Unit 3 Energy Transformation: Non-Living Systems

TEKS: 6.8a, 6.9a Students will learn about energy in this unit. Energy is linked to being able to cause change. Almost everytime something changes there is energy involved. Energy can be found in many forms including heat, sound, electrical, solar (sun), wind, etc. Energy can also be transformed or changed from one form to another. Enjoy the activities below as you investigate energy in many forms.


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Learn about energy on this website. Learn what energy is, where it comes from, what it can be used for and how, and much much more. Be sure to read the whole introduction. Then read about many forms of energy in this site. You can choose how much and what types of energy to read and learn about. Click on the green energy logo to enter.



Click on the windmill picture to watch a video on wind energy. After watching the first video you can select other videos on wind energy or other forms of energy.





This game is primarily for fun. Notice the low energy light bulbs. Light is one form of energy. We transform (change) electrical energy into light. Do you remeber what other form of energy light bulbs put off. Hint: Do you ever want to grab a light bulb that has been on for a while. This game will definitely work on you hand eye coordination too. Click on the bulb to the right.

Unit 2 Force and Motion

Unit 2 covers TEKS 6.6A and 6.6B During classtime your student has focused on the following main topics and questions.
Key Understandings and Guiding Questions:
• Forces cause changes in an object’s position, speed and direction.
How are change in position, speed and direction recognized?
• Changes in motion can be measured and graphically represented.
How do graphs change visually when distance vs. time and speed vs. time graphs are compared?
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Below you will find links to activities that will reinforce their learning experience. Connect to the fun links by clicking on the black word or words that follow the description. Keep checking back I'll add more links as I find them. ~Mrs. Freelove
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A force is a push or pull. Practice using force here. Don't forget the quiz at the end. If you want more to do with forces click on the What's Next tab. Forces

In this link test how the height of a ramp effects the distance a truck travels. Also attach parachutes to the truck to see how resistance effects the distance travels. You will be able to enter the information you collect (data) into a table as you experiment. After you play the game be sure to click on the box that says Revision Bite for more learning fun. Don't forget to take the quiz at the end. Truck motion
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This website will help you understand the concept of friction. Have fun playing the game. When you finish don't forget to try the quiz and click on the Revision Bite button for more learning fun.
FRICTION
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Now that you've played with forces, motion, and friction try your hand at jcreating a roller coaster. Go to the link below. This site loads very slowly, so you will need to be patient! Make adjustments to the current coaster using the buttons. Once you create a coaster that is able to make it through the loop, your coaster is complete. Coaster Fun

Now you've got the idea. Try building a rollercoaster on this link. Coaster Building Fun

Unit 1 Lesson 2 Chemical vs Physical Changes

During the first part of this lesson we learned about physical properties. In this lesson we learned about chemical properties, chemical reactions, and chemical changes. TEK 6.7B

Vocab:
Chemical change-when you change more then just how something looks (physical change), it may change the way it looks but it also changes what it is, more then just a change in looks
Chemical changes are caused as a result of chemical reactions.
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Chemical reaction-a reaction that causes a substance to change into other substances; the atoms (smallest piece that makes up a substance) are rearranged inside the substance(s)
• After a chemical reaction, the properties of the new substances differ from the original substances.

Your student has completed lab activites about physical and chemical changes in class. Below they can challenge themselves to a quiz and check their understanding between physical and chemical changes. Good luck.
Chemical or Physical change quiz

Unit 1 Lesson 1 Physical Properties

This lesson is on physical properties. Physical properties are things you can observe using your 5 senses (seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, tasting). Many times physical properties can also be measured with scientific tools like rulers, balances, or graduated cylinders (to name a few). TEKS covered in Unit 1 Lesson 1: 6.7b,6.4a (rulers, balances)

Ruler -----------------------Triple beam balance -----graduated cylinder
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Physical properties can also be tested or observed other ways. We often test to see if they are magnetic, a conductor (move energy, ex. electrical energy flows or moves through metal, so metal is a conductor of electrical energy), or an insulator (they stop the flow or movement of energy).

State of matter is another physical property you can observe. State of matter refers to whether you are a solid, liquid, or gas.

Please enjoy the following activities or games and learn more about the physical properties described above and more. Links are in black type. Simply click on the black type to access the links.

This link takes you to a lab activity to explore conductors and insulators of electricity.

Electrical Fun

Click on this link to try a review game on conductors and insulators. Conductors vs Insulators

Click on this link to play with and learn about magnets and force. Magnetism is another physical property. Magnetism

This link will allow you to test several physical properties of different objects.

Testing Physical Properties

Use this link to practice measuring with a ruler. I encourage you to use the centimeter side, because that is the unit scientists use to measure length. Start easy then move on the medium and eventually hard as you learn how to measure. Using a ruler

This link will review several things about using a triple beam balance. You will even get to practice reading the balance. Triple Beam Balance

Read through this site and learn how to use a graduated cylinder. After reading the page click on the triangles on the side to move forward or backwards as you learn. Graduated Cylinder More on using a graduated cylinder. Graduated Cylinder 2

Welcome

Dear Parents,

Welcome to 6th grade science. This blog will be open this year for you and your student. Please visit it often. You will find many things on this blog. They will include, but won't be limited to: what your child is learning, fun games or activities to help your student with science concepts or lessons, sites to visit, and so forth. The blog will change throughout the year. I hope you and your child not only enjoy this blog, but that your love of science will grow together this year.

In this blog I will refer to the TEKS my science lessons are based on. The following link will take you to the TEKS. If you would like to learn more about them or check on the state standards your child is required to know and will be tested on in 8th grade, simply click on this link. Middle School TEKS

Have fun!

Mrs. Freelove

karen.freelove@region16.net

658-4521 (school)