Today in class, Integrated science began with a bell ringer to turn a position vs. time graph into a velocity vs. time graph. Students then finished presentations from yesterday for their questions for the Motion Detector Lab, and reviewed the Acceleration graph practice. Tonight for homework, students have the Calculating Acceleration HW to finish up, and tomorrow we’ll work on an acceleration lab.

Science 8 classes today began class by finishing their TAG Newton’s Laws worksheet, and then we began some short demonstrations that we’ll use to talk about Newton’s 1st law of Motion.

HOMEWORK: Integrated=Calculating Acceleration HW
Science 8=none

Today in class, students in Integrated science began with a question about why things move as they do…what causes them to accelerate vs. move at a constant velocity? Afterwards, students whiteboarded their answers to the Motion Detector Lab, and then walked out the motion in front of a motion detector to see if their velocity vs. time graphs were correct. Finally, they worked on the Acceleration graph practice worksheet, which is homework tonight.

Science 8 began with the same bell ringer question, but then we graded our homework from last night, which was the motion maps 1-8 from the Motion Detector Lab. Afterwards, students received the TAG Newton’s Laws worksheet, which went along with our books and will be continued tomorrow to learn Newton’s Laws.

HOMEWORK: Integrated=Acceleration graph practice
Science 8= None

Today in class, Integrated students began class with retake quizzes from last week, or answering the following question–“Make a velocity vs. time graph for a skateboarder who is going down a ramp and comes back up the other side. Consider zero position to be the bottom of the ramp.” We spent several minutes explaining the self-questioning strategies to approach the problem, such as Q:Where would I have the greatest positive velocity? A:At the bottom of the ramp. Q: What would my starting velocity be like? A: It would be a small positive velocity.
After working on the bell ringer for a bit, we then switched into the homework. Each group of 4 was assigned one of the problems from the Motion maps and Velocity vs. Time Graph to present on a whiteboard, and then they were analyzed by their peers for correctness. Many students were able to generate rich discussion about the limitations of our models, and how they don’t perfectly represent reality.

Science 8 students  began class with retake quizzes from last week also, or answering the following question–“Make a position vs. time graph for a skateboarder who is going down a ramp and comes back up the other side. Consider zero position to be the bottom of the ramp.” We modeled self-questioning strategies to approach the problem, such as Q:Where would I have the greatest position? A:At the top of the ramp. Q: When would the object reach zero position? A: At the bottom of the ramp.
Students were then walked through the Motion maps and Position vs. time graphs to see how we could transfer motion maps to graphs, and vice versa. Afterwards, students were assigned a problem to present to the class from the Motion maps and position vs. time worksheet 2. Tonight for homework, they will be finishing up the motion maps 1-8 from the long ago started Motion Detector Lab.

HOMEWORK: Integrated=None
Science 8=Motion maps for Motion Detector Lab, 1-8 only.

Today, students turned in their Tyrannosaurus Gait reading questions and their Acceleration lab. Then we had a short review of motion maps and acceleration, and took our week 4 quiz. Afterwards, students in Integrated worked on the Motion maps and Velocity vs. Time Graphs, which is homework for the weekend, and page one of the Motion maps and Position vs. time graphs. Students in Science 8 worked on page 1 of the Motion maps and Position vs. time graphs, and then the Motion maps and position vs. time worksheet 2 for homework.

HOMEWORK: Integrated=Motion maps and Velocity vs. Time Graphs
Science 8= Motion maps and position vs. time worksheet 2

HELP: Motion Maps Video

Students began class today by picking up a reading called Tyrannosaurus Gait from the New York Times, which they will be reading tonight for homework and answering some questions on. Afterwards, students collected data for the Acceleration lab. Students will finish the lab tonight for homework. Any graphs or motion maps they don’t complete will be homework

HOMEWORK: Finish reading for Tyrannosaurus gait. Finish Acceleration Lab, quiz tomorrow.

Today in class, students in Integrated and science 8 began with the question, “What would you see standing on the side of the road if a moving truck going 50 mph shot a cannon ball backwards at 50 mph?” Students watched a mythbusters clip that showed you would see the ball drop down, with no horizontal motion. Students in integrated science discussed this fact a bit further, and then we worked to define acceleration. Deceleration is no longer a term in our vocabulary: Positive acceleration means the velocity is becoming more positive, and negative accelerations means the velocity is becoming more negative. Students began reading over and making observations for the Acceleration lab.

Students in science 8 took their quiz retakes today after the bell ringer, and then worked on the Acceleration lab, with a short demonstration on how to collect the data. Tomorrow they’ll finish collecting data, and then finish the rest for homework.

HOMEWORK: none

Happy belated Labor Day, everyone! Today in class, integrated science students spent some time crashing their cars in to one another! Science 8 students began with a bell ringer question that asked about the tracks of an animal and its motion. Students today all turned in their lab reports from the Buggy Speed Lab . Science 8 students also reviewed their week 3 quiz over motion maps, and then began making observations for the Acceleration lab.

HOMEWORK: Integrated: Finish up the Motion maps and p vs t Graphs Worksheet 2 quantitative motion maps (no graphs)
Science 8=None

Today in class, students in integrated shared their answers to confirm accuracy for the Motion maps and p vs t Graphs Worksheet 2  qualitative questions. Students then took their week 3 quiz, and spent any extra time working on their lab reports (due Tuesday).

Science 8 students were instructed on how to do questions 1-4 on the Motion maps and p vs t Graphs Worksheet 2  qualitative questions. Then students were given the take home week 3 quiz, and had to take the quarter 1 common assessment for science 8. Students worked the rest of the period on their Buggy Speed Lab reports.

HOMEWORK: Integrated: Finish Buggy Speed Lab report, due Tuesday. Motion maps and p vs t Graphs Worksheet 2 quantitative motion maps (no graphs)
Science 8=Finish the Buggy Speed Lab , and finish take-home quiz, due Tuesday.

FOR HELP: Motion Maps Video.

Today in class, students began with a bell ringer question on graphs that lie. Afterwards, we spent some time learning about Motion maps, which are another way to represent the motion of an object. When we finished doing some practice problems on the Motion Map Notes, students worked on the Motion maps and p vs t Graphs Worksheet 2 (modified). If you need a quick refresher, review the  Motion Maps Video.

HOMEWORK: Integrated=Finish Motion maps and p vs t Graphs Worksheet 2  Qualitative (motion maps only, no graphs), Buggy Speed Lab write-up due Tuesday. Weekly Quiz Friday.
Science 8= Finish Motion maps and p vs t Graphs Worksheet 2  Qualitative (motion maps only, no graphs), Buggy Speed Lab write-up due Tuesday. Friday Take-home quiz.

Today in class, students finished collecting data for their Buggy Speed Lab, and the lab report will be due on Tuesday, September 8. Students also spent some time reading over a mock lab report to see what they would want to do and look out for grading wise for their lab reports. Many students spent some time in conference discussing their quizzes individually, and with reteaching, and then we finished the period with the article A Quick Guide to Spotting Graphics That Lie. Students will want to pay heed to the advice in the article for making their graphs in the future.

HOMEWORK: Integrated= read A Quick Guide to Spotting Graphics That Lie, Buggy Speed Lab write-up due Tuesday. Weekly Quiz Friday.
Science 8= read A Quick Guide to Spotting Graphics That Lie, Buggy Speed Lab write-up due Tuesday. Friday Take-home quiz.