Day 78

Today was the last day before Christmas break.  We had 26-minute classes, during which time we watched a www.brainpop.com video on Winter Holidays.  After lunch, students were in the auditorium to watch "A Christmas Carol".  The last part of the day was spent on the Winter Olympics, a SW tradition.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 5 test will be on Tuesday, January 6th.

Day 77

Students had the entire period to finish their chapter 5 packet.  The only pages that do not need to be done are the one for the online lab from 5-18 through 5-24.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 5 test will be on Tuesday, January 6th.

Day 76

We went over the last section of notes in chapter 5 today.  It was section 5-4 on Momentum.  I took students down by the guidance wing and used to carts on wheels to demonstrate the Law of Conservation of Momentum.  When we returned by to the classroom, students worked in their groups to complete worksheet 5-12 on calculating momentum.  After we went over the answers, they began worksheet 5-17, which was a crossword puzzle.  We will finish the packet tomorrow.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 5 test will be on Tuesday, January 6th.

Day 75

We discussed section 5-2 notes on graphing the motion of an object.  I demonstrated to students how horizontal, diagonal and curved lines show different motion on a graph.  Students were assigned worksheet 5-4 to work on in their groups.  We went over the answers before the end of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 5 test will be on Tuesday, January 6th.

Day 74

Students turned in their last news article of the year today (the calendar year, anyway).  After that, they worked in their groups to complete the Marble Lab they began on Friday.  They had to convert their distances from centimeters to meters, and divide them by the average times at the bottom of their data chart to determine the speed of the marble at different points of the roll.  They then plotted their data points to create a line graph and used that to answer the two questions on page 5-10.  If students did not complete worksheets 5-7 or 5-8 last Thursday,

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 5 test will be on Tuesday, January 6th.

Day 73

We did a lab today that explored the relationship between gravity, speed and acceleration.  Students finished 8 trials each for 10 different distances of rolling a marble down a ramp and timing how long it took.  We will finish the lab on Monday.

News article #15 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 5 test will be on Tuesday, January 6th.

Day 72

After the 2-hour delay, students had 34-minute classes.  During that time, students were assigned worksheet 5-7, which gave them practice solving for acceleration, velocity and time.  Once they completed, they were to begin the graphing exercise on page 5-8.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 5 test will be on Tuesday, January 6th.

Day 71

We discussed section 5-3 notes on Acceleration, introducing the new formula to calculate it.  Students were assigned problems #1-7 on worksheet 5-3 to be worked on in their groups.  We went over the answers before the end of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 5 test will be on Tuesday, January 6th.

Day 70

Students used pages 5-24 and 5-25 to guide them during today's lab.  They hopped, walked, speed-walked and walked backwards and were timed doing so.  They used that to calculate their average speed and used those paces to extrapolate results for the questions on page 5-25.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 5 test will be on Tuesday, January 6th.

Day 69

Students submitted their week #14 science news articles before I returned and reviewed Friday's speed quiz.  We then went over problems 1-10 from worksheets 5-13 and 5-14 which was assigned during last Thursday and Friday's classes.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 5 test will be on Tuesday, January 6th.

Day 68

Students took their Speed Quiz today for 40 points.  After they turned in their quiz to Mrs. Lentz, they worked towards completing worksheets 5-13, 5-14, and 5-15, including graphing their data on page 5-15.

News article #14 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 5 test will be on Tuesday, January 6.

Day 67

Mrs. Lentz was in for me today while I attended a conference in State College.  They used worksheet 5-16 as a practice quiz on calculating speed, distance and time.  Mrs. Lentz went over the answers once everyone finished.  They were then assigned worksheets 5-13, 5-14 and 5-15 to be completed by the end of tomorrow's class.

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

Day 66

We went over problems 1-8 on page 5-2 from yesterday.  We completed problems #9 & 10 together to complete that page.  Finally, students were assigned page 5-5 to work on in their groups.  We went over those answers in the last 10 minutes of class.

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

Day 65

The week #13 science news articles were collected at the beginning of class.  We completed the bottom half of worksheet 5-1 (top half was on Friday, November 21st), and students were shown the correct way to solve scientific word problems using a 4-step method.  We then did problem #1 on worksheet 5-2 together before they were assigned #2 through #8 to be worked on until the end of class.  Any of those problems that were not completed should be done for homework.

No other homework was assigned, and the next quiz will be on Friday, December 5th.

Day 64

We took the 8th grade students to the Digiplex movie theater today to see Mockinjay Part 1.  Parent teacher conferences were in the afternoon and evening.

News article #13 is due on Tuesday, December 2, and the Speed Quiz will be on Friday, December 5th.

Day 63

Students had their regular 1st period class today.  After that, we convened in the auditorium to watch Freak, The Mighty, based on a book they read in Mr. Molino's class.  We also watched the last hour of Catching Fire in preparation for our field tomorrow to watch Mockingjay.

No homework was assigned, and the Speed Quiz will be on Friday, December 5th.

Day 62

Students were given their new packets for Chapter 5.  We discussed section 5-1 notes on motion, and watched a YouTube video on Frame of Reference.  We then solved three practice speed, distance and time problems on the board before watching www.brainpop.com video on Distance, Rate and Time.  We completed the top of worksheet 5-1 before the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Speed Quiz will be on Friday, December 5th.

Day 61

Students took a practice PSSA exam today since have officially finished the chemistry portion of our curriculum.  The practice test does not count towards their 2nd quarter grade, it's just a measuring stick to prepare for the actual PSSA test in May.  Tomorrow, we will begin the physics portion of our curriculum.

No homework was assigned, and the Speed Quiz will be on Friday, December 5th.

Day 60

Students had their chapter 3 notebooks checked today for 100 points.  During that time, students watched a holiday edition of mythbusters including Christmas trees catching on fire, frozen turkey's dropping on pets, deadly falling icicles and remedies to keep pine needles from shedding.

No homework was assigned, and our next quiz will be on Friday, December 5th.

Day 59

Students took the Chapter 3 test on Moodle today.

The notebook check will be tomorrow for 100 points, and the next quiz will be on Friday, December 5th.

Day 58

As always, we began the first day of the week by giving students the opportunity to present their Week #12 science news articles out loud for extra credit before turning them in to me.  We then completed worksheet 3-17 together before students worked in their groups to complete page 3-18.  We went over those answers in the last 10 minutes of class.

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

Day 57

Students were given back their graded Farcebook posters and rubrics today.  I recollected them, though, so that parents may see them during our upcoming parent/teacher conferences.  We then played Jeopardy to review for Tuesday's test.

News article #12 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Tuesday, November 18th.

Day 56

Most students completed the periodic table quiz today.  We discussed section 3-6 notes on electron arrangement.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on the Periodic Table and took the quiz afterwards.  We ended class by completing worksheets 3-19 and 3-20.

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

Day 55

Students had another opportunity to take the periodic table quiz today.  After that, we went over worksheet 3-14 that was assigned at the end of Monday's class.  I talked about isotopes before assigning worksheet 3-15, which took about 90 seconds to do and 3 minutes to go over.  We then watched a www.brainpop.com video on Isotopes but did not take the quiz.  I described how ions are created and how they behave before watching another BrainPop video on Ions,  Again, we did not take the quiz that went with it.  We ended class by completing worksheet 3-16 together.  By the end of today's class, students should have completed every page in the packet from 1 to 16, inclusive.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 3 test has been moved to Tuesday, November 18th.

Day 54

Mrs. Kirol, the district's dental hygienist, was in my classes today to speak to the students about the dangers of smokeless tobacco.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 3 test will be on Monday, November 17th.

Day 53

After turning in their 11th week of science news articles, students had the opportunity to take the periodic table quiz.  We discussed section 3-5 notes on atomic mass and atomic number.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Atoms and took the quiz.  In some classes, we had time to begin worksheet 3-14, but not every class did.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Monday, November 17th.

Day 52

Students were again given the opportunity to take the periodic table quiz at the beginning of class.  We moved on to section 3-4 notes on Atomic Theory, and watched a www.brainpop.com movie on the same topic before taking the brainpop quiz.  We ended class by going over worksheets 3-11 & 3-12.

News article #11 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Monday, November 17th.

Day 51

As always, students had the chance to take the periodic table elements quiz.  Students completed worksheet 3-10 and we went over those answers.  They were then assigned worksheet 3-11 & 3-12, which was a cross-a-clue review sheet, and worksheet 3-13, which was identifying the names and chemical symbols of various elements.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Monday, November 17th.

Day 50

After giving students the opportunity to take the periodic table quiz, students completed worksheet 3-9, which included problems 5, 6, 7 & 9.  If there was any time left after going over those problems, students began worksheet 3-10, which had eight new chemical equations to balance.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Monday, November 17th.

Day 49

We practiced the elements of the periodic table again today and students had the option to take their quiz.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Chemical Equations and took that quiz afterwards.  We continued with worksheet 3-9 on problems 1, 2 and 3.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Monday, November 17th.

Day 48

Students turned in their 10th week of science news articles today, which will be their first grade of the new marking period.  We practiced saying the first 36 elements of the periodic table and had the opportunity to take the quiz.  We finished section 3-3 notes on reactants and products, and students learned how to balance chemical equations.  We completed problems # 4 & 8 on worksheet 3-9 together.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Monday, November 17th.

Day 47

We practiced the first 36 elements on the periodic table to prepare students for their oral quiz.  We discussed section 3-3 notes on chemical formulas, subscripts and coefficients.  I demonstrated the technique to solving the first three problems on worksheet 3-7, and students worked in their group to solve the remaining #4-20.  We then progressed to worksheet 3-8, and students completed those eight problems within their groups.  We went over those answers in the last 5-10 minutes of class.

News article #10 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Monday, November 17th.

Day 46

We practiced the period table quiz today.  Afterwards, students were assigned worksheet 3-2 to be completed in their groups.  We went over the answers during the final 10 minutes of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Monday, November 17th.

Day 45

Students were given their own copy of the periodic table of elements today.  I described the requirements for the oral quiz on the first 36 elements, which must be done by Friday, November 14th.  We then discussed the top half of section 3-3 notes on chemical symbols and completed worksheets 3-5 and 3-6 together in class.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Monday, November 17th.

Day 44

We discussed section 3-2 notes on elements and compounds.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Compounds and Mixtures and took the quiz that followed.  We completed worksheet 3-4 together on classifying objects as pure substances or mixtures.  Finally, students were given seven minutes to complete worksheet 3-3 within their groups, and we went over it during the last two minutes of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Monday, November 17th.

Day 43

Students handed in their Farcebook posters at the beginning of class.  They had the opportunity then to present their week #9 news articles out loud for extra credit.  After collecting them, I gave students the new packet for Chapter 3.  We discussed section 3-1 notes on homogeneous vs heterogeneous matter.  Students completed worksheet 3-1 together in their groups, and we went over it in the last 5 minutes of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Monday, November 17th.

Day 42

Today was the final day that students had class time to work on their Farcebook posters.  Any student that turned in their completed poster by the end of today's class period earned five extra bonus points.  Everyone else must turn in their posters at the beginning of Monday's class.

The poster and news article #9 are both due on Monday, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Monday, November 17th.

Day 41

Students had the entire period to work on their Farcebook project.

The posters are due at the end of Friday's class for extra credit, or at the beginning of Monday's class for regular credit, and the next test will be on Monday, November 17th.

Day 40

Students had the entire period to work on their Farcebook project.

The posters are due at the end of Friday's class for extra credit, or at the beginning of Monday's class for regular credit, and the next test will be on Monday, November 17th.

Day 39

I collected the online gas lab packet that we began two weeks ago, along with the three graphs that students created stapled to the back of the packet.  Students then had the opportunity to summarize their week #8 news articles out loud for extra credit before I collected them.  They had the remainder of class to work on their Farcebook research.

No homework was assigned (poster is due on Monday, 10/24), and the next test (Chapter 3) will be on Monday, November 17th.

Day 38

Mr. Girardi is in for me today.  Students had the entire class period to research their scientist for the Farcebook poster project.

News article #8 and the online lab packet are due tomorrow, and the next test (Chapter 3) will be on Monday, November 17th.

Day 37

Sorry, forgot to blog on Friday's class.  I collected everyone's chapter 2 notebook at the beginning of class.  Students were then given a rubric pertaining to, and I talked about, their next project, the Farcebook posters.  Students blindly chose which scientists they would be in charge of and told that the due date is Monday, October 27th, though they can earn extra credit by handing it in on Friday, the 24th.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Monday, November 17th.

Day 36

Students took the chapter 2 test online today.  They had about 30 minutes after the test to work on their chapter 2 packet, their online gas lab packet, or a news article for next week.

The chapter 2 packet is due tomorrow, and the chapter 3 test will be on Monday, November 17th.

Day 35

We played Jeopardy today to review for tomorrow's test.  In the last 5-10 minutes of class, we reviewed the difference between direct and inverse relationships between variables.

The notebook check will be on Friday, and the Chapter 2 test will be tomorrow.

Day 34

Students handed in their week #7 science news articles today.  They had the rest of the period to complete the online gas lab.  It will be collected next Tuesday, October 21st.  I also showed them the chart from worksheet 2-12 which is also on Moodle.  I emphasized to students that there will be about 11 questions from this chart on the test.

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

Day 33

Students worked on their online gas lab again today, and their goal was go be done through the bottom of page "I" by the end of the period.

News article #7 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 16th.

Day 32

Today was the third day that students worked on their online gas lab.  The goal for today was to be done through page "G", including making a 3-line line graph from the data they collected on pages F & G.

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

Day 31

We played a review game while students worked on Day 2 of their online gas lab.  The goal of today's class was to be done with all of page "D", including printing the graph using yesterday's data.

If students did not finish page "D", they should do that for homework.  The chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 16th.

Day 30

Students were given an new packet for their online gas lab assignment.  Using the link at the bottom of my Moodle page, students accessed the online lab and answered the questions on their papers.  Their goal was to be at the middle of page "D" by the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 16th.

Day 29

Students had the opportunity to present and hand in their week #6 science news articles.  We reviewed worksheet 2-4 from Friday's class.  Students then worked in pairs to complete the lab on pages 2-8 and 2-9.  We went over the answers and outcomes of that lab with about 5-10 minutes left in the class.  Students were assigned worksheet 2-5 to work on until the end of class.

Worksheet 2-5 must be completed if it wasn't done during today's class, and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 16th.

Day 28

We checked and reviewed the homework from yesterday (worksheet 2-12).  We then completed worksheet 2-2 together.  I introduced section 2-3 notes on physical vs chemical properties and changes.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Property Changes and took the quiz.  We ended class by having students complete worksheets 2-3 & 2-4 together in their groups.

News article #6 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 16th.

Day 27

We reviewed the lab from yesterday (worksheet 2-10).  We discussed section 2-2 notes on the phase changes in matter using the double-sided diagram in the notes.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Matter Changing States and took the quiz afterwards.  We ended class with students working on page 2-12.

All of page 2-12 should be done by tomorrow's class, and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 16th.

Day 26

We reviewed the "Mass of Air" lab from yesterday (pages 2-6 and 2-7) and review the outcomes and answers.  I introduced the ideal gas laws (Boyle's and Charles' Laws) from section 2-1 notes, and I stressed the difference between an inverse vs direct relationship between variables.  Students completed a new lab from worksheet 2-10 establishing the relationship between the volume, pressure and temperature of a gas.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 16th.

Day 25

We reviewed yesterday's lesson on solids, liquids and gases by completing the top half of worksheet 2-1 together at the beginning of class.  Students then worked with their partner to complete the lab on pages 2-6 & 2-7, which tasked them with discovering the mass of air.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 16th.

Day 24

Students presented and/or turned in their 5th week of science news articles today.  I gave students their new packet for Chapter 2, and we discussed the half of section one notes on the four states of matter- solids, liquids, gases and plasma.  Students watched a www.brainpop.com video on States of Matter and took the quiz afterwards.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 16th.

Day 23

Mr. Girardi was in for me today and he showed students a video from ABC News on cheating in the classroom, and how it actually hurts your chances of getting a good job or getting into your college of choice.

News article #5 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 16th.

Day 22

Students had their Chapter 1 notebooks check today for 100 points.  During that time, we watched a Mythbusters video illustrating the proper use of the scientific method during experiments.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 16th.

Day 21

Students took the Chapter 1 test online using Moodle today.  All students received their test score once they finished.  They had the rest of the class time to work on their science notebook, get a news article for Monday or work on their History project.

The notebook check will be tomorrow, and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 16th.

Day 20

To start class, I checked their homework, which was worksheet 1-19 for 15 points.  We went over all the answers.  I introduced students to the game of Jeopardy, which is my method of reviewing for a chapter test.

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

Day 19

Students turned in their 4th week of science news articles.  To complete worksheet 1-16, I directed students to a link at the bottom of my Moodle site called Create-a-Graph Classic.  Students used the data sets on worksheet 1-16 to create a Pie, then Bar, then Line graph.

Worksheet 1-19 was assigned for homework, and the Chapter 1 test will be in 2 days (Wednesday, September 24th).

Day 18

We went over both density labs from the past three days of class, and we also went over worksheet 1-15 on graphing density.  That was a good transition towards today's topic of graphing.  We discussed section 1-6 notes on types of graphs and watched a www.brainpop.com video on Graphs and took the mini-quiz afterwards.  We then ended class by completing worksheet 1-17 together.

News article #4 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 24th.

Day 17

Students were asked to complete the density of solids lab from worksheet 1-13.  They were then assigned worksheet 1-15, which was creating a line graph given the mass and volume of a substance.  That worksheet must be done by the beginning of tomorrow's class.

No actual homework was assigned if worksheet 1-15 was done in class, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 24th.

Day 16

Students finished their density of liquids lab from yesterday on worksheet 1-14.  They were also given a new worksheet 1-13 to begin after they finished the first lab.  This new lab explored the density of solids, and will be completed during tomorrow's class.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 24th.

Day 15

Students watched a www.brainpop.com video on Measuring Matter and took the mini quiz afterwards.  Students then worked with a partner to begin the Density of Liquids lab on worksheet 1-14.  Most students got about halfway finished, and they will complete the lab tomorrow.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 24th.

Day 14

Students handed in their Week #3 science news articles.  We went over and sampled random measurements from the students' lab this past Thursday and Friday on worksheets 11 & 12.  I introduced the topic of DENSITY to students, and they learned the formula to calculate density using mass and volume (found on section 1-3 notes).

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 24th.

Day 13

I handed back their week#2 science news articles at the beginning of class.  Students had all the remaining time to complete the lab we began yesterday from pages 11 & 12, including the conclusion questions at the bottom of page 11.

News article #3 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 24th.

Day 12

Students had their homework (worksheets 1-7, 1-8, 1-9 & 1-10) checked for 20 points.  After going over the answers to these four pages, I introduced today's lab.  Students worked either with a partner or by themselves to measure the mass, volume, length and/or temperature of 28 items spread around the classroom.  The lab does not have to be completed until the end of tomorrow's class.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 24th.

Day 11

Students were shown the four metric tools that we will be using this year and how to use them.  Website tutorials were also used as follows:

Metric Ruler
- http://cstephenmurray.com/onlinequizes/chemistry/measuring/MeasuringLength.htm

Graduated Cylinder - http://cstephenmurray.com/onlinequizes/chemistry/measuring/readingthemeniscus.htm
- http://cstephenmurray.com/onlinequizes/chemistry/measuring/displacementmethod.htm

Triple Beam Balance
- http://www.ohaus.com/input/tutorials/tbb/TBBins.html
- http://www.ohaus.com/input/tutorials/tbb/TBBread.html

Metric Thermometer
- http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/thermalP/Lesson-1/Temperature-and-Thermometers

After viewing these tutorials and demonstrating their use and function using the actual tools at their tables, students were given the remaining 10 minutes to work on tonight's homework.

Worksheets 1-7, 1-8, 1-9 and 1-10 were assigned for homework due tomorrow, though most students got them done during class.  The Chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 24th.

Day 10

I showed students a brief YouTube video describing the phenomena known as the "supermoon" (officially called a perigee moon), which should be most visible tonight.  We then expanded on yesterday's lesson by watching a www.brainpop.com video on Metric vs Customary units.  We went over the answers to #6-9 from the top half of worksheet 1-6 that students did at the end of yesterday's class.  Students were then assigned the bottom 10 problems on that same page.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 24th.

Day 9

Students had the opportunity to give an oral summary of their Week #2 science news articles before they were collected.  I handed back their metric conversion quiz from Friday and we went over the answers to all 15 problems.  We discussed section 1-5 notes on dimensional analysis, which is when you convert a measurement from one unit to another, like meters to feet.  We did the first four problems on worksheet 1-6 together, and students finished problems five through nine within their groups.  In some classes we had time to go over all the answers, but other classes did not finish in time.  We will finish this page in class tomorrow.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 25th.

Day 8

Friday, September 5th, 2014

My apologies for not posting this on Friday.  Students took the 15-item Metric Conversion quiz today, followed by a www.brainpop.com quiz on Metric Units.  With what time was left, students had their Week #1 news articles returned and we discussed the most common mistakes that were made in the first week of summaries.

News article #2 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 25th.

Day 7

Two words - PICTURE DAY!

Nothing throws morning classes into more chaos then picture day, when students are called down by homeroom during the first three classes of the day.  Depending on what class and how far into the class they are called, they could miss some very critical material.  With that in mind, we did the best we could today to get through it.  Students took a practice quiz today to determine their comfort level in converting metric measurements.  We went over all 15 problems together.  We then worked on worksheets 1-21 & 1-22 together, which tasked us with reading about three separate experiments and analyzing them for errors and determining their success.

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

Day 6

We completed worksheet 1-5 together at the beginning of class.  Students first identified the metric abbreviations for the different measurements, and then we decided which abbreviation best fit into the 20 problems on the rest of the page.  Students then worked in their groups to complete worksheet 1-3, which is similar to how Friday's metric conversion quiz will be.  We went over the answers together.  With any time left before the end of class, we answered metric word problems together using the IWB and student responders.

No homework was assigned and the Metric Quiz will be on Friday.

Day 5

Students handed in their week #1 science news articles today.  About a quarter of the students from each class opted to summarize out loud for extra credit.  We reviewed the answers to the problems on worksheet 1-4 (chapter 1, page 4) that students completed during the last 10 minutes of Friday's class.  Students put their answers into the student responders so that their answers were anonymously displayed on the board. After completing that review, we used the same method to go over some more practice problems using the Interactive White Board (IWB).

No homework was assigned, and the Metric Quiz will be on Friday, September 5th.

Day 4

Students were given their Chapter 1 packets today.  We reviewed the last two days' lessons by completing worksheet 1-1 in their groups.  After going over the answers, we began our lesson on the metric system.  After showing them how to convert numbers within the metric system and a simply acronym for memorizing the order of prefixes, students were assigned worksheet 1-4 to be completed before the end of class.  We will go over the answers during Tuesday's class.

News article #1 is due on Tuesday, and the Metric Conversion Quiz will be on Friday, September 5th.

Day 3

The copier was not working yet, so students did not get their new Chapter 1 packets today.  Instead, we used the IWB to identify the 6 steps in the scientific method, distinguish the three types of variables in an experiment and differentiate between the experimental and control groups.  We did this by analyzing several experiment examples on the board.  We ended class by watching a www.brainpop.com video on Scientific Method and taking the quiz using the student responders (though this technology only worked in the afternoon classes).

News article #1 is due on Tuesday, September 2nd, and the next quiz on Metric Conversion will be on Friday, September 5th

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 2nd and their first quiz, on Metric Conversions, will be on Friday, September 5th.

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.

No homework was assigned, and their first quiz will be on Metric Conversions, and it will be on Friday, September 5th.

Day 180

We met with each class for 10 minutes in order to give students their final exam score and final grade.  

See you in August!

Day 179

Students took their last two final exams today for English and History before being dismissed at 10:30.  Tomorrow is the last day of school.

Day 178

Students took their Math and Science final exams today.

Day 177

Students had their core classes for approximately 30 minutes each today.  During that time, we were in the computer lab for the last time taking the practice final exam.  I also gave students their 4th quarter report card grade and their room assignment for the final exam.

No homework was assigned, and the final exam will be tomorrow @ 9:20am.

Day 176

Students in periods 2, 3, 5 & 6 watched a www.brainpop.com video on Electricity and played Jeopardy to review chapters 8 & 11.  Period 7 was in the computer lab to take the final exam practice test.

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

Day 175

Periods 2, 3, 5 & 6 were in the computer lab today taking a final exam practice test on Moodle.  Period 7 students were in my classroom playing Jeopardy to review chapters 8 & 11.  For tomorrow we will switch that around so that period 7 takes the practice test.

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

Day 174

We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Work, and then we played Jeopardy to review Chapter 7.

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

Day 173

Students handed in their 36th and FINAL news article in class.  After that, we reviewed Chapter 6 by playing Jeopardy.

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

Day 172

Students took a www.brainpop.com quiz on Distance, Rate & Time.  We then reviewed chapter 5 by playing Jeopardy.

The LAST news article is due on Tuesday, and the final exam will be on Tuesday, June 3rd.

Day 171

Today we only met with our period 6 & 7 classes today.  After lunch, we had field day down on the football field.

No homework was assigned, and the Final Exam will be on Tuesday, June 5th.

Day 170

Students watched a www.brainpop.com video on States of Matter to review chapter 2.  We then played Jeopardy to review chapters 2 & 3.

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

Day 169

Mr. Kuriga was in for me today.  Students were in the computer lab to take the final exam 100-question practice test on Moodle.

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

Day 168

We only met with our period 2, 3 & 5 classes today due to the afternoon talent show.  Students turned in their 35th week of science news articles and then were given a laptop to access Moodle.  They were assigned either the 50 or 80 question final exam practice test.

No homework was assigned, and the Final Exam will be on Tuesday, June 3rd.

Day 167

Today we prepared for the final exam by reviewing Chapter 1 using Jeopardy.  I also showed students where on Moodle they could access the final exam practice tests and reference guide.

News article #35 is due on Monday, and the final exam will be on Tuesday, June 3rd.

Day 166

Students had their Chapter 9 notebooks checked today for 50 points.

No homework was assigned, and the next test will be the final exam on Tuesday, June 3rd.

Day 165

Students took their Chapter 9 test on Moodle today.

The notebook check will be tomorrow, and the next test will be the final exam on Tuesday, June 3rd.

Day 164

Students were assigned the remaining pages of the packet (9-6, 9-10 & 9-11) as I put 22 minutes on the clock.  After going over those pages, we played a single round of Jeopardy to review for tomorrow's test.

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

Day 163

After collecting the 34th week of science news articles, we discussed section 9-3 notes on wave interactions.  Students completed worksheet 9-9 together in their groups and we went over the answers.  They had the last 10 minutes of class to complete the slinky lab and hand it in.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 9 test is on Wednesday.

Day 162

We reviewed worksheets 9-2 through 9-4 from yesterday.  Students watched a www.brainpop.com video on Waves and took the quiz.  I explained the lab and rubric from worksheets 9-7 & 9-8, and students completed the lab by the end of the period.  It must be turned in by the end of Monday's class.

News article #34 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 9 test will be on Wednesday, May 14th.

Day 161

We discussed section 9-2 notes on measuring waves.  Students were assigned pages 9-2, 9-3, 9-4 and 9-5 to be completed within their groups.  During the last five minutes of class, we went over worksheet 9-5, as it was the most challenging.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 9 test will be on Wednesday, May 14th.

Day 160

We began Chapter 9 today on Waves, and students were given their new packets.  We discussed section 9-1 notes on wave types.  We completed worksheet 9-1 in groups, and watched a Bill Nye video on waves during the last 20 minutes of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 9 test will be on Wednesday, May 14th.

Day 159

Students had their Chapter 11 notebooks checked today for 60 points while we watched Mythbusters on kinetic and potential energy.

No homework was assigned, and the next test on Chapter 9 will be on Wednesday, May 14th.

Day 158

After collecting the week #33 news articles, students took their Chapter 11 test on Moodle.

The notebook check will be tomorrow for 60 points, and the next test will be on Wednesday, May 14th.

Day 157

We played Jeopardy today to review for Monday's energy test.

News article #33 is due on Monday, and our Chapter 11 test will also be on Monday.

Day 156

Students were assigned worksheets 11-1 & 11-14, which were both review-type study guides for our energy chapter.  We went over the answers in the last 5 minutes of class.

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

Day 155

We went over section 11-3 notes today on energy conversions and differentiated between internal and external combustion engines.  I demonstrated how a simple pendulum constantly converts between potential and kinetic energy.  We completed worksheet 11-13 together in class.  Students were then assigned pages 11-11 and 11-9 within their groups.  We went over all the answers in the last 8 minutes of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 11 test will be on Monday, May 5th.

Day 154

Students took the actual PSSA science exams today before and after lunch.  As a result, we had 27-minute classes.  During that time, students watched a brief episode of Mythbusters.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 11 test will be on Monday, May 5th.

Day 153

Mr. Deljanovan was in for me today as my wife and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary.  Students had the opportunity to present their 32nd week of science news articles for extra credit.  They were then given a laptop to gain access to Study Island and take the Monday, April 28th PSSA Practice Exam, using 60 questions.

No homework was assigned, and the real PSSA science exam will be tomorrow.

Day 152

We were in the computer lab again today to prepare for the science PSSA exam.  Today's topic was a review of Earth Science.  Students were asked to read through each of the nine lessons and take a 5-question quiz following each one.

News article #32 is due on Monday, and the PSSA exam will be on Tuesday, April 29th.

Day 151

We were in the computer lab today so that students could get on Study Island and complete the Biology Review Part 2.

No homework was assigned, and the PSSA science exam will be on Tuesday, April 29th.

Day 150

Students handed in their 31st week of science news articles to start the class.  They were asked to get on study island and complete the Biology Review Part 1 assignment before the end of class.

No homework was assigned, and the PSSA science exam will be on Tuesday, April 29th.

Day 149

Students were back on Study Island today to review the first assessment anchor, Nature of Science.  They were asked to read through each of the eight lessons and take a 5-question mini quiz after each one.

News article #31 is due next Wednesday, and the Chapter 11 test won't be until Monday, May 5th.

Day 148

Yesterday afternoon, I found out the PSSA science exam was being moved up a week, so instead of having three weeks to prepare, we now have only two.  To prepare, we were in the computer lab today to take a practice test on Study Island.  Students were given 60 random questions from among the four science topics.  If they completed the assignment with time remaining, they could get a news article for next week.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 11 test has been moved to Monday, May 5th.

Day 147

I collected the online labs for 50 points today.  Students then had the opportunity to present and hand in their 30th week of science news articles.  We then went outside to complete worksheet 11-7, identifying things with potential and kinetic energy.  We then completed page 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.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 11 test will be on Monday, May 5th.

Day 146

We learned about kinetic energy from section 11-2 notes.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Kinetic Energy and took the quiz.  We completed worksheet 11-6 together, and students were assigned worksheet 11-4 in their groups.  We went over the answers before the end of class.

News article #30 and the online lab are due on Monday, and the Chapter 11 test will be on Thursday, April 24th.

Day 145

We took the first 10 minutes of class to go over worksheets 11-2 & 11-3 from Tuesday.  We discussed section 11-2 notes on Potential Energy.  We watched an 8 minute YouTube video of the Space Jump from two years ago to demonstrate how potential and kinetic energy are transformed.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Potential Energy and took the quiz.  We ended class by doing the mini-lab on page 11-12.

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

Day 144

Students took their final PSSA writing exam this morning.  In the afternoon, students watched "Book Thief", a Holocaust-based movie that students read in Mr. Molino's class.  We're back to regular classes tomorrow.

The online lab and news article #30 are due on Monday, and the Chapter 11 test will be on Thursday, April 24th.

Day 143

Students took their first two PSSA writing tests today before lunch.  We met with each of our five classes right after lunch for about 36 minutes each.  During that time, students were given their new Chapter 11 packet, and we went over section 11-1 notes on forms of energy.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Forms of Energy and took the quiz.  We ended class with students completing worksheets 11-2 and 11-3.  We will go over it during Thursday's class.

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

Day 142

After collecting the 29th week of science news articles, I demonstrated how to calculate and collect data for Activity 3 of the online energy lab.  Today is the last day that we will use class time to work on the lab.  It will be collected next Monday, so students can work on their own time to complete it.

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

Day 141

Students began Activity 2 of the online energy lab today.  This spanned pages 4-7, and included them creating and printing two graphs using the Create-a-graph website.

News article #29 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 11 test will be on Thursday, April 24th.

Day 140

Students began an online lab today using a link at the bottom of their Moodle page.  The lab explores the relationship between mass, speed and kinetic energy.  Students were to have pages 1-3 complete before the end of the period.

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

Day 139

Students had their Chapter 8 notebooks checked today for 90 points.  During that time, we watched a Mythbusters episode that explored the validity of Ben Franklin's "key on a kite" experiment.

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

Day 138

Students took their Chapter 8 test on Moodle today in the computer lab.

The notebook check will be tomorrow, and the next test (Chapter 11) will be on Thursday, April 24th.

Day 137

Students started the 4th marking period today by handing in their 28th week of science news articles.  We played Jeopardy to review for tomorrow's Chapter 8 test with the remaining time left in class.

The notebook check will be on Wednesday, and the Chapter 8 test will be tomorrow.

Day 136

Students were told that the crossword puzzle on worksheet 8-15 must be done before notebook check.  In class, we started and completed the lab on series and parallel circuits on pages 8-19 thru 8-22.

News article #28 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 8 test will be on Tuesday, April 1st.

Day 135

Today was the last day for PSSA math & reading exams.  We only met with periods 6 & 7 today, and just like the past two days, students watched the remainder of the lightning video, and were assigned worksheet 8-15 & 8-16 to be done by next Wednesday.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 8 test will be on Tuesday, April 1.

Day 134

Students took their PSSA tests for the second straight day.  They also met with their 4th & 5th period classes.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 8 test has been moved to Tuesday, April 1st.

Day 133

Students took their first two PSSA exams today.  Afterwards, they only met with their period 2 & 3 classes, during which time we watched a National Geographic video on Lightning.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 8 Test will be on Wednesday, April 2nd.

Day 132

We went to the movie Divergent at the Digiplex.  Once we returned, we had 22-minute classes, during which time we went over the 27th week of science news articles.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 8 test will be on Wednesday, April 2nd.

Day 131

Mr. Deljanovan was in for me today.  Students took a PSSA science practice test today using scantron sheets.

News article #27 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 8 test will be on Wednesday, April 2.

Day 130

We discussed section 8-6 notes on electric circuits, and watched a www.brainpop.com video on Electric Circuits.  We ended class by completing worksheets 8-13 & 8-14.  Students were asked to cross out and disregard page 8-13.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 8 test will be on Wednesday, April 2nd.

Day 129

We discussed section 8-5 notes on AC vs DC electricity, along with the difference between a wet cell and dry cell.  We then watched a www.brainpop movie on Batteries.  We completed page 8-4 together before we watched another www.brainpop.com movie on Current Electricity.  We ended class by watching a National Geographic video on Lightning for the final 5-10 minutes.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 8 test will be on Wednesday, April 2nd.

Day 128

Yesterday's quiz on Ohm's Law was returned to students today, and we went over the solutions to each problem.  We discussed the second part of section 8-4 notes on calculating electrical energy.  Students were assigned worksheet 8-11, and problem #6 on page 8-2.  We went over all the answers before the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 8 test will be on Wednesday, April 2nd.

Day 127

Students turned in their 26th week of science news articles.  They then took their quiz on Ohm's law and did predictably well.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 8 test will be on Wednesday, April 2nd.

Day 126

Students were given the formula today to calculate electrical power using voltage and current.  That formula, along with Ohm's law, will be the basis for their assessment on Monday.  To prepare for that quiz, we completed problems 1-5 on page 8-2 together in class.  Students were then assigned worksheets 8-3, 8-9 and 8-10 in their groups.  The solutions to each page were revealed before the end of the period.

News article #26 is due on Monday, and the quiz on Ohm's Law will also be on Monday.

Day 125

We discussed section 8-3 notes today on Ohm's Law, relating current, voltage and resistance.  Students were assigned worksheets 8-5 through 8-8 to be completed within their groups, and we went over the answers before the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Ohm's Law quiz will be on Monday, March 17th.

Day 124

We discussed section 8-2 notes on static electricity, and students participated in a flipchart differentiating between conductors and insulators.  I used a link to show how electrons are passed from one object to another.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Static Electricity.  After reviewing the quiz answers, we used the last 15 minutes of class to demonstrate how static electricity passes between different objects and people.

No homework was assigned, and the Ohm's Law quiz will be on Monday, March 17th.

Day 123

Today was the 25th week of science news articles.  After collecting those, students were given their new packets for Chapter 8.  Our discussion today was on section 8-1 notes on electricity, but more specifically about the behavior of subatomic particles.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on electricity and took the quiz.  We ended class by completing worksheet 8-1 together in their groups.

No homework was assigned, and the quiz on Ohm's Law will be next Monday, March 17th.

Day 122

Mr. Deljanovan was in for my classes today.  We had a guest speaker all period.  Mrs. Carol Kirol, the school's resident dental hygienist, was in to talk about the dangers of oral piercings.

News article #25 is due tomorrow, and the quiz on Ohm's Law will be next Monday, March 17th.

Day 121

Students had their Chapter 7 notebook and pulley lab packet checked today for 100 points.  During that time, students watched the Mythbusters "Viral Video" episode.

News article #25 is due on Tuesday, and the next quiz on Ohm's Law will be on Monday, March 17th.

Day 120

Students took the Chapter 7 test using Moodle today.  They had the rest of the class time to either get a news article for next week, work on their reading project or study for their history test.

The notebook check will be tomorrow, and the next quiz on Ohm's Law (chapter 8) will be on Monday, March 17th.

Day 119

Students had last night's homework (worksheet #20) checked for 12 points.  We then played Jeopardy to review for tomorrow's Chapter 7 test.

Notebook check will be on Friday, and the Chapter 7 test will be tomorrow.

Day 118

Students were assigned the remaining worksheets in the packet during class today, which covered pages 17, 18 and 19.

Worksheet #20 was assigned for homework (though most students completed it during class) and the Chapter 7 test will be on Thursday.

Day 117

Students turned in their 24th week of science news articles today.  We went over section 7-7 notes on ideal mechanical advantage, and used those formulas to complete #2-4 on page 15-8.  We then briefly reviewed how mechanical efficiency is calculated before assigning students worksheet 15-10.  We went over the answers in the last 5 minutes of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 test will be this Thursday.

Day 116

Today was the last day that students had to complete their Pulley Lab in class.  They were to create a bar graph with the data from the bottom of page 10 using the link and information settings available on Moodle.

News article #24 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 7 test will be on Thursday, March 6th.

Day 115

Students worked on their Pulley Lab again today.  Their goal by the end of the period was to be on Page 10.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 test will be on Thursday, March 6th.

Day 114

Students were given a new lab packet today as we began our 3-day lab on pulleys.  The goal for the end of the period was to be somewhere in the middle of page 6.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 test will be on Thursday, March 6th.

Day 113

Students had their 21-page online lab packets checked today for 105 points while they watched Mythbusters.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 test will be on Thursday, March 6th.

Day 112

After collecting the 23rd week of science news articles, students took their Chapter 7 vocab quiz for 50 points.

The simple machines online lab packet is due tomorrow, and the Chapter 7 test will be on Thursday, March 6th.

Day 111

Today was the last day that students were given class time to complete the online lab on simple machines.  The completed packet will be checked on Tuesday, February 25th.

News article #23 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 7 Vocab Quiz will also be on Monday.

Day 110

Students continued to work on their online lab today, with the goal being to get to page 19.  Students also played a vocab review game to get ready for Monday's quiz.

News article #23 is due on Monday, and the Vocab quiz will also be on Monday.  The online lab packet check has been pushed back to Tuesday, February 25th.

Day 109

Students continued to work on the online lab today.  Most students started on page 10 or 11, and the goal was to be on page 16 by the end of the period. 

No homework was assigned, but this completed packet is due on Monday, February 24th.
News article #23 is also due on Monday, the 24th.
The Chapter 7 Vocab Quiz will also be on Monday, the 24th.

Day 108

After a 2-hour delay today, students continued to work on the online lab.  The goal for today was to be somewhere in the middle of page 10 by the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 Vocab Quiz will be on Monday, February 24th.

Day 107

News article #22 was collected before students continued working on the Simple Machines online lab.  The goal for today was to be somewhere on page 6 by the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 Vocab Quiz will be on Monday, February 24th.

Day 106

School was cancelled yesterday due to snow, so we had yesterday's lesson today.  We began the online simple machines lab, using the link on Moodle (and also on my school website).  By the end of the period, students needed to have up to and including page 3 completed.

News article #22 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 7 Vocab Quiz will be on Monday, February 24th.

Day 105

We went over the four remaining simple machines today (wheel & axle, pulley, wedge, screw) and watched www.brainpop.com videos on Wheel & Axle and Pulleys.  Students were given one minute to complete worksheet 15-11, and we went over the answers together.  Finally, we went back to worksheet 15-9 to complete problems #6 & 7 from Friday.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 Vocab Quiz will be on Monday, February 24th.

Day 104

We learned about levers today.  Using the IWB, I differentiated among the three classes of levers.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Levers and took the quiz.  Students were given a minute to complete worksheet 15-12 before we went over it.  We then proceeded to do the top of worksheet 15-15 together before I gave them 4 minutes to complete the bottom part.  After having students up to the board to give the answers to that bottom part, we completed worksheet 15-16 together before the bell rang.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 Vocab Quiz will be on Monday, February 24th.

Day 103

After listening to the 21st week of science news articles, students worked within their groups to complete the lab on pages 15-13 & 15-14.  The lab is about the mechanical advantage of an inclined plane.  We went over the lab in the last 8 minutes of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 vocab quiz will be on Monday, February 24th.

Day 102

We had 25-30 minute classes today to accommodate our "42" assembly at the end of the day.  During class, we reviewed worksheet 15-6, discussed how inclined planes make work easier, and watched a www.brainpop.com movie on Inclined Planes and took the quiz afterward.  In the remaining 10 minutes of class, we completed problem #5 on page 15-9, and worked about halfway through problem #6.

News article #21 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 7 vocab quiz will be on Monday, February 24th.

Day 101

We had no school yesterday due to snow.  Today, students were given back their Work & Power quizzes and I went over the answers on the board.  We also went over worksheet 15-5 from Monday's class.  We then discussed section 7-3 & 7-4 notes on mechanical advantage and efficiency.  We completed the first problem (all four parts) on page 15-8 together.  In the last 10 minutes of class, students worked in their groups to complete the four problems on worksheet 15-6.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 Vocab Quiz will be on Monday, February 24th.

Day 100

Students took the Work & Power quiz in class today.  Once everyone was done, we moved to the computer lab so that students could complete a district-mandated survey on technology use in the district.

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

Day 99

After listening to the week #20 science news articles, we went over the answers to worksheet 15-3, which students completed last Friday.  Students were assigned worksheets 15-4 & 15-5 in class, and we had enough time to go over the answers to worksheet 15-4 in the last 10 minutes of class.

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

Day 98

Students exercised today, as we completed the Stairway Lab on worksheet 15-7.  Following the lab, students were assigned worksheet 15-3 for the remaining 15 minutes in class.  We did not have time to go over it.

News article #20 is due on Monday, and the Work & Power Quiz will be on Tuesday.

Day 97

We discussed section 7-2 notes on Power today.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Power and took the quiz shortly thereafter.  Students were assigned worksheet 15-2 within their groups, and we went over the solutions in the last 5 minutes of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Work & Power quiz will be on Tuesday, February 4th.

Day 96

Students were given their new packets for Chapter 7.  We discussed section 7-1 notes on physical work, and watched a www.brainpop.com video on work and took the quiz afterwards.  Students were given 10 minutes to complete the six problems on worksheet 15-1, and volunteers put the solutions on the board at the end of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Work & Power quiz will be on Tuesday, February 4th.

Day 95

Today we watched Mythbusters about dropping a penny from the Empire State Building and skydiving myths.  During that time, students had their chapter 6 notebooks checked for 65 points.

No homework was assigned, and the Work & Power Quiz will be on Tuesday, February 4th.

Day 94

After collecting the 19th week of science news articles, students took the Chapter 6 test on Moodle in the computer lab.

The notebook check is tomorrow, and the Work & Power Quiz will be on Tuesday, February 4th.

Day 93

Today we played Jeopardy to review for Monday's Chapter 6 test.

News article #19 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 6 test will also be on Monday.  The notebook check will be on Tuesday.

Day 92

We reviewed the final three problems from worksheet 6-9 from yesterday (problems 6, 7 & 8).  We watched a brief 90-second clip of Felix Baumgartner's famous space dive from last year and calculated how fast he was falling before deploying his parachute.  I assigned worksheets 6-11, 12 & 13, which were review pages.  We went over the answers in the final 10 minutes of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 6 test will be on Monday, January 27th.

Day 91

We discussed section 6-4 notes on gravity as it relates to projectiles and free-falling objects.  We completed worksheet 6-7 and 6-10 together as a class.  I used a flipchart "peepshow" to review Newton's four laws.  We ended class on worksheet 6-9.  We did the first five problems together, and I assigned #'s 6, 7 & 8 to be completed in the last five minutes of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 6 test will be on Monday, January 27th.

Day 90

Today is the 90th day and therefore the last day of the first half of the year.  We reviewed worksheet 6-8 from yesterday.  Students were given a 4-square assignment.  They were split up into four groups and assigned one of Newton's four laws and asked to define it, explain it to a kindergartener, apply it to real life and illustrate it.  After 15 minutes of work time in their group, each group had a minute to present it.  We ended class with a www.brainpop.com video on Newton's Laws of Motion and quiz.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 6 test will be on Monday, January 27th.

Day 89

Today's news article #18 was the last grade of the 2nd quarter.  We discussed section 6-5 notes on gravity, and students calculated how much they weighed on other planets by completing worksheet 6-5 together.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Gravity, followed by the quiz.  We ended class by working on page 6-8 before the bell rang.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 6 test will be on Monday, January 27th.

Day 88

Mr. Girardi was in for me today as I attended a family funeral.  Mr. Girardi was to hand back the graded Force quizzes from yesterday and go over the solutions.  He went over section 6-3 notes on Newton's 3 Laws of Motion.  He assigned worksheet 6-6 to be completed in class.  After going over the answers, any time that was left over was filled with the Bill Nye video, "Balance".

News article #18 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 6 test will be on Monday, January 27th.

Day 87

Students took the Force Quiz today, which was eight problems that revolved around Newton's 2nd Law of Motion, F=ma.  After the quiz, they completed worksheet 6-4 from yesterday, and then we went over the answers.  For the last five minutes of class, we finished the Mythbusters episode from Monday.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 6 test will be on Monday, January 27th.

Day 86

We discussed section 6-2 notes on the three types of friction.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Force and took the quiz afterward.  We reviewed the answers from worksheet 6-3 together, and students were assigned #6-8 on worksheet 6-4 for the remainder of the period.

Day 85

Students were given their new Chapter 6 packet today.  We discussed section 6-1 notes on balanced forces before we completed worksheet 6-1 together.  We then skipped to section 6-3 notes on F=ma, and students were given 10 minutes to complete worksheet 6-2 within their groups.  After we went over their answers, students worked on the first four problems on page 6-3 before the bell rang.

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

Day 84

As always on the first day of the week, students were given the opportunity to summarize their articles out loud for extra credit.  Afterwards, students had their online lab packets checked for 35 points while we watched Mythbusters.

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

Day 83

Students had all of today's class to complete the online lab, which ended on page 5-24. 

The online lab and news article #17 are due on Monday, and the Force Quiz will be on Thursday, January 16th.

Day 82

Students continued their online Force & Motion Lab today.  We reviewed the three questions on worksheet 5-20.  I demonstrated to students how to collect and record the data for Activity 2 that began on worksheet 5-22.  Most students were somewhere in the middle of page 5-23 by the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Force Quiz will be on Thursday, January 16th.

Day 81

We had a 2-hour delay today, so in the 31 minute classes, we began our online Force & Motion lab using the link through Moodle.  Most students got to page 20 by the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Force Quiz will be on Thursday, January 16th.

Day 80

After listening to the 16th week of science news articles, students had their Chapter 5 notebooks checked while we watched Mythbusters. 

No homework was assigned, and the Force Quiz will be on Thursday, January 16th.

Day 79

We had a 2-hour delay schedule today, but students still had a half hour to take the Chapter 5 test on Moodle, which was more than enough time for them.

News article #16 and the notebook check will be on Monday, and the Force Quiz will be Wednesday, January 15th.

Day 78

We played Jeopardy today to prepare for tomorrow's Chapter 5 test.  The last 5-10 minutes was used to work on completing the packet.

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