Mr. W – Science

Today in class we returned to learning about Climate & Weather.  You might be noticing that we’re really spending a lot of time learning about weather and not as much about climate.  Can you still tell me the difference between the two terms?  Better yet, can you still explain what’s going on in space that results in winter, fall, spring, or summer here in the northern hemisphere!?  I hope so!  Today’s lesson was about air masses and fronts.  As you listen to the weather you’ll probably hear about those “weather terms.”

(Click play, and wait for the advertisement to pass)  What terms do you hear him mentioning that we talked about today? Pretty neat to see that action huh? Get excited for next class when we talk about severe weather!

HOMEWORK: You should have completed your flip book (I’m still missing mine! If you have it, please bring it back to class, thanks!) for section 3. It will have a picture, notes about that picture, and two vocab words. We also completed our notes and were assigned the 7-3 take home quiz (click here). Make sure you get that completed before the next class!

Water in the Air – Today we read through Chapter 7, Section 2.  Tonight for review, teach someone at home why there are drops of water on the outside of a cup.  Tell someone about the demonstration we did in class today.  Review the water cycle and show off your awesome artwork if you’ve got it!

Homework:  Make sure you’ve added humidity, relative humidity, condensation, and dew point definitions to your flip book.  Also you should have included a drawing of the water cycle (click here).  Read the rest of section 2, and complete the notes (click here).  Complete the take-home quiz “Water in the Air” (click here) for next class.

P.S. Does anyone have a copy of the movie Iron Man?  If so, can you bring it in to class for me?  There’s a part of that movie that I want to use to add to the new feature coming to our blog.  Thanks!!!

We’re starting chapter 7 today!  I hope you’re excited about learning about the science behind climate and weather!  From here on out, I hope that you’ll get up and not only ask “WHAT is the weather like today,” but also “WHY is the weather the way it is today?”  It sure would be an easy way to review some of the things that we’re talking about in class.  Remember that we’re starting a flip book that you will not only receive a grade for, but also get to use on the test.  This does not mean that you should slack off!  Study, review, and engage in what we’re talking about.  Ask questions!  Find answers!  I think this is a pretty interesting chapter because of how important the weather is to most of us, and how it can control (somewhat) the things we do in our day to day activities.  (For example, how did the fog today control the day of the students in Jay County [11/12]?)  If you were absent today, please read through the beginning of Ch. 7.  Also make sure you see me so that you know how to set up your flip book.  We also got a take-home quiz that you should complete.  (I’ll post a digital copy online on Friday)

Homework (due Monday):  Read the rest of Ch. 7-1, and complete the take-home quiz titled “What is Climate?” to be checked on Monday.

Today we got to check out a fun demonstration using an air cannon, a fog machine, and candles!  We’re continuing our background research leading up to chapter 7 where we’ll be talking about Climate and Weather.  If we haven’t talked about it already, we will go through what the two groups of volunteers represent from our demonstration today the next time you come to class.  I hope you had some fun with what we did today.  I also appreciated hearing about some of the concerns people are having in class.  I hope that you’ll take our discussion about the broken escalator video to heart and not give up easily when presented with a challenge.  You’re all intelligent students and I want to challenge you to be the best that you can be!  Keep working hard and please make sure that you’re asking me questions and letting me know what you’re thinking about!

Homework:  We’re kind of all over the place right now.  Some classes are at one stopping point, others are at another.  We’ll be spending the next few days getting things brought back together and then moving forward into Ch. 7.

A-Day students took their quiz today (10/29).  I hope you did well!  All students have read through Chapter 5, Section 2.  Make sure you can answer the following questions:

1.  What is an ocean current?

2.  What is a surface current?

3.  Can you name the three things that affect surface currents?

4.  Can you describe the Coriolis Effect?

5.  What is happening to a current in a continental deflection?

6.  What is a deep current?

7.  Name three things that cause water to move deeper creating deep water currents?

Feel free to post your answers on the blog for others to see/comment on!

B-Day students read through the rest of 5-2 and 5-3.

Homework: A-Day remember your extra credit is due Monday (digital copy here).  B-Day students you need to make sure you finish the worksheet I gave you in class today.  (Click here for a copy)

Well due to some confusion, A Day classes had their quiz delayed until Thursday.  B Day students took the quiz and then read Chapter 5, Section 2.  A Day students should study the 6 kingdoms information from the notes we’ve taken (copy here).  B day students should see if they can remember the answers to these questions:

1.  What is an ocean current?

2.  What is a surface current?

3.  Can you name the three things that affect surface currents?

4.  Can you describe the Coriolis Effect?

5.  What is happening to a current in a continental deflection?

Feel free to post your answers on the blog for others to see/comment on!

Homework:  A day students: STUDY!!!!  B day students: Extra Credit is due Tuesday (digital copy here).

In class today we started the Shape Island Lab.  We had plenty of work time and should have come close to finishing the lab so you won’t have much to do Monday night before they are due Tuesday.  If you were absent and got the lab sent home, let me add a view notes here so that you get the lab done as close to correct as possible.

First of all, remember that in creating a two-part scientific name you should capitalize the genus name and not capitalize the species name.  The genus name can be created for each of these creatures by describing the shape of the creature, ex. Cycloplast means “circular body,” and Quadankyloplast means “four-angled body.”  The species name is created by naming the unique features of the creature, ex. biantennae means “two-antennae”, and monopod means “one foot.”  You should always use at least two prefixes, suffixes, or root words in each name (genus or species).  You should never have a name like Cycloplast uro. I hope these notes help.  If not, come see me Monday for help/clarification.

Homework:  As much as I hated doing it, you do need to have your lab done by Tuesday.  I think most of you got about 45-60 minutes to work on this so there shouldn’t be much left to do.  Answer all questions on the lab except for the very last section on the back of the lab (Applying Your Data).

Have a GREAT fall break!  I hope you get to do something fun and that it is relaxing for you!  My family and I are heading to a cabin that we go to every year.  I won’t be adding any other information until Monday morning!  Until then….

Today we read about the 6 Kingdoms and took notes (grab a copy here) to help us see what characteristics scientists are looking at when classifying organisms.  Make sure you take some time to go over some of those characteristics.

Homework:  Review briefly the 6 kingdoms and know an example organism from each category.  Also make sure that you have read sec. 2, Ch. 15 (pgs. 476-481) if you were absent.

What did you guys think about the Pegword/Keyword mnemonic device?  I thought it was pretty cool!  Hopefully you can teach it to mom or dad or somebody this weekend!  I’d really be interested in finding out what you are using it to remember or study in the future to see how helpful it really can be, so keep me in the loop on what you’re doing with it.

Homework:  Remember to study section one of Ch. 15 to be ready for the quiz on Monday/Tuesday.  You DO need to know how to spell the levels of classification correctly and be able to put them in order.  Big terms to know would be classification and taxonomy and why their important.  Also know who Carolus Linnaeus is and why we talked about him this section.  Good luck, have a great weekend, and see you next week!

It’s the start of a new 9 weeks!  This means that you’ve all been given an “A” again (cause remember I only give “A’s”).  What you do with it now is up to you.  Hopefully you’ll choose to work hard and keep that A.  I know you can all do that, just remember I’m here to help!

Things to look forward to this 9 weeks:

1)  The Science Fair project is going to be assigned.

2)  I will be posting new writing topics and even some movie clips online for us to chat about that we don’t have time in class to discuss that maybe we’ll be able to online or before/after class.

3)  Even more labs, demonstrations, and activities!

Today we started Ch. 15 on Classification.  We read through section 1 and took some notes(click here for what we wrote in class).  Important things to have noted or to review tonight are the terms classification and taxonomy and to begin to memorize the classification system in order from largest to smallest (can be found on pg. 472-473).

For homework:  Take the classification system and create a mnemonic, then draw a picture of that.  The example I gave in class can be found in the notes on pg.3.  Take 10 minutes to review what we did in class today!

Oh and by the way:  Evan D and Adrienne, check this out: http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/catspurr.html