September 30

Integrated science today worked on the redo of the car crash lab, and the results were much better this time around! Students will need to finish their Lab report for Monday.

Science 8 spent a bit of review time before their quiz over weathering. Students were able to view the effects of abrasion with some rocks that were generously donated by Mrs. Wahjudi! We discussed freeze-thaw cycles, and then also studied for a few moments before the quiz. Students will need to finish the reading An answer to the Sphinx’s Problem  (Here is a picture of the Sphinx in Egypt) sphinx-lo-res-600x360and questions:

 

 

 

 

1) What type of weathering is happening to the Sphinx?
a) abrasion     b) Crystal Growth    c) Frost Wedging     d) Dissolution

2) The Sphinx had been covered by sand, now it isn’t. Besides the type of weathering that you chose in 1, what is another type of weathering that can happen from blowing sand? Describe how it may work on the Sphinx (which part will it weather?).
When finished with the reading, students began work on moby max (logging in through Clever.com), which will be our retake credit this week.

HOMEWORK: Integrated= Finish the Lab report for Monday
Science 8= Finish reading questions. Reflections on the Coastal Geologist Project due Monday.

September 29

Today in integrated science, students took their quiz over graphing, equation writing, interpretation and prediction. Then they read through the : Tyrannosaurus Gait reading. DON”T go on to Ecology of Clouds!!!!

Questions:
1)Create a picture in your notebook of what you think the footprints being described look like (paragraph 5)
2) How is acceleration different from a constant speed?
3) Why do you think the Megalosaurus was running?

 

Science 8 presented their idea webs covering the Weathering and Climate Module  for this week. Students should read over the module again to study, and make sure they are prepared for tomorrow’s Quiz. Students also have a short reading and two problems.  An answer to the Sphinx’s Problem reading  (Here is a picture of the Sphinx in Egypt) sphinx-lo-res-600x360and questions:

 

 

 

 

1) What type of weathering is happening to the Sphinx?
a) abrasion     b) Crystal Growth    c) Frost Wedging     d) Dissolution

2) The Sphinx had been covered by sand, now it isn’t. Besides the type of weathering that you chose in 1, what is another type of weathering that can happen from blowing sand? Describe how it may work on the Sphinx (which part will it weather?).

 

HOMEWORK: Integrated= reading and questions, lab report due Monday.
Science 8= reading and questions, study for Quiz tomorrow. Reflections due Monday.

September 28

Today in Integrated Science, students used the practice-writing-algebraic-equations-from-a-graph worksheet to inform them as to which station they should go to for enrichment or intervention before our quiz. For the remainder of the period, students collected data and analyzed it for their car crash part 2, or created their lab reports.

Science 8 students finished the  Weathering and Climate Module and finalized their idea webs. Students brought their work to Mr. Ross for review and feedback and then tweaked their idea webs to make them as effective as possible. Students who finished worked on their reflection pieces, and then studied for the quiz tomorrow.

HOMEWORK: Integrated= Quiz Thursday over writing algebraic models from a graph and making predictions, Car retest Thursday.
Science 8= Quiz over weathering on Friday; Reflections due Monday, October 3; Presenting idea webs Thursday

September 27

Today in Integrated Science, students reviewed their tests from the car crash lab. Based on their results, students were presented with two options moving forward: 1) write a lab report with 10 points of it being the car crash, or 2) write a new lab report based off new and old data and make the car crash extra credit (wrinkle: no old data needed if you hit the A or B zone). Students got to work and received altered cars that move differently. We also passed back the practice-writing-algebraic-equations-from-a-graph worksheet, and students learned where their strengths and weaknesses are for the quiz that will happen on  Thursday.

Science 8 today received back their feedback from the project and the peer evaluations, and we spent some time talking about the reflections we can do to earn back credit. Students will have to identify where they performed less than awesome, and then determine why their score was lower. Then they will reflect on what they could do to improve their work. Afterwards, students went through the Weathering and Climate Module and continued work on their idea webs, which will be presented Thursday.

HOMEWORK: Integrated= Quiz Thursday over writing algebraic models from a graph and making predictions, Car retest Thursday.
Science 8= Quiz over weathering on Friday; Reflections due Monday, October 3; Presenting idea webs Thursday

September 23

Today in integrated science, students were given the challenge of determining where two cars, placed 2 m apart from one another, would crash. The students used data from the two cars to make predictions, which we’ll test Monday. Afterwards, students worked on the redemption opportunity, practice-writing-algebraic-equations-from-a-graph. This worksheet will be due Monday.

Students in science 8 presented their coastal geology projects. They were fun to watch and learn from! Next week, students will work on the Weathering and Climate Module and then organize their new knowledge about weathering and erosion.

HOMEWORK: Integrated= practice-writing-algebraic-equations-from-a-graph.
Science 8= none

September 21

Reminder: Team Legacy Spirit Wear Link (ends September 23)

Today in class, integrated students traded and graded their math models ws. Afterwards, students worked to develop their algebraic models and graphs of their car motions, and then they made predictions and tested them based on their models. If their predictions were largely inaccurate, they recollected their data. To finish class, students did a pre-write in their notebooks on the article they’ll read tomorrow (Self-Driving Cars Gain a Powerful Ally: The Government). Tomorrow, students will be presented with a challenge, as well as their reading assignment.
Post-Questions for the reading assignment:
1. Based on what the article said, do you feel the government regulations address concerns you may have had with driverless cars?
2. Name two potential problems that driverless cars could solve.
3. There was a fatal accident in Florida with a driverless car recently (you can learn more by clicking on the graphic in the article). There is a lot of money going into the technology that makes these cars work. Do you think these cars will have better, worse, or equal reaction times to change their speed compared to humans? (Essentially, can people or computers drive better?) Explain why you think this.

LESSON FOR THURSDAY: Create your mathematical model of your car’s motion (in y=mx + b format), and then predict how long it would take to go 123 cm. Once you have a prediction, test it to see what the actual time would be. If your prediction and actual time are close, you made a good model! If your prediction and actual times don’t match up closely…maybe you need to retest to make sure you did everything correctly, maybe you need to re-analyze your graph, or maybe you need to recollect data that is more accurate. Feel free to alter your equation as you see necessary!
Once you have a good equation, you will be assigned another group (Friday). You and the other group will be asked on Friday/next week to set up your cars to crash, starting 2 m apart. You will have to show where they will crash. The smaller the difference between your crash site prediction and the actual site, the higher your grade will be.
If you finish early, please work on your reading and the questions with it. They will be due Friday.

In science 8, students continued work on their coastal COASTAL GEOLOGIST PROJECT, which will be due next Friday (September 23). Students should be finalizing their products and making sure they are ready to turn in their work on Friday. Tomorrow will be the final day to work!

HOMEWORK: Integrated= Self-Driving Cars Gain a Powerful Ally: The Government and questions due Friday.
Science 8= Coastal Geologist Project due tomorrow.

September 20

Today in integrated science, periods 1 and 2 practiced graphing data and then creating equations from that lie. Afterwards, students continued to collect their car speed data, and then created graphs and equations that they’ll be able to use to predict car location, which we’ll do on Friday.

Students in science 8 continued work on the COASTAL GEOLOGIST PROJECT, which will be due  Friday (September 23). Students should conduct research by reading over articles such as Global Warming’s Mark: Coastal Inundation and A Strategic Retreat from the Ocean at a Cape Cod Landmark, as well as those listed on the website for the project. Alaska Town being eroded away and the video on youtube we watched in class yesterday would be helpful as well. Students need a write a short summary of where their group is int he project, as well as a proposal letting me know what they’re going to do, so I can comment and give feedback.

Link to Former student Infographic

HOMEWORK: Integrated= math models ws. (finish for tomorrow)
Science 8= Project presentations Friday COASTAL GEOLOGIST PROJECT

September 19

Today in integrated science, periods 1 and 2 were introduced to the concepts of distance and displacement. Distance is total length traveled, and displacement is overall length traveled. Students in period 1 then received some overview of graphing and formula writing for their homework, which is the math models ws. Students in period 2 collected data today and will be analyzing the data tomorrow to determine speed and to write a mathematical model of the work they have done.

Students in science 8 took their retakes of the glacier quiz today, and then continued work on the COASTAL GEOLOGIST PROJECT, which will be due next Friday (September 23). Students should conduct research by reading over articles such as Global Warming’s Mark: Coastal Inundation and A Strategic Retreat from the Ocean at a Cape Cod Landmark, as well as those listed on the website for the project. Alaska Town being eroded away and the video on youtube we watched in class yesterday would be helpful as well. Students need a write a short summary of where their group is int he project, as well as a proposal letting me know what they’re going to do, so I can comment and give feedback.

Link to Former student Infographic

HOMEWORK: Integrated= math models ws. (front for period 2 and all for period 1)
Science 8= Rough draft/outline of your presentation due tomorrow. Project presentations Friday

 

E/I Voting for Student Council

September 16

Today in integrated science, students received scores from their Buggy lab reports, and then worked on reviewing the next lab (from last night’s reading, The Buggy Lab: comparing displacement and time to derive constant velocity). Students summarized what they’ll be doing day by day, and began a new section in their lab notebooks to collect data for the lab.

Science 8 students received back their scores and key for the Glacier quiz. Students also spent some time working on the COASTAL GEOLOGIST PROJECT, which will be due next Friday (September 23). Students should do research by reading over articles such as Global Warming’s Mark: Coastal Inundation and A Strategic Retreat from the Ocean at a Cape Cod Landmark, as well as those listed on the website. Alaska Town being eroded away and the video on youtube we watched in class yesterday would be helpful as well.

Reminder: Team Legacy Spirit Wear Link (ends September 23)

HOMEWORK: Integrated= none
Science 8= Quiz retake on Glaciers Monday