SNOW DAY CAUSES ASSIGNMENT CHANGES

Due to an unexpected snow day (yes, I love snow days, too - kind of any early Christmas present), I am changing things around a bit. We have actually discussed the entire chapter already.

1. Make sure that you bring your data tables with you for next class. You will get the rest of the info that you need to complete the lab.
2. I would like ONLY a full data table turned in on Thursday and Friday. Compile all the information that you get in class and format a new table to be turned in on those days.
3. We will stay on track for the test on Wednesday and Thursday (date change for even day kids).
4. We will finish the chapter and review on Monday and Tuesday in class. Please do the questions at the end of the chapter - you snooze, you lose! Those questions are found on pages 319-321 and are numbers 1 - 30, 33, 34.

Homework for the week of December 1

1. Read Chapter 12.
2. Study Key Terms in the the chapter.
3. Know the 5 primary air pollutants in Table 1 on page 304.
4. Understand the major INDOOR air pollutants and know their sources as found on page 311 in your text.
5. Begin to word process the parts of your lab that you developed as a group.

November Assignments

November 3/4 - Chapter 11, Sections 1&2 (CW)
November 5/6 - Water Testing Lab at Feeder Canal (CW)
November 7/10 - Quiz Section 1 (CW); Pre-Lab Detergents and Fertilizers
November 12/13 - Detergents and Fertilizers Lab (CW); Read Section 3; Quiz Section 2 (HW)
November 17/18 - Quiz Section 2 (CW)
November 19 - Afterschool Review Session
November 20/21 - Unit Test - Water
November 24/25 - Detergents and Fertilizers Lab due

October Assignments

Oct 8,10 - Review of Chapter 5
Oct 14,15 - Quiz-Chapter 5
Oct 16,17 - Review of Chapter 6
Oct 20,21 - Quiz-Chapter 6; Lab Due
Oct 22 - After School Review Session
NOTE DATE CHANGE FOR TEST
**Oct 24,27 - Test Chapter 4, 5, 6**
Oct 29,30 - Biome Poster due

Water Unit Reading

Please read Chapter 11 - pp. 268-283 for class on November 3/4.

NEW DATES FOR TEST

Please change your planners to include the new test dates - October 24 and October 27!

Homework

1. Put all your data and observations in your charts and start writing your lab. Due: October 20 (even), 21 (odd) depending on the day that your class meets. Follow the yellow handout that we discussed in class to write your lab. Make sure that you incorporate the answers for the questions into your analysis.

2. Read Chapter 6. Quiz on Chapter 6 - Biomes on October 20, 21.

Homework

First and foremost ..... put the new observations and data in your charts on the computer. You should have the beginnings of the full lab write-up started - Title Page, Purpose, Hypothesis, Materials (Refer to Handout), Procedure (Refer to Handout), Observations, Data - can all be put into the file for the lab. Remember that "Refer to Handout" is what you can write for those sections of this lab! Do not waste time re-typing what you already have.

Secondly, study for the quiz on Chapter 5, Section 1. Use your notes as reference as well.

And lastly, GO OUTSIDE this weekend and enjoy the great weather!

Homework - October 6, 7

Format an observation and data table on your computer. Fill in your observations and data for today. Print it off and bring it to class.

Quiz - Chapter 4

Section 1 and 2 on Monday and Tuesday. Vocab only!

Be sure to check your seed growth, observe and record your observations every class day. Add 2mL of solution to all your plates every class day as well.

Homework

For next class, please write a purpose for the lab packet that you have received. Make sure that you have read the packet carefully so that we can begin on Thursday/Friday.

You can also read through to the end of the chapter if it does not conflict with any religious holiday.

Homework

Please read Chapter 4, section 1 for next class.

Test is on September 23/24.

Homework

By now, you should have the entire chapter read (19). Please read the key points and summary on page 500 and do questions 1 - 17 on pg. 501.

Your First Homework

Using the hand-out from class, please draw your "new" package to present to the class.

GOGGLES

You have to have your own goggles this year! Please put them in a zip-lock bag and put your name on the bag. You may not share goggles due to bacteria that may be found on them. Due Date: the first day of class of the next cycle (next day 1 or 2)

REVIEW FOR FINAL

Grade 8 Science Review

As you read over the following items, you should cross check your notes, hand-outs and your book for information to write answers for each topic. We will discuss the questions in class - small groups first, large groups last.


1. The Dynamic Earth
• What are the three layers of the earth?
• Which layer makes up the earth's surface?
• Name the layers of the crust and name a feature of each.
• What is the lithosphere? asthenosphere?
• What is the geosphere?
• What is the main cause of earthquakes?
2. Plate Tectonics
• What are tectonic plates and what do they do?
• What are the three kinds of plate boundaries? Describe their movement.
• Explain the Theory of Plate Tectonics.
• Where does plate movement take place?
• Where are some of the major plate boundaries around the world?
• Who developed the theory of Continental Drift and why was it not a highly accepted theory?
• What are the 4 pieces of evidence that Wegener used to support his theory?
3. Water Cycle
• What is the difference between surface water and groundwater?
• Fully explain the water cycle.
• What is the source of energy for the water cycle?
• Why is the water cycle important?
• Diagram the water cycle.
• What is eutrophication and how is it caused?
• Describe point and non-point pollution.
4. Biosphere
• What are the three important factors required for life to exist?
• What is the biosphere?
5. Ecosystem
• What is an ecosystem?
• What are the requirements of an ecosystem?
• What is an organism?
• What is a habitat?
• What is a niche?
• What happens when we remove the keystone species?
• How would you describe our biome?
6. Biotic/Abiotic
• What is an abiotic factor?
• What is a biotic factor?
• Name the roles of the biotic/abiotic factors in an ecosystem.
• What is a population?
7. Energy Flow
• What is photosynthesis? What is the formula for it?
• Where does the energy come from?
• What is a producer? consumer? decomposer?
8. Energy Transfer
• How is energy transferred from producers to consumers?
• What is a food chain? food web? What is the difference?
9. Species Interactions
• What is symbiosis?
• commensalism? predation? mutualism? parasitism?
• Examples of each .....
10. Biodiversity
• What is biodiversity?
• What are endemic species?
• What are exotic species?
• What is a hotspot?
• How do humans adversely affect biodiversity?
11. Global Warming and Atmospheric Change
• What is ozone?
• What are two consequences of global warming?
• What are greenhouse gases?
• What is weather? climate?
• What is the greenhouse effect?
• What is a microclimate?
• What are two ways to decrease your CO2 emissions?
12. Non-renewable Energy
• What is non-renewable energy?
• What are some examples of non-renewable energy?
• What are fossil fuels?
• What is the timeline for the remaining fossil fuels?
• Use kinetic, potential and activation energy in a short essay. Be sure to use an example.
• How are fossil fuels formed?
• Why is nuclear energy considered non-renewable?
• What is a problem associated with nuclear energy?
• What are some uses, other than fuel, for petroleum?
• Describe how electricity is produced.
13. Renewable Energy
• What are two types of renewable energy?
• What are two methods of using solar energy?
• What is active solar energy? How does it work?
• What is passive solar energy?
• What are some of the design components needed for passive solar energy to be most effective?
• What is hydroelectric power? How is it generated?
• Why is it important to use more renewable energy?
• What are some drawbacks of renewable energy?
• What is biomass fuel?
• How is wind power generated?
• Where do we get geothermal energy?
• How is active solar energy converted to electricity?
14. Waste
• Discuss solid waste. Who generates it?
• Describe how a landfill operates.
• What are some problems associated with incineration?
• Describe what is meant by the three "R's".
• Why is it important to recycle and purchase products made from recycled materials?
• Describe the ideal school recycling program.
• Why compost?
• What is hazardous waste?
• What does CERCLA do? Why is this law so important to us?

Test - Chapter 17

Short test on Chapter 17 on Monday and Tuesday - May 12/13. Review sheets for the final will be available on Monday!

Homework

Review for Test

A great way to review for the test will be to do your homework on pages 501 - 502 in your book. That's questions 1 - 24. If you want to go further, you can work on the rest of those questions on 502 - 503! Don't forget to also look at the Key Words and Main Ideas on page 500!

Things to think about over break .....

Test on Chapter 19 - Waste - April 29 and 30.

Compost Project ..... Skits and Posters - Think about some poster ideas to help educate our community about the project.

Trail Crew ..... Make sure that you have a change of clothes at school!

Recyclers ..... Web Page Design and Poster Ideas

Have a good break wherever and whatever you do!

Test - April 1 and 2

Vocab only test on Chapters 14 and 15.

Homework

Please read Chapter 19.1 and 19.2.

Science Fair #10

Presentation and Board


Your board is due on the day that you present. Remember that your board should be a good teaching tool. Make sure that spelling errors are corrected. Your presentation should not take more than 10 minutes!

Be sure to bring your Science Fair folder with you when you present! That's your old one that I have been grading all quarter.

Abstract Instructions

Abstracts

An abstract is another part of your written report. The purpose of an abstract is to supply someone viewing your project with a brief explanation of your efforts. An abstract should be no longer than two hundred and fifty (250) words. It too will be word processed, in its own folder and on the table with your project.

An abstract is made up of the following parts of your written report: purpose, method, results, conclusion and any possible applications. Remember that it must be 250 words or less. Therefore, the details of your method and results could be excluded.

As an example, let’s look at the fictitious experiment of John Student. “I germinated seeds and grew four plants of the same species for four weeks. I made the growth medium by measuring equal amounts of sand, peat moss, dirt, and vermiculite. I measured their height and placed one under yellow, red, orange, and green light. One plant started at 5.2 cm, two at 5.1 cm, three at 5.3 cm and four at 5.5 cm. I gave them 10 mLs of water every other day. I was careful to keep the temperature constant.”

In my abstract, I could summarize this by saying – Four plants, growing under different colors of light, were measured every day for four weeks. All other variables were kept constant.

The results can also be summarized. For example in my experiment above, I would not include the daily measurement of each plant, but I would summarize the pattern that I found. My abstract might read, “After four weeks, it was obvious that the plant under the red light was the healthiest and growing the fastest. It grew 2.1 cm.; yellow grew 1.9 cm., orange 1.8 cm., and green .8 cm.

In my final abstract below, I labeled all of the parts. DO NOT include labels in your abstract.

Abstract

The purpose of my experiment is to determine if different colors of light have any impact on the rate of growth of a species of plant (purpose). Four plants, growing under different colors of light, were measured every day for four weeks. All other variables were kept constant (method). After four weeks, it was obvious that the plant under the red light was the healthiest and growing the fastest. It had a total growth of 2.1 cm. In comparison, yellow grew 1.9 cm., orange 1.8 cm., and green 0.8 cm. (results). Therefore red light supports the growth of this species of plant better than yellow, orange, or green (conclusion). This information is important to people who grow plants under lights in greenhouses. They should invest in bulbs that emit more red wavelengths of light rather than the other colors or just fluorescent light (application).
139 words

Science Fair Updates - Assignment 7/8 Combined

Welcome Back!

You should be done with your experimentation by now. If you are not, you need to TAKE THE INITIATIVE and see me so we can reconfigure dates for you. As I explained before break, you did not need to do Assignment 6.

Here is Assignment 7/8 combined!

Assignment 7/8
Checklist for Final Draft and Parent Info

I have finished my experiment and rough draft! I am so happy that part is behind me so that I can concentrate on my final copy, presentation and board!

This is it! Countdown to completion! If you would like to participate in the GSSSF you must register online. We will do that during class.

This is the final draft summary for your project. When you hand this in, you will only have to do your abstract and your board plus corrections to this draft. For this assignment, you have to have finished your experiment. You will then have to make corrections to this copy prior to Science Fair. Remember that ATTENDANCE at Science Fair is mandatory and part of your grade. Parents, please be sure to have your child at school at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 19. They will be done around 8:00 p.m. Students may not leave until they turn in their folders to me.

Please assemble your report in this order.

______ Title Page

______ Background information and introduction to your project (all that research that you gathered)

______ Purpose

______ Hypothesis – Please state the reason for your hypothesis.

______ Materials (listed)

______ Procedure (numbered steps)

______ Data/Observations

______ Sample Survey sheet/tests

______ Graphs/Charts

______ Analysis

______ Conclusion

______ Bibliography

______ Final Copy sent to your e-mail account at school.


Parent’s Signature ________________________________________________________

Science Fair Assignment #5

Science Fair Assignment #5
Due Date: 2/11-12

As previously discussed in class, you should have assembled your materials and started your experiment. Your assignment is to have a parent sign this form at the bottom so that I know that a parent knows you need to be working on your experiment. It is not necessary for you to have completed your experiment.

You need to:

1. Set up your document.
a. Title Page
b. Purpose
c. Hypothesis
d. Materials
e. Method (Procedure)
f. Data Table (Chart) with preliminary results
g. Graph with results
2. Keep collecting data!
3. Bacteria People – you should have everything EXCEPT results! You will have those for 2/11.

**I have read the timeline in the front of the folder for Science Fair. My child has assembled the required materials and has begun experimentation and data collection.

Student’s Signature _____________________________________

Parent’s Signature ______________________________________



If you are going out of town for February Break, your experiment HAS TO BE COMPLETED by Friday, February 15!!

Science Fair Assignments #1 and 2

For Science Fair #1, you handed in your folders.

Science Fair #2 requires you to do the following work. It is due January 14/15 depending on the class of which you are a member.

Page 1
Science Fair Assignment #2
Preliminary Research and Parent’s Letter


You will need to research 3 topics, fill out the assignment sheet for each one and type one page of research for each topic. After you have completed the three proposals, we will conference and decide on the best topic for you to pursue!

In addition, you need to share this information with your parent(s) and get them to signoff on this sheet and on the letter sheet.

That’s two signatures that you need as
well as your research and topic proposals!


I have read and reviewed the Timetable and Assignment #2.


Parent Signature ________________________________________________


Macintosh HD:Users:pamstewart:Desktop:Science Fair 2 2008.doc

Page 2
January 6, 2008

Dear Parents,

Your child will be taking part in a science fair, an exciting event that encourages students to think like young scientists. During the next several weeks your child will be designing a science project that uses the scientific method to solve a problem. I hope you agree that the educational benefits are numerous, as students develop skills in writing, oral presentation, creative thinking, and problem solving.

Each student will be given instructions and handouts during class for the various steps of his or her project. You can also find the due dates and all assignments on my web page, www.stewartsbiome.blogspot.com. Most of the work will be completed at home. Please review the timeline, noting due dates for each part of the project, one the first page of this folder. For suggestions on helping your child through this process — from choosing a topic to the final report — see the Web site "Surviving Science Fair" at http://discoveryschool.com/sciencefaircentral/elmers/.

I ask that you encourage your child and monitor his or her progress along the way. Your support is key to a successful project, but please do not allow your involvement to extend any further in order to assure equity and promote student learning! It is important that your child wrestle with problems and try to solve them. Guide your child whenever and wherever you can, but let the final project reflect your child's individual effort and design. Also, keep in mind that a successful project can be completed for very little money.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to watching your child enjoy this unique opportunity for scientific discovery!

Sincerely,



Pam Stewart


Parent Signature ___________________________________________

Page 3

PRELIMINARY RESEARCH**

To fine-tune the topic, ensure its viability, and help formulate the hypothesis.

This involves a combination of research as we commonly define it (using library books, periodicals and the Internet to gather information from a range of sources) and hands-on exploration and experimentation.

The goal is for you to learn as much as possible about your selected topic, as well as to refine it, test ideas, and formulate a question that leads to an effective hypothesis. For example, the question “Which makes plants grow faster: natural light or artificial light?” might lead to the hypothesis: “Plants grown under natural light will grow faster than those under artificial light.”

You may have a burning scientific question to answer, or just a few aspects of a topic you are curious about. Keep exploring, tinkering and jotting down ideas until a “problem” is uncovered, and to run some preliminary tests to see if your topic and hypothesis are viable. If this step is successful, be sure to get my approval before beginning their experiments.


MAIN RESEARCH**

To learn background information, deepen understanding of underlying scientific principles, collect pertinent data, and master the topic.

You should start researching your topic at a local or school library. Standard and science encyclopedias are a great place to start, as are relevant books in the Juvenile or Young Adult sections. The Internet should only be used once these other areas are thoroughly explored. Here are three important reminders for you:

• Use reliable sources with reliable information. (The Smithsonian Institution is a reliable source; Joe Smith’s Way Cool Science Site is not.)
• Don’t plagiarize!
• Keep track of all sources of information in a logbook, including the publication’s name, author, publisher, copyright date, and relevant page numbers.

(Down)loads of Info for Project Ideas and Research**

GENERAL AND REFERENCE

National Science Digital Library: http://nsdl.org
Created by the National Science Foundation to provide organized access to high- quality resources and tools that support innovations in teaching and learning at all levels of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.

ScienceMaster: www.sciencemaster.com
An award-winning site designed for middle school and high school students, parents and teachers. Collects the best content from NASA, the USGS, the EPA, NOAA, and leading educational institutions.

National Science Teachers Association: www.nsta.org/middleschool
NSTA’s Middle School page is a good resource for both teachers and parents. In the Teacher Resources area, you’ll find the best teacher approved books and software, targeted to your grade level and subject area.

Research Matters at Harvard University: www.researchmatters.harvard.edu

Smithsonian Science and Technology: www.si.edu/science_and_technology

Howstuffworks “Science Channel”: http://science.howstuffworks.com

Everyday Mysteries: Fun Science Facts from the Library of Congress:
www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/mysteries-home.html

Elmer’s Products, Inc.: www.elmers.com

Discovery Education’s Science Fair Central:
www.discoveryschool.com/sciencefaircentral

Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge: www.discovery.com/dcysc


SCIENCE FAIR AND EXPERIMENT IDEAS

MIT’s Invention Dimension: Fun Sites for Kids:
http://web.mit.edu/invent/r-archive-2.html

Exploratorium’s Hands-on Activities:
www.exploratorium.edu/explore/handson.html

TryScience—Science Fair Project Ideas from Science Museums: http://tryscience.org/

All Science Fair Projects: www.all-science-fair-projects.com

Sports Science in the Yahoo! Directory:
http://dir.yahoo.com/Recreation/Sports/Science

SCIENCE FAIRS & EXPERIMENTS

The Scientific American Book of Great Science Fair Projects by Marc Rosner, Wiley: 2000

Fizz, Bubble & Flash!: Element Explorations & Atom Adventures for Hands-On Science Fun! (Williamson Kids Can! Series) by Anita Brandolini, Ph.D., Williamson Publishing Company: 2003

The Everything Kids’ Science Experiments Book: Boil Ice, Float Water, Measure Gravity — Challenge the World Around You! (Everything Kids Series) by Tom Robinson, Adams Media Corporation: 2001

Sports Science Projects: The Physics of Balls in Motion (Science Fair Success) by Madeline Goodstein, Enslow Publishers: 1999

Elmer’s Surviving Science Fair! A Guide to a Successful Science Fair Project by Steven L. Jacobs, PhD. D., Showboard: 2005

INVENTIONS

*Eureka! Great Inventions and How They Happened by Richard Platt, Kingfisher: 2003

The Book of Inventions by Ian Harrison, National Geographic: 2004

Scientific American Inventions and Discoveries: All the Milestones in Ingenuity From the Discovery of Fire to the Invention of the Microwave Oven by Rodney Carlisle, Wiley: 2004

*Fantastic Feats and Failures by the Editors of YES magazine, Kids Can Press: 2004

WORKING SCIENTISTS AND THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

*The Case of the Monkeys That Fell from the Trees: And Other Mysteries in Tropical Nature by Susan E. Quinlan, Boyds Mills Press: 2003

*Hidden Worlds: Looking Through a Scientist’s Microscope (Scientists in the Field Series) by Stephen P. Kramer, Houghton Mifflin: 2001

How to Think Like a Scientist: Answering Questions by the Scientific Method by Stephen P. Kramer, HarperCollins: 1987


*The Sky’s the Limit: Stories of Discovery by Women and Girls by Catherine Thimmesh, Houghton Mifflin: 2002

*Field Trips: Bug Hunting, Animal Tracking, Bird-Watching, Shore Walking by Jim Arnosky, HarperCollins: 2002

*What Does a Wheel Do? by Jim Pipe, Copper Beech Books/Millbrook

That’s the Way the Cookie Crumbles: 62 All-New Commentaries on the Fascinating Chemistry of Everyday Life by Dr. Joe Schwarcz, ECW Press: 2002

Sciencing: Learning About the Scientific Method (Science Action Labs) by Edward

Shevick, Marguerite Jones, Judy Mitchell (ed.), Teaching & Learning Company: 1998

SCIENCE REFERENCE

The American Heritage Student Science Dictionary by American Heritage, Houghton
Mifflin: 2002

Ultimate Visual Dictionary of Science (Ultimate Visual Dictionary) by Dorling Kindersley Publishing: 1998

DK Encyclopedia of Nature by Dorling Kindersley Publishing: 1998

*Scholastic Atlas of Weather by Marie-Anne Legault (ed.), Scholastic Reference: 2004

*Received “Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12” honor by
NSTA (National Science Teachers Association)

**from elmers.discoveryeducation.com


Page 4

Science Fair Topic Proposal Due January 14/15, 2008

Project: _________________________________________________________

1. What problems are you going to solve? Your Investigative Question(s):


2. What is your control?


3. Your possible Hypothesis based on your Investigative Question(s):



4. Resources (books, magazines, websites-no more than 2 websites per proposal. Be sure that you are not using someone else’s Science Fair project for your research)
Website:
Address: __________________________________________________
Author ___________________________________________________
Page(s) __________________________________________________
Published _________________________________________________
Website:
Address: __________________________________________________
Author ___________________________________________________
Page(s) __________________________________________________
Published _________________________________________________
Book/Article: Title ___________________________________________
Author _________________________________________
Page(s) _________________________________________
Publisher ________________________________________
Copyright Date ___________________________________
Book/Article: Title ___________________________________________
Author _________________________________________
Page(s) _________________________________________
Publisher ________________________________________
Copyright Date ___________________________________
Book/Article: Title ___________________________________________
Author _________________________________________
Page(s) _________________________________________
Publisher _______________________________________
Copyright Date ___________________________________


**Place at least one page of research behind proposal in your Science Fair folder.**
Your research should be single spaced, 12 point, Times font. Make sure that you can use your research to begin your project!

No Timetable!

Tables will not copy into the blog so you have to rely on the handout from class and the weekly assignment posts.

Sorry :(