Monday, June 10, 2013
Day One Hundred Eleven Overview
Day One Hundred Eleven Overview
Last Day Of School!
- we watched Apollo 13 and ate snacks
- I told the students how much of a pleasure it was to teach them this year
- I also wished all of the students luck on their final exams
Last Day Of School!
- we watched Apollo 13 and ate snacks
- I told the students how much of a pleasure it was to teach them this year
- I also wished all of the students luck on their final exams
Homework
- study study study for final exams
- have a great summer!
Science News
Day One Hundred Ten Overview
Day One Hundred Ten Overview
- with the first half of class we ran a question and answer session based on questions that the students developed from their year in review packets
- each student in the class asked at least one question each until everybody in the class had asked a question
- with the rest of class we played review jeopardy
- the winning teams in class received points for a free hw assignment
- with the first half of class we ran a question and answer session based on questions that the students developed from their year in review packets
- each student in the class asked at least one question each until everybody in the class had asked a question
- with the rest of class we played review jeopardy
- the winning teams in class received points for a free hw assignment
Homework
- study study study for final exams
- have a great summer!
Science News
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Day One Hundred Nine Overview
Day One Hundred Nine Overview
- we began class with a warm up that asked the students to list as many forms of energy as they could
- our list included potential energy, kinetic energy, mechanical energy, thermal energy, sound energy, light energy, chemical energy, nuclear energy, and electrical energy
- after our warm up we finished our notes about kinetic and potential energy
- kinetic energy is the energy of motion
- potential energy is stored energy
- we also talked about the law of conservation of energy
- no energy is created or destroyed, it just changes from one form to another or moves from object to object
- the amount of energy in the universe is the same now and it always was
- with the last twenty minutes of class we played a review game using questions that the students had generated
- the winning teams received candy
Homework
- write a news article based on our Physical Science: Year in Review packet
News Article Assignment
Science News
Jim Morrison Finally Gets His Lizard
- we began class with a warm up that asked the students to list as many forms of energy as they could
- our list included potential energy, kinetic energy, mechanical energy, thermal energy, sound energy, light energy, chemical energy, nuclear energy, and electrical energy
- after our warm up we finished our notes about kinetic and potential energy
- kinetic energy is the energy of motion
- potential energy is stored energy
- we also talked about the law of conservation of energy
- no energy is created or destroyed, it just changes from one form to another or moves from object to object
- the amount of energy in the universe is the same now and it always was
- with the last twenty minutes of class we played a review game using questions that the students had generated
- the winning teams received candy
Homework
- write a news article based on our Physical Science: Year in Review packet
News Article Assignment
Science News
Jim Morrison Finally Gets His Lizard
Monday, June 3, 2013
Day One Hundred Eight Overview
Day One Hundred Eight Overview
- today the students took the written portion of the NYS Grade 8 Intermediate Level Science Test
Homework
- study for your Physical Science final!
Science News
Iron From the Sky
- today the students took the written portion of the NYS Grade 8 Intermediate Level Science Test
Homework
- study for your Physical Science final!
Science News
Iron From the Sky
Friday, May 31, 2013
Physical Science Year in Review Sheet
Use this sheet to help you study for your NYS Science 8 test and for your Physical Science final!
Day One Hundred Seven Overview
Day One Hundred Seven Overview
- we began class by working on an Ecology review packet to refresh the student's memories on a topic from last year
- most students were able to remember the difference between producer and consumer, what a food web is, how to interpret a food web, and what an energy pyramid looks like
- after having the students work on the packet for 10 - 15 minutes I went over the answers to a few of the problems on the Smartboard
Ecology Review Packet
- after going over some ecology, I gave the students a quick lesson on genetics
- we reviewed the terms heterozygous and homozygous
- we also reviewed the terms genotype and phenotype
- lastly, we worked through some Punnet Square examples on a genetics worksheet
Genetics Worksheet
- to finish class I asked the students what they remembered about the parts of a cell
- most of the students remembered more than they thought they would
- we worked through the parts of the cell as a class
Cells Review Packet
Homework
- study for written portion of NYS Science 8 test
Science News
A Spider (Web) Of Knowledge
- we began class by working on an Ecology review packet to refresh the student's memories on a topic from last year
- most students were able to remember the difference between producer and consumer, what a food web is, how to interpret a food web, and what an energy pyramid looks like
- after having the students work on the packet for 10 - 15 minutes I went over the answers to a few of the problems on the Smartboard
Ecology Review Packet
- after going over some ecology, I gave the students a quick lesson on genetics
- we reviewed the terms heterozygous and homozygous
- we also reviewed the terms genotype and phenotype
- lastly, we worked through some Punnet Square examples on a genetics worksheet
Genetics Worksheet
- to finish class I asked the students what they remembered about the parts of a cell
- most of the students remembered more than they thought they would
- we worked through the parts of the cell as a class
Cells Review Packet
Homework
- study for written portion of NYS Science 8 test
Science News
A Spider (Web) Of Knowledge
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Day One Hundred Six Overview
Day One Hundred Six Overview
- the students took the lab portion of their NYS Science 8 assessment
- the students took the lab portion of their NYS Science 8 assessment
Homework
- study old tests and quizzes
Science News
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Day One Hundred Five Overview
Day One Hundred Five Overview
- we began class by going over whatever we did not get to after our previous practice test session
- after going over the last test portion I gave the students a mini lesson on microscopes
- we went over the main parts of a microscope
- we also went over how to determine how much magnification the microscope has
- the students filled out a corresponding worksheet
Microscope Basics Powerpoint
Microscope Basics Worksheet
- after going over the microscope basics we went upstairs to the 7th grade lab room and worked through the last station in our practice lab exam
- the students were given 15 minutes to complete this station
- after the station the students came back downstairs and watched a 20 minute movie titled "Roller Coaster Physics"
- we began class by going over whatever we did not get to after our previous practice test session
- after going over the last test portion I gave the students a mini lesson on microscopes
- we went over the main parts of a microscope
- we also went over how to determine how much magnification the microscope has
- the students filled out a corresponding worksheet
Microscope Basics Powerpoint
Microscope Basics Worksheet
- after going over the microscope basics we went upstairs to the 7th grade lab room and worked through the last station in our practice lab exam
- the students were given 15 minutes to complete this station
- after the station the students came back downstairs and watched a 20 minute movie titled "Roller Coaster Physics"
Homework
- finish the Roller Coaster Physics Questions
Science News
Day One Hundred Four Overview
Day One Hundred Four Overview
- I asked the students to hand in their Energy Resources Packets that they had completed for homework
- I then explained to the students that the end of the year is upon us and things are about to get a little crazy!
- next week the students have the Lab portion of their NYS Science 8 assessment, where they are tested on what they have learned in Science from 5th grade through 8th grade
- this class we worked on practicing Physics concepts that they may have to demonstrate on their Lab assessment
- it was run as a practice test, and will be very similar to what they see for their actual Lab assessment
- the students were given 15 minutes each to finish two stations ... the ball and ramp, and density of soaps
- after the practice I brought the students back into the classroom to review some key features of the assessment and stress to them how important reading directions is
Homework
- make up any late work
Science News
Why Most Snails Coil To The Right
- I asked the students to hand in their Energy Resources Packets that they had completed for homework
- I then explained to the students that the end of the year is upon us and things are about to get a little crazy!
- next week the students have the Lab portion of their NYS Science 8 assessment, where they are tested on what they have learned in Science from 5th grade through 8th grade
- this class we worked on practicing Physics concepts that they may have to demonstrate on their Lab assessment
- it was run as a practice test, and will be very similar to what they see for their actual Lab assessment
- the students were given 15 minutes each to finish two stations ... the ball and ramp, and density of soaps
- after the practice I brought the students back into the classroom to review some key features of the assessment and stress to them how important reading directions is
Homework
- make up any late work
Science News
Why Most Snails Coil To The Right
Monday, May 20, 2013
Day One Hundred Three Overview
Day One Hundred Three Overview
- the students took their Forces in Motion test
- after the test the students had an opportunity to start their homework
- the homework was a reading along with corresponding questions that had to do with forms of Energy
Homework
- Energy Resources Packet
Energy Resources Packet
Science News
Easy Hiking, and Biking, on Titan
- the students took their Forces in Motion test
- after the test the students had an opportunity to start their homework
- the homework was a reading along with corresponding questions that had to do with forms of Energy
Homework
- Energy Resources Packet
Energy Resources Packet
Science News
Easy Hiking, and Biking, on Titan
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Day One Hundred Two Overview
Day One Hundred Two Overview
- as a warm up I had the students work on some momentum calculation problems
- they were asked to solve for momentum, mass, and velocity
- for extra credit on their test the students were asked to correctly solve the conservation of momentum problem on the back of the worksheet
Momentum Warm up Worksheet
- we began class by going over the review packets that the students were to do for homework
- I asked the students if they had any specific questions about the packet, or things that they are still having difficulty with
- after going over the review packet we played a review game on the Smartboard ... Forces in Motion BATTLESHIP!
Homework
- study study study study for your TEST
Science News
Zipping Around Uranus and Neptune
- as a warm up I had the students work on some momentum calculation problems
- they were asked to solve for momentum, mass, and velocity
- for extra credit on their test the students were asked to correctly solve the conservation of momentum problem on the back of the worksheet
Momentum Warm up Worksheet
- we began class by going over the review packets that the students were to do for homework
- I asked the students if they had any specific questions about the packet, or things that they are still having difficulty with
- after going over the review packet we played a review game on the Smartboard ... Forces in Motion BATTLESHIP!
Homework
- study study study study for your TEST
Science News
Zipping Around Uranus and Neptune
Day One Hundred One Overview
Day One Hundred One Overview
- we began class by going over the Which Law is it? worksheet
- students showed a strong grasp of Newton's three laws of motion
- after going over the worksheet I had the students watch a short flash animation clip that further reviewed the three laws of motion along with Newton's life and contributions to society
Newton's Laws Interactive
- at the end of the interactive clip there was a short 10 question that I had the students take
- the first 9 questions I counted and question 10 was a bonus question
- we went over the quiz and the class noticed that they all did very very well!
- after the quiz we began to talk about the last new material of this unit ... momentum
- I asked the students if anybody in the class had heard the word momentum before
- I then asked the class if anybody was willing to try and define the word momentum, or explain the concept
- some of the boys brought up that they hear the word momentum when they are watching sports games
- we then had a short discussion that involved relating momentum in a sports setting to what momentum means in physics
- I provided the students with the formula ... momentum = mass x velocity
- something that is not moving has no momentum
- faster moving objects have more momentum than slower moving objects
- larger objects with more mass have more momentum than smaller objects with little mass
- we began class by going over the Which Law is it? worksheet
- students showed a strong grasp of Newton's three laws of motion
- after going over the worksheet I had the students watch a short flash animation clip that further reviewed the three laws of motion along with Newton's life and contributions to society
Newton's Laws Interactive
- at the end of the interactive clip there was a short 10 question that I had the students take
- the first 9 questions I counted and question 10 was a bonus question
- we went over the quiz and the class noticed that they all did very very well!
- after the quiz we began to talk about the last new material of this unit ... momentum
- I asked the students if anybody in the class had heard the word momentum before
- I then asked the class if anybody was willing to try and define the word momentum, or explain the concept
- some of the boys brought up that they hear the word momentum when they are watching sports games
- we then had a short discussion that involved relating momentum in a sports setting to what momentum means in physics
- I provided the students with the formula ... momentum = mass x velocity
- something that is not moving has no momentum
- faster moving objects have more momentum than slower moving objects
- larger objects with more mass have more momentum than smaller objects with little mass
- I then used tennis balls and billiard balls to explain to the students that momentum is conserved before and after a collision
- if there are two balls about to collide and ball A has a momentum of 10 kg m/s and ball B is stationary with a momentum of 0 kg m/s they will swap their momentum's after the collision because momentum has to be conserved
Homework
- finish the Review Packet
Science News
Monday, May 13, 2013
Day One Hundred Overview
Day One Hundred Overview
- we began class by reviewing the first two Newton's Laws
- Law #1 - objects in motion stay in motion and objects at rest stay at rest
- Law #2 - force, mass, and acceleration are all related
- we then did some practice calculation work using the F = ma formula
- the students worked in groups and were given approximately 15 minutes to complete a list of problems that asked the students to solve for mass, acceleration, and force
- after the students were done working we went over the answers as a class
F = ma worksheet
- we then went over Newton's Third Law
- objects that exert a force on something have an equal and opposite force exerted on them
- with every action there is an equal and opposite reaction
- we began class by reviewing the first two Newton's Laws
- Law #1 - objects in motion stay in motion and objects at rest stay at rest
- Law #2 - force, mass, and acceleration are all related
- we then did some practice calculation work using the F = ma formula
- the students worked in groups and were given approximately 15 minutes to complete a list of problems that asked the students to solve for mass, acceleration, and force
- after the students were done working we went over the answers as a class
F = ma worksheet
- we then went over Newton's Third Law
- objects that exert a force on something have an equal and opposite force exerted on them
- with every action there is an equal and opposite reaction
Homework
Science News
Day Ninety Nine Overview
Day Ninety Nine Overview
- we began class by discussing our homework
- I asked the students if anybody would like to share what they wrote for their paragraph on Newton's First Law
- one of the best examples that I heard was a student that used an air hockey table as an example of Newton's First Law
- if the table was infinitely large, one would assume that the puck would move for quite a long time if it was motion ... almost forever
- the only reason that the puck would come to a stop would be that it was acted upon by an outside force
- that force could be friction, a paddle, the air hockey goal ... a number of things
- after discussing our homework paragraph we began to take notes through Newton's Second Law
- Newton's Second Law states that force, mass, and acceleration are all related to one another
- F = ma
- I demonstrated to the students how if a tennis ball with a certain mass can have more force if you increase it's acceleration
- we watched a couple video clips to help cement the concept
- we began class by discussing our homework
- I asked the students if anybody would like to share what they wrote for their paragraph on Newton's First Law
- one of the best examples that I heard was a student that used an air hockey table as an example of Newton's First Law
- if the table was infinitely large, one would assume that the puck would move for quite a long time if it was motion ... almost forever
- the only reason that the puck would come to a stop would be that it was acted upon by an outside force
- that force could be friction, a paddle, the air hockey goal ... a number of things
- after discussing our homework paragraph we began to take notes through Newton's Second Law
- Newton's Second Law states that force, mass, and acceleration are all related to one another
- F = ma
- I demonstrated to the students how if a tennis ball with a certain mass can have more force if you increase it's acceleration
- we watched a couple video clips to help cement the concept
- after watching the clips we went through some examples of Newton's First Law
- dominoes
- pulling out a table cloth
- barbie car crash
Homework
- finish the online portion of the Newton's First Law station worksheet
Science News
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Day Ninety Eight Overview
Day Ninety Eight Overview
- we began class by answering three questions for a warm up
1. What part of your egg drop design worked well? explain
2. What part of your egg drop design worked poorly? explain
3. Suggest a way to improve your design if you were to perform this activity again. Be specific
- after the warm up we watched a Bill Nye movie about gravity
- the clip does a great job explaining to the students that all matter experiences gravity
- the clip also shows footage from the Apollo 15 mission where an astronaut drops a hammer and a feather and they fall at the same rate, proving that everything accelerates due to gravity at the same rate
- we began class by answering three questions for a warm up
1. What part of your egg drop design worked well? explain
2. What part of your egg drop design worked poorly? explain
3. Suggest a way to improve your design if you were to perform this activity again. Be specific
- after the warm up we watched a Bill Nye movie about gravity
- the clip does a great job explaining to the students that all matter experiences gravity
- the clip also shows footage from the Apollo 15 mission where an astronaut drops a hammer and a feather and they fall at the same rate, proving that everything accelerates due to gravity at the same rate
- this is a short video clip of one part of the video I showed the students
- after Bill Nye we began discussion of Newton's first law of motion
- Newton's first law of motion states that an object in motion will stay in motion and an object at rest will stay at rest unless acted upon by an outside force
- I used a tennis ball to demonstrate to the students some key parts of Newton's first law
- after the in class demonstration the students watched two short video clips to reinforce the first law
Homework
- write a paragraph of at least 4 sentences explaining a real world example of Newtons First Law
Science News
Day Ninety Seven Overview
Day Ninety Seven Overview
- on this day in class the students were given the first ten minutes to finalize their egg drop devices
- after finalizing their egg drop designs the students were given their eggs
- the class then went outside to test their egg drop designs
- only one egg out of 18 drops broke!
- after doing our egg drop tests we came back inside and worked on our lab packets in groups
- the vast majority of the students were able to finish their labs by the end of the period!
- students were promised that if they finished their lab ahead of time they would be given feedback on possible incorrect questions
Homework
- finish the egg drop lab in one week
Science News
Your Tounge, Inside Out
- on this day in class the students were given the first ten minutes to finalize their egg drop devices
- after finalizing their egg drop designs the students were given their eggs
- the class then went outside to test their egg drop designs
- only one egg out of 18 drops broke!
- after doing our egg drop tests we came back inside and worked on our lab packets in groups
- the vast majority of the students were able to finish their labs by the end of the period!
- students were promised that if they finished their lab ahead of time they would be given feedback on possible incorrect questions
Homework
- finish the egg drop lab in one week
Science News
Your Tounge, Inside Out
Friday, May 3, 2013
Adjustment to Test Scores
After some consideration I threw out one question on the test. To adjust for that question I gave everyone's test score one extra point on the raw score, or two percentage points.
Mr. H
Mr. H
Day Ninety Six Overview
Day Ninety Six Overview
- today the students were tasked with the challenge of building a contraption that will make it so a raw egg will not break if dropped from the top of the football bleachers
- students were broken up into groups of three and given a limited set of materials
- students had been asked the class prior to bring in any extra materials if they would like
- if the students did not bring anything else in they could only use what they were given
- students were told to first develop a sketch of what they were going to build and were then given the period to build their contraption
- we will test them with actual eggs next class!
Amazing Egg Drop Challenge
- today the students were tasked with the challenge of building a contraption that will make it so a raw egg will not break if dropped from the top of the football bleachers
- students were broken up into groups of three and given a limited set of materials
- students had been asked the class prior to bring in any extra materials if they would like
- if the students did not bring anything else in they could only use what they were given
- students were told to first develop a sketch of what they were going to build and were then given the period to build their contraption
- we will test them with actual eggs next class!
Amazing Egg Drop Challenge
Homework
- make up any late work
Science News
Day Ninety Five Overview
Day Ninety Five Overview
- to begin class I checked/went over the half page of questions that went along with the gravity news article
- without gravity we would float away from the earth
- gravity is a function of mass and distance
- another name for the force of gravity pulling on an object is weight
- Einstein thought gravity was a ripple in space time
- everything falls at the same rate because it has the same pull from gravity
- we then did a 15 minute binder clean out
- I asked the students to keep any tests/quizzes, note packets, review sheets, and anything to do with the current unit
- we then got into taking some more notes about forces in motion
- the acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 m/s/s for any object
- that means that EVERYTHING with matter should fall towards earth at the same rate, and almost everything does
- feathers and paper don't ... but why?
- air resistance!
- things are slowed down by air resistance so we cannot see the true effect of gravity
- when air resistance catches up to gravity an object reaches its terminal velocity
- we then discussed how something orbits along with projectile motion
- for things to move in a curved path there is an average of two forces
- things can fall while also moving horizontally
- to test out the theory of projectile motion I had the students watch a clip from Mythbusters
Homework
- bring in extra materials from home to use during our amazing egg drop challenge
Science News
Survival of the Fittest, Inside a Shark's Womb
- to begin class I checked/went over the half page of questions that went along with the gravity news article
- without gravity we would float away from the earth
- gravity is a function of mass and distance
- another name for the force of gravity pulling on an object is weight
- Einstein thought gravity was a ripple in space time
- everything falls at the same rate because it has the same pull from gravity
- we then did a 15 minute binder clean out
- I asked the students to keep any tests/quizzes, note packets, review sheets, and anything to do with the current unit
- we then got into taking some more notes about forces in motion
- the acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 m/s/s for any object
- that means that EVERYTHING with matter should fall towards earth at the same rate, and almost everything does
- feathers and paper don't ... but why?
- air resistance!
- things are slowed down by air resistance so we cannot see the true effect of gravity
- when air resistance catches up to gravity an object reaches its terminal velocity
- we then discussed how something orbits along with projectile motion
- for things to move in a curved path there is an average of two forces
- things can fall while also moving horizontally
- to test out the theory of projectile motion I had the students watch a clip from Mythbusters
- bring in extra materials from home to use during our amazing egg drop challenge
Science News
Survival of the Fittest, Inside a Shark's Womb
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Everything is Graded!
All the work in my possession has been graded ... check to see if you are missing anything! :)
Friday, April 26, 2013
Day Ninety Four Overview
Day Ninety Four Overview
- we began class with two short warmup questions related to gravity
- one question asked ... What do you think would happen if you rang out a soaked towel while on a spaceship?
- the other question asked ... Do you think it is possible to grow a plant on a spaceship?
Gravity Warmup
- I then showed the class the answer to both of their questions
What Happens When You Wring a Washcloth In Orbit
Plants Grow Fine Without Gravity
- before getting into notes I showed the students a MinutePhysics clip
- we then began to take our first set of notes for the unit Forces in Motion
Forces in Motion Notes
- gravity as a force of attraction was explained to the students
- it is not just the Earth pulling you towards the center of the Earth, you also pull the center of the Earth towards you!
- as mass increases gravity increases
- think of a weightlifter
- the more plates that are added, the more pull downwards from gravity
- as distance increases gravity decreases
- think of a long distance relationship
- the more distance the less attraction (for the most part :) )
- we also talked about the difference between mass and weight
- with the last few minutes of class the students were handed a reading and a half sheet of questions to complete for homework
How Does Gravity Work Article
Gravity Homework
Homework
- complete the half sheet of questions that were assigned with the How Does Gravity Work Article
Science News
Solving The Mystery of Supercharged Lightning
- we began class with two short warmup questions related to gravity
- one question asked ... What do you think would happen if you rang out a soaked towel while on a spaceship?
- the other question asked ... Do you think it is possible to grow a plant on a spaceship?
Gravity Warmup
- I then showed the class the answer to both of their questions
What Happens When You Wring a Washcloth In Orbit
Plants Grow Fine Without Gravity
- before getting into notes I showed the students a MinutePhysics clip
- we then began to take our first set of notes for the unit Forces in Motion
Forces in Motion Notes
- gravity as a force of attraction was explained to the students
- it is not just the Earth pulling you towards the center of the Earth, you also pull the center of the Earth towards you!
- as mass increases gravity increases
- think of a weightlifter
- the more plates that are added, the more pull downwards from gravity
- as distance increases gravity decreases
- think of a long distance relationship
- the more distance the less attraction (for the most part :) )
- we also talked about the difference between mass and weight
- with the last few minutes of class the students were handed a reading and a half sheet of questions to complete for homework
How Does Gravity Work Article
Gravity Homework
Homework
- complete the half sheet of questions that were assigned with the How Does Gravity Work Article
Science News
Solving The Mystery of Supercharged Lightning
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Day Ninety Three Overview
Day Ninety Three Overview
- the concept of gravity was introduced through some very interesting video clips that caught the student's attention
- clip #1 - Stephen Hawking explaining how imperfections in the early universe allowed gravity to organize all the matter created in the big bang
- clip #2 - BBC broadcaster explaining what he is experiencing while on board the "Vomit Comet"
- while watching the clips the students were asked to write down 6 things that they learned from watching the clips
Homework
- use the 6 things that you learned to make up a 6 panel comic book page about gravity
Science News
Suicide Bombing Bacteria Could Fight Infections
- the concept of gravity was introduced through some very interesting video clips that caught the student's attention
- clip #1 - Stephen Hawking explaining how imperfections in the early universe allowed gravity to organize all the matter created in the big bang
- clip #2 - BBC broadcaster explaining what he is experiencing while on board the "Vomit Comet"
Homework
- use the 6 things that you learned to make up a 6 panel comic book page about gravity
Science News
Suicide Bombing Bacteria Could Fight Infections
Day Ninety Two Overview
Day Ninety Two Overview
- we spent class taking our test on Motion
- concepts tested were speed, velocity, acceleration, net force, and friction
Homework
- extra credit crossword
Motion Crossword
Science News
Humans Have a Tender Spot For Robots
- we spent class taking our test on Motion
- concepts tested were speed, velocity, acceleration, net force, and friction
Homework
- extra credit crossword
Motion Crossword
Science News
Humans Have a Tender Spot For Robots
Friday, April 19, 2013
Day Ninety One Overview
Day Ninety One Overview
- we began class by checking / going over the review packets that were assigned the class prior
- I took questions from students that had particular issues that they were having trouble understanding
- students that did not have the review packet complete were encouraged to complete it and study it over the weekend so that they would be prepared for their test
- after going over the packet the students watched an episode of Bill Nye titled Friction
Bill Nye - Friction
Bill Nye: Friction - Worksheet
- with the rest of class we played Smartboard Baseball - Motion
- the winning team received bonus points on their upcoming Motion test
Homework
- study study study for the Motion test
Science News
A New Class of Supernova
- we began class by checking / going over the review packets that were assigned the class prior
- I took questions from students that had particular issues that they were having trouble understanding
- students that did not have the review packet complete were encouraged to complete it and study it over the weekend so that they would be prepared for their test
- after going over the packet the students watched an episode of Bill Nye titled Friction
Bill Nye - Friction
Bill Nye: Friction - Worksheet
- with the rest of class we played Smartboard Baseball - Motion
- the winning team received bonus points on their upcoming Motion test
Homework
- study study study for the Motion test
Science News
A New Class of Supernova
Day Ninety Overview
Day Ninety Overview
- with the shortened class period we were able to go over the graphing problems that the students had for homework the previous class period
- the students were reminded that on a distance vs. time graph a straight line equals a constant speed, a flat line means the object is not moving, and a curved line means the object is accelerating
Homework
- finish the chapter review packet for next class so we can play a review game!
Motion Review Packet
Science News
Superstorm Sandy Shook The Earth
- with the shortened class period we were able to go over the graphing problems that the students had for homework the previous class period
- the students were reminded that on a distance vs. time graph a straight line equals a constant speed, a flat line means the object is not moving, and a curved line means the object is accelerating
Homework
- finish the chapter review packet for next class so we can play a review game!
Motion Review Packet
Science News
Superstorm Sandy Shook The Earth
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Day Eighty Nine Overview
Day Eighty Nine Overview
- the students worked on a units challenge for the shortened class period
- students that completed the activity correctly and on time received free hw passes
Units Practice Challenge
Homework
- I gave the students two graphing distance versus time worksheets
Swimmer Graph Sheets
Constant And Changing Speeds
Science News
Could Wood Feed The World
- the students worked on a units challenge for the shortened class period
- students that completed the activity correctly and on time received free hw passes
Units Practice Challenge
Homework
- I gave the students two graphing distance versus time worksheets
Swimmer Graph Sheets
Constant And Changing Speeds
Science News
Could Wood Feed The World
Day Eighty Eight Overview
Day Eighty Eight Overview
- with this class the students worked on applying their new found knowledge of friction in an interactive lab activity
- the students were asked to see how different factors affected the amount of friction that their shoes experienced on a lab bench
- the students were also asked to come up with a hypothesis prior to their activity, and then state whether or not their results supported or did not support their hypothesis
Friction Lab
Homework
- the Friction Lab is due one week from when it was started
Science News
The Future of our Energy
- with this class the students worked on applying their new found knowledge of friction in an interactive lab activity
- the students were asked to see how different factors affected the amount of friction that their shoes experienced on a lab bench
- the students were also asked to come up with a hypothesis prior to their activity, and then state whether or not their results supported or did not support their hypothesis
Friction Lab
Homework
- the Friction Lab is due one week from when it was started
Science News
The Future of our Energy
Day Eighty Seven Overview
Day Eighty Seven Overview
- we began class with a discussion about why we would need forces in our day to day lives
- some of the answers included sports, cars, moving things, and carpentry
- I asked the students to pull out their note packets and we discussed ways that we could reduce friction
- after writing down ways that we could reduce friction we then talked about ways that we could increase friction
- we then wrote down ways to increase friction
- after taking down notes I asked the students to put their packets away and gave them a friction supplemental activity
- the students we told that they could work in groups for 15 minutes to complete the activity
Friction Notes
- after the 15 minutes we went over the worksheet together as a class and finalized some of the friction concepts that we had been learning about
- with the rest of class we watched some more of the mega roller coaster movie
Homework
- catch up on late work, hand in any overdue labs
Science News
Research Uses Mirrors To Make Solar Energy Cost Competitive
- we began class with a discussion about why we would need forces in our day to day lives
- some of the answers included sports, cars, moving things, and carpentry
- I asked the students to pull out their note packets and we discussed ways that we could reduce friction
- after writing down ways that we could reduce friction we then talked about ways that we could increase friction
- we then wrote down ways to increase friction
- after taking down notes I asked the students to put their packets away and gave them a friction supplemental activity
- the students we told that they could work in groups for 15 minutes to complete the activity
Friction Notes
- after the 15 minutes we went over the worksheet together as a class and finalized some of the friction concepts that we had been learning about
- with the rest of class we watched some more of the mega roller coaster movie
Homework
- catch up on late work, hand in any overdue labs
Science News
Research Uses Mirrors To Make Solar Energy Cost Competitive
Day Eighty Six Overview
Day Eighty Six Overview
- this day in class we began to formally look into forces
- we began class with a ticket in the door activity that asked the students two questions
1. Compare and contrast a person in space and a person on Earth. What makes someone in space behave differently than someone on Earth?
2. What do you think makes something start to move? What do you think makes something stop moving? Propose a scientific explanation to defend your hypothesis.
- the ticket in the door sparked some good conversation and highlighted to me that the students were coming into this lesson with a great deal of background knowledge
- after the ticket in the door I showed the students two short video clips
1. a science graduate student asking people "what is a force?"
What is a Force?
2. footage from the Apollo 8 launch
Apollo 8 Launch
- we then discussed that for something to be a force it must have 4 things
1. a force is a push or a pull
2. all forces have size and direction
3. forces are measure in Newtons (N)
4. not all forces result in motion
- things move when forces are not balanced
- when forces are balanced there is no motion and when forces are not balanced there is motion
- to practice the concept of balanced and unbalanced forces we worked on some mini white board problems
- we then briefly discussed the force known as friction
- friction is the force that opposes motion
- friction can occur when things are moving (kinetic friction) and when things are not moving (static friction)
- there are three types of kinetic friction ... sliding, rolling, and fluid
- to display their new knowledge of friction I asked the students to either act, sing, or draw an example of kinetic friction or static friction
Homework
- make up any late work
Science News
Bad Decisions Arise From Bad Information, Not Faulty Brain Circuits
- this day in class we began to formally look into forces
- we began class with a ticket in the door activity that asked the students two questions
1. Compare and contrast a person in space and a person on Earth. What makes someone in space behave differently than someone on Earth?
2. What do you think makes something start to move? What do you think makes something stop moving? Propose a scientific explanation to defend your hypothesis.
- the ticket in the door sparked some good conversation and highlighted to me that the students were coming into this lesson with a great deal of background knowledge
- after the ticket in the door I showed the students two short video clips
1. a science graduate student asking people "what is a force?"
What is a Force?
2. footage from the Apollo 8 launch
Apollo 8 Launch
- we then discussed that for something to be a force it must have 4 things
1. a force is a push or a pull
2. all forces have size and direction
3. forces are measure in Newtons (N)
4. not all forces result in motion
- things move when forces are not balanced
- when forces are balanced there is no motion and when forces are not balanced there is motion
- to practice the concept of balanced and unbalanced forces we worked on some mini white board problems
- we then briefly discussed the force known as friction
- friction is the force that opposes motion
- friction can occur when things are moving (kinetic friction) and when things are not moving (static friction)
- there are three types of kinetic friction ... sliding, rolling, and fluid
- to display their new knowledge of friction I asked the students to either act, sing, or draw an example of kinetic friction or static friction
Homework
- make up any late work
Science News
Bad Decisions Arise From Bad Information, Not Faulty Brain Circuits
Day Eighty Five Overview
Day Eighty Five Overview
- we began class with a "stir the class" activity to determine what the students already knew about force
- the students were asked to come up with three things about force in their pairs
- they were then asked to "stir the class" and complete a list of 8 things, including the three they had already come up with
- while the students worked on that activity I used most of that time to hand back quite a few assignments that had been graded and needed to be passed back
- with the last half of class we watched a roller coaster movie to help explain a real life example of forces in action
- the movie also served as inspiration for the student's homework assignment
National Geographic Mega-structures - Roller Coaster
Homework
- draw at least a half page rendering of a roller coaster that you would like built
- on the other half page or on the back of a page, use your knowledge of forces to explain how the parts of the roller coaster work (ex. the cart falls down the hill due to the force of gravity)
Science News
Neighbors Move Electrons Jointly
- we began class with a "stir the class" activity to determine what the students already knew about force
- the students were asked to come up with three things about force in their pairs
- they were then asked to "stir the class" and complete a list of 8 things, including the three they had already come up with
- while the students worked on that activity I used most of that time to hand back quite a few assignments that had been graded and needed to be passed back
- with the last half of class we watched a roller coaster movie to help explain a real life example of forces in action
- the movie also served as inspiration for the student's homework assignment
National Geographic Mega-structures - Roller Coaster
Homework
- draw at least a half page rendering of a roller coaster that you would like built
- on the other half page or on the back of a page, use your knowledge of forces to explain how the parts of the roller coaster work (ex. the cart falls down the hill due to the force of gravity)
Science News
Neighbors Move Electrons Jointly
Monday, April 15, 2013
Day Eighty Four Overview
Day Eighty Four Overview
- we began class by checking and going over the assigned acceleration practice problems
- the worksheet was assigned so that students could get the necessary practice solving for acceleration as well as other variables in the acceleration formula
- after going over the homework we talked some more about graphing speed and acceleration
On a distance versus time graph ...
- a flat horizontal line means the object is not moving
- a straight line means that the object is moving at constant speed
- a curved line means that the object is accelerating
- we practiced those problems with a couple quick classwork worksheets
Bug Race
Graph Interpretation Time vs. Distance
- we finished the last half of class by talking a quiz on the concepts of motion that we had studied up until that point
Homework
- make up any late work and quizzes
Science News
Carbon Dioxide Removal Can Lower Climate Costs
- we began class by checking and going over the assigned acceleration practice problems
- the worksheet was assigned so that students could get the necessary practice solving for acceleration as well as other variables in the acceleration formula
- after going over the homework we talked some more about graphing speed and acceleration
On a distance versus time graph ...
- a flat horizontal line means the object is not moving
- a straight line means that the object is moving at constant speed
- a curved line means that the object is accelerating
- we practiced those problems with a couple quick classwork worksheets
Bug Race
Graph Interpretation Time vs. Distance
- we finished the last half of class by talking a quiz on the concepts of motion that we had studied up until that point
Homework
- make up any late work and quizzes
Science News
Carbon Dioxide Removal Can Lower Climate Costs
Great Science Quotes
"Bad times have a scientific value. These are occasions a good learner would not miss." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge." - Carl Sagan
"Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge." - Carl Sagan
Day Eighty Three Overview
Day Eighty Three Overview
- we started class with some acceleration practice problems in the note packet as well as another acceleration worksheet
- after the students were done with those practice problems we started working on another acceleration worksheet
Acceleration Practice
Motion Worksheet #2 - Page 1
Motion Worksheet #3 - Page 2
- the best way to learn acceleration problems is for the students to be immersed in the topic
- after the students were done working on the practice problems we went over them as a class
- we then watched a brain pop clip that helped to finalize the concept of acceleration and what it means
Brain Pop - Page 1
Brain Pop - Page 2
- I then quickly introduced graphing speed and acceleration to the students, and how the graphs corresponded to what they were learning in the motion unit
Homework
- finish the odd numbers on the assigned acceleration practice worksheet
Acceleration Practice - Homework
Science News
Cutting Specific Pollutants Would Slow Sea Level Rise
- we started class with some acceleration practice problems in the note packet as well as another acceleration worksheet
- after the students were done with those practice problems we started working on another acceleration worksheet
Acceleration Practice
Motion Worksheet #2 - Page 1
Motion Worksheet #3 - Page 2
- the best way to learn acceleration problems is for the students to be immersed in the topic
- after the students were done working on the practice problems we went over them as a class
- we then watched a brain pop clip that helped to finalize the concept of acceleration and what it means
Brain Pop - Page 1
Brain Pop - Page 2
- I then quickly introduced graphing speed and acceleration to the students, and how the graphs corresponded to what they were learning in the motion unit
Homework
- finish the odd numbers on the assigned acceleration practice worksheet
Acceleration Practice - Homework
Science News
Cutting Specific Pollutants Would Slow Sea Level Rise
Day Eighty Two Overview
Day Eighty Two Overview
- students finished working on their hot wheel labs
- this took approximately half of the period
- with the second half of the period we began to take notes on the concept of acceleration
- it was explained that acceleration is when velocity changes
- that can mean when a speed goes up or down or when something changes direction
- this is because velocity is speed AND direction
- I emphasized to the students that something can be still moving without accelerating
- this can happen when the object stays going the same velocity
- I also showed the students a simulation that allowed the students to watch a person moving on the Smartboard along with a graph being generated along the way
Homework
- work on finishing up the Hot Wheels Lab
Science News
The True Shape of Snowflakes
- students finished working on their hot wheel labs
- this took approximately half of the period
- with the second half of the period we began to take notes on the concept of acceleration
- it was explained that acceleration is when velocity changes
- that can mean when a speed goes up or down or when something changes direction
- this is because velocity is speed AND direction
- I emphasized to the students that something can be still moving without accelerating
- this can happen when the object stays going the same velocity
- I also showed the students a simulation that allowed the students to watch a person moving on the Smartboard along with a graph being generated along the way
Homework
- work on finishing up the Hot Wheels Lab
Science News
The True Shape of Snowflakes
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Day Eighty One Overview
Day Eighty One Overview
- we began class by taking a quiz based on the material we have been learning in class for the last week or so
- the students were asked to identify the formulas used to find speed, distance and time
- the students were also asked to explain what a reference point is and why it is important
- the students were then asked to solve a few problems where they were supposed to apply their knowledge of the formulas
- after taking the quiz the students began working on a lab where they were asked to calculate the speed of hot wheel cars at a number of distances
- we turned the classroom into a racetrack and marked the floor with various distances
- using stopwatches the students took times and calculated the speed of their cars
- we began class by taking a quiz based on the material we have been learning in class for the last week or so
- the students were asked to identify the formulas used to find speed, distance and time
- the students were also asked to explain what a reference point is and why it is important
- the students were then asked to solve a few problems where they were supposed to apply their knowledge of the formulas
- after taking the quiz the students began working on a lab where they were asked to calculate the speed of hot wheel cars at a number of distances
- we turned the classroom into a racetrack and marked the floor with various distances
- using stopwatches the students took times and calculated the speed of their cars
Homework
- finish up guided reading number 2
Science News
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Day Eighty Overview
Day Eighty Overview
- we warmed up by trying to determine what the fastest thing they could think of would be, excluding the speed of light
- I told the winning group that they would get free homework passes
- the winning group came up with a shooting star as the fastest thing they could think of
- a shooting star moves at up to 160,000 miles per hour
- we then finished our speed notes
- after finishing up the speed notes we worked as a class on the last set of practice speed problems
- we went over the answers to the problems as a class
Homework
- study for your quiz
- work on the second section of their guided reading
Science News
Teens Mature Intellectually Before They Mature Emotionally
- we warmed up by trying to determine what the fastest thing they could think of would be, excluding the speed of light
- I told the winning group that they would get free homework passes
- the winning group came up with a shooting star as the fastest thing they could think of
- a shooting star moves at up to 160,000 miles per hour
- we then finished our speed notes
- after finishing up the speed notes we worked as a class on the last set of practice speed problems
- we went over the answers to the problems as a class
Homework
- study for your quiz
- work on the second section of their guided reading
Science News
Teens Mature Intellectually Before They Mature Emotionally
Monday, March 18, 2013
Day Seventy Nine Overview
Day Seventy Nine Overview
- I began class by having the students work in pairs to develop their own speed word problems
- the students were asked to come up with 2 word problems per group, and each problem was to be solved for either speed, distance, or time
- they could not be solving for the same thing in both problems
- after developing the word problems the students were asked to swap papers with other groups so they could complete the other class problems
- the students were asked to complete one problem from 2 different groups
- after the warm up activity we went over the homework worksheet
- after going over the homework we took some brief notes on what it means to combine velocities
- I asked the students "If you are in a bus traveling 15 m/s east, and you get up and walk down the aisle of the bus going the opposite direction as the bus, are you still traveling 15 m/s east?"
- after some debate the students began to understand that you would actually be traveling slightly slower than the bus because you are moving with a small velocity in the opposite direction
- the last 5 minutes of class the students were able to get a start on their homework
Homework
- Speed Machines worksheet
Speed Machines - Page 1
Speed Machines - Page 2
Science News
Solar Blast Suspected in Tree Ring Mystery
- I began class by having the students work in pairs to develop their own speed word problems
- the students were asked to come up with 2 word problems per group, and each problem was to be solved for either speed, distance, or time
- they could not be solving for the same thing in both problems
- after developing the word problems the students were asked to swap papers with other groups so they could complete the other class problems
- the students were asked to complete one problem from 2 different groups
- after the warm up activity we went over the homework worksheet
- after going over the homework we took some brief notes on what it means to combine velocities
- I asked the students "If you are in a bus traveling 15 m/s east, and you get up and walk down the aisle of the bus going the opposite direction as the bus, are you still traveling 15 m/s east?"
- after some debate the students began to understand that you would actually be traveling slightly slower than the bus because you are moving with a small velocity in the opposite direction
- the last 5 minutes of class the students were able to get a start on their homework
Homework
- Speed Machines worksheet
Speed Machines - Page 1
Speed Machines - Page 2
Science News
Solar Blast Suspected in Tree Ring Mystery
Day Seventy Eight Overview
Day Seventy Eight Overview
- we began notes on speed and velocity
Motion Powerpoint For Notes
- one of the key points for students to remember is that speed has no direction and velocity always does
- besides that, they are both calculated the same way
- in addition the students were taught the basic speed formula (v = d/t)
- they were given a triangle with the three variables in the speed formula to help them manipulate the formula and find other values besides just speed or velocity, depending on what they are given in a problem
Homework
- finish the "Triangle" speed worksheet
Speed Triangle Worksheet
Science News
Earthquakes Deposit Gold in Fault Zones
- we began notes on speed and velocity
Motion Powerpoint For Notes
- one of the key points for students to remember is that speed has no direction and velocity always does
- besides that, they are both calculated the same way
- in addition the students were taught the basic speed formula (v = d/t)
- they were given a triangle with the three variables in the speed formula to help them manipulate the formula and find other values besides just speed or velocity, depending on what they are given in a problem
Homework
- finish the "Triangle" speed worksheet
Speed Triangle Worksheet
Science News
Earthquakes Deposit Gold in Fault Zones
Day Seventy Seven Overview
Day Seventy Seven Overview
- the first half of class was spent finishing watching the "Einstein's Big Idea" video
- students finished up answering the corresponding worksheet questions that they were assigned to complete while watching the video
- we then had a class discussion about why I had the students watch this movie, and what the significance of Einstein is
- the worksheets that the students completed were worth two homework assignments because quite a bit of class time was spent on this movie
- with the second half of class the students played a matching game to get them started thinking about motion
- the game asked the students to match objects and their corresponding top speeds
- the group to match the most correctly received free homework passes
Homework
- Guided Reading Number 1
Motion Guided Reading - Page 1
Motion Guided Reading - Page 2
Motion Guided Reading - Page 3
Motion Guided Reading - Page 4
Motion Guided Reading - Page 5
Motion Guided Reading - Page 6
Motion Guided Reading - Page 7
Science News
Higgs Boson Positively Identified
- the first half of class was spent finishing watching the "Einstein's Big Idea" video
- students finished up answering the corresponding worksheet questions that they were assigned to complete while watching the video
- we then had a class discussion about why I had the students watch this movie, and what the significance of Einstein is
- the worksheets that the students completed were worth two homework assignments because quite a bit of class time was spent on this movie
- with the second half of class the students played a matching game to get them started thinking about motion
- the game asked the students to match objects and their corresponding top speeds
- the group to match the most correctly received free homework passes
Homework
- Guided Reading Number 1
Motion Guided Reading - Page 1
Motion Guided Reading - Page 2
Motion Guided Reading - Page 3
Motion Guided Reading - Page 4
Motion Guided Reading - Page 5
Motion Guided Reading - Page 6
Motion Guided Reading - Page 7
Science News
Higgs Boson Positively Identified
Day Seventy Six Overview
Day Seventy Six Overview
- we spent most of the class continuing to watch the "Einstein's Big Idea" video
- most of the video was spent going over the scientists before Einstein that played major roles in helping him develop his important theories
Homework
- make up any late work and take a much needed break!
Science News
Particle Collisions Could Create Twin Black Holes
- we spent most of the class continuing to watch the "Einstein's Big Idea" video
- most of the video was spent going over the scientists before Einstein that played major roles in helping him develop his important theories
Homework
- make up any late work and take a much needed break!
Science News
Particle Collisions Could Create Twin Black Holes
Day Seventy Five Overview
Day Seventy Five Overview
- Electricity TEST
- after the test we started watching a movie that ties together all the concepts we have talked about so far this year, as well as our next topic ... motion
- the movie is about the life of Einstein and a number of other scientists as their discoveries and insights led to the development of the formula E = mc^2
Einsteins Big idea - Part 1
Einsteins Big Idea - Part 2
Einstein Worksheet - Page 1
Einstein Worksheet - Page 2
Einstein Worksheet - Page 3
Einstein Worksheet - Page 4
Homework
- make up any late work and take a much needed break!
Science News
Mars Was Habitable, but No Sign of Inhabitants
- Electricity TEST
- after the test we started watching a movie that ties together all the concepts we have talked about so far this year, as well as our next topic ... motion
- the movie is about the life of Einstein and a number of other scientists as their discoveries and insights led to the development of the formula E = mc^2
Einsteins Big idea - Part 1
Einsteins Big Idea - Part 2
Einstein Worksheet - Page 1
Einstein Worksheet - Page 2
Einstein Worksheet - Page 3
Einstein Worksheet - Page 4
Homework
- make up any late work and take a much needed break!
Science News
Mars Was Habitable, but No Sign of Inhabitants
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Day Seventy Four Overview
Day Seventy Four Overview
- at the start of class I checked whether the students finished the review packet or not
- after checking for completion we went over the answers to the review packet
- to finish class we played a football review game on the Smartboard
- almost all of the students answered all of the questions correctly
Electricity Review Sheet
Homework
- study for the upcoming electricity test
Science News!
A Better Cosmic Yardstick
- at the start of class I checked whether the students finished the review packet or not
- after checking for completion we went over the answers to the review packet
- to finish class we played a football review game on the Smartboard
- almost all of the students answered all of the questions correctly
Electricity Review Sheet
Homework
- study for the upcoming electricity test
Science News!
A Better Cosmic Yardstick
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Day Seventy Three Overview
Day Seventy Three Overview
- we began class by reviewing what makes a series and parallel circuit different
- this was accomplished by having the students attempt to draw circuit diagrams of both these kind of circuits
- most of the students understood the concept at a high level and were able to show the differences between the two circuits, even with little experience drawing circuits
- we began class by reviewing what makes a series and parallel circuit different
- this was accomplished by having the students attempt to draw circuit diagrams of both these kind of circuits
- most of the students understood the concept at a high level and were able to show the differences between the two circuits, even with little experience drawing circuits
- after the warm up the students went into lab to attempt building circuits using the actual diagrams ... no paper or computers needed!
- almost all of the students were able to build parallel circuits with individual circuits ... very impressive
Homework
- review packet / study for test
Science News
Monday, March 4, 2013
Day Seventy Two Overview
Day Seventy Two Overview
- we spent quite a bit of time talking about circuits
- we learned that there are parts of a circuit
- load, wire, switch, and a power source
- there are two types of circuits ... series and parallel
- series circuits are all connected in one loop
- if there is any break in a series circuit none of the loads will work
- parallel circuits allow for more than one path for the electrons to make their way around the circuit
- if there is a break in a parallel circuit some of the loads will still work, depending on where the break is
- circuit breakers and fuses protect our homes from overloaded circuits that draw too much electricity
- they work by opening circuits when they are drawing too much electricity, and therefore turning them off
Homework
- finish the Short Circuit Lab write up for next class
- get working on your review packet
Science News
The Great Shark Massacre
- we spent quite a bit of time talking about circuits
- we learned that there are parts of a circuit
- load, wire, switch, and a power source
- there are two types of circuits ... series and parallel
- series circuits are all connected in one loop
- if there is any break in a series circuit none of the loads will work
- parallel circuits allow for more than one path for the electrons to make their way around the circuit
- if there is a break in a parallel circuit some of the loads will still work, depending on where the break is
- circuit breakers and fuses protect our homes from overloaded circuits that draw too much electricity
- they work by opening circuits when they are drawing too much electricity, and therefore turning them off
Homework
- finish the Short Circuit Lab write up for next class
- get working on your review packet
Science News
The Great Shark Massacre
Day Seventy One Overview
Day Seventy One Overview
- we spent the majority of the class finishing the Short Circuit Virtual Lab
- the kids had quite the learning experience figuring out how to put their new-found knowledge of voltage, current, and resistance into practice
- every now and then the students started a virtual fire :)
- the students were introduced to the terms series and parallel circuits
- we spent the majority of the class finishing the Short Circuit Virtual Lab
- the kids had quite the learning experience figuring out how to put their new-found knowledge of voltage, current, and resistance into practice
- every now and then the students started a virtual fire :)
- the students were introduced to the terms series and parallel circuits
- we also finished up taking notes for the third section of the electricity unit
Homework
- Guided Reading Section 4 due next class
Science News
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Day Seventy Overview
Day Seventy Overview
- we spent the majority of the class going over the first 3 homework assignments
- after going over the homework we began working on a lab where the students are tasked with building a variety of circuits by using a computer program
- the program allows the students to experiment with a number of different factors without the time that would be needed to use actual circuitry
- we spent about 10 minutes on the lab and will spend more time next class period
Short Circuit Lab
Homework
- make up any late work
Science News
Shark of the High Seas Actually a Homebody
- we spent the majority of the class going over the first 3 homework assignments
- after going over the homework we began working on a lab where the students are tasked with building a variety of circuits by using a computer program
- the program allows the students to experiment with a number of different factors without the time that would be needed to use actual circuitry
- we spent about 10 minutes on the lab and will spend more time next class period
Short Circuit Lab
Homework
- make up any late work
Science News
Shark of the High Seas Actually a Homebody
Day Sixty Nine Overview
Day Sixty Nine Overview
- we began class by checking Section 3 of the Guided Reading
- after checking the homework we had a binder clean out session
- during the binder clean out session quizzes and other work was handed back
- after cleaning out our binders I had the students act out what the electrons look like in alternating current and direct current
- we then started to take notes about current and voltage
Homework
- make up any late work
Science News
When Sparks Fly
- we began class by checking Section 3 of the Guided Reading
- after checking the homework we had a binder clean out session
- during the binder clean out session quizzes and other work was handed back
- after cleaning out our binders I had the students act out what the electrons look like in alternating current and direct current
- we then started to take notes about current and voltage
Homework
- make up any late work
Science News
When Sparks Fly
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Day Sixty Eight Overview
Day Sixty Eight Overview
- we started class with a short question session to help the students with areas of concern on their fruit battery labs
- I then collected the Fruit Battery Labs that were to be done for HW after last class
- after that, we will go through a Brain Pop activity that has to do with batteries
- the students watched the Brain Pop clip a few times and used that along with their prior knowledge to fill out an accompanying worksheet
- we then reviewed the information that we have talked about in class including batteries, cells, and alternate sources of electricity
- we will then take a short quiz that has to do with batteries and electrical energy
- after the quiz we will watch a Bill Nye video that has to do with electrical circuits and electricity in general
- have a great BREAK!
Homework
- Section 3 of the Guided Reading Packet
Science News!
Meteor Hits Russia
- we started class with a short question session to help the students with areas of concern on their fruit battery labs
- I then collected the Fruit Battery Labs that were to be done for HW after last class
- after that, we will go through a Brain Pop activity that has to do with batteries
- the students watched the Brain Pop clip a few times and used that along with their prior knowledge to fill out an accompanying worksheet
- we then reviewed the information that we have talked about in class including batteries, cells, and alternate sources of electricity
- we will then take a short quiz that has to do with batteries and electrical energy
- after the quiz we will watch a Bill Nye video that has to do with electrical circuits and electricity in general
- have a great BREAK!
Homework
- Section 3 of the Guided Reading Packet
Science News!
Meteor Hits Russia
Day Dixty Seven Overview
Day Sixty Seven Overview
- we began class by checking who completed Guided Reading Section 2
- after checking the reading we did some review on the notes that were introduced the day before
- reintroduced key vocabulary
- showed the students a visual of where the electrons go in a working battery
- I also introduced to the students how we get electricity from other sources besides batteries
- after notes the students began work on a fruit battery lab/activity
- we didn't get a bunch of results but the students had a great learning experience!
Homework
- finish working on the Fruit Battery Lab for next class
Science News
Day Sixty Six Overview
Day Sixty Six Overview
- we began class by watching the last few minutes of the NOVA: Lightning video
- the students handed in their worksheets when they were done watching the movie
NOVA: Lightning Worksheet
- after finishing up the movie we had a brainstorm session about what the students already know about batteries
- some of the words were came up with were positive end, negative end, rechargeable, volts, conductive, alkaline, and electrons
- after our brainstorm we took some notes on the parts of a cell and how it works
- some of the vocab was electrolyte, load, electrode, anode, cathode, potential difference, and current
Homework
- finish Guided Reading section 2
Science News
Rumpelstilskin Molecule Spins Toxic Ions Into Gold Nuggets
- we began class by watching the last few minutes of the NOVA: Lightning video
- the students handed in their worksheets when they were done watching the movie
NOVA: Lightning Worksheet
- after finishing up the movie we had a brainstorm session about what the students already know about batteries
- some of the words were came up with were positive end, negative end, rechargeable, volts, conductive, alkaline, and electrons
- after our brainstorm we took some notes on the parts of a cell and how it works
- some of the vocab was electrolyte, load, electrode, anode, cathode, potential difference, and current
Homework
- finish Guided Reading section 2
Science News
Rumpelstilskin Molecule Spins Toxic Ions Into Gold Nuggets
Friday, February 8, 2013
Day Sixty Five Overview
Day Sixty Five Overview
- began class by checking section 1 of the Chapter 17 guided reading packet that had been assigned last week
- there were a few students that did not finish the work, even though they had been given class time to get a head start on the work
- after checking the homework we took a few minutes and independently studied some of our static electricity key words (conduction, friction, induction, electrons, protons, attract, repel, static discharge, lightning, static electricity)
- after studying we took a quiz vocabulary quiz based on those key words
- after we were done with the quiz we watched some more of the NOVA: Lightning video
NOVA: Lightning
Homework
- bring in examples of the craziest batteries you can find lying around the house (due next class)
- section 2 of the guided reading is due Wednesday 2/13
Science News
Electricity Gives Bubbles Super Strength
- began class by checking section 1 of the Chapter 17 guided reading packet that had been assigned last week
- there were a few students that did not finish the work, even though they had been given class time to get a head start on the work
- after checking the homework we took a few minutes and independently studied some of our static electricity key words (conduction, friction, induction, electrons, protons, attract, repel, static discharge, lightning, static electricity)
- after studying we took a quiz vocabulary quiz based on those key words
- after we were done with the quiz we watched some more of the NOVA: Lightning video
NOVA: Lightning
Homework
- bring in examples of the craziest batteries you can find lying around the house (due next class)
- section 2 of the guided reading is due Wednesday 2/13
Science News
Electricity Gives Bubbles Super Strength
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
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