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.

Friday, April 29, 2011

Students were given the formula and variations to calculate electrical power.  It was discussed how now there are two formulas each to calculate voltage and current.  For this reason, it was stressed that they must pay close attention to the wording of the problem and when writing step 1 of the solution.  Students were assigned pages 8-3, 8-8, 8-9 & 8-10 to do in class.  Most students completed these four pages, but there was not enough time to review the answers during class.  We will do that on Monday.

News article #31 is due on Monday, and the Ohm's Law quiz will be on Tuesday, May 3rd.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Mr. Girardi was in for me today, as I took a personal day to celebrate my 10-year wedding anniversary.  Mr. Girardi played for students a National Geographic video on Lightning.  It demonstrated how lightning is created, predicted and some anecdotal stories and first hand accounts of lightning strikes.

No homework was assigned and the Ohm's Law quiz will be on Tuesday, May 3rd.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Today we discussed how current, voltage and resistance are related.  I showed and discussed the difference between a 9-volt, D, AA & AAA battery in terms of differing voltages.  Students were introduced to Ohm's Law and the formulas therein.  Pages 8-5, 8-6 & 8-7 were assigned in class, and all problems were reviewed on the board before the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Ohm's Law quiz will be on Tuesday, May 3rd.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Last night's thunderstorm was the perfect introduction to today's discussion of static electricity in Section 8-2 notes.  I used two simulations online to show how static electricity works (balloon vs sweater & sweater vs socks).  We then watched a http://www.brainpop.com/ video on static electricity and students took the quiz that followed.  Finally, I used the VanDeGraff generator to demonstrate how static electric charges are generated, stored and discharged, using a human chain.

No homework was assigned, and the Ohm's Law quiz will be Tuesday, May 3rd.

Monday, April 25, 2011

I began class by collecting students' online energy lab report, followed by the summaries of the 30th week of science news articles.  Students were given their Chapter 8 packets on Electricity, and we discussed section 8-1 notes on subatomic particles.  We watched the http://www.brainpop.com/ video on Electricty and students took the quiz that followed.  We ended class by completing worksheet 8-1 which identified the response of different paired subatomic particles when brought together.

No homework was assigned, and the Ohm's Law Quiz will be on Tuesday, May 3rd.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

As we do the day after every test, today students had their Chapter 11 notebooks check for completion.  During that time, students had the option of using the laptops to work on their online energy lab or watch Mythbusters.

News article #30 and the online lab are both due on Monday, and the Chapter 8 test will be on Thursday, May 12th.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Students took their Chapter 11 test on Moodle today.  Any time that remained after their test was used to work on their online energy lab.

The Chapter 11 notebook check is tomorrow, and the online energy lab packet is due on Monday, April 25th.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Students completed their Chapter 11 packet today in class, which means they did pages 11-1 & 11-17.  We reviewed these pages before class ended.  Some students had time leftover in class to work on their online energy lab.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 11 test is tomorrow.

Monday, April 18, 2011

After listening to the summaries of our 29th week of science news articles, students had the remainder of the period to work on their online energy lab.  By the end of the period, most students were somewhere around pages 6, 7 or 8.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, April 20th.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Students were given an 11-page lab packet which they will use to complete the online energy lab linked from Moodle.  I asked students to number their pages 1-11 so that it's easier to post and answer questions on the discussion forum for this lab.  Most students were able to get up to page 5 or 6 by the end of the period.  The completed packet is due on Monday, April 25th (the day after Easter).

News article #29 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, April 20th.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Today was such a beautiful day that I decided to have our classes outside.  After briefly going over section 11-4 notes on the Law of Conservation of Energy and Einstein's Theory of Relativity (E=mc2), students completed worksheet 11-7, for which they had to observe and record all things they noticed outside that had kinetic and then those that had potential energy.  We then did worksheet 11-5 together, and then students worked on worksheet 11-10 until the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, April 14th.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

We began class with a review from yesterday by demonstrating the relationship between kinetic and potential energy.  I used a pendulum hanging from the ceiling to complete the activity on page 11-16 as students realized their relationship.  I discussed the differences between internal and external combustion engines (Section 11-3 notes).  We worked on page 11-11 collectively, as I pointed out that velocity has a greater effect on kinetic energy than mass does because you need to square the velocity.  Finally, students worked within their groups to complete worksheet 11-9, and volunteers put the answers to those problems on the board before the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, April 20th.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Today we discussed the second part of section 11-2 notes, Kinetic Energy.  I explained how kinetic energy has a direct relationship with the speed or velocity of an object.  I demonstrated how on a roller coaster, as Potential energy decreases, kinetic energy increases, thus making it an inverse relationship. We watched a BrainPop video on Kinetic energy and took the quiz that followed using the student responders.  Students worked on worksheet 11-6 in their groups for 5 minutes before we went over the answers together.  Students were finally assigned page 11-4 to work on within their groups, and volunteers put the solutions to those problems on the board at the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, Apil 20th.

Monday, April 11, 2011

28 down, only 6 more to go.  Today we listened to oral summaries for the 28th week of science news articles.  We also finished worksheets 11-2 & 11-3, which students began on Friday.  We discussed section 11-2 notes on potential energy only, followed by the BrainPop video and quiz on Potential energy.  We ended class by doing the lab on page 11-12.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 11 test is on Wednesday, April 20th.

Friday, April 8, 2011

We began Chapter 11 today.  Students were given their new packets and we discussed section 11-1 notes on the different forms of energy (mechanical, heat, chemical, electromagnetic & nuclear).  We watched a BrainPop video on Forms of Energy and students used the responders to take the quiz that followed.  We then began activity 11-2 & 11-3, and students worked within their groups towards completing this assignment until the bell rang.  We will finish these pages on Monday.

News article # 27 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, April 20th.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

As we've done the day after every chapter test, students had their notebooks checked today for 75 points.  We watched a Mythbusters episode about a balloon made out of lead and creating surfable waves from an underwater explosion.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 11 test will be Wednesday, April 20th.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Students took the Chapter 9 test on Moodle today.  Based on overall average, this was the students' highest achievement on a test so far this year.  They had the remainder of the period to work on their chapter packet.

The notebook check will be tomorrow, and the Chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, April 20th.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Mr. Girardi was in for me today.  Students had all period to complete the rest of their Chapter 9 packets, including the review sheets on pages 9-10 & 9-11.

No homework was assigned and the Chapter 9 test is tomorrow.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Students took the PSSA science exams today.  To accommodate the exams, we only had 25-minute classes.  That was just enough time to allow students to present their 27th week of science news articles and watch a http://www.brainpop.com/ video on waves.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 9 test will be on Wednesday, April 6th.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Today was the first day of the 4th marking period.  We spent today discussing section 9-3 notes on the different wave interactions, including reflection, diffraction, refraction and interference.  I drew the diagram of the law of reflection on the board and bounced a tennis ball off of it to demonstrate how reflection works.  I used a pencil in a glass of water to demonstrate refraction.  For diffraction, we used a giant slinky to demonstrate how waves bend around a barrier (or student), and we also used it to show how interference works.  I also nice little LED strobe toy that demonstrated standing waves- students really seemed to enjoy it.  Students were assigned worksheet 9-9 to do within their groups for 10 minutes, and we went over the answers before the end of the period.  Students were given their final 3rd quarter grades and a new seating chart at the end of class.

News article #27 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 9 test is on Wednesday, April 6th.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Today was the third and final day for the writing PSSA exams.  In science class, we played with Slinky's to complete the lab on pages 9-7 & 9-8, which explored the differences between transverse and longitudinal waves.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 9 test will be on Wednesday, April 6th.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Today was the second day of Writing PSSA exams, so students only had 35 minutes of each class.  During that time, I used a couple different online simulators to review transverse and longitudinal waves.  We discussed section 9-2 notes and I again used the one online simulator to illustrate the amplitude, frequency and wavelength of a wave.  I assigned pages 9-2, 9-3, 9-4 & 9-5 in class, and we had enough time to review page 9-2 before the bell rang.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 9 test will be on Wednesday, April 6th.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Today was the first of three days of PSSA writing exams.  Students met with each of their classes for 30 minutes.  During that time in science class, students were given their new packets for Chapter 9 on Waves.  We discussed section 9-1 notes on the two types of waves and their distinguishing parts.  I used a long slinky-like spring to demonstrate the differences between the two types of waves.  Students then had 10 minutes to complete worksheet 9-1 within their groups, and we reviewed the answers in the last 5 minutes of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 9 test will be Wednesday, April 6th.

Monday, March 28, 2011

We began this week (PSSA Writing Exam week) by listening to the oral summaries of the 26th week of science news articles.  Students then had their Simple Machines online lab packet checked for 100 points, during which time they watched the "Viral Videos" episode of Mythbusters.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 9 test will be on Wednesday, April 6th.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Mr. Girardi was in for me today.  Students had the entire classtime to work on the online simple machines lab.  If they are not done by the end of the period, it is there responsibility to have it done and ready to hand in at the beginning of Monday's class.

News article #26 is due on Monday, as is the online lab packet.  The Chapter 9 test will be Wednesday, April 6th.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Students had their Chapter 7 notebooks checked today for 80 points.  During that time they were able to use the laptops to work on completing the online simple machines lab.

The online lab packet is due on Monday, March 28th, as is the next news article (#26).

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

2-hour Delay

Students took their Chapter 7 test on Moodle today.  Upon completion they had some time to work on either their online lab or their Chapter 7 packet.

The Chapter 7 notebook check is tomorrow, and the online lab packet is due on Monday, March 28th.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Students had all period today to complete the remaining pages in their Chapter 7 packet, in particular pages 8, 9, 10, 19 & 20.  We went over the answers to these pages at the end of the period.

The chapter 7 test is tomorrow and the simple machines online lab is due on Monday, March 28th.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Back to normal length school days, students submitted their 25th week of science news articles.  We discussed section 7-5 & 7-6 notes on simple machines and watched  http://www.brainpop.com/ videos on Inclined Planes and Wheel & Axles (we previously watched the videos on pulleys and levers).  Students completed worksheets 15-11, 18, 19 & 20.  They were told to cross out pages 12, 15 & 16, as they are not responsible for the content within those pages this year.

No written homework was assigned, but students were encouraged to study for Wednesday's Chapter 7 test, and reminded that the simple machines online lab packet is due on Monday, March 28th.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Students completed their final PSSA reading exam today.  After a 30-minute study hall, students got to meet with their period 2 class, during which time students turned in their 24th science news article and continued their online investigation of simple machines.

News article #25 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 7 test will be on Wednesday, March 23rd.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Students took their final PSSA math exam today.  Afterwards, they attended their period 3 class, which for science involved handing in their 24th science news article and continuing their online investigation of simple machines.

News article #25 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 7 test will be Wednesday, March 23rd.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

PSSA exams continued today, and students only met with their 5th & 7th period classes.  In both science classes, students turned in their 24th week of news articles and continued to work on their online investigation of Simple Machines.

News article #25 is due next Monday, and the Chapter 7 test is on Wednesday, March 23rd.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

PSSA exams continued today for all 8th graders.  Students only met with their period 6 class following the exam.  In science, students turned in their 24th science news article summary, after which they continued their online investigation of simple machines.

News article #24 is due this week, followed by #25 next Monday.  The Chapter 7 test will be Wednesday, March 23rd.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Due to the beginning of PSSA exams, students did not have any science class today.

News article #24 is due this week, and the Chapter 7 test will be on Wednesday, March 23rd.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Students continued their online investigation of simple machines.  By the end of today's class, most students were on or around pages 11 & 12 in the lab packet.

News article #24 is due next week, and the Chapter 7 test will be Wednesday, March 23rd.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Students got back their PSSA practice exam scores and we discussed the open-ended items.  They were also given a PSSA reference guide to help them prepare for the April 4th state exam.  We then continued with our 3rd day of the Simple Machines online lab.  Most students were somewhere between pages 6-9 by the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 test is on Wednesday, March 23rd.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Students took a practice PSSA Science exam during today's class.  The exam consisted of 29 multiple choice questions and two open-ended questions.  This practice exam is just that- PRACTICE.  It will not count towards or against a student's grade.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 test will be on Wednesday, March 23rd.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Our guest speaker today was Mrs. Carol Kirol, the school district's dental hygienist.  Her topic today was mouth myths.  Students got to vote true or false on many common misconceptions relating to dental hygiene.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 test will be on Wednesday, March 23rd.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Are you serious?  ANOTHER SNOW DAY...in MARCH????

Today's school cancellation means that our field trip to Penn College for Career Day has ben permanently cancelled with no future make-up date planned.

No homework is assigned, and the Chapter 7 test is Wednesday, March 23rd.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Students continued their online investigation into simple machines.  By the end of class today, most students were discovering levers and completed up to page 5 in their lab packet.

No news articles are due next week because of the Monday field trip to Penn College.  The Chapter 7 test will be Wednesday, March 23rd.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Today students began an online investigation on Simple Machines.  Today students explored the use of a wedge and lever.  They were shown a http://www.brainpop.com/ video on Levers at the beginning of the period, and they were given the lab packet to keep with them.  Most students got to the middle of Page 3 by the end of the period.  About a third of students got as far as page 5 on the Levers part of the lab.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 test will be on Wednesday, March 23rd.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Students took their data from page 10 of the Pulley Lab and put it into an online graphing website called Create-a-Graph.  They had to save their graph into their Science 8 folder of "My Documents" and paste it to the top of their science wiki page.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 test will be Wednesday, March 23rd.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Most students were able to finish their pulley lab by the end of today's class.  The data collected the past three days will be used to make a graph online tomorrow to be pasted in their wiki.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 test will be on Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011.

Monday, February 28, 2011

As with most Monday's, we began the week by listening to summaries of our 23rd week of science news articles.  Upon collection of the articles, students took their lab packets out of the crate and continued their exploration of pulleys in our "Lifting the Load" lab.  Most students were able to complete the single-fixed pulley part of the lab.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 test will be Wednesday, March 23rd.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Pulleys were introduced to students today.  We watched a http://www.brainpop.com/ video on pulleys followed by the interactive quiz.  Students were then given their new packet for a hands-on lab using pulley's.  That packet will stay in this room at the end of each period so that they are never lost or forgotten.  Most students got through the end of page 4 before the end of the period.

News article #23 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 7 test will be on Wednesday, March 23rd.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Today we repeated yesterday's lab because there seemed to be a great amount of confusion from the substitute filling in for me.  I demonstrated the proper techniques for the lab procedure and students had 15 minutes to redo it and change any results.  We reviewed the conclusion questions together afterwards.  Student then opened to worksheet 15-9 and we did problem #5 together. (60 Newtons had to be changed to "60 Joules" due to incorrect wording of the problem).  We began problem #6 and worked through parts A & E before the bell rang.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 test is in Mid-March.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Since I had in-service training at Rommelt today. Miss Robinholt was my substitute teacher today.  She ran students through the lab on page 15-13 & 15-14.  I forgot to leave a brick on each table, so each group had to use the same brick.  We will review the lab tomorrow.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 test is in Mid-March.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

We began class today with the 22nd week of science news articles (since snow cancelled school yesterday).  We discussed section 7-3 & 7-4 notes.  I used shoveling snow as an introduction to using a machine to help you do work.  I had a student sit on a board and lifted the other end of it, demonstrating the effort force and distance, along with the resistance force and distance.  They created work input and output, respectively.  I also introduced Mechanical Advantage & Efficiency, and what they mean in practical terms.  Students were then assigned page 15-8 # 1&2 only.  We reveiwed the answers verbally.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 test is more than 3 weeks away.

Monday, February 21, 2011

3rd Snow Day- No School

Week 22 News articles are due tomorrow.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Students got back their Work & Power quiz that was taken yesterday.  We reviewed the solutions to the eight problems together.  As a reward for the students hard work all week and the impressive results of their quiz scores, they were treated to an episode of Mythbusters, Bug Special.

News article #22 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 7 test won't be until sometime in mid-March.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Students took the Work & Power quiz today (8 questions at 5 points each = 40 points possible).

No homework was assigned.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

We had volunteers put the problems from yesterday (Page 15-3 & 15-4) on the board.  Students were assigned pages 15-5 & 15-6 (all word problems) and everyone completed the assignment before the end of class.  The solution to each problem was given.

No homework was assigned, and the Work & Power quiz is tomorrow.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

We began class by discussing the formulas that would be on this Thursday's quiz.  Students put the solutions to page 15-2 on the board for extra credit.  Students were assigned the remainder of page 15-3 (which should have been only problem # 3 & 6) and all of page 15-4.  A correction needed to be made on problem #9 on page 15-4.  The problem said "4000 Newtons", but should have said "4000 Joules".  We did not have enough time to put the problems on the board.

No homework was assigned, and the Work & Power quiz will be this Thursday, February 17th.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Happy Valentine's Day

We began class by listening to volunteers for the 21st week of science news articles.  We then reassembled in the stairwell by the gym lobby in order to complete the lab activity on worksheet 15-7.  Students were timed on how long it took them to walk and run up the steps, and a comparison was then made on their walking and running power.

No homework was assigned, and the Work & Power quiz will be on Thursday, February 17th.

Friday, February 11, 2011

We began class today by putting the problems from worksheets 15-1 & 15-3 (#1,2,4 & 5) on the whiteboard that students completed yesterday.  We discussed section 7-2 notes which related work, power and time.  After watching the http://www.brainpop.com/science/motionsforcesandtime/power/ video on Power and taking the interactive quiz using student responders, students worked on worksheet 15-2 in their groups.  There was not enough time to review those problems, so we will put those on the board on Monday.

News article #21 is due on Monday, and the Work & Power quiz will be on Thursday, February 17th.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Today began Chapter 7 on simple machines.  Students got their new packets and we discussed section 7-1 notes on Work (W=F*d).  We watched a http://www.brainpop.com/science/motionsforcesandtime/work/zoom.weml  video on Work and took the quiz that followed.  Students were then assigned page 7-1 (#1-6) and page 7-3 (#1,2,4 & 5).  Most students were finished before the end of class, but there was not enough time remaining to review them on the board, so we will do that tomorrow.

No homework was assigned, and the Work & Power Quiz will be next Thursday, February 17th.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Students had their Chapter 6 notebooks checked today for 60 points.  During this time we watched Mythbusters episodes on free-falling objects reaching terminal velocity.

No homework was assigned.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Students took the Chapter 6 test on Moodle today.

The Chapter 6 notebook check will be tomorrow.

Monday, February 7, 2011

We listened to the 20th week of science news article summaries.  I handed back the lab packets from the online Force & Motion lab, and we went over the answers together.  Students were assigned pages 6-11 through 6-13 to be done in class.  Students were also told to cross out page 6-9, as they will not be responsible for that page during Wednesday's notebook check.  We reviewed most of the answers (if not all) by the end of the class.

The only homework is to study for tomorrow's Chapter 6 test.

Friday, February 4, 2011

We discussed section 6-5 notes on Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation and the difference between mass & weight.  We watched the http://www.brainpop.com/ video on Gravity, followed by the quiz using student responders.  Students completed worksheets 6-5 & 6-8 within their groups before the bell rang.

News article #20 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 6 test will be Tuesday, February 8th.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

After two straight snow days, Mrs. Jones & I used a "4-square" activity to help students remember Newton's 3 Laws of Motion.  Each group was randomly assigned one of the three laws, and they had to put on a poster the definition, what that means, a real-life connection, and draw a picture of it in action.  Most students really enjoyed this change of pace and refresher.  We also discussed section 6-4 notes on projectiles and terminal velocity.  We compeleted worksheets 6-7 & 6-10 together.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 6 test was pushed back to Tuesday, February 8th.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Snow Day #2- No School

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Snow Day #1- No School

Monday, January 31, 2011

Today I collected the written lab reports from our online investigation of Force & Motion.  We heard oral summaries from the 19th week of science news articles.  I handed back Friday's Force Quiz and reviewed the answers out loud.  We went over section 6-3 notes and related Newton's 3 Laws of Motion to everyday phenomena.  We watched a http://www.brainpop.com/ video on Newton's 3 Laws and took the quiz that followed.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 6 test will be this Friday, weather permitting.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Students took the Force quiz today- 8 problems at 5 points each for a total of 40 points.  Following the quiz, students took an NSTA survey that took only 5-10 minutes, and worked on their online speed lab for the remainder of the period.

News article #19 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 6 test is next Friday, February 4th.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Today was the final tune-up for tomorrow's Force Quiz.  We began by reviewing yesterday's assignment, page 6-3 & 6-4, on the board.  Students were then assigned page 6-6 to complete in their groups.  I gave out the answers before the end of class.

No homework was assigned, but the Force quiz is tomorrow.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Students worked on much more challenging problems today than yesterday.  They still focused on Newton's 2nd Law of Motion (F=ma), but the degree of difficulty on today's problems was much greater.  Students had all period to complete the eight problems on pages 6-3 & 6-4.  Most students completed this assignment, but we did not have time to put them on the board.

Notes that I put on the board included:

# 4, 6 & 8 need the 4-steps twice, as they are 2-part problems
#7b-1 does NOT need the four steps.

No homework was assigned, and the Force quiz is Friday, January 28th.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

I used a PowerPoint to introduce the section 6-2 notes on Friction and Newton's 2nd Law.  I demonstrated the use of air as a lubricant by using a hovercraft.  We watched a BrainPop.com video on Forces and took the quiz using the student responders.  Students were assigned worksheet 6-2 in their groups.  We reviewed the problems on the board before the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Force quiz will be Friday, January 28th.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Today we begin the second half of the school year, and the first day of the third quarter.  Students summarized their 18th week of news articles.  I handed out the new chapter six packets and we discussed Section 6-1 notes on balanced vs unbalanced forces.  I brought two volunteers up front and we played tug of war with their arms to demonstrate what happens when forces are or are not equal and opposite.  We watched the Bill Nye video on balanced forces before the bell rang.

No homework was assigned, and the Force quiz will be this Friday, January 28th.

Friday, January 21, 2011

2-Hour Delay

What a week!  We were off on Monday, and three of the last four days had a 2-hour delay.  Students used today's half-hour classes to complete (as much as they could) their online lab that we've been working on all week.

News article #18 is due on Monday, and the Force quiz will be on Friday, January 28th.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Students finally had their Chapter 5 notebooks checked today for 85 points.  We began Lesson #2 of our online lab that explored the relationship between gravity and speed.  Students accessed the site using Moodle and simulated the downhill trials of an olympic luger.  I demonstrated for them exactly how to create and collect the data from all of the trials, and described on the white board how to solve the three math problems (3, 4 & 6).  Students know that tomorrow will be the last day we will devote in the classroom to completing this online lab.

No homework was assigned, and the Force quiz probably will not be until Friday, January 28th.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

2-hour delay!

This is the third day out of the past five that we have had shortened classes due to the weather.  Students continued to work on the online speed lab.  Their goal was to be done with lesson #1, pages 1-3.  Tomorrow we will begin lesson #2.

Notebook check will be tomorrow, and the Force quiz will be on Thursday, January 27th.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

2-Hour Delay

Mr. Girardi was in for me today due an inservice at Rommelt.  He gave students the opportunity to summarize their 17th week of news articles.  Students then began an online investigation that compared the speed and acceleration of a snowmobile.

The chapter 5 notebook check will be tomorrow, and the Force Quiz will be Wednesday, January 26th.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Students today took the Chapter 5 test on "Motion" using the online Moodle application.  Students did EXTREMELY well on the test, as the overall class average was more than 10 points higher than the previous test.  Mr. Girardi will be in for me on Tuesday.

News article #17 is due on Tuesday, and the Chapter 5 notebook check will be on Wednesday.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Today we completed Chapter 5.  Students worked on the graphing exercise on page 5-8.  We reviewed those answers together before students began the crossword puzzle review sheet on page 5-17.  We also went over those answers before the end of the period.

Students only homework is to study for tomorrow's Chapter 5 test.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

2-Hour Delay

Today, since classes were shortened due to weather, we spent the 30 minutes tying up some loose ends.  Many times we begin a worksheet or activity but never get a chance to completely finish or review our work, so today was dedicated to meet that need.  We reviewed the lab from pages 5-9 & 5-10.  We also reviewed the problems from pages 5-13, 14 & 15.  Any remaining time was used to preview this Friday's test.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 5 test is this Friday, January 14th.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

"Stay Sharp" Assembly 9:20-10:20 (no flex or study hall)

Today we listened to the 16th week of science news article summaries.  We completed this chapter's notes by discussing section 5-4 on Momentum.  I took students in the hallway and demonstrated (using scooters) how changing an objects mass and/or velocity alters its momentum.  Upon returning to the classroom, students were assigned worksheet 5-12 in their groups.  We put the solutions to those problems on the board before the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 5 test will be this Friday, January 14th.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Students had Mr. Girardi as their substitute teacher again today.  He assigned worksheets 5-13, 5-14 & 5-15 to be done during class.  Many students did not finish, but they will have more time later this week.

News article # 16 is due tomorrow, and the Chapter 5 test will be this Friday, January 14th.

Friday, January 7, 2010

Students had two graphing assignments today.  First, they had to complete their graph on page 5-11 using their data from yesterday's lab.  They then used that same data and went online to the Create-a-Graph website to save a picture of their graph online.  They then had to upload that graph to the top of their science wiki page.

News article #16 is due on Tuesday, and the Chapter 5 test is on Friday, January 14th.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

LAB TIME!!!!

It's been a while since we did a lab in here, so today's lesson was well received.  Students used the lab guide on page 5-9 and 5-10 to guide them in discovering how gravity effects the acceleration of a marble rolling downhill at differing distances.  The goal by the end of the period was to have all of their times recorded.  They were asked to time each distance multiple times until they had 5 timings that were "consistent", then take their average.  Students also should have had enough time to calculate the speed of the marble for each distance.  We will conclude this lab tomorrow with a graphing activity.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 5 test is one week from tomorrow.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

I used the projector to show students several possible test questions that involved analyzing the slopes of graphs.  We completed page 5-6 together in class.  Students then worked in their cooperative groups to complete the 10 problems on page 5-7.  Students volunteered to put those answers on the board to review.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 5 test is on Friday, January 14th.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

I explained in greater depth and detail today a comparison of slopes using distance/time graphs and speed/time graphs.  I contrasted a straight diagonal line to a flat line to a curved line on both graphs, and I also gave some sample test question relating to the graphs.  Students then worked in their groups to finish pages 5-3 & 5-4.  We reviewed the problems on the board using student volunteers.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 5 test is on Friday, January 14th.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Welcome back!!!

There were no news articles due today, much to the delight of nearly everyone.  We began class by reviewing the Speed Quiz that students took prior to the holiday break.  We then discussed (section 5-2 notes) how the slope of a line on a distance-time graph can be used to determine the relative speed of the object.  We also compared constant vs. average speed on a journey.  Section 5-3 notes introduced acceleration to the class, along with deceleration and centripetal acceleration.  A BrainPop.com video furthered explored acceleration, as did the quiz that followed.  We ended class by students working in groups to complete Activity 5-4.  Students did not have enough time to finish this assignment, but it was NOT to be done for homework.

No homework was assigned, but the Chapter 5 test is on Friday, January 14th.