FOSS at Home
FOSS® at Home
Air and Weather
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
for grades K–2 are written in an expository format that presents
factual information in a clear and concise manner. The books are
designed around instructional photographs that directly relate to the
text, calling attention to particular details, suggesting comparisons,
and directing students to think critically about the images.
Letter tO ParentS
Cut here and paste onto school letterhead before making copies.
science neWs
Dear Parents,
Our class is beginning a study of air and weather. Students
will be looking for evidence that air is matter—that it is
something real. They will explore the properties of air
using plastic syringes and tubing. They will observe how
air can be captured, how air can be compressed, and how
air under pressure can move things around. They will
observe daily weather conditions such as temperature,
rainfall, cloud cover, wind speed, and wind direction. They
will be recording all of this information on a class calendar
and in a science journal.
You can help your child learn more about weather, too. You might discuss weather reports
in the newspaper or on television. Point out wind vanes if you happen to see one perched
on top of a house. If you have an indoor or outdoor thermometer, read and record the
temperature at about the same time each day and look for patterns. Or you may want to
watch the temperature change over the course of one day. Does it happen that way
every day? Weather is an ever-changing story. You can guide your child’s scientific inquiry
by helping him or her to make observations and by nurturing his or her natural ability to
ask questions based on those observations. Don’t be surprised if you end up with a list of
questions much longer than the initial observations!
If you have any questions or comments, call or come in and visit our class.
FOSS Air and Weather Module
© The Regents of the University of California
Can be duplicated for classroom or workshop use.
Investigation 1: Exploring Air
No. 1—Teacher Sheet
No. 1—Teacher Sheet
Here are some suggestions for using FOSS Science Stories at home.
• Expository Readings. The expository readings provide
excellent opportunities for students and parents to
discuss the science content students are learning in the
module. Specific articles include What Is All around Us?,
Understanding the Weather, and Seasons.
• Extending 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 What’s the Weather
Today?, you might have them create a chart to compare and
contrast the different elements we see and feel in varying
weather conditions.
F O S S
S c i e n c e
S t o r i e s
Air and
Weather
Published and Distributed by
Air and Weather
1
Air and Weather
HOME/SCHOOL CONNECTION
Name _________________________
INVESTIGATION 2: OBSERVING WEATHER
Cloud Window
Parents: Make a cloud window with your child using these directions.
1.
Cut a 9” � 12” sheet of dark construction paper (shopping bag will
do) into four equal strips.
2 1/4”
9”
12”
2.
Form a rectangle with the four strips, lapping one edge over
another about 1/4”. Tape it together.
3.
Tape the window to a glass window in your house where you will
be able to see clouds in the sky.
4.
Share your observations with the class next time you go to school.
FOSS Air and Weather Module
© The Regents of the University of California
Can be duplicated for classroom or workshop use.
Home/School Connection 2
No. 42—Student Sheet
No. 42—Student Sheet
MATH EXTENSION A
Name _________________________
INVESTIGATION 1: EXPLORING AIR
Propellers
Balls
Rockets
Our Museum of Air Toys
Look at the pictures.
Are there more balls or propellers in the museum?
Are there more balls or rockets in the museum?
_______ propellers + _______ rockets
= _______ .
_______ balls — _______ propellers = _______ .
Write a number sentence to show how many air toys
the museum has all together.
FOSS Air and Weather Module
© The Regents of the University of California
Can be duplicated for classroom or workshop use.
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 25, Weather Graph, is a
good opportunity for students to explain and review with parents
how weather conditions change over time, and how observations can
be organized in a bar graph to make comparisons.
Home/School Connections. Home/School Connections are activities
developed specifically for the whole family to enjoy at home. For
example, in Investigation 2 (student sheet number 42), students and
their families can make a cloud window. Students cut a 9” x 12” piece
of dark construction paper into strips and then tape them together
to form a rectangle. They tape the cloud window to a regular glass
window. The cloud window gives a reference from which to see
cloud movement.
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
can make a wind chime. A large paper cup, wire hoop, or embroidery
hoop makes a base. To hang the paper cup, students and their
families can poke a hole in the middle of the base, thread a piece of
string through the hole, and tie the end inside the cup to a paper clip.
They can tie a variety of lids, washers, nails, and other objects to the
edge of the cup and hang the wind chime outside to clatter and ring.
They might also do the Math Extensions at home.
FOSSweb (www.fossweb.com). FOSSweb is an interactive website
where families can find instructional activities and interactive
simulations specifically designed for each FOSS module. Math Extension 1A
No. 33—Student Sheet
No. 33—Student Sheet
NOTE: All student sheets, including
the Letter to Parents, Home/School
Connection, and Math Extension,
are available in FOSS Teacher Guides
and online at www.fossweb.com.
They are also available in Spanish.
See Teacher/Parent Info Section:
Home/School Connection on page
4 of this folio.
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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.
full option science system
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 Air and Weather Module, first enter www.fossweb.com in your
browser.
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 K–2 icon to get a menu that links to each of the K–2
modules. There you can choose Air and Weather and travel to a
wealth of information and activities specific to this module.
ACTIVITIES
In the Air and Weather Module, you’ll find an activity called What’s
the Weather? Students decide what the cartoon bear needs to wear to
face the weather that day. You might ask,
•
What is our weather today?
•
How did you dress today so that you were comfortable when you
went outside?
If necessary, review how to read a thermometer. At the computer,
have children decide what the temperature is on the thermometer
and how they would describe the temperature. Decide which
description to use. When you take the bear outside, you will find
out if it is satisfied with your decision.
Air and Weather
3
Air and Weather
PHOTO GALLERY
In the Photo Gallery section, you can view images of objects and
organisms that use air. You can use the images to discuss the
objects, including whether students have ever encountered them
and how they think the objects use air.
WEBSITES
The Websites section includes links to sites that can extend and
enrich children’s experiences with the Air and Weather Module.
Teacher/Parent Info section
VOCABULARY
In the Vocabulary section, you will find the glossary words and
definitions used in the Air and Weather Module. They are provided
in English and Spanish.
Resources
This section includes an annotated list of books, videos, and software
recommended for the Air and Weather Module. You should be able
to find many of these titles at your local library. HOME/SCHOOL CONNECTION
The Teacher/Parent Info section includes the Home/School
Connection that describes ways for families to do science together.
For example, in Investigation 3 (student sheet number 43), students
and their family members look for places where the air moves.
To “see” the wind, they make a whirligig. Whirligigs hang from
strings and twirl as the air moves past. Students cut out the
whirligigs and hang them in a sheltered spot outside, inside
near a fan, or by an open window. They are asked to look
for locations where the air moves to make their whirligigs
whirl. Look in this section for other resources included in a
downloadable PDF file, including a general letter introducing
the module, student projects, and math problems that relate to
the science investigations.
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Copyright The Regents of the University of California
full option science system
1014221