Ms. Harrison's 6th and 7th Grade Science

6th: We have officially begun our detective work. What is killing the fish?!? Listed on the inside of your folder, you should have your first guess marked beside a number one. Next, we looked at the history of Gray Area to determine if we could find clues. Maybe your ideas have changed now….maybe not. But remember, the Gray Area Supervisory Board wants to shut down the water slide. Good thing Juan convinced them to hold off. You also met Don Juan Tuno today – he runs Tuno Enterprises which owns the oil refinery, the cattle ranch AND the logging company. Interesting. Now, let’s begin investigating with science….

6th HW: Please list 5 things you think are getting into the water and killing the fish. We will run experiments on your choices. Helpful info posted here:
Map of Gray Area

7th: Most had a great chance to run lots of trials today. Namely, they chose a certain balloon size and measured the velocity over and over again. Do you think balloon size impacts the velocity? Find out with your homework! Even if you didn’t get your final average velocity today, you are expected to complete tonight’s homework activity. You do not have to print it, just save a copy of the excel file with the graph in your science folder. Thanks!

7th HW: Please use the following excel file to create a graph of velocity vs. balloon size. You should put the balloon size on the X-axis (right to left) and the velocity on the Y-axis (up and down). A line graph or scatter plot with a line of best fit could work.
Velocity vs. Balloon Size

6th: Students had a chance to perfect their lab reports today by doubling checking them with the rubric. As we are heading to the end of third quarter, their best work and best foot forward at all times will help them accomplish their goals!

6th HW: None!! Get ready for detective work tomorrow!

7th: After hanging the lovely organ system analogy posters around our pod at school, the 7th grade students began their first work on forces and motion by letting fly their balloon/straw rockets! Goal for today: measure the time, distance, and diameter of the balloon. Challenge: to only blow up the balloon one time!

7th HW: Please get progress reports signed and contemplate the meaning of Newton’s first law of motion.

6th: What a great job everyone did of completing their experiments and gathering data today! Please note that you will need to include a DATA section in your lab report (this means you have made measurements and will record them in your data section)….

6th HOMEWORK: Don’t forget the 6th Grade Lab Report Guide and the CONCLUSION GUIDELINES!!! Please complete your lab report to submit on Monday.

7th: What a fun day outside we had of running in circles and straight lines! The math teachers would be so excited of our study of geometry included in today’s study of speed. Namely, there are two ways to measure speed. One – give everyone the same distance to run and record on the varying times. Two – give everyone a certain time to run, and compare the distances different students have gone. Both result in a rate – distance traveled over time but the velocity is the same for one. Which one? The circle required that everyone ended in the same spot and thus had a zero velocity.

7th HW: Please get Human Anatomy Rubrics signed!!

6th: Students finished developing procedures for their climate tests. Yeah! Testing begins tomorrow. No homework.

7th: We had each group present their human analogy projects! Nice work by all! They will soon join the biotechnology projects out in the hallway!

7th HW: Please research the answer to: What is the difference between speed vs. velocity?

6th: Here are some links for ideas to peruse:

http://www.espere.net/Unitedkingdom/water/uk_watexpgreenhouse.htm

http://www.reachoutmichigan.org/funexperiments/agesubject/lessons/greenhouse.html

http://www.picotech.com/experiments/global/globalwarming.html

Here’s a site with multiple experiments on the greenhouse effect:
http://www.juliantrubin.com/encyclopedia/environment/greenhouseeffect.html

A similar site here: http://www.juliantrubin.com/encyclopedia/environment/globalwarming.html

7th Grade: Well, it’s that time of year. Valentine’s day has ended but let’s get to the heart of the issue. Next week, we will begin dissection. Please note that each day is intensive and nightly review of what you have learned is paramount to your studies. It’s best to take a little time this weekend and review the handouts below.

Pig-Dissection-Guide

Pig-Need-to-Know-Guides

pig-anatomy-guide

6th: After a quick quiz developed by the students on climate change, each group worked more to find feasible experiments to run in class regarding climate change. A task harder than it may seem, we must find four good tests by tomorrow so that over the weekend, materials can be gathered! No homework but keep looking for experiments!

7th: Posters are still in the making but starting to look great! Keep up the good work and please be sure you are focusing on what the analogies mean. The stronger they are, the better your results, and a better understanding of human organ systems you will have!

7th HW: Please study for the quiz tomorrow. Organ System Study Guide

6th: Please study for your climate change quiz. Here (Class Climate Notes to Review) is the powerpoint in a pdf. And although I did not make a concept map, please see here for the terms to remember:

Climate change
Greenhouse Effect
Greenhouse Gases
Carbon Dioxide
Heat Waves
Fossil Fuels
Biomass, Solar, Geothermal, Wind, and Water Energy
Anthropomorphic

7th: Still working on our posters! Keep up the good work.

7th HW: Keep studying for Thursday’s quiz. Organ System Study Guide

6th: Each group of students still had just one presentation left to go, so we focused on completing those and scoring our partners. We wrapped up with a conversation about what we had learned from climate change – namely, the current warming trend is being driven by human impacts and most scientists are in agreement about that.

6th HOMEWORK:
1. ONE THIRD of you need to have solar project grading sheet signed please.
2. Please research for ideas on climate change experiments that you can conduct in the classroom. Write down your best 3! HW13

7th GRADE: Please click the link HERE for survey. Then you may review again the organ system guide to double check your research – Organ System Study Guide. Afterwards, we will continue working on your human analogy project with your group.

7th HW: Assigned by group for project; please review for Thursday quiz. Recommendations include naming organs associated with each system and drawing diagrams to help you visually connect the functions with the systems. Here is a photo of each (except the integumentary) to help you.

6th: Today was a great day for learning from one’s peers! Most students did a great job of sharing their powerpoints. We will finish up on Monday as a few students were absent and others still catching up with their presentations. No homework!

7th: Paper on the floor, traces of humans, and decreasing impulsive behavior were all around today. The 7th grade students worked hard on their posters, but hopefully, they were working smart. That entails dividing and conquering to accomplish the task list. Be sure to double check the rubric!

7th HW: As assigned by the group. And hey! as promised, here is a version of the organ system information for which you will be responsible by Thursday next week (quiz time!). Your best bet is to compare your notes to this one and see how you did. Organ System Study Guide

6th: Students worked diligently to summarize and compile their info for powerpoint presentations tomorrow in small groups. They will each have the opportunity to share what they have learned/self-taught about climate change as well as help to compile a Climate Change Word Wall for the class.

6th HW: Remember to get your solar project signed! And complete your powerpoint, please.

7th: Continuing to work on our analogy project, most groups have completed their research portion and are now choosing analogies. Next up, finding images, drawing pictures, or any other depiction of the cool and clever ideas.

7th: As assigned by groups – most are compiling images of their various analogies. Poster paper is ready for tomorrow!

6th: Please continue to work on your powerpoints. You will have an opportunity to ask questions about it tomorrow in class. To explain a question I got via email, your individual powerpoint that EACH student is working on will be only 4 slides long. On Friday, you will be presenting YOUR powerpoint to the smaller groups assigned on the board – so no more than three people. For example, Sebastian will be presenting his powerpoint to his three group members Richard, Briggs, and Cassidy. In this way, each student is teaching only three other students at once.

6th HOMEWORK: Work on PowerPoint for your section of the website. Four slides total – each summarizing a section of your website.

7th: Please continue working on your organ system analogy project. Your poster paper will be ready for tomorrow if you are ready to assemble analogies!

7th HW: As assigned by group members!
ADDITIONAL SITES YOU HAVE FOUND AS FANTASTIC RESEARCHERS:
curiosity.com
innerbody.com
kidshealth.org/teens/your_body
biology4kids.com/files/systems_integument.html

6th: Students began a talk about climate change today. We know we have been hearing about it and there is lots of vocabulary tossed around out there. But what is the science behind it, what does it really mean, and what can we do about it? These are the questions we hope to answer over the next couple of days. Please use the site below to accomplish the task below by Friday:
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/index.html

TASK: Design a powerpoint (total of 4 pages of information) that summarizes the different pages of your section on the Climate Change website. Please note that you will be using your powerpoint to teach your partners about some aspect of climate change and they will greatly benefit from your efforts and abilities to summarize the information. Below, I have listed which students are responsible for which section:
“Learn the Basics” – Sebastian, John, Kiran, Ivy
“See the Impacts” – Briggs, Bradley, Hunter, Brett
“Think Like a Scientist” – Richard, Bachman, Jack, Kai (remember to use the middle four sections of this section in the drop down menu)
“Be Part of the Solution” – Cassidy, Olivia, David, Will

6th HOMEWORK: Summarize each of the three or four webpages of information that you will be presenting in your powerpoint. Please have written or typed to show me Thursday [HW11]

7th: WOW! What amazing bioethics projects we have seen today! And still a few more to go. But alas! we wait until Thursday to see the last few presenters.

We are now moving on to the next unit – Human Anatomy! This begins first with a group poster project that will provide for the students a chance to research, collaborate, and make analogies for 11 organ systems. Here are the handouts from class, in case you misplace them as you go. It’s important to remember that the HOMEWORK assignments are assigned and checked by the group so be sure to keep your homework log updated. Good luck and have fun!

HOMEWORK LOG Human Organ Systems
Human Body Analogy Worksheet
Human-Body-Final-Rubric
Human Body Task List NOTE: You will receive your poster paper for tracing and dividing the parts on Thursday.
Human Body New Mission
7th HW: As assigned by each group to begin the research portion on organ systems.

6th: After a quick self assessment of their cooperative skills during the entire solar house project, 6th grade students had a chance to finish evaluating the Rube Goldberg machines from the 8th grade movies. One of the coolest unleashed some potential energy of a tennis ball being trapped behind a cardboard door, only to be freed by a flying mouse trap!

6th HOMEWORK: Please have progress report signed for interim time. HW10

7th: Students diligently worked on wrapping up their art project for bioethics today. But first, we began with a quick review of the rubric and expectations particularly for the artist’s statement. Please remember that the project need only reflect your opinion regarding a biotechnology (not just be a description of the genetic engineering process).

7th: Complete art project and artist’s statement. Use the rubric! And please have progress report signed.

6th: Students wrapped up their posters and had a chance to review some of the 8th grade’s Rube Goldberg projects. There will be no homework over the weekend, and we hope to wrap up watching the remaining movies on Monday! Happy third quarter interim!

7th: Students took a quick quiz on Genetic Engineering then continued to work hard on their own bioethics projects. Don’t forget to double check the rubric for your opinion paper as well as for your art component. Whereas you are not going to be graded on your artistic ability, you will be assessed based on your thoughtfulness and care taken in crafting your art piece.

7th HOMEWORK: Complete your paper (recommended finish date was this past Thursday). You are expected to bring it to class on Monday – be sure to print before 8 am, during tutorial or study hall, or at home. Art piece and artist’s statement due Tuesday.

6th: Nearly finished with posters, we have decidedly learned that divide and conquer is an effective technique! I’m very impressed with the majority of students who today brought new and creative ideas to their poster and the initiative to get it done! Unless you have a few more items you could complete for homework, relax. And be sure to know that only the first ten minutes or so will be allowed for final gluing or taping of poster items.

7th: Following a quick review of vocab terms as needed, (this was the chance for students to ask clarifying questions about the vocab) students continued to diligently work on their paper. Some have finished, as was recommended to keep up with the work load. Remember this week is not only about studying biotechnology and genetic engineering but also about personal responsibility in your learning process.

HOMEWORK: As you are continuing your project, please be sure that your paper is done today (including the counter argument in each pro and con paragraph). READ THE RUBRIC!! So, tonight you should start on your art project – brainstorm ideas. Vocab quiz tomorrow on biotech terms – Need to Know Biotech Vocab Sheet 2012.

Here are some websites that could continue to be some help as you work through the project:

http://www.actionbioscience.org/biotech/

Cloning (bringing animals back from extinction, copies of a favorite pet or friend or yourself)

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/tech/cloning/whatiscloning/

Creating new organisms (Transgenic organisms, glow in the dark bunnies, buy a better baby)

http://www.dnafiles.org/programs/plants-animals-transgenics