Well we have made it through the first 2 days of school and everything has gone incredibly well! What an amazing group of students we have this year. I can already tell that this year is going to be exceptional!
We started the week off with our first unit on Structures and Functions of Living Organisms (8.L.1). Today students were instructed on how to set up their binders and vocab notebooks and were given their first set of vocab words (see below for the list of words). Every Monday students will be given a new set of words and will be required to keep track of them in their notebooks. Each word will be worth 4 points (1 pt for the word, 1pt for the definition, 1pt for a picture, and 1pt for coloring the picture). These words will be due every Friday and we will take a quiz that day on that week's set of vocab words. It is incredibly important for students to keep up with these words because they are essential for learning our science curriculum. THIS WEEK"S WORDS (DUE FRIDAY 8/28) virus protozoa parasite pathogen fungi bacteria antibiotic vaccine antiviral We also were able to complete a fun activity that demonstrates how diseases are spread throughout populations. The students had fun and they even got to have treat when they were done. Interested in knowing exactly what they did? Click on the link below to view their assignment. DISEASE TRANSMISSION CANDY SIMULATION Hopefully you have had a great first couple days like I have. Enjoy your evening and I will see you tomorrow.
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Today, students completed a lab on the properties of water. They traveled to different stations doing activities that involved a different property of water. You can find a copy of the student lab book HERE (you will need Microsoft Publisher to open). Next week we will move on in the unit and begin talking about oceans!
Have a great weekend and don't forget your vocab words are due on Monday! Make sure you study for that quiz! Happy Thursday everyone! Who's cold today? I know I am!
Today starts our first Chemistry Thursday! Myself and the other 8th grade science teachers have decided to make every Thursday a chemistry review day so that the topic stays fresh in our minds for the rest of the year. We kicked it off today with a lab on elements compounds and mixtures. You can find a copy of this lab HERE. Students were required to travel to different stations and identify the substance as either an element, compound, or mixture. They did a great job with this assignment and I am looking forward to more Chem Thursdays!! Just a reminder, your vocab words are due on Monday and we will be taking a quiz over those words Monday as well. Make sure you are studying! Have a wonderful day everyone! See you tomorrow! Today, students did an AWESOME job rotating through 6 different lab stations that demonstrated physical properties and changes. The 6 different stations were the following:
Station 1: It's Just Paper Station 2: Can Crush Station 3: Sink or Float? Station 4: Mystery Objects Station 5: Water Can Bend? Station 6: M&M's Magic Before the lab started students worked on Pre-Lab questions that we went over together before the lab started. For homework tonight, students should be working on the Review & recap worksheet. This is due tomorrow. See below for a copy of this paper. Be sure to check out the pictures of my fantastic scientists in action! Tonight's Homework: Review & Recap of Physical Properties & Change Hey there everyone! Today was an awesome-ly fantastic day in science! We learned about acids, bases, and the pH scale. We started the day off with taking some notes in our interactive notebook. See below for the link to the powerpoint and the fill in the blank notes for your notebooks. Afterwards, we moved on to our pH lab where my students were able to test 3 different mystery solutions with red and blue litmus paper to see if they were an acid, base or neutral solution. I have to say, all of my classes did a great job with this investigation and I think they had a great time doing it too! I have also put a link below of the lab report. Checkout the pictures to see my students in action!
Students also received their Periodic Table/Element, Compound, Mixture TEST back today. Don't forget, if you want to make a better grade on the test be sure to pick up a copy of the "Request to Fix a Test" paper in my classroom. Fill it out, follow the directions and return it to me to get extra credit on the test. Need a copy, click the link below. REMINDER: Tonight is HJM's spaghetti dinner OPEN HOUSE! Please come on out and see your teachers! Have a great day everyone! Tomorrow is FRIDAY!!! LINKS: Acid/Base Powerpoint Acid/Base fill in notes pH Lab Report Request to Fix a Test Paper WOW! What a fantastic day we had in Science class today! Students began to realize just how difficult Scientists have it when it comes to writing out the steps to their experiments. Today, students worked in groups on a lab titled "Can you Write a Clear and Concise Lab Procedure". In groups, students used a set of materials to build a unique object. They were required to write out the exact steps it took to build that object. Once complete, each group traded procedures with another group to see if the other group could build the same exact object based off the procedures that were written. The lab worked out really great and students quickly realized that maybe they didn't write the most precise directions after all! Afterwards, students were asked to reflect and do an analysis of what happened and what they could have done differently when it came to writing the steps down. I am so proud of my students for working so hard on this activity! You all did a FABULOUS job!
Need a copy of the lab report? CLICK HERE Check out the great work we did today! |
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November 2015
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