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.