Monday before Christmas

We are planning to finish our measuring today. A few students might have to finish on January 4th, but that is alright as we will review what we learned that day. Tomorrow the students will go to first hour as regularly scheduled. Then there will be SSR, Channel One and breakfast. Following breakfast will be a movie in the auditorium, a dance in the gym, and lunch. Students will be dismissed at 1 p.m. for the Christmas break. Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and enjoy the time with your family and friends. Find joy!

Thursday

We are measuring today. We are measuring length, area, volume of regularly and irregularly shaped objects. We are finding the mass and changing between fahrenheit, celsius and kelvin temperatures. We are using seconds to determine time. It is fun. We will finish this on Monday. That way students will have to remember how to do this measuring over the week-end. I am hoping that will help the knowledge to stay in their heads. The students are enjoying this and learning too, what could be better?

To practice at home see the links: Finding volume with cubes, measure with centimeters, and metric conversion practice.

Wednesday

We learned more about measuring today by watching a video clip. The students practiced converting kilograms to hectograms and centigrams to decigrams. They drew an atom starting with the atomic number and figured out how many neutrons the atom would have.

The Project Northland paper was due today. For those who didn't get it in, it needs to be in now.

Tomorrow we will use what we learned today to do some measuring of distance, volume, time, mass and temperature.

I have added a few links, measurement, finding volume with cubes, metric conversion practice, and centimeter practice.

Tuesday

If you haven't turned in the Project Northland permission paper, it is due tomorrow, Wednesday, December 16th. You will get extra credit points for turning it in by tomorrow.

Today we played with a pH indicator and the students saw the color of the acids and bases change. It was fun and hopefully we learned about some of the properties of acids and bases. There is also a song on my links about acids and bases.

Monday

We corrected the students' work from Thursday. Then we began learning more about atoms. We studied the different energy levels that the electrons circle in and discussed why some atoms are heaveier than others. Tomorrow we will be doing some experimenting with acids and bases.

Thursday

Today turned out differently than I thought it would. I had some business to take care of and needed to leave town. The students were assigned the chapter review, I believe on page 50-51 or 48-49, 1-20. Students were supposed to finish it during class, if it is not finished, it is homework. The last five questions take some real thinking. If you will at least make an intelligent guess, you will get points. If not, they are worth five points each. Good luck.

Wednesday

We spent today getting our periodic tables ready for learning. Students colored them according to the different types of elements and included a key on the top so they can better understand how the periodic table works. We reviewed our SI song and the notes today were about SI measurements

Homework today is to finish reading the section through E47.

Tuesday

Our classes are shorter today because we have an assembly this afternoon. The homework for tonight is to read E28-E41. We are starting to learn about physical and chemical changes. The notes today explained the difference between the two. We are also learning the song included on the list of sites named, "Something Called SI."

Monday

We had fun learning how to make an atom today. We have studied that uncharged atoms have equal numbers of protons and electrons. We have also learned that the protons and neutrons are in the nucleus. So today, using pipe cleaners, beads, fruit loops and fish line we made the atoms we have been talking about.

Our notes today were to draw a helium atom, define hypothesis, and convert 15 cm to mm.

Tomorrow our school will have the opportunity to watch the high school play, Secret Garden. This will take place at the end of the day.

Wednesday

Today was a little odd. First hour students took the Direct Math Assessment which lasted for 90 minutes. They had no Science homework. Fourth and fifth hours had a lesson on how to correctly answer the questions in the Science book. We took the questions on E27, which follows their reading assignment, and they practiced answering questions with complete sentences, correct answers and words written and spelled correctly. Their homework is the last question, #5. The exact answer isn't in the chapter, they need to read and then make some assumptions. It is an important skill for the students to learn.

Tuesday

Today we watched a video about atoms and molecules. Students who turned in their fixed test will have the grades changed by tomorrow. We also corrected last night's homework. Tonight's homework is to read E16-E27.

Sixth graders will be taking the Direct Math Assessment tomorrow morning. Please make sure to bring a pencil.

Monday - fix your test

Today in class we did an experiment. We poured blue water, babyoil, corn syrup and corn oil in a beaker and watched as the liquids changed positions according to density. We discussed matter, mass, density and physical properties. Then the students had 15 minutes to work on their homework E15 1-5.

Students also had their tests returned and have until tomorrow to get the tests made up. They must do the test makeup on a separate piece of paper. Only do the questions that are wrong. Put the question number, if there is a letter answer put that next. Do not write the questions, but do write complete sentence answers. These makeup tests are due at the beginning of class. If they are not turned in at the beginning of class, no credit will be given.

6th and 8th graders have the Direct Math Assessment on Wednesday morning. 7th graders have the Direct Writing Assessment on Tuesday morning. Please make sure your student has had a good night's sleep and eats a good breakfast on those days. It really helps them.

Tuesday - Test Day

The class took its Science Test today. I will have the grades in, hopefully, at the end of the day. On Monday I will give the tests back to the students and they can correct and make up their test -according to the instructions they have been given. It will be due on Tuesday at the start of class.

On Monday we will start reading in Section E and begin Physical Science. There is no homework over the holidays.

Parents, if your student is having a difficult time with the reading assignments, do team reading. Sit down with them and have both of you read aloud together. This helps the student hear the word, read the word and allows them to learn better.

Monday of Thanksgiving week

We only have two days of school this week, Monday and Tuesday. Today we reviewed for the Science test which will be on Tuesday. We went over every question and the students were instructed to write down any they didn't know. The questions were repeated at least five times (it is part of a game we play to review) so the students should have enough time to write them down. Students were also encouraged to take their Science Journals home tonight so they can study for the test.

Any student who will not be here tomorrow was told to come in after school during learning stations and they will be allowed to take the test.

There is a game in my links called Cells, Quia, All About Cells. It is also on Quia.com. This game should help students practice for the cell part of the test.

Thursday

Just as a heads up, we are having our test on Tuesday. It will cover B1-B125. Some of the things the students should know are the differences between a population, community and ecosystem. They need to understand the organelles of a cell, a little bit of meiosis and mitosis, biomes, and the standard question - what is a hypothesis.

Today we reviewed all of these areas and Monday we will specifically review the test. Students handed in their Human Genetic paper that they worked on with their families last night. Grades are up, minus the Human Genetics assignment.

Thanksgiving break begins after school on Tuesday. So we have Wednesday and Thursday off of school. If your family will be gone on Tuesday the students need to take the test during remediation or after school on Monday. If the student waits until the following Monday, they might not do as well.

Wednesday - test next Tuesday

Today we checked our experiment of the eggs and found that the egg in the corn syrup had lost water, while the eggs in the green water and the salt water had gained water. We talked about osmosis and diffusion. In class we watched a video and then started on today's homework. Students have a worksheet and will be asking their parents, brothers and sisters about specific dominant traits. It should be fun, but it is homework and needs to be turned in tomorrow. Monday we will be reviewing for the test and Tuesday will be the test for this unit.

Monday and Punnett Squares

Gregor Mendel, an Austrian Monk was curious why all brothers and sisters do not look the same. He began experimenting with plants learned how different traits are passed on to their offspring. We discussed this in class today. Then we made a punnett square and learned how traits can be inherited. We talked about pureblood plants and hybrid plants, about dominant traits and recessive traits. We also discussed George Washington Carver, a professor at Tuskagee Institute in Alabama. When the boll weevil destroyed the cotton plant, Carver convinced the farmers to plant peanuts and sweet potatoes. The crops were successful and the farmers were saved. We also discussed Luther Burbank who cross bred many different plants. Reading should move forward to pages B84-B95

Thursday

Teams, organizations, and re-take pictures were taken today. In Science students drew a cell and wrote the parts of the cell. We watched a short video on mitosis. Students have homework of reading to page B95.

Third hour finished their oral reports. Students who did not turn in their reports on time, unless for reason of extended illness, will only earn 60% of the grade.

Go to the Mitosis link under Favorite Links to watch mitosis occur.

Wednesday - picture retakes tomorrow

Students gave their reports today. We are not done yet, but we are getting there. Some of the posters were works of art and the information given by the students was very interesting. We will finish the reports tomorrow.

Tomorrow is picture re-take day during first hour. If you want your picture redone you must bring the pictures you want to exchange them for. You also must pay at the time of the picture taking. There will also be pictures taken for the teams, choir, band etc.

It is likely that our next test will be November 24th.

Tuesday - Reports and poster are due tomorrow

We started class with a couple of experiments about osmosis, diffusion, passive transport and active transport. First we opened a container of perfume. Students were asked to raise their hands when they could smell the perfume as it diffused through the room. We talked about molecules moving from areas of high concentration to areas of lower concentration. Then we had all the students move into a tight huddle at the front of the classroom. We talked about how they wanted to move further away from the huddle - just as the perfume molecules wanted to diffuse and move to an area of lower concentration.

Next we put a tea bag and sand in warm water. After 15 minutes we observed that that the tea - through passive transport had moved out of the tea bag, but the sand hadn't moved into the tea bag because there needed to be active transport, energy, to move the sand into the bag.

Our last experiment was putting 3/4 cup of water in two separate beakers. To one we added 15 grams of salt and a slice of potato. To the other we added only the slice of potato. After 20 minutes we took out the potato and noticed that osmosis caused the potato in the salt water to lose water, it was very bendable. The water in the potato left the potato to balance with the salt water. The potato in the plain water was still firm.

Veterans assembly is tomorrow at 10:40. Thursday morning will be picture retakes.

Monday

There was a sign outside the classroom door this morning reminding all students to bring their biomes and that the report is due on Wednesday. I am sure it helped with some students. Some still forgot. We worked on the biomes and fixing the cell organelle quiz for the first half of class. During the second half of class we discussed the importance of nutrition. I found some good information on mypyramid.gov to help the students understand how much of each category they should eat.

Remember the final animal paper and poster are due on Wednesday at the beginning of each class.

Thursday

Today students took a quiz on the job of each cell. Some students didn't know as much as they thought. We talked about atoms, elements, molecules and compounds just briefly. We also talked about the different elements in the human body. Then we went into the lab and looked at the different things inside the food we eat.

Students were told to write down everything they eat in one day. On Monday we will look at that list and compare it to the foods they should be eating. Biome drawings should be about done and are due on Monday. Also, the final animal reports have been coming in for the last two weeks. Students need to be sure to have the reports and posters turned in by Wednesday at the start of class. They will be giving their oral report Wednesday and if necessary on Thursday.

Thursday morning is the day for picture re-takes. The pictures will be going home today or Monday.

Wednesday

In class we reviewed cells and then we went to the lab. The students were supposed to bring supplies representing different parts of the cell. One girl brought a purse to represent the Golgi complex as it packs and moves cellular material. Students brought batteries to represent the mitochondria, the energy producer of the cell. A belt was brought to represent the endoplasmic reticulum, the conveyor belt of the cell. It was fun, and the students learned what the parts of the cell do.

Homework tonight is to read b42 - B55. Students should read the question in red at the top of each section. Do they know the answer? Then read the chapter, find the answer and ask the question again? If they know the answer, read the next section, if not, re-read until they find the answer. Students also should be working on finishing their biome drawings, they have had three hours in class to work on them. The biomes will be due on Monday. They must have each biome drawn and colored.

The cell parts we have covered are: Cell membrane - to provide a barrier and protection for the cell, Nucleus: information center, Endoplasmic reticulum: moves the cellular material in the cell, Mitochondria: makes energy for the cell, Golgi Complex: packs and stores cellular material, Lysosomes: disposal unit of the cell, Ribosomes: links amino acids to make protein, Vacuole: Stores food and water for the cell, small in an animal cell. Additional organelles in a plant cell are: Cell wall: to support and give stability to the plant cell, Chloroplast: uses the sun for photosynthesis, Large Vacuole: a plant cell has a very large vacuole to store the food made by the chloroplast during photosynthesis

Tuesday

We worked on the cell organelles today. We watched a video showing the different organelles.

The students have homework tonight. Each team assigned its members different things that represent the organelles in the cell. An example would be to bring a water bottle which would represent the vacuole. Tomorrow we are going to put the different materials the students bring in and build some cells. By doing this the students should remember the jobs of the cell organelles.

Monday

Today we worked on our biomes. The students who do not have them done took the biomes home for homework. We will be starting on cells tomorrow. Students who have been absent need to make up their work and get their notes copied.

Picture retakes were scheduled for tomorrow, they have been changed to next week.

Thursday

We worked on our Biomes today, class was short as we had a drug free assembly and the Halloween Dance. Students should be reading B16-B31. We hope to finish the Biomes on Monday and then start of food chains and cells.

Remember that the final copy of the animal report is due on November 11th. We will listen to the oral reports that day and if need be, the next day too. The posters are also due on the 11th. Please get them in on time or early. Losing 100 points will be fatal to any grade and the wrestling team.

Wednesday

Biomes was the subject of discussion today. We discussed the different biomes and then the students are drawing them. It is easy to forget things that are discussed, much less easy to forget something you have created.

The school has started its "Learning Station/Remediation" program. Students have the opportunity, if they are caught up in all their classes and not struggling with a specific concept, to go to different learning stations. There are two learning stations each week. These will change every six weeks. Students who are struggling with a concept, or need help catching up on work will be sent to a subject specific teacher for remediation. The teacher will help the student learn the missed concept, finish missed homework and then ship them back to their learning station the next day if possible.

Tuesday

In Science today we talked about different types of cells, blood cells, muscle cells, nerve cells, and skin cells. We also discussed the organization of cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, organisms, populations, communities and ecosystem.

We also watched Bill Nye the Science Guy on cells. Tomorrow we will be drawing cells, populations, communities, ecosystems, food chains and biomes.

Monday

Students received their rough draft back today. We discussed how to better organize our papers. We also discussed plagiarism. There was too much of that. The students who did copy someone else's work received a zero on their rough draft. I also included the Internet site that their work was copied from. It is so important that they learn this is totally unacceptable. Hopefully they will learn from this experience.

Many students have been ill, please make sure they are healthy before they return to school. We can beat this illness if we just don't take chances. If you are concerned about your student getting behind in their work, contact the school and we will send work home for them.

Thursday - the test is done

Students took their animal kingdom test today. If the student didn't do as well as they had hoped, they should bring the test home tonight. Then they will write the ones they missed as complete sentences. The spelling and handwriting should be correct. The fixed test is due on Monday morning at the start of class.

We are starting on a new section on Monday. We will be reading B2-B15.

There is a real concern about the spread of H1N1. Each classroom has hand sanitizer and we are asking the students, if they are ill, to please stay home. We can beat this thing if people wash their hands, refrain from touching their faces, and stay home if they are ill.

Wednesday

The student's rough draft of their animal essay is due today at the beginning of class.

Today we studied for the test. First, we watched various videos of invertebrates. Next we went into the lab. On each of the seven tables are models or pictures of animals. The teams were asked questions and they had to hold up the picture or model that answered the question. Then they were asked to tell what they knew about the animal. The test will also include the class definition of hypothesis: A hypothesis is an educated guess based on study and observation - it can be tested. Students also will be asked to give a plan on how to protect species so they don't become endangered.

Tuesday -Rough Draft due tomorrow!!!!

A good part of the day was taken up with the kindness campaign. This is an occasion for the students to take part in various activities to help them learn to be kinder to the students they associate with.

For the time that we had class, we watched a movie on the human machine. Tomorrow, at the start of class, our animal essay's rough draft is due. We will study for the test tomorrow and then Thursday the students will take the test.

A few students have asked that I add the SI song on the links. I hope to get that done today.

Monday reports and test this week

In class today we identified pictures as the different invertebrates. Then we compared the vertebrates with each other. We are preparing for the test in class. Remember, the test is Thursday, October 22nd. The rough draft of the animal report is due on Wednesday at the beginning of class. Any student who wants to turn it in early is welcome to do so. The posters are due with the final copy which is due on November 11th.

On Tuesday the 6th graders will participate in the Kindness Campaign. This will take about 2/3 of the day. Seventh and eighth graders will have it later in the week.

Thursday

The students used the class period to work on the rough draft of their report. Four students turned them in and one turned in the final copy today. The reports are due on Wednesday the 21st. The chapter test will be the next day and shouldn't be very difficult. We will review for it on Wednesday after the papers have been turned in. Students should get their rough drafts back by Monday or Tuesday. They need to correct the mistakes, add any information they have left out, and then have the final copy and poster done by November 11th.

Don't forget the homecoming parade at noon tomorrow and the football game tomorrow night against Marsh Valley.

Wednesday Parent-Teacher Conference 4:30-7:30

Today we reviewed the last chapter about animals. We learned aobut life span, life expetancy and life cycle. We discussed the importance of clean water, healthy food, and a safe environment for a healthy life. We also discussed the different stages of life. We discussed people in Malawi and what their life expectancy would be compared to that in the United States.

Tomorrow students need to come prepared to work on their report. They have had the rubric for a week now and should be prepared to write their rough draft.

Tonight the school is holding parent/teacher conference. Please feel free to come and discuss your student for a few minutes. Thanks

Monday - Parent Teacher Conferences Wednesday

Hello, today we worked on a worksheet to see how well the students knew about vertebrates. They did pretty well on it. Then we watched a couple of short videos on endangered species.

Tomorrow we will finish our measuring and then compare different vertebrate's characteristics.

Parent Teacher Conferences will be held Wednesday afternoon from 4:30-7:30 in the gym. Please come and learn how your child is doing.

Thursday

Today students took notes on the different types of vertebrates with examples of them. Then we watched a power point presentation that went into more detail about the differences of the vertebrates. We then went upstairs to the library to do research on their reports. Remember the rough draft is due October 21st.

This afternoon we will be attending an assembly to encourage our students to stay away from drugs. Experts say that the best way to accomplish this is for parents to talk to their children about their expectations for them to stay drug-free.

Tonight there will be a program for adults and children at the Middle School at 7 p.m. It is sponsored by Enough is Enough Bear Lake Valley Anti-Drug Coalition. We would encourage you to come and bring your family.

Wednesday - first report rubric came out today

Today the students received a note for their parents and the rubric to tell the student precisely how to write their first Science report. The instructions are quite precise. The student needs to have their rough draft in to me on or before by Oct. 21. A rough draft should be done well so there are just a few corrections to make. The student should follow the rubric carefully and then they will get all the points. The final draft is due on or before Nov 11th. Then they will do an oral report on their animal. A poster is required. The students will have four days of class time to work on their report. It must be hand-written. Students who have mastered the skill of handwriting will, after the first report, be allowed to type. However, students who still need handwriting practice will be required to write their papers until they have learned that skill.

Each student drew an animal out of a jar and that is the animal they will write their report on. Parents are allowed to correct spelling and encourage good handwriting. However, be careful to allow this report to be the student's work.

Tuesday - Pictures are tomorrow

Our notes this morning were to write about how people are affected by invertebrates and where the simplest invertebrates live. The students then practiced changing milliliters into hectoliters.

We then watched different clips that taught about invertebrates, where they live and what they do.

Homework tonight is to read A50-A63.

Remember, it is picture day tomorrow. All students will have their pictures taken, but only those with the money can get the picture packages.

Monday and snow

Today we corrected our invertebrate charts. We discussed the different characteristics of the invertebrates. Then we went to the lab and worked on our measurements in metric and in Standard English. We will be starting on Vertebrates this week.

Remember, Wednesday is picture day. Students should be bringing home the information from Bell Photographers today. It was handed out during 6th hour. Only students that pay for their order on picture day will receive a portrait package. All students need their picture taken for the student ID card.

Thursday

I was in Salt Lake yesterday and so missed the blog. The students watched a movie and filled out a worksheet. The movie was on Reptiles and Amphibians.

Bacteria and Fungi were the topics of discussion today. We learned about the shapes of bacteria and the foods that are made from it. Then we learned about fungus and that it can be helpful and harmful. Then we went into the lab and tasted some foods made with fungus and bacteria. We grew some yeast, tasted sour dough, feta and blue cheese, yogurt, mushrooms and saw some kefir grains. The students could choose which foods they preferred to taste. Then we watched some youtubes seeing bacteria and fungus grow.

On Monday we will be starting on vertebrates. There will be an animal kingdom report paper coming home sometime next week. Please check that out.

Picture day is October 7th so make sure you are prepared for that.

Tuesday

Today did not go as planned, but we just changed plans a little. The goal was to practice measuring using the metric system and then correct our invertebrate chart. However, the measuring took longer than I had anticipated, which is fine, but we will not grade the chart until Thursday. I am having the student put the chart in their notebook so it will be safe. This is an advantage to those who didn't get the chart finished.

We are measuring using the Standard English system and the S.I. system. We have pictures of different invertebrates to measure. Since S.I. is used in Science, it is important that the students are as comfortable with S.I. as they are with the Standard English system. We will be doing this all year long.

I will be gone tomorrow afternoon and so the students will be watching a movie about Reptiles and Amphibians, as that is our next unit. Students will have a sheet to answer questions about the movie. On Thursday we will grade the invertebrate chart and finish up on Bacteria and Fungi. There are lots of food made from these two kingdoms and we will be doing some tasting.

Monday

Many students turned in their make-up test today. I should have those graded and in the system by Tuesday.

In class the students filled out a chart while studying about invertebrates. Those who did not finish the chart in class have it as homework tonight. Not all of the information is in the book, but what is there, they are expected to add to the chart. I will help them fill in the blanks tomorrow as we learn more about symmetry and circulation. Anyone who is is worried about their chart can see me before school, during SSR, during lunch or after school today for a little help.

I will be gone in the afternoon on Wednesday. The students will have a movie and a quiz to take during the movie. I am not worried about behavior, but just in case someone decides to be unkind to my substitute, they will receive a zero for the day. I am not worried about any of the students, just a word to the wise.

Thursday

The test is over, graded and handed back. The students received a paper attached to their test for parents to read, sign, date and return no later than Monday. (if it comes in Monday the student gets 10 points.) The paper explains how to fix their test and receive half credit for every question they fix. The questions must be in a complete sentence. Punctuation and spelling must be accurate. I must be able to read it, and most importantly, the answers must be correct. I will re-grade the papers and hopefully the grade will improve.

If this paper is not to me at the beginning of class on Monday, then I will not take it. This is an opportunity for the student to learn some things he/she didn't learn the first time around. The purpose is for learning. The extra points are for encouragement.

Today we learned about protists and how they move. Take a look at the links on the right for a few youtube videos on Protists.

Wednesday

We took our first test today. Yesterday I begged the students to write down any questions or answers that they didn't know. It is clear which students did that and which did not. Some did very well, others did not.

However, there is an escape from a poor grade. Students will be allowed to take their tests home tomorrow. Then, for every question that they missed, they must write a complete sentence with the correct answer. They will receive half of the ponts they missed and that will be added to their score. If the paper is returned without complete sentences, they will receive no points. If the answers are wrong, they will receive no points. This plan enables the student to learn the material he did not get at first and to improve their score. This paper will be due on Monday - no excuses.

Tuesday - test tomorrow

Today we finished the movie on seeds and handed in the seed movie paper. Students had their Six Characteristics of Life rubrick returned to them and their pre-test. You may notice a lot of spelling, punctuation, capitalization and handwriting corrections on each page. Science requires exactness and I hope to help the students learn to be precise in their work.

We spent the last half of the period reviewing for the test. Students were told to write down the question and answer of any of the test questions that they did not know immediately. They were also encouraged to take their book and notebook home tonight to study.

Monday

We corrected Thursday's work and then immediately began watching a movie about seeds. The movie shows the many different ways seeds are transferred from place to place. We will finish the movie tomorrow and then begin to prepare for our test on Plants and Seeds A1-A35. The students have been encouraged to take their notes and books home so they can study for the test.

For the review, we will go over every question of the test. The student will be allowed to take notes on the review. The test will be on Wednesday.

Thursday

Today each team worked together to answer the questions on pgs A34-A35. They were allowed to work with their book opened and talk about the answers. Anyone who did not complete the assignment must finish it at home. Now, a warning, questions 16-20 are difficult. If the student does their best to complete these with thought out answers, they will receive full points. They might have to explain to me where they are coming from, but if it makes any sense at all, it will get full points. This has been explained to the students.

This paper will be corrected first thing Monday morning. After that we will watch a movie on seeds that will last into part of Tuesday. We will then review for the test. The test on A1-A35 will be given on Wednesday unless something interferes. So plan on a test on Wednesday. We will review every question on Tuesday and the students will be allowed to write the questions and answers down to study.

Wednesday

Today we reviewed the last plant division, gymnosperms. These include conifers, cycads, gingko biloba and gnetophytes. We then took apart a pine cone to find the seeds inside.

Homework tonight is to read A22-A33.

Tuesday

Today we reviewed bryophytes and learned about ferns and horsetails. Did you know the pioneers used horsetails to scrub their pots and pans? We learned about sporophytes and gametophytes which are how plants reproduce. We did an experiment, one with moss and one with celery. This allowed us to observe how non-vascular and vascular plants transfer water and nutrients in different ways.

There is no homework tonight although if any student has any pine cones that we could dissect, they could bring those tomorrow.

Monday

Today we learned about angiosperms, plants with enclosed seeds. Angiosperms are the only plants with flowers. The angiosperm breaks into two groups, dicots and monocots. After learning about the differences we went to the lab and tried to identify the differences.

There was no homework tonight.

Thursday

We are ending the week by learning about the classification system. Did you know that there only used to be two kingdoms, Plants and Animals? Now there are five, or six depending on the author. We have Animals, Plants, Monera (which sometimes is divided into two kingdoms, eubactera and archaebacteria) Protist and Fungus.

Today we learned the differences between the plant and animal kingdom. The students looked at different pictures and the captions from the book and, as a team, decided what characteristics the animals and plants had. Then we made patterns from monocot and dicot leaves so the students could tell the difference. We also drew pictures of a moss plant.

Homework: each student is to bring a leaf for Monday (if they forget till they arrive at school, the school grounds have many plants with leaves :))

Wednesday

Welcome to Back to school night. Today we made our Six Characteristics of Life poster. The students worked hard and we got them done by the end of class. They have homework tonight. They are to ready A6-A18. They need to pay special attention to the pictures and the captions. Hope you have a good evening.

September 8th

Welcome to my blog. This is a place for students and parents to find out what is going on in school. I write daily, unless the Internet is down at school or something goes haywire. Hope you enjoy the site.

Homework for tonight is getting a picture or two for our Six Characteristics of Life Poster. This is a team project and the teams assigned out the pictures.

Wednesday

Today we went discussed the importance of an education. Students in other countries often walk miles to get to school. They know that a good education will open many doors. Some of our students are often apathetic about their education. It has been handed to them and they don't understand its importance. I hope that today's presentation will help them to understand the world is not just about them. It is getting all the learning they can so that they can reach out and help those who are not blessed with so much.

Tuesday

We had our final test today. Most of the students did quite well on it. Then we learned a bit about clouds and how they help you foretell the weather. Tomorrow we will discuss why education is important.

Wednesday is the award's assembly.

Thursday is our day at Downetta. Students need to dress according to the school dress code. They will change into swim suits at Downetta. The cost is $6.50. If your child wants to buy lunch there, they will need more money. They are allowed to bring a lunch from home. Please make sure your daughter's suit covers her stomach or has a t-shirt to wear over their swim suit. Also make sure the boys are appropriately dressed. We will be at the school by 3:45.

Friday is a time for signing year books and a dance.

Thursday

Today was odd. The power went out, but the classrooms were light enough to function. It made it a little difficult remembering that the overhead and the computer weren't working, but we did fine. We took a pre-test to prepare for the final. The questions might not be exactly the same as those that will be on the test, but they are close. The students were to take the pre-tests home to study over the week-end. The final will be Tuesday. We will also check the Science Journals and turn in books. If your student's book is in bad shape, you might want to send money so they can pay for the damage.

On Wednesday we will learn about children in other countries and the struggles they have to get a good education. I will encourage the students to use their time this summer to conquer their educational weaknesses. I will also have handouts for any student that wants some Internet sites to practice their school work.

Wednesday

We learned about fold mountains and fault block mountains today. We also went over some of the final test questions. We will review tomorrow and again on the day of the test. The test will be Tuesday. It will have ten questions worth ten points each. The questions cover some important information that the students should know and have covered all year. This test could save a bad grade. But if the student chooses not to study, well, that is their choice.

Tuesday

We learned about different types of rocks today. We got out a rock collection and the students were able to compare granite and gneiss, pumice and obsidian, sandstone and marble. We learned that the rock cycle can go many different ways and that what really makes rocks are other rocks. Then the students used the streak test on the rocks.

Tomorrow we will review Mohs hardness scale. Please make sure your student realizes that school doesn't end until the 29th of May. We still have a lot to do and books, paper and pencils are all required.

Tomorrow morning is the school talent show. Homework is to finish reading section D.

Monday

The students gave their oral report today. They went quite well. The homework this week is to read to the end of the chapter. Students that have not returned their pictures or their registrations need to get that taken care of immediately.

The school sent home information on the end of year field trip. 6th graders will go to Downata. They can have no Fs this trimester and not more than 6 detentions for the entire school year. The cost of the activity is $6.50. Students that wish to buy lunch there need to bring money. They can also bring their own lunch and any snacks or drinks they need. We will leave Thursday May 28th at 8 a.m. and return at 3:45.

Thursday

Today the sundials are due. Students who didn't finish their sundial can turn it in Monday for no more than 90% credit.

Registrations and pictures are also due today. They will be accepted on Monday, but the opportunity of getting the classes desired are lowered everyday the students are late.

Today we learned about volcanoes and tsunamis. We discussed cinder cone, shield and composite volcanoes. We learned about active, dormant and extinct volcanoes. We watched some short videos on both volcanoes and tsunamis.

Monday the students will report on their scientists.

Wednesday

With nearly half of the 6th grade gone on the band and music trip, we watched a movie on Earthquakes. The movie warns of the dangers of earthquakes and also warns of ways to be prepared.

Tomorrow we will cover volcanos and tsunamis. On Monday the students will give their oral reports.

Student registration for next year need to be in tomorrow. Also the spring pictures, or money for spring pictures needs to be in tomorrow.

Please check your students grades.

Tuesday

We learned about continental drift and the evidences that Alfred Wegener based his theory on. We watched a short movie about seafloor spreading.

Tests were returned. Students can fix their tests with complete sentences and corrected spelling. They must turn the tests in tomorrow. Those students who are going with the band and choir must have their fixed tests turned in before school. I will be in the classroom by 7:30. They have all been told this.

7th grade registration and Spring pictures went home yesterday. The registrations need to be returned by Thursday, but the earlier the better. Either the pictures or the money paying for the pictures need to be returned by Thursday.

Monday

Today the students corrected their tests. Then we began to study about Earthquakes and Pangaea. We also got to watch the high school band and Bear Essentials.

Sundials are due on Thursday and we are reading from D1-D42.

Thursday

The test is over, we will grade it on Monday. Students who were absent today will need to make up the test before school, after school or during lunch.

The scientist reports were due today. Any student who was here today but did not turn a report in can turn the reports in on Monday, but they will only get half points, which is a lot better than a zero. They should make sure they have corrected any errors as they do not want to miss any more points.

Homework is to finish the sundial and begin reading Unit D.

Wednesday - test tomorrow

Today we reviewed for our test. Some important things to know are the rotations and revolutions of the Earth and moon, what causes seasons, the order and correct spelling of all the planets, the order, drawing and correct spelling of the eight moon phases, definitions for mass and hypothesis and understanding and knowing the vocabulary of eclipses. Know why the Jovian planets have more moons than the terrestrial planets and why they are so cold. That isn't everything, but it is most of it.

We also did a project in the hall to help the students visualize how far the Jovian planets are from the sun and how close the terrestrial planets are together.

Tuesday

Today we used our hangers and made our solar system. Those who worked hard and fast were able to help others finish.

Coming on Friday we will have a test covering the entire C unit. We will review tomorrow for that test.

Also on Friday the final scientist report is due. Any reports turned in a day late will only receive half of the points. Please make sure you get these in at the beginning of class. Students need to turn them in when class starts so do not leave them in your lockers and then ask to go and get them. The reports are due at the start of class.

Thursday

Our classes were very different today. First hour did the worksheet the other classes did yesterday. The worksheet was on the phases of the moon. Fourth hour was supposed to take ISAT tests, but the testing got behind and so we studied about stars. Fifth hour went to testing.

The important information is that the Scientist Reports are due on Thursday at the start of class. Most students turned in their rough drafts on time and so for them it will be easy. They just need to fix the mistakes and hand their paper in as soon as possible. For those who did not turn in their rough draft they need to get this paper written and turned in as soon as possible.

Sundials need to be done by May 14th as long as the weather is good.

All students should have finished the reading assignment by now, we will likely have a test on C 1-C92 on Thursday May 7.

Tuesday

The scientist report rough draft was due today. Anyone who didn't turn it in will earn half points tomorrow. We started learning about the planets today. We will continue this for the rest of the week.

ISAT tests are tomorrow. Make sure you get a good night's sleep and eat a healthy dinner and breakfast.

Monday

The scientist report's rough draft is due tomorrow. Today we learned about tides and eclipses and the moon phases. Tomorrow, after the reports are handed in, we will learn about the planets. The ISATs will be Wednesday, Thursday and Monday. During that time we will work on making our own solar systems

Students need to bring a hanger tomorrow.

Thursday

Today the students were given the class period to work on their rough draft. The scientist report rough draft is due on Tuesday. Some of the rough drafts were completed and handed in today. Students were given a rubric wherein they can check off all the requirements. They were also given a paper showing them how the references are to be done. The students were allowed to go to the library to find information. They also found some information on the Internet. If they cannot find some of the information for their references they can leave it off. But I want to be able to check their sources.

If it is sunny this week-end students should do their sun-dials. Also, for those who forgot, we need wire coat hangers by Tuesday.

Wednesday

A couple of things are coming up that students and parents need to be aware of. First, the rough draft of our scientist report is due on Tuesday, April 28th. Students will have tomorrow to work on their rough draft but they need to bring their information to class so they can spend their time writing.

Next, the sundial papers went out today. The due date on those is May 14th. This gives the students a couple of weeks to get them done and, hopefully, the weather will cooperate.

Last, we will be making planets next week. Each student needs to bring a wire coat hanger. If anyone has extras, please bring those because some students don't have any wire coat hangers.

Today we learned about the sun and the moon. We watched a power point presentation and a you tube short on the sun. Then we looked at pictures of the moon and Venus this morning. We talked about the difference between rotations and revolutions, and we learned about season. It was a busy day and quite fun.

Tuesday

Today we watched Bill Nye the Science Guy 51 on waves. We learned more about wavelength, frequency, amplitude and the different types of waves. The class then moved on to the next unit and wrote, in their teams, what is needed for survival on Earth and what is needed for survival in space. We will discuss the answers tomorrow. Posters were due today. No one came in at lunchtime to work on their poster so I will assume that everyone is as done as they want to be.

We discussed the upcoming sun-dial assignment. The information page will go home tomorrow. Some students still haven't turned in their parent information signature concerning the scientist reports. We will be working on the report in class on Thursday so any information that the student has should be brought in.

Next week we will be making the solar system. All students will need a wire hanger that can be destroyed.

Monday

We are beginning the last six weeks of school. The goal is to keep the students on task and learning. The soil posters are due tomorrow, Tuesday. Students have had time in class to work on these and many are done. The students were also reminded in a school-wide announcement at the end of the day.

We are starting Unit C, observing the sky. Today we discussed visible and invisible waves and discussed why light is knowledge. By the end of the week the students will have the assignment to make a sundial. They will have two week-ends to complete it because it isn't always possible to be home every week-end. Scientist reports need to be in progress.

Thursday

Science was very busy today. The students that had not finished their graphs rushed to get them done. Most of them were successful. The students were given time to work on their posters. We checked science journals to make sure the students had all their notes completed. Then most of the students chose their scientist. We are starting our scientist reports. Each student was given a paper for parents to read and sign. This way the parents know what is expected in the paper. The rough draft is due April 28th, the final copy is due May 7th. The minimum length is one page double spaced for typed reports and two pages double-spaced for hand written reports. All of the necessary information is on the hand-out. Students that return the bottom of the hand out signed and dated by Monday's class will receive 10 extra credit points. Reading is now in section C. By next Thursday all students should have read pages C1-C41.

Wednesday

We finished the movie, "Beyond the Big Bang." Then the students had different activities to do. Some worked on their graphs, some worked on their posters and those who were finished with both began working on their reports. The reports are about a scientist of the student's choosing. They will be bringing a paper home on Friday for the parent or guardian to read and sign so everyone understands what is expected. The rough draft will be due April 28th and the paper will be due May 7th. More information with be forth coming.

Tuesday

We are nearly done with the movie, "Beyond the Big Bang." Today we learned how different scientists worked for many years to come up with the theory. We learned that Albert Einstein didn't like the theory even though it was his work with relativity that helped prove it to be true. We learned about Fred Hoyle's steady state theory of the universe and that Father George Lemaitre's Big Bang Theory was nearly rejected because he was a religious man. We learned that Arno Penzias and
Robert Wilson found proof of the big bang when they couldn't avoid the static noise of radiation. Tomorrow we will finish the movie and have a little time left to work on our posters and choose our scientists for the next report.

Monday

We are starting a new section this week. We will begin by three days of the movie, "Beynond the Big Bang." Today we learned about heliocentrism, the effect of the fall of Rome on scientific discovery, ancient calendars, and how scientific theory changed over the years due to better technology. We just finished with Galileo. Tomorrow we will start with Sir Isaac Newton.

Thursday

We were able to complete our lesson on Friction today. We also learned about Newton's three laws of motion. Then we went into the lab and practiced the three law of motion. We used a glass, card and a quarter, a slinky and a metal ball. For the second law of motion we raced a car and figured out what the force would be by multiplying the mass times the acceleration. The last law we crashed cars into each other and then repeated it with balls so we could observe that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Students were treated to a National School Assembly today and watched Skip the Magic Man. He used some of the laws of Science to perform his magic tricks.

Wednesday

With the school Internet down, this post is a little late. Today we finished our study of simple machines and then, in the first two classes we started on friction. The students in 5th hour worked on their posters as the Internet was down.

Students are still trying to finish their graphs. They will have until next Thursday to get them turned in. They must be correct.

Reading covers F-1 / F-92, this will allow us to finish this section. We will begin on the Big Bang Theory on Monday.

Tuesday

Today the students started working on their posters for Bear Lake Soil and Water Conservation. Only a few students finished the posters, so we will try to get them done a little here and a little there. The posters are worth 50 points.

Reading should be done to finish the chapter. So all students need to finish to F-92 by the end of this week.

Monday

Today we began learning about simple machines. We discussed the incline plane, the wedge and began on the lever. Tomorrow we will work on our posters for Bear Lake Soil and Conservation. Students will have one day in class to work on the poster. If they do not finish in class they will have to take the posters home and finish there. Posters are due April 21st.

Thursday

There is a meeting tonight at the middle school for any parents who want to meet with the State of Idaho Superintendent of Schools, Tom Luna. The meetings will be held from 5-6 p.m. in the auditorium. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss education issues.

In class today we figured out some acceleration problems. Students were able to understand that to find the velocity they need to know the formula for speed and know the direction the object is traveling. Then the realized that if you can find velocity you can also find acceleration.

We will be working on our posters on Tuesday. A good site for ideas is //forces.si.edu/soils/ The theme for the poster is Digging It - The Secret of Soil.

Those students who did not pass their graphs will have another chance. They took their papers home and they will be due again on Monday. We will keep at it till they are successful.

Wednesday

We re-did our graphs today, a few will need to take them home for homework over the week-end and try again. Then we reviewed on Plato the formulas that deal with speed, velocity and acceleration. We are now reading to page F-45. We hope to finish the entire chapter next week.

Tuesday a little late

Today we used the data that we gathered on the 19th. To review, we raced two cars down a track and recorded the time and distance. Today we plotted that data on a graph. We also reviewed the dangers of drinking and driving and texting and driving due to an accident I saw in California. Two small children were placed on stretchers while the policeman retrieved a teddy bear from the car and gave it to one of the children. The driver of the car that hit them was texting while driving. We speak so much about not driving drunk, we forget there are other ways that drivers can be distracted.

Monday

We had the people from Bear Lake Soil & Water Conservation come today to teach the students about soils and animals. It was a nice transition from vacation to learning. The students tried to identify different animal pelts. They learned about the uses of soil in our lives. Then they made molds of different animal tracks. Then it was topped off by making our own soil out of some very delicious substitutes.

Thursday Welcome to Spring Break

Today we practiced what we have been learning. We used a huge floor map of Fredonia Arizona to discuss position, motion, speed, velocity and acceleration. Then we went into the lab and race cars down a track. We timed them at different positions. When we come back to school we will graph the information and learn how to plot the positions and read the graph.

Wednesday

Today we worked with the formula for speed. The students went out front and timed each other walking and running for 20 meters. Then we came back into the classroom, and with the formula, figured out at what speed they moved. Students are to be reading F17-F29.

Tuesday

Today was a little depressing. We took most of an entire class time to learn how to find the answers for the review. We did half of them during that time. Imagine my sadness when a few students did nothing more than we did during classtime. Those students who got less than a 75% will be taking the paper home for a parent to sign and then return it to me. Perhaps this will encourage them to do their homework. Those few that didn't bring their work to class got a zero. One girl realized she left hers at home and sat down and got right to work and redid most of it before class started.
We are learning about motion, velocity, speed and acceleration. We watched a Plato section on these today. Tomorrow, after we finish, we will go outside and learn more about these things.
Tomorrow is school colors day, blue, white and black.

Monday - tomorrow is pajama day and St.Patrick's

In first and fourth hour the class displayed their cartoons. They worked on their homework E-140-141 1-20 and took some time to read F1-F15. The review is due tomorrow.

In fifth hour we went ahead and practiced on how to do the review properly. The review is also due tomorrow in fifth hour.

The attire for the second day in spirit week is to wear pajamas. As it is also St. Patrick's day, a touch of green would also be a wise choice.

Thursday - next week is spirit week - wear a jersey

The Energy Hog paper was due with a parent signature. Today was a little different. 1st and 4th hour we opened our Science book and re-learned how to do the review on E140-141. I was a little concerned after the last review that the students were in too big of a hurry to get done. Today we learned how a little extra effort and a few extra minutes could help them get the answers correct.
In 5th hour almost 1/3 of the class was gone so I didn't want to do the teaching. We will try it again on Monday. Instead the students displayed their cartoons on electricity and lightning safety. Then we talked about how reflector ovens are saving lives in some parts of the world.
We do have an assignment, but it isn't due until Tuesday and the students will be given a little time in class on Monday to complete it. It is E140-141. All the answers must be in complete sentences and handwriting must be legible.
We had the hypnotist assembly today.

Wednesday

The reports were due today. Most of the students turned them in on time, a few got zeros. Tomorrow the energy hog paper is due. It must be signed by a parent or guardian. Today in class we made a water magnet. We saw how the magnetic force moved around the iron shavings and we had a dilmena about a needle that was repelled by a magnet. Students then finished their cartoons on electricity and lightning safety. The cartoons will be displayed tomorrow and we will finish the chapter. All students should have read through page 140.

Tuesday

Today was a split kind of day. The students who needed to finish typing their weed essay were allowed to go to the computer lab and get that done. The other students in the class watched five short videos on lightning and electricity safety. Then they created their own cartoons to encourage safety.

The weed essays are due tomorrow.

Monday

Today we talked about how to determine how many watts and energy different appliances use. The students went through the classroom and wrote down, from the appliances how much wattage each thing uses. On Wednesday we will use that information in figuring out how to save energy.

Tomorrow students without a working computer or printer will be given time to go to the computer lab to finish their paper. All students have been strongly cautioned, if at all possible, to turn their papers in on Tuesday. This will prevent the panic of, "My printer ran out of ink!" or whatever else happens to the printers. They will be able to type tomorrow, but not on Wednesday as the papers are due at the start of class.

Thursday

We had the weed assembly on Wednesday February 25th and I told all of the classes on Wednesday that we would be doing the weed essay. We put up a brainstorming chart on the board on Thursday, February 26th and came up with many different ideas for the essay. On Monday, March 2nd students were told to have their outline ready by Tuesday, the next day, so they could go and type the essay. On Tuesday, March 3rd we again took class time to work on the essay. The assignment was on the homework board and also on the Internet.

Today many students were gone because of the play. Those left in class joined me at www.energyhog.org where they learned different ways to conserve energy at home. The students in class got a paper to do with their families about energy. Those who were gone will get the paper on Monday. The paper needs to be signed by the parents and turned in by March 12th.

Wednesday

The weed essay rough draft and outline were due today. You might check with your student to see if he or she remembered. In one class only five were turned in. The other classes did much better. We did some experiments today. We turned a nail into a magnet. We also did a magnetic experiment with a balloon, a piece of paper and a paper clip. It was quite fun. We discussed the magnetic field around the Earth and then saw a few short youtube videos on the Aurora Borealis. If you want to see that, go into youtube and type Aurora Borealis into the search. There are some beautiful pictures. We learned that it is caused by the sun particles being caught in the Earth's magnetic field and then interacting with our atmosphere. It is possible to see these in our longitude during the summer months. The website www.gedds.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast/ has some good information about seeing these spectacular lights. Or click on the link in my list under Aurora Borealis (The Northern Lights)

Homework: begin reading E94-E115.

Tuesday outline- rough draft due tomorrow

After spending some time watching a short video on electricity, the students were allowed to use the remainder of the class time to type their essays, write their outlines or get help if they felt stumped. The students have been told that they can come to the computer lab after school, during SSR time, or during lunch if they make an appointment with me. The rough draft and outline are due tomorrow at the start of class. I will get them read this week-end so the students have time to fix any errors before the papers are due on March 11th.

For students who were absent today, check out Bill Nye the Science Guy Electricity on You tube, there are three sections. If that isn't possible read E94-E113

Monday

We learned where lightning comes from and why we get shocked when we touch certain things. We also learned about circuits and currents. Student's rough draft and outline are due on Wednesday at the beginning of class. The essay is to be 5 paragraphs, and less than 750 words. The title is "Spread the Word Not the Weed." Students, make sure you read your rough draft outloud to someone to make sure that your sentences make sense and that the essay flows. I will correct the rough draft over the week-end, get them back to the students on Monday. That will give them Monday and Tuesday to make any corrections. The final copy must be turned in on Wednesday March 11. Mr. Belnap requested that the essays be in before the 12th.

Thursday end of the trimester

We graded last night's homework. A number of the students lost it, or left it at home, or it was in another backpack, or it was in their locker. Unfortunately it was due at the start of class. Some students didn't write complete sentences. That has been a requirement since August. They lost points. We had a lively discussion with some of the questions. Then we moved into the next project. We talked about the five paragraph essay that would be due on March 12th. The subject is "Spread the Word Not the Weed." The first paragraph is the introduction, then three paragraphs talking about the subject, then a concluding paragraph. The outline and rough draft are due on Wednesday March 4th. I will correct them over the week-end and then the students will have the opportunity to fix any errors. There will be a prized for the best three essays.

Tuesday

Today we discussed renewable and non-renewable energy sources. We talked about the positive and negative aspects of nuclear, fossil fuel, hydroelectric, solar and wind power. Then we watched some short clips about wind power and nuclear power.

The students have a homework assignment that is due on Thursday at the beginning of class. They are to do all of the problems on pages 92-93. The students are to write complete sentences to answer their questions. All words in the book must be spelled correctly. Some of the questions require some real thinking. The idea is for the student to come up with some logical ideas. Maybe the ideas aren't perfect, but were they well thought out and do they have some logical merit.

Monday homework error

The students are to read to E91.

Monday

I was shopping when I realized that I didn't get this done. My regular time was taken up by students. So sorry. Anyway, today we talked about different forms of energy, solar, wind, fossil fuel, nuclear, food, muscular and hydroelectric. We watched a few short videos on how solar power works. I challenged the students to think of ways they could make solar energy work. It just isn't that hard, once you understand the concepts. We also watched a short clip on a hydroelectric dam in Canada. Students should be done reading through E77.

Thursday

Tobacco use was the focus of today's lesson. The students discussed why people would ever start smoking with all the information available today. We watched a movie about the effects of cigarette smoke and the difficulty of quitting. The movie also discussed chewing tobacco. The students cannot imagine why anyone would begin to smoke, drink or do drugs. We can all hope they can maintain that attitude.

Wednesday

Today we learned a little more about pressure. Students were asked to recall the two types of energy and the three types of energy transfer and give examples. We watched the transfer of energy as dominoes fell. We watched a youtube of Bill Nye the Science Guy on Pressure.

Tuesday

We did an experiment about pressure today. We blew up two balloons. We used one as a control. The other balloon we put into a bucket of very hot water and then quickly moved it to a bucket of very cold water. You could actually feel the balloon expand in the hot water and contract in the cold water. The students quite enjoyed that. We talked about pressure and thermal expansion. Then we reviewed the three types of energy heat transfer. Students should be reading to E77.

Thursday

Mrs. Bloxham came in to our class today and presented another part of Project Northland. We learned about what can happen to people who chew tobacco and smoke. It was not pretty. We also discussed how much money people could save if they don't smoke or drink. One pack of cigarettes per day at $5.00 would cost $1825 per year. The students were amazed at how much they could save up for college if they didn't smoke or drink.
Monday is President's Day and there will be no school.

Wednesday - fixed test in tomorrow

Today the students had their tests returned to them. The students who want to improve their grade should take the tests home, get a new sheet of paper, and correct their mistakes by:
1. Writing down the number of the incorrect answer.
2. Write down the correct letter next to the number.
3. In a complete sentence, answer the question - do not write the question - write the answer. An example would be.

18. b Vinegar is an acid.

If the answers are not as required, the student will receive no points for their work. The handwriting must be legible. These assignments are to help the student learn material that they didn't get the first time. They must follow the rules.

Today we covered potential and kinetic energy. We played with little cars to determine when the cars were using kinetic or potential energy. We blew the top off a film canister to see that force x distance = work. We learned about conduction, radiation and convection. We watched a couple of youtube short films on potential and kinetic energy. Tomorrow will be our last Project Northland. It will also be the only dress-up dance for the year. Students who wish to attend the dance must be dressed in their very best clothes. Those who do not wish to participate in the dance will be able to watch a movie or play games.

Tuesday

Today was the test. The students checked it and I will have it back to them tomorrow. They are to be reading in the next section.

Monday

We reviewed for our test today. We covered converting meters to centimeters etc. We went over SI units of measurement. We covered acids and bases and a lot of questions about atoms, weight, mass, volume and what is an hypothesis. The test will be tomorrow. Students who do not do as well as they had hoped will be able to take the test home on Wednesday night. It will have to be back on Thursday. The answers must be in complete sentence form. The kids know the drill.

Thursday

Mrs. Bloxham came in today to talk to the students about techniques other kids might use to encourage them to do something wrong. The students practiced ways to say no.

We will be reviewing for our test on Monday, the test will take place on Tuesday. It will come directly from their notes and the book. They should study E1-E49 and read their notes to prepare.

Wednesday

We covered acids and bases in class today. Last night I bought a head of red cabbage. Then I chopped it up into little pieces, put it in a pan, covered the cabbage with water. The water boiled for ten minutes. I removed the pan from the heat and let it cool down a little bit. Then I strained out the cabbage and was left with a lovely blue liquid. When you add a drop or two of the liquid to different materials you can tell if the other materials are a base, acid, or anywhere in between. Acids come with a redder color - tonic water is an acid. Neutral is blue and a base is more of a greenish yellow color. We experimented with soap, cranberry juice, perfume, rubbing alcohol, and many other substances to find out if they were an acid or a base. We also did a short experiment with boiling water and very cold water. The students made an hypothesis; which temperature of water would have food coloring integrate the fastest. We dropped in the food coloring and the result was dramatic. Good experiment to try at home.

Tuesday

Today we learned more about chemical changes. We went into the lab and saw how boiling and melting water are physical changes. Then we added vinegar to baking soda and saw the release of carbon dioxide. Next we covered a piece of potato with hydrogen peroxide. Again, we saw the release of a gas, oxygen. The next experiment showed another sign of a chemical reaction, a powdery substance that sinks to the bottom of the container.

We then did a density experiment. We poured colored corn syrup, water, glycerin, corn oil and rubbing alcohol into a container. We could easily distinguish which of the liquids had a higher density as they sunk to the bottom, while the less dense liquids moved up.

Monday

Today we checked the homework that was assigned on Wednesday. Most of the students did get it turned in. Then we had a mock test about the atom, molecule, compounds and mixtures. Today we also had an interesting change of pace. The Special Olympics torch was brought to our school. The students were very receptive and enjoyed the event.

Thursday

Mrs. Bloxham came in today and showed the students a movie about the dangers of teen-age drinking. The movie showed a young person's brain image before drinking and after drinking. It was scary to see the changes. The students were told that drinking causes the brain to get old before its time. The movie took the students into a prison as the kids in the movie talked to a young man who, while drinking and driving, was in a serious car accident. His three best friends were killed. It was a sobering movie. In Science, the students are to finish yesterday's assignment. It is due on Monday. E48-E49 1-15, 17, 19, 20.

Wednesday

It appears that we will be ready for our test over E1-E45 on Tuesday February 10th. Students have been assigned E48-E49 1-15, 17, 19, 20 as homework. It will be due on Monday Feb 2nd. Today we finished Atoms, Molecules, Compounds, and Mixtures. We discussed heterogeneous mixtures and homogeneous mixtures. Students also learned how to figure out a formula. We practiced metric conversions again, I hope they are starting to comprehend that process. It isn't hard, just takes some work to learn.

Tuesday

Our Internet was down for much of the afternoon so this is coming from home. We corrected our measuring paper today, yick! That was really bad. We will try again and see if we can get it right. The measuring wasn't good, and the metric conversions were, well, interesting. We have been practicing in class, but some students are not getting it. We will see what we can do. We probably will have a test in two weeks. It will cover E1-E45 and all of the notes covering that time period.

Monday

I was not here on Thursday. Mrs. Bloxham worked on Project Northland with the students. Today we practiced measuring. We emphasized exactness. Tomorrow we will grade the page. Then we will finish the Plato lesson on atoms.

Wednesday

Students have homework if they haven't finished reading their assignment. The pages are E1-E45. We studied the atom today and discussed the periodic table. Tomorrow will be project Northland.

Tuesday

Report cards were passed out today. Students in typing were curious what "P" meant, it means pass. In Science we began a Plato unit on Atoms molecules compounds and mixtures. We also reviewed our Metrics song. This week we will finish the Plato unit.

Monday

Today was a clean up day. Students had the papers from last week returned to them. We fixed any problems with our atoms and hung them up. Then students were given time to start on the next reading assignment. We are reading to E45. Tomorrow we will be learning more about the atom, molecule and chemical changes.

Thursday

Mrs. Bloxham came into the class today to teach the students about the dangers of drug abuse. The students talked about what addiction is. They also talked about healthy things they could do instead of drugs.

Wednesday

Today we made atoms. The students were to choose and atom, find out how many protons, neutrons and electrons were in each atom. Then, using pipe cleaners, beads, fruit loops and fishing line, they made atoms. We will be reviewing this process by drawing atoms to reinforce this concept. We also learned that the reason we feel solid things when atoms are mostly empty space is that the electrons from the atoms repel each other. Now that is an interesting scientific theory. Tomorrow Mrs. Bloxham will be presenting a lesson on drug abuse.

Monday and Tuesday

So sorry that there was no message for you yesterday, the school's Internet was down. We are learning about atoms. Yesterday and today we watched a power point presentation on atoms, discussed the parts of an atom and learned about different scientific theories concerning the atom. Science journals were finished and turned in today and wil be graded. These are notes and work that they do in class. Tomorrow we will be making an atom out of pipe cleaners, fruit loops, beads and fish line.

Thursday

Today the students took the drug survey - it is completely anonymous. We also learned about the S.I. unit called moles. We watched a You tube video called, "A Mole is a unit." We also reviewed our SI song on youtube called, "Something called SI" The students worked to finish their lab worksheets. There is homework,
E-15 1-5. The answers must be in complete sentences and are due on Monday.

Wednesday

After reviewing SI measurement units, we went into the lab and began meassuring volume, length, mass, and weight. The students worked in their teams, but each student was required to do their own measuring. We will continue using the metric system through the year so that the students become comfortable with it.

Tuesday

We started learning a new song today. I found it on Youtube under, "Something Called SI" It teaches the units used for measuring in the metric system. We attemped converting 64 meters into kilometers, hectometers, dekameters, decimeters, centimeters and millimeters. A lot of students had the right ideas, just did it backwards. We will continue to work on this. We watched a video clip about measuring accurately then we went to the lab and practiced finding mass using the triple balance scale. Tomorrow we will be doing a lab on measuring and weighing.

Monday January 5th

In Science today we got right to work remembering the prefixes in the metric system.We also reviewed the units used to measure weight, mass, temperature, volume, and time. We discussed the difference between mass and weight. Mass is how much matter an object has while weight deals with the gravitational pull between an object and the planet the object is on. Last we watched a short segment of Bill Nye the Science Guy on measuring.