Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Fun with Genetics - 8th Grade

Today we used the Wolfram/Alpha website to look up genetic information.

For homework, I want you to play with the site and see what you can find out about genes and/or chromosomes and/or DNA codes. You can find the site here:
Wolfram/Alpha Genetics

There will be prizes in the following categories:
Most creative/entertaining
Most interesting
Most weird

Have fun!

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Lab Report Worksheet

I have put together a worksheet that will help you organize yourself in writing the Making Connections Lab Report.

You can get it by clicking on the link below:
Lab Report Planning Worksheet

Online Rulers


Here is an online rulers you can use to help with you Length Lab.

Online Ruler
Printable Rulers

Have fun.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Testing it Out

You can practice posting to our blog here.

Weekly Science Article Report #1 Period 6



This week (by Thursday at midnight), you will do your first Weekly Science Article Report.

Here's what to do for this assignment:
1) Citation: Here you will put the name of the article, the author, and where you found it (for example, the New York Times or Science News for Kids).
2) A brief summary: Here you will summarize the article in one or two sentences. This is to give your readers (including me) a sense of what you have read.
3) Reflection: This is the biggest part of your report. I am interested in your response to the article. Please address the following questions in your reflection:
a) What did you think about the article? Did you like it or not? Why?
b) What interested you or surprised you about the article?
c) What questions do you have about what you read? What would you like to know more about what you’ve read?

I am really looking forward to reading what you write.

Weekly Science Article Report #1 Period 3



This week (by Thursday at midnight), you will do your first Weekly Science Article Report.

Here's what to do for this assignment:
1) Citation: Here you will put the name of the article, the author, and where you found it (for example, the New York Times or Science News for Kids).
2) A brief summary: Here you will summarize the article in one or two sentences. This is to give your readers (including me) a sense of what you have read.
3) Reflection: This is the biggest part of your report. I am interested in your response to the article. Please address the following questions in your reflection:
a) What did you think about the article? Did you like it or not? Why?
b) What interested you or surprised you about the article?
c) What questions do you have about what you read? What would you like to know more about what you’ve read?

I am really looking forward to reading what you write.

Weekly Science Article Report #1 Period 5



This week (by Thursday at midnight), you will do your first Weekly Science Article Report.

Here's what to do for this assignment:
1) Citation: Here you will put the name of the article, the author, and where you found it (for example, the New York Times or Science News for Kids).
2) A brief summary: Here you will summarize the article in one or two sentences. This is to give your readers (including me) a sense of what you have read.
3) Reflection: This is the biggest part of your report. I am interested in your response to the article. Please address the following questions in your reflection:
a) What did you think about the article? Did you like it or not? Why?
b) What interested you or surprised you about the article?
c) What questions do you have about what you read? What would you like to know more about what you’ve read?

I am really looking forward to reading what you write.

Weekly Science Article Report #1 - Period 1



This week (by Thursday at midnight), you will do your first Weekly Science Article Report.

Here's what to do for this assignment:
1) Citation: Here you will put the name of the article, the author, and where you found it (for example, the New York Times or Science News for Kids).
2) A brief summary: Here you will summarize the article in one or two sentences. This is to give your readers (including me) a sense of what you have read.
3) Reflection: This is the biggest part of your report. I am interested in your response to the article. Please address the following questions in your reflection:
a) What did you think about the article? Did you like it or not? Why?
b) What interested you or surprised you about the article?
c) What questions do you have about what you read? What would you like to know more about what you’ve read?

I am really looking forward to reading what you write.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Chemical Elements Song

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Google Docs

Hello all.

Here is the link to get to our Google Docs:
GoogleStuff for School

Let me know if you have any problems.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Thinking Like a Scientist Videos









Create Your Blog Fake Name

Monday, September 14, 2009

Getting Into Cells

It is now time to focus our study of homeostasis to cells.

So, your homework for Wednesday is to answer two questions:
1. How do cells fulfill the 10 Characteristics of Life (MRLSTRNGER)?
2. How do cells manage homeostasis.
For this second question, you should focus on a specific kind of cell (e.g., the leaf cell of a potato plant), since all cells have different needs.

To help, you might organize yourself around these questions:
a. What is the cell you are studying?
b. What does it do?
c. Does it work with any other cells to accomplish its purpose?
d. What are the conditions in which it lives?
e. How is your cell well adapted to its environment?

Have fun!

Bring Me Your Data

Your homework for tomorrow (Tuesday, September 15th) is to bring in data of any kind. This could be:
Sports scores
Musical sales
Health information

Or anything else that's relevant to you.

I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Planning your Graph

We are learning to work like scientists.

Scientists collect data, which are organized observations. We collected data in the form of the Multiple Intelligences survey, and you are going to graph those results.

Keep planning your graphs.

See you soon.

Interruptions in Homeostasis

We are continuing to explore the question, "What does it mean to be alive?"

And we have been talking about homeostasis, the process by which living organisms work to maintain optimal conditions for life.

You are going to continue to research at least one of those interruptions. You will then:
1) Connect it to one or more of the human body systems
2) Connect it to the types of cells that are involved.

And here's link to the diagram I showed you today on the human body systems:
Human Body Systems


Have fun!

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Observations - 7th Grade Homework

Your homework for Tuesday, September 9th:

Spend about 10 minutes someplace. While you are there, make 10 good observations and write them in your notebooks. These observations should be written on the left 1/3 of your notebook page from Friday.

Friday, September 4, 2009

Multiple Intellgences Survey Results

You have each taken the Multiple Intelligences Survey in class.
Now, we want to collect the data from everyone to see what we can learn about ourselves as a group.

Please click on the link below and enter your data. When you are done, press submit.
Multiple Intelligences Data Collection

On Monday, we'll look at the trends that we can see.