NEW WEBSITE!

Please use this website for your assignments from this point on.

http://stewartsbiome.weebly.com

For Monday, October 3 and Tuesday, October 4

Please read Section 2 and 3 in Chapter 11!

Quiz on October 3/4 on the Water Cycle and Watersheds.

In class we will work on the Hard Water/Soft Water lab which is an informal lab write-up. Informal lab write-up is due on Friday, October 7/Tuesday, October 11.

Homework

If you have not already done so, please finish your poster!

Reading Assignment

Please read Chapter 11, Section 1. Answer question #6 on page 275!

Composting Poster Project

Produce a creative poster to explain why we compost. Poster should be on regular poster board and no larger than 18 inches by 24 inches. Due September 27, 28 depending on your class day.

How Trashy Are You???

Please write down all the items/food that you throw away, recycle or compost for the weekend. Odd day class' is due on Tuesday; even day class is due on Wednesday.

Packaging Waste

Finish your design and the questions for Friday/Monday! Creativity of design is encouraged. Don't forget your goggles!

Homework - 9/12 - 13

1. Review the Safety Contract with a parent and make sure that both of you sign it.
2. Review the Academic Honesty Contract with a parent and make sure that both of you sign it.
3. If you do not have goggles, you will need them for Friday (Odd Day Classes) and Monday (Even Day Classes). You can purchase them in the Campus Shop. I will provide a ziplock bag for your goggles.
4. Please Chapter 19, Section 1 and 2 for next class (this is a review of some of the things we discussed in class). As well, read pp. 604-605 and finish your redesigned package.

SUMMER READING!

Just read the book and think about how we might pick out a few projects and put them into action at school! Have a great summer!

Homework

Home Energy Audit - Informal Lab

And so we begin a new unit .....

on agriculture, land use and human nutrition. Most of you have already seen Food, Inc. in SuperScience. We will discuss parts of that video as we go through this unit.

Prior to beginning Science Fair presentations, I had you make lists of household cleaners. Most of your have developed a lab testing some of those cleaners/chemicals on wheat grass (wheat seeds that have been planted and germinated). Some of you have thought you may want to see what the wheat grass looks like when the chemicals are applied directly to the grass; others want to test soil pH; still others see what the lethal dose is going to be.

We will start this experiment this week and see where it takes us. We will need to conclude the experiment before break so that you can turn in a formal lab report.

If you see ......

Spencer, Matt H, Emerson, Elizabeth or Olivia today, be sure to congratulate them on a job well done at GSSSF on Sunday afternoon.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Congratulations go all around to my fantastic 8th graders! Many, many thanks for staying with your exhibits on Thursday night and being great professionals. The evaluators were super impressed with your demeanor, poise and enthusiasm! I also heard a number of comments about your great boards. Thanks for making the evening a good one.

SCIENCE FAIR - MARCH 24 @ 7 P.M.

Don't forget to arrive around 6:55 and go to your exhibits! You should be in "dressed better than school dress" attire. This is an academic commitment and you do receive a grade for your participation and attendance. Please be considerate of the more than 60 evaluators who have volunteered their free time to give you feedback and remain at your exhibits for the evening. Many of the parents and guests love to talk to you about your projects that you have been working on for several months!

SCIENCE FAIR ROUGH DRAFTS

ALL ROUGH DRAFTS ARE DUE ON TUESDAY. PLEASE BRING THEM TO ASSEMBLY!

IMPORTANT CHANGES

YOUR EXPERIMENT NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED BY THURSDAY/FRIDAY. ROUGH DRAFT DUE MONDAY/TUESDAY!

HOMEWORK

Although you have not "officially" received Assignment #4, you should be gathering the materials for your experiment and start experimentation! Do NOT procrastinate.

CHANGES - CHANGES - CHANGES

Okay, at this point I am changing the date (AGAIN) for the test. I will decide that later in the week! I am also changing the date for Assignment #4 - Start your Project. More to follow in class later this week.

Change of Date for the Plate Tectonics Quiz

Let's move the Plate Tectonics quiz to January 27/28. Test remains the same!

Topic Proposal Discussions

Conversations begin on Monday, January 10 during all classes!

Homework - Science Fair Assignment #2

For this assignment (due January 18/19), you will need to brainstorm and research some ideas for a project. We have done some pretty good brainstorming in class and you know what projects will not be good choices for grade 8. Use your normal science homework time to do some web browsing and some book browsing to come up with a few ideas for a project. Remember that your project need not be a standard science lab but can also be an engineering project or a technology project! Try to think outside the box and be creative. I will meet with everyone individually next week to discuss your ideas and help you narrow your choices down to one. Be prepared to start this process on Monday! E-mail me at pstewart54@gmail.com if you have any questions!

Homework

Much of the next unit - Dynamic Earth - will be web based or note based but we will use your text book for basic readings. Please read Chapter 3, Section 1 in your text.

Science Fair Assignment #1

Science Fair Assignment #1 is due next class (January 5/6)! It's a tough one - bring in a clean 3 clip, two pocket folder. You were asked to have three for science this year and now you finally get to use one! The folders are also available in the Campus Shop if you do not have one. This is a graded assignment!