Day 76

Students were dismissed at 11am today.  Before then, each grade participated in the Winter Olympics.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 5 test will be on Thursday, January 12th.

Day 75

We had 28 minute classes today due to the scheduled PM assembly to watch "A Christmas Carol".  During class, we played Holiday Carol Pictionary using the IWB.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 5 test will be on Thursday, January 12th.

Day 74

I previewed tomorrow's compressed assembly schedule to each of the classes.  We completed the rest of yesterday's lab, which basically we "crunched" the data that we gathered in order to make sense of it.  Students labeled these pages 5-25 & 5-26.  We ended class by doing problems #1-4 on worksheet 5-3.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 5 test will be on Thursday, January 12th.

Day 73

Today was our last news article of the year.....well, calendar year, anyway.  After the week #16 news articles, the kids collected data for a lab I had just found online last night.  I split them into four groups, and each group had to time how long it took each member to hop, walk, speed walk and walk backwards a distance of 10 meters.  The also recorded a split time at the 5-meter mark.  After all of the data was collected, we returned to the room to review the speed quiz from Friday.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 5 test will be on Thursday, January 12th.

Day 72

Students took the Speed Quiz today and got back their scores by the end of the period.  Afterwards, students watched a Mythbusters Holiday episode.

News article #16 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 5 test is on Wednesday, January 11th.

Day 71

Students used worksheet 5-16 to take a practice quiz for relating speed, distance and time.  After everyone was done with those five problems, I put the solutions on the IWB.  Students were then given their last practice problems on page 3-16 (#1-8).  We reviewed the answers with five minutes left in class.

No homework was assigned, and the Speed quiz will be tomorrow.

Day 70

I began class by explaining problems 9 & 10 from page 5-2 in great detail.  Students then had 10 minutes to complete those two problems, along with any others on that page that were not done yesterday.  We put the answers to those problems on the IWB and dry erase board.  I then assigned worksheet 5-5, which explored average speed through a graphing exercise.  I went over those five problems before the end of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Speed & Velocity quiz was moved up to Friday, December 16th.

Day 69

We finished worksheet 5-1 today, which included differentiating between speed and velocity.  I used an IWB flipchart to demonstrate the correct 4-step method to solving word problems.  We did problem #1 on page 5-2 together, and students were assigned #2-8 on page 5-2 during class.  We will go over these problems tomorrow.

No homework was assigned, and the speed and velocity quiz will be on Monday, December 19th.

Day 68

We went over the week #15 science news articles, and students received their new Chapter 5 packets on Motion.  Using and IWB flipchart, we discussed how motion is determined through frames of reference and learned the formulas for speed.  We watched a homemade video on frames of reference, and then watched a http://www.brainpop.com/ video on distance, rate and time.  After students took the brainpop quiz, we had just enough time to complete the top half of worksheet 5-1.

No homework was assigned, and the Speed & Velocity quiz will be on Monday, December 19th.

Day 67

We reviewed Wednesday's chapter 3 test, and students had their notebook check today for 100 points.  During that time, we watched a Mythbusters' Christmas special.

News article #15 is due on Monday, and the speed & velocity quiz is on Monday, December 19th.

Day 66

I had whiteboard training today, so Mr. Girardi was in for me.  Each class got to watch "iGenius", a Discovery Channel documentary on Steve Jobs, the late CEO of Apple, Inc.

The chapter 3 notebook check will be tomorrow, and the next quiz will be the speed and velocity quiz on Monday, December 19th.

Day 65

Students took their Chapter 3 test using moodle today.  They had about 25 minutes after completing the test to work on a science news article for next week or to work on their notebooks.

The notebook check will be this Friday, and the next quiz will be the Speed & Velocity quiz on Monday, December 19th.

Day 64

We finished the Chapter 3 packet today by completing worksheet 3-18 (using an IWB flipchart).  We then reviewed for tomorrow's test by playing Classroom Jeopardy.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test is tomorrow, and the notebook check will be on Friday.

Day 63

After listening to the summaries of our 14th week of science news articles, students had their final opportunity to take the periodic table quiz.  We reviewed subatomic particles, ions and isotopes by doing worksheets 3-16 and 17.  I used IWB flipcharts to review the answers.

The only homework is to study for Wednesday's chapter 3 test.

Day 62

We had a guest speaker today- Carol Kirol, the district's dental hygienist.

News article #14 is due on Monday,and the Chapter 3 test will be on Wednesday, December 7th.

Day 61

For periods 3, 6 & 7, we completed worksheet 3-15 to begin class.  Afterwards, along with the other two classes, we practiced the periodic table quiz.  I instructed students to disregard the four atomic forces (electromagnetic, strong, weak and gravity) at the end of their notes.  That being said, we covered the remaining material in section 3-4 notes, which included ions, electron clouds and energy levels.  I used this link to demonstrate electron arrangement within an atom.  I revealed how the number in the left-hand corner of the element's block on the periodic table identies its electron distribution among the energy levels.  I also discussed how ions were created, which led to today's http://www.brainpop.com/ video on Ions.  Students did not take the quiz following the video.  Instead, students did worksheet 3-20 while I used an IWB flipchart to demonstrate the same page.  We ended class by doing worksheet 3-19 before the bell rang.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Tuesday, December 6th.

Day 60

We began class by practicing the periodic table quiz.  Students must complete this quiz by the end of class on Monday, December 5th.  We then discussed atomic mass and atomic number for any element on the periodic table.  I used an IWB flipchart to demonstrate these ideas.  Students then worked on page 3-14, and we went over it using another flipchart.  We watched a http://www.brainpop.com/ video on isotopes and took the quiz that followed.  Two of the classes were also able to complete worksheet 3-15, but three of the classes ran out of time.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Tuesday, December 6th.

Day 59

We began this week, as always, by listening to oral summaries for our Week #13 science news articles.  Students had an opportunity to practice the first 36 elements of the periodic table and take the quiz.  We watched a http://www.brainpop.com/ video on Atomic Models to introduce today's topic.  We discussed protons, neutrons and electrons from section 3-4 notes, and then watched the http://www.brainpop.com/ video on Atoms.  Students took the ensuing 10-question quiz using the responders.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test is one week from today, December 6th.

Day 58

Act 80 Day- 11am dismissal

We only met with periods 6 & 7 today. We listened to the oral summaries of the Week #12 news articles before practicing the periodic table quiz. I then used a flipchart on the IWB to review worksheet 3-10 (from Friday), and any time that remained was used to review worksheets 3-11 to 3-13 from last Tuesday.  We then took all students to the auditorium for a special screening of the movie "The Mighty", based on the book they read in Mr. Molino's class.

News article #13 is due on Tuesday, November 29th, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Tuesday, December 6th.

Day 57

Act 80 Day- 11am dismissal

We only met with periods 1, 2, 3 & 5 today.  6 & 7 will be tomorrow.  We listened to the oral summaries of the Week #12 news articles before practicing the periodic table quiz.  I then used a flipchart on the IWB to review worksheet 3-10 (from Friday), and any time that remained was used to review worksheets 3-11 to 3-13 from last Tuesday.

News article #13 is due on Tuesday, November 29th, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Tuesday, December 6th.

Day 56

After practicing the first 36 elements, we reviewed worksheet 3-9 (we already went over five of the problems yesterday).  Students were then assigned page 3-10, which was filled with eight more equations to balance.  We will go over those answers next week.

News article #12 is due on Monday for periods 2, 3 &5, and due on Tuesday for periods 6 & 7.  The chapter 3 test will be on Tuesday, December 6th.

Day 55

I reviewed next week's modified schedule with each class.  We rehearsed the periodic table elements and some brave souls even took the quiz.  I used an IWB flipchart on Chemical Equations to review how to balance those equations.  We completed problem #'s 1, 2 & 3 on page 3-9 together, and students were assigned the remaining five problems (#'s 5, 6, 7, 9 & 10) to do with the remaining class time.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Tuesday, December 6th.

Day 54

After handing back this week's news articles, we rehearsed the first 36 elements of the periodic table.  I then demonstrated the tough practice of stoichiometry, or balancing equations.  Students learned the difference between the reactants and the products in a chemical equation.  We watched a http://www.brainpop.com/ video on Chemical equations and took the ensuing quiz using student responders.  We ended class by doing problems #4 & 8 on page 3-9 together.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 3 test will be on Tuesday, December 6th.

Day 53

Mr. Girardi was in for me for periods 2 & 3 as I took 20 students to a show at the Community Arts Center. Students were assigned pages 3-11 to 3-13 to complete by the end of class. We will go over these pages tomorrow.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test is Tuesday, December 6th.

Day 52

We started class with oral summaries of news article #11.  We reviewed last week's topics by doing worksheet 3-6 together.  I explained what a coefficient was and then students worked on page 3-8 until about five minutes left in class.  We went over the answers to page 3-8 in those last five minutes.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Tuesday, December 6th.

Day 51

We began class by reviewing worksheets 3-3 & 3-4 from yesterday.  I presented Section 3-3 notes to the class on chemical symbols and subscripts.  Students were assigned activities 3-7 & 3-5 in class, and we went over the answers before the bell rang.

News article #11 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 3 Test will be on Tuesday, December 6th.

Day 50

Today I handed out a copy of the periodic table of elements to each student.  We discussed section 3-2 notes on elements and compounds.  I showed students the weblinks available on Moodle that relate to this topic.  We watched a http://www.brainpop.com/ video on Compounds and Mixtures and took the 10-point quiz that followed using the responders.  Students were then assigned to complete activities 3-3 & 3-4 before the end of the period.  We did not have time to go over it, so we will do that at the beginning of class tomorrow.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Tuesday, December 6th.

Day 49

Students were given back their graded rubrics from their Farcebook posters that they worked on all of last week.  I then used some links on Moodle to  review Section 3-1 notes on solutions and suspensions.  Students worked on Activity 3-2 for about 10-15 minutes before we went over the answers at the end of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Tuesday, December 6th.

Day 48

I was out today.  In my absence, Mrs. Wonderlich showed students a "Stossel in the Classroom" video that focused on cheating.  The topics included students' justification for cheating, buying term papers and homework and using technology to cheat.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Tuesday, December 6th.

Day 47

Students turned in their Farcebook posters and rubrics. We listened to the oral summaries of the week #10 news articles. I handed out the new Chapter 3 packets and we discussed section 3-1 notes on homogeneous vs heterogeneous. I used an IWB flipchart to show how students can be classified using physical properties. We ended class by doing activity 3-1 together on the IWB.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 3 test will be on Tuesday, December 6th.

Day 46

Today was the last day in class for students to work on their Farcebook page.  They could hand it in by the end of class today for 5 points extra credit, but it's not officially due until the beginning of class on Monday. 

The Farcebook project and news article #10 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 3 test will be Tuesday, December 6th.

Day 45

Students spent their fourth day today working on their Farcebook project.  I pushed the deadline to the beginning of Monday's class in order to give students the weekend to work on it.  However, the will get five points extra credit if they hand it in tomorrow.

News article #10 and the Farcebook project are due on Monday, and the Chapter 3 test will be Tuesday, December 6th.

Day 44

As I had professional development today for my interactive white board, Mrs. Keithan was in for me.  In my absence, she handed out the Farcebook placards to each student.  They continued to work online doing their research on their respective scientist/inventor.  The placards are to be kept in the cabinet in my room and not taken home or in their lockers.

The Farcebook page is due on Friday at the end of class, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Tuesday, December 6th.

Day 43

Students today got their rubrics for the Farcebook project.  I also showed students the links on Moodle for a blank Farcebook template, as well as a sample template for Alexander Hamilton.  The completed project is due by the end of class on Friday, November 4th, and is worth a total of 85 points.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will be in mid-December.

Day 42

Today was the unofficial last day of the first marking period.  That means that today's 9th science news article was the last entry for students in their first academic quarter.  After news articles were collected, students blindly picked their scientists for the "Farcebook" project.  They are tasked with creating a facebook-like page on these paper templates I ordered over the summer.  The complete "Farcebook" page is due in class on Friday.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will not be until mid-December.

Day 41

We went over yesterday's Chapter 2 test.  Following the review, students watched Mythbusters (Walk in a straight line blindfolded & Binary compounds in a crash) while I checked their Chapter 2 notebooks and online gas lab packets.

News article #9 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 3 test will not be until after Thanksgiving break.

Day 40

Students took the Chapter 2 test today online using Moodle.  Any time that they had remaining after the test was used to work on their notebooks, their online lab or to get a news article for next week.

The Chapter 2 packet and online lab packet are due tomorrow.

Day 39

Today was the final day to work on the online gas lab in class.  It's not due until Friday, but today was the last day that we were going to devote classtime for that purpose.  We then used the final 25 minutes to play Jeopardy as a review for tomorrow's test.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 2 test is tomorrow.

Day 38

I used the IWB to play a review game for Thursday's chapter 2 test.  Students also were putting the finishing touches on their online gas lab.  About a third of all students were finished today, and the rest will most likely be done tomorrow.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 2 test will be this Thursday.

Day 37

Today students presented their 8th week of news articles. Following news article summaries, students continued to work towards completing their online gas lab.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 27th.

Day 36

We had shortened classes today because we watched "The Outsiders" in the auditorium in the afternoon.  Students continued to work on their online gas lab, and most students were done with Activity 2 (page G) by the end of the period.

News article #8 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 27th.

Day 35

We began class with an impromtu Chapter 2 review session using the IWB.  Students continued working on their online gas lab today.  Their goal was to be done with Activity 1, which means they should be done with every page up to and including page D.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 2 test is on Thursday, October 27th.

Day 34

Today we began our online exploration of the pressure, volume and temperature of a gas.  Click HERE to go to the online lab.  Students were also given a packet that coincides with the lab.  I also demonstrated to students how to use the discussion board to post their questions online if they are having difficulty with any part of the lab.  Most students got to the middle of the fourth page (page D) before the end of the period, which involved creating a line graph.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 27th.

Day 33

Today's objective was to explore the relationship between pressure and temperature of a gas. We did the lab on pages 2-8 & 2-9, and went over the results with 20 minutes left in class. We ended class by watching the video that went with worksheet 2-11.

No homework was assigned and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 27th.

Day 32

It's Monday, so we listened to the summaries of our week #7 science news articles.  We discussed section 2-3 notes on Physical vs Chemical changes.  I demonstrated how folding, cutting or crumbling a piece of paper is just a physical change, because it was still paper - nothing internally had changed.  Then I burned the paper to show how an entirely new substance was formed, making it a chemical change.  http://www.brainpop.com/ had a great video on "Property Changes", so students watched it and took the quiz that followed.  We had just enough time to complete pages 2-3 & 2-4 with partners and go over the answers before the end of class.

No homework was assigned and the Chapter 2 test is on Thursday, October 27th.

Day 31

Today students worked with their partner to complete worksheets 2-12 and 2-2, both of which dealt with a graph that illustrated matter changes phases or states.  We went over the answers to these pages once everyone was finished.  In some classes, there was enough time for some students to get on Moodle and go through some of the Chapter 2 websites.

News article #7 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 2 test is on Thursday, October 27th.

Day 30

We reviewed yesterday's pressure, volume & temperature lab (page 2-10).  I used a powerpoint (listed on Moodle as "Section 2-2 notes powerpoint) to present section 2-2 notes on how matter changes states.  We watched a http://www.brainpop.com/ video on Matter Changing States and took the 10-question quiz that followed.  To review, students worked on Activity 2-12 until the end of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 2 test is on Thursday, October 27th.

Day 29

After listening to the week #6 news article summaries, students opened back up to section 2-1 notes.  I used online animations to demonstrate Boyle's Law & Charles' Law.  I then used a new Promethean flipchart to give examples of inverse and direct relationships.  Students then turned to page 2-10 to perform the PVT lab (pressure, volume & temperature). 

No homework was assigned (unless students didn't complete the lab questions and calculations), and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 27th.

Day 28

We had many things to do in science class today, so I postponed the news articles until tomorrow.  Instead, students were instructed to use the data on worksheet 2-6 on make line graph using Create-a-Graph.  Once they saved their graphs to their Science 8 folder, they were instructed to create a new science-themed glog.  The glog is going to be used exclusively for science content, and therefore should only have science-themed background and graphics.  Once the glog was saved, they needed to embed their glog within their science wiki page.

News article #6 is due tomorrow, and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 27th.

Day 27

It's all around us and we need it to survive. What is it? Air! Air really seems to be weightless...or is it? That's what we had to find out. In today's lab, students investigated how much, if anything, air weighed. They performed the lab from pages 2-6 and 2-7 and discovered that air does, in fact have mass, albeit VERY VERY little. They discovered this by forcing (pumping) small amounts of air into a sealed 2-liter bottle and measuring the change in mass from the empty bottle.  All five answers on page 2-7 need to have complete sentences.

News article #6 is due on Tuesday (since no school on Monday), and the Chapter 2 test will be in late October.

Day 26

Students were given their new packet for Chapter 2.  We discussed section 2-1 notes on States of Matter, and watched the http://www.brainpop.com/ video called "States of Matter".  Following the video, students used their hand-held responders to take the 10-question quiz.  We ended class by completing the top half of worksheet 2-1 (except period 7 ran out of time).

The wiki/glog assignment and rubric is due tomorrow (spare rubrics are available online at Moodle).  The Chapter 2 test will not be until late October or early November.

Day 25

Today was the 4th and final day of Tech Week. I was all prepared to teach students how to create and edit a "VoiceThread". However, as it turns out, Mrs. Ogden already taught them how to do it back in 6th grade. Even more, Mr. Rodgers had them create one last year, also. The class time was ultimately used for refreshing students skills in creating and editing their VoiceThreads. Also, new students that weren't here in 6th or 7th grade were given 1:1 help.

No homework was assigned, although their wiki/glog project is due on Friday. Also, their Chapter 2 test will be in late October or early November.

Day 24

On Day 3 of "Tech Week", students continue towards their ultimate goal of creating an active glog on their wiki.  By the end of class today, they should have accomplished the following:

1. Create a wiki homepage called XYzzzzzz Mainpage, where "X" is their first initial, and "Yzzzzz" is their last name.
2. Create five wikipages representing their five core classes, such as "XYzzzzzz Science" for their science class wiki.
3. Link their text blocks from their glog to their core class wikipages.
4. Embed their glog into their wiki Mainpage.
5. Link their name from the Period "X" wikipage to their Mainpage.

Students were given a rubric last Friday that contained the grading criteria for this project.  The finished products are due at the end of class this Friday.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 2 test will be in late October.

Day 23

After listening to the week #5 news article summaries, we continued with "Tech Week".  Students created their own wiki pages today for each of the five main classes and "embeded" their glog (from Friday) into their main wiki page.  By the end of class on Wednesday, students need to have links to each of their core classes on their glog, and they need to link their name to their mainpage on their period's wiki.

No homework was assigned and the Chapter 2 test will not be until late October or early November.

Day 22

Today began my 3rd annual "Tech Week", a week in which students learn about different educational Web 2.0 applications and use them in the classroom.  Today's topic was creating a "Glog".  From a link off of my moodle page, students went to my main Glogster page.   From there, they signed in using their regular school ID and password.  Their goal by the end of the period was to create five text blocks that represent their five core classes- math, reading, science, history and english.  As an example, here is Megan Allison's from last year.  They can decorate their page however they want, but the five text blocks must be at the top (they have a rubric with all of the specifics).

News article #5 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 2 test will not be until late October.

Day 21

We reviewed the Chapter 1 test that students took yesterday.  Afterwards, students watched an episode of Mythbusters while I checked their notebooks.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 2 test will not be until late October or early November.

Day 20

We had class in the computer lab today.  Students logged into my Moodle site and used it to take the Chapter 1 test online.  Following the test, they had the opportunity to get a news article for next week or work on other homework.

The notebook check will be tomorrow, and the Chapter 2 test will be sometime in early November.

Day 19

We checked last night's homework (page 1-19) and went over the answers.  We then discussed, page by page, what needed to be done by this Thursday's notebook check.  For the remainder of the period, we played Classroom Jeopardy to review for tomorrow's test.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 1 test is tomorrow.

Day 18

Today we started with our 4th week of science news articles.  I then assigned to students activity 1-17 & 1-18, both of which students had to interpret a density graph.  We went over the answers to both pages before the end of the period.

Worksheet 1-19 was assigned for homework, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 28th.

Day 17

We spent all period today completing worksheet 1-16.  This worksheet asked students to create a pie graph, bar graph and line graph using the given data.  To accomplish this, students used a website called Create-a-graph.  Once students created their graphs online, they saved them as "JPEG" files into their "My Documents" folder.  Each of the three graphs was printed and placed in their chapter one packets after page 1-16.

News article #4 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 28th.

Day 16

I tried to impress upon the students the importance of studying for the upcoming Chapter 1 test a little bit each night.  If they just study 15 minutes every night for the seven evenings preceding the test, the results will be much better than if they crammed an hour the night before or just studied during flex & study hall the day of the test.  Today's lesson was on the three types of graphs- pie, line and bar.  We discussed section 1-6 notes and I drew several examples of each type of graph on the board, stressing the importance of labels and titles on each graph.  We watched a http://www.brainpop.com/ video on graphs and took the 10-question quiz that followed using student responders.  We ended class by doing worksheet 1-15, graphing density.

No homework was assigned (other than to start studying for the test), and the Chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 28th.

Day 15

We began class today with a http://www.brainpop.com/ video on Measuring matter. More specificly, it related mass volume and density, and how we measure each. Students then took the 10-question quiz using the responders. We went over the answers from yesterday's lab on density of liquids. Students finished the bottom of the lab by finding the densities of three unknown solid cubes.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 1 test is one week from today, September 28th.

Day 14

Students got back their week #3 news articles from yesterday.  We reviewed the conclusion questions from the metric measurements lab.  We discussed section 1-3 notes on density.  I used a "poly-density tube" as a visual demonstration of density, and I showed students some helpful links on the Moodle site.  Before beginning the new lab on page 1-13 & 1-14, I gave students a replacement copy of the lab.  The lab calls for students to measure the mass & volume of three unknown liquids (colored blue, green & red) in order to calculate their densities.  They then had to compare their calculated densities to a supplied list of known densities of common liquids.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 1 test is one week from tomorrow, on September 28th.

Day 13

Students had the opportunity to summarize out loud their week #3 news articles.  Afterwards, they had about 25 minutes to finish the metric measurements lab on page 1-12 that they began on Friday.  I read the equipment during the last 10 minutes of class so that students could compare their answers to mine.  Any remaining time was used to complete the conclusion questions on page 1-11.

The lab conclusion questions on page 1-11 are homework, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 28th.

Day 12

At the beginning of class, I checked students' homework from last night (activities 1-7, 8, 9 & 10).  After going over all four pages, students began a 2-day lab on pages 1-11 & 1-12, in which they have to measure the mass, volume, length and temperature of 28 different objects.

News article #3 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 28th.

Day 11

Mrs. Jones and I tag-teamed science class today.  We split the class into three random groups and assigned them to rotating stations.  The first station was with Mrs. Jones, and she demonstrated how to use a triple-beam balance and metric ruler.  The second station gave students a chance to use the laptops to go to some websites I made available on Moodle that were online tutorials for using a triple beam balance and graduated cylinder.  The third station was with me, and I demonstrated the proper use and reading of a graduated cylinder and metric thermometer.  Students were at each station for 10 minutes.  At the end of the third cycle, I explained the homework assignment.

Activities 1-7, 1-8, 1-9 & 1-10 were assigned for homework, and the Chapter 1 Test will be Wednesday, September 28th.

Day 10

Students got back their Metric Conversion quizzes and we went over the answers to all 15 problems.  We then took the remainder of the period to complete the top of worksheet 1-6, using the conversion factors on page 1-2. 

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 28th.

Day 9

We began class when I handed back students' news articles from yesterday.  We watched a video from http://www.brainpop.com/ on Metric vs Customary units, and students took the ensuing quiz using the student responders.  I discussed section 1-5 notes with students and demonstrated how to convert between metric and customary units.  We completed worksheet 1-5 and began the top of page 1-6.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 1 test will be Wednesday, September 28th.

Day 8

We began class by listening to voluntary oral summaries of our 2nd week of science news articles.  After I collected their homework, students took the Metric Conversion quiz.  We ended class by watching a http://www.brainpop.com/ video on Metric Units and taking the quiz that followed using student responders.

No homework was assigned and the next test will be the Chapter 1 test on Wednesday, September 28th.

Day 7

There was no school yesterday due to local flooding.  As a result, our quiz was postponed until Monday.  Today in class we took a 15-problem practice quiz to prepare for the real thing.  After we went over the results, I handed back the first week's news articles, and I discussed the common errors that I found.

News article #2 is due on Monday, and the Metric Conversion quiz will be right after Monday's news article.

Day 6

Today was our third day of metric conversions.  We began class by finishing worksheet 1-3.  Students entered their answers to each of the 10 questions using the hand-held responders.  I used the Promethean board to show how each answer was derived.  After completing page 1-3, I took about five minutes to talk to the kids about bullying and being the "new kid in school".  I stressed how hard it is adjusting to a new school even if the other students are friendly.  However, if the students are mean, unaccepting and exhibiting bullying behavior, it makes the transition to a new school so much harder.  I asked of them to set aside differences in speech, appearance and whatever to just be a friend.  Finally, we began page 1-5 with about 5-10 minutes left in class, and students completed as much as they could with their partner before the end of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Metric Conversion quiz will be Friday, September 9th.

Day 5

It felt great to be back in the classroom.  Today was our first day for science news articles.  I explained to students the procedure for earning extra credit on the articles via oral summaries.  An average of five students from each class volunteered to summarize their article out loud.  After I collected the articles & summaries, students completed worksheet 1-4, which they began on Friday.  I demonstrated the proper use of the student responders, and students then used those responders to answer the 10 questions on page 1-4.  Any remaining time was usesd to begin worksheet 1-3 before the bell rang.

No homework was assigned, though if students did not have their article today, they can submit it tomorrow for half credit.  The metric conversion quiz will be this Friday, September 9th.

Day 4

Today was my last day of cyber school.  I'll be back in the regular classroom on Tuesday.  What a relief it has been to have someone as professional as Mr. Jim Girardi to take over my class in my absence.  He definitely made this time away more manageable.

Today in class we reviewed our objectives from the past two days by completing worksheet 1-1.  Students worked with a partner to put the steps of the scientific method in the correct order, and then they had to match the vocab term to the proper definition.  After that I introduced them to the metric system, the standard system of measurement used exclusively throughout the world, except for our United States of America.  I demonstrated the  procedure for converting from one metric prefix to another, like changing kilometers into centimeters.  All it takes is moving the decimal to the left or right a certain number of places.  With whatever time was left in class, students worked on page 1-4 (chapter 1, page 4) until the bell rang.

News article #1 is due on Tuesday, and the Metric Conversion quiz will be on Friday, September 9th.

Day 3

Today students were given their first chapter packet.  In place of textbooks, over the years I have created packets of learning materials that include notes, worksheets, study guides and lab sheets that a student may need throughout the course of a single chapter.  They simply keep them in a 3-ring binder and bring it to class daily in place of a standard textbook.  We continued our focus on section 1-1 notes, thinking scientifically.  Yesterday our focus was on the difference between a theory and a law, and today's discussion was on using the scientific method to solve a problem or conduct an experiment.  The students realized that whether they realized it or not, they've been using the scientific method almost all of their life whenever they solved a problem.  They just never looked at it before as being a 6-step approach.  They always just assumed it was a logical way of thinking (which is what science is all about, thinking logically).  I gave students three examples of experiments in which they had to identify the independent and dependent variables within.  I also gave them two examples of experiments that were not that well prepared, and they had to tell me what was wrong with the given variables.  We ended class by watching a short movie on the scientific method from http://www.brainpop.com/.  Their are links on my Moodle site for all of the above activities except for the video, as that is a subscription-based service.

Their first science news article is due on Tuesday, September 6th, and their first quiz on Metric Conversions will be on Friday, September 9th.

Day 2

Mr. Girardi and I cleaned up yesterday's topic, which was the proper way to summarize the science news articles.  We showed how and where to correctly define their two challenging vocab words.  I showed students how to access this blog, and stressed that if they are ever absent to check out this blog to see what work they would have missed while out.  Students sharpened their observation skills by identifying the differences between two similar-looking photographs at http://www.spotthedifference.com/.  The intent here was to emphasize how important paying attention to even the smallest details is when dealing with scientific discoveries and investigations.  Students then differentiated between a theory and a law by looking up both definitions at http://www.dictionary.com/.  Students were then asked to write about the difference between them at a discussion forum on my moodle site, under today's date.

No homework was assigned, though their first news article is due on Tuesday, September 6th, and their first quiz, on Metric Conversions, will be on Friday, September 9th.

Day 1

Today was the first day of school, and Mr. Girardi was in for me as I recover from radiation treatment relating to thyroid cancer.  I was able to phone in and connect with the class during periods 2 & 3 while Mr. Girardi facilitated.  He taught periods 5, 6 & 7, the afternoon classes, on his own.  Students were shown how to access my Moodle site from the main high school webpage.  We discussed the importance of the weekly science news article assignment to their grades.  I showed them where to locate these articles at a website called http://www.sciencedaily.com/.  I also showed them the proper way to write their summaries, along with the locations of the summary templates both online and in the classroom.  Each student read a practice article on the dangers of high fructose corn syrup in soda.  We were able to complete the What, where and why sections of the article, but we'll have to wait until tomorrow to complete the vocab section.

No homework was assigned (though their internet and emergency plan forms are both due on Wednesday, September 7th), and the Metric conversion quiz will be Friday, September 9th.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Students met with each of their classes today to get their final exam score and their final grade.  We concluded the morning in the auditorium to hand out gold medal awards, students of the month and to watch the movie, "Megamind".

Have a good summer.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Students took their math and history final exams today.  Tomorrow is the last day of school

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Students took their English and Science final exams today.  Math and history finals are tomorrow.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Today being the last full day of school, I took students to the computer lab so that they could take the practice final exam.

The final exam will be tomorrow, June 1st at 9:20am.

Friday, May 27, 2010

Students today were asked to choose between taking their final exam on Moodle or take it using a paper copy.  We then watched a trio of Mythbusters episodes, including "Bubble Trouble", "Champagne Machine Gun" & "Movie Sound FX".

No homework was assigned, and the Final Exam will be on Wednesday, June 1st.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

For the second straight day, we played science jeopardy to review for the final exam.  Today's review focused on Chapters 5 & 6.

No homework was assigned, and the Final Exam will be on Wednesday, June 1st.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Today students found out the results of the electric safety poster contest, with first and second place finishers receiveing gold medals for their work.  I then handed out the final exam calculation sheet which describes how final exams are counted towards one's final overall grade.  Finally, we played classroom jeopardy to review chapters 1 & 2 for the final.

No homework was assigned, and the Final Exam will be on Wednesday, June 1st.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Students took the practice final exam today on Moodle.

No homework was assigned and the Final Exam will be Wednesday, June 1st.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Today we listened to (read: CELEBRATED) the summaries of the 34th and LAST week of science news articles.  I then showed students how to access the final exam practice test on Moodle.  We ended class by watching a 16-minute video on cardiomyopathy in teen athletes.

No homework was assigned, and the Final Exam will be on Wednesday, June 1st.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Today was the final day for students to finish their electricity posters.  After the talent show in the morning and before watching "Flipped" in the afternoon, we had 25 minute classes, which was more than enough time to complete their posters.

News article #34 (the LAST one) is due on Monday, and the Final Exam will be on Wednesday, June 1st.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Mrs. Lepley was my substitute teacher today, as I had a Doctor's appointment in Philadelphia.  Mrs. Lepley played Science Scrabble with each of the five classes.

No homework was assigned, and the fnal exam will be on Wednesday, June 1st.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Students had the entire period today to work on their electric safety posters.  They were told that they WILL NOT have anytime tomorrow (as my sub, Mrs. Lepley, will be playing Science Scrabble with them), but they will have reduced classtime on Friday to put on the finishing touches.  All posters are due at the end of Friday's class.

No homework is due, and the Final Exam will be Wednesday, June 1st.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

After listening to the oral summaries for the 33rd week of news articles, we discussed electrical safety.  Students were given a list of 6 basic rules regarding electric safety, and each group is responsible for creating a poster for their respective rule.  Students will be judged against the other classes that had the same rule.

No homework was assigned, and the Final Exam will be on Wednesday, June 1st.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Today was our much-anticipated and once-postponed field trip to Penn College for their Career Day.  Students had their flex and first periods, and they went back to their period 2 classes before assembling in the auditorium.  They were put into their groups and told of their schedule for the day.  We boarded the busses at around 9:30 and arrived at PCT at around 9:50.  After 3 sessions and lunch, we departed at 2:15 and arrived back at the school just before the 2:31 bell rang.  A great time was had by all who attended.

News article #33 is due tomorrow, and the Final Exam will be on Wednesday, June 1st @ 9:20am.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Students had their chapter 8 notebooks checked today for 100 points, during which time we watched a mythbusters compilation about lightning myths (Ben Franklin's kite, using a phone or shower during lightning storms). 

News article #33 is due on Tuesday.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Students took their final chapter test today (chapter 8 on electricity) using Moodle.

The notebook check is tomorrow, and the next test is the final exam.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Students took their last http://www.brainpop.com/ quiz on electrical circuits.  We discussed section 8-7 notes on fuses and circuit breakers using a powerpoint show.  Students were assigned pages 8-14 & 8-15, and given a study guide for tomorrow's test.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 8 test is tomorrow.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Today we finished the circuits lab that we began yesterday.  Most students began today on the middle of page 8-21, and everyone was able to complete the lab with plenty of time to spare.  After reviewing the lab, students were assigned pages 8-12 & 8-13 in their groups, and we went over the answers to those worksheets towards the end of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 8 test will be on Thursday, May 12th.

Monday, May 9, 2011

After listening to the oral summaries for the 32nd week of science news articles, we worked on the lab from pages 8-19 to 8-22.  Actually, most groups only got through the middle of page 8-21, but we will finish the rest of it tomorrow.  The lab explores the difference between series and parallel circuits, as well as Ohm's Law.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 8 test will be on Thursday, May 12th.

Friday, May 6, 2011

We began class by reviewing the diffences between alternating and direct current with a http://www.brainpop.com/ video.  Students used the responders to take the quiz that followed.  We then discussed section 8-6 notes on electric circuits, along with the circuit symbols included within the notes.  I used a powerpoint show to guide students in creating four electrical schematic drawings.  The powerpoint show is available on Moodle.

News article #32 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 8 test will be Thursday, May 12th.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Today we discussed Section 8-5 notes on electrochemical cells.  I reviewed the difference between dry cells and wet cells and drew examples of each.  Students watched a http://www.brainpop.com/ video on batteries and took the quiz that followed.  We ended class by completing worksheet 8-4 (#6 only).  Students were told they do not have to do numbers 7 & 8 on page 8-4.

No homework was assigned and the Chapter 8 test will be on Thursday, May 12th.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Students were given back their Ohm's Law quiz from yesterday.  Since most students earned perfect or near-perfect scores, a comprehensive review was not needed.  We discussed the rest of section 8-4, which included only the formula to calculate energy (power times time).  Students were assigned page 8-11.  Four steps were needed for problems 1, 3 & 5 only.  We reviewed the answers before the end of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 8 test will be on Thursday, May 12th, 2011.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Students took their quiz on Ohm's Law today.  Not surprisingly, most students did outstanding, earning a 96% or above in most cases.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 8 test will be on Thursday, May 12th.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Like every other Monday, we began class by listening to oral summaries of science news articles, this week being #31 for the year.  We posted the answers to the 20+ problems that students completed in class on Friday on the whiteboard (from pages 8-3, 8-8, 8-9, 8-10).  Finally, students were assigned and completed page 8-2 (#1-5 only).

No homework was assigned, and the Ohm's Law quiz is tomorrow.