FOSS at Home
FOSS® at Home
Ideas and Inventions
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
include a variety of articles written in a number of styles, including
narrative tales, expository articles, technical readings, and historical
accounts.
Here are some suggestions for using FOSS Science Stories 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 Creative Solutions, Chromatography,
Making Mirrors, and Looking at the Sky.
• Technical Readings. The technical readings provide good
opportunities for students to do a science activity at home
with their families or follow instructions for a science
project. For example, students could do the activities
outlined in Looking at Leaves as homework or for their endof-module project.
Name ____________________________________
Date
___________________________________
LETTER TO PARENTS
Cut here and paste onto school letterhead before making copies.
Science News
Dear Parents,
Our class is beginning a new science unit using the
FOSS Ideas and Inventions Module. We will be learning
techniques for observing things that would otherwise be
difficult to see. It looks like we have an interesting and
exciting couple of months ahead.
In this module, children will explore the techniques
of rubbing, carbon printing, chromatography, and mirror imagery. After learning each technique,
the children will be challenged to use insight and creativity to come up with an invention of their
own. Be sure to ask your child what inventions he or she has created. Children sometimes have
difficulty coming up with invention ideas. Talk with your child about inventions that have helped
make your life easier. Many invention ideas involve ways to do something more safely or more
efficiently.
We will also be learning about great inventors throughout history. Some are well known,
and some are lesser-known “kid inventors” who have made valuable contributions to society.
Ask your child to share the inventor stories they have been reading, as some are quite surprising.
Many inventions that you use every day were initially labeled mistakes or failures. Perseverance
and insight are two dimensions of invention.
From time to time I will be sending home/school connection activities home with your
child. These describe ways for family and friends to make some rubbings and carbon prints,
including fingerprints, to join in the invention activities. You may find it interesting to look at
familiar objects and materials in new ways.
Our classroom will be even livelier than usual in the next several weeks. If you have any
questions or comments, call or come in and visit our class.
Comments
FOSS Ideas and Inventions Module
© The Regents of the University of California
Can be duplicated for classroom or workshop use.
Investigation 1: Rubbings
No. 1—Teacher Sheet
No. 1—Teacher Sheet
F O S S
S c i e n c e
S t o r i e s
Idea
s
and
Inventions
• “Questions to Explore.” Students can read the article in
class and then answer the “Questions to Explore” at home
in their science notebooks. You might consider this strategy
after students read Fingerprints or Light and Reflection.
• After 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 Throw a Little Light on Sight
and Into the Shadows, you might have students explore how
different-colored light affects the appearance of different
objects. They need a completely dark room at home, an
object to observe, a flashlight, and different-colored pieces of
plastic to filter out colors of light.
Ideas and Inventions
Published and Distributed by
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Ideas and Inventions
Name ____________________________________
Date
___________________________________
HOME/SCHOOL CONNECTION
INVESTIGATION 1: RUBBINGS
Rubbing is a technique used to record the pattern of textured surfaces. Find several
interesting textures around your home or neighborhood and make rubbings of them in the
spaces provided below. Don’t record the source of the rubbing with the rubbing itself—
record the sources on a separate sheet. Back at school show the sheet to other students to
see if they can guess where the rubbing came from.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
EXTRA ACTION: If you find something BIG and interesting, like a plaque on a building,
get a big piece of paper and a crayon and make a big rubbing.
FOSS Ideas and Inventions Module
© The Regents of the University of California
Can be duplicated for classroom or workshop use.
Home/School Connection
No. 24—Student Sheet
No. 24—Student Sheet
Name ____________________________________
Date
___________________________________
MATH EXTENSION—PROBLEM OF THE WEEK
INVESTIGATION 1: RUBBINGS
Using the grid below and the rubbing technique, figure out the area of four common
American coins. Figure out a way to count squares so that your answer is the closest
whole number.
The area of a penny is
squares.
The area of a nickel is
squares.
The area of a dime is
squares.
The area of a quarter is
squares.
What is the largest number of coins you can use to equal a total area of 73 squares?
What is the smallest number of coins you can use to equal a total area of 73 squares?
Fewest coins
Most coins
Pennies
Area
Pennies
Area
Nickels
Area
Nickels
Area
Dimes
Area
Dimes
Area
Quarters
Area
Quarters
Area
Total coins
Total area
Total coins
Total area
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 5, Finger Patterns, is a
good opportunity for students to explain and review with parents the
technique of carbon printing and that fingerprints can be sorted into
three groups based on pattern: whorl, arch, and loop.
Home/School Connections. Home/School Connections are activities
developed specifically for the whole family to enjoy at home. For
example, in Investigation 1 (student sheet number 24), students and
their families find five or six interesting textures at home and make
rubbings of them, keeping a list of the items on a separate sheet.
Students can show their rubbings in class, and a partner can try to
figure out what object was used to make the rubbing.
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
draw a picture on a piece of paper towel with pencil or permanent
ink. Then challenge students to use chromatography to add color to
the picture. They might put hair on a portrait, blue sky or green hills
in a landscape, or colored flowers in a still life. Students might also
do the Math Problem of the Week 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.
What combination of coins would you select to equal a total area of 103 squares?
Use each coin at least once.
Pennies
Area
Nickels
Area
Dimes
Area
Quarters
Area
Total coins
Total area
FOSS Ideas and Inventions Module
© The Regents of the University of California
Can be duplicated for classroom or workshop use.
Problem of the Week
No. 20—Student Sheet
No. 20—Student Sheet
NOTE: All student sheets,
including the Letter to Parents,
Home/School Connection, and Math
Problem of the Week, 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.
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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
Ideas and Inventions 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 Ideas and Inventions and travel to a
wealth of information and activities specific to this module.
ACTIVITIES
In the Ideas and Inventions Module, you’ll find an activity called
Shapes and Colors. Students duplicate shapes and colors in this
tangram activity. You can introduce this activity anytime during the
module. Draw a house on the board, as shown here, and ask,
• How could you use a triangle and a square to make a house like
this?
Review the introductory screen. Click anywhere on the screen to
move to the activity. Do the first shape together, showing children
how to change the color of the shapes, move them into position,
and rotate them. Point out the different levels and the ? button.
Have children try the activity on their own. Have children share
experiences after trying the activity.
Ideas and Inventions
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Ideas and Inventions
MOVIES
The Movies section includes a NASA film about the history and
development of the kite and how its design has been used in other
inventions.
PICTURES
In the Pictures section, you can view images of an FBI agent using
fingerprinting to solve a crime. These pictures might be used as a
starting point for further research for the end-of-module project.
WEBSITES
The Websites section includes links to sites that can extend and enrich
children’s experiences with the Ideas and Inventions Module.
VOCABULARY
In the Vocabulary section, you will find the glossary words and
definitions used in the Ideas and Inventions Module. They are
provided in English and Spanish.
BOOKS/SOFTWARE
This section includes an annotated list of books, videos, and software
recommended for the Ideas and Inventions Module. You should be
able to find many of these titles at your local library.
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, students can make fingerprints of
family members using the carbon-printing method, analyze the
prints, and compare them to each other. 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
1014952