks

formed from old igneous or sedimentary rock under intense heat and/or pressure deep below the surface of the Earth.

Igneous Rocks

formed from the cooling of molten rock (lava).

Sedimentary rocks

formed in layers as the result of gradual deposition and solidification of sediment as a result of weathering and erosion. Rock that has formed through the deposition and solidification of sediment, especially sediment transported by water (rivers, lakes, and oceans), ice ( glaciers ), and wind. Sedimentary rocks are often deposited in layers, and frequently contain fossils. Note : Limestone and shale are common sedimentary rocks.

Minerals

homogenous, naturally occurring, inorganic solids that possess a characteristic crystalline structure.

Stars

large bodies differing in size that are made of gases. Unlike planets, starts undergo the process of nuclear fusion, thereby generating energy and emitting light. **Nuclear Fusion is where there's a nuclear reaction where two or more atomic nuclei come close enough to react...