Science & Health
In the fourth grade there are two teachers that teach science, and two that teach social studies. Mrs. Heban and I teach science. During the first nine week period we have some really great science activities planned. We will be starting our scinece class with a health chapter. We are starting with Chapter 1, which is "Your Needs and Feelings". This is a great way to start the beginning of the new year. There are a couple of lessons in which we will focus on stress management, as well as conflict resolution. As we add new vocabulary words to our studies in class, you will find them on this page. These should be the same vocabulary words that every student has on his/her vocabulary cards or vocabulary sheet. These words will be important when we take our final assessment for the chapter, so it would be a great strategy to just practice those words that we have once or twice a week, as the students get them. This will hopefully help you avoid waiting until the last minute to work on these words.
After we complete this chapter we will begin a new science section on measurement, and then finally wrap up the nine week period with a great unit on weather.
Weather Unit Vocabulary:
1. weather: _the state of the atmosphere at a certain place and time.
2. atmosphere: the layer of air that surrounds Earth.
3. temperature: the measure of the amount of heat energy in a substance.
4. thermometer: instrument used to measure temperature.
5. dual scale thermometer: a thermometer that measures temperature
in both degrees Celsius and degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Celsius: type of temperature Scale
7. Fahrenheit: type of temperature scale
8. air pressure: the force of the atmosphere pushing down on Earth.
9. barometer: the instrument that we use to measure air pressure.
10. millibars: the metric unit of measure we use to measure air pressure.
11. wind vane: instrument used to tell the direction from which the wind is blowing. (Where is the wind coming from?)
12. anemometer: the instrument used to measure the speed of the wind
13.condensation- The process of a gas changing to a liquid.
14. evaporation- The process of a liquid changing into a gas. (caused by heat)
15. water vapor- water in the form of a gas.
16. precipitation- any form of water that falls from the clouds to the earth. Rain, Snow, Hail, Sleet.
17. water cycle- constant movement of water from Earth, to the atmosphere, and back to Earth.
18. rain gauge- instrument used to measure the amount of precipitation.
19. millimeter- the unit of measure used to determine how much precipitation has fallen.
20. cumulus clouds- white, puffy, piled up heaps with a flat base that look like cotton or cotton candy. These are usually seen on sunny days.
21. Cirrus Clouds- white, feathery , whispy curls high in the sky that can be an indication of snow, made of ice crystals, rather than water droplets.
22.stratus clouds- low, layered clouds that are grayish white in color. They usually produce rain.
23. cloud cover- The amount of the sky taken up by the clouds. (cloudy, partly cloudy, clear)
24. humidity- the amount of water vapor in the air at a given temperature and air pressure.
25. cloud- a mass of very small water droplets