Day 77

Today was an Act-80 day, so students were dismissed at noon.  We watched "A Christmas Carol" from 10:30 - noon, which meant our core classes were only 15 minutes long.  We used that time in science class to watch a www.brainpop.com video on Winter Holidays.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 5 test will be on Friday, January 3rd.

Day 76

We had shortened periods today due to the afternoon winter olympics.  During that time, we discussed section 5-4 notes on Momentum.  I took the students out into the hallway and used push carts to demonstrate the Law of Conservation of Momentum.  Once back in the classroom, students completed worksheet 5-12 before we went over the answers.  Students spent the remainder of the period working on the crossword review on page 5-17.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 5 test will be on Friday, January 3rd.

Day 75

Students completed worksheet 5-7 in 20 minutes today, and we went over each of the nine problems.  We then completed worksheet 5-8 together.  Finally, students completed problems #11-16 on page 5-14, including the two graphs on page 5-15.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 5 test will be on Friday, January 3rd.

Day 74

After a 2-hour delay, students completed their Marble Lab by calculating the speed and graphing speed vs time on pages 5-10 and 5-11.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 5 test will be on Friday, January 3rd.

Day 73

After we collected the week #15 science, students worked in their group to complete the "Marble Acceleration Lab" from worksheets 5-9 & 5-10.  They needed to have all of the timings and calculations done by tomorrow's class in order to make the graph.

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

Day 72

We discussed section 5-2 notes on graphing motion, and I told students that 11 of the 25 test questions will be on interpreting speed and acceleration graphs.  Students completed worksheet 5-4 within their groups and we discussed the answers together.  Finally, students were assigned worksheet 5-6 in the last 10 minutes of class and we went over the answers before the bell rang.

News article #15 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 5 test will be on Friday, January 3rd.

Day 71

We discussed section 5-3 notes in class today on Acceleration.  Students worked in their groups to complete worksheet 5-3, and we reviewed every answer before the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 5 test will be on Friday, January 3rd.

Day 70

Students took a break from science today and instead took a state-issued youth survey that was collected at the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 5 test will be on Friday, January 3rd.

Day 69

Students were given a double-sided handout today that was the foundation of our lab.  Students worked with their partners in the hallway by the guidance office.  They timed each other on how long it took them to hop, walk, speed walk and walk backwards a distance of 5 & 10 meters.  Once we collected all the data, students returned to the classroom to determine their speeds for each exercise.  We also used the backside of the lab to extrapolate some answers based on their calculated speeds.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 5 test will be on Friday, January 3rd.

Day 68

Students handed in their Week #14 news articles.  I handed back their speed quizzes and we went over the answers.  We also went over the answers to problems 7-10 on page 5-13 & 5-14.  Since we had a shortened schedule due to a 2-hour delay, we watched holiday Mythbusters with the last 5-10 minutes of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 5 test will be on Friday, January 3rd.

Day 67

Students took the Speed Quiz today.  Any time that remained after they were finished was used to watch holiday myths from Mythbusters.

News article #14 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 5 test will be on Friday, January 3rd.

Day 66

Students took a practice quiz today on calculating speed.  The quiz was located on page 5-16 in their packets.  Once they were finished, they were to begin pages 13 & 14, problems 1-10.  We went over the practice quiz and the first six problems from page 13 before then end of the period.

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

Day 65

After listening to the 13th week of science news articles,  I explained problem # 9 & 10 on page 5-2.  Students then were given 6 minutes to complete those two problems before I revealed the solutions.  Students were then assigned page 5-5, which was a graphing page to find average speed.  After 12 minutes, we went over the answers. 

No homework was assigned, and the Speed Quiz will be this Friday.

Day 64

With today's Act 80 schedule, students only met with their first period class.  Once they returned from that, everyone was bussed to the Digiplex movie theater for a private screening of "Catching Fire", from the Hunger Games Trilogy.

News article #13 is due on Wednesday, December 4th, and the Speed Quiz will be on Friday, December 6th.

Day 63

Students watched the Hunger Games in the auditorium today with the shortened schedule.

No homework was assigned, and the Speed Quiz will be on Friday, December 6th.

Day 62

We completed worksheet 5-1 in class and had students plot the points for the graph on the board.  Students then completed worksheet 5-2 and we went over the answers on the board before the end of the period (except for #9 & 10).

News article #13 is due on December 4th, and the Speed Quiz will be on Friday, December 6^th

Day 61

Students were given their new packets for Chapter 5.  We discussed section 5-1 notes on speed vs velocity.  We watched a brief clip on YouTube to learn about Frame of References.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Distance, Rate and Time and took the quiz that went with it.  Finally, we did the top half of worksheet 5-1 together before the bell rang.

No homework was assigned, and the Speed Quiz will be on Friday, December 6th.

Day 60

Ms. Thomke was in for me today.  Students took a PSSA practice exam using bubble sheets and handed it in at the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Speed Quiz will be on Friday, December 6th.

Day 59

We watched Mythbusters Zombie special today while students had their Chapter 3 notebooks checked for 100 points.

The next news article is due on Wednesday, December 4th, and the next quiz will be on Friday, December 6th.

Day 58

We had class in the computer lab today so that students could take the Chapter 3 test using Moodle.  First, though, we listened to oral summaries of the week #12 science news articles.

The notebook check is tomorrow, and their next quiz will be on Friday, December 6th.

Day 57

Today was the final day to take the periodic table quiz.  Students were then given their graded Farcebook rubrics to see their scores.  I collected them back so that parents could see them during upcoming conference time.  Finallly, we played Jeopardy to review for Monday's chapter 3 test.

News article #12 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 3 test will also be on Monday.

Day 56

Students had today and then tomorrow yet to take the periodic table quiz.  We discussed section 3-6 notes on electron arrangements.  Students were assigned worksheets 3-19 & 3-20.  We went over both pages before the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will be November 18th

Day 55

Students were given the chance to take the periodic table quiz today.  We also discussed Ions and Isotopes and watched www.brainpop.com movies on both topics, though we only took the quiz on Ions.  After each movie, we completed a worksheet on the respective topic (Ions was worksheet 3-15, Isotopes was worksheet 3-16).  We reviewed both pages before the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test was on Monday, November 18th.

Day 54

Students had the opportunity to take the periodic table quiz today.  We discussed section 3-5 notes on atomic number and atomic mass of an atom.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Atoms and took the quiz afterwards.  Finally, students worked on worksheet 3-14 in their groups before we reviewed the answers together.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 3 test will be on Monday.

Day 53

I collected the week #11 science news articles today, and then students had another chance to take the periodic table quiz (they have until this Friday, 11/15, to take it).  We discussed section 3-4 notes on the evolution of the atomic theory, including protons, neutrons and electrons.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Atomic Model and took the quiz afterwards.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will be next Monday, November 18th.

Day 52

Carol Kirol, the district's dental hygenist, was in today as a guest speaker in my classes. 

News article #11 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Monday, November 18th.

Day 51

Students had the opportunity to take the periodic table quiz again today.  We reviewed the solutions to the eight problems on worksheet 3-10 from yesterday.  Students were then assigned pages 3-11, 12 and 13 to be completed in class within their groups.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Monday, November 18th.

Day 50

Students had the chance to take the periodic table quiz again today.  We then reviewed problems #5, 6, 7 & 9 from worksheet 3-9 from the last two days.  Students were finally assigned worksheet 3-10 to work on until the end of class.  They were told that problem #4 was already solved, so that left them with seven problems.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Monday, November 18th.

Day 49

Students had another opportunity to take the periodic table quiz at the beginning of class.  We then watched a www.brainpop.com video on Chemical Equations and took the quiz using the student responders.  Students were then assigned the remaining problems on worksheet 3-9 (#2, 3, 5, 6, 7 & 9).  We did #2 together and reviewed #3 before the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 Test will be on Monday, November 18th.

Day 48

After listening to the week #10 news article summaries, students had their first opportunity to take the elements quiz.  Eventually, I demonstrated the process involved in balancing chemical equations or "Stoichiometry".  After several sample problems on the IWB, students solved problems #8, 4 and 1, in that order on a separate sheet of notebook paper.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Monday, November 18th.

Day 47

We had 28-minute classes today because we watched "Freak, The Mighty" in the auditorium in the afternoon.  During our time in class, we discussed subscripts and coefficients (from section 3-3 notes) and completed worksheets 3-7 and 3-8.

News article #10 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Monday, November 18th.

Day 46

Students were given a copy of the periodic table of elements today, and I explained to them the requirements for the elements quiz.  We discussed the top half of section 3-3 notes on chemical symbols today.  Students worked in their groups to complete worksheets 3-5 & 3-6.  We went over the answers in the last 10 minutes.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Monday, November 18th.

Day 45

We discussed section 3-2 notes today on the differences between elements, compounds and mixtures.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Compounds & Mixtures, followed by the quiz.  Students were then assigned worksheet 3-4 to be completed in 4 minutes within their groups and we went over those answers immediately.  Finally, we all completed worksheet 3-3 together within the last 8 minutes of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Monday, November 18th.

Day 44

Today students worked in their groups to complete worksheet 3-2, which was about separating mixtures based on their unique physical and chemical properties.  We discussed different possible solutions in the last 15 minutes of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Monday, November 18th.

Day 43

Students handed in their FarceBook posters at the beginning of class.  Students then had the opportunity to give oral summaries for their last news article (#9) of the first marking period.  They were given their packets for Chapter 3, and we discussed section 3-1 notes on Homogeneous vs Heterogeneous matter.  Students worked with their partners to complete worksheet 3-1, and we discussed the answers before the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will be on November 18th.

Day 42

Today was the last day that students had class time to work on their Farcebook project.  Students worked the entire period to complete the posters, and if they were done by the end of class, they earned five points extra credit for early submission.  Otherwise, they are due at the beginning of Monday's class for regular credit.

News article #9 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Monday, November 18th.

Day 41

Students continued to work on their Farcebook project for the 4th day.  As a reminder, they can still turn in the poster by the end of tomorrow's class for 5 points extra credit.  Students could take their posters home today to work on them.

The posters are due on Monday, and the Chapter 3 test is Monday, November 18th.

Day 40

Students continued for the third straight day to work on their FarceBook poster.  Some students were even ready to start composing on the poster today.  They were reminded that they should write only in black or blue ink.

The poster is due on Monday, October 28th, and the Chapter 3 test is on Monday, November 18th.

Day 39

Students used the laptops today to research their given scientist for the Farcebook project. 

The posters are due on Monday, October 28th, but they can earn 5 points extra credit by turning them in by the end of Friday's class.  The next test won't be until Friday, November 15th.

Day 38

Immediately at the beginning of class, I collected the online gases lab from last week.  We then listened to oral summaries of the week #8 science news articles.  For the remainder of class, students worked on their Farcebook Project, in which they were given a famous scientist of the past and asked to create a "Facebook-like" profile page for them. 

The Farcebook poster is due on Monday, October 28th, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Friday, November 15th.

Day 37

Students had their Chapter 2 notebook checked today for 60 points.  During that time, we watched a Mythbusters episode on baseball myths.

The online lab and 8th news article are due on Monday, and the Chapter 3 test will be on November 15th.

Day 36

Students took their Chapter 2 test today using Moodle.  With the remaining time in class, they had the opportunity to get a news article for next week or work on their online lab.

The notebook check is tomorrow, the online lab is due on Monday, and the next test is somewhere around November 15th.

Day 35

We watched a video called, "Understanding Matter", which coincided with Worksheet 2-11.  The remaining time was used to play Jeopardy to review for tomorrow's test.

The notebook check will be this Friday, the online lab is due on Monday, October 21st, and the Chapter 2 test is tomorrow.

Day 34

Since students had off yesterday for Columbus Day, their week #7 news articles were due today.  After students had the opportunity to summarize those articles out loud for extra credit, they got on the laptops and continued to progress through the online gas lab.  Most students completed the lab by the end of the period.

The online lab is due on Monday, October 21st, and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 17th.

Day 33

We had an altered schedule today to accommodate the showing of "The Outsiders" in the afternoon.  During science class, students began Activity3 of the online lab (which started on page H).  Although some students were able to completely finish the lab today, most students were able to complete up through page "I" before the end of the period.

News article #7 is due on Tuesday, and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 17th.

Day 32

We continued to work on the online gas lab (accessible through Moodle).  Most students started Activity 2 today on the lab and were through to the bottom of page G by the end of the period.

News article #7 is due on Tuesday, and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 17th.

Day 31

We started class with a review of Chapter 2 by playing a Reveal Game using the IWB.  After covering all topics, students continued to work on completing Activity 1 from the online lab.  By the end of the period, the goal was for students to be completely done with page D.  If not, they should use their own time to meet that goal before the beginning of tomorrow's class.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 2 test will be one week from today, October 17.

Day 30

After we completed worksheet 2-5 together, 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 17th

Day 29

Students had the opportunity to present their week #6 science news articles for extra credit today.  We reviewed worksheet 2-4, which was completed on Friday.  Students then worked with their partners to complete the lab on pages 2-8 & 2-9, relating the pressure and temperature of a gas.  We discussed the outcomes of that lab before the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 17th.

Day 28

We began the class by going over worksheet 2-12 from yesterday's class.  We continued reviewing phase changes in matter from by completing and reviewing Worksheet 2-2.  We discussed Section 2-3 notes on Physical vs Chemical changes using a flipchart lesson.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Property Changes and took the ensuing quiz using the student responders.  We ended class by completing worksheets 2-3 & 2-4 within their groups.  We had enough time to go over page 2-3, but we'll have to save 2-4 for Tuesday.

News article #6 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 17th.

Day 26

We began class by reviewing yesterday's volume, pressure and temperature lab from page 2-10.  We discussed section 2-2 notes on phase changes in matter, and students used the double-sided diagram to take notes during that time.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Matter Changing States and took the quiz afterward.  We ended class with students completing worksheet 2-12 together in their groups.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 2 Test will be on Thursday, October 17th, 2013.

Day 25

We reviewed yesterday's lab on the Mass of Air.  We went over the remainder of section 2-1 notes on ideal gas laws, and I emphasized the ideas of inverse vs direct relationships.  Students then worked with their partner to complete the lab on page 2-10, which examined the relationship between pressure, volume and temperature of a gas.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 17th.

Day 24

Students were given their Chapter 2 packets today, and we used the top of worksheet 2-1 to review the states of matter topic from yesterday.  Students then worked in their group to complete the lab on page 2-6 & 2-7, where the were tasked with finding the mass of air.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 17th.

Day 23

I collected the week #5 science news articles after allowing students the opportunity to summarize out loud for extra credit.  We began Chapter 2 today, but since the copier was broken, only period 2 got the new packets.  Everyone was given a copy of a double-sided cartoon about the states of matter.  We used the front side to introduce the topic, and the backside was used for the students to take notes on solids, liquids and gases.  We ended class by watching a www.brainpop.com video on States of Matter, and students took the quiz using the student responders.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 18th.

Day 22

Since the band went to the Bloomsburg Fair yesterday, most of those students made up the Chapter 1 test today.  While in class, we watched a Mythbusters episode on scientific method, in which they discovered why diet coke and mentos lead to a cola fountain.  During that time, I called students over one at a time to grade their Chapter 1 notebooks.

News article #5 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 17th.

Day 21

Students reported directly to the computer lab today.  They took the Chapter 1 test on Moodle.  Any time that remained after the test was used to either get a news article for next week, work on their History project or complete their Chapter 1 notebook.

The notebook check will be tomorrow, and the Chapter 2 test will be October 17th.

Day 20

Today in class we started by checking and reviewing the homework (worksheet 1-19).  We then watched a www.brainpop.com video on Graphs and students did EXTREMELY well on the ensuing quiz.  We ended class by playing Jeopardy to review for tomorrow's test.

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

Day 19

Students needed to login to moodle for today's assignemnt. In order to complete worksheet 1-16, students used the "Create-a-Graph" link at the bottom of my Moodle page. They had to create a pie graph for number 1, a bar graph for number 2, and a line graph for number 3.

Page 1-19 was assigned for homework, worth 15 points, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Thursday, September 26th.

Day 18

After listening to and eventually collecting the week #4 science news articles, we reviewed the two density labs from last week. We then went over section 1-6 notes on graphing and completed worksheets 1-17 & 1-18 together before the bell rang.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Thursday, September 26th.

Day 17

Since we've spent the past two days exploring the density of solids, today students did a lab on page 1-14 that tasked them with finding the density of an unknown liquid through seven trials. Once they completed that lab, they were asked to complete worksheet 1-15 on graphing density. We went over the lab and worksheet 1-15 before the bell rang.

News article #4 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Thursday, September 26th.

Day 16

We began class by watching a www.brainpop.com video on Measuring Matter, which explored the relationship between mass, volume and density. After taking the quiz, students had the remainder of the period to complete the Density of Solids lab from yesterday.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Thursday, September 26th.

Day 15

Students were asked to bring a calculator to today's class. They were given a lab paper to discover the densities of different massed solid cubes. We did this for the entire period.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Thursday, September 26th.

Day 14

We reviewed the results of the metrics lab from the past two days. I used close-up pictures of the triple-beam balances and graduated cylinder to help students better read the results. I then physically read the thermometers and meter sticks and gave my opinioned results. After reviewing the lab, I handed out a 2-sided supplement that helped to introduce the topic of DENSITY. One side was a cartoon, while the other was a collection of 12 practice problems finding either mass, volume or density. After discussing what density was, students used calculators to complete the practice problems, and we went over the answers in the last 5 minutes of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Thursday, September 26th.

Day 13

As always, we began class by listening to oral summaries for our week #3 news articles. After collecting them, students had the remainder of the period to complete the Measuring with Metrics lab that we started last Friday on pages 1-11 & 1-12.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Thursday, September 26th.

Day 12

I began class by checking students' homework, which was pages 1-7 through 1-10, and then we went over the answers together. We then progressed to worksheets 1-11 & 1-12, which was our lab for the next two days. Students either worked alone or with a partner to go work through 28 different items of which they needed to measure either the mass, volume, temperature or length. I told them they would not and SHOULD NOT be done with the lab today, and that they would have more time on Monday to complete this project.

News article #3 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Thursday, September 26th.

Day 11

Today in class we went over section 1-4 notes and I demonstrated, while students practiced, the use, care and reading of the four metric lab tools we will be using in class this year- the ruler, triple beam balance, graduated cylinder and thermometer. I used some links available on Moodle to help with the readings of the triple beam balance and graduated cylinders.

Students were assigned worksheets 1-7, 1-8, 1-9 and 1-10 for homework. They had the last 10 minutes of class to work on it, so many of them already completed the assignment. The Chapter 1 test is on Thursday, September 26th.

Day 10

We began class by watching a www.brainpop.com video on Metric vs Customary units. Students took the quiz using the handheld responders and we reviewed the answers afterwards. We went over the answers to the 10 problems students did yesterday on worksheet 1-6, and they were assigned the bottom 10 problems on that page for the remainder of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Thursday, September 26th.

Day 9

I returned the Metric Conversion quiz to the students and we went over the solution to each problem. We went over section 1-5 notes on dimensional analysis, and used the conversion factors on worksheet 1-2 to complete the top half of worksheet 1-6. We will complete the bottom half of the page tomorrow.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Thursday, September 26th.

Day 8

Students handed in their Week #2 science news articles, and several from each class volunteered to summarize their's out loud for extra credit. After news articles, students took the 15-problem Metric Conversion quiz. With the remaining 15 minutes of class, we analyzed three different experiments on paper to decide what was wrong with them and how to perform the correctly.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Thursday, September 26th.

Day 7

Students took the Metric Conversion practice quiz to start the class. We went over all the answers and they were allowed to keep it as a review tool. I handed back the Week #1 news articles from Tuesday and I discussed in detail the different types of mistakes that lead to a reduction in points for the assignment. Finally, in the last 15 minutes of class, we watched a www.brainpop.com video on Metric Units and used the student responders to take the ensuing quiz.

News article #2 is due on Monday, and the Metric Conversion quiz will also be on Monday.

Day 6

We began class by completing four word problems relating to metric conversions, giving the answers using the student responders. They were assigned worksheet 1-3 within their group to be completed in 8 minutes. We went over the answers together. We then completed all of worksheet 1-5 together.

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

Day 5

Today was picture day, so during 2nd period, students were in and out of my room. Students completed worksheet 1-4, which was assigned yesterday at the end of class. We reviewed those answers by using the student responders so that their answers, whether right or wrong, could remain anonymous. We then did some practice conversions of metric units to review.

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

Day 4

We began class today with our first week of science news articles. Students also had the opportunity to summarize their article out loud for extra credit. After I collected the homework, 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 (Section 1-2 notes), 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.

No homework was assigned, and the Metric Conversion quiz will be on Monday, 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 understood 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). On Moodle, 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 www.brainpop.com , and took a quiz after it using student responders.

Their first science news article is due on Tuesday, September 3rd, and their first quiz on Metric Conversions will be on Monday, September 6th.

Day 2

Students were given access to Moodle today. I reminded 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 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 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 4th, and their first quiz, on Metric Conversions, will be on Friday, September 7th.

Day 1

For the first day of school, students were told of the significance of science news articles. I showed them where to locate these articles at a website called www.sciencedaily.com. I also showed them the proper way to write their summaries. 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, and they also found two challenging vocab words.

Students must return their "I read the handbook" page and the student profile form to their 1st PERIOD TEACHER by Friday, September 6th.

Their first quiz will be on Metric Conversions, and it will be on Monday, September 9th.

Day 180

Students had each of their seven classes for 10 minutes today so that they could receive their final exam score and final grade.

See you in August!

Day 179

Students took their math and science final exams today.

Day 178

Students took their History and English final exams today.  Tomorrow's finals are math and science.

Day 177

Students were in the computer lab today to take the final exam practice test on moodle for the last time.  We ended the day by going to the auditorium at 12:30 to watch "Flipped" and have our end-of-the-year awards assembly.

The final exam will be on Tuesday, June 4th.

Day 176

(IWB - Chapter 9 & 11 Final Exam Review)

Students had locker cleanout during flex today.  We only met with our period 2 & 3 classes due to the afternoon field day.  Those classes had their review of chapters 9 and 11 with Jeopardy.  We also had our student of the month luncheon today.

The final exam will be on Tuesday, June 4th.

Day 175

Carol Kirol, the school's dental hygienist, was in today to talk about oral hygiene to each of the classes.

The final exam will be on Tuesday, June 4th.

Day 174

(IWB - Chapter 9 & 11 Final Exam Review)

Today we had student presentations in the auditorium during Flex, 2 & 3 for the thematic unit on Careers.  Our scheduled field day was postponed due to weather until Thursday, therefore we only met with our afternoon classes (periods 5, 6 & 7).  During that time, we reviewed chapters 9 & 11 on waves and energy, respectively, and played jeopardy to complete our review.  We will meet with the morning classes on Thursday to make up the difference.

The final exam for science will be on Tuesday, June 4th.

Day 173

(IWB - Chapter 8 Final Exam Review)

Due to the A.M. talent show, we switched Periods 2 & 4.  In class, we reviewed chapter 8 topics and concepts and played jeopardy to complete the review.

The final exam will be on Tuesday, June 4th.

Day 172

Students were in the computer lab today to take the final exam practice test for the third time.  Anytime left over after the practice test could be used to work on the finishing touches of their thematic unit.

The final exam will be on Tuesday, June 4th.

Day 171

Students again worked in their thematic unit groups to complete their powerpoint presentation.  Students were also given their final fourth quarter grades.

No homework was assigned nor will any be assigned for the rest of the year.  The final exam will be on Tuesday, June 4th.

Day 170

Today I collected the very last (#35) science news article which ends the fourth quarter gradebook.  Students then worked within their Penn College groups today to begin creating their powerpoint presentation and college search online.

No homework was assigned, and the final exam will be on Tuesday, June 4th.

Day 169

The 8th grade took a field trip to Penn College today to participate in Career Day, the start of our thematic unit.

News article #35 is due tomorrow, and the Final Exam will be on Tuesday, June 4th.

Day 168

Students took the final exam practice test on Moodle today for the second time.  Hopefully their scores improved over last week after we covered four more chapters prior.

News article #35 is due on Tuesday, and the Final Exam will be on Tuesday, June 4th.

Day 167

(IWB - Chapter 7 Final Exam Review)

Today we reviewed Chapter 7 on work, power and simple machines.  As before, we played Jeopardy to end the class.

Mr. Girardi will be in for me tomorrow, and they will be taking the final exam practice test on Moodle again.

News article #35 is due on Tuesday, and the final exam will be on Tuesday, June 4th.

Day 166

(IWB - Chapter 6 Final Exam Review)

Today we reviewed the content and topics from Chapter 6 for the first 22 minutes of class before playing Jeopardy for the final 22 minutes.

No homework was assigned, and the Final Exam will be on Tuesday, June 4th.

Day 165

(IWB - Chapter 5 Final Exam Review)

Today I showed students how to calculate their final grade and how the formula was available on Moodle.  We reviewed Chapter 5 on Motion, and played Jeopardy to finish the review.

No homework was assigned, and the final exam will be on Tuesday, June 4th.

Day 164

(IWB - Chapter 3 Final Exam Review)

Today I collected the week #34 science news articles.  We then reviewed Chapter 3 content and topics before playing Jeopardy to complete the review.

No homework was assigned, and the final exam will be on Tuesday, June 4th.

Day 163

(IWB - N/A)

Mr. Henderson was my sub today.  Students were assigned the final exam practice test on Moodle.

News article #34 is due on Monday, and the Final Exam will be on Monday, June 3rd.

Day 162

(IWB - Chapter 2 Final Exam Review)

We reviewed chapter 2 topics and content, followed by a game of Jeopardy to complete the review.

News article #34 is due on Monday, and the Final Exam will be on Monday, June 3rd.

Day 161

(IWB - Day 161 Chapter 1 Final Exam Review)

Today we reviewed all content from Chapter 1, including scientific method, metrics, variables, lab tools and graphs.  We played jeopardy for the final 20 minutes of class to conclude our review.

No homework was assigned, and the science final exam will be on Monday, June 3rd.

Day 160

(Day 160 - Chapter 9 Notebook Check)

Today students watched Mythbusters while they had their Chapter 9 notebooks checked for 50 points.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 10 test will be on Thursday, May 23rd.

Day 159

(IWB - Day 159 Chapter 9 Test)

After listening to the summaries of our 33rd week of science news articles, students took the Chapter 9 test on Moodle.  They also were given the opportunity to print off an article for next week.

The notebook check is tomorrow, and the next (and last) chapter test will be on Wednesday, May 22nd.

Day 158

(IWB - Chapter 9 Review)

Students were given 15 minutes to complete the review worksheets on pages 9-10 & 9-11.  After we reviewed those pages, we played Jeopardy to review Chapter 9.

News article #33 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 9 test will also be on Monday, May 6th.

Day 157

(IWB - Day 157 Finish Chapter 9 Packet)

As a class, we walked to the Digiplex movie theater in Williamsport to see the movie, 42, based on the Jackie Robinson story.  After the walk back (45 minutes), students had a 30 minute bagged lunch break in their study hall room.  For the remaining 50 minutes of school, students had a study hall.

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

Day 156

(IWB - Day 156 Wave Interactions)

Today I previewed tomorrow's altered schedule due to the walking field trip to Digiplex.  We discussed section 9-3 notes on wave interactions.  I used a tennis ball to demonstrate reflection, and a giant slinky to demonstrate interference.  I also used an electronic standing wave generator to show standing waves.  We completed worksheet 9-9 together, and students had the final 10 minutes of class to complete and hand in their slinky lab report and rubric.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 9 test will be on Monday.

Day 155

(IWB - Day 155 Slinky Lab)

We began class by going over the four assigned pages from yesterday (9-2, 9-3, 9-4 & 9-5).  We watched a www.brainpop.com movie on Waves and took the quiz that went with it.  Students had the remaining 15 minutes of class to complete the Slinky Lab from pages 9-7 & 9-8, using the rubric to help them evaluate their drawings and sentences.

The Slinky Lab report is due by the end of tomorrow's class, and the Chapter 9 test will be on Monday, May 6th.

Day 154

(IWB - Day 154 Wave Speed)

Today students presented their 31st week of science news articles.  We discussed section 9-2 notes on speed, frequency, amplitude and wavelength of waves.  Students were assigned worksheets 9-2, 9-3, 9-4 and 9-5 to be completed within their groups before the end of the period.

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

Day 153

(IWB- Day 153 Intro to Waves)
I handed out the new packets for Chapter 9 on Waves. I used an IWB flipchart to discuss section 9-1 notes on the types and general properties of waves. The flipchart included a few outside weblinks to simulations of waves. I used the long spring to demonstrate the transverse and longitudinal waves. Students worked in their groups to complete worksheet 9-1 before we went over the answers towards the end of class.


News article #32 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 9 test will be on Monday, May 6th.

Day 152

(IWB - Day 152 Chapter 11 Notebook Check)

Students had their notebooks checked today for 60 points.  During that time we watched the "No Pain, No Gain" episode of Mythbusters.

No homework was assigned, and the next chapter test (Chapter 9) will be on Monday, May 6th.

Day 151

(IWB - Day 151 Chapter 11 Test)

Students were in the computer lab today to take the Chapter 11 test.  They had enough time to get their news articles done for next week.

The notebook check will be tomorrow, and the next test will be on Monday, May 6th.

Day 150

(IWB - Day 150 Chapter 11 Review)

Students took both parts of their science PSSA exams today, which left us with only 27 minutes for each of the core classes.  During that time, we played Jeopardy to review for tomorrow's chapter 11 test.  I also handed back yesterday's news articles and the online energy lab.

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

Day 149

(IWB - Day 149 Finish Chap 11 Packet)

As always, students had the opportunity to present their news articles today (#31) for extra credit.  Students were then assigned worksheets 11-1 & 11-17 to complete before the end of class.  Both pages were reviews of key terms and concepts from this chapter.  We went over the answers before the end of class.

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

Day 148

(IWB - Day 147 Heat Engines)

We discussed section 11-3 notes on heat engines and energy conversions.  Using the flipchart, I showed video clips of internal and external combustion engines, as well as a clip of the Phoenix roller coaster to visualize potential to kinetic conversions.  We completed worksheet 11-16 together using a pendulum demonstration, and we completed worksheet 11-11 together to identify the greater influence on kinetic energy, mass or velocity.  Students were then assigned worksheet 11-9 to complete within their groups.  We went over those answers and the ones from yesterday before the end of the period.

News article #31 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 11 Test will be on Wednesday, April 24th.

Day 147

(IWB - Day 148 E=mc2)

Today is supposed to be a better weather day than tomorrow, so we did tomorrow's lesson today.  It called for us to be outside to complete worksheet 11-7, identifying objects that have kinetic and/or potential energy.  We then completed worksheet 11-5 together, identifying energy conversions.  I discussed section 11-4 notes on Law of Conservation of Energy and Einstein's Theory of Relativity.  We ended class by students working in their groups to complete worksheet 11-10 and 11-9 (#5 only on page 11-9).

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, April 24th.

Day 146

(IWB - Day 146 Kinetic Energy)

Today we learned about Potential Energy's fraternal twin, Kinetic Energy.  We discussed section 11-2 notes and watched a www.brainpop.com movie on Kinetic energy before taking the quiz on that topic.  We completed worksheets 11-4 and 11-6 in class (11-4 needed a calculator).

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, April 24th.

Day 145

(IWB - Day 145 Potential Energy)

We took the first 10-15 minutes of class to complete worksheets 2 & 3 from yesterday's lesson.  We discussed section 11-2 notes on Potential Energy only, and viewed a brief clip of the famous space jump to demonstrate potential energy.  Students watched a www.brainpop.com video and took the quiz on Potential Energy.  We ended class by completing the small lab exercise on page 11-12, dropping a tennis ball from different heights to compare potential energies.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, April 24th.

Day 144

(IWB - Day 144 Forms of Energy)

I collected the Online Energy Lab that students have had the past two weeks to complete.  Students also had the opportunity to present their week #30 science news articles for extra credit.  After I collected the articles, students were given their new packets for Chapter 11 on energy, and we discussed section 11-1 notes on forms of energy.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Forms of Energy and took the quiz thereafter.  Students were assigned worksheets 11-2 & 11-3 within their groups, where they had to identify the type of energy conversion that was taking place.  We will finish this assignment in class tomorrow.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, April 24th.

Day 143

(IWB - Day 143 Last PSSA Day 5)

Today concluded our week of PSSA math and reading exams.  Students did not meet with any of their core classes today, but instead took their final PSSA reading exam and were treated to a movie in the auditorium along with the 7th grade for their efforts this week.

News article #30 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, April 24th.

Day 142

(IWB - Day 142 Finish Online Energy Lab, PSSA 4)

Today was the third day of PSSA's and the last day of the online energy lab. After students presented their week #29 news articles, they had the remaining time to finish their online lab. (*today we only met with our period 3, 5 & 6 classes due to an altered schedule for PSSA's)

No homework was assigned and the Chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, April 24th.

Day 141

(IWB - Day 141 Finish Online Energy Lab, PSSA 3)

Today was the third day of PSSA's and the last day of the online energy lab. After students presented their week #29 news articles, they had the remaining time to finish their online lab. (*today we only met with our period 3, 5 & 6 classes due to an altered schedule for PSSA's)

No homework was assigned and the Chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, April 24th.

Day 140

(IWB - Day 140 Finish Online Energy Lab)

Today was the second day of PSSA's and the last day of the online energy lab.  After students presented their week #29 news articles, they had the remaining time to finish their online lab.  (*today we only met with our period 2 class due to an altered schedule for PSSA's)

No homework was assigned and the Chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, April 24th.

Day 139

(IWB - Day 139 PSSA M&R 1)

I did not meet with any of my classes today, as students took the first two PSSA exams.  We were in the auditorium to end the day with a celebratory movie.

News article #29 is due this week, and the Chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, April 24th.

Day 138

(IWB - Day 138 Online Energy Lab 3)

I distributed a copy of next week's PSSA schedule to every student and went over each day's agenda.  I demonstrated the procedure for part three of the online energy lab, including calculating the speed in column three of page 10.

News article #28 is due next week, and the Chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, April 24th.

Day 137

(IWB - Day 137 Online Energy Lab 2)

Most students completed Part 2 of the online energy lab today.  That had to take their data from pages 5 & 6 and use the create-a-graph website to make two line graphs that showed the relationship between mass, speed and kinetic energy.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, April 24th.

Day 136

(IWB - Day 136 Online Energy Lab 1)

Today officially began the fourth quarter, and students had the usual opportunity to present their week #27 science news articles for extra credit.  They then worked with their partner on the online energy lab, accessible through Moodle.  They were given a packet for this lab to record their data.  Most students got though with section one today, which was the end of page 3 in the packet.

No homework was assigned and the Chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, April 24th.

Day 135

(Day 135 - PSSA on Study Island)

Students were in the computer lab today to take the Study Island PSSA science practice test.  They were allowed to use the last 10 minutes of class to get a science news article for next week.

News article #27 is due on Wednesday, and the Chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, April 24th.

Day 134

(IWB - Day 134 PSSA Science Practice B)

Students took a practice science exam today.  I will compare their scores on this assessment with the one they took at the beginning of the month.

News article #27 is due on Wednesday, April 3rd, and the Chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, April 24th.

Day 133

(IWB - Day 133 Chapter 8 Notebook Check)

Students submitted their 27th week of science news articles today.  We also had the Chapter 8 notebook check and watched Mythbusters episodes with electricity segments while doing so.

News article #28 is due on Wednesday, April 3rd, and the Chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, April 24th.

Day 132

(IWB - Day 132 State Finals)

Mrs. Wonderlich was in for me today.  Students watched a collection of Mythbusters segments focusing on myths about electricity to close out our most recent study.

The notebook check and news article #27 are due on Monday, and the next test on Chapter 11 will be on Wednesday, April 24th.

Day 131

(IWB - Day 131 Chapter 8 Test)

Students took the Chapter 8 test on Moodle today.

News article #27 and the notebook check will be on Monday, and the next test (Chapter 11) will be on Wednesday, April 24th.

Day 130

(IWB - Day 130 Chapter 8 Review)

We checked and reviewed the homework (worksheet 8-15).  We played Jeopardy to review for tomorrow's test, and I also showed them a study guide I put on Moodle that they can use to help prepare.

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

Day 129

(IWB - Day 129 Circuit Lab)

Students worked in their groups to complete the Circuit Lab on worksheets 8-19 through 8-22.

Worksheets 8-15 & 8-16 (crossword puzzle review) was assigned for homework, and the Chapter 8 test will be this Thursday, March 21st.

Day 128

(IWB - Day 128 Electric Circuits)

Even though we had early dismissal at 1:00 today, we still had enough time to meet each class.  I collected the week #26 news article and discussed section 8-6 notes on circuits.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Electric Circuits and took the quiz.  We crossed out worksheet 8-12, completed #1-5 on worksheet 8-13, and the morning classes were able to complete page 8-14, but the afternoon classes only got done with the top half of page 8-14.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 8 test will be on Thursday, March 21st.

Day 127

(IWB - Day 127 Batteries)

We discussed section 8-5 notes on alternating and direct current (AC / DC).  We watched www.brainpop.com videos on Batteries and Current Electricity.  We ended class by finishing worksheet 8-2 (#6 & 7) and worksheet 8-4 (#6 a, b and c).

News article #26 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 8 test will be on Thursday, March 21st.

Day 126

(IWB - Electrical Energy (PSSA-W))

Today was the last day for PSSA writing exams, so we still had 35 minute core classes.  We discussed section 8-4 notes on energy, and how the electric company bills you based on how many kilowatt-hours a house consumes.  Students worked in their groups to complete worksheet 8-11, and we went over the answers at the end of class.

Day 125

(IWB - Day 125 PSSA Sci Review (PSSA-W))

Students met with each class today for only 35 minutes due to the second day of PSSA Writing exams.  During that time, students were given back their news articles and Ohm's Law quiz, and we went over those answers.  Students also were given back their practice PSSA science tests from last week, and we went over the open ended items that were skipped.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 8 test will be on Thursday, March 21st.

Day 124

(Day 124 - Lightning Video PSSA-W)

Since students were given two PSSA writing exams today, we had an altered schedule which provided for 30-minute core classes.  During that time in my class, students finished watching the remainder of the lightning video from yesterday.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 8 test will be on Thursday, March 21st.

Day 123

(IWB - Day 123 Ohm's Law Quiz)

Students turned in their 25th science news article.  They took the quiz on Ohm's Law, which had the formulas written at the top.  Following the quiz, we watched the first 17:29 minutes of a National Geographic video on lightning.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 8 test will be on Thursday, March 21st.

Day 122

(IWB - Day 122 Electric Power)

Students were given the new formula to calculate electric power given voltage and current.  We completed problems 1 through 5 from page 8-2, and then they were assigned pages 8-3, 8-9 and 8-10 to work on in their groups.  We reviewed the answers before the end of class.

News article #25 is due on Monday, and the quiz on Ohm's Law is also on Monday.

Day 121

(IWB - Day 121 Ohm's Law)

Students learned about Ohm's Law (section 8-3 notes) and completed worksheets 8-5 through 8-8 in class and we reviewed the answers before the bell rang.

No homework was assigned, and the Ohm's Law quiz will be on Monday.

Day 120

(IWB - Day 120 Static Electricity)

We discussed section 8-2 notes on static electricity.  The IWB flipchart differentiated between conductors and insulators.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on static electricity and took the quiz right after it.  We ended class by me giving a demonstration using a Van de Graff generator, which produces static electricity en masse.

No homework was assigned, and the quiz on Ohm's law will be on Monday.

Day 119

(IWB - Day 119 Electricity)

Students were given their new packets for Chapter 8 on Electricity.  We discussed section 8-1 notes on the role of atoms in electricity.  Students watched a www.brainpop.com video on Electricity and took the quiz afterward.  Working with their partner, students completed worksheet 8-1 before we went over the answers together.  With the 10-15 minutes that remained, students finished their Science PSSA practice exam that they began yesterday.

No homework was assigned, and the Ohm's Law quiz will be on Monday, March 11th.

Day 118

(IWB - Day 118 PSSA practice test)

Students, as always, had the opportunity to present their week #24 science news articles for extra credit today.  Afterwards, students took a practice test to prepare them for the PSSA science exam in late April.

No homework was assigned, and the quiz on Ohm's Law will be on Monday, March 11th.

Day 117

(IWB - Day 117 Chapter 7 Notebook Check)

Students had their chapter 7 notebooks graded today for 100 points.  During that time, students watched a mythbusters episode on viral internet videos.

News article #24 is due on Monday, and the next quiz (on Ohm's Law) will be on Tuesday, March 12th.

Day 116

(IWB - Day 116 Chapter 7 Test)

Students took their Chapter 7 test today using Moodle.  They had enough time after the test to get a news article for next Monday.

The notebook check will be tomorrow for 100 points, and the next quiz date has not yet been set.

Day 115

(IWB - Day 115 Chapter 7 Review)

I checked the homework from yesterday, which was worksheet 15-20.  We also went over the crossword puzzle on page 15-19.  Students stayed in their groups to play Jeopardy to review for tomorrow's test.  Any time that was left over was used to play a concentration matching game using Chapter 7 vocab.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 test is tomorrow.

Day 114

(IWB - Day 114 Finish Ch 7 Packet)

Students had the opportunity to finish worksheet 15-10 from yesterday.  They were then assigned page 15-18 (with which they were encouraged to use section 7-7 notes to complete it), and then complete the crossword review puzzle on page 15-19.

Page 15-20 was assigned for homework, and the Chapter 7 test will be on Thursday.

Day 113

(IWB - Day 113 IMA of Simple Machines)

Today we listened to summaries of Week #23 science news articles.  Students were given back their chapter 7 vocab quiz from last week and we went over the answers to each of the 25 questions.  We discussed section 7-7 notes on ideal mechanical advantage of a simple machine, and used that to complete problems 2, 3 & 4 on worksheet 15-8.  I then reminded students how to find work output and work input before they worked on page 15-10 until the end of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 test will be on Thursday, February 28th.

Day 112

(IWB - Day 112 Pulley Lab 3)

Today was the final day that students worked on the pulley lab in class.  They were able to take it home and fill in any of the missing pieces over this weekend, as they are due on Monday. 

News article #23 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 7 test will be on Thursday, February 28th.

Day 111

(IWB - Day 111 Pulley Lab 2)

Students continued to work in their respective groups towards today's goal, which was to be on page 10 of the pulley lab.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 test will be on Thursday, February 28th.

Day 110

(IWB - Day 110 Pulley Lab 1)

Students were given a new 14-page packet today that explored the use of pulleys though a 3-day lab exercise.  Students worked at their tables with their partners and most students were on page 6 by the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 test will be on Thursday, February 28th.

Day 109

(IWB - Day 109 Chap 7 Vocab Quiz)

I began class by collecting the online simple machines lab packet.  Students then had the opportunity to get extra credit by giving oral summaries of their week #22 science news articles.  For the remainder of class, students took the Chapter 7 vocab quiz, which required them to pair 25 different terms with their respective definitions from the notes.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 test will be Thursday, February 28th.

Day 108

(IWB - Day 108 Online S.Machines Lab 6)

Today is the last day that students will have time in class to work on the online lab.  I postponed the vocab quiz until Tuesday due to the excessive number of absences yesterday and today.

News article #22 and the online lab are due on Tuesday, and the Vocab Quiz will also be on Tuesday.

Day 107

(IWB - Day 107 Online S.Machines Lab 5)

This was the last day that Mr.Girardi was in for me, and I continue to be grateful for his coverage in my absence.  Students again reviewed their Chapter 7 vocab terms using a "Concentration Match" game on the IWB.  During that time, they also worked on their online lab about simple machines.

No homework was assigned, and the Vocab Quiz will be tomorrow.

Day 106

(IWB - Day 106 Online S.Machines Lab 4)

For the fourth straight day, students worked on their online Simple Machines lab.  Their goal for today was to be on page 16.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 vocab quiz will be on Friday.

Day 105

(IWB - Day 105 Online S.Machines lab 3)

Students worked for the third day in a row on their online simple machines lab.  The goal for today was to be somewhere on Page 10, but not to start page 11.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 vocab quiz will be this Friday.

Day 104

(IWB - Day 104 Online S.Machines Lab 2)

Students continued their online exploration of simple machines.  By the end of today's class, the goal was for students to be somewhere on page 6.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 vocab quiz will be on Friday.

Day 103

(IWB - Day 103 Online S.Machines Lab 1)

Students were given a 21-page packet to kick off the start of our 6-day online lab that explores the uses of simple machines.  The goal for the end of the period was to be done up through and including page 3.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 vocab quiz will be next Friday.

Day 102

(IWB - Day 102)

I used a collection of pictures to illustrate the use and effectiveness of a wheel and axle.  Students watched a www.brainpop.com video on Wheel & Axle and took the quiz that followed it.  I then showed examples of pulleys and how they are used to make work easier.  We watched another www.brainpop.com video on Pulleys and took the easy quiz that followed that video.  We completed worksheet 15-11 together, and then used the last 5-10 minutes of class to complete any of the previous worksheets that may have been left undone.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 quiz will be on Friday, February 15th.

Day 101

(IWB - Day 101 Levers)

Today we learned about levers.  We differentiated between the three classes of levers (1st, 2nd and 3rd) by whether the effort, fulcrum or resistance is located in the middle of the other two.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Levers and took the quiz.  We completed worksheets 15-12, 15-15 & 15-16 together before the bell rang.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 vocab quiz will be on Friday, February 15th.

Day 100

(IWB - Day 100 Inclined Plane Lab)

Students worked in their groups to complete the lab from pages 15-13 & 15-14, which explored how inclined planes make work easier by requiring less effort force.  Students worked on completing problem #7 from page 15-9 after they completed the lab.

No homework was assigned and the next quiz will be in mid-February.

Day 99

(Day 99 - Inclined Planes)

After listening to the 21st week of science news articles, we talked about inclined planes (section 7-6 notes).  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Inclined Plane and took the quiz with it.  We worked on Worksheet 15-9, #5 & 6 together before the end of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 vocab quiz will be in mid-February.

Day 98

(IWB - Day 98 Section 7-3 & 7-4 notes)

Students got back their Work & Power quizzes today, and we reviewed the correct solutions.  We reviewed worksheets 15-5 & 15-6 from yesterday.  I discussed section 7-3 & 7-4 notes on mechanical advantage and mechanical efficiency.  We worked out problem #1 from page 15-8 before the bell rang.

News article #21 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 7 quiz will be in mid-February.

Day 97

(IWB - Day 97 Work & Power Quiz)

Students took the Work & Power quiz today (8 problems, 40 total points) and did quite well.  When finished, they were assigned worksheets 15-5 & 15-6.  We went over worksheet 15-4 before the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 quiz will be in mid-February.

Day 96

(IWB - Day 96 Stairway Lab)

We reviewed problem #6A & 6B from worksheet 15-3.  It helped to introduce us to today's lab, which was from worksheet 15-7.  Students worked with their partners in the stairwell.  We timed how long it took each student to walk and run up the steps (2 separate times).  We returned back to the classroom to work on the lab analysis (questions 5, 6 & 7) together.  Students had the remaining five minutes of class to complete worksheet 15-4 from yesterday.

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

Day 95

(IWB - Day 95 Work & Power Practice)

We were off yesterday due to inclement weather.  Today we listened to the week #20 news article summaries.  Following their collection, students were assigned worksheets 15-3 & 15-4 to be worked on within their groups during the remainder of class.  We put # 1-5 up on the board before the bell rang.  We will review the remaining problems during tomorrow's class.

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

Day 94

(IWB - Day 94 - Power)

We discussed section 7-2 notes relating power, work and time.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Power and took the quiz using the student responders.  Students then worked in their groups to complete worksheet 15-2.  Students put the solutions to the five problems on the IWB before the end of the period.

News article #20 is due on Monday, and the quiz on Work & Power will be on Wednesday, January 30th.

Day 93

(IWB - Day 93 Work)

Students were given their new packets for chapter 7 today.  We discussed section 7-1 notes on Work.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Work and took the quiz afterwards.  Students worked in their groups to complete worksheet 7-1, and we went over the answers before the end of the period.

No homework was assigned and the next quiz will be on Wednesday, January 30th.

Day 92

(IWB - Day 92 Chapter 6 Notebook Check)

Students had their Chapter 6 notebook check today for 65 points.  During that time, we watched Mythbusters episodes on freefalling objects (skydivers, pennies from buildings).

No homework was assigned and the next quiz will be on Wednesday, January 30th.

Day 91

(IWB - Day 91 Chapter 6 Test)

Students used the laptops to get on Moodle and take the Chapter 6 test.  They had the option of printing a news article when they were done.

The notebook check is tomorrow, and the next quiz will be on January 30th.

Day 90

(IWB - Day 90 Chapter 6 Review)

Even though today was officially the last day of the 2nd quarter, today's 19th science news article was the first grade of the new marking period.  After listening to those summaries and collecting them, we played Jeopardy to review for tomorrow's Chapter 6 test.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 6 test is tomorrow.

Day 89

(IWB - Day 89 Finish Chap 6 Packet)

Students completed pages 6-11, 12 & 13 today in class, which were review sheets for this chapter.  They also had time to complete any previous pages that they may not have finished earlier in the week.  We reviewed Newton's different laws again by using a reveal game.

News article #19 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 6 Test will be on Tuesday, January 22nd.

Day 88

(IWB - Day 88 Terminal Velocity)

We discussed section 6-4 notes on terminal velocity and projectiles.  We completed worksheet 6-7 together, where we learned how fast a free-falling object is moving after a given number of seconds.  We then did an IWB reveal activity that reviewed Newton's 4 laws.  Finally, we worked on worksheet 6-9 together in class.  We did #1-6 together, and they had to #7-8 on their own.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 6 test will be on Tuesday, January 22nd.

Day 87

2-HOUR DELAY

(IWB - Day 87 Newton 4 Square)

Students were split up into four groups and each group was assigned one of Newton's 4 Laws.  They were given 15 minutes to create their 4-square poster.  Upon completion, each group presented their poster and its contents to the class.  We ended class by completing worksheet 6-10 together.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 6 test will be on Tuesday, January 22nd.

Day 86

(IWB - Day 86 Universal Gravitation)

We discussed section 6-5 notes on Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation.  We worked on page 6-5 together, where students determined their weight on other planets based on their gravity.  We then watched a www.brainpop.com video on Gravity and took the quiz using the student responders.  We ended class by working on page 6-8, using gravity as our constant acceleration.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 6 Test will be on Tuesday, January 22nd.

Day 85

(IWB - Day 85 Newton's Laws of Motion)

Students submitted their 18th science news article today, which represented the last grade of the second marking period.  We discussed section 6-3 notes on Newton's 3 Laws of Motion.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Newton's Laws of Motion and took the quiz afterwards.  I returned Friday's Force Quiz and we went over the answers together.  Finally, students worked on worksheet 6-6 during the last 10 minutes of class.  I was able to go over problems # 1-6 before the end of the period.

No homework was assigned and the Chapter 6 test will be on Tuesday, January 22nd.

Day 84

(IWB - Day 84 Force Quiz)

Students took the 8-problem quiz on calculating force, mass and acceleration.  After they turned in their quiz, they were asked to fill out a college/career survey based on their interests.

News article #18 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 6 test will be on Tuesday, January 22nd.

Day 83

(IWB - Day 83 F=ma practice)

I previewed the challenging problems on worksheet 6-3, 6-4 & 6-6, and students worked on completing those pages within their groups.  I went over the answers to pages 3 & 4, but there was not enough time to review page 6 before the bell rang.

No homework was assigned, and the Force Quiz will be tomorrow.

Day 82

(IWB - Day 82 Friction & F=ma)

We discussed section 6-2 notes on the three types of frictions, as well as the formula for Newton's 2nd law of motion, F=ma.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Force, and took the quiz afterward.  We ended class by completing all of worksheet 6-2, and the first three problems on worksheet 6-3.

No homework was assigned, and the Force quiz will be on Friday, January 11th.

Day 81

(IWB - Day 81 Balanced Forces)

I distributed the new Chapter 6 packets at the beginning of class.  We discussed Section 6-1 notes on balanced and unbalanced forces.  We completed worksheet 6-1 together in class before watching a Bill Nye video on Balance.

The online speed lab packet is due tomorrow, and the Force Quiz will be on Friday.

Day 80

(IWB - Day 80 Online Speed Lab Day 3)

After listening to and collecting the week #17 science news articles, students had the remainder of the period to work on their online speed lab.  Today is the final day that we will use classtime to work on this lab.  The completed lab packet is due on Wednesday.

No homework was assigned, and the Force quiz will be on Friday, January 11th.

Day 79

(IWB - Day 79 Online Speed Lab Day 2)

Students worked on their online lab again all period.  Most students began Activity 2 on worksheet 5-21, where they collected data from a simulator that had lugers on different planets and different values of gravity.  By the end of the period, most students got at least to the middle of page 5-23.  They will have Monday's class yet to work on this assignment, and it will be due on Wednesday.

News article #17 is due on Monday, and the Force Quiz will be on Friday, January 11th.

Day 78

(IWB - Day 78 Online Speed Lab Day 1)

Students used worksheets 5-18 to 5-14 to progress through an online lab today about the speed of an object in motion.  Using this link from moodle, students were given distances and times of five snowmobiles and asked to calculate their respective speeds.  They then answered questions based on those results.  Most students got to or through page 5-20 by the end of the period.

News article #17 is due on Monday, and the Force Quiz will be on Tuesday, December 15th.