Day 73 - 77

Students worked on their Farcebook posters during these five days.  The point schedule for turning in the assignment was as follows:

By Tuesday, December 20, for 10 extra credit points
By Wednesday, December 21, for 5 extra credit points
By Thursday, December 22, for full credit but no extra points.

News article #15 is due on Tuesday, January 3, and the chapter 5 test will be on Thursday, January 5.

Day 72

Students began their Farcebook project today by choosing a scientist and getting the rubric.  They have the next five class days to work on it.

The poster is due on Thursday, December 22, and the chapter 5 test will be on Thursday, January 5th.

Day 71

Students worked within their groups to complete worksheets 5-7 & 5-8, and problems #11 & 12 from worksheet 5-14.

Whatever they don't complete in class is homework, and the chapter 5 test will be on Thursday, January 5th.

Day 70

We discussed section 5-2 notes on graphing motion today.  I showed students examples of distance vs time graphs and speed vs time graphs and had them differentiate between a diagonal line, a flat line and a curved line on each graph.  They completed worksheet 5-4 and 5-6, which we went over before the end of class.

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

Day 69

(2-hour delay schedule)

Students turned in their 14th science news article today, and they had the rest of the time to complete the lab from Friday, which today included graphing their data on page 5-11.

The homework will be to finish what they don't complete in class, and the chapter 5 test will be on Thursday, January 5th.

Day 68

(Late post from this past Friday)

Mrs. Carpenter was in for me today.  Students worked in their groups on the experiment from pages 5-9 and 5-10.  They rolled a marble down a ramp at a 45 degree angle from differing distances and timed how long it took to go.  From there, they calculated the marble's speed.

News article #14 is due on Monday (which is actually today), and the chapter 5 test will be on Thursday, January 5th.

Day 67

We discussed section 5-3 notes on acceleration.  Students completed worksheet 5-3 within their groups.  We previewed tomorrow's lab during the last five minutes of class.

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

Day 66

We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Pearl Harbor to commemorate the 75-year anniversary of the attack.  I then took students out into the hallway to collect data for the lab on page 5-18.  We returned to the classroom to complete the analysis questions on page 5-19 together by the end of the period.

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

Day 65

Students took the Speed Quiz today.  After they were done, they were instructed to complete problems 13-16 on page 5-14, including the two graphs on page 5-15.

No homework was assigned (unless they did not complete the in-class assignment), and the chapter 5 test will be on Thursday, January 5th.

Day 64

This is a day late, but yesterday we went to the community arts center to see the theatrical version of A Christmas Carol.  We only had 20- minute classes when we came back, so during that time students turned in their 13th week of science news articles.

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

Day 63

Students took the practice quiz on worksheet 5-16, and we went over the answers 15 minutes later.  Students were then assigned worksheet 5-13 #1-10, and we went over the answers in the last 10 minutes.

News article #13 is due on Monday, and the speed quiz will be on Tuesday, December 6th.

Day 62

Students volunteered to put their solutions to problems #2-10 from page 5-2 on the board during the fist 30 minutes of class.  During the last 10 minutes, students worked on completing worksheet 5-5 within their group.

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

Day 61

We completed worksheet 5-1 together at the beginning of class, and I showed students a 4-step method for solving word problems.  We completed problem #1 on page 5-2 together, and students were assigned #2-8 by the end of the period.

No homework was assigned (unless they didn't finish problems #2-8), and the speed quiz will be on Tuesday, December 6th.

Day 60

Students turned in their 12 science news article today.  They were given a new packet to begin chapter 5, and we discussed section 5-1 notes on frame of reference and motion.  We watched a brief YouTube video on frame of reference before watching a www.brainpop.com video on Distance, Rate and Time.

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

Day 59

This post was originally intended for November 22, 2016.

Mr. Girardi was in for me on today's Act 80 half day.  He showed a video for the 25 minutes of class.

News article #12 is due on Tuesday, November 29th, and the Speed Quiz will be on Tuesday, December 6th.

Day 58

This post was originally intended for November 21, 2016.

Mr. Girardi was in for me on today's Act 80 half day.  He showed a video for the 25 minutes of class.

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

Day 57

Students watched a video during class today, in lieu of starting a new chapter before break.

News article #12 is due on Tuesday, November 29th, and the Speed Quiz will be on Tuesday, December 6th.

Day 56

Students had their chapter 3 notebooks checked today for 100 points.  During that time, they watched a holiday edition of Mythbusters.

No homework was assigned, and a quiz on Speed, Distance and Time (chapter 5) will be on Tuesday, December 6th.

Day 55

Students took the chapter 3 test on Moodle today.  With any remaining time, they could work on their notebook check or get a new article for November 29th.

The notebook check is tomorrow, and the chapter 5 test will be in mid-December.

Day 54

The remaining students finally took the periodic table quiz today.  We then played Jeopardy to review for tomorrow's test.

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

Day 53

Students handed in their 11th science news article at the start of today's class.  Only a few kids have not yet taken the periodic table quiz, but they were given the opportunity to do so.  Tomorrow is the last day to take the quiz.  Students were then assigned worksheets 3-17 and 3-18 to be worked on in their groups, and we went over the answers during the last five minutes of class.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 3 test will be on Wednesday, November 16th.

Day 52

Students had a chance to take the periodic table quiz at the beginning of class.  We discussed section 3-6 notes afterwards, and students were assigned worksheet 3-19 and 3-20 and given 10 minutes to complete them.  Students volunteered to put their answers on the board.

News article #11 is due on Monday, and the chapter 3 test will be on Wednesday, November 16th.

Day 51

Students had another chance to take the periodic table quiz today.  They MUST take it by Tuesday, November 15th.  We discussed what an "ion" is and how it is created.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Ions and took the quiz.  We ended class by completing worksheet 3-16 in groups.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 3 test will be on Wednesday, November 16th.

Day 50

Students had another chance to practice and take the periodic table quiz at the beginning of class.  We discussed "Isotopes" in class, followed by a www.brainpop.com video and quiz on Isotopes.  We ended class by completing and going over worksheet 3-15 in class.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 3 test will be on Wednesday, November 16th.

Day 49

Students had another chance to practice and take the periodic table quiz.  It MUST be done by next Tuesday, November 15th.  We discussed section 3-5 notes on atomic mass and atomic number of atoms.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on atoms and took the quiz.  We ended class by completing worksheet 3-14 within their groups, and we went over the answers before the end of class.

No homework was assigned (although the parent/teacher conference form needs to be returned back to me by this Friday), and the chapter 3 test will be on Wednesday, November 16th.

Day 48

I gave students a parent/teacher conference form to give to parents to let them know that I will not be here during that time.  Parents need to sign the bottom of the form and have their child return the form to me by the end of the week.  Students turned in their 10th science news article at the start of class today.  They also had another opportunity to take the periodic table quiz.  We then transitioned to going over section 3-4 notes on the development of the atomic model through the years and watched a www.brainpop.com video on the same topic.  After taking the brainpop quiz, we went over worksheets 3-11, 3-12 and 3-13 from Friday's class.

The parent/teacher conference form must be turned in by Friday, and the chapter 3 test will be on Wednesday, November 16th.

Day 47

Students had another opportunity to practice the periodic table of elements and take the quiz.  Students were assigned worksheet 3-13 to be completed by the end of the period, along with every other page from 3-1 through 3-13.

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

Day 46

Students had another chance to take the periodic table quiz.  Students then volunteered to put the solutions the problems from worksheet 3-10 on the board.  I assigned worksheet 3-11 and 3-12 to be worked on in their groups for the last 10-15 minutes of class.

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

Day 45

Students had the opportunity to take the periodic table quiz at the beginning of class.  We completed the rest of worksheet 3-9 (problems 5, 6, 7 & 9) together, and students were assigned worksheet 3-10 for the remaining 10 minutes of class.

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

Day 44

Students had another opportunity to take the periodic table quiz.  They were reminded that it must be done by Tuesday, November 15th.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Chemical Equations and took the mini quiz afterwards.  We continued to work on worksheet 3-9, completing problems 1, 2 & 3 together.

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

Day 43

Students turned in their 9th science news article of the year, and then they had a chance to practice the elements of the periodic table and take the quiz if they were ready.  We went over the remaining part of section 3-3 notes on balancing chemical equations.  On worksheet 3-9, we completed problems #4 & #8 together before the end of class.

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

Day 42

We discussed the rest of section 3-3 notes on subscripts and coefficients.  Students completed worksheet 3-7 & 3-8 within their groups.

News article #9 is due on Monday, and the chapter 3 test will be on Thursday, November 17th.

Day 41

Today was the first day that students could volunteer to take the periodic table quiz, though very few opted to do so.  After practicing the elements, we went over worksheets 3-5 & 3-6 from yesterdays class.  Finally, students worked in their groups to complete worksheet 3-2.  We went over possible solutions to those problems during the last 10 minutes of class.

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

Day 40

Students completed worksheet 3-3 within their groups at the beginning of class and we went over the answers.  I discussed the top half of section 3-3 notes on chemical symbols and told them the parameters for the periodic table quiz that they must take by Tuesday, November 15th.  Students were then assigned worksheets 3-5 and 3-6 to be worked on within their groups.

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

Day 39

(This is a delayed post from yesterday's class)

We went over worksheet 3-1 at the beginning of class.  We discussed section 3-2 notes on elements and compounds and watched a www.brainpop.com video on Compounds and Mixtures.  After taking the mini-quiz, students worked in their groups to complete worksheet 3-4 and we went over the answers before the end of the period.

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

Day 38

Students turned in their online gas lab packet and three accompanying graphs at the start of the period.  We then proceeded to news article #8.  I gave students their new packets for chapter 3 along with a copy of the periodic table.  We discussed section 3-1 notes on composition of matter, and students completed worksheet 3-1 together in their groups during the final 10 minutes of class.

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

Day 37

Students had their chapter 2 notebooks checked today for 60 points.  During that time, students watched a Mythbusters episode on baseball myths.

News article #8 and the online gas lab are due on Monday, and the next test on chapter 3 will be on Thursday, November 17th.

Day 36

Students took their chapter 2 test using Moodle today.  Any remaining time was used to work on completing their chapter 2 notebook or online gas lab.

The chapter 2 notebook check will be tomorrow, and their next test, on chapter 3, will be on Thursday, November 17th.

Day 35

We played Jeopardy today to review for tomorrow's chapter 2 test.  With whatever time was left over (3-5 minutes), we sampled some differences between direct and inverse relationships.

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

Day 34

Today was the fifth and final day that students had to work on the online lab.  The goal today was to be done with the lab, which is the bottom of page "J".  The completed lab packet, including three graphs, is due on Monday, October 24th.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 20th.

Day 33

Students turned in their 7th science news article today.  We then began activity 3 of the online lab, which began on page "H".  Students should complete the three questions on page "H", then complete the data table and questions on page "I".  Students should also "Create-a-Graph" using the data on page "I".  Here are the instructions for that graph.  The goal for the day was to be done through the bottom of page "I" by the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 20th.

Day 32

Students began Activity 2 of the online lab today.  To access the lab, they used the link on Moodle or click here and choose "Changing Temperature".  In addition, I asked students to make a 3-line graph using the data from pages F & G.  Instructions for this graph are at the bottom of Moodle.  The goal for the end of the period is to be done with page G.

News article #7 is due on Monday, and the chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 20th.

Day 31

We played a variation of "Classic Concentration" to informally review chapter 2 topics throughout the class.  During that time, students continued to work on Activity 1 of the online gas particles lab.  The goal today was to be done through the bottom of page "D".  This included printing off a graph using the data from tables 1 & 2 on page C.  Here is a link to the FAQ that will help in creating the graph (http://moodle.mounties.k12.pa.us/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=22).  Be sure to go back to page C and complete the third columns of both tables as per the instructions.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 20th.

Day 30

We sorted through the chapter 2 packet and I detailed exactly what pages did and did not need to be done by notebook check time on October 21st.  I showed them a link on Moodle to help prepare them for the chapter 2 test.  I distributed a new packet for the beginning of our online lab, and the goal for students 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 October 20th.

Day 29

Students turned in their 6th science news article at the start of the period.  Students completed the lab on worksheets 2-8 & 2-9 with their partner.  Once finished, they completed worksheet 2-5.  We went over all three pages during the last 10 minutes of class.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 20th.

Day 28

We discussed section 2-3 notes on chemical properties and changes.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Property Changes and took the quiz.  We ended the last 8-10 minutes of class with students working within their group to complete worksheets 2-3 and 2-4.

News article #6 is due on Tuesday, and the chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 20th.

Day 27

We reviewed the lab from yesterday (page 2-10) and completed worksheet 2-2 together.  Students watched a www.brainpop.com video on Matter Changing States and took the quiz.  We ended class with students working on page 2-12 together in their groups.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 20th.

Day 26

Mr. Girardi was in for me again today.  After going over yesterday's lab, he discussed Boyle's Law and Charles Law and the difference between direct and inverse relationships between variables.  Students worked with their partners to complete the gas lab on worksheet 2-10 before the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 20th.

Day 25

Mr. Girardi lead my classes through the "mass of air" lab on worksheets 2-6 and 2-7 in my absence.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 20th.

Day 24

Students turned in their week #5 science news articles at the beginning of class.  We completed worksheet 2-1 together.  We discussed section 2-2 notes on changing states of matter and students worked on worksheet 2-2 within their groups.  During the last 8 minutes of class, I previewed the next two days of labs since Mr. Girardi will be in for me while I attend a conference.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 20th.

Day 23

We watched "The Mighty" in the auditorium after 1st period.  In class, we began chapter 2 with a new packet and went over section 2-1 notes on the four states of matter and physical properties.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on States of Matter and took the quiz afterwards.

News article #5 is due on Monday, and the chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 20th.

Day 22

Students had their chapter 1 notebooks checked for 100 points while we watched an episode of Mythbusters.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 2 test will be on Thursday, October 20th.

Day 21

Students took their chapter 1 test on Moodle today.  They had the remaining time in class to work on their notebook or projects for another class.

The notebook check will be tomorrow, and the chapter 2 test will be on October 20th.

Day 20

Worksheet 1-19 was checked for 15 points at the beginning of class.  We spent the remaining class time playing Jeopardy as a review for tomorrow's test.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 1 test will be tomorrow.

Day 19

Students turned in their week #4 science news articles at the beginning of class.  We spent the rest of the period completing the remaining problems on worksheet 1-6.

Worksheet 1-19 was assigned for homework, due tomorrow, and the chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 28th.

Day 18

We discussed section 1-6 notes on converting between metric and customary units.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Metric vs. Customary Units and took the quiz afterwards.  We ended class by doing the first four or five problems together from worksheet 1-6.

News article #4 is due on Monday, and the chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 28th.

Day 17

We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Graphs and took the quiz afterwards.  Students had a few minutes to complete worksheet 1-18 before we went over the answers.  Finally students completed worksheet 1-16 on the three types of graphs for the remainder of class.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 28th.

Day 16

We closed out our lesson on Density with a preview of next week's test and a density bottle demo.  We completed worksheet 1-15 together as a class to introduce today's lesson on Graphing.  We discussed section 1-6 notes on graphing, and students were assigned worksheet 1-17 and 1-18 towards the end of class.  We will go over the answers during tomorrow's class.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 1 test will be next Wednesday, September 28th.

Day 15

Students worked at their tables to complete the Density of Liquids lab on worksheet 1-14.  We went over the results during the last five minutes of class.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 28th.

Day 14

Students turned their week #3 science news articles today.  We then watched a www.brainpop.com video on Measuring Matter and took the mini quiz afterwards.  Students had the remaining time in class to complete the lab on worksheet 1-13 which they began on Friday.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 28th.

Day 13

Students worked through and completed the Density of Solids lab on page 1-13.

News article #3 is due on Monday, and the chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 28th.

Day 12

We went over the results of the lab that students worked on for the past two days, including the conclusion questions.  We discussed section 1-3 notes on Density, read and interpreted the cartoon on page 1-23, and we ended class with students completing the 12 problems on page 1-24.

Students should have the problems on page 1-24 done by tomorrow's class, and the chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 28th.

Day 11

Mr. Girardi was in for me today.  Students had the entire period to complete the measurement lab from pages 1-11 and 1-12.

The conclusion questions on page 1-11 should be completed, and the chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 28th.

Day 10

I checked last night's homework (worksheets 1-7 through 1-10) and went over the answers with the class.  We then began  the lab assignment on pages 1-11 and 1-12, where students had to measure and record different things around the room.  It did not have to be completed by the end of class.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 28th.

Day 9

Students handed in their week #2 science news articles.  I demonstrated while students mimicked the proper use of the four metric measuring tools:  graduated cylinder, triple beam balance, meter stick and thermometer.

Students were assigned worksheets 1-7 through 1-10 for homework (5 points per page) due tomorrow, and the chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 28th.

Day 8

Students took their Metric Quiz today for 30 points.  Once every finished, we discussed the "Bikini Bottom Experiments" (based on SpongeBob) on worksheets 1-21 and 1-22.

News article #2 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 1 test will be on Wednesday, September 28th.

Day 7

Students took a practice quiz on the metric system for the first 15 minutes of class.  After reviewing the answers, we watched a www.brainpop.com video on Metric Units and used the mobile responders to take that 10-question quiz.  In the last 5 minutes of class, I handed back this week's news articles and reviewed the most common mistakes.

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

Day 6

We completed the top of worksheet 1-5 together, and then students were given 8 minutes to complete the bottom together before we went over the page together.  Students were then given 8 minutes to complete worksheet 1-3, which was on metric conversions.  We went over it during the final five minutes of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Metric Quiz will be on Friday, September 9th.

Day 5

Students turned in their first week of science news articles, and I was very impressed with the number of students who volunteered to summarize theirs out loud for extra credit.  For the remainder of class, we practiced some more metric conversion problems.

No homework was assigned, and the Metric Quiz will be this Friday, September 9th.

Day 4

We began class by completing worksheet 1-1 in groups to review the past two days of content.  Students were given 5 minutes to complete it and we took 5 minutes to review it.  I then introduced section 1-2 notes on metric prefixes and measurements.  After doing a few examples together, students were assigned worksheet 1-4 in the last 10 minutes of class.

News article #1 is due on Tuesday, and the Metric Quiz will be on Friday, September 9th.

Day 3

Students were given their chapter 1 packets today.  We discussed the scientific method and the different types of variables before watching a www.brainpop.com video on Scientific Method.

No homework was assigned, and the Metric Quiz will be on Friday, September 9th.

Day 2

Students were assigned a laptop to be used in science class today.  They each enrolled in my online course on Moodle.  They learned how to access my daily class blog, the news article template and the class syllabus.  For our lesson, students went to www.spotthedifference.com to sharpen their observation skills.  We researched the differences between a theory and a law and posted those differences in a discussion forum.

No homework was assigned, and the Metric Quiz will be on Friday, September 9th.

Day 1

Students were given a sample news article and template.  I discussed the requirements and expectations for this weekly assignment and we summarized the practice article together.

No homework was assigned, and the Metric Quiz will be on Friday, September 9th.

Day 180

Today was the last day of school.  Students went to each class for 9 minutes to received their final exam score (unless they were exempt) and their final grade.

The next school year begins on Tuesday, August 30, 2016.

Day 179

Students took their history and English finals today.

Day 178

Students took their math and science final exams today.

Day 177

Students prepared for the final exam by taking a practice test online using Moodle.

No homework was assigned, and the final exam will be on Monday, June 6th at 9:20am.

Day 176

Students had their last notebook check today for 60 points.  During that time, we watched a Mythbusters episode on the science behind a pirate's eye patch.

No homework was assigned, and the final exam will be on Monday, June 6th at 9:20.

Day 175

Students took their chapter 10 test today.  The notebook check will be tomorrow and the final exam will be on Monday, June 6th.

Day 174

Students turned in their 36th and final science news article today.  We played Jeopardy for the rest of class to review for tomorrow's chapter 10 test.

The notebook check will be on Thursday, and the chapter 10 test will be tomorrow.

Day 173

We discussed section 10-8 notes on light technology.  Students were assigned page 10-17 to be worked on in their groups.  After we went over the answers, we watched "How It's Made" videos on Holograms and Fiber Optics.

News article #36 (the last one) is due on Tuesday, May 31st, and the chapter 10 test will be on Wednesday, June 1st.

Day 172

We discussed section 10-7 notes on lenses.  Students watched a www.brainpop.com video on Vision Problems and took their final quiz after it.  Students were then assigned worksheet 10-11 and had six minutes to work on it in their groups before I went over the answers.  We ended class by watching brief "How It's Made" videos on eyeglasses and contact lenses.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 10 test will be on Wednesday, June 1st.

Day 171

We discussed section 10-6 notes on mirrors.  Students held examples of plane, concave and convex mirrors and we discussed the differences between them.  They worked on pages 10-9 and 10-10.  We went over the answers with 15 minutes left in class.  In the final 10 minutes, we watched brief videos on how mirrors and fluorescent lights are made.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 10 test will be on Wednesday, June 1st.

Day 170

We discussed section 10-5 notes on Illumination.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Light and took the quiz afterwards.  Students were assigned worksheet 10-6 and 10-7 within their group.  During the last five minutes of class, we watched a "How It's Made" video on neon signs.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 10 test will be on Wednesday, June 1st.

Day 169

Students turned in their 35th science news article today.  We discussed section 10-4 notes on eyes and vision and watched a www.brainpop.com video on Eyes.  We ended class by watching "How It's Made" videos on LASIK surgery and prosthetic eyes.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 10 test will be on Wednesday, June 1st.

Day 168

We discussed section 10-3 notes on color of light.  Due to an afternoon field day, we only had 24-minute classes, which gave us just enough time to complete worksheet 10-5 at the end of class.

News article #35 is due on Monday, and the chapter 10 test will be on Wednesday, June 1st.

Day 167

We discussed section 10-2 notes on reflection vs refraction of light and looked at light through prisms.  Students watched a www.brainpop.com video on Rainbows and took the quiz afterwards.  We ended class with students using protractors to complete worksheets 10-2 and 10-3, and common sense to complete page 10-4.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 10 test will be on Wednesday, June 1st.

Day 166

Students turned in their 34th science news article today.  I handed out the final packet of the year, this time for chapter 10.  We completed worksheet 10-1 while going over the notes.  We ended class by watching a www.brainpop.com video on Electromagnetic Spectrum.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 10 test will be on Wednesday, June 1st.

Day 165

Students had their chapter 9 notebooks checked for 50 points today.  During that time, they watched Mythbusters on making surfable waves using explosives.

News article #34 is due tomorrow, and the final exam will be on Monday, June 6th.

Day 164

We took our students to Penn College today for their annual Career Day.

The chapter 9 notebook check will be tomorrow, and news article #34 is due on Wednesday.

Day 163

Students took their chapter 9 test online today.

The notebook check will be on Tuesday, May 17th, and their next news article is due on Wednesday, May 18th.

Day 162

We played Jeopardy today to prepare for tomorrow's chapter 9 test.

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

Day 161

We discussed section 9-3 notes on wave interactions.  Students worked on worksheet 9-9 in their groups for eight minutes before we went over the answers together.  They had the last 10 minutes of class to finish their slinky lab before handing it in.  They also could work on completing worksheets 9-6, 9-10 and 9-11.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 9 test will be on Friday, May 13th.

Day 160

We went over worksheets 9-2, 9-3, 9-4 and 9-5 at the beginning of class.  Students watched a www.brainpop.com video on Waves and took the quiz afterwards.  Finally, students completed the lab on pages 9-7 and 9-8 during the last 15 minutes of class.

The slinky lab is due by the end of tomorrow's class, and the chapter 9 test will be this Friday, May 13th.

Day 159

Students turned in their 33rd science news article at the beginning of class.  We discussed section 9-2 notes on wave measurements, and students were assigned pages 9-2 through 9-5 in their groups.  We will go over the answers to those pages at the beginning of tomorrow's class.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 9 test will be on Friday, May 13th.

Day 158

We began chapter 9 today on waves.  Students were given their new packets, and we discussed section 9-1 notes on the types of waves.  I assigned worksheet 9-1, and students had 8 minutes to work in their groups to complete the assignment before we went over the answers.  For the final 10-15 minutes of class, we watched a Bill Nye video on waves.

News article #33 is due on Monday, and the chapter 9 test will be on Friday, May 13th.

Day 157

Students had their chapter 11 notebooks checked today for 60 points.  During that time, we watched a Mythbusters episode on a supersized Newton's Cradle.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 9 test will be on Friday, May 13th.

Day 156

Students took their chapter 11 test online today.

The notebook check is tomorrow, and the next test will be on Friday, May 13th.

Day 155

We played Jeopardy today to review chapter 11.

The notebook check will be this Thursday, and the chapter 11 test is tomorrow.

Day 154

Students turned in their 32nd science news article today.  Afterwards, they were assigned worksheets 11-1 and 11-17 to be completed within their groups.  We went over those two pages during the last 10 minutes of class.

The notebook check will be this Thursday, and the chapter 11 test will be this Wednesday.

Day 153

Students took their third and final biology assessment on Study Island today.  This does not count for a student grade, but is used to evaluate my SLO (student learning outcome).

News article #32 is due on Monday, and the chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, May 4th.

Day 152

We discussed section 11-3 notes on internal and external combustion engines, along with the energy conversions that take place on roller coasters and pendulums.  We completed worksheet 11-16 together, and students were assigned pages 11-11 and 11-9.  We went over the answers before the end of the period.

News article #32 is due on Monday, and the chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, May 4th.

Day 151

We discussed section 11-4 notes today on the Law of Conservation of Energy and Einstein's Theory of Relativity.  Students completed worksheet 11-10 within their groups before we went over the answers.  We then went outside for five minutes to complete worksheet 11-7, before returning to class to complete page 11-5.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, May 4th.

Day 150

Students took both parts of the science PSSA exam today.  That left 27 minutes for each of the core classes, during which time we watched an episode of Outrageous Acts of Science to celebrate the end of the PSSA's.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, May 4th.

Day 149

Students turned in their online energy lab packets at the beginning of class.  They submitted their 31st science news article afterwards.  For the rest of class, students took their final PSSA science practice test.

No homework was assigned, the PSSA science exam is tomorrow, and the chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, May 4th.

Day 148

Today was our final review session for PSSA science.  We reviewed the Nature of Science in today's class.

News article #31 and the online lab are both due at the beginning of Monday's class.  The PSSA science exam will be on Tuesday, April 26th, and the chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, May 4th.

Day 147

We reviewed the physical science portion of the PSSA exam today.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, May 4th.

Day 146

Students took their last math PSSA exam today.  During class, students worked with their partner to complete activity #3 on the online energy lab.  Their goal was to complete the lab by the end of the period, and it will be collected at the beginning of next Monday's class, April 25.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, May 4th.

Day 145

Students took two math PSSA exams today.  Due to the tests, core classes were only 27 minutes long, and during that time, students worked on their online lab, with the goal being to be done through page 7.  They also had to create and print two graphs using their data sets from pages 5 & 6.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, May 4th.

Day 144

Students turned in their 30th science news article today.  They were then asked to complete a 40-item practice test for PSSA science review.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, May 4th.

Day 143

Students did some PSSA prep work again today, this time the topic was biology.

News article #30 is due on Monday, and the chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, May 4th.

Day 142

Students took a Earth & Space science review in preparation for the PSSA science exam.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, May 4th.

Day 141

Today was the second day of ELA PSSA's.  Again, we only had 27-minute core classes.  During that time, students continued to work on the online lab, but this time on activity 2.  The goal was to be done with page 6 by the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, May 4th.

Day 140

Today was the first day for ELA PSSA's.  That left us with 27-minute classes.  During that time, students were given a new packet to begin their online energy lab.  Their goal today was to be done through page 3 by the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, May 4th.

Day 139

Students turned in their 29th science news article today.  We discussed section 11-2 notes on kinetic energy and watched a www.brainpop.com video on the same topic.  Students worked with their partner to complete worksheet 11-6 and we went over it after 3 minutes of work time.  Finally, students were assigned worksheet 11-4 to be completed in the final 10 minutes of class.  Again, we went over the answers before the bell rang.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, May 4th.

Day 138

I went over the mandated PSSA Code of Conduct.  We went over worksheet 11-3 that students completed yesterday.  I discussed section 11-2 notes on Potential Energy and students watched a www.brainpop.com video on that topic, as well.  We also watched a 90-second clip of Felix Bumgardner "space jump" to relate potential energy to freefall.  We ended class by completing the lab on page 12.

News article #29 is due on Monday, and the chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, May 4th.

Day 137

Students were given their chapter 11 packets on energy at the beginning of class.  We discussed section one notes on the different forms of energy and watched a www.brainpop.com video on the topic.  We ended class with students working with a partner to complete worksheet 11-3.

If students did not complete worksheet 11-3, it is assigned for homework.  The chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, May 4th.

Day 136

Students had their chapter 8 notebooks checked today for 100 points.  During that time, they watched a Mythbusters episode about electricity myths.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 11 test will be on Wednesday, May 4th.

Day 135

Students took their chapter 8 test using Moodle today.

The notebook check is tomorrow, and the chapter 11 test will be on Friday, May 13th.

Day 134

Students turned in their 28th science news article.  We then played Jeopardy to review chapter 8.

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

Day 133

Students finished the circuits lab on pages 8-21 and 8-22.  Upon completion, they were to work on the crossword puzzle review sheet on pages 8-15 and 8-16.

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

Day 132

We began class by reviewing worksheets 8-13 and 8-14 from yesterday's class, which was a great lead-in to today's lab on series vs parallel circuits.  Students worked in groups to complete the circuits lab on pages 8-19 through 8-22.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 8 test will be on Tuesday, April 5th.

Day 131

Today was the first day back from Easter break.  Students turned in their 27th science news articles.  We discussed section 8-6 notes on electric circuits and watched a www.brainpop.com video on Electric Circuits.  Students were assigned worksheets 8-13 and 8-14 in the final 10 minutes of class.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 8 test will be on Tuesday, April 5th.

Day 130

We went to the movies to see "Allegiant" today.  When we returned, we had 21 minute classes, during which time we watched a www.brainpop.com video on Current Electricity.

News article #27 is due next Wednesday, and the chapter 8 test will be on Tuesday, April 5th.

Day 129

We discussed section 8-5 notes on batteries and watched the www.brainpop.com video on the topic.  Students were assigned problem #6 on page 8-2 and problem #6 on page 8-4.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 8 test will be on Tuesday, April 5th.

Day 128

Students took a 40-point quiz on Ohm's Law.  After completion, we went over worksheet 8-11 from yesterday's class.  Finally, with whatever time remained, we watched more of the "Understanding Electricity" video on YouTube.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 8 test will be on Tuesday, April 5th.

Day 127

Students turned in their 26th news article today.  We discussed the second part of section 8-4 notes on electrical energy and cost.  Students were assigned worksheet 8-11 to be completed before the end of class.

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

Day 126

Mr. Girardi was in for me today and showed a video on lightning to the class.

News article #26 is due on Monday, and the quiz on Ohm's Law will be on Tuesday, March 22.

Day 125

We discussed section 8-4 notes on electric power.  Students were assigned pages 8-2 (#1-5 only), 8-3, 8-9 and 8-10.

No homework was assigned, and the Ohm's Law quiz will be on Tuesday, March 22nd.

Day 124

We discussed section 8-3 notes on Ohm's Law.  Students were assigned worksheets 8-5, 8-6, 8-7 and 8-8.  We went over the answers before the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the quiz on Ohm's Law will be on Tuesday, March 22nd.

Day 123

We discussed section 8-2 notes on conductors vs insulators and static electricity.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on static electricity and took the quiz.  We ended class with a demonstration of a Van de Graaff generator.

No homework was assigned, and the Ohm's Law quiz will be on Tuesday, March 22nd.

Day 122

Students turned in their 25th science news article today.  They received their chapter 8 packets on Electricity.  We discussed section 8-1 notes on atoms and watched a www.brainpop.com video on Electricity, followed by the quiz.  We completed worksheet 8-1 together, leaving us enough time to watch the first 8 minutes of an electricity video.

No homework was assigned, and the quiz on Ohm's Law will be on Tuesday, March 22nd.

Day 121

Students had their pulley lab and chapter 7 packet checked today for 100 points.  During that time, we watched Mythbusters "See-Saw Saga".

News article #25 is due on Monday, and the next quiz on Ohm's Law will be on Tuesday, March 22.

Day 120

Students took their chapter 7 test using Moodle today.

The notebook check will be tomorrow, and the next quiz (Ohm's Law) will be on Tuesday, March 22.

Day 119

We played Jeopardy today to review for tomorrow's chapter 7 test.  With any remaining time, we went over the study guide that I had on Moodle.

The notebook check will be on Friday, and the chapter 7 test is tomorrow.

Day 118

Students were assigned pages 15-16, 15-18, 15-19 and 15-20, which were the last remaining worksheets left undone in the packet.  Anyone that missed any portion of any lab had the period to make up what they could from the labs.

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

Day 117

Students turned in their 24th news article.  We discussed section 7-7 notes on Ideal Mechanical Advantage of simple machines.  We completed worksheet 15-18 on mechanical advantage of simple machines in about a minute.  Students then completed problems #2, 3 and 4 on worksheet 15-8.  Finally, students were assigned worksheet 15-10 on mechanical efficiency.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 7 test has been moved up to Thursday, March 10th.

Day 116

Today was the third day students had to work on their pulley lab.  By the end of class, students should have been done with page 11 and printed a graph of their data using the Create-a-Graph link at the bottom of Moodle.

News article #24 is due on Monday, and the chapter 7 test will be on Friday, March 11th.

Day 115

Students worked on their Pulley Lab again today, this time exploring the block and tackle pulley system.  The goal today was to be done with page 10 by the end of the day.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 7 test will be on Friday, March 11th.

Day 114

Students began a 4-day pulley lab today.  They received a new packet, and their goal was to be near the bottom of page 6 by the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 7 test will be on Friday, March 11th.

Day 113

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

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 7 test will be on Friday, March 11th.

Day 112

Students turned in their 23 science news article to begin the class.  The had the rest of the period to work on the online lab, where the goal was to be finished with the entire packet by the end of the period.

The lab packet will be checked tomorrow for 100 points, and the chapter 7 test will be on Friday, March 11th.

Day 111

The students worked on the online lab again today, with the goal to be completed through page 19.  Today's lesson explored the use of the wheel & axle and screw.

News article #23 is due on Monday, the online lab packet is due on Tuesday, and the chapter 7 test will be on Friday, March 11th.

Day 110

Today is the 4th day that students worked on the online lab.  Today they explored the use of a pulley system to make work easier.  The goal was to be on page 16 by the end of the period.

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

Day 109

Students continued the online lab today, starting with Lesson 2 on page 8.  Their goal was to be done with page 10 by the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the vocab quiz will be on Friday, February 26th.

Day 108

This was day 2 of our online simple machines lab.  The goal today was to be somewhere in the middle of page 6 by the end of the period.

The homework is to meet today's goal, and the vocab quiz will be this Friday, February 26th.

Day 107

Students turned in their 22nd science news article today.  They were then given a new packet for a 6-day online lab on Simple Machines.  The goal today was to be done with the first three pages.

The only homework is if they didn't complete the first three pages, they need to be done by tomorrow.  The vocab quiz will be this Friday, February 26th.

Day 106

I took my classes to the FCCLA Health Fair in the gym today.

News article #22 is due on Monday, and the chapter 7 vocab quiz will be on Friday, February 26th.

Day 105

We discussed the rest of the simple machines from sections 7-5 & 7-6 notes today.  Students watched a www.brainpop.com video on Pulleys and did very well on the quiz.  Students completed worksheet 15-11 in two minutes before we went over the answers.  We ended class by showing the solutions to problem #7 on worksheet 15-9.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 7 vocab quiz will be on Friday, February 26th.

Day 104

We had off the last five days because of President's day weekend and a snow day yesterday.  Today, students turned in their 21st science news article of the year.  We discussed section 7-5 notes on Levers and watched a www.brainpop.com video on the same topic.  Students completed worksheet 15-12 and 15-15 before the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 7 vocab quiz will be on Friday, February 26th.

Day 103

Students completed the lab on worksheet 15-13 & 15-14, which was about inclined planes.  Once they finished the lab, students were assigned the final problem on worksheet 15-9 (#7).

News article #21 is due on Tuesday, and the chapter 7 vocab quiz will be on Friday, February 26th.

Day 102

We discussed Inclined Planes from section 7-5 notes and watched a www.brainpop.com video on the same topic.  After taking the quiz, we completed problem #6 on page 15-9.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 7 vocab quiz will be on Friday, February 26th.

Day 101

We discussed section 7-3 & 7-4 notes today on mechanical advantage and mechanical efficiency.  We completed worksheet 15-8 (#1 only) and worksheet 15-9 (#5 only).

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 7 vocab quiz will be on Friday, February 26th.

Day 100

Students turned in their 20th science news article today.  I returned their Work & Power quizzes and we went over the answers.  Finally, we reviewed worksheets 15-5 and 15-6 before then end of our shortened periods.  We watched the movie, "42" in the auditorium to end the day.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 7 vocab quiz will be on Friday, February 26th.

Day 99

Students took their Work & Power quiz today and did very well.  When they were done, they were asked to complete worksheet 15-6 before the end of the period.

News article #20 is due on Monday, and the chapter 7 vocab quiz will be on Friday, February 26th.

Day 98

Students performed the lab assignment from worksheet 15-7, which required them to walk and run up the stairs.  From there, they calculated their work and power.  With the 5-10 minutes that was left over, students that didn't complete yesterday's assignment (worksheets 15-4 & 15-5) were to work on that.

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

Day 97

We went over worksheets 15-2 & 15-3 at the beginning of class.  Students were assigned worksheets 15-4 & 15-5 in class.  We went over those answers before the end of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Work & Power Quiz will be on Friday, February 5th.

Day 96

We discussed section 7-2 notes on power today.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Power and took the quiz afterwards.  Students were assigned worksheets 15-2 & 15-3 to be completed before the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the Work & Power Quiz will be on Friday, February 5th.

Day 95

Students turned in their 19th news article today.  They received their new chapter 7 packet, and I discussed section 7-1 notes on Work.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Work and took the quiz.  We ended class with students being assigned and completing worksheet 15-1.

No homework was assigned, and the Work & Power quiz will be on Friday, February 5th.

Day 94

We finished the movie, "Gravity", in class today.

News article #19 is due on Monday, and the Work & Power quiz will be on Friday, February 5th.

Day 93

Students had their chapter 6 notebooks checked today for 65 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 5th.

Day 92

Students took their chapter 6 test on Moodle today.

The notebook check is tomorrow, and the next quiz will be on Friday, February 5th.

Day 91

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

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

Day 90

Students turned in their 18th science news article, and following that, they filled out a STEM college survey.

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

Day 89

Students were assigned worksheets 6-9, 6-12 & 6-13, to be completed before the end of class.  We went over the answers before the bell rang.

News article #18 is due on Monday, and the chapter 6 test will be on Tuesday, January 26th.

Day 88

We discussed section 6-4 notes on terminal velocity and projectile motion.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Gravity and took the quiz.  We completed worksheet 6-7 together.  For the last 5-10 minutes of class, we played a review game to reinforce Newton's 3 laws of motion and law of gravity.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 6 test will be on Tuesday, January 26th.

Day 87

We reviewed worksheet 6-6 at the beginning of class.  Students were then assigned a 4-square activity based on Isaac Newton's four laws.  I gave each group 12 minutes to complete the task before they presented to the rest of the class.  We then completed worksheet 6-10 together, and worksheet 6-11 was assigned in the last five minutes of class.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 6 test will be on Tuesday, January 26th.

Day 86

Students turned in the 17th week of science news articles, their last of the marking period.  We discussed section 6-5 notes on gravity.  Students then completed worksheets 6-5 & 6-8 before the end of the period.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 6 test will be on Tuesday, January 26th.

Day 85

Students were given back their Force quizzes and we reviewed those answers.  We went over section 6-3 notes on Newton's Laws of Motion.  We watched a www.brainpop.com video on Newton's Laws of Motion and took the quiz afterwards.  We ended class with students assigned worksheet 6-6 to be worked on in their groups.

News article #17 is due on Tuesday, and the chapter 6 test will be on Tuesday, January 26th.

Day 84

Students took their Force Quiz today and did extremely well.  Once everyone was done, we put the answers to the problems from page 6-4 from yesterday on the board.

No homework was assigned, and the chapter 6 test will be on Tuesday, January 26th.

Day 83

We watched a 5-minute Mythbusters video on forces.  Students were then assigned worksheets 6-3 & 6-4.  With 10 minutes to go before the end of class, student volunteers put the solutions to page 6-3 on the board.

No homework was assigned, and the Force Quiz was moved up to tomorrow.

Day 82

We discussed section 6-2 notes on Friction and Newton's 2nd Law of Motion (F=ma).  Students watched a www.brainpop.com video on Force and took the quiz using student responders.  Students were assigned worksheets 6-2 and 6-3 through the end of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Force Quiz will be this Friday, January 15th.

Day 81

Students turned in their 16th science news article today.  I handed out the new packet for chapter 6, and we discussed section 6-1 notes on Balanced vs Unbalanced Forces.  After completing worksheet 6-1 together, students watched Bill Nye: Balance for the last 20 minutes of class.

No homework was assigned, and the Force Quiz will be on Friday, January 15th.

Day 80

Students took the mid-year biology assessment on Study Island today.

News article #16 is due on Monday, and the Force Quiz will be on Friday, January 15th.

Day 79

Students had their chapter 5 notebooks checked for 100 points today.  During that time we watched Winter Holiday edition of Mythbusters.

No homework was assigned, and the Force Quiz will be on Friday, January 15th.

Day 78

Students took their chapter 5 test online using Moodle today.  They had time to work on their notebooks and/or get a news article for next week after the test.

The notebook check will be tomorrow, and the Force quiz is Friday, January 15th.

Day 77

We played Jeopardy today to review for tomorrow's chapter 5 test.  After our review game, I reviewed how to read data from distance/time and speed/time line graphs.

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

Day 76

For our first day back from Christmas break, I took the students out into the hallway to learn about Momentum (section 5-4 notes).  I put students on 4-wheeled carts and demonstrated how mass and velocity effect the momentum of objects.  When we returned to the room, students were assigned the five problems on worksheet 5-12.  After reviewing those answers, students worked on the crossword puzzle on page 5-17 before the end of the period.

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