FOSS at Home
FOSS® at Home
Matter and Energy
®
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 Resources. FOSS Science Resources is a series of original
books developed to accompany and enrich the FOSS modules. The
books include three genres of informational text: expository articles,
historical and biographical accounts, and technical readings.
Here are some suggestions for using FOSS Science Resources 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 Energy Sources, Reflection, Opinion
and Evidence, and Particles.
LETTER TO PARENTS
Cut here to paste onto school letterhead before making copies.
Dear Parents,
We are starting a new science unit on matter and energy. We will be developing the idea
that matter is the stuff from which all common and familiar objects and materials are
made. Energy is usually defined as the ability to do work. In this unit we will come to
know energy as the causal agent behind every action or activity. We will explore sources
of energy, such as the Sun, batteries, fuels, and food and identify forms of energy, such as
electricity, heat, light, sound, and moving masses.
The two attributes that we will use to define matter are mass and volume. In order to
communicate mass and volume effectively, we will learn to quantify mass and volume in
grams and liters, the standard units in the metric system. In order to quantify heat energy
effectively, we will learn to measure temperature in degrees Celsius, the standard unit in
the metric system.
Our study of matter will extend to phase change, including melting, the change from solid
to liquid, and evaporation, the change from liquid to gas. Your child is probably familiar
with phase changes in water (ice to water to water vapor), but may appreciate for the first
time that these processes apply to thousands of materials, ranging from oxygen to rock.
You can help your child by asking him or her to share the ideas we are working on so
you can extend the ideas to matter and energy in your home. I will be sending home
some simple assignments that should prove interesting for the whole family. These might
stimulate some interesting conversation and possibly an investigation of your own that
relates to the science work we are doing in class.
Sincerely,
FOSS Matter and Energy Module
© The Regents of the University of California
Can be duplicated for classroom or workshop use.
253
Investigation 1: Energy
No. 1—Teacher Sheet
No. 1—Teacher Sheet
•• “Review Questions.” Students can read the article in class
and then answer the “Review Questions” at home in their
science notebooks. You might consider this strategy after
students read Energy Conversion, Throw a Little Light on Sight,
States of Matter, and Change of State.
•• Extensions. After each investigation, there are opportunities
for students to engage in a Home/School Connection and do
the Math Problem of the Week. The duplication masters for
these can be found in your Teacher Guide and on FOSSweb.
In addition, the Science Resources book includes Learning More
about Matter and Energy, which includes interdisciplinary
extensions that help enhance and enrich the module. For
example, students can collect toys that use stored energy,
make a periscope, or investigate the volume of solid objects.
Matter and Energy
1
Matter and Energy
Name ________________________________
Date _________________________________
HOME/SCHOOL CONNECTION
INVESTIGATION 1: ENERGY
Lightbulbs are rated by the amount of energy they use. The unit of electric power is the
watt.
Newer style
Older style
Record the watt rating for each bulb you can easily check. You may be surprised by the
low wattage of the newer kind of bulbs that look like rope. Add up the total watts used by
the lights you are able to check.
Safety Note. Only check bulbs that are turned off and not hot.
Lightbulb location
Style
Watts
Total watts
FOSS Matter and Energy Module
© The Regents of the University of California
Can be duplicated for classroom or workshop use.
Investigation 1: Energy
No. 21—Teacher Sheet
272
No. 21—Teacher Sheet
Name ________________________________
Date _________________________________
MATH EXTENSION—PROBLEM OF THE WEEK
INVESTIGATION 2: LIGHT
Gabriela has nine square mirrors.
How many different sizes of rectangles can she make using her mirrors? She can use any
number of the nine mirrors to make a rectangle. (You can use square tiles to help you solve
this problem.)
Note: These two rectangles have the same dimensions, so they count as one rectangle.
1
2
1
2
270
Home/School Connections. Home/School Connections are activities
developed specifically for the whole family to enjoy at home. For
example, in Investigation 1 (Teacher sheet number 21), students can
record the watt rating for lightbulbs around their homes and add up
the total watts to determine the amount of energy being used. The
Home/School Connections can also be found in the FOSS Science
Resources book.
Interdisciplinary Extensions. Each investigation has suggestions for
art, language, math, social studies, and science extensions. These are
good family activities. For example, after Investigation 4 students
can investigate the conservation of matter by mixing baking soda
and vinegar in a soda bottle with a balloon. Using this closed system,
students can find out if the mass is the same before and after the
reaction. They might also do the Math Problem of the Week at home.
Both the Math Problem of the Week and some interdisciplinary
extensions can be found in the FOSS Science Resources book.
FOSSweb (www.fossweb.com). FOSSweb is an interactive website
where families can find instructional activities and interactive
simulations specifically designed for each FOSS module.
Record your rectangles and label the length and width.
FOSS Matter and Energy Module
© The Regents of the University of California
Can be duplicated for classroom or workshop use.
Science Notebook 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, science notebook sheet numbers
1–2, Energy Source and Action A–B, are a good opportunity for students
to explain and review with parents a variety of energy sources and
stored energy.
Investigation 2: Light
No. 18—Teacher Sheet
No. 19—Teacher Sheet
NOTE: All student sheets, including
the Letter to Parents and Home/
School Connections, 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.
2
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
Matter and Energy 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 3–6 icon to get a menu that links to each of the 3–6
modules. There you can choose Matter and Energy and travel to a
wealth of information and activities specific to this module.
ACTIVITIES
In the Matter and Energy Module, you’ll find three activities:
Resource ID, Reflecting Light, and Colored Light. Resource ID should
be introduced after students have completed Investigation 1: Energy.
Children are presented with a variety of natural resources and
asked to sort them into categories of renewable, nonrenewable, and
inexhaustible by dragging and dropping the resource icons.
Reflecting Light and Colored Light should be introduced after
students have completed Investigation 2: Light. In Reflecting Light,
children use a laser to determine the shape of the contents. You might
ask,
•• How did you determine the hidden shape?
Review the introductory screen with children. Explain that their
challenge is to use the laser to find out the shape of what is inside
the box. Open the Help screen by clicking the ? button. Review the
navigation information. Try one box together, asking children where
to aim the laser and place the marker boxes. After trying the activity
on their own, have children share their experiences.
In Colored Light, students can drag different colored lightbulbs to
a flashlight and then drag paint spots from under the white light
into the colored light to see what color they appear. Once students
have completed the Practice Mode, they can do the activity where
they are challenged to predict what color paint spots will be under
different colored lights. Again, drag a colored lightbulb to the
flashlight, and turn it on. Students should try all three colors. The
data will automatically be recorded in the chart. Students will then
use the data to make a prediction. They can check their prediction by
dragging the white bulb to the flashlight and turning it on.
Matter and Energy
3
Matter and Energy
MEDIA
The Media section includes a rich list of resources that can extend
and enrich the concepts learned in the Matter and Energy Module.
Here is where you will find images, movies, audio stories, reading
resources, and websites.
Images and Movies
The Images and Movies sections include pictures and movies that can
enhance the concepts learned in the Matter and Energy Module.
Audio Stories
This section contains audio recordings of the FOSS Science Resources
book for the Matter and Energy Module.
At the library
This section includes an annotated list of books and videos
recommended for the Matter and Energy Module. You should
be able to find many of these titles at your local library.
Websites
The Websites section includes links to sites that can extend and enrich
children’s experiences with the Matter and Energy Module.
VOCABULARY
In the Vocabulary section, you will find the glossary words and
definitions used in the Matter and Energy Module. They are
provided in English and Spanish.
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.
For example, in Investigation 2, families can use a mirror to observe
the apparent movement of the Sun. Look in this section for other
resources included in a downloadable PDF file, including a general
letter introducing the module and math extensions that relate to the
science investigations.
4
Copyright The Regents of the University of California
full option science system
1287883