Day 75

We watched "A Christmas Carol" in the auditorium in the morning.  In the afternoon, students were in the gym for our annual Winter Olympics.

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

Day 74

Students turned in their week #15 science news articles.  Students were assigned worksheet 5-6 within their groups.  By the end of the period, I told students that every worksheet should be finished, except for pages 5-12 & 5-17.

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

Day 73

Students finished their marble lab today, including graphing their data on worksheet 5-11.  After completing the lab, students worked on pages 5-7 & 5-8 through the end of the period.

News article #15 is due on Monday, and the chapter 5 test has been pushed back to Wednesday, January 6th.

Day 72

We did a lab today from pages 5-9, 5-10 and 5-11.  Students timed a marble as it rolled different lengths down a ramp.  They used those results to calculate and graph speed.

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

Day 71

We discussed section 5-2 notes on graphing motion.  I demonstrated how to interpret Distance vs Time graphs and Speed vs Time graphs.  Students were assigned worksheet 5-4 to be done in their groups.  We went over the answers before the bell rang.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 5 test will be on Tuesday, January 5, 2016.

Day 70

We discussed section 5-3 notes on Acceleration, including the new formula to calculate acceleration.  Students were assigned the seven problems 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 5th.

Day 69

Students turned in their 14th science news article.  I then returned their Speed Quizzes from last Thursday's class and we reviewed those answers.  We then reviewed worksheets 5-13 through 5-15 before the end of the period.

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

Day 68

Students worked in their groups to complete the lab on page 5-18 and 5-19, which they did in the guidance hallway.  We went over the results at the end of class.

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

Day 67

Students took their Speed Quiz today, worth 40 points.  After completion, they were assigned Part II of page 5-14, which was graphing two sets of data onto the graph pager on page 5-15 and answering four questions based on the graphs.

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

Day 66

Students took the practice speed quiz today at the beginning of class (page 5-16).  After going over the answers, students were assigned problem  #1-10 on pages 5-13 & 5-14.  We went over the answers for problems #1-7 before the bell rang.  We will do the rest tomorrow.

No homework was assigned, and the Speed Quiz is tomorrow.

Day 65

Students went to the board to show their work for problems one through eight from worksheet 5-2 that were done yesterday.  During that time, students were assigned problems 9 & 10 from the same page.  After going over those solutions, students were assigned worksheet 5-5, and we went over the answers before the end of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Speed Quiz will be on Thursday, December 10th.

Day 64

Students turned in their 13th week of science news articles.  We completed worksheet 5-1 together, and then I assigned worksheet 5-2 (# 1-8) for students to complete in class.

No homework was assigned, and the Speed Quiz will be on Thursday, December 10th.

Day 63

Students were given their chapter 5 packets today and we discussed section 5-1 notes on frames of reference, speed and velocity.  We watched a brief 4-minute video on Frame of Reference and then watched a www.brainpop.com video on Distance, Rate and Time and took the quiz before the end of the period.

News article #13 is due on Monday, and the Speed Quiz will be on Thursday, December 10th.

Day 62

Students had their chapter 3 notebooks checked for 100 points today.  During that time, we watched Mythbusters: Star Wars Edition.

No homework was assigned, and the Speed quiz will be on Thursday, December 10th.

Day 61

Students took their chapter 3 test using Moodle today.

The notebook check is tomorrow, and the Calculating Speed quiz will be on Thursday, December 10th.

Day 60

Students turned in their week #12 news articles today.  Afterwards, we reviewed chapter 3 by playing Jeopardy.

The chapter 3 notebook check will be on Thursday, and the chapter 3 test is tomorrow.

Day 59

We took students to the movie theater today to see the Hunger Games series finale, Mockingjay Part 2.  No regular class time was allotted.

News article #12 is due on Tuesday, December 2nd, and the chapter 3 test will be on Wednesday, December 3rd.

Day 58

Students were in the auditorium this morning to watch Freak, The Mighty and Mockingjay Part 1, both of which were read in reading class.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 3 test will be on Wednesday, December 2nd.

Day 57

Students were given back their Farcebook posters and rubrics to see their grade for it.  After collecting them back, we watched BrainPop movies on Isotopes and Ions and took the quizzes for both.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 3 test will be on Wednesday, December 2nd.

Day 56

Today was one of the remaining two days for students to take the periodic table quiz.  Afterwards, students completed worksheets 3-17 & 3-18 within their groups.  By the end of this period, every single page in the packet (3-1 through 3-20) should have been done in class and should be an easy 100/100 during notebook check.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 3 test will be on Wednesday, December 2nd.

Day 55

Students have only 3 days left (today included) to take their periodic table quiz.  We discussed section 3-6 notes on electron arrangement in atoms.  Students completed worksheets 3-19 and 3-20 within their groups, and we put the solutions to those drawings on the board.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 3 test will be on Wednesday, December 2nd.

Day 54

Students had another chance to take the periodic table quiz.  We learned about isotopes and ions, watched a www.brainpop.com video on each, and completed worksheets 3-15 and 3-16 on those two topics.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 3 test will be on Wednesday, December 2nd.

Day 53

Students turned in their 11th science news article today, and they then had the opportunity to take the periodic table quiz.  We discussed section 3-5 notes on atomic number and atomic mass.  Students watched a www.brainpop.com video on Atoms and took the quiz.  We ended class be completing worksheet 3-14 in class before the bell rang.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 3 test will be on Wednesday, December 2nd.

Day 52

Students have exactly one week left to take the periodic table quiz.  We discussed section 3-4 notes on atomic models and took a www.brainpop.com video on Atomic Models, followed by the quiz.  We ended class by reviewing worksheets 3-11, 3-12 and 3-13 before the bell rang.

News article #11 is due on Monday, and the chapter 3 test will be on Wednesday, December 2nd.

Day 51

Students completed worksheet 3-10 on balancing equations.  After that was completed, students were to complete the Cross-a-Clue on pages 3-11 & 3-12.  Finally, there were to complete page 3-13, writing element names and chemical symbols.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 3 test will be on Wednesday, December 2nd.

Day 50

Students had the opportunity to take the periodic table quiz today.  It must be done by the end of class on Friday, November 20th.  We then completed the remaining problems on worksheet 3-9, and students worked in their groups to complete the first half of page 3-10.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 3 test will be on Wednesday, December 2nd.

Day 49

Students had the opportunity to take the periodic table quiz at the beginning of class.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Chemical Equations and took the quiz.  We continued working on page 3-9 (#1, 2 & 3).

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 3 test will be on Wednesday, December 2nd.

Day 48

Students turned in their 10th week of science news articles today.  Afterwards, they had the opportunity to practice and take their periodic table quiz.  I demonstrated the practice of STOICHIOMETRY, or balancing chemical equations.  After doing some sample problems together, students completed problems 4 & 8 from worksheet 3-9 together in their groups.  These were the easiest problems on the page, so that's why we started with them.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 3 test will be on Wednesday, December 2nd.

Day 47

Students had the opportunity to practice and take the periodic table quiz.  We discussed section 3-3 notes on chemical formulas, subscripts and coefficients.  Students completed worksheets 3-7 & 3-8 in their groups, and we went over the answers before the end of class.

News article #10 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Wednesday, December 2nd.

Day 46

Students had the opportunity to take the periodic table quiz at the beginning of class.  With the remaining time, students worked within their groups to complete worksheet 3-2, separation of mixtures.  We went over all of the ideas in the last 10 minutes of class.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 3 test will be on Wednesday, December 2nd.

Day 45

We began class by completing worksheet 3-3 in groups as a review from yesterday's lesson.  I then gave students a copy of the periodic table of elements and described the rules for the oral quiz for memorizing the elements.  We discussed the first half of section 3-3 notes on chemical symbols.  Students were assigned worksheets 3-5 & 3-6 to be worked on in their groups.  We went over the answers before the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 3 test will be on Wednesday, December 2nd.

Day 44

We reviewed worksheet 3-1 that students did at the end of Monday's class.  We discussed section 3-2 notes on elements and compounds.  Students watched a www.brainpop.com video on Mixtures and Compounds and took the quiz afterwards.  We ended class with students completing worksheet 3-4 within their groups, and we went over the answers before the bell rang.

No homework was assigned, and the next test will be on Wednesday, December 2nd.

Day 43

Students turned in their Farcebook posters and news article #9 at the beginning of class.  I handed out the first half of the chapter 3 packet and we discussed section 3-1 notes on homogeneous vs heterogeneous matter.  Students worked in their groups to complete worksheet 3-1 before the end of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Wednesday, December 2nd.

Day 42

(Friday, October 30th) Today was the last day that students had to work on their Farcebook poster in class.  If they were turned in before the end of the period, they earned five points extra.  Otherwise, they are due at the beginning of Monday's class for regular credit.

News article #9 and the Farcebook posters are due on Monday, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Wednesday, December 2nd.

Day 41

Today was the fourth day that students had to work on their Farcebook poster.  They can hand them in at the end of tomorrow's class to receive 5 points extra credit, or else they are due at the beginning of Monday's class for regular credit.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Wednesday, December 2nd.

Day 40

Students continued to work on their Farcebook project.  Some of them were ready for their poster board.

The completed poster is due on Monday, November 2nd, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Wednesday, December 2nd.

Day 39

Students continued to work on their Farcebook research project.

The finished posters are due on Monday, November 2nd, and the chapter 3 test will be on Wednesday, December 2nd.

Day 38

Students turned in their week #8 science news articles.  We began the FarceBook project, where students had to create a fake facebook profile page for a famous scientist or inventor.  They will be working on this all week.

The poster is due on Monday, November 2nd, and the next test on Chapter 3 is on Wednesday, December 2nd.

Day 37

Students turned in their chapter 2 notebooks today for 60 points.  During that time, we watched a Mythbusters episode about zombies, in honor of Halloween.

News article #8 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 3 test will be on Wednesday, December 2nd.

Day 36

Students took their Chapter 2 test on Moodle today.  They had the rest of the period to either work on their chapter 2 notebook check, their online gas lab, or get a news article for next Monday.

The chapter 2 notebook check will be tomorrow, and their Chapter 3 test will be on December 1st or 2nd.

Day 35

We played Jeopardy today to review for tomorrow's test.

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

Day 34

Students turned in their 7th science news article today.  During the remainder of class, students worked on their online lab, with the goal being to complete the lab by the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 22nd.

Day 33

Mr. Kuriga was in for me today.  Students continued to work on their online gas particles lab.  Their goal for the day was to be at the bottom of Page "I" by the end of the period.

News article #7 is due on Tuesday, and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 22nd.

Day 32

Today was the third day that students worked on the online gas particles lab.  Their goal for the end of the period was to be done through the bottom of page "G".  I also asked them to create a 3-line graph using the data they collected on pages F & G, and label the third columns P/T to solve that calculation.

News article #7 is due on Tuesday and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 22nd.

Day 31

We continued with our 2nd day of the online gas particles lab.  Students took the data they gathered in yesterday's class and used it to create a double line graph using the create-a-graph link on Moodle.  They then had to use the third column on page C and label it PxV and calculate the products for both tables.  The goal was to be completely done with page D by the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 22nd.

Day 30

Students were given a new packet today for the online gas particles lab we began.  Their goal for the period was to be right in the middle of page D.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 22nd.

Day 29

Students turned in their week #6 science news article and had the opportunity to summarize it out loud for extra credit, as usual.  We then worked in groups to complete the lab on pages 2-8 and 2-9, which explored the relationship between the temperature and pressure of gasses.  When done, students ended class by completing worksheet 2-5 with their partner.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 22nd.

Day 28

We discussed section 2-3 notes on physical and chemical changes in matter.  Students watched a www.brainpop.com video on Property Changes and took the quiz afterwards.  We ended class by students completing worksheet 2-3 and 2-4 within their groups.  We went over the answers before the bell rang.

News article #6 is due on Tuesday, and the chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 22nd.

Day 27

We reviewed the five different phase changes in matter.  Students work in their groups to complete worksheet 2-2 together for 5 minutes before we went over the answers.  We then focused our attention on worksheet 2-12, which had a similar graph.  Students had the remainder of the period to complete this activity within their group.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 22nd.

Day 26

We reviewed yesterday's lab from page 2-10.  I discussed section 2-2 notes on the phase changes of matter.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Matter Changing States and took the quiz afterwards.  Since we had shortened classes due to a PM assembly, classes were only 30 minutes long and that's all we had time to do.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 22nd.

Day 25

We reviewed Monday's lab on measuring the mass of air from pages 2-6 & 2-7.  I introduced Boyle's Law and Charles' Law pertaining to gases.  That was the basis for our lab today, which was on page 2-10, exploring the relationship between the pressure, volume and temperature of a gas.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 22nd.

Day 24

Students turned in their week #5 science news articles to begin class.  They worked on the lab on pages 2-6 & 2-7, measuring the mass of air.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 22nd.

Day 23

Students were given their new chapter 2 packets.  We discussed section 2-1 notes on the four phases of matter, and completed the worksheet that was right before worksheet 2-1.  Students watched a www.brainpop.com video on States of Matter and took the quiz after it.  We ended class with students completing the top half of worksheet 2-1 within their groups and going over the answers.  They were instructed to cross off the bottom half of the page, as they will not be responsible for it.

News article #5 is due on Monday, and the chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 22nd.

Day 22

Students had their Chapter 1 notebook checked for 100 points while they watched Mythbusters.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 22nd.

Day 21

Students took their Chapter 1 test online using Moodle today.  They had about 20 minutes left over after the test during which time they could work on their notebook or get a news article for next week.

The chapter 1 notebook check is tomorrow, and the Chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 22nd.

Day 20

I checked worksheet 1-19, which was last night's homework, and went over the answers out loud.  We then played Jeopardy to review for Wednesday's test.

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

Day 19

Students turned in their week #4 science news articles to begin class.  We then watched a www.brainpop.com video on Metric vs Customary Units.  We reviewed the top 10 problems from worksheet 1-6 that were completed in class on Friday, and then students were assigned the bottom 10 problems on that same page.

Worksheet 1-19 was assigned for homework, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 30th.

Day 18

We began class by watching a www.brainpop.com video on Graphs and taking the quiz afterwards.  I then introduced the topic of Dimensional Analysis from section 1-5 notes.  Students then used the conversion chart on worksheet 1-2 to complete the top 10 problems on worksheet 1-6.  They must show their work on a separate sheet of notebook paper.

News article #4 is due on Monday, and the chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 30th.

Day 17

Students worked on the laptops today using the Create-a-Graph website to complete the three graphing assignments on worksheet 1-16.  After printing all three graphs, students were to complete worksheet 1-18 with their partner.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 30th.

Day 16

We went over both of the labs from the past three days (Density of liquids lab from Friday, page 1-14, and the Density of solids lab from Monday and Tuesday, page 1-13).  We then completed worksheet 1-15 on graphing density, which led to today's topic, graphing (Section 1-6 notes).  We discussed the right time and way to make bar, line and pie graphs.  Students then worked in their groups to complete worksheets 1-17 & 1-18.  We went over them before the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 1 test will be one week from today on Wednesday, September 30th.

Day 15

I am finally back from vacation.  We began class by watching a www.brainpop.com video on Measuring Matter and took the quiz afterwards.  Students then had the remainder of the period to complete the density of solids lab.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 1 test is on Wednesday, September 30th.

Day 14

Students turned in their week #3 news articles to Mr. Girardi today.  He then gave them worksheet 1-13 to put in their folders and guided them through the density of solids lab.  Most students did not complete the assignment.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 30th.

Day 13

Mr. Girardi was in for me today.  He led students through the density of liquids lab on worksheet 1-14.  Afterwards, students were assigned the density worksheet on page 1-15.

News article #3 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 30th.

Day 12

We reviewed the outcomes from the metric measurements lab.  I introduced the topic of Density from section 1-3 notes.  Students completed worksheet 1-24, which was calculating density, mass and volume.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 30th.

Day 11

Students had the entire period to finish the Measuring with Metrics lab.  They were also reminded to complete the conclusion questions on page 11 after they finished their measurements.  We will go over the results tomorrow.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 30th.

Day 10

I checked their homework (pages 1-7 through 1-10) for 20 points, and we went over the answers to each problem.  We then began a lab on pages 1-11 and 1-12, Measuring with Metrics.  Students went around to four different stations and measured the mass, volume, length and temperature of various items in the room.  Since it was designed to be a 2-day lab, they will have the rest of tomorrow's class to complete the assignment.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 30th.

Day 9

After turning in their week #2 science news articles, we discussed section 1-4 notes on metric tools.  I demonstrated the proper use and reading of the triple beam balance, graduated cylinder, metric thermometers and meter sticks.

Students were assigned worksheets 1-7, 1-8, 1-9 & 1-10, due tomorrow, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 30th.

Day 8

Students took the Metric Conversion Quiz.  Once everyone was done, students worked in their groups to complete the "Bikini Bottom Experiments" on pages 21 & 22.  These were three experiments based on the SpongeBob TV show.  We went over the experiments during the last 10 minutes of class.

News article #2 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 30th.

Day 7

Students were given a 15-item practice quiz today on metric conversions.  After we went over the answers, we watched a www.brainpop.com video on Metric Units and took the quiz afterwards.  Finally, students were given back their week #1 news articles and I identified the areas that were solid and those that needed improvement for future articles.

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

Day 6

We began class by looking at seven word problems related to metric conversions on the smart board.  After solving them together, we completed worksheet 1-5 together as a class.  Finally, during the last 10-15 minutes of class, students worked in their groups to complete worksheet 1-3 before I went over the correct answers.

No homework was assigned, and the Metric Conversion Quiz will be this Friday, September 11th.

Day 5

Students turned in their first news article of the school year.  As will be the case all year, they had the opportunity to earn extra credit by discussing their article out loud for five points.  After the articles were collected, we reviewed the answers from worksheet 1-4 that was completed at the end of Friday's class.  We used the student responders so that students could provide their answers anonymously without fear of embarrassment.  We then did some sample metric conversion problems on the board, during which students continued to use the responders.

No homework was assigned, and the Metric Conversion Quiz will be this Friday, September 11th.

Day 4

We began class by completing worksheet 1-1 within their groups to review the past two days of class.  After four minutes, we went over the answers together.  I introduced the metric system and how to convert between the different metric prefixes.  Students did some sample conversions on their practice grid, and I ended class by assigning worksheet 1-4, which everyone completed within the 10 minutes of remaining time.

News article #1 is due on Tuesday, September 8th, and the Metric quiz will be on Friday, September 11th.

Day 3

Students got their chapter 1 packets today, and we went over the different types of variables and setups in experiments from section 1 notes.  We also watched a www.brainpop.com video on Scientific Method and took the quiz using the student responders.

No homework was assigned, and the metrics quiz will be on Friday, September 11th.

Day 2

Students registered for my Moodle online curriculum today.  They played a game that sharpened their observational skills by identifying the differences between two similar photographs.  We then discussed the differences between a theory and law, and posted those results to a discussion forum on Moodle.

No homework was assigned, and the Metrics quiz will be on Friday, September 11th.

Day 1

Students were given a sample science news article and summary sheet.  I discussed the format for summarizing this weekly assignment, along with the importance of using complete sentences and doing the extra credit.  Their first news article is due on Tuesday, September 8th.

No homework was assigned, and their next quiz on Metrics will be on Friday, September 11th.

Day 180

Thanks for a very enjoyable year, 8th graders.  This was one of the best groups I've had in a while.  Keep up the good work.

Day 179

Students took their Math and Science finals today.  Tomorrow is the last day of school, and students will be watching the movie "Flipped", based on the book they read in Reading class.

Day 178

Students took their History and English finals today.  Math and Science finals are tomorrow.

Day 177

Students took the final exam practice test on Moodle today, in preparation for this Thursday's real final exam at 9:20.

Day 176

Students played Jeopardy to review chapters 8 & 11 for the final exam, which will be this Thursday at 9:20.

Day 175

We reviewed chapter 6 & 7 today by playing Jeopardy.

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

Day 174

We played Jeopardy to review chapters 3 & 5 today.

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

Day 173

Students turned in their 35th and final science news article today.  We played Jeopardy to review chapters 1 & 2.

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

Day 172

We met with each group for 20 minute classes in the morning so that they could finalize their presentations.  After lunch, each group presented to the rest of the 8th grade for 10 minutes.

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

Day 171

We only met with periods 6 & 7 today, and they worked on their presentations during my class.  The afternoon was used for field day down on the football field.

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

Day 170

We only met with 3 of the 5 classes today due to the afternoon talent show.  We will see the other two classes tomorrow.  Students worked on their careers presentation during this time.

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

Day 169

Students continued to work on their careers presentation for the second day in a row.  Presentations must be ready by Tuesday.

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

Day 168

Students turned in their 34th week of science news articles.  Afterwards, they worked in their Penn College group on their presentation, which will be next Tuesday after lunch.

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

Day 167

This is a day late, but students went to Penn College yesterday to participate in their Career Day.

News article #34 is due on Tuesday, and the final exam will be on Thursday, June 4th.

Day 166

Students had their chapter 9 notebooks checked today for 50 points.  They also were given their 4th quarter BrainPop quiz average.  During that time, they watched Mythbusters.

News article #34 is due on Tuesday, and the final exam will be on Thursday, June 4th.

Day 165

Students took their chapter 9 test on Waves today.

The notebook check is tomorrow, and the FINAL EXAM will be on Thursday, June 4th.

Day 164

Students completed the final pages of the packet (9-6, 9-10, 9-11) before we played Jeopardy to review for tomorrow's test.

The notebook check will be Friday, and the chapter 9 test will be tomorrow.

Day 163

We discussed section 9-3 notes on waves today on wave interactions.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Waves and took the quiz.  Finally, students were assigned worksheet 9-9 to be completed in five minutes within their groups.  We went over the answers before the end of the period.  Students turned in their Slinky Lab before the end of the period.

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

Day 162

Students turned in their 33rd week of science news articles today.  We reviewed worksheets 9-2 through 9-5.  Finally, students worked in their groups to complete the slinky lab on worksheets 9-7 & 9-8.  Following the rubric, students need to turn in the completed lab and rubric by the end of tomorrow's class.

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

Day 161

Mrs. Lentz was in for me today.  She discussed section 9-2 notes on wave speed.  Students were assigned worksheets 9-2, 9-3, 9-4 and 9-5.

News article #33 is due on Monday, and the chapter 9 test will be on Thursday, May 14th.

Day 160

Students were given their final packet, this one for chapter 9 on Waves.  We discussed section 9-1 notes on the different types of waves and completed worksheet 9-1 within their groups in 5 minutes.  I demonstrated the differences between transverse and longitudinal waves with a giant slinky.  We ended class with a 20-minute clip of Bill Nye- Waves.

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

Day 159

Students had their chapter 11 notebooks checked today for 60 points, during which time they watched an episode of Mythbusters about zombie myths.

No homework was assigned, and the last chapter test of the year will be on Thursday, May 14th.

Day 158

Students took their chapter 11 test today online and most did quite well.

The notebook check is tomorrow, and the final chapter test of the year (chapter 9) will be on Thursday, May 14th.

Day 157

After turning in their 32nd science news article, students played Jeopardy to review for tomorrow's test.

The notebook check will be on Wednesday, and the chapter 11 test is tomorrow.

Day 156

We discussed section 11-3 notes on heat engines.  We watched brief 2-minute videos on internal and external combustion engines, and then watched a 2-minute video on energy conversions via roller coasters.  I then demonstrated how a pendulum is very similar to a roller coaster in terms of potential and kinetic energy.  We completed worksheet 11-13 together, followed by worksheet 11-11, before students were finally assigned worksheet 11-9 to be completed within their groups before the end of class.

News article #32 is due on Monday, and the chapter 11 test will be on Tuesday, May 5th.

Day 155

Students completed worksheets 11-1, 11-7 & 11-14 outside today.

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

Day 154

I collected the online energy lab at the beginning of class.  We then discussed section 11-4 notes on the Law of conservation of energy and Einstein's theory of relativity.  I gave students 20 minutes to complete the eight problems on worksheet 11-10 before going over the answers.  Finally, we completed worksheet 11-5 together.

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

Day 153

Students only had period 1 and study hall today.  In between those two classes today, they took the PSSA science exam.

The online lab is due on Wednesday, April 29, and the chapter 11 test will be on Tuesday, May 5th.

Day 152

Students turned in their 31st week of science news articles today.  They were asked to complete their PSSA practice test from last week (if they hadn't already done so), and we compared the results to the practice test they took back in November.

The online lab is due on Wednesday, and the chapter 11 test will be on Tuesday, May 5th.

Day 151

Today was the last day students had to work on the online energy lab in class.  It will be collected at the beginning of class on Wednesday, April 29th.

News article #31 is due on Monday, and the chapter 11 test will be on Tuesday, May 5th.

Day 150

Students took their final math PSSA exam today.  Students also watched "The Book Thief", a movie based on the Holocaust, before and after the exam.  No regular classes were scheduled.

The online lab is due on Wednesday, April 29, and the chapter 11 test will be on Tuesday, May 5th.

Day 149

We met with periods 5, 6 & 7 today only due to PSSA Math exams.  During that time, students finished Activity 2 of the online energy lab and began Activity 3.

The lab packet is due on Wednesday, April 29th, and the chapter 11 test will be on Tuesday, May 5th.

Day 148

We met with periods 2, 3 & 4 today only due to PSSA Math exams.  During that time, students finished Activity 2 of the online energy lab and began Activity 3.

The lab packet is due on Wednesday, April 29th, and the chapter 11 test will be on Tuesday, May 5th.

Day 147

After turning in their 30th science news articles, students were asked to go onto Study Island and complete a 60-item assessment that was practice for the PSSA science exam.

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

Day 146

Today was a repeat of yesterday's plan for periods 5, 6 & 7.  Students worked on Activity 2, spanning pages 4-8.  The goal for today was to be on page 7 by the end of the period.

News article #30 is due on Monday, and the chapter 11 test will be on Tuesday, May 5th.

Day 145

Just like Tuesday, we only met with our period 2, 3 & study hall classes today due to PSSA's.  During that time, students worked on Activity 2 of the online lab.  The goal today was to be on page 7 by the end of the period.

News article #30 is due on Monday, and the chapter 11 test will be on Tuesday, May 5th.

Day 144

Just like yesterday, we only met with half of our classes today.  Just like yesterday, today's classes began the online energy lab and were expected to be done through page three by the end of the period.  Any leftover time was used for students to work on their PSSA science practice test.

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

Day 143

Students were given a new packet today for an online energy lab.  The link to the lab and the FAQ is available at the bottom of my Moodle page.  The goal for today was to be done through page 3.  We only met with periods 2 & 3 today due to PSSA's.

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

Day 142

Students turned in their 29th week of science news articles.  Afterwards, they took a 50-item PSSA science practice exam.

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

Day 141

We discussed section 11-2 notes on Kinetic Energy.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Kinetic Energy and took the quiz.  Students worked in their groups to complete worksheets 11-4 & 11-6.

News article #29 is due on Monday, and the chapter 11 test will be on Tuesday, May 5th.

Day 140

We went over worksheet 11-2 & 11-3 from yesterday.  We discussed the beginning of section 11-2 notes on Potential Energy.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Potential Energy and took the quiz.  We ended class by students completing the brief lab on page 11-12 in their groups.

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

Day 139

Students turned in their 28th week of science news articles today.  Students were given their new packets for Chapter 11, 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.  We ended class with students working on pages 11-2 and 11-3 until the bell rang.

Students were to complete worksheets 11-2 & 11-3 before tomorrow's class, and the chapter 11 test will be on Tuesday, May 5th.

Day 138

We reviewed the chapter 8 test today, and students had their notebooks checked for 100 points.  During that time we watched electric myths on Mythbusters.

News article #28 is due on Wednesday, April 8th, and the chapter 11 test will be on Tuesday, May 5th.

Day 137

Students took their chapter 8 test using Moodle today.

The notebook check is tomorrow, and the Chapter 11 test will be on Tuesday, May 5th.

Day 136

Students turned in their 27th science news article today, which is the official start of the fourth marking period.  We also played Jeopardy to review for tomorrow's test.

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

Day 135

Students were to complete the remainder of the packet during class today.  This included problems 6 & 7 from page 8-2, problems 4-10 from page 8-14, and the crossword review from page 8-15.

News article #27 is due on Monday, and the chapter 8 test will be on Tuesday.

Day 134

We did a lab today that compared the difference between series and parallel circuits from pages 8-19 through 8-22.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 8 test will be on Tuesday, March 31st.

Day 133

We discussed section 8-6 notes on electric circuits.  We learned the four necessary parts of a circuit and I demonstrated how they collectively come together to create a closed circuit.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Electric Circuits and took the quiz.  We completed worksheet 8-13 together, and they worked on worksheet 8-14 within their groups for the last 5-10 minutes of class.  We reviewed the diagram at the top of page 14 before the bell rang.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 8 test will be on Tuesday, March 31st.

Day 132

We discussed section 8-5 notes on AC vs DC.  We watched www.brainpop.com movies on both Batteries and Current Electricity and took the quizzes afterwards.  Finally, students were assigned worksheet 8-4 (only 3 problems) and we went over the answers before the end of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 8 test will be on Tuesday, March 31st.

Day 131

After going to the movie theater to see "Insurgent", we had 21-minute classes, during which time students turned in their 26th week of news articles.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 8 test will be on Tuesday, March 30th.

Day 130

Students took their quiz on Ohm's Law today.  With whatever time was leftover, we watched a National Geographic video on Lightning.

News article #26 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 8 test will be on Tuesday, March 30th.

Day 129

We discussed the bottom of section 8-4 notes on electrical energy.  I showed students how electric companies read the energy meters outside their home and passed out sample electric bills from previous years.  Students were assigned worksheet 8-11, and we went over the answers before the end of class.

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

Day 128

We discussed the first half of section 8-4 notes on electrical power.  Students completed problems 1-5 on worksheet 8-2 as a primer for today's assignment.  After we went over the answers, students were assigned worksheet 8-3, 8-9 and 8-10.  We went over the answers before the end of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Ohm's Law quiz will be on Friday, March 20th.

Day 127

Mrs. Kirol, the district's dental hygienist, was in my classroom today to speak to students about periodontal diseases.

No homework was assigned, and the Ohm's Law quiz will be on Friday, March 20th.

Day 126

Students turned in their 25th science news article today.  We discussed section 8-3 notes on Ohm's Law, and students were given the new formula that will be assessed on Friday's quiz.  Students were assigned worksheets 8-5, 8-6, 8-7 and 8-8 to be done in class.  We went over the answers to all 20 problems before the bell rang.

No homework was assigned, and the Ohm's Law quiz will be this Friday, March 20th.

Day 125

We discussed section 8-2 notes on conductors vs insulators, and conduction vs induction.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Static Electricity and took the quiz.  We ended class with a demonstration on static electricity using the Van de Graff generator.

News article #25 is due on Monday, and the Ohm's Law quiz will be on Friday, March 20th.

Day 124

We began chapter 8 on electricity today.  Students were given a new packet and we discussed section 8-1 notes on atoms.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Electricity and took the short quiz afterwards.  Students were assigned worksheet 8-1 within their groups, which took all of two minutes to complete.  We went over the answers and watched the first 18 minutes of an electricity video to end the class.

No homework was assigned, and the next quiz on Ohm's Law will be on Friday, March 20th.

Day 123

Students had their chapter 7 notebooks and pulley labs checked for 100 points and 40 points, respectively.  During that time we watched the "See-Saw Saga" episode of Mythbusters.

No homework was assigned, and the Ohm's Law quiz will be on Friday, March 20th.

Day 122

Students took their Chapter 7 test using Moodle today, and any time remaining was used to work on their notebooks or to get a news article for next Monday.

The chapter 7 notebook and pulley lab packet will be checked tomorrow, and the next quiz will be on Friday, March 20th (Current, Voltage and Electrical Resistance).

Day 121

Students turned in their 24th week of science news articles.  Afterwards, we played Jeopardy to review for tomorrow's test.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 7 quiz will be tomorrow.

Day 120

We watched the final www.brainpop.com video for this chapter on Wheel & Axle, and took the quiz afterwards.  We completed worksheet 15-17 together, and they were assigned worksheets 15-19 & 15-20 within their groups to review for Tuesday's test.

News article #24 is due on Monday, and the chapter 7 test is next Tuesday.

Day 119

We finished up the chapter 7 notes today by going over section 7-7 on ideal mechanical advantage.  Students were assigned worksheet 18, which took about two minutes to complete and review, worksheet 8 (problems 2, 3 & 4), which took about five minutes, and ended class by completing worksheet 10 in their groups.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 7 test will be on Tuesday, March 10th.

Day 118

Today was the 4th and FINAL DAY for students to work on their pulley lab in class.  They absolutely needed to have all of their measurements done by the end of the period, though they still have to make a graph online on their own time.

The packet is due on March 11th, and the chapter 7 test will be on Tuesday, March 10th.

Day 117

*Early dismissal, 1:00- periods 5, 6, 7 were shortened to 30 minutes each

We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Pulleys and took the quiz that followed.  The remainder of class was used for students to work on their pulley lab.  The goal was to get to page 10.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 7 test will be on Tuesday, March 10th.

Day 116

After the 23rd week of science news, students had the rest of the period to work on their pulley lab.  The goal for today was to be on page 7 by the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 7 test will be on Tuesday, March 10th.

Day 115

We began a new hands-on lab today about pulleys.  Students were given a new packet, and the goal for today was to get to page 6.

News article #23 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 7 test will be on Tuesday, March 10th.

Day 114

Students had their online lab packets checked today for 100 points.  During that time, we watched Mythbusters.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 test will be on Tuesday, March 10th.

Day 113

Students took the chapter 7 vocab quiz today, and were able to work on their online lab with any remaining time.

The online lab packet is due tomorrow, and the Chapter 7 test is on Tuesday, March 10th.

Day 112

Today was the 6th and final day for students to work on their online simple machines lab.  The focus today was on the wheel and axle.  Anything that is not done by the end of today's class is the responsibility of the student to complete in their own time before Thursday's notebook check.

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

Day 111

After summarizing their week #22 science news articles, students continued to work on their online simple machines lab.  The goal today was to be on page 19 by the end of the period.  Page 17 was the beginning of lesson three that explored the use of the screw as a simple machine.

No homework was assigned, and the vocab quiz will be on Wednesday, and the online lab packet is due on Thursday.

Day 110

*2-hour delay

With the time we had in class today, students continued to work on their online lab.  Their goal today was originally page 16, but with less time due to the 2-hour delay, page 15 was a much more realistic goal.  I told students that if they were NOT on page 15 by the end of class, they should consider themselves behind and work over the weekend to get to page 15 before Monday's class.

News article #23 is due on Monday, and the vocab quiz will be this Wednesday.

Day 109

Today was Day 3 of the online simple machines lab.  The topic of the day was the inclined plane, which begins on Page 8 of the packet and Lesson 2 of the online simulations.  The goal for today is to be somewhere in the middle (or completely done) of page 10.

No homework was assigned, and the vocab quiz will be on Wednesday, February 25th.

Day 108

We continued our 2nd Day of the online simple machines lab.  Students explored use of the lever today using the online simulation.  Their goal for the end of the period was to be somewhere in the middle of page six.  Students were encouraged to check the FAQ page on Moodle before working on page six.

No homework was assigned, and the vocab quiz will be on Wednesday, February 25th.

Day 107

Students were given a new packet for the online lab that began today using the link at the bottom of Moodle.  The goal today was to be finished through the bottom of page 3.  Today's lesson was on using a wedge to move material, and how the shape of the wedge influences how much effort force is needed.

No homework was assigned, and the Vocab Quiz will be on Wednesday, February 25th.

Day 106

*2-Hour Delay

Students turned in their 21st week of science news articles.  Afterwards, we discussed section 7-6 notes on wheel & axle, screws, wedges and pulleys.  Students completed worksheet 15-11 within their groups, and we ended class by students working on problem #7 on worksheet 15-9.

No homework was assigned, and the vocab quiz will be on Wednesday, February 25th.

Day 105

We discussed section 7-5 notes on Levers today.  We differentiated among the three classes of levers before watching a www.brainpop.com video on Levers.  Students were given one minute to complete worksheet 15-12 before we went over the answers, and then were given five minutes to complete worksheet 15-15 before we went over the answers.

News article #21 is due on Monday, and the vocab quiz will be on Wednesday, February 25th.

Day 104

We performed the lab from pages 15-13 & 15-14 about mechanical advantages of an inclined plane, and went over the outcomes before the end of class.

No homework was assigned, and the vocab quiz will be on Wednesday, February 25th.

Day 103

Students got their quizzes and news articles returned today.  We also reviewed worksheet 15-6 together.  We discussed section 7-5 notes on inclined planes and watched a www.brainpop.com video on the same topic, then took the quiz.  After the quiz, we completed problems #5 & 6 on page 15-9 together.

No homework was assigned, and the next quiz will be on Wednesday, February 25th.

Day 102

We had shortened classes today so that we could watch "42" in celebration of African-American History Month.  During our classes, we discussed section 7-3 and 7-4 notes and completed only the first problem on page 15-8 together.

No homework was assigned, and the next quiz will be on Wednesday, February 25th.

Day 101

Students turned in their 20th week of science news articles.  Afterwards, they took their Work & Power quiz.

No homework was assigned, and the next quiz will be on Wednesday, February 5th.

Day 100

We reviewed worksheets 15-2 and 15-3 at the beginning of class.  Students then worked in their groups to complete worksheets 15-4, 15-5 and 15-6.

News article #19 is due on Monday, and the Work & Power Quiz will also be on Monday.

Day 99

We went in the stairwell today to complete the lab on page 15-7 and timed how long it took students to walk and run the steps.  From that we determined their work and power.  When we returned to class, students worked in their groups to complete pages 15-3 & 15-4.

No homework was assigned, and the Work & Power Quiz will be on Monday, February 9th.

Day 98

We reviewed worksheet 15-1 from yesterday's class before going over today's lesson on Power (section 7-2 notes).  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Power and took the quiz afterwards.  Students were then assigned worksheets 15-2 and 15-3 to be completed before the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Work & Power Quiz will be on Monday, February 9th.

Day 97

Students turned in their 19th science news article today since yesterday was cancelled for snow.  We started a new chapter (7) and discussed section 7-1 notes on Work.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Work and took the quiz afterwards.  We ended class by completing worksheet 7-1 in class within their groups.

No homework was assigned, and the Work & Power quiz will be on Monday, February 9th.

Day 96

We watched the second half of the movie, "Gravity", today in class.

News article #18 is due on Monday, and the Work & Power quiz will be on Friday, February 6th.

Day 95

Students had their chapter 6 notebooks checked today for 60 points.  During that time, we watched the first half of the movie, "Gravity".

No homework was assigned, and the Work & Power quiz will be on Friday, February 6th.

Day 94

Students took the Chapter 6 test today using Moodle.

The notebook check will be tomorrow, and the next quiz (on Work & Power) will be on Friday, February 6th.

Day 93

School was cancelled for snow yesterday.  Students turned in their 18th science news article today, and then we played Jeopardy to review for tomorrow's test.

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

Day 92

Students were assigned worksheets 6-11, 12 and 13, which were all review pages.  They had the entire period to complete this assignment, along with any other pages they may have missed from previous absences.

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

Day 91

We discussed section 6-4 notes on Gravity & Projectiles.  We completed worksheet 6-7 together in determining the speed of a free-falling snowball.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Gravity and took the quiz.  We ended class by students working in their groups towards completing worksheet 6-9.

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

Day 90

We went over the answers to worksheet 6-8 from yesterday's class.  Students worked in their groups to complete a 4-square activity in 10 minutes.  Each group was assigned one of Newton's Laws, and they had to define the law, explain it to a kindergartner, apply it to real life and illustrate the law with a sketch.  We ended class by completing worksheet 6-10 together.

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

Day 89

Students turned in their last news article (#17 overall) of the second marking period.  We discussed section 6-5 notes on gravity, and found out our metric weight on other planets (worksheet 6-5).  We ended class with students being assigned worksheet 6-8 to be completed within their groups.  We will go over those answers at the beginning of tomorrow's class.

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

Day 88

Students got their Force quizzes back and we went over each of the problems.  We discussed section 6-3 notes on Newton's 3 Laws of Motion and took the www.brainpop.com movie and quiz on that topic.  We ended class by finishing our review of worksheet 6-6.

News article #17 is due on Tuesday, and the Chapter 6 test will be on Tuesday, January 27th.

Day 87

Students took the Force Quiz today and did EXTREMELY well.  Once everyone finished, we watched a Bill Nye video on Balanced Forces.

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

Day 86

We discussed section 6-2 notes on Friction using a PowerPoint and flipchart.  We went over any remaining problems from worksheet 6-4 that we didn't get to yesterday.  Students were assigned worksheet 6-6 to be worked on during the last 20 minutes of class.

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

Day 85

We discussed section 6-1 notes on balanced vs unbalanced forces and completed worksheet 6-1 together.  We reviewed worksheets 6-2 (from Friday) and 6-3 & 6-4 from yesterday.

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

Day 84

Students handed in their 16 week of science news article summaries.  Afterwards, they had more practice with Newton's 2nd law (F=ma) by completing worksheet 6-3 and 6-4.

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

Day 83

We began Chapter 6 today and discussed section 6-3 notes on Newton's 2nd law of motion.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Force.  Following that quiz, students were assigned worksheet 6-2 to be worked on in their groups.

News article #16 is due on Monday, and the Force quiz will either be next Wednesday or Thursday.

Day 82

My plan today was for students to begin an online lab about force and motion.  However, for some reason a "Java error" prevented us from doing that.  Instead, students completed a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) survey.  They had the remaining 10-15 minutes of class to work on other assignments.

No homework was assigned, and the next test will be on Tuesday, January 27th.

Day 81

Students had their chapter 5 notebook checked today for 100 points.  Pages 1-17, + 25 & 26 were checked.  Pages 18-24 were not checked, as they will be completed in class starting tomorrow when we begin our next online lab.  During the notebook checked, students watched Mythbusters "No Pain, No Gain".

No homework was assigned, and the next quiz will be on Thursday, January 15th.

Day 80

Students took their chapter 5 test on Moodle today.

The notebook check is tomorrow, and the next quiz will be on Thursday, January 17th.

Day 79

We reviewed for the chapter 5 test by playing Jeopardy.  I stressed to students that 11 of the 25 questions will be on analyzing speed vs time and distance vs time graphs.

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