Objective 1 – Nature of Science
Laboratory Safety Rules
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Wait for instructions from the teacher before you do anything.
When there is a question about what to do, ask the teacher.
Follow all directions, and use materials properly.
Tell the teacher about any accident, spill or break. Do not touch broken glass.
Make sure electrical equipment is in good condition before using it. No water near electricity.
Clean up your area and hands when finished.
Keep hair and clothes away from fire.
Do not taste lab materials unless directed to do so from the teacher.
Use wafting to smell chemicals.
Recycle materials that can be used again i.e. do not throw away glass.
Laboratory Safety Equipment
Goggles used to protect your eyes from chemical or flying debris
Apron protect your clothes
Gloves or mitts protect your hands from chemical or hot materials
Scientific Process- How to Conduct Experiments
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Every experiment begins with a question or problem
Form a hypothesis that answers the question – Ex: plants grow better in sunlight than darkness
Gather the materials needed to conduct the experiment Design and conduct an experiment that will test the hypothesis
a. Control the variable being tested – A variable is something you can change in an experiment. It is
important to keep everything the same except what you are testing. For example, if you are testing whether
plants grow best in sunlight or darkness, you will make sure both plants are the same, get the same amount
of water, and are fed the same food. The only thing you would change would be one plant in the sun and
one in darkness.
b. Remember – repeating an experiment several times increases the reliability of results
Make observations and record data – use your 5 senses and lab materials to collect data
Use or make a model to help you understand something better – models have limitations (they are not always 100%
accurate). They help us see things that are too small or too big to see otherwise.
Form a conclusion that answers the question. An inference is a reasonable conclusion based on what you observe.
Laboratory Equipment
Tool
Purpose
Tool
Purpose
Hand lens
Magnifies objects - refraction
Measures distance, length,
width, height
Microscope
Magnifies objects - refraction
Ruler, tape measure,
meter stick
Balance
Telescope and
binoculars
Camera
Make objects far away appear closer - refraction
Scale
Makes large objects appear smaller - refraction
Thermometer
Hot Plate
Used for heating up liquids
Compass
Magnets
Have north and south poles, similar poles repel, use to
separate mixtures, attract to iron, nickel, cobalt, and steel
Makes pouring liquid easier
Graduated Cylinder,
Beaker
Sieve / strainer
Measure how much time has passed and helps control
the variable of time
Computer
Funnel
Timer
Measures mass in grams (not
affected by gravity)
Measures weight (affected by
gravity)
Measures temperature
Water boils : 212 F or 100 C
Water Freezes : 32 F or 0 C
Tells directions
Measures volume of liquids using
Liters
Helps separate matter based on
size – smaller items get through
Used to collect data and
research facts
Organizing Data
Bar Graph: used to compare data
Line Graph: compares data over time
100%
100
80%
80
North
60%
60
East W
40
West
40%
East
est
20
North
0
20%
0%
1st Qtr 2nd
Qtr
3rd
Qtr
4th
Qtr
Circle Graph: Shows parts of a whole
1st Qtr
2nd Qtr
3rd Qtr
4t h Qtr
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Qtr
Qtr
Qtr
Qtr
Table: organizes information
Fossil Fuels
Coal - nonrenewable
Oil - nonrenewable
Gas-nonrenewable
Natural Resources
Wind - inexhaustible
Solar energy - inexhaustible
Trees - renewable
Objective 2 – Life Science
Organisms and Their Needs
Organism – any living thing (plant or animal)
Needs – all organisms need certain things to survive (food, water, shelter, space, oxygen). They depend on other organisms
in their habitat to help meet these needs (birds – trees) Birds use the tree to build a nest that protects their young from
predators. The tree depends on the bird to help disperse its seeds.
Competition – because there is a limited amount of resources to meet the needs of organisms, they compete for what they need
in order to survive or they will die. Trees planted close together will compete for water, nitrogen, and sunlight. They will grow
longer roots or make sure their seeds get dispersed far away so they can survive.
Ecosystem / Biome / Habitat – a combination of living (biotic – plants and animals) and non-living (a biotic – sun, soil, water,
air) things that exist in a certain area (deciduous forest, grassland, rainforest, desert, coral reef, tundra). The plants and animals
in this area are adapted to live there and interact with one another.
Species – organisms that have similar features and can breed ( bears, snakes)
Niche – the role a species plays in an ecosystem (bees pollinate flowers so they can reproduce)
Habitat – a home for plants animals and other organisms.
Extinct – when a species cannot meet their needs, they die out (dinosaur)
Endangered – when a species’ population decreases because it cannot meet its needs. It may become extinct over time.
Adaptation – a learned behavior (burrowing to avoid the desert heat) or inherited
physical feature (prickly spins on a cactus to limit water loss) that helps an organism survive
within an ecosystem. Ex: migration, hibernation, camouflage, mimicry, or metamorphosis (egg, larva, pupa, adult)
Purpose of Adaptation
Getting food
Protection
Reproduction
Water conservation
Getting oxygen
Examples
• Eagles have sharp beaks that they use to tear apart small animals.
• Female mosquitoes use their straw-like mouthparts to suck blood.
• Rosebuds have thorns that help protect them from plant-eating animals.
• When skunks are threatened, they can spray a bad-smelling liquid onto their enemies.
• The seeds of coconut palm trees float on water and can be carried from one island to another by
the ocean
• The shells around bird eggs help protect their young until they are ready to hatch.
• Lizards have scaly skin that prevents water loss.
• Some plants have small leaves to prevent water loss.
• Fish have gills that they use to take oxygen from the water in which they live.
• A dolphin breathes air through a single nostril on top of its head when it comes to the ocean’s
surface.
Traits and Behaviors
Traits – physical characteristics of an organism (color, height)
Inherited Traits – characteristics passed down from parents to offspring (a flower’s
petal color, eye color) can be dominant or recessive. The dominant trait usually
shows up unless two recessive genes are passed to the offspring.
Learned Traits – skills an organism can learn to do (seal balancing a ball on his nose)
Inherited Behavior – an innate or inborn skill an organism is born with (breathing, eating)
Roles of Organisms
Predator – hunts other organisms for food (lion, shark) usually a carnivore
Prey – organism that is hunted for food (zebra, rabbit, deer)
Scavenger – gets food from dead and decaying animals (vulture)
Producer – Plants that make their own food from sun, water, and CO2
Consumers – Animals that have to find food by eating other organisms (humans)
Decomposers – get food from dead and decaying matter (bacteria and fungi)
Food Chains
Food Chain – the movement of energy (food) throughout an ecosystem
when one organism eats another (arrow points to the animals that is
taking the energy). Food chains always start with plants.
Food Web - many food chains combined; arrows show how the energy moves
from one organism to another. It shows how some animals compete for food.
Plants
All food chains start with plants (the sun gives energy to the plants).
All organisms depend on plants. A plant starts as a seed, grows
roots, sprouts, produces fruit, reproduces, and then dies.
Part of Plant
Roots
Stems
Leaves
Purpose
Absorb water and nitrogen from soil,
anchors plant in the ground
Supports plants and allows nutrients to
travel to rest of plant (grows with time – tree
rings)
Take in sunlight and carbon dioxide to
make food (sugar), contain chlorophyll,
gives off oxygen
Properties of Sediment
Particle Size
Clay (finest)
Silt
Sand
Gravel (largest)
Soils
Properties of Particles
Individual particles only visible with a microscope
Very fine particles. Has to be separated from the sand by
settling out with water. Feels smooth and powdery when dry.
Visible particles
How Water Passes Through Particles
Not at all
medium
medium
easily
*Soil is a mixture of many materials including sand, clay, rocks, water, fungi, bacteria, and decayed plants and animal material (humus).
There are different types of soil based on the mix of materials found in each type.
Humus
Decaying organic matter
Loam
Equal parts: sand, silt, clay and humus
Best for planting
*Soils with a large amount of clay and decayed material will hold more water than sandy soils.
Animals
Animals take in oxygen given off by plants and use oxygen and sugar to make carbon dioxide that plants need.
Some animals (frogs, butterflies, and other insects) change shape from baby to adult
Metamorphosis Egg-Larva-Pupa-Adult
Other animals give birth to babies that look similar to the adult (people, dogs)
Metamorphosis
Complete
Stages
Egg, Larva, Pupa,
Adult (ELPA)
Egg, Nymph, Adult
Incomplete
None
Type of Animal
Herbivore
Carnivore
Omnivore
Food
Plants
Meat (other animals)
Plants and animals
Example
Butterfly, Frog, Most
insects
Grasshopper
Humans, Dogs
Example
Rabbit, cow,
Lion, snake, owl
Bear, people
Nitrogen Cycle
All living things need nitrogen to survive and although there is plenty in the
atmosphere, it is not in a form that can be used by plants or animals. Plants
absorb nitrogen through their roots and then animals get nitrogen by eating
plants or other animals that have eaten plants. Nitrogen is returned to the
atmosphere and soil when decomposers break down dead matter.
Objective 3 – Physical Science
Matter – anything that has mass and takes up space; can be classified (grouped) based on properties (characteristics)
Property
Description
Tool / Example
Physical state
Solid, Liquid or gas (changes when heat is added
or removed)
Magnetism
Conduction
Mass
Weight
Volume
Density
Attracted to a magnet
Carries heat, electricity, sound
How much matter is in an object (grams)
Determined by the pull of gravity
How much space an object takes up (liters)
More dense – sinks in water / Less dense – floats
in water (salt changes the density of water)
Substances like water boil and freeze at different temperatures
Boiling Point
Change from liquid 100˚ C
to gas
Freezing Point
0˚ C
Change from a
liquid to a solid
Iron, nickel, cobalt, steel
Metal – conducts / Plastic, paper, rubber - insulates
Balance
Scale
Graduated Cylinder, Beaker
States of Matter
State
Example
Energy (Molecule Movement)
Solid
Ice
Very little – molecules packed tightly -vibrate
Liquid
Water
Medium - molecules slip and slide - flow
Gas
Steam (water vapor) High – molecules move freely and rarely touch
When an object gains energy (heat) the molecules begin to move faster.
Shape
Keeps its shape
Takes shape of container
Spreads out to fill entire space
Change in Matter
Physical Change - a change in the physical appearance (size, shape, or state of matter) of an object. No new material is
created (cutting paper, grating cheese, and freezing water)
Chemical Change –change that creates new matter (mixing baking soda and vinegar creates a gas - carbon dioxide)
Solutions and Mixtures
Mixture – two or more substances mixed together, but can be separated.
Heterogeneous Mixture – can see all the different ingredients
because they keep their original properties (trail mix or salad)
Homogenous Mixture – several substances are mixed together,
but you cannot see them separately (black ink or apple juice)
Solution – when one substance gets dissolved into another substance.
It looks the same throughout (salt in water or chocolate in milk)
Solute – the substance that gets dissolved
Solvent – the substance that does the dissolving (water is the universal
solvent - it dissolves more substances than any other liquid)
Energy
Energy – the ability to do work, move or change matter
Form
Description
Potential
Stored energy – no motion taking place
Kinetic
Energy in motion
Chemical
Energy created from chemical combinations
Mechanical
Energy that moves objects
Electrical
Sound
Light
Energy that passes through a circuit
Sound created from molecules vibrating. The more
molecules, the better sound travels. Sound moves best
through solids because the molecules are densely packed
Bounces off objects so we can see them.
Thermal
Solar
Energy from heat
Energy from the sun (can be converted to electricity)
Example
Book on a shelf, on top of a rollercoaster
Falling book, rollercoaster moving
Battery, food
Bicycle, simple machines (lever, wedge, screw,
wheel and axel, pulley, inclined plane, gears)
Radio, hairdryer, TV
Drum, wind chime,
Sun (heat and light), flashlight (chemical and
light), campfire (heat and light)
Toaster (electrical and thermal)
Photovoltaic Cell (solar cell)
Electricity
Electricity – energy that travels through a circuit, and can be converted into other types of energy (heat - blow dryer, light - lamp
or sound - radio)
Circuit – a closed system that allows electricity to flow through it. Make up of a source (batter), path (wires), load/resistor (light
bulb), and switch (turns on and off)
Conductor – will allow heat and electricity to travel through it (metal)
Insulator – will not allow heat or electricity pass through it (plastic, rubber, wood)
Series circuit – there is only one path for the electrons to travel through, so if you remove one bulb, the others will go out.
Parallel circuit – there is more than one path for the electrons to travel through, so if you remove one bulb, the others will still
work – they will even get brighter.
Battery – uses chemical energy to produce electricity
Circuit
Series Circuit
Parallel Circuit
Light Energy
In order to see an object, you must have light. Objects can either be transparent, translucent or opaque.
Transparent
All light passes through – light is refracted
Glass, water, lenses
Translucent
Some light passes through – some light refracted, some reflected
Tinted windows, sunglasses
Opaque
No light passes through – all light reflected
Mirror, table, book,
Light can either be reflected or refracted.
Reflected
Light bounces off the object (mirror)
Refracted
Light passes through the object, but is
bent causing the image to look different
(lens)
Lenses
Lens - a transparent object used to refract light (hand lens, microscope, telescope, and camera)
Convex
Causes an image to
Hand lens, microscope, drop of
appear larger
water, eyeglasses
Concave
Causes an image to
appear smaller
Some eyeglasses
Forces
Force – a push or a pull on an object. A force is needed to start a motion, stop a motion, or change the direction of a motion.
• Objects at rest, stay at rest until moved by a force.
• Objects in motion, stay in motion until stopped by a force.
Mass - affects how much force is needed to move an object. A bowling ball takes more force to move than a baseball.
Gravity – a force that pulls objects towards one another
Friction – when two objects rub together it causes motion to slow down or stop and will produce heat.
Objective 4 – Earth Science
Solar System
Our solar system is made up of the sun and all the objects moving around (orbiting) it. Sun, Rocky inner planets: Mercury,
Venus, Earth, Mars, (asteroid belt); Gas Giants: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune; Dwarf planet: Pluto
Sun
Sun – the largest object in our solar system. It is a big ball of burning gas (star).
Its gravity is strong enough to keep all the planets in orbit (revolving) around it.
It provides heat and light to Earth. Darker spots (sun spots) are cooler regions on
the surface of the sun.
Moon
Moon Characteristics
Earth Characteristics
Has an atmosphere and water
Inner core, outer core, mantle, crust
Has some craters, but not as many as the moon
because of the protective atmosphere
Earth’s gravity keeps the moon orbiting around it
Orbits the sun once a year (365 days)
Is tilted (seasons) and spins (rotates) on its axis
once every 24 hrs (day / night)
No atmosphere or water
Inner core, mantle, crust
Craters
Moon’s gravity causes two tides a day on Earth
Takes a month (29.5 days) to orbit the Earth
Goes through phases as it orbits Earth
Has 1/6 the gravity of Earth
Is tilted and spins on its axis very slowly
Reflects sunlight off its surface
Eclipse
Lunar eclipse – moons light is blocked by the earth
4 times the size of the moon
Only planet with life
Third planet from the sun
Solar eclipse – sun’s light is blocked by the moon
Earth’s Surface
Changes - The earth’s surface is constantly changing. Some changes occur quickly as a result of earthquakes and
volcanoes. Some occur slowly as a result of weathering and erosion.
Rocks - The earth’s surface is made up of 3 types of rocks: igneous (volcanoes), metamorphic (changed by heat and
pressure) and sedimentary (contains fossils and sediment). Weathering and erosion cause these rocks to change form.
Weathering
The breaking down of rock into smaller sediment (biological – plant roots, chemical or physical)
Erosion
Water, wind or gravity moves loose sediment to another place.
Deposition
Moving eroded rock and soil to a new place. The sediment will form layers. Oldest layer is on
the bottom and the youngest on the top (will sometimes have fossils)
Landforms
Landforms – caused as a result of weathering, erosion and deposition
● mountains
● valleys
● rivers
● beaches
● volcanoes
● oceans
● canyons
● glaciers
● islands
Natural Resources
Renewable – these can be replaced over time
Nonrenewable – once these are gone, they cannot be replaced.
Fossil fuels - made from dead plants and animals millions of years ago.
Inexhaustible – cannot be used up - ever
Constructive and Destructive Forces
The Earth’s crust is broken into plates that float on the liquid mantle. The place where plates come together is called a plate
boundary. These plates move in different ways creating landforms or events that can either build up the Earth’s crust or tear it
down.
Divergent Boundaries – spread apart, when magma fills the gap it creates mountains and volcanoes (constructive)
Convergent Boundaries – move together to create volcanoes or mountains (constructive)
Transform Boundaries – plates rub against each other causing stress and earthquakes (destructive)
Weather and Climate
Term
Weather
Climate
Wind
Precipitation
Vapor
Evaporation
Condensation
Water Cycle
Description
The day to day conditions of a particular area (temperature)
The average weather for an area over a period of time
The movement of air caused by the uneven heating of the earth’s surface. Land heats up and
cools more quickly than the sea (ocean)
1. During the day, the air above the land heats up, expands, becomes less dense and
rises (warm air rises)
2. Air moves in from above the sea, where the air pressure is higher (because the air is
cooler). This causes a sea breeze.
3. During the evening, the temperature of the land drops faster than the sea.
4. The air above the sea becomes hotter than the air above the land, so it rises and a
breeze flows from the coast out to sea, reversing the effect.
Rain, sleet, snow or hail
Gas form of water
Caused by the sun heating up water and turning it to vapor
The cooling off of water vapor and turning it back to a liquid (clouds)
The movement of water between the Earth’s surface and air. It is driven by the sun