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May 27, 2014
Period 1,3,4 students begain/continued progress on the Rube Goldberg machine building. The final machines should be built and successfully run by Friday!

Period 6,7 students practiced their Peroidic Table skills by completing the "Alien Periodic Table." This assignment is to be done in class and was collected at the end of the period. Tomorrow, students will have ample time to complete the puzzle. It is worth 30pts. On Thursday, students will complete the Unit Test for Chemistry (Pd. 6,7 only) and Friday they will take the 4th quarter Notebook Test (Pd. 6,7 only). Pds 1,3,4 will complete these activities next week to round out their year.

Please find the following webpages available for your studying in preparation for the Unit Test (ALL passwords are "boone")

[|Quizlet Sec. 1-1] [|Quizlet Sec. 1-2] [|Quizlet Sec. 1-3] [|Quizlet Sec. 1-4] [|Quizlet Ch. 1 Chemistry (all combined)] [|Sec. 2-1 Quizlet (password: boone)] [|Sec. 2-2 Quizlet (password: boone)] [|Ch. 2 Quizlet (password: boone)] [|Ch. 3 Quizlet (pw: boone)]

May 20, 2014
Student had the period to work on the Crach Course. It is due in its entirety tomorrow! We are short for time and will be uilizing every minute of classtime from here on out. What is not completed in class is homework! Due to testing, trips, etc... any students that are NOT in class ARE responsible to find out their work and keep themselves up to date.

HW: Finish Crash Course; have ready to be checked on 5/21

May 19, 2014
Thanks to everyone who came out on Friday and helped make the 8th grade dance a huge success!! It was an awesome evening and we made the most out of being indoors thanks to mother nature!

In science, students received back their Ch. 2 Quiz. We got started on a 2 day assignment called the "Crash Course to the Periodic Table" which is designed to give students a working knowledge of the PT. Lastly, we viewed the dance slideshow from Friday night. I will have photos to download available this week.

HW: Work on Crash Course through Part 3; i will call up to check on progress during class.

May 15, 2014
Students completed the Gas Laws by viewing and evaluating demonstrations of the "TP" and Charles's Law. The "TP" Law was demonstrated by crushing a hot can in cold water as well as creating an exploding "grain silo." Charles's Law was demostrated by putting a helium balloon in the fridge and watching it expand as it returned back to room temperature. PLEASE study up this evening and use the resources online that I have linked below (May 14). These WILL help you to prepare for the quiz!! We are running out of grading opportunities this quarter... take advantage of every chance you get to improve your grade!!

HW: Study for Quiz on Ch. 2 (Sec. 2-1, 2-2) (40pts)

May 14, 2014
Absent yesterday, back on track today. We are begining the work on the Gas Laws. Today we completed the notes, made our "PTV" card to help better understand the gas laws, and then viewed a number of demonstrations to "show" the laws in action. We will have a quiz on Sec. 2-1 and Sec. 2-2 on Friday! Please use the Quizlet links below to help study for your quiz!! [|Sec. 2-1 Quizlet (password: boone)] [|Sec. 2-2 Quizlet (password: boone)] [|Ch. 2 Quizlet (password: boone)] HW: Sec. 2-2 R&R WS (5pts); Quiz on Ch. 2 Friday!!!

May 8, 2014
Students completed the Sec. 2-1 graphic organizer. Please note the following:

Ch. 1 Test revisions must be done by Friday 8th period (remember, ALL work must be done in Rm 209) I am shooting for a quiz on Ch. 2 mid-next week. Check back in the next few days for updated Quizlet reviews posted for the material on those quizzes.

HW: None

May 7, 2014
Students had their Ch. 2 Vocab checked (11pts) and they received back their Ch. 1 test. Due to the fact that Ch. 1 was stretched out and broken up due to testing, breaks, and PSSA prep, for students scoring below a 74% on the test, I am offering an opportunity to do test corrections and bring up their score to a 74%. For some students this opportunity will substancially change their grade. Test corrections must be done in the following manner:

-Students will report to my room during an (or multiple if necessary) 8th period THIS WEEK. They will get their corrected test from me and a blank test copy. Using ANY resources from class (book, notes, etc...) students will make corrections to their test and resubmit a "new" copy. It will be regraded w/ 100% = 74%.. incorrect responses on the revised test will be deducted in a scaled manner. This MUST be finished in my classroom (during 8th and HR) and completed by Friday.

HW: None

May 6, 2014
Students completed the Ch.1 Test in Chemistry. Tests will be graded in short order and added to the online gradebook once finished. Students recieving a score of less than a 74% MAY do test corrections to bring their grade up to a 74%. This needs to be done in my classroom during 8th period. It also must be finished and submitted by Friday. After the test, students began to work on the Ch.2 vocab list. It is a short chapter of only 2 sections. The words are as follows and must be definied for HW (due Wed.)

Sec. 2-1: Solid, Crystalline Solid, Amorphous Solid, Liquid, Fluid, Viscosity, Gas Sec. 2-2: Temperature, Boyle's Law, Charles's Law, Pressure

HW: Ch. 2 Vocab due (11pts); check Ch. 1 Test score and plan to make revisions if necessary

May 5, 2014
Students saw a quick demo of electrolysis and then we spent most of the period reviewing for the test tomorrow using the SMART clickers. Students were reminded of the quizlet website (see links below) they can use to study. Also, they were given a crossword on the back of their Sec. 1-4 outline a week ago that was never assigned. Here is the key to that crossword so students can check their work on it if they choose to do it for studying purposes:

The Ch.1 Test will be given tomorrow!

HW: STUDY!!!!

May 2, 2014
Music in the Parks day means not many kids here! Those that were learned about non-Newtonian fluids and made (and played with) Oobleck.

HW: Chem. Chapter 1 test next Tuesday! Use Quizlet links below to begin preparations!

April 30, 2014
We spent the day working on a few last-minute skills for tomorrow's science PSSA. In particular, students were challenged (and largely enjoyed) doing some chemical equation balancing, learning about the rock cycle, and practicing their Punnett Squares. I am trying out a new website called quizlet.com which allows students to study online. I made a few practice sets using PSSA terms and students seemed to enjoy using it.

Next Tuesday we will have a Chapter 1 test in Chemistry. I created the following Quizlet sets to help prepare for the test. **THE PASSWORD FOR ALL SETS IS "boone"**

[|Quizlet Sec. 1-1] [|Quizlet Sec. 1-2] [|Quizlet Sec. 1-3] [|Quizlet Sec. 1-4] [|Quizlet Ch. 1 Chemistry (all combined)]

April 24, 2014
The science fair is setup and we are spending most of the period checking out projects and voting on them in a few categories. I am checking the previous night's homework BUT there is no additional HW tonight.

PLEASE COME OUT TONIGHT FROM 6-7 TO SEE THIS YEAR'S SCIENCE FAIR PROJECTS!!!

HW: none.

April 23, 2014
Students reviewed the first batch of PSSA terms. We then created a set of flashcards for Sec. 1-3 on Atoms and Molecules. Students were given 2 homework assignments; Sec. 1-3 R&R WS and PSSA Terms Round 2. THURSDAY NIGHT!!! We will be having an open house to show off this year's science projects from 6-7pm. Stop by to see the work that was done by this year's class!

HW: Sec. 1-3 R&R WS and PSSA Vocab

April 22, 2014
Hope everyone had a great break! My room was filled w/ Science Fair projects this morning.. I look forward to checking them out! I will be having an open house for parents to come and view the projects on Thursday from 6-7pm!!! Please stop by and see the work students have put into their projects. Feel free to bring family and friends along! I'll have some light refreshments to enjoy and some smooth jazz on the radio. In class, we debriefed on the projects and the dissection. I gave an impromptu decriptions of our legal system (I have jury duty next week for 3 days) and we got started on the next section in Chemistry along w/ beginning some PSSA terminology review.

HW: Chemistry Sec. 1-3 notes (use book; starting on p.29) and PSSA Vocab Matching (Page 1 and 2; front and back)

April 15, 2014
Students participated in Day 1 of the Dogfish dissection. This activity is intended to serve as a review for the science PSSA test on May 1. It is also a good opportunity for students to see the kind of science that they will be conducting in 9th grade Biology.

Science Fair: Science Fair projects are due Tuesday April 22!!!! Please bring your project to my classroom by the end of Morning Homeroom. Also, please remember to complete a rubric (handed out in class and found in Virtual Notebook) in order to "self grade" your own project. The purpose of the rubric is for you do look critically at your project and the requirements. If aspects are missing, fix them before submission! If YOUR grade is not an accurate reflection of the final (the rubric is fact based for the most part and NOT opinion based) you will not recieve credit for handing in the rubric. The final project is worth 70pts.

April 11, 2014
Students completed their lab skills practice with measuring mass, volume, and density using both the mathematical methods and water displacement. On Monday, students will be taking a quiz on Sec. 1-1 and 1-2. On Tues and Wed we will be completing a group dissection of a dogfish to reinforce a number of PSSA concepts.

HW: Quiz on Sec. 1-1, 1-2 (~35pts) followed by continuation of the "Dunkin' for Denisty" experiment

April 10, 2014
Students completed the notes for Sec. 1-2 on Measuring Matter. They began practicing the collection and calculations for getting mass, volume, and finding the density of an object.

HW: Periods 3,4,7 - Sec. 1-2 R&R WS and Density calculations; Quiz on Sec. 1-1, 1-2 Monday! Science Fair Due 4/22!!!!

April 3, 2014
Last day of testing! (until next week.) Back to class again tomorrow continuing our look at matter. The next few weeks will be choppy but we will continue working through chemistry as best we can. Please remember that Science Fair projects ARE DUE APRIL 22nd!!!!

HW: None

March 26, 2014
Students had their vocab HW checked (23pts). We then looked at the differences between physical (descriptive) and characteristic (ID) properties. Class ended w/ students beginning a "What's in the box" activity gear towards IDing physical characteristics of unseen objects.

HW: Notebook Test Friday!!! Check yours against mine! Quarter ends next week!

March 25, 2014
Students completed a final assessment on the scientific method and physics. After the test they were given some time to work on the vocab list due on Wed. Those words can be found on p. 39 of the Chem book. They are to define all of the "Key Terms" on that page.

HW: Chem Chapter 1 vocab due (23 pts); Notebook Test Friday! (~70pts); Science Fair project due 4/22

March, 24, 2014
I was absent today. Students had their HW from friday checked (crossword). They were given time in class to prepare for the assessment tomorrow or to get started on the chemistry vocab list due on Wed.

HW: Unit Test tomorrow (80pts), Notebook test Friday (~70pts), Chem Chapter 1 vocab due Wed.

March 21, 2014
Students finished the renewable/non-renewable energy sources graphic organizer. This completes everything required for the test next week on Tuesday. They were given their new Chemistry text and provided a few minutes to get started on their weekend homework (review crossword).

Please also check out the Alvernia Science camp flyer below! It's a free, week long science camp in Reading... just register for consideration!



HW: Review Crossword (10pts) due Monday; Unit test (80pts) Tuesday; Notebook Test (~80pts) Friday. END OF QUARTER AND PSSAs ARE NEXT WEEK!

March 17-18, 2014
Students worked in the computer lab to continue their "Look Out Below" lab writeup. They are responsible to graph both their group average data and the class average data. They are then to write a thorough conclusion in MyAccess. This is due on Thursday and should be ready to be handed in during class. Please staple in the following order (top to bottom): graph paper (w/ problem, hypothesis, etc...), tables, bar graphs, conclusion. Please also write your MyAccess score on your final conclusion.

I PUSHED BACK THE DUE DATE FOR THE SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT TO TUESDAY APRIL 22!

HW: "LookOut Below" Lab due Thursday! (~70pts); Scientific Method/Physics Unit Test on Friday! (~70pts)... this will include everything done **since** we finished Astronomy!!

March 14, 2014
Students completed the data collection portion of the "Look Out Below" lab yesterday. Today we were in the computer lab to finish graphing our data and beginning work on completing the conclusion. Students will have an additional 2 days in the lab next week (Mon and Tues) to complete the assignment. By the end of next week, it is (highly) likely that a final unit test on the Scientific Method, Physics, etc.. will be given. This test will be worth ~70pts.

HW: None; Science Fair due 4/14; Lab due mid next week.

March 11, 2014
Students began the data collection phase of the "Look Out Below" Lab. They are testing to see if the mass of an object affects its speed and acceleration when falling.

HW: None

March 10, 2014
Students completed an outline on Force and Motion (from text) and we reviewed the outline in class. We viewed a demostration using a mini steam engine to review the conversions of energy (Potential, kinetic, and mechanical) we learned last week. Finally, students were given time to complete the lab writeup for the "Look Out Below" lab starting tomorrow. That lab has been uploaded to the Labwork section of the NB. It is your responsibility to get this information copied for tomorrow!

Assign: Finish lab writeup for tomorrow

March 6, 2014
Time to get back on track w/ this site. Sorry for inconveniences caused. Today we checked the SVA calcs worked on in class yesterday and completed for HW last night (15pts). We then began a short intro to energy forms and conversions which will help out next week w/ a planned lab. Labs were collected yesterday as well as Science Fair projects. Tomorrow is the last day to submit a project idea for credit.

HW: None

January 27, 2014
Finally back for a full week hopefully! I think we all need to get back on some sort of schedule for awhile! Today students participated in a review game in preparation for the unit test tomorrow! This test will be comprised of ALL sections in Astronomy (Sec. 1-1 to Ch.3). This is the first major grade for the 3rd quarter! The test will be worth ~110pts.

HW: Study up for the Unit Test!

January 17, 2014
Students completed the final outine and summary of the remaining sections in Ch. 3... this puts us in a position to begin planning for the unit test. Next week will kick off w/ a day off (monday)... Tues will be the notebook test (87pts... last grade of 2nd quarter) and Friday will the unit test (~110-120pts... 1st grade of 3rd quarter). Students should check to make sure all documents are in the notebook and nothing is missing. Also, all documents must be clipped into the binder. Any papers not IN the binder (loose or in pockets) will be removed and unavailable for the test. If you have all your papers from the year AND have things in reasonably decent order you WILL do well on this test. Please take a moment to check to make sure you (or your child) is ready for Tuesday.

HW: Notebook test on Tues (87pts); Unit Test on Friday (~110-120pts)

January 14, 2014
Students had their Chapter 3 Summaries checked (outline). They had nearly a full period to work on these and they SHOULD have had most completed. We spent the class formulating question lists for our video chat planned for tomorrow. We will be talking (via Facetime) with Dr. Kristina Barkume. She has a Ph.D in Planetary Sciences from CalTech University in Southern California. Dr. Barkume has done extensive research on dwarf planets within our solar system and components of her research were used in the elimination of Pluto as our 9th planet (her advisor was Dr. Mike Brown who, literally, wrote the book on the elimination of Pluto as a planet). Dr. Barkume will share some of her knowledge about dwarf planets w/ students as well as take questions about the solar system or astronomy in general. This is the first time I have experimented w/ "bringing in" a scientist to our classroom and I certainly hope it goes according to plan!

HW: None; Notebook test next Tuesday! (~80pts)

January 8, 2014
Students were back in the classroom to continue into Chapter 3 on the universe. Our focus today was how astronomers study space (telescopes) and what they look for (waves). A few remiders were issued: MyAccess and Pluto/Dwarf Planet research due tomorrow (printed and stapled for class); January 21st will be the 2nd Quarter NB test (~80)... this is a scavenger hunt style test... questions will be asked in order if notebook is organized in a similar manner to my classroom copy or my website! Quarter ends 1/22 so make this last test a great one!

HW: Finish Pluto MyAccess; NB Test 1/21 (~80pts)

January 6-7, 2014
Finally (hopefully) a regular week! Students were in the computer lab last week and will continue to be for the next two days. They are working on researching Pluto as well as dwarf planets in our solar system. The goal is for them to understand what are the requirements of a planet and how other objects in out SS come *close* to being a planet, but don't quite meet the requirements. They are then to write a persuasive essay regarding the planetary status of Pluto (for or against) in MyAccess. The Essay should be based in scientific fact but may include opinion.

HW: None; MyAccess and research due by Wednesday

December 18, 2013
Students completed their Chapter 2 test! Vocab for Chapter 3 is due the day we get back from break! The list of words has been posted to the "notebook".

HW: Chapter 3 Vocab due 1/2 (Thursday we return)

December 17, 2013
Students had their Sec. 2-6 R&R WS checked. They were provided a copy of a study guide for the test tomorrow! Please take some time to review this material and prepare yourself for the test on Wednesday. I put a copy of the answer key in the notebook!

HW: Study for Test on Wed! Also, bring in canned food for our food drive by Friday!

December 13, 2013
We started class discussing the Mustang Holiday Festivites to be held next Friday! We will be making cards to be sent to troops as well as collecting canned/boxed goods for a food drive.

In science, we completed the remainder of the flashcards for Sec. 2-5. We'll cover Sec. 2-6 on Extraterrestrial Life on Monday. That will set us up to review on Tues and have the test on Wed.

HW: Sec. 2-5 R&R WS (5pts); Chapter 2 Test Wednesday! (100pts)

December 12, 2013
Students recieved back their quiz, were debriefed on the "Speeding Around the Sun" lab, and started reviewing Sec. 205 while making a set of flash cards to accompany the section. We will be having a Chapter 2 Test next Wednesday and it will be worth 100pts!

HW: None; Chapter 2 Test Wednesday 12/18

December 11, 2013
Students completed their Planets Quiz. Following the quiz, they worked on the outline for Sec. 2-5 on Comets, Asteroids, and Meteors.

HW: Complete 2-5 Outline (10pts)

December 10, 2013
SNOW DAY.

December 9, 2013
Students had their HW checked and we quickly reviewed the content for the quiz tomorrow! Study Sec. 2-3, 2-4 on the Inner and Outer Planets!

HW: Study for Sec. 2-3, 2-4 Quiz (~40pts)

December 6, 2013
Students had their Outer Planet guides checked. We reviewed the information on the papers to ensure they had the correct info to study. Again, students were to highlight the important info in preparation for tests/quizzes in the future.

HW: Sec. 2-5 R&R WS (5pts); Planet Review Crossword (on back of Pluto) (10pts)

December 5, 2013
The schedule was a bit jumbled today due to the 8th grade concert (which was worth it b/c the kids did a great job!! Always LOVE seeing concerts and the great things they're doing outside of the classroom!). Students had their HW checked, reflections collected, and we started completion of the outer planet guides.

HW: Complete the outer planet guides for Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto (Crossword on back is NOT HW!)

December 4, 2013
Students completed the review of Mars to finish off the inner planets. We then viewed a video which focused on the exploration of Mars and if it could someday be modified (terraformed) to allow humans to inhabit it. Students were given a paper on which they were asked to write a reflection regarding their thoughts about this topic of space exploration, possibly inhabiting another planet, and the eventual demise of the earth.

HW: Sec. 2-3 R&R WS (5pts); HyperSpace Reflection (10pts)

December 3, 2013
Students had their Inner Planet organizers checked and reviewed. We made it through Mercury, Venus, and Earth. Students highlighted important information which they will need to know for upcoming tests and quizzes!

HW: None

November 25/26, 2013
Students viewed Apollo 13 in the auditorium to culminate our study of human space exploration.

November 22, 2013
Students got their Sec. 2-1, 2-2 Quizzes back and we quickly reviewed them. Results were excellent for all classes w/ very high averages... see, flashcards work! They then got right to work on the graphic organizers for the inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars). These organizers are due when we return from break. On the half days learding up to break we will be watch "Apollo 13" in the auditorium.

HW: Complete the graphic organizers for the inner planets by Tues. Dec. 3;

November 18, 2013
Students examined the sun and it's features. We began work on a set of flash cards to study from in preparation for the Sec. 2-1, 2-2 Quiz on Thursday (40pts). We made ourway through most of the cards but still about 4-5 remain. We will finish them tomorrow!

HW: None; Quiz on Thursday (Sec. 2-1,2-2)

November 13, 2013
Students worked on their conclusions for the "Speeding Around the Sun" lab from last week. They will have 2 class periods to complete this assignment. It can also be accessed from home through [|www.myaccess.com]. The final report (graph paper, table, conclusion) is due in-hand on Friday. I explained how the MyAccess is graded in class. Students' goals should be answer all the questions for each paragraph AND write to a minimum of a 4.0 on the grading scale.

HW: "Speeding Around the Sun" Conclusion due Friday

November 12, 2013
(sick again.) Students completed the required information for Sec. 2-2 on the Sun. They were given the class period (ample time) to finish the outline AND the Sec. 2-2 R&R WS. Both assignments will be checked and reviewed next week.

HW: Sec. 2-2 Outline and R&R WS due Friday (10, 5pts respectively)

November 11, 2013
I was absent. Students watched an IMAX movie called "Roving Mars" on the design and implementation of the Spirit and Opportunity rovers on Mars. This provided students with some backgroup information for upcoming discussions when we turn our focus to the planets. HW: None

November 8, 2013
Students collected the data required for the "Speeding Around the Sun" lab. They recorded multiple trials and calucated averages for their data sets. A formal conclusion sumarizing this lab will be completed next week.

HW: None

November 7, 2013
Students completed a short review of the concepts from Sec. 2-1. They then copied the "Speeding Around the Sun" lab report to be completed on Friday. Any time remainng was up for grab to play w/ Gyroscopes!

HW: Finish copying Speeding Around the Sun lab report (needed to do lab on Friday!)

November 6, 2013
Students finished the flashcard set and had homework checked. We reviewed the principle of gyroscopic inertia.

HW: None

November 5, 2013
Students had their outlines checked and we made a set of flashcards to study from for this first Section of Chapter 2. They were given a HW assignment to complete this evening as well.

HW: Sec. 2-1 R&R WS (5pts)

November 2, 2013
Students had their vocab HW collected and their Chapter 1 tests were returned. The results of the test were great! Class averages ranged from an 82% to a 92%. Nice work! After going over the test, students were given the outline for Sec. 2-1 and provided time in class to work on it. Any material not finished was assigned for homework

HW: Sec. 2-1 Outline (10pts)

November 1, 2013
Students completed a lab investigating the properties of dry ice!

HW: Chapter 2 vocab due Monday! (24pts) all words on p. 79 in book.

October 31, 2013
Students completed their Ch.1 test. It was worth 100pts. and grades will be added to the gradebook as they are finished. The test will be the first grade in the second quarter! Happy Halloween! Be safe out there!

HW: Chapter 2 vocab words are due Monday 11/4 (24pts). They can be found as the "Key Terms" on page 89 in the text book!

October 30, 2013
Students completed a review game on the material present on the Ch.1 test. Please remember you may use ONE side of a 3x5 notecard on the test tomorrow!

HW: STUDY UP!

October 29, 2013
Students completed a thorough review of the material on the Ch. 1 test using our SMART response system. Also, students were given a 3x5 notecard. On this first test (and this test only!) students may use ONE SIDE of that card to write any information they want for use on the Ch. 1 Test. The card will be handed in along w/ the test on Thursday.

HW: Chapter 1 Test on Thursday!

October 28, 2013
Students received their notebook grade and we went over a few homework assignments. We then finished the outline on the "Earth's Moon" (Section 1-4)

HW: None; Test moved to Thursday! (100pts)

October 25, 2013
Students had their notebooks collected, checked, graded, and returned in the course of the class period. The results of the NB check were VERY good overall w/ most classes falling in the 72-75/80 range! Nice job! They worked on a few assignments to finish the chapter and viewed the remaining "When We Left Earth" documentary on the Apollo missions. The assignments are HW if not completed.

HW: Sec. 1-3 R&R WS, Sec. 1-4 Outline, Sec. 1-4 R&R WS (students were given all class to finish); Chapter 1 test Wednesday!! (100pts)

October 24, 2013
Student completed the last bit of notes fro Sec. 1-3. Tomorrow notebooks will be collected! Make sure everything is in order! YOUR NOTEBOOK SHOULD BE A COPY OF MINE! THE ONLINE NOTEBOOK ABOVE IS ACCURATE AND UP TO DATE!!! Next quarter I give some notebook freedom... this one... not so much. It's worth 80pts. Please make sure it's good to go for tomorrow!

HW: Notebook check; Ch. 1 Test Wed! (100pts)

October 23, 2013
Students began to discuss satellites but we deviated off satellites to do some work investiating the Space Race during the Cold War between the US and USSR. We used a timeline to identify the important events of the Space Race on a table for our notebook.

HW: None; NB collection starts Friday; Chapter 1 Test Next Wednesday Oct. 30! (100pts.)

October 22, 2013
Students continued Sec. 1-3 by examining Multi-stage rockets. We discussed how multistage rockets functioned and viewed a clip from the documentary "When We Left Earth" on the Apollo Missions to view the Saturn V rocket.

HW: None; Notebook collection starts Friday (70-80pts)! Chapter 1 Test Wednesday Oct. 30! (100pts)

October 21, 2013
Students got started on the next section about Rockets and Satellites. We discussed and showed examples of the physics of rocketry.

HW: None

October 18, 2013
Students completed the Sec. 1-1, 1-2 quiz. After completion of the quiz they were given time to work on the Sec. 1-3 Chapter Guide (packet). If that is NOT completed by the end of class, it is to be completed fro homework!

HW: Sec. 1-3 Chapter Guide (8pts)

October 17, 2013
Renaissance Faire!

October 16, 2013
Students completed a review using the earth, moon, sun models and my responder system. They have no HW other than to study for the quiz on Fri.

HW: Study for quiz

October 15, 2013
Hope you enjoyed the long weekend! Students compelted a few review questions to recall the information from last week. We then checked the last bit of the outline and completed the diagram for tides. With a few minutes remaining, students received their homework.

HW: Sec. 1-1 AND Sec. 1-2 Review and Reinforce WS (5pts. each)

October 11, 2013
We continued w/ Sec. 1-2 and spent most of the day working through solar and lunar eclipses. We viewed a video the them, made some diagrams, and looked at future events. There are some important dates coming up so please pay attention to the following:

Monday Oct. 14 - In Service (no school) Thursday Oct. 17 - Field Trip Friday Oct. 18 - Sec. 1-1, 1-2 Quiz (40pts) Friday Oct. 25 - Start Notebook Collection (notebooks will be collected a few random periods at a time. the 25th is the first day classes are eligible to have them collected. in other words, notebooks should be ready for collection on the 25th) Wednesday Oct. 30 - End of Quarter

HW: None

October 10, 2013
Back! We jumped into the next section and talked about the sun, earth, moon relationship and how the phases of the moon are causes. We went through the phases and students were told they are responsible to know them. The phases are the basis for the eclipses and tides which we will cover throughout this section.

HW: none

October 9, 2013
Absent again. Students finished the video from 10/8. The substitute then guided them through checking all the assignments due today. Students were given a 1-2 Outline to complete from the text in preparation for the next section on phases, eclipses, and tides.

HW: Sec. 1-2 outline (5pts)

October 8, 2013
I was abset. Students viewed a video on the Apollo 11 missions to land man on the moon.

HW: assignments due today are pushed off until tomorrow... bonus day to finish!

October 7, 2013
Students completed the notes for Sec. 1-1 and also filled in a diagram to show the relationship of the earth's revolution and 23.5 degree tilt in causing the seasons.

HW: Sec. 1-1 Crossword (5pts.); Sec. 1-2 Chapter Guide (10pts)

October 4, 2013
Students finished their presentation (some classes only) and began (or completed) the Sec. 1-1 outline/notes. The first section has to deal w/ the movements of the earth (rotation vs. revolution) as well as the reasons why we have day/night, years, and seasons. MustangChess will start next week! Please click above for information on this new group!

HW: None

October 3, 2013
Students finished their presentations and had a few minutes to begin their Sec. 1-1 Chapter Guide. They are ONLY responsible for the Sec. 1-1 materials (about 2.5 pages). Students should read the section and complete the work accordingly.

HW: Sec. 1-1 Chapter Guide (10pts)

October 2, 2013
Students began to deliver their Astronomy Presentations to the class. The project is worth a total of 60 points (50 for project/10 for presentation). Any groups that did NOT present today should be prepared to present tomorrow. We will start Sec. 1-1 tomorrow or Friday!

HW: None

October 1, 2013
Students met in the classroom to receive back a vareity of assignments and assessments taken/collected over he past few weeks. We went over a few and also checked the notebook to ensure all papers were being placed in their rightful location within the notebook. With about 20min remaining,students completed some finishing touches on their PP projects and prepared them for the presentations which will start tomorrow. Any remaining work to be completed on the PP is the group's responsibility to finish during 8th period or for HW. They should check their project against the rubric (posted in "extras" section of binder.

HW: Astronomy PP Presentations begin tomorrow

September 30, 2013
Students had their final day to work in the computer lab on the Astro PowerPoint Project. The final project is due by Wednesday and is worth 50pts. A rubric was provided to to students along with the project overview reviewed on the first day we started work. They should self-assess their project to ensure it meets the requirements. Also, they will be completing a presentation of their project that they will need to be prepared for (Wed. or Thurs.)

HW: PowerPoint projects due Wed. 10/2 (50pts.)

Students had another full period to work on the Astronomy Project. It's important to note their is a video aspect of this project that must be added. Please allow time to make sure your video is editted and added to the final. The final project will be due next week (either Tues or Wed depending on progress today). They will then complete their presentations shortly following the due date. Vocab was due today as well. We will formally start Astronomy next week.

HW: None; Project due next week. Use your judgement on how much there is to do/time left to work

September 26, 2013
Students had the full period to work in the computer lab on their project. Most groups are off to a great start and diving into their topic very well. It's interesting to see how different groups choose different take-away ideas from a generalized topic. I'm looking forward to seeing the end result.

HW: None; Vocab due Friday

September 25, 2013
Students were instructed on the details of their upcoming Astronomy research project. They received a handout of the details of the project and were placed into groups then topics were chosen. The project will be completed via PowerPoint over the next 4 class periods in the computer lab. Topics to be studied include: Apollo Missions, The Planets, Roving Mars, Mythology and Constellations, Blackholes and Supernovae, Stars and Galaxies, NASA Tragedies, The Space Shuttle, Extraterrestrial Life, Eclipses, Rockets, and a few others I can't remember off the to of my head :-)

HW: None; Vocab due Friday

September 24, 2013
Students completed the Lab Skills Quiz (54pts) and had the remainder of the period to get started on the Astronomy Ch. 1 Vocab due Friday

HW: None; Vocab due Friday

September 23, 2013
Students finished the measuring practice and we compared their results to the actual measurements to see how accurate they were in their measurements. We then discussed what will be on the quiz tomorrow. Lastly, we went over the upcoming vocab assignment due on friday. Students can find the words on p. 45 and are responsible for ALL 25 "Key Terms" on that page. They should simply get the definition from the back of the book and organize words by section. The Lab Skills quiz is tomorrow!! (50-60pts)

HW: Study for Lab Skills Quiz (50-60pts); Chapter 1 Vocab due Friday (25pts)

September 20, 2013
Students had their scientific notation homework checked and reviewed. We then reviewed the parts of the triple beam balance and went over calibtation and use. Students got started in practicing using the balance to measure mass as well as praciticing measuring length in cm. We will finish the activity on Monday. Quiz will be Tuesday!

Here's what's on the quiz: - Metric Measuring (unit names, appropraite units, history) - Metric Conversions (KHD_DCM) - Temperature Converions (you'll be given the formulas!) - Scientific Notation - Triple Beam Balance (parts, zeroing/calibrating) - Measuring (using ruler, TBB; measuring to nearest 10th)

HW: None; Lab Skills Quiz on Tuesday!

September 19, 2013
Students had the previous night's homework checked and reviewed. We then spent some time reviewing the steps for putting numbers into scientific notation as well as converting numbers out of scientific notation. We went through the notebook and made sure everything is in its place. Students completed some examples in class and then had time to begin the homework assignment.

HW: Scientific Notation (5pts); Lab Skills Quiz Tuesday!

September 18, 2013
Students had their homework collected and we spent a few minutes discussing their opinions on the metric topic. We then reviewed and practiced metric conversions by using the "ladder" method (KHD_DCM). We also covered temperature conversions from F to C and from C to F. We went over the calculation methology for this and students were given sample problems. About 10min. were left at the end of class for students to get a jump on HW and so I could help anyone who needed some individual instruction.

HW: Metric Conversion Practice WS (5pts.) AND Temperature Conversion Practice (5pts.); Lab Skills Quiz Tues Sept. 24

September 17, 2013
Students had their HW checked and reviewed. We did a short "quiz" (not graded) to practice some measuring skills. Following that we completed the table summarizing the information from the metric measuring article. Students are responsible to finish the back of that sheet (w/ the table on the front) by completing the "Advantages/Disadvantages" table on the back as well as write a short (1 paragraph minimim) opinion piece on the metric system and it's role in America. They should provide an opinion but ALSO validate their response w/ points from the text.

HW: Finish the "Advantages/Disadvantages" table AND write the opinion essay on the bottom of the same sheet.

September 16, 2013
Students had their textbook covers checked. We then looked a variety of "equivalents" to compare the metric system to our customary system. Lastly, students were broken into groups to read an article and extract the main ideas on the Histiry of the US's relationship w/ the Metric System (i.e. why we don't use it often). We will share our findings and discuss opinions tomorrow. There will be no 8th period this week due to schedule changes to accomodate testing. **Parents** Please don't accept the excuse "I finished my homework during 8th period" b/c we don't have it all week!

HW: Making Measurements Using SI Units (5pts)

September 13, 2013
Students completed the Lab Equipment Quiz worth 30pts. Various pieces of equipment were held up and students wrote down the name and use for each. We then checked the "Metric Measuring" outline and went through it to make sure all parts were completed properly by students. We finished the class discussing a few metric equivalents to our own system of measurement.

HW: Get textbook covered for Monday!!! Have a great weekend!

September 12, 2013
Students viewed the final "Lab Equipment" movie project as a brief review of the equipment in preparation of for the quiz tomorrow (30pts). On the quiz they will need to be able to identify and list the use of a variety of pieces of equipment. While spelling doesn't count, you DO need to be close enough so that I know YOU know what the name of the equipment is. After the video, students received text books and worked on a Textbook Scavenger Hunt. This assignment is collected and graded to assess their ability to navigate a textbook and complete a variety of tasks in the book (like reading a graph, measuring a page, and summarizing a block of text). Lastly, they were given a Metric Measuring outline that is to be completed this evening for homework. MOST of the outline can be found in the books. A few parts are not in the text. Finish as much as you can and effort will be rewarded.

media type="custom" key="23803068" HW: Finish Textbook Scavenger Hunt; Complete Metric Measuring outline (5pts); Lab Equipment Quiz tomorrow! (~30pts)

September 11, 2013
Students had their crossword homework checked. We then worked on the final few pieces of equipment left over in the creation of our the Lab Equipment Video project. In the project students acted out or demostrated the use of a piece of equipment. Easier said than done at times. The final project will be finished for tomorrow and viewed in class. The quiz is planned for Friday!

HW: None; Lab Equip Quiz Friday; Field trip permission slips and $$ due by next Thursday!

September 10, 2013
Students had their fall yearbook photos taken out of science class. We then went over the HW from last night and began to work on the Lab Equipment Movie project. Students will be making a short video over the next day or two w/ clips they created to teach the various types of lab equipment. We will continue tomorrow and (hopefully) finish it up by then!

HW: Lab Equipment Crossword Puzzle (5pts); Lab Equipment Quiz Friday

September 9, 2013
Hope everyone had a great weekend! We continued our work examining a variety of pieces of lab equipment. We worked through most (if not all) of the remaining pieces of equipment on the Lab Equipment Table. Tomorrow will be a shortened class because we will be doing class photos out of science class. PLEASE REMEMBER YOUR PICTURE ENVELOPE FOR CLASS TOMORROW! THIS IS YOUR "TICKET" TO GET YOUR PHOTO TAKEN. EVEN IF NOT PURCHASING, YOU STILL NEED IT!! (sorry for yelling but this makes a huge difference in the amount of classtime spent getting photos... forgotten envelopes cost us time!)

HW: Lab Equipment ID WS (5pts); Lab Equipment Quiz on Friday 9/13

September 6, 2013
Students received back their lab safety quiz. The results were impressive! All classes scored a class average of 28/30! That's better than any previous year that I can remember! The quiz was not intended to be difficult BUT seeing that type of consistency along w/ having all students completing homework on time is impressing me so far. Keep up the great work! After the quiz was reviewed, we spent a few minutes going through the notebook and making sure that all items are in their correct location. Lastly, we began to discuss/draw/use some of the pieces of lab equipment that will be examined in more detail next week.

HW: None

September 5, 2013
Students completed a short quiz on lab safety and lab symbols. Following the quiz, they had an opportunity to view, draw, and evaluate a series of 21 pieces of lab equipment. Over the next day or two, we will be spending time learning the names and functions of all of these difference pieces of equipment. All equipment drawings were made on the "Lab Equipment Table" which has been added to the notebook.

HW: None

September 4, 2013
FALL OPEN HOUSE 7-8:30... STOP BY TONIGHT! Students had their Safety Cartoon HW checked and reviewed. They then spent ~10-15min in groups finishing the safety poster project and prepared their presentation. Finally, students presented their poster projects. With the last few minutes of class, students reviewed the lab symbols that will appear on the quiz tomorrow.

HW: Lab Safety Rules and Symbols Quiz (30pts.) - YOU NEED TO KNOW ALL THE SYMBOLS AND THE HIGHLIGHTED RULES ONLY!

September 3, 2013
Hope everyone had a great long weekend! Students had their signed syllabuses and notebooks/dividers checked at the start of class. We finished reviewing the highlighted rules from the Lab Safety Rules sheet. I then intorduced a short poster project to be completed over the next day or so. Students were placed in groups and were given a topic in Lab Safety to illustrate on their poster. They had ~20min today and will have another ~10-15min tomorrow to work on the poster. They were instructed to watch their time and use 8th period if necessary. Lastly, they were given a "Lab Safety Cartoon" for homework. The goal is to identify and write down the rule being broken (of our highlighted rules) for each of the 10 examples in the cartoon.

HW: Lab Safety Cartoon (5pts); Lab Safety/Symbol Quiz on Thursday! (30pts.); Lab Safety Poster due 9/4 (24pts)

August 29, 2013
Students reviewed a variety of lab safety symbols and rules that we will be following this school year. We highlighted those rules that they will be responsible for remembering as well and going over the meanings of a variety of symbols. Next week we will complete a few activities with these rules and symbols. On Thursday (likely) we will have our first quiz of the year on these symbols and JUST the highlighted rules (NOTE we havent finished reviewing all the rules yet! Will finish Tues)

HW: Signed syllabus and 3 ring binder for Tues.

August 28, 2013
Students endured a long-winded talk regarding the syllabus and what to expect in this upcoming school year. Not my favorite day but necessary part of the beginning of the year. Please take a moment to read (and not just sign) the syllabus as it explains my policies on a variety of topics. I also explained the setup of the Notebook and the level of organization expected from students this year.

HW: Get syllabus signed and have a 3 ring binder/dividers for Tuesday!

August 27, 2013
Students completed a "Human Intelligence Hunt" as a class activity to interact w/ others in the class and "break the ice." It's going to be a long school year and it is important that students feel comfortable in the class. A class that laughs together learns even better together!

HW: Binder/4 dividers for next Tues

August 26, 2013
Welcome to 8th grade science! I look forward to a great year and new experiences!

Students completed a short quiz about... me. They were then asked to complete a short survey about themselves to be submitted tomorrow.

HW: Notebook and dividers for next Tues; finish "Getting to know me" survey