Seventh Grade Science
It's GREEN TIME!! We are studying plants of all sizes, shapes, and kinds. As we study the world around us, we sometimes forget the many organisma that are so large and obvious. In our current chapter, the emphasis has been not only on plant characteristics in general, but also on the categories of plants. The smallest plants, the mosses, liverworts, and hornworts, depend on damp environments to survive. Students were asked to go on a moss hunt, and bring in small patches for us to examine in detail in our lab work. They have done the classic celery in colored water experiment to see how the vascular tubes (the "strings" you find in a celery stalk) allow other plants to grow larger, to allow water to be carried to higher parts of a plant. Next week, the focus will shift to those larger plants and their basic structures - the root, stem, and leaf. Following that will be a close look at plant reproduction - the cones, flowers, and seeds.
I have also spent quite a bit of time acquainting them with the new
Prentice Hall Science Explorer curriculum, the new book, the awesome
technology that comes with it, and how to take advantage of the
interactive nature of their textbook. There are hundreds of places in
their books where a web code is given that takes them to a game, a
puzzle, an activity, and so on, on the internet, to reinforce their
work. In the coming days, each student will be given the CD that
provides an interactive copy of the Life Science textbook. I hope it
works out for them at home, that it can eliminate the book needing to
go home in the backpack. It can also alleviate the panic from leaving a
homework handout at school, since every paper resource that comes with
the book can be downloaded and printed from the CD. How much better can
it get??
Eighth Grade Science
Chemistry has begun. For several weeks, the 8th graders will be involved with the various areas of chemistry, starting with Ch 3. Since they already know the basics of solids, liquids, and gases, class periods have been heavily into lab activity - the learning by doing. This year, I am being very adamant about putting real thought and critical thinking into the formal lab reports they write. Just putting information on paper, is not acceptable. Question responses and conclusions have to match the data reported, they need to show thinking and analysis that is logical and makes sense. That is one of the most valuable things I can do to get them ready for high school science classes.
In the chapters ahead, they will learn the basics of the periodic table, elements, compounds and solutions, follwed by examining chemical reactions and balancing equations.
I will repeat here, much of what I said above in the 7th grade portion, about our new science program, since it applies to all the students in grades 6, 7, and 8:
I have also spent quite a bit of time acquainting them with the new
Prentice Hall Science Explorer curriculum, the new book, the awesome
technology that comes with it, and how to take advantage of the
interactive nature of their textbook. There are hundreds of places in
their books where a web code is given that takes them to a game, a
puzzle, an activity, and so on, on the internet, to reinforce their
work. In the coming days, each student will be given the CD that
provides an interactive copy of the Physical Science textbook. I hope it
works out for them at home, that it can eliminate the book needing to
go home in the backpack. It can also alleviate the panic from leaving a
homework handout at school, since every paper resource that comes with
the book can be downloaded and printed from the CD. How much better can
it get??
Science Club
Our third meeting is set for Thursday, November 20th from 3:45 to 5:00 in the Science Lab.
Refreshments will be provided by ?? and ?? for snacks; Sophie Shafer and ???? for drinks. Thank you, for helping out!
We meet about once a month during the first and third trimesters. It is just too busy for the students during second tri, with the play and basketball and hockey, to try to fit in anything else.
I focus on making science fun and amazing and current. We have done so many different things over the 5 years I've been doing this, and I make sure nothing is repeated if students are members during both their 7th and 8th grade years. Twice, we have been able to work in a special overnight outing as a club. We have done an overnight at Underwater World at Mall of America, where we slept in the tunnel that goes through the water, and an overnight at the Minnesota Zoo. We slept in front of the dolphin and shark tanks. It was awesome! Looks like the interest this year is in returning to Underwater Adventures - more details soon.
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Always feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns, or comments by e-mailing from the link to my web page, using the JH Teacher Links heading on the left.