Hello!
Today some of the classes had to finish the activities from last week where they got behind because of the testing during the morning. The other classes watched a couple of videos on matter. Tomorrow, we are going to get those classes all caught up, so we can all watch the physical/chemical changes demonstrations on Wednesday. The classes not getting caught up will be working on a couple of worksheets dealing with these changes and maybe even some matter and mass. I will be giving some notes for their test on Thursday, if things go like I hope. If we don't get to start them on Thursday, then it will be on Friday. I will put the notes we take on here, so that the students will have access to them, if they loose what they write down in class. The test will be one day next week. It depends on the day we take the notes. I don't like to give tests on Monday, so I know it won't be then. More than likely, it will be Tuesday or Wednesday. I will put on here as soon as the kids and I decide which day would be best. We will be ready to start our next topic from here. It is renewable and nonrenewable resources. I will probably have them do this as a group project. I have a new tool available for them, in addition to their wikis and power point. It is a voicethread. They will put in images and then record their voices with the information needed. Others can respond to their project with recordings of their own, therefore creating this voice thread. The students have never created one before, so I will have to teach them how. It will be a lot of fun. I am looking forward to it. Well, if you need anything, please let me know by emailing me or calling me here at school. Have a great week!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Hello, to all!
I am sorry that it has been so long since I last was on here, but we have been taking the InView and Terra Nova test this week. With the test going on, the two morning periods have had to alternated, so I didn't get to spend as much time with them as I did the other classes. We finished up our study of rocks and minerals and reviewed matter, mass, and volume, then began physical/chemical changes. We have been using Smart board lessons to review and cover these topics. The students have been taking notes off the board and keeping them in their folders. Here are the notes on "Equal Volume Different Mass" that they took off the board. The classes are in different places, so some classes took these notes on Wednesday, some on Thursday, and some will on Monday. The learning goal is "Objects with Equal Volume CAN have different mass". There are five facts on matter has volume:
1. Volume is the amount of space that an object takes up.
2. Things with volume cannot share the same space at the same time.
3. When you measure the volume of liquid in a cylinder, you should look at the meniscus (this is the lowest point of the line on the cylinder).
4. A liquids volume is usually expressed in liters (L) or milliliters (mL).
5. 1 mL = 1 cm3
Gas = cannot really find the volume of a gas because it expands to fill the container. We usually measure the container and the pressure inside the container.
Matter has mass - put these into order from least mass to the greatest:
hamster
elephant
skyscraper
moon
The difference between mass and weight:
1. All matter experience gravity because all matter has mass.
2. The force of gravity is greater when two objects get closer together.
3. Weight = A brick weighs less in space than on Earth because the gravitational force pulling on the brick decreases as it gets farther away from the Earth.
4. Mass is not the same as weight. Mass is not dependent on gravity.
Students created a table with 9 rows and 4 columns. The headings of the 4 columns are materials, mass, volume, and density. Under the materials is listed AL, Brass, Copper, Steel, Wood, Acrylic, Nylon, and PVC. We filled out the table together as a class. The volume is the same for each material - 14.71. The mass for AL is 44g., Brass is 50g, Copper is 80g, Steel is 13g, Wood is 13g, Acrylic is 19, Nylon is 18g, and PVC is 22g. We discussed where steel and wood are the same and how that does not seem right. I got these numbers off the internet and I don't think that the steel one is for a one inch cube, so it is going to be off. I gave each group a calculator and they divided mass /volume to find the density. We were very close to the known densities, except for brass, copper, and steel.
After we completed this activity, we looked at physical and chemical changes and examples of those. Once that was done, we completed an activity on the four states of matter and examples of those and more examples of physical/chemical changes. The students wrote down the four states of matter, which are solids, liquids, gases, and plasma. Then, the class would decide on what a physical and chemical change is and how to know. Each class's definition looks a little different from the other. I will have to put those on here next week, because those are not all done, yet.
That about covers all that we have been doing. If you need anything, please let me know. Hope you have a great weekend!
I am sorry that it has been so long since I last was on here, but we have been taking the InView and Terra Nova test this week. With the test going on, the two morning periods have had to alternated, so I didn't get to spend as much time with them as I did the other classes. We finished up our study of rocks and minerals and reviewed matter, mass, and volume, then began physical/chemical changes. We have been using Smart board lessons to review and cover these topics. The students have been taking notes off the board and keeping them in their folders. Here are the notes on "Equal Volume Different Mass" that they took off the board. The classes are in different places, so some classes took these notes on Wednesday, some on Thursday, and some will on Monday. The learning goal is "Objects with Equal Volume CAN have different mass". There are five facts on matter has volume:
1. Volume is the amount of space that an object takes up.
2. Things with volume cannot share the same space at the same time.
3. When you measure the volume of liquid in a cylinder, you should look at the meniscus (this is the lowest point of the line on the cylinder).
4. A liquids volume is usually expressed in liters (L) or milliliters (mL).
5. 1 mL = 1 cm3
Gas = cannot really find the volume of a gas because it expands to fill the container. We usually measure the container and the pressure inside the container.
Matter has mass - put these into order from least mass to the greatest:
hamster
elephant
skyscraper
moon
The difference between mass and weight:
1. All matter experience gravity because all matter has mass.
2. The force of gravity is greater when two objects get closer together.
3. Weight = A brick weighs less in space than on Earth because the gravitational force pulling on the brick decreases as it gets farther away from the Earth.
4. Mass is not the same as weight. Mass is not dependent on gravity.
Students created a table with 9 rows and 4 columns. The headings of the 4 columns are materials, mass, volume, and density. Under the materials is listed AL, Brass, Copper, Steel, Wood, Acrylic, Nylon, and PVC. We filled out the table together as a class. The volume is the same for each material - 14.71. The mass for AL is 44g., Brass is 50g, Copper is 80g, Steel is 13g, Wood is 13g, Acrylic is 19, Nylon is 18g, and PVC is 22g. We discussed where steel and wood are the same and how that does not seem right. I got these numbers off the internet and I don't think that the steel one is for a one inch cube, so it is going to be off. I gave each group a calculator and they divided mass /volume to find the density. We were very close to the known densities, except for brass, copper, and steel.
After we completed this activity, we looked at physical and chemical changes and examples of those. Once that was done, we completed an activity on the four states of matter and examples of those and more examples of physical/chemical changes. The students wrote down the four states of matter, which are solids, liquids, gases, and plasma. Then, the class would decide on what a physical and chemical change is and how to know. Each class's definition looks a little different from the other. I will have to put those on here next week, because those are not all done, yet.
That about covers all that we have been doing. If you need anything, please let me know. Hope you have a great weekend!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Wednesday, February 23
Hello, All!!!
Well, the wiki presentations on rocks/minerals will finish up today. We are going to take the vocabulary quiz over numbers 21-25 at the beginning of class, then finish up the presentations. I have a very exciting activity for the students to complete, after the presentations. They are going to use the information from their wikis to identify three rocks. There is one each of sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic. I gave them each a hand lens so that they could look more closely at the crystal structure of the rock. We have a mineral activity to complete, when this one is done. Next week, we will pick up with the last of the terms. There will be seven (7) this time. They will start with #26 - predict, and go to #32 - trait. The quiz will be over those seven (7) this time, instead of five (5). This is what we have going on this week. If you need anything, please let me know! Have a great rest of your week!
Well, the wiki presentations on rocks/minerals will finish up today. We are going to take the vocabulary quiz over numbers 21-25 at the beginning of class, then finish up the presentations. I have a very exciting activity for the students to complete, after the presentations. They are going to use the information from their wikis to identify three rocks. There is one each of sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic. I gave them each a hand lens so that they could look more closely at the crystal structure of the rock. We have a mineral activity to complete, when this one is done. Next week, we will pick up with the last of the terms. There will be seven (7) this time. They will start with #26 - predict, and go to #32 - trait. The quiz will be over those seven (7) this time, instead of five (5). This is what we have going on this week. If you need anything, please let me know! Have a great rest of your week!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Thursday, February 17
Hello All!
Today we got the definition for term #24. Tomorrow we will get #25. The test over terms 21-25 will be next Wednesday, February 23. Only those five terms will be on the test. We are also working on our rocks/minerals projects. I am hoping to get those finished up on Monday, so that we can start presentations on Tuesday. If you have not had the chance to see what your child is doing, please have them get on and show you. I guess that is all for today. Tomorrow is Friday!!! Have a great weekend!
Today we got the definition for term #24. Tomorrow we will get #25. The test over terms 21-25 will be next Wednesday, February 23. Only those five terms will be on the test. We are also working on our rocks/minerals projects. I am hoping to get those finished up on Monday, so that we can start presentations on Tuesday. If you have not had the chance to see what your child is doing, please have them get on and show you. I guess that is all for today. Tomorrow is Friday!!! Have a great weekend!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Monday, Feb. 14
Hello, everyone and Happy Valentine's Day!!!
I hope everyone is having a good day today. I just wanted to give you an update on what we are doing in class. Today, I gave the students term #22. As of today, I am planning on the next vocabulary test over numbers 21-25 being next Wednesday. That will give me time to remind the students of the test and them to study. We, also, continued work on our rocks and minerals project. I showed all the classes their class wiki and each group's page, where they will put all their information. I showed them the page with the directions on it. This page has our class blog address on it, too, in case they need the directions for putting images or video clips on their wiki pages. Those directions are on the home page to this blog. They can just click on which on they need and the directions will come right up. They don't need to be signed in at all. I showed them how to do this today in class.
I discussed with the students today that each person in the group needs to contribute to the wiki page and put their initials on what they type on the page. I want everyone researching and typing on the page. Everything should be equally done. I don't want just one person doing all the typing or research. The students can get to their wikis from home, too, and work. If you want help with the addresses to the wikis, just let me know. If you have any other questions, please let me know. Hope you have a great week!
I hope everyone is having a good day today. I just wanted to give you an update on what we are doing in class. Today, I gave the students term #22. As of today, I am planning on the next vocabulary test over numbers 21-25 being next Wednesday. That will give me time to remind the students of the test and them to study. We, also, continued work on our rocks and minerals project. I showed all the classes their class wiki and each group's page, where they will put all their information. I showed them the page with the directions on it. This page has our class blog address on it, too, in case they need the directions for putting images or video clips on their wiki pages. Those directions are on the home page to this blog. They can just click on which on they need and the directions will come right up. They don't need to be signed in at all. I showed them how to do this today in class.
I discussed with the students today that each person in the group needs to contribute to the wiki page and put their initials on what they type on the page. I want everyone researching and typing on the page. Everything should be equally done. I don't want just one person doing all the typing or research. The students can get to their wikis from home, too, and work. If you want help with the addresses to the wikis, just let me know. If you have any other questions, please let me know. Hope you have a great week!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Thursday, February, 10, 2011
Hello, Everyone!
Yesterday we started Earth and Space science. We took a few notes off the board, so I wanted to put them on here for you. The first thing we wrote down was that there are three types of rocks: sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic. Then, we wrote down that rocks are made of minerals. The last thing we wrote down was what we were going to be researching first for our rocks/minerals project. I started the project off with a story. The story was that I came into my room on a Monday morning to find all of my rock and mineral samples had been dumped out all over the floor. The problem was that none of the samples were labeled, so I had no way of knowing what samples were what. The students are going to help me identify them and put them back where they belong. With that in mind, we have three questions to answer here at the beginning. They are going to be put into new groups tomorrow (Friday). The three questions are:
1. What are minerals?
2. What are their characteristics?
3. What are sedimentary, igneous, and metamorhic rocks?
They have to comlete numbers 1 and 2 before they move on to number 3. Everything will be put onto their class wiki, so they can work on it from home. I hope they will show it to you. If you have any questions, please ask me. This is all I have for right now. I will let you know when we add something new. Have a great weekend!
Yesterday we started Earth and Space science. We took a few notes off the board, so I wanted to put them on here for you. The first thing we wrote down was that there are three types of rocks: sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic. Then, we wrote down that rocks are made of minerals. The last thing we wrote down was what we were going to be researching first for our rocks/minerals project. I started the project off with a story. The story was that I came into my room on a Monday morning to find all of my rock and mineral samples had been dumped out all over the floor. The problem was that none of the samples were labeled, so I had no way of knowing what samples were what. The students are going to help me identify them and put them back where they belong. With that in mind, we have three questions to answer here at the beginning. They are going to be put into new groups tomorrow (Friday). The three questions are:
1. What are minerals?
2. What are their characteristics?
3. What are sedimentary, igneous, and metamorhic rocks?
They have to comlete numbers 1 and 2 before they move on to number 3. Everything will be put onto their class wiki, so they can work on it from home. I hope they will show it to you. If you have any questions, please ask me. This is all I have for right now. I will let you know when we add something new. Have a great weekend!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Week of February 7th
Hello Everyone!
We are going to start this week off reviewing for the test over genes and heredity. The test is scheduled for Thursday, but you know how things can change. I don't think there will be anymore bad weather this week, so the test should be on time. I gave the students a review sheet yesterday (Monday) to work on and we are going to go over it today (Tuesday). We have been completing various activities that they can use to help them remember the concepts we have been studying. It would be a good idea to have them explain what we did on those to you. What better way to learn than to teach someone else! We are also going to be starting rocks and minerals this week. I have a lesson on that I created for my college classes. It is a real-world lesson and my instructor said the students should really get into it. Don't forget that the terms for reproduction and heredity are on this home page under "Reproduction." As of right now, there are no plans to have just a vocabulary test, but that may change, too. Well, I believe that is all for right now. If you have any questions, please email me or leave me a posting here. Have a great week!
We are going to start this week off reviewing for the test over genes and heredity. The test is scheduled for Thursday, but you know how things can change. I don't think there will be anymore bad weather this week, so the test should be on time. I gave the students a review sheet yesterday (Monday) to work on and we are going to go over it today (Tuesday). We have been completing various activities that they can use to help them remember the concepts we have been studying. It would be a good idea to have them explain what we did on those to you. What better way to learn than to teach someone else! We are also going to be starting rocks and minerals this week. I have a lesson on that I created for my college classes. It is a real-world lesson and my instructor said the students should really get into it. Don't forget that the terms for reproduction and heredity are on this home page under "Reproduction." As of right now, there are no plans to have just a vocabulary test, but that may change, too. Well, I believe that is all for right now. If you have any questions, please email me or leave me a posting here. Have a great week!
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