Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Day Twenty Seven Overview

Day Twenty Seven Overview

- we began class by finishing up any lab work that was left over from the previous period
     - mixed silver nitrate with salt water
     - mixed hydrochloric acid with magnesium ribbon
- we then came back to class and worked in groups in two to indentify phases of matter "deal breakers"
     - what makes something solid?  liquid?  gas?
- we experimented with the non-newtonian liquid "oobleck" and tried to make conclusions about what it was and what properties it had
     - after messing with oobleck what do you think it is?

To be or not to be ... Solid Liquid or Gas





Homework
- finish "to be or not to be solid liquid and gas" worksheet
- study for a properties of matter quiz

Science NEWSSSS
Sleuth Finds the Truth in Ghost Stories

Day Twenty Six Overview

Day Twenty Six Overview

- got into groups to explain rationale behind different picture in the collages
     - why did you use it?
     - what does it stand for?




- also explained in groups the choices for words in the venn diagrams
- watched a video on the properties of matter
     - the video explained what matter was as well as went all the way into explaining when something is a chemical change
- after the video we went into the lab room to work on first hand examples of some more properties of matter
- the students had to fill out an observation table based on what they saw in the lab room

Physical and Chemical Changes Lab

Homework
- catch up on old work

Science News
Photos of Hurricane Sandy From Space

Day Twenty Five Overview

Day Twenty Five Overview

- we finished up watching science demonstrations and identifying what property of matter the demonstration showed and whether or not it was physical or chemical

Matter Demonstrations
Matter Properties Table

- we then worked in groups to fill out a venn diagram that asked the students to use vocabulary words to describe physical change, chemical change, and both
- the students were then asked to use their knowledge base and their venn diagram to help them construct collages, one for physical changes and one for chemical changes

Describing Matter Venn Diagram

Homework

- finish venn diagram and collage by next class period
- the collage does not need to be in color but a good deal of effort needs to be put forth

Science News

Can't Blame The Superstorm on Climate Change - Not Yet

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Day Twenty Four Overview

Day Twenty Four Overview

- began the class by posing the question "Would you be able to determine what kind of matter you had if you were not told what it was?  Would the physical properties on your chart enough to know exactly what matter it was?"
- class discussion lead to the fact that while many of these properties are descriptive, some are more specific than others
- we finished up our observations and shared our findings with the class to finish our matter chart
- we then took notes in our properties of matter note packet all the way through density
- then as a class we watched a number of scientific demonstrations and the students were tasked with knowing what property was being demonstrated and if it was physical or chemical

Teacher Tube Demonstrations
Matter Properties Table

Homework
- study for vocabulary quiz that will be next class period

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Day Twenty Three Overview

Day Twenty Three Overview

- began class with a ticket in the door that asked the students if they were able to define the terms condense, conductive, malleable, and ductile
- we then as a class took a practice vocabulary quiz that asked many true false questions regarding the new vocabulary we have started to learn
- after going over the vocabulary we then began to take notes in our Properties of Matter packet
- we took notes on both physical and chemical properties

Properties of Matter Notes Packet

- after taking notes we then did an in class activity where the students were asked to explore a number of different examples of matter
- the students were asked to determine whether or not the matter had a number of physical properties

Properties of Matter Chart


Homework

- make up any late work

Science NEWS!
Assembly of Nano-Machine Resembles Human Muscle

Monday, October 22, 2012

Day Twenty Two Overview

Day Twenty Two Overview

- we began class with a ticket IN the door question
     - "Matter is all around us.  What is matter?  What is matter made of?  How would you measure matter?"
- we then reviewed some old vocabulary terms and introduced some new vocabulary terms on our vocabulary sheet
- some terms that were introduced were physical properties, chemical properties, malleable, ductile, flammable, reactive, conductive, oxidize, solid, liquid, gas, plasma, melting, freezing, boiling, condensing
- vocabulary took most of the class but at the end there were a couple other activities
- we role played as molecules how we would act if we were part of a solid, liquid, or gas
- we also watched a video where a scientist described various states of matter and used a vacuum to turn liquid nitrogen into solid nitrogen!
States of Matter Video

Homework

- catch up on any late work

Day Twenty One Overview

Day Twenty One Overview

- we began class with some class discussion to review concepts that had to do with the density of liquids
     - If liquids were in a cup which ones would flow to the bottom?  Which ones would stay on top?  Would all of them just mix and not separate out into layers?
- I had the class try to predict what order the following liquids would separate out into ... water, honey, pancake syrup, alcohol, dish soap, and vegetable oil
- after all of the class predictions we went over what the properties of dense and not dense liquids are
- I then told the class the answer to their prediction problem and got them started on completing their own "Density Tower"
- the finished products looked something like this

- the students were asked to complete an accompanying worksheet that will be counted as a lab grade
Density Tower of Liquid

Homework
- complete Density Tower worksheet by next class

Science News
Offsetting Global Warming

Day Twenty Overview

Day Twenty Overview

- we took the Unit 1A test in class

Homework

- relax and take a breather

Science News

Water Could Flow On Mars

Monday, October 15, 2012

Science is way cool!

Day Nineteen Overview

Day Nineteen Overview

- We warmed up with a question that asked "what careers do you think use density all of the time?"
- We also warmed up with a question that asked "why do you think density is important?"
- We played a review jeopardy game to go over the key concepts that will be covered on the unit test
- I told the students that if they still do not feel prepared for the test they should take out their skills and methods note packet and quiz themselves on the questions inside the packet.  If they can answer those questions then they should be fine for the test.

Homework

- Density of solids and liquids labs are due 10/16 (Tuesday) for ALL CLASSES
- Unit test is 10/16 for red class and 10/17 for orange and green class ... get studying!

Science NEWSSSSSS
When Galaxies Eat Galaxies

Day Eighteen Overview

Day Eighteen Overview

- as a class we went over the density review questions that the students completed the previous night for homework
- after going over the review questions the students took their density quiz
- after the density quiz students had independent work time to work on labs or other work that needed to be turned in

Homework

- labs due 10/16 for ALL CLASSES (this is because I forgot to hand back corrections to red class in time for them to make the neccessary changes)
- unit test 10/16 for red class 10/17 for orange and green classes ... get studying!

Science News
NASA's Ironman-like Exoskeleton

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Day Seventeen Overview

Day Seventeen Overview

- this day was a day to challenge the students and see if they are able to apply what they have learned
- the students were broken into groups and tasked with the job of completing a density word problem
- the density word problem contained a set amount of given information and a number of statements that are meant to give clues as to how to find the rest of the information that was not given
- the first group to finish the activity correctly was given a prize (candy!)

Density Puzzle

- students were then directed to start working on the review questions at the end of their Skills and Methods note packet
- those questions will be used as review for a test in the near future
- the students were also warned that there will be a calculating Density, Mass, and Volume quiz the next day in class

Homework

- complete ALL of the review questions at the back of the Skills and Methods note packet (due the next day in class, will be checked)
- finish the Density of Solids and Liquids Labs (due 10/15 for Red and 10/16 for Green and Orange)

Science NEWS
Extending Einstein's Theory Beyond Light Speed

Friday, October 5, 2012

Day Sixteen Overview

Day Sixteen Overview

- in class we worked on a second lab that involved measuring and calculating density
- this particular lab involved determining the density of liquids while the previous day's lab involved calculating the density of solids
- students for the most part worked diligently and completed most of the lab during class time leaving little left to complete at home

Density of Liquids Lab

- students were reminded that if a lab is handed in before the due date I will check it over and hand it back, expecting that the student will then make corrections and hand it in again by the date that it is due

Homework

- density of solids and density of liquids labs are due next D day for Red Class and next E day for Orange and Green class

Science News!
How Order Arises from the Random Motion of Particles in the Cosmos

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Day Fifteen Overview

Day Fifteen Overview

- class handed in the long term homework assignment (all review questions at the end of chapter 2) as well as the solving for mass, volume, and density worksheet
- reviewed the procedures for lab
- reviewed what a regular and irregular object is and how to find their respective volumes
     - regular object volume is found using a ruler (cm^3)
     - irrengular object volume is found using a graduated cylinder or a displacement can (mL)
- completed all the measurements in lab

Density of Solids Lab

Homework
- Density of Solids Lab due next D day for Red class and next E day for Orange and Green class

Science NEWS!
Sticky paper offers cheap, easy solution for paper-based diagnostics

Day Fourteen Overview

Day Fourteen Overview

- completed a class warm-up activity where I asked the students to rank 7 household objects in order from lowest density to highest density
- corrected and went over Solving for Density Worksheet
- worked on a worksheet as a class to help understand what objects can tell us about their density when they float or sink
Float or Sink Sheet
- started working on a worksheet where the students solved not just for density, but for mass and volume as well
     - whatever was not finished in class was assigned as homework
Solving for Mass Volume and Density Worksheet
- if there was extra time the students had time to work on homework

Homework
- read chapter 2 in the textbook and answer all of the review questions at the end of the chapter (due 10/3 for Red and due 10/4 for Orange and Green)
- Mystery Object Density worksheet is due today (10/1 for Red, 10/2 for Orange, 10/4 for Green)
- Solving for Mass Volume and Density worksheet due next class (10/3 for Red, 10/4 for Orange, and 10/5 for Green)

Monday, October 1, 2012

Day Thirteen Overview

Day Thirteen Overview

- finished the notes in the Skills and Methods Note Packet
- demonstrated what the relationship between Density and Buoyancy looks like
- used a web simulation at http://phet.colorado.edu/sims/density-and-buoyancy/density_en.html to demonstrate to the students that density does not change under normal conditions
- no matter how large or small a piece of material is, the Density of that material is always the same
- I then told the students that "i lied" and that there are two things that can change the density of a material ... pressure and temperature
- showed the students a web simulation that demonstrated the motion of molecules as they heat and cool at ... http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/states-of-matter
- completed an in class activity called "Mystery Object Density" where the students used the web simulation at http://phet.colorado.edu/sims/density-and-buoyancy/density_en.html to make measurements and determine the Density of mystery materials
Mystery Object Density
- worked on a worksheet where the students just solved for Density
Solving just for Density

Homework

- read Chapter 2 in the textbook and answer all of the review questions at the end of the chapter (due 10/3 for Red Class and due 10/4 for Orange and Green Class)
- finish the Mystery Object Density Sheet if not already finished in class