Lithorama 2009
Saturday, November 21 10:00 - 5:00 PM
Sunday, November 22 10:00 - 4:00 PM
The Barn in Livermore, 3131 Pacific Avenue off South Livermore Avenue
Come see the crystals grown by the 4th grade students from Livermore schools. Enjoy the rainbow room of fluorescent minerals. Come see the mammoth and horse fossils found at the Zone 7 Dig Site in Livermore. There will be many other exhibits of rocks, minerals, and fossils. Children, make a free rock collection and take it home. Donation - Adults $4.00 Children 12 and under free with adult. http://www.lithophiles.com/lithorama.html
The Rancho science program provides opportunities for students to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to function productively as problem-solvers in a scientific and technological world. Students in grades 1 – 5 attend classes in one of two science labs. First, second, third and fourth grade students attend science in room 11 with science teacher Anna Kasman. Fourth, and fifth grade students attend science in room 12 with science teacher Teresa Paden. The curriculum for all grade levels is derived from the California Science Content Standards. Instruction from all three branches of science - Physical Science, Earth Science, and Life Science is delivered to each grade level. Science concepts are made accessible to every student through a balanced approach of direct instruction and hands-on activities.
Rancho hosts an annual Family Science Night, which is held in April. Besides the annual district wide Science Odyssey in March, Rancho science students will also experience the visiting Digital Portable Planetarium. The science program at Rancho includes classroom presentations and assemblies by Environmental Education for Kids (EEK) where students learn about taking care of waste in responsible ways thereby protecting our environment and resources..
Science Curriculum
Physical Science – Fall (Sept – Dec)
• Grade 1: Emphasis on using the senses to describe the properties of matter, distinguish solids from liquids and gases. Observe what happens to matter when heated or cooled and observing mixtures of matter.
• Grade 2: Emphasis on forces, such as gravity and friction, simple machines, magnets and sound energy.
• Grade 3: Review solids, liquids and gases. Emphasize evaporation, melting and condensation. Distinguish between physical and chemical changes. Introduce all forms of energy with a focus on sound and light.
• Grade 4: Focus on electricity, both static and current, conductors, resistors and circuits, magnets and compasses and electromagnets.
• Grade 5: Emphasis on atoms, elements, compounds, periodic table, chemical reactions, the pH scale and the scientific method in preparation for the Science Odyssey.
Earth Science – Winter (Jan – Mar)
• Grade 1: Introduce weather, measuring weather conditions and the importance of the sun and the seasons.
• Grade 2: Rocks, minerals, soil, fossils and dinosaurs, and natural resources.
• Grade 3: Earth, sun, moon, moon phases, the seasons, the solar system and telescopes.
• Grade 4: Minerals, rocks, the rock cycle, weathering, erosion, landforms, earthquakes and volcanoes.
• Grade 5: Earth and California's water, the water cycle, air currents and wind, the atmosphere, severe weather and predicting weather. The sun and the structure of the solar system
Life Science - Spring (April – June)
• Grade 1: Plants and their needs, parts of a plant, animals and what they need, land and water habitats and food chains
• Grade 2: Plant life cycle, plant parts, plant growth and environments, classifying animals, animal life cycles and animal traits
• Grade 3: Adaptations in land environments, adaptations in water environments, life in various biomes, how changes affect living things and living things of the past
• Grade 4: Emphasis on living things and how they obtain energy, food chains, food webs and animal adaptation.
• Grade 5: Emphasis on the cell, the microscope, tissues and organs, the circulatory, digestive and excretory systems of the human body, vascular plants, photosynthesis and plant respiration
