Mastering Scientific Investigation & Matter Skills

1. Science STAAR 5th: What You Need To Know Scientific Investigation and Reasoning Skills Reporting Category 1: Matter and Energy Lab Safety: wait and follow all directions, use equipment properly, wear safety equipment (ie. goggles – to protect your eyes), work safely (waft to detect odors, never taste substances, keep work area neat and clean), ask teacher for help with accidents or spills Scientific methods: Plan and conduct investigations Problem- ask a testable question Hypothesis –make a prediction about the answer to the question Experiment – Plan the investigation (controlled variables- kept the same, manipulated variable - changed), select equipment and use technology to collect, measure, and analyze data, repeat the trials for more reliability, organize data into tables & graphs Conclusion – explain the results (what does the information collected mean, compare results to your hypothesis) Graphs : chart or data table – columns and rows to compare data line graph circle graph – parts of a whole (always adds to 100%) bar graph –compares same data for different things line graph –shows how data changed as time passed (increased, decreased, or stayed the same) Measurement Tools: Investigation Tools: microscope (enlarges objects),hand lens (enlarges objects), magnet (attracts iron), collecting net (capture live specimens), hot plate (heating), compass (find directions), pan balance (compare mass of objects), triple beam balance (mass in grams), Celsius thermometer (temperature), prism (refracts light), mirror (reflects light), graduated cylinder (volume in mL), beaker (volume in mL), meter stick (length in cm) Key Words: draw conclusions, inference, hypothesis, analyze, interpret, variable, direct (observable) evidence, Indirect (inferred) evidence, reliability, valid conclusions, critique Models: Know the limitations of models used compared to actual objects, organisms, or events (size, materials, time, etc.). Matter : takes up space and has mass Physical Property of Matter: a property that can be observed, measured, or changed without changing the substance itself • state of matter (solid, liquid, gas) • color, texture, odor, temperature, hardness • magnetism (a force that pulls iron or steel across a distance) A magnet has two opposite poles (north and south) that exert a force causing opposite poles to attract (pull together) and like poles to repel (push apart).Magnetism can produce electricity. • mass (the amount of matter in an object or substance) • volume (the amount of space that an object or substance takes up) • solubility (ability of a substance to dissolve in another substance) • solution – a mixture of one substance (solute) dissolved In another (solvent). The solute spreads out evenly and cannot be seen. The physical properties are changed. Solutions with liquids must be separated by adding heat to evaporate the liquid. • mixture – a combination of two or more substances that maintain their physical properties. The substances can be separated from each other easily. • boiling/condensation point - Temperature at which liquid becomes gas or gas becomes liquid - a constant property that does not change. Water always boils/condenses at 100 degrees Celsius. Useful to help identify unknown substances. • melting/freezing point - Temperature at which solid becomes liquid or liquid becomes solid – a constant property that does not change. Water always melts/freezes at 0 degrees Celsius. Useful to help identify unknown substances. • conduction or insulation (of heat, electricity, and sound) • Conductors – materials that allow energy to move through them easily • Insulators – Materials that do not allow energy to move through them easily. graduated cylinder - volume (liter, milliliter) triple beam balance - mass (grams, milligrams) stop watch – time(min. or sec.) thermometer – temperature (degrees Celsius) ruler or meter stick - distance (meter,cm, mm) OR volume(cm3)

2. Reporting Category 1: Matter and Energy Reporting Category 2: Force, Motion, and Energy • relative density - The amount of mass in a known volume. When 2 substances have the same volume, the one with a greater mass has greater density. If a wood block is cut into 2 pieces, its density doesn’t change. Objects that have a density less than a fluid will float. Objects that have a density greater than a fluid will sink. Objects in a density column will layer according to their densities. The most dense substance will be on the bottom and the least dense will be on the top. Physical change – changing from one form to another form without turning into a new substance. • changes in state (melting (heat added), evaporating (heat added), condensing (heat taken away), freezing (heat taken away), boiling (heat added) • dissolving sugar in water • cracking (such as ice wedging - water seeps into rocks, then freezes & expands breaking the rock ) • change in color, shape, or size Light Energy- travels in waves outward in all directions from a source in a straight line. It can be absorbed, pass transmitted, reflected, or refracted. The colors of light that are reflected are the colors we see. Refraction –the bending of a wave as it travels from one medium to another. Light travels faster through air than through liquids. Refraction also occurs when light passes through a curved surface such as a lens. (Used in microscopes, telescopes, cameras, glasses, hand lenses, binoculars) Reflection – the bouncing of a wave off a surface at the same angle Refraction Reflection Transparent materials: allow light to pass through easily Translucent materials: scatter the light as it passes through so objects cannot be seen clearly. Opaque materials: absorb all light. Refracting (bending) light can separate white light into different colors (each color travels at a different speed). prism less density more density Reporting Category 2: Force, Motion, and Energy Energy: the ability to do work. There are many forms of energy including mechanical, light, sound, electrical, and thermal. Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it only changes from one form to another. Mechanical Energy – (energy of motion or potential for motion) Motion - the movement of objects from one location to another. The amount of motion depends on mass, size, shape, and friction. (Kinetic energy – energy that is in use and Potential energy – stored energy) Work is done when an object or organism changes position by a force . Force (a push or pull) that causes a change in position or direction of motion. Some forces act by direct contact, while some act over a distance such as a magnetic force and the force of gravity. Friction is a force that slows down motion (created when objects rub together).

3. Reporting Category 2: Force, Motion, and Energy Reporting Category 2: Force, Motion, and Energy Electrical energy - (flows in a circuit : can produce heat, light, sound, motion, and magnetism) Simple circuit – a closed pathway that allows electricity to flow through it. It begins and ends at a source of electricity. Electromagnet – a temporary magnet created by a flow of electric current around an iron bar. Sound energy – is a form of energy produced by vibrating objects (back and forth motion). Sound can only move through matter (cannot travel in outer space). Travels faster through solids. Vibration Waves Heat (Thermal) energy: almost always the product of other energy changes. Heat is generated from the constant motion of particles in matter. Transfer of heat: Transfer of heat is the flow of thermal energy from a material with a higher temperature to a material with a lower temperature. 3 ways to transfer thermal energy: 1.Conduction – direct contact ex: when you burn your hand by touching a hot iron • conduction can occur in solids, liquids & gases, but solids are the best • good conductors (easily conduct heat) of heat are metals like aluminum, gold and copper • good insulators (poorly conduct heat) of heat are wood, plastic, and foam 2.Radiation – travels by invisible waves in all directions from the source (does not need matter, can travel through space) ex- Earth being warmed by the Sun • Dark objects absorb thermal radiation and light objects reflect thermal radiation 3.Convection – transfer of heat through the motion of fluids (liquids and gases) which occurs through the movement of matter in the form of convection currents; hot water is less dense than cooler water and therefore, rises in a pan while the cooler water sinks to the bottom where it can become heated. Also, hot air rises while the cooler air sinks creating convection currents in rooms or on the surface of Earth. Convection Conduction Radiation Reporting Category 3: Earth and Space Landforms result of: Constructive forces - (build up the land) such as earthquakes (land may rise), volcanoes (magma pushes to surface and creates new land), deposition (creating deltas), movement of plates causing wrinkles, folds, and faults building up mountains. Destructive forces - (destroy, break down and wear away the Earth’s surface) such as weathering, erosion, earthquakes, volcanoes, glaciers, plant growth

4. Reporting Category 3: Earth and Space Reporting Category 3: Earth and Space Changes to surface of Earth : Rapid Changes - Movement of plates in Earth’s crust can cause rapid changes such as volcanoes, earthquakes, or tsunami (giant wave in ocean from underwater earthquake) mudslides, or floods. The plates slowly slide past, collide, or move away from each other. Slow changes – Weathering (the breaking down and wearing away of rock) caused by glaciers(pulled by gravity, friction wears away land), growth of plants, erosion (the movement of weathered materials by water, wind, or ice), dissolving, or deposition (the dropping of weathered materials in a new place). Landforms created - These processes create new landforms such as deltas (by deposition of sediment), canyons (by moving water weathering and eroding land), and sand dunes (by wind carrying and depositing sediments). Delta Sand Dunes Soil: Loose top layer of Earth’s surface containing different size grains of weathered rock and remains of dead organisms. Properties of Soil: • Color is affected by the minerals it contains • Texture - size of the particles • Capacity to retain (hold) water (depends on particle sizes) • Ability to support growth of plants • Filters water • Supports life cycle of many organisms Layers of soil: • humus – dead, decaying plants and animals • topsoil – loose rich soil near top with lots of humus and minerals • subsoil – has many minerals and might find clay(smallest particles of rocks ) • rock –large pieces of weathered rock Sedimentary Rocks: Formed by the following process – • Weathered pieces of sediment are deposited on the ocean floor. • Layers of sediment pile up over time and squeeze together as new layers are added building up pressure. • Heat from the Earth and increased pressure eventually turn these layers into sedimentary rocks. Fossils: Fossils are evidence of past living organisms. There are many types of fossils: organism remains replaced in the same shape with minerals, impressions and molds of their physical form in sedimentary rocks, and traces or markings of their activities created in the sediment before it became a solid rock. What happened before : Past events shaped present day land features. Studying fossils and rock layers tell the order of events that happened in the past as well as the climate. Most recent events are in the top layers, oldest events in the bottom layers. Fossils give clues to the type of environment and history of an organism. The deeper the fossil in the rock layers, the older it is. Youngest Oldest

5. Reporting Category 3: Earth and Space Reporting Category 3: Earth and Space Nonrenewable Resources : Resources that form so slowly that they take millions of years to create. Fossil Fuels – Oil and Natural Gas - formed from dead microorganisms buried under oceans. As sediments piled up, pressure and heat increased creating oil and natural gas. Fossil fuels contain stored chemical energy from dead organisms. 1. Diatoms (tiny sea creatures size of pin head) 3. Heat and pressure buried create oil and natural gas 2.Rock under pressure Coal - forms when land plants in swamps and marshes are buried under sediments. Heat and pressure over time creates coal. Ancient swamp Water Dead plant remains Sediments Peat (partially decayed plant matter) Sedimentary rocks Coal Path of Energy from Fossil Fuels: Sun - plants-dead plants and animals – fossil fuels – burned as heat energy Renewable Resources: Resources that can be replenished in a short amount of time. (Examples – plants, animals, water, air) Alternative Energy Resources (considered renewable resources): Wind – The kinetic energy of wind can be transformed to create mechanical or electrical energy using windmills or wind turbines (which create electricity). A group of wind turbines is called a wind farm. Solar – Uses the Sun’s energy to create electricity with curved mirrors (heat creates steam that turns turbines and creates electricity) or solar cells that directly create electricity. Hydroelectric – The kinetic energy in moving or falling water can be transformed into electricity. Hydro means water, so hydroelectric is creating electricity with waterpower. Dams are built to control the flow of water over turbines that spin to create the electricity. Geothermal – Hot water or steam from under the Earth’s surface is used in a geothermal power plant to create electricity. “Geo” means Earth and “thermal” means heat, so geothermal is “Earth’s heat”. The steam or hot water spins a turbine creating electricity. Biofuels - These are fuels that come from biomass. One type of biomass is dead organisms – trees, yard clippings, wood chips, etc. that are burned to generate steam which will spin a turbine creating electricity. Decomposing organisms and waste give off methane gas that can be collected and burned to generate energy too.

6. Reporting Category 3: Earth and Space Reporting Category 3: Earth and Space Weather and Climate:Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere in a certain time and place. It includes temperature, wind, air pressure, humidity (amount of water vapor in the air), and precipitation. Weather changes from day to day or hour to hour. Climate is the general pattern of weather in a certain part of the world over many years. For example, a location may usually be hot and dry in the summer, while another location may be warm and rainy each year. Climate is useful for predicting weather, because climates do not often change. Changes in Weather: As the Sun radiates heat, the water in the oceans takes longer to heat and cool than land does. This uneven heating and cooling creates windand weather. Differences in air pressure cause wind. Air warms and expands, becomes lighter (less dense, less pressure) and rises. Air cooling becomes heavier (more dense, more pressure) and sinks moving to fill in empty spaces. Wind from over the ocean keeps the temperature on land more constant and provides more rainfall to coastal lands. Air masses have different temperatures and moisture. These different temperatures and air pressure (weight of air pressing on everything around it from all sides) cause them to move in patterns. Weather can be predicted by changes in air pressure (falling –stormy weather, rising – fair weather) and the types of clouds present. Predicting Weather: Weather maps allow us to see what is happening in the atmosphere at various locations on Earth. Meteorologists analyze the patterns of weather movement to predict future weather and how long it will take to reach a particular location. Weather maps use symbols. Some symbols are easy to understand while others need a key to explain what they stand for. Symbols for warm fronts and cold fronts show the direction they are moving: Water Cycle: is the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth. The Sun, which drives the water cycle, heats the water in the oceans causing evaporation (water vapor). Water vapor also comes from transpiration from the leaves of plants. As the water vapor rises, it cools and condenses back to water drops forming clouds and fog. This is called condensation. When the droplets are large enough, they fall as precipitation. On the Earth’s surface, the precipitation will either be surface run-off flowing into rivers, streams, or lakes; or it will soak into the ground (called infiltration as it soaks into the ground and percolation as it moves down through the ground). The Sun’s Energy Drives The Water Cycle

7. Reporting Category 3: Earth and Space Reporting Category 3: Earth and Space Solar System : Characteristics of Sun: Earth’s nearest star made of hot gases; layers ; wind; atmosphere; gravitational pull; produces heat and light energy, rotates, orbits solar system Characteristics of Earth: layers, made of rock, soil, craters, mountains, plains, gravitational pull, atmosphere, wind, water, weather, weathering and erosion, quakes, life, orbits Sun, rotates Characteristics of Moon: layers, made of rock, soil, craters, mountains, plains (maria), gravitational pull (weaker than Earth), quakes, orbits Earth, rotates Gravity: The force of attraction between any two objects. The greater the mass of an object, the greater its gravitational force. Gravity keeps the planets in orbit around the Sun and the Moon in orbit around the Earth. Weight: A force caused by gravity’s pull on an object’s mass. Objects on other planets with less gravity would have less weight, but the mass would stay the same. Cycles: Rotation of Earth - 1 rotation in 24 hrs. creates day and night Revolution of Earth around Sun - once in 365 days (1 year) Shadows: Objects that block light create shadows. Shadows have a pattern of change that occurs depending on the location of the light source. As the Sun appears to move across the sky, shadows change their shape, size, and location. Shadows are always created on the opposite side of the object from the light source. Lunar Cycle - It depends on position of Earth, Moon, and Sun. The Moon does not produce light, it reflects light from the Sun. The appearance of the Moon changes through a sequence of phases as the Moon rotates and revolves around the Earth about once every month (so we always see the same side). Waxing – sunlit part becoming larger, Waning – sunlit part becoming smaller Seasonal Cycle - Sun’s energy reaching Earth is not the same everywhere, because the Earth is tilted on its axis (an imaginary line passing through Earth’s center from North Pole to South Pole). When the northern hemisphere of the Earth is tilted toward Sun as it revolves, it is summer. When tilted away from the Sun it is winter. Tide Cycle - The rise and fall of oceans in a regular pattern twice a day due to pull of Moon’s gravity on Earth. There are 2 high tides and 2 low tides each day. Low Tide Pull of gravity High TideHigh Tide Moon Low Tide The Sun’s pull of gravity can also affect how high the tides occur.

8. Reporting Category 4: Organisms and Environments Reporting Category 4: Organisms and Environments Organism: a living thing such as plants and animals that have basic needs of food, water, air, and an environment to live in (space, shelter, and the right climate). Adaptations: for survival (to stay alive) and reproduction (to make more organisms of the same kind) Animals: External characteristics - structures (body parts) that do a certain job (function) such as movement, defense, eating, building shelter, and camouflage (coloring blends in with environment), Inherited traits – physical characteristics (offspring look like parents) instinctive behaviors (born knowing these behaviors) migration(seasonal movement of animals from one place to another) protecting their young hibernation(a deep sleeplike state) building webs, hives, etc. Learned Behaviors – animal develops by observing other animals or by being taught (hunting or using tools) Interdependence: plants and animals depend on each other to survive (trees provide shelter for animals, bees help flowers pollinate) Ecosystem: the living and nonliving things in an environment that affect or interact with each other ( desert, rainforest, ocean, etc.) A change in the balance of an ecosystem by adding or taking away an organism will affect all the other organisms. Humans affect the balance of ecosystems when they cut down trees, build roads and cities, or allow pollution into the air and water. Natural hazards such as floods, fire, drought, earthquakes, volcanoes, and landslides can also change environments. These changes may be harmful at first, but can also be helpful (such as creating new soil or new shelters with fallen trees). Physical Characteristics of Ecosystems:Different environments have unique physical characteristics that provide for the needs of living organisms. The physical characteristics include landforms, type of soil, temperature, precipitation, and proximity of the environment to a body of water. The quantity and type of plant life in the environment may also be included as a characteristic. Plants: External characteristics – Structures that do a certain function leaves - make food through photosynthesis stem - moves food, water, and supports the plant roots - take in water and nutrients, holds the plant in place , and stores extra food. Inherited traits - All plant behaviors are inherited (direction of growth toward light or moisture - in dry areas roots grow shallow and wide) Photosynthesis: Leaf Cell The process Carbon Sun’s in which leaves Dioxide Plant’s Energy make food for Food the plant. (Glucose) Water Oxygen Life cycle: The different stages of growth and development that organisms go through . animal: either looks like parents and grows larger, or changes form during their life cycle (insect metamorphosis) plant: eitherproduces seeds in flowers or produces cones others produce spores (such as ferns and mosses) Metamorphosis – a change in form at each stage of a life cycle including complete and incomplete metamorphosis. • Complete metamorphosis has 4 stages – egg, larva, pupa, and adult. This life cycle involves a major change in form. Eggs Larva Pupa Adult (plant’s food)

9. Reporting Category 4: Organisms and Environments Reporting Category 4: Organisms and Environments • Incomplete Metamorphosis has 3 stages – egg, nymph, and adult. These insects do not go through major structural change. They resemble their parents with some slight differences. Competition: Plants and animals with similar needs compete with each other for resources (oxygen, water, food, and space). Over time, the stronger plants and animals will survive while the weaker smaller organisms will perish (die). Food chains: the flow of energy through ecosystems (arrows show direction of energy flow) Example of a simple food chain with arrows showing energy flow Food Webs: (different food chains that overlap) Sun (source of energy) Producers (plants): get their energy from the Sun. Through the process of photosynthesis, plants use the energy to produce food. Consumers (animals): get their energy by eating other organisms (predators eat other animals, prey are the animals eaten) 3 type of consumers: Herbivore – eats plants Carnivore – eats meat Omnivore – eats plants & animals Decomposers: get energy by feeding on dead materials and wastes (earthworms, centipedes, pill bugs, molds, mushrooms, and bacteria) Carbon cycle: the movement of carbon dioxide and oxygen between organisms and nonliving parts of our environment. It is essential to the survival of plants and animals. Animals use the oxygen and plants use the carbon dioxide to help meet their needs. Carbon Dioxide-Oxygen Cycle Plants release carbon dioxide during respiration. Plants take in oxygen to carry on respiration.