Science Unit 1 – Air & Weather
Investigation 1: Exploring the Air
Students will determine "what is air?" They will be involved with
several science experiments by exploring air in a variety of ways: Air is
there, air under water, parachutes, pushing on air, and balloon rockets.
Vocabulary Words:
Air – a gas that we can’t always see, but we know is all around us. It
fills spaces like a Ziploc bag.
Air resistance – the air pushing on the bottom of the parachute to
make it float down. Air pushes on an object and changes its usual
action.
Bubble – evidence that “air is there.” Air gets trapped inside the
bubble’s wall.
Gas – Solids, liquids, and gases are types of matter. All things in the
world are either solids, liquids, or gases. Air is a type of gas.
Inflate – When air is pushed into an object and we can say that the air
is taking up space in that object, we say the object is inflated. In our
first air investigation, many students inflated their Ziploc bags to show
that air is there.
Invisible – Even though air is invisible, and we can’t see it, we know it’s
there because it moves the leaves and clouds outside.
Matter – Solids (pencil) Liquids (milk) Gas (air or breeze)
Paper towel – a dry paper towel inside a vial was proof that a container
can trap air and keep the paper towel dry under water.
Parachute – an object we used to show that air is there. The air was
trapped under the parachute and helped it float down to the ground
safely.
Plunger – We used plungers when we investigated with syringe systems.
Pressure – when we put two syringes together and connected them with
one piece of flexible tubing, we could “pop off” one of the plungers by
creating pressure inside the system. The pressure is built up inside and
when we push in one plunger, the other plunger pops off.
Submerge – when we pushed the vial into the water. The air was
trapped which kept the paper towel dry.
Syringe – a syringe is a tool that can create air pressure by pushing a
plunger into the shaft. A syringe is also used at a doctor’s office to
push medicine into a person’s body.
System – we created a syringe system by connecting two syringes
together with flexible tubing.
Tubing – the small, plastic piece of tube we used to connect two
syringes and create a “pop off”
Vial – a small, plastic container that we used to show that air can be
submerged under water
Investigation 2: Observing Weather
They will be exploring by watching clouds, measuring rain, and
measuring temperature.
Vocabulary Words:
Cirrus - Wispy, see-through clouds that tell us the weather is fair.
They are seen high in the sky and move with the wind.
Cold - When the temperature is between 32 and 50 degrees
Fahrenheit.
Cool - When the temperature is between 50 and 65 degrees
Fahrenheit.
Cumulus - Cottony, puffy, thick white clouds. When cumulus clouds are
in small pockets across the sky, they mean fair weather. When cumulus
clouds cover the sky and are grey, they mean rain or snow is coming.
Degrees Celsius - A way to measure temperature that is used in other
countries.
Degrees Fahrenheit - A way to measure temperature in the United
States. Fahrenheit is the name of the scale that we use to give
temperature a number.
Freezing - When the temperature is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
Hot - When the temperature is between 80 and 120 degrees
Fahrenheit
Meteorologist - A scientist who studies weather. Weathermen on TV
are called meteorologists.
Overcast - When clouds completely cover the sky and turn it a grey
color. The sun's rays cannot be seen when it is overcast.
Partly Cloudy - Clouds do not cover the entire sky, but they block the
sun's rays. Usually, grey cumulus clouds are low in the sky when it is
partly cloudy.
Rain Gauge - A tool used to measure the amount of rain that falls. We
can use the inch ruler or centimeter ruler on the rain gauge to keep
track of how much rain has fallen.
Rainy - There is a lot of moisture in the air and water is falling from
cumulus or stratus clouds.
Snowy - When the temperature is freezing, cumulus, and stratus clouds
bring snow instead of rain.
Stratus - Dark, heavy clouds that mean a storm is coming. Stratus
clouds are dark because they carry a lot of moisture.
Sunny - When there are few clouds in the sky and the sun's rays can
be seen on Earth.
Symbol - pictures that we use to record the weather. For example, the
symbol for a sunny day is a sun, and the symbol for a snowy day is a
snowflake.
Temperature - How we measure how warm or cold the air is outside.
Thermometer - The tool we use to measure the temperature. Mercury
is the red material inside that reacts to temperature and rises as it
warms up.
Warm - When the temperature is between 65 and 80 degrees.
Weather Instrument - Some weather instruments include a rain gauge,
thermometer, an anemometer (measures wind speed), and a wind vane
(tells wind direction). These are the tools that a meteorologist uses to
report on the weather.
Investigation 3: Wind Explorations
In this investigation, students will be exploring different types of
wind.
They will use certain tools to measure wind such as an anemometer and
wind vane.
Vocabulary Words:
Anemometer - A weather instrument used to measure wind speed.
Bubble - A pocket of air that forms when gas rises to the surface of a
liquid
Calm - Describes when there is no wind.
Direction - The course or line along which something moves, faces, lies,
or points.
East - A wind that is blowing from the east.
Flying Line - A string attached to a kite.
Gentle Breeze - A mild gust of wind.
Kite - An object held by a string that is flown in the air.
Matter - Something that has mass and takes up space.
Meteorologist - A scientist who studies the weather.
Moderate Breeze - An average gust of wind.
North - A wind that is blowing from the north.
Pinwheel - A toy that spins when the wind blows on it.
South - A wind that is blowing from the south.
Strong Breeze - A hard gust of wind.
Weather - The condition of the air at a given time.
West - A wind that is blowing from the south.
Wind - moving air
Wind vane - A weather instrument used to observe the direction of the
wind.
Science Unit 2 – Balance and Motion
Balance and Motion is the new unit we are studying in science. We will
be observing and comparing how objects balance, spin, and roll.
Investigation 1 – Balance:
 Objects can be balanced in many ways
 Counterweights (clothespins) can help balance an object
 A stable position is one that is steady and not falling over
 The place on which an object balances is called the balance point
 Counterweights should be placed below the balance point
Vocabulary Words: Arch, Balance, Balance point, Clothespin,
Counterbalance, Counterweight, Crayfish, Mobile, Object, Position,
Stable, System, Triangle, Unstable, Weight, and Wire
Investigation 2 – Spinners:
 Objects and systems that turn on a central axis exhibit
rotational motion
 Force puts objects into motion
 The amount and position of mass affect how the object rotates
 Motion of an object can be changed by pushing or pulling
 Tops and zoomers both spin, but in different ways
Vocabulary Words: Air resistance, axis, disk, knot, motion, rotate,
spin, swirl, top, twirl, twist, whirl, wing, and zoomer
Investigation 3 – Rollers:
 Wheels roll down a slope
 A slope is a surface that is higher on one end
 Wheel-and-axle systems with wheels of different sizes roll
toward the smaller wheel
 Cups roll in the direction of the smaller end – they roll straight
when two cups are taped together
 Spheres are round in all directions and roll in all directions
 Spheres roll down a slope
Vocabulary Words: Axle, disk, loop, motion, ramp, roll, runway, slope,
sphere, spiral, wheel
Science Unit 3 – Insects
Our class is beginning a scientific study of insects. We will be caring
for and investigating several different insects like milkweed bugs,
mealworms and butterflies to discover secrets of their lives.
Investigation 1: Milkweed Bugs

They will observe insects hatching from eggs and the changes
that milkweed bugs go through to change into an adult
Vocabulary -- bug, female, habitat, hatch, insect, male, mating,
milkweed bug, molting, nymph, proboscis, water fountain
Investigation 2: Mealworms

They will observe mealworms change from larvae to pupae to
adults
Vocabulary -- abdomen, adult, air, antenna, darkling beetle,
dead, dropping, egg, food, head, larva, leg, life cycle, living,
mealworm, molt, pupa, segment, space, thorax, water, wing
Investigation 3: Butterflies

They will observe metamorphosis in the painted lady butterflies
Vocabulary -- butterfly, caterpillar, chrysalis, nectar, painted
lady, proboscis, pupate, waste