BMS Science 8

The Rest of the Year

2009-05-19T15:36:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-15T09:07:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-15T08:58:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-07T13:46:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-04-21T10:44:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-18T04:13:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-02T10:51:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-26T10:36:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-02-24T15:37:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-17T07:34:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-02T07:59:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-15T15:41:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-12T16:25:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-08T15:03:00.000-08:00

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!

Reactions Homework

2008-12-30T08:01:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Hope you are enjoying your break. Remember that for Monday, January 5th, you have some homework to do (assigned way back in early December). You all hypothesized about two reactions:
1. Mentos and Diet Coke
and
2. Baking soda and vinegar

You should have the scientific method outlined through the results (data) step from our in-class observations.

For each reaction, you need to write up a good conclusion
AND
do a little research to determine if each was a chemical reaction or not.
In other words, was what happened chemical or simply a physical phenomenon. Explain why you say what you say, and cite at least one source that helped you to figure this out.

Happy New Year!

Getting Up To Date

2008-11-25T14:58:00.000-08:00

Hey All,

Wanted to detail where we should be:

For today, 11/25, you should have completed the MythBusters scientific method outlines for the eye patch, rum as a cleaner, and cannonball through the ship myths.

Also for today, 11/25, you should have completed the Rocks reading and all of those questions (see previous blog entry).

For Monday, 12/1, please read the "Nuclear Chemistry" packet, highlight it, and be ready for further discussion.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Rock Reminder

2008-11-20T07:18:00.000-08:00

Hey All,

If you did not complete the rock reading and questions (see below on this blog), please complete it for Monday. Have great weekend!

Directions for MythBusting

2008-11-20T07:13:00.000-08:00

PIRATE MYTHBUSTERS DIRECTIONS!!!!
For each myth being tested, please set up a new page IN YOUR SCIENCE NOTEBOOK to detail the steps of the scientific method:

* The Question (the myth):

* Hypothesis:

* Experiment Methodology (how did they do it?):

* Explanation of what happened in the Experiment (what happened when they did it?):

* The Data (the information gathered):

* The Conclusion (Was the myth busted or not? Was it a valid experiment? What future research, questions, or experiments stem from this experiment?):

ROCKS!

2008-11-18T18:21:00.000-08:00

Hey All,

Thursday is Mythbusters Day, but Wednesday Rocks........

You have a handout about the rock cycle and types of rocks. Now pay attention. This assignment is about to look like one of Sheila's Math Assignment's......

Please answer the following questions by Monday, November 24th.

Page 909 - Fig 27-2 - How are rocks different from minerals?

Page 910 - Reading Check - What is the law of conservation of matter?
Fig 27-3 - What processes cause the uneven surfaces of these majestic mountains?

Page 911 - Section Assessment #1-4

Page 916 - Fig 27-6 - Did the lava that formed these rocks cool quickly or slowly? EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER.
Reading Check - What controls the grain size of an igneous rock?

Page 918 - Section Assessment #1-4 and Using Math

Page 919 - Fig 27-9 - What other conditions can cause metamorphic rocks to form?

Page 921 - Fig 27-11 - Explain why slate is used for patio and stepping stones and roofing shingles?

Page 922 - Section Assessment - #1-3

Page 923 - Fig 27-13 - How can these rock layers be used to sequence events in time, provided that the layers are not disturbed?

Page 927 - Reading Check - How do chemical sedimentary rocks form?

Page 928 - Problem Solving Think Critically (at the bottom)

Page 929 - Fig 27-17 - What types of organisms died and were buried to form this coal?
Using Math - ALL OF IT

Page 930 - Section Assessment - #1-3 AND Using Math

EMAIL SCIENCE GOALS AND QUIZ

2008-11-13T12:18:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Please email me your 3 science goals for the rest of the semester (through the end of January) by tomorrow (Friday, 11/14). These should be science content related - not behaviors. These should include what we have already been studying, as well as chemical composition and characteristics of minerals.

DON'T FORGET: Quiz on the chemical reactions sheet on Monday, 11/17.

Current Work

2008-11-11T06:08:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Great job preparing for your conferences last week. Wanted to remind you of where we stand as we move forward.....

Make sure that your Relevant Elements worksheet is completed (due yesterday).

For Wednesday, November 12th, read the reactions handout (both sides), and make marginal notes and/or highlight the important points. We will discuss this on Wednesday.

As we move forward, we will be looking more closely at chemical reactions. We will also be examining minerals, their chemistry, and their various characteristics.

Homework and Test

2008-10-24T06:23:00.000-07:00

Hey All,

Sorry that I missed class yesterday. Hope you enjoyed others' presentations and the wacky British Chem Professors from Nottingham.

Don't forget that we have a test next Wednesday (10/29). Use the test review handout as a your study guide. We will have a thorough review in class next Monday.

Also, any missing homework needs to be handed in by next Thursday (10/30).

Loose Ends

2008-10-17T14:55:00.000-07:00

Hey All,

What great inquisitiveness y'all show in class each day - thank you!

Want to make sure that we are on top of the work that is due or coming due soon:

For 10/16, you should have finished your alkali metal/halogen compound write ups (identifying one and describing its uses).

For Monday, 10/20, research and write an understandable paragraph on your chemistry term. If you do not remember yours, please email me.

Have a great weekend!

Periodic Table, Rocks & Minerals

2008-10-06T20:59:00.000-07:00

Hey All,

Sorry I am sick. Wanted to update you on the work to be complete by Wednesday, October 8:

1. Following up on last Thursday's class on compounds, Noble Gases, Halogens, and Alkali Metals, do the following:
Come up with a compound of one alkali metal (group 1) and a halogen (group 17). Then research its use.

2. In response to today's film, please EMAIL ME ONE PARAGRAPH FOR EACH OF THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS:
A. Please DESCRIBE rocks and minerals
B. How does the info in the film relate to our studies in chemistry?

Fix and/or Complete Solubility Work

2008-09-30T13:33:00.000-07:00

If your teacher assessment indicated the need, please fix/complete your solubility homework for Wednesday, 10/1.

Elemental Bingo Champions

2008-09-26T15:58:00.000-07:00

I am proud to announce that Robert and Oswaldo were the victors in the hard-fought Elemental Bingo competitions in Thursday's classes. We will dig deeper into atomic structure and understanding the periodic table this coming week. Have a great weekend!

Measurement Worksheets Revisions and Completion

2008-09-26T15:56:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

If you did not finish your revisions, or have not yet completed some part of your measurement worksheets, please do so for Monday, 9/29.

What is Matter?

2008-09-25T07:36:00.000-07:00

For Thursday, 9/25:

Complete the "What is Matter?" worksheet.

Solubility Checklist

2008-09-25T07:34:00.000-07:00

Please complete the following self-assessment checklist for the Solubility Experiment. It is due Thursday, 9/25:

____ Solute

____Saturation

____ VERY DETAILED process

____ DETAILED comparison of your results to others'

____ At least 3 possible factors that may have led to errors

____ At least 2 questions for further consideration

____ Overall strong detail and description

Solubility Experiment

2008-09-17T14:41:00.000-07:00

THE CHALLENGE
1. Measure 35 milliliters (ml) of cold tap water (SOLVENT), and pour it into into a 250ml beaker.
2. What quantity (in grams) of sugar or salt (SOLUTE) can be dissolved in the water before reaching saturation? Give results to the nearest gram.

THE HOMEWORK due Wednesday, 9/24
1. What solute were you dissolving into water?
2. At what point did you reach saturation?
3. What process did you use in this experiment? GIVE GOOD DETAILS!
4. What is your impression of how your results compare to other teams'?
5. What factors may have caused errors in your results?
6. What questions for further inquiry do you take away from this experiment?

Welcome to 8th Grade Science!

2008-09-05T17:37:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
Great meeting with you yesterday! For Monday, please answer the following prompt with a good thoughtful paragraph in your science notebooks:

How do you use chemistry in your day-to-day life?

Have a great weekend!