The Rest of the Year

Hi All,

Here's how it breaks down:

Wednesday, 5/20 - finish notes on forces in class and quiz show on the chapter
Thursday, 5/21 - Test and Quiz packet due
Also, Hot Wheels Motion Day
Wednesday, 5/27 - Review for Final Exam
Thursday, 5/28 - In Class Final Exam and self-assessment

See the previous entry for details on the final exam.

Final Exam

As I announced in class yesterday, I will be giving a final exam in science class during the first week of June. Here is how it will work:

1. Prior to the test, you will be given a packet with blank copies of the tests and quizzes that we have taken this year. You need to use your knowledge, notes, and handouts to complete these. (You could choose to copy from your previous tests and quizzes, but you wouldn't be benefitting your learning that way).
2. I will then compile a final exam - using the same concepts - for you to complete in class using your notes and handouts. You will NOT be allowed to make use of any previous tests and quizzes (including the take home packet in #1 above), and you are not allowed to copy your tests and quizzes into your notebook. However, any concepts that have been on previous tests and quizzes that are not adequately in your notebook or folder, should be in there before your open notebook/folder final.

I will give you the packet to work on early next week.

Motion to Force

Hi All,

With quizzes on motion complete, we will move onto force. There are two things that you all need to make sure of:

1. Have your Hot Wheels car by Monday. We will be using Hot Wheels to reinforce our understanding of the motion concepts that we had a quiz on. You will also be able to use these demos to prep the 7th graders for Physics Day!

2. If you scored less than 19 points on the Motion Quiz, please have a parent sign it by Monday. I want to make sure that they are in the loop as we continue our work to improve your understanding of these concepts.

Have a great weekend!

Quiz next Monday

Hi All,

Good work in class yesterday and today!
Please remember that we have a quiz on the motion chapter next Monday. If you have any questions from the assigned homework, please email me ASAP for clarification.

Whoah are we busy!

Hey All,

Do not forget the homework due tomorrow, Wednesday, April 22: In the Motion, Forces, and Energy book, read pages 11-28, and do ALL of the Chapter Review on pages 32-33.

Make sure all of your renewable energy research projects are completed before Mexico (unless you have already talked with me).

On Wednesday, we will do some self-assessments, review yesterday's LHS field trip, and begin going over the key points in our Motion work.

I hope that all of you have a blast in Mexico!

More clarity on renewable energy projects

Hi All,

It is hard to give an outline of expectations for all of you, since the projects are so diverse, but here goes....

Section 1: Research Renewable energy resources vs. Non-renewable energy resources
a. Define what renewables and non-renewables are
b. Give 2 examples of renewable energy resources and 2 examples of non-renewables energy resources
1. Explain how each of the four examples works.
2. Explain the pro's and con's of each of the four resources

Section 2: Research YOUR renewable resource
a. Explain what it is.
b. Explain how it works
c. Explain its real world uses
d. Other appropriate details based on your specific topic

Section 3 (APPLIES TO MOST STUDENTS): Description of your project.
This can include description of how it was designed, created, results, etc. This may also simply be a powerpoint, poster, display, field trip, guest speaker, etc. In these last examples, there would be less writing, and more demonstration of understanding in thee latter examples.

Section 4: SOURCES!

Check in if these details are not clear. THE PROJECT IS DUE APRIL 2ND (NEXT WEEK!)

Renewable Energy Project Outline

Hi All,

Sorry that this is up so late. For today, please make sure that you have an outline/description telling the approach that you are taking in your renewable energy project. All projects will have some written research, but less for those that have a serious hands-on or demonstration component.

Outlines should include the following:
1. Comparison of renewables to non-renewables and why you chose your topic
2. What general information about your topic you will be telling or showing
3. How you will be telling or showing this information (your finished project)
4. Materials needed (and budget if purchases are required).

I will be looking at and approving all of the concepts in class today. The due date is Thursday, April 2nd.

Classwork, Homework, Test Update

Hi All,

You have all finished your electricity packet by now, so today's classwork relates to that. Please respond to the following prompts in your notebook for Wednesday, March 4th:

1. electrical power = voltage x electrical current. Another way to write this: watts = volts x amperes. In a good paragraph, explain what watts, volts, and amps are, and explain how they relate to one another.

2. energy = power x time. Another way to write this is watt hours (Wh) = watts x hours. Utilities bill customers in terms of kilowatt hours (kWh), which are 1,000 watt hours. Answer the following questions:
A. If I have to keep a 200-watt bulb on baby chicks to keep them warm enough, how many watt hours am I using in a 24-hour period?
B. If the utility bills me at 8.5 cents per kilowatt hour, how much does it cost me to keep these chicks warm each day?


Also for Wednesday,
Look at your science progress report and also consider our current energy work. Please respond to the following in your notebook:
1. Identify one science content Strength.
2. Identify one science content Area of Growth.
3. Identify one science content Challenge.
4. For #1-3, find at least one piece of work that demonstrates each.
5. Reflect on your personal goals at the end of your report card: A. Have you met them? B. If not, how will you meet them? C. Come up with three more goals for the rest of the year.

THIS THURSDAY'S TEST POSTPONED UNTIL NEXT MONDAY, MARCH 9

Electricity and Upcoming Test

Hey All,

For today, you should have read and highlighted through page 38 in the Electricity packet. Following up on today's quiz show on energy:

1. Finish reading and highlighting the rest of the Electricity packet for Monday, 3/2.
2. WE HAVE A TEST next Thursday, 3/5 on all of the material in the Introduction to Energy and Electricity packets, as well as the presentations by your classmates.

ELECTRICITY!

Nice presentations last week! As we move ahead in our energy unit, we will look at electricity, renewable and non-renewable sources, and eventually get to climate change. For Wednesday 2/25, read pages 32-35 in the Electricity packet, and highlight the key points.

Moving Ahead with Energy

Hi All,

Energy papers and presentations are due Thursday. Reminder of the criteria below:

The following checklist is to be used for crafting your energy paper and presentations for Thursday, February 19th. The numbers in parentheses are the point values for those items in the project.

_____ (1) Your energy type

_____ (2) Define/explain it.

_____ (2) Is it kinetic or potential? How do you know this?

REFERENCE TO THREE EXAMPLES TO HELP ARTICULATE THE FOLLOWING FOUR ITEMS:

_____ (2)Describe how it “moves” (if it is kinetic) or “stored” (if it is potential)

_____ (2) Describe what energy gets converted into this form of energy.

_____ (2) Describe what energy form it converts into.

_____ (2) How is it relevant to your lives?



_____ (3) Have you used three good explanatory examples to help articulate the four items in the box above?

_____ (5) A well-organized five-minute presentation including all team members with a good visual demonstration of your energy type

_____ (3) Is your paper written clearly with good structure, grammar, and spelling?

_____ (1) Is your paper double-spaced with a readable 12-point font and 1” margins?

_____ (2) Have you cited all of your sources? (At least three of them)

Total Possible Points: 27

Hope you are having a great break!

Wrapping Up the Minerals and Moving On

Hey All,

Out today - sorry about that. I hope you all enjoyed the identifying minerals in search of signs of granite activity last week. Definitely some great collaboration there!

Due today, February 2nd, Please make sure that you have completed the prompt related to last Thursday's Out of the Inferno film:
Write a good paragraph describing how cultural and natural forces interconnect in the film. Be detailed!

Also, for Wednesday, February 4th, please complete the reading and worksheet on "Introduction to Energy." Do not forget the last item on the worksheet, which asks you to identify things that stump, surprise, or concern you about the two tables in the reading.

Quiz next Thursday, 1/22

Hi All,

Next week we will work on the "Handling the Minerals" worksheet. Be ready to get rolling on this when you get to class on Wednesday.

Quiz next Thursday will cover the following topics:
* Related information from the Relevant Elements worksheet (the info about element abundance in the Earth's crust).
* The rock cycle and basic information about the three main types of rocks
* Difference between rocks and minerals
* The main characteristics used to define elements (on the recent characteristics worksheet).

Have a good long weekend!

Mineral Research

Hey All,

Thank you for the good contributions about the M/DC and BS/V reactions in class today. Also, thank you for the insights on what we saw and learned at UC Berkeley last week.

YOUR MINERAL RESEARCH IS DUE ON THURSDAY, 1/15
Please see the list of minerals below that correspond with the numbers you drew in class today:
1. Graphite
2. Galena
3. Magnetite
4. Pyrite
5. Hornblende
6. Biotite Mica
7. Quartz
8. Hematite
9. Limonite
10. Feldspar
11. Rose Quartz
12. Gypsum
13. Muscovite Mica
14. Halite
15. Calcite
16. Fluorite
17. Talc
18. Kaolin

For your mineral, please follow the guidelines for research:
1. Describe its color.
2. Describe the mineral's streak.
3. Describe the luster.
4. Describe the fluorescence.
5. Describe the hardness.
6. Describe the mineral's cleavage.
7. Describe its qualities of fracture and tenacity.
8. Give examples of rocks that this mineral is part of, AND indicate what types of rocks these are (i.e. igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary).
9. CITE ALL SOURCES!

Current and upcoming work

Hey All,

Please make sure that you have completed the three following things by the end of class today:

1. Make sure that you have completed your Mentos/Diet Coke and Baking Soda/Vinegar write ups.
2. Make sure that you have explained how you are going to meet your science goals.
3. Prompts abut yesterday's Cal trip:
A. What was the coolest part?
B. What was the most important/profound thing that you learned? DETAILS
C. What question(s) do you have about what you saw?

Also, due for Monday, 1/12, complete the Defining Mineral Characteristics worksheet. Make sure you cite your sources!