This is a short week, due to Wednesday's field trip and Thursday/Friday's student led conferences.
This week, kids will learn to differentiate between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells.
Next week, we will begin learning about specific organelles within cells. There will be a project that accompanies this unit. Instructions will be given on Tuesday.
Over the course of this unit, we will continue to utilize flash cards as a study tool. Over the weekend, kids should create at least ten flash cards based on a fact sheet we completed in class on Friday, Oct 24.
Kids may want to keep the flash cards from the previous unit, to use later when preparing for the final exam. If you think that'd be a good idea to keep them, then please keep them at home in a safe place, NOT in the ziploc baggie. Only keep current unit's flash cards in the baggie. A highlighter should be in the baggie too.
Thanks for all you do at home to support what I do in the classroom!
Friday, October 24, 2014
Friday, October 17, 2014
Week of Oct 20
Test on Monday [10/20/2014] covers Lab: Food Nutrient Analysis
** If you are participating in the play, you have the option to postpone the test (and take a make up test) due to the time commitment of dress rehearsals this weekend. (Of course, you can choose to take the test with the rest of the class on Monday!) If you choose not to take the test on Oct 20, the make up date is Tuesday Oct 28 at 3pm (during tutorials) in the science room. This will be the only date the make up will be offered. Although the material covered on the test will be the same, the test offered on Oct 28 is not the same test that will be taken on Oct 20. Be aware that new material will be started on Wednesday, Oct 22.
What to study:
(1) Flash cards -- If you did a good job creating these, every fact that is fair game for the test should be on a card. You should have at least forty flash cards.
(2) Lab worksheets -- The set of three pages that were stapled together that should have "correct and important" facts/key words written or marked in red.
(3) Summary chart - Check the file cabinet (right side bar) for a chart that you might want to use as a final summary of much of the info presented in this lab. Once you think you're confident with the material, print out the chart and try to fill it in. When you're done, use your flash cards and the red writing on the worksheets to correct the chart and fill in what you didn't know. Continue studying what you got incorrect and/or didn't know.
You do NOT need to memorize your unknown's results. Think about how I quizzed you and your group during the lab; that's the type of questioning that will happen on the test.
Your objective list in your OneNote notebook will give you a list of skills you should be able to successfully accomplish on the test. (The objectives are listed under Unit 3 ... even though we haven't "really" started Unit 3 Cells.)
Other topics this week:
(1) We will start a new unit on Wednesday. We will start Unit 3 Cells by learning about the cell theory and people involved in its development.
(2) If there's time this week, we will learn about different categories of cells: prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells.
Something else to look forward to:
In the next couple weeks, we will begin using microscopes!
REMINDER: Middle School Girls Only - There is a science opportunity at Wichita State University in November. An email was sent to your parents about this. If you're interested, you need to register online. If you'd like to know a little more, you can see some information about the program in the file cabinet (right side bar). You can go to this link to register online.
** If you are participating in the play, you have the option to postpone the test (and take a make up test) due to the time commitment of dress rehearsals this weekend. (Of course, you can choose to take the test with the rest of the class on Monday!) If you choose not to take the test on Oct 20, the make up date is Tuesday Oct 28 at 3pm (during tutorials) in the science room. This will be the only date the make up will be offered. Although the material covered on the test will be the same, the test offered on Oct 28 is not the same test that will be taken on Oct 20. Be aware that new material will be started on Wednesday, Oct 22.
What to study:
(1) Flash cards -- If you did a good job creating these, every fact that is fair game for the test should be on a card. You should have at least forty flash cards.
(2) Lab worksheets -- The set of three pages that were stapled together that should have "correct and important" facts/key words written or marked in red.
(3) Summary chart - Check the file cabinet (right side bar) for a chart that you might want to use as a final summary of much of the info presented in this lab. Once you think you're confident with the material, print out the chart and try to fill it in. When you're done, use your flash cards and the red writing on the worksheets to correct the chart and fill in what you didn't know. Continue studying what you got incorrect and/or didn't know.
You do NOT need to memorize your unknown's results. Think about how I quizzed you and your group during the lab; that's the type of questioning that will happen on the test.
Your objective list in your OneNote notebook will give you a list of skills you should be able to successfully accomplish on the test. (The objectives are listed under Unit 3 ... even though we haven't "really" started Unit 3 Cells.)
Other topics this week:
(1) We will start a new unit on Wednesday. We will start Unit 3 Cells by learning about the cell theory and people involved in its development.
(2) If there's time this week, we will learn about different categories of cells: prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells.
Something else to look forward to:
In the next couple weeks, we will begin using microscopes!
REMINDER: Middle School Girls Only - There is a science opportunity at Wichita State University in November. An email was sent to your parents about this. If you're interested, you need to register online. If you'd like to know a little more, you can see some information about the program in the file cabinet (right side bar). You can go to this link to register online.
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Week of Oct 13
Last week was an eventful week in science.
(1) Performance on the test over Unit Two was strong. With seven kids earning 99% or above and a class average of 86%, I was pleased with the results. Some, though, do continue to struggle ... or simply aren't doing as well as they would like to do. Attention to detail, mastery of the subject matter, and ability to write coherent, complete answers are key to science success. Kids do not have access to the test questions yet, as I am waiting for one student to complete the test. Grades are posted on PowerSchool and I expect to release the quia.com test (so kids can see what they got correct/wrong) on Tuesday.
(2) I will be incorporating study skills into science lessons which will hopefully help kids find more success in science, as well as other academic subjects. We will continue to work on nonfiction reading as well. These are skills kids need for success in future science classes.
(3) The kids completed their first lab in class last week: analyzing solutions to determine the presence of chemical compounds. I think the kids had fun mixing chemicals while still reinforcing concepts about proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates. We will continue the lab this week by analyzing an unknown solution for its content. Your kids will become science sleuths!
This week in science will be busy:
Students are required to bring in additional supplies on Monday, 10/13:
Plan for the week:
(1) Identifying chemical compounds: Sugar test
(2) Unknown solution lab
(3) Study skills: Creating effective flash cards
(4) Lab test: Identifying chemical compounds (at the end of the week or early next week)
As always, email me with questions/concerns!
(1) Performance on the test over Unit Two was strong. With seven kids earning 99% or above and a class average of 86%, I was pleased with the results. Some, though, do continue to struggle ... or simply aren't doing as well as they would like to do. Attention to detail, mastery of the subject matter, and ability to write coherent, complete answers are key to science success. Kids do not have access to the test questions yet, as I am waiting for one student to complete the test. Grades are posted on PowerSchool and I expect to release the quia.com test (so kids can see what they got correct/wrong) on Tuesday.
(2) I will be incorporating study skills into science lessons which will hopefully help kids find more success in science, as well as other academic subjects. We will continue to work on nonfiction reading as well. These are skills kids need for success in future science classes.
(3) The kids completed their first lab in class last week: analyzing solutions to determine the presence of chemical compounds. I think the kids had fun mixing chemicals while still reinforcing concepts about proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates. We will continue the lab this week by analyzing an unknown solution for its content. Your kids will become science sleuths!
This week in science will be busy:
Students are required to bring in additional supplies on Monday, 10/13:
(1) a highlighter
(2) a pack of 3" x 5" indes cards - preferred white, with lines on one side (100 to 150 cards)
(3) two quart sized ziploc bags
(1) Identifying chemical compounds: Sugar test
(2) Unknown solution lab
(3) Study skills: Creating effective flash cards
(4) Lab test: Identifying chemical compounds (at the end of the week or early next week)
As always, email me with questions/concerns!
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Week of October 6
Unfortunately, it took us a little longer than I expected to cover organic compounds, which caused us not to be able to do the lab procedure as I had hoped at the end of the week.
We ended last week with lab safety and a demonstration of one part of the food analysis lab. We will start/finish the lab on Wednesday and Thursday this week.
I'm still planning on testing on Tuesday, October 7. Format will be similar to the unit one test - multiple choice & short answer. As kids prep for the test, their focus should be:
We ended last week with lab safety and a demonstration of one part of the food analysis lab. We will start/finish the lab on Wednesday and Thursday this week.
I'm still planning on testing on Tuesday, October 7. Format will be similar to the unit one test - multiple choice & short answer. As kids prep for the test, their focus should be:
- PowerPoint notes (3 different files)
- the worksheet set (4 pages total) titled Molecules for Life
- the worksheets (2 different ones) focused on nonfiction reading
- the graded quiz on quia.com
Student will need to plan ahead. I will not be available for tutorials on Monday afternoon, I will be available Thursday, Friday & Monday during recess (after lunch) for those that need some guidance.
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