Mrs. Berg's Basics

  The Phases of the Moon From any location on the Earth, the Moon appears to be a circular disk which, at any specific time, is illuminated to some degree by direct sunlight. Like the Earth, the Moon is a sphere which is always half illuminated by the Sun, but as the Moon orbits the Earth we get to see more or less of the illuminated half. During each lunar orbit (a lunar month), we see the Moon's appearance change from not visibly illuminated through partially illuminated to fully illuminated, then back through partially illuminated to not illuminated again. Although this cycle is a continuous process, there are eight distinct, traditionally recognized stages, called phases. The phases designate both the degree to which the Moon is illuminated and the geometric appearance of the illuminated part. These phases of the Moon, in the sequence of their occurrence (starting from New Moon), are listed below. New Moon  - The Moon's unilluminated side is facing the Earth. The Moon is n...

  Shadows Shadows occur when an object blocks light from a source. An object that does not let light through is called opaque. When the Sun is high in the sky (late spring, summer, early fall, noontime) the shadows are short. When the Sun is at an intermediate height in the sky (spring, fall, early or late in the day) the shadows are of intermediate length. When the Sun is low in the sky (late fall, winter, early spring, or very early or very late in the day) the shadows are the longest. We can also learn about how the Sun moves in the sky by observing shadows. Shadows work like a sun dial. The Sun rises in the East. This means that if you are facing North, the Sun will be on your right and your shadow will be on your left, sort of in the direction of 9 AM. The Sun crosses the sky through the South and toward the West. As you face North, your shadow will progress through the 10 and 11 AM hours, be pointing northerly at Noon and move through the 1 and 2 PM hours during the afternoon...

  Seasons The Earth's seasons are not caused by the differences in the distance from the Sun throughout the year. The seasons are the result of the tilt of the Earth's axis. This tilting is what gives us the four seasons of the year - spring, summer, autumn (fall) and winter. Since the axis is tilted, different parts of the globe are oriented towards the Sun at different times of the year. Summer is warmer than winter (in each hemisphere) because the Sun's rays hit the Earth at a more direct angle during summer than during winter and also because the days are much longer than the nights during the summer. During the winter, the Sun's rays hit the Earth at an extreme angle, and the days are very short. These effects are due to the tilt of the Earth's axis. Here are some interactive sites on seasons: Who Wants to be a Millionaire with Seasons Season Simulator Why do we have seasons? The Science of the Seasons

Weather Instruments There are many types of instruments used to measure and collect weather data. Some of the instruments we are learning about include thermometers, wind vanes, anemometer, barometer, rain gauge, and weather maps. A THERMOMETER measures the air temperature. Most thermometers are closed glass tubes containing liquids such as alcohol or mercury. When air around the tube heats the liquid, the liquid expands and moves up the tube. A scale then shows what the actual temperature is. A BAROMETER measures air pressure. It tells you whether or not the pressure is rising or falling. A rising barometer means sunny and dry conditions, while a falling barometer means stormy and wet conditions. A RAIN GAUGE measures the amount of rain that has fallen over a specific time period. A WIND VANE is an instrument that determines the direction from which the wind is blowing. A WIND SOCK is a conical textile tube, which resembles a giant sock, designed to indicate wind direction and relativ...

  Fraction and Decimal Connections We are working on the connections between fractions and decimals. Decimals and fractions represent the same thing: a number that is not exactly a whole number. To convert fractions to decimals, decimals need to have a 10 or 100 in the denominator. Then you just plug it into the correct place value.                         So,  Here are some games that will help practice this skill: Model Decimals and Fractions Matching Game Puppy Chase Please let me know if you have any questions.

  Fractions A fraction is part of a whole. • the top number (the numerator) says how many parts we have • the bottom number (the denominator) says how many parts the whole is divided into Slice a pizza, and you will have fractions:                                  1/2                             1/4                             3/8       (One-Half)                    (One-Quarter)                  (Three-Eighths) The top number tells how many slices you have.  The bottom number tells how many slices the pizza was cut into. Watch this video for an introduction to fractions:  Fraction Lesson Here are some games to play that will solidify t...

  The Water Cycle   The water cycle describes the existence and movement of water on, in, and above the Earth. Earth's water is always in movement and is always changing states, from liquid to vapor (gas) to ice (solid) and back again. The water cycle has been working for billions of years and all life on Earth depends on it continuing to work.   The sun is what makes the water cycle work. The sun provides what almost everything on Earth needs to go—energy, or heat. Heat causes liquid and frozen water to evaporate into water vapor gas, which rises high in the sky to form clouds...clouds that move over the globe and drop rain and snow. This process is a large part of the water cycle. The four parts of the water cycle that we study are precipitation, accumulation, evaporation, and condensation.      Precipitation  is water released from clouds in the form of rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow, or hail. It is the primary connection in the water cycle that p...