We are back from a successful trip to Bournedale and our class is beginning a new science unit using the FOSS Living Systems Module. We will be investigating transport systems in multicellular organisms that provide each cell with food, water, gas exchange, and waste removal. Students will learn about the structures, functions, and interactions of the circulatory, respiratory, digestive, and excretory systems in humans. They will learn about the vascular system in plants (xylenrand phloem), and compare that system for moving water, minerals, and sugar to the transport system in humans. They will also review the chemical process of photosynthesis, and how sugar is broken down in cells during cellular respiration.  This is a great unit that lends itself to the many studies your children experienced while at Camp Bournedale.  Also you will find several instructional activities, interactive simulations, and resources related to the Living Systems Module at www.fossweb.com

   6th Grade Science News

Our class has begun "Variables" in our Foss curriculum.  We will be learning how scientists use critical thinking, careful observation, and measurement to conduct experiments.
The big ideas in this module are system and variable.  Any collection of objects that is working together we identify as a system.  The systems your child will be using are pendulums, boats, windup airplanes, and catapult systems called flippers.  In each system the interacting parts influence how the whole system behaves or performs.  If the parts of the system can change, those parts are called variables.  An understanding of the idea of a variable and the ability to identify and control variables are the cornerstone of scientific experimentation.
Here's an example.  The pendulum students use is made from a piece of string, a paper clip, a penny, a bit of tape, and a pencil.  When hung from the pencil and put into motion, the penny, held by the string and the paper clip, swings back and forth.  The number of swings can be counted, and that number is the outcome of our experiment.  The length of the string can vary, as can the mass of the system, the point from which the penny is released, and the length of time the swings are counted.  Which variables influence the number of swings?  And how does the answer to that question help us to get a slow grandfather clock to run on time? That's one of the challenges we will be tackling in this Variables Module.
Please take time to engage your child in conversation about their investigations in class to reinforce their understanding of concepts and share in their experiences.