Extra credit assignment is available now! Go to my handouts link, print out
Illustrating Heat Transfer, and complete it as instructed. You may turn it in
anytime BEFORE September 31.
You can also make rock candy! Print out Rock Candy Extra Credit, follow the
instructions and turn it in by Friday, October 16. You should start it soon,
as it may take a couple of weeks.
You can also volunteer for, or bring waste to, the October 3 e-Waste Drive
here at Egan. See me for details.
Donations: You may also donate volunteer time, materials, or funds each
quarter for up to 5 points of extra credit. See the teachers' wish lists on
the Egan website (I have it linked as the 4th link down on this site). WE
ALWAYS NEED STOPWATCHES, FACIAL TISSUES, BINDER PAPER, and HANDSOAP! :)
All extra credit materials must be turned in the Friday before the end of any
given quarter. NO EXCEPTIONS, other than excused absence.
Rethinking the Science Fair Project
Dear Parent/Guardian,
“Service-learning” is defined by www.servicelearning.org/what-service-learning as “a teaching and
learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to
enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.”
The Egan science department agrees with the National Science Teachers Association that service-
learning has a special relevance to science classes. It is in this spirit that 8th grade science would
like to supplement the science fair project with service-learning. We’d like the students to
incorporate the scientific method into a project that is both meaningful to the student, and the
community. Next year we plan to do away with the current science fair model. We plan on moving
into the service-learning model, specifically by encouraging students to look at conservation,
ecological, and environmental problems in their immediate community. Then we’ll ask students to
take action to work towards a simple solution. It’s called the Personal Environmental Action Plan
(PEAP) and we are piloting this project with the current 8th graders. So, we’d like to ask students to
develop their Personal Environmental Action Plan to meet the science fair project requirement of
scientific method and investigation. See the project overview, which is available on both Mr. Davies’
and Mr. Weitz’s websites for more details.
Here is an example of how it might work The action that students have already taken (for example,
making sure that lights are turned off at home) is the manipulated variable. The student could then
measure the difference using the utility bills, which is the responding variable. Finally, the student
would analyze other variables that could have effected any changes in power usage besides just
turning off lights, like # of people in the house, extreme weather, etc. and make conclusions about
the effects of the behavioral changes made. They could then discuss further efforts that could be
made to cause even greater change. All projects will be presented during class in a format of the
student’s choosing (iMovie, PowerPoint/Keynote, poster board, a or traditional tri-fold display board)
during Earth Week.
However, as we do value the science fair idea in general, we will continue to encourage students to
enter the county science fair and offer ourselves as mentors. If a student prefers to fulfill the
service-learning project following the traditional science fair model, we will just ask that they choose
a meaningful topic.
Please follow the link below to a quick, 3-question survey and give us your feedback regarding this
change. Thank you very much for your time and attention.
www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=ReNHfOv5q0Kvl9oCdApxWg_3d_3d" Please click here to take
the survey.
Best Regards,
Damon Weitz and Greg Davies
