Everything is MATTER! 

1. Matter takes up space and has weight
2. Matter can be measured
3. Mass is how much matter is in an object

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What Happens When Matter is Heated?

I. Changing from a solid to a liquid

A. When matter is heated, it gains energy

1. Melt- to change from a solid to a liquid

Example: A solid block of ice melts to become water (a liquid)

2. Different kinds of matter melt at different temperatures

3. Particles in a solid are packed tightly together.

4. When a solid is heated and gains energy, its paricles begin

to move away from each other. They flow around each

other and are no longer held tightly together. This causes

the solid to lose its shape. It becomes a liquid.

Example: The lava flowing from a volcano is rock that is melted

from the heat deep beneath the Earth's surface.

II. Changing from a Liquid to a solid

A. When you cool a liquid to the right temperature, it will freeze

B. Freeze- is to change from a liquid to a solid

1. The particles in a the liquid lose energy when cooled and

move slower and closer together.

2. The particles get locked into position and form a solid

Example: Water freezes and becomes solid ice when the

temperature is 32 degrees.

c. Special properties of water: When water freezes, its

particles rearrange themselves and make a special pattern.

Empty spaces form between the particles and the frozen

water takes up more space than the liquid water.

***Water expands when frozen. Most liquids "contract" or shrink

III. Changing from a Gas to a Liquid

A. If you cool a gas to the right temperature it will "condense"

B. Condense-to change from a gas to a liquid

Example: Dew forms on the lawn when water vapor in the air cools and condenses.

C. When gases are cooled the particles lose energy and come

closer together to form a liquid.

IV. Changing from a liquid to a gas

A. If you heat a liquid to a high enough temperature, it will boil

1. Boil- to change from a liquid to a gas

2. Energy from heat causes the particles in a liquid to move

faster.

3. The particles spread apart and the liquid turns into a gas

Example: Boiling Water

4. Evaporation-Liquids change into a gas slowly

Example: Wet clothes drying outside

5. The Sun heats the water droplets in the clothes and the water turns into a gas and the clothes dry

V. What are physical changes?

1. Matter can change

2. Physical Change- a change in the matter looks

Example- Tearing paper changes the way matter looks, but the matter is still paper

.

3. When matter changes from one state to another, it is a physical change - Water may freeze but it is still water!

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Our First Unit will be on Climate and Weather

Important Vocabulary:

Climate: The pattern of weather at a certain place over a long time.

Weather: What the air is like at a certain time and place 

Precipitation: Water that falls to the graound from the atmosphere

Cloud: A collection fo tiny water drops or ice crystals in the air 

Water Cycle: How water moves between Earth's surface and the atmosphere

Season: A Time of year with different weather patterns

Atmosphere: A blanket of gases and tiny bits of dust that surround the Earth

Temperature: A measurement of how hot or how cold something is

Thermometer: An instrument that measures temperature

Wind:  Moving air

Air Pressure: Weight of air pressing down on Earth

Weather Balloon: A special tool to gather data about weather

Satellite: A weather satellite is a type of satellite that is primarily used to monitor the weather and climate of the Earth.

For more information on weather and weather forcasting go to http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-forecasting.htm

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By now you all have all seen some of the results of hurricane Irene.

So, what exactly is a hurricane?

A hurricane is a huge storm! It can be up to 600 miles across and have strong winds spiraling inward and upward at speeds of 75 to 200 mph. Each hurricane usually lasts for over a week, moving 10-20 miles per hour over the open ocean. Hurricanes gather heat and energy through contact with warm ocean waters. Evaporation from the seawater increases their power. Hurricanes rotate in a counter-clockwise direction around an "eye." The center of the storm or "eye" is the calmest part. It has only light winds and fair weather. When they come onto land, the heavy rain, strong winds and large waves can damage buildings, trees and cars.

Click Here to get your very own Hurricane Tracking Chart.

If you live an area that's prone to hurricanes, then an emergency kit can be a big help for you. An emergency kit is designed to give you all the basic things you need to survive and be safe, from a way to get clean water for yourself to first aid kits and other helpful tools.

How do hurricanes form?
Hurricanes only form over really warm ocean water of 80°F or warmer. The atmosphere (the air) must cool off very quickly the higher you go. Also, the wind must be blowing in the same direction and at the same speed to force air upward from the ocean surface. Winds flow outward above the storm allowing the air below to rise. Hurricanes typically form between 5 to 15 degrees latitude north and south of the equator. The Coriolis Force is needed to create the spin in the hurricane and it becomes too weak near the equator, so hurricanes can never form there.

What is storm surge?
Storm surges are frequently the most devastating element of a hurricane. As a hurricane’s winds spiral around and around the storm, they push water into a mound at the storm’s center. This mound of water becomes dangerous when the storm reaches land because it causes flooding along the coast. The water piles up, unable to escape anywhere but on land as the storm carries it landward. A hurricane will cause more storm surge in areas where the ocean floor slopes gradually. This causes major flooding.
As you watch the storm-surge animations, notice the effect that the physical geography of each coastline has on storm surge. Also, note the waves on top of the ocean's surface. Wind, waves, and sea-level rise all contribute to storm-surge damage.

Shallow-Water Coastline

Deep-Water Coastline

With technology the way it is, there are computer models that allow forecasters to predict the amount of storm surge that will affect a coastal area. These are called Slosh Models and take into account a storm’s strength, its path, how the ocean shallows, and the shape of the land. Then it calculates how much storm surge a hurricane will probably cause.

Notes for Later on in the Year!

Scientist CLASSIFY animals (put them into groups) in order to better study particular animals.

Animals are often CLASSIFIED by STRUCTURE.  STRUCTURE refers to the type of body part an animal possesses like:

• Fins or wings
• Gills or Lungs
• Number of legs
• Outter covering (EXOSKELETON (a hard outter covering or shell), fur/hair, scales etc.)

Animal Groups include:

Mammals -Warm blooded, give birth to live young, covered with hair or fur

Reptiles-Cold Blooded, covered with scales

Birds- Warm blooded, 2 legs with feathers, wings, and beaks

Fish-Breathe through gills, live in water, have scales and fins

Amphibians- Begin life in the water, breathing through gills, grow lungs and legs and live on land later

Scientists also classify animals using backbones.  VERTEBRATES are animals with a backbone, like dogs and cats and humans.

INVERTEBRATES are animals that do not have backbones like worms or lobsters.  Although lobsters do not have a backbone, they do have a hard shell or EXOSKELETON.