Today was a 2-hour delay day, which complicated things for integrated science. Students in integrated received the Force Diagrams 2 worksheet to do for homework in preparation of the test tomorrow. They also received some instruction about friction. We learned that friction is dependent only on the surface type and the normal force pushing the surfaces together, and we also learned that friction increases while an object is still and then drops suddenly when the object is moving. Speed doesn’t affect friction. Students tomorrow will have to know how to apply this to set up a table for the old “pull the table-cloth off without spilling anything” trick.

Science 8 students continued notes on Evolution and Natural Selection 2016. We were able to fill in a few extra segments of the Anticipation guide, learning that things don’t get “better” with evolution, they just change. Success is determined by the environment. We learned some of the evidence for evolution and also found that there were many great questions to answer!

HOMEWORK: Integrated= finish the Force Diagrams 2, study for the test on Newton’s laws tomorrow.
Science 8=None

Today in class, students in integrated worked on answering and creating demonstrations for the questions from the Newton’s Laws Homework. Tomorrow, students will complete a lab that determines what factors affect friction out of the following list: Surface area, surface type, normal force, and velocity/speed.

Science 8 students began their Anticipation guide in period 3 on evolution and natural selection. We then continued the notes on Evolution and Natural Selection 2016 . Students as a class discussed the first statement in the anticipation guide and determined that organisms can change behaviors in their life to adapt but cannot change their structures or genetically determined features to adapt in their lifetimes.

HOMEWORK: Integrated= Study for test on Wednesday-Thursday.
Science 8= Fossil Lab redo’s if necessary.

Today in integrated science, students reviewed the questions 1-3 on the Newton’s Law 3 problems worksheet. After discussing normal force and how force magnitude can change, students were posed with an elevator problem and asked to do force diagrams for the elevator and a person standing on the elevator. We identified the action and reaction force pairs, and then students whiteboarded problem 4 from the homework.

Science 8 students today received back their ABC graffiti charts, and started a new section in their notebooks for natural selection, evolution, and extinction. We began today with a lab over the FISH FOSSIL RECORD FAMILY TREE ACTIVITY. Students were challenged to use morphology to infer relationships in a family tree. We will be finishing this lab tomorrow.

HOMEWORK: Integrated= finish the Newton’s Laws Homework
Science 8= Finish the Fossil Lab 2016-17

Happy New Year everyone! Team Legacy was glad to see everyone back today, and we’re looking forward to a productive rest of the year.

Integrated science today began by doing a short survey regarding connecting students with potential STEM careers, and then restated Newton’s Laws of motion, with examples. We discussed a few new procedures for the whiteboards today and with the materials at the table, but students spent most of the period reviewing the feedback on their lab reports. The end of the period was used for students to answer a few questions about Newton’s Laws, and to begin homework.

Science 8 students began class today by completing a short challenge to set up our new procedures for materials at our tables, and then we passed back some old work that was graded over break. Students then received instruction on how to use the bar graph of fossil age ranges and plots of fossils on rock layers to determine the age of of rock layers. Students had about 15 minutes to work on the lab and ask for help today, but will need to finish for homework. Students in periods 4 and 5 were able to begin an ABC graffiti activity on our new unit that begins tomorrow on Natural Selection, Evolution, and Extinction.

HOMEWORK: Integrated= Finish problems 1-4 on the Newton’s Law 3 problems worksheet.
Science 8= Finish determining the age ranges, Rock layer age ranges, and plotting fossils on the rock layers for the Fossil Lab 2016-17

My apologies for being out again today, guys. I wish I could be there with you all, but I’m definitely not feeling up to it. I hope you all have a good break!

Integrated science students worked on the Quantitative Force diagrams (NL1 and 2) and the Quantitative Force diagrams 2 (NL1 and 2) for the remainder of class. Students who finished also continued work on  the Hover puck and bowling ball lab NL1 2015 . Students will continue learning about forces and motion after break.

Science 8 students worked on their Fossil Lab 2016-17. Any students who finish should read over the Extinction readings. Create 5 review questions for the reading in your notes and answer the following questions (These should not be one-word answers):
1) What do most of the extinction events have in common as their causes?
2) Evaluate the statement: “Mass extinctions are bad.”
3) Scientists think we are at the beginning of a new mass extinction, and humans are the cause. What are some things humans could do to change this, and what are some concerns with the amount of organisms dying off now?

IF students in science 8 finish all this, please play the “Extinction game“.

Today in integrated class, students worked on a few problems from the Quantitative Force diagrams (NL1 and 2) worksheet, and then we shared the results of our Newton’s 2nd law lab. Students are in the midst of sharing and analyzing the results to determine how the objects are moving as they fall.

Science 8 students today finished up the Fossils Powerpoint (fossils-ppt) in period 3. Periods 4 and 5 were able to create mold and cast “fossils” by making impressions into wet sand and then filling them with plaster. Tomorrow, we’ll be working on a lab to help demonstrate how fossils can be used to determine ages of rock layers. To help this, students worked on two different sheets covering biostratigraphy: Biostratigraphy and age ranges and the Biostratigraphy worksheet.

HOMEWORK: Integrated=None
Science 8= Finish the Biostratigraphy and age ranges and the Biostratigraphy worksheet.

Today in class, integrated science reviewed and whiteboarded and debated question number 3 in 1st period and 5 in 2nd period on the Quantitative Force diagrams (NL1 and 2) packet. Students then worked on their lab reports, which are due Monday. Students may want to use the Google Sheets Crash Course videos to help them use this tool in their lab reports.

Science 8 students continued taking notes today over the Fossils Powerpoint (fossils-ppt) . On Monday, we’ll be able to practice making a “fossil”, and then we’ll do a lab on fossils and how they’re useful in dating rock layers.

HOMEWORK: Integrated=Lab report due Monday
Science 8=Bring an object to fossilize for Monday

fossils-ppt

Today in integrated science, students took data on objects falling out of a window. The students outside measured the widths of bricks and mortar to calculate heights later, and then video-recorded the objects as they fell. We will have a lab report due Monday, December 19 covering this lab.

Science 8 students looked at a map of Ohio today and continued to determine the geologic history for the area. Students were given the cross section map of Ohio (shown on the side) and then they used features shown in the map to determine what type of history Ohio has had. After students finished the activity and submitted it, we had a discussion about our article for the week, Clues to the Great Dying. Next week on Monday, students will have an exit ticket covering the work we’ve done, and Wednesday there will be a quiz over the Depositional Environments Lab Stations and the Geologic Features and What they tell us packet.

HOMEWORK: Integrated=Work on lab report, due 12-19-16
Science 8=None