Chapter 8 Test

After listening to some oral summaries of our 31st week of science news articles, students took the chapter 8 test online using Moodle.
The notebook check is tomorrow.

Completing Chapter 8 on Electricity

Today in class, students worked with their partner or small groups to complete their Chapter 8 packet.  We went over the remaining pages in class.
News article # 31 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 8 test will be that same day.  Notebook check will be on Tuesday.

Electric Circuits, Day 2

Today we completed Chapter 8 notes on electric safety, including fuses and circuit breakers.  Students then completed our circuits lab on pages 8-21 & 8-22, which integrated Ohm's Law into their experiment.  We concluded class by completing activity 8-14 in groups.
No homework was assigned, and the chapter 8 test is on Monday.

Electric Circuits Lab

Today students worked in small groups in exploring the difference between series and parallel circuits.  This was from the lab on pages 8-19 and 8-20.  Students then stayed in their small groups to complete worksheets 8-12 and 8-13.
No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 8 test will be on Monday.

PSSA Science Exam

Students took the PSSA Science exams today, the final installment of this year's PSSA exams.  Because the tests were broken down into a morning and afternoon session, class time greatly reduced.  In that time, we watched two segments of mythbusters on the legitimacy of a giant lego ball and whether or not "double-dipping" a chip actually is as disgusting as putting your mouth in the dip.
No homework was assigned.

Electric Circuits

After reveiwing the summaries of our 30th week of news articles.  Only four more to go.  In class we watched a http://www.brainpop.com/ video to introduce our lesson on electric circuits.  After discussing section 8-6 notes, students were given graphing paper to create schematic drawings of circuit configurations.

No homework was assigned, and PSSA science exams are tomorrow. 

The chapter 8 test will be on Monday, May 3rd.

Wet Cells & Dry Cells

We began class today by reviewing the problems from page 8-11, which were done in class yesterday.  We then discussed section 8-5 notes on electrochemical cells (commonly called batteries).  We watched a http://www.brainpop.com/ video on the same topic.  We ended class by completing problem #6 on page 8-2 and problem #6 on page 8-4.
News article #30 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 8 test will on Monday, May 3rd.

Energy = power x time

Students got back their quiz on Ohm's Law and we reviewed the answers.  We finished section 8-4 notes on calculating electrical energy (E=P t), and students worked with their partner on worksheet 8-11.
No homework was assigned.

PSSA Writing and Dental Hygiene

In the morning, students took their second day of PSSA Writing assessments, this one being an open ended response to a writing prompt.  After lunch in science class, students were engaged in a presentation on oral piercings and hygiene from Mrs. Carol Kirol, the school district's dental hygienist.
No homework is assigned.

PSSA Writing & Ohm's Law Quiz

Students today had their first taste of the PSSA Writing exam.  They needed to answer 20 multiple-choice questions in the morning session and respond to one writing prompt in the lone afternoon session.  During science class, students took the quiz on Ohm's Law (I = V/R).
No homework was assigned.  Tomorrow's class will bring a guest speaker, school dental hygienist Carol Kirol, to discuss her annual dental topics.

Ohm's Law quiz prep

Back to regular school days again!  After four consecutive half days filled with PSSA exams, today brought us back some sense of normalcy, however short-lived. We began class by listening to some oral summaries of our 29th week of news articles.  Students then worked with their partners to complete pages 8-9 & 8-10, which served to reviewed the formulas and variables associated with Ohm's Law and power.  After putting the solutions to these problems on the board, we ended class by watching a Bill Nye video on Static Electricity.
The quiz on Ohm's Law is tomorrow.

PSSA & Lightning Video- Day 5

Today was the 5th and final day of our PSSA Math & Reading week. Students were given their third reading assessment in the morning. We only met with our period 2 class today, but during that time we listened to the oral summaries of our 28th week of science news articles. Students then watched a National Geographic video on the dangers and myths of lightning.

News articles are due on Monday, April 19th.

PSSA and Lightning Video, Day 4

Today was Day 4 of our PSSA Math & Reading week. Students were given their second reading assessment in the morning. We only got to meet with our period 3 class today, but during that time we listened to the oral summaries of our 28th week of science news articles. Students then watched a National Geographic video on the dangers and myths of lightning.


Students in period 2 have a news article due tomorrow, and all students will have a news article due on Monday, April 19th.

PSSA & Lightning Video

Today was Day 3 of our PSSA Math & Reading week. Students were given their second reading assessment in the morning. We only got to meet with our period 5 class today, but during that time we listened to the oral summaries of our 28th week of science news articles. Students then watched a National Geographic video on the dangers and myths of lightning.
Students have a news article due this week on whatever day they have their science class.

PSSA & Lightning Video

Today was Day 2 of our PSSA Math & Reading week. Students were given their second math assessment in the morning. We only got to meet with our period 6 class today, but during that time we listened to the oral summaries of our 28th week of science news articles. Students then watched a National Geographic video on the dangers and myths of lightning.

Students have a news article due this week on whatever day they have their science class.

PSSA & Lightning Video

Today began our PSSA Math & Reading week.  Students were given their first math assessment in the morning and then their first reading assessment in the afternoon.  We only got to meet with our period 7 class today, but during that time we listened to the oral summaries of our 28th week of science news articles.  Students then watched a National Geographic video on the dangers and myths of lightning.  We ended the day with an assembly in the auxiliary gym to draw gold medals for prizes.
Students have a news article due this week on whatever day they have their science class.

Practicing Ohm's Law

Students were given 10 more problems to practice Ohm's Law- five problems solved for resistance, while the other five solved for voltage.  Students volunteered to write the solutions to those problems on the board for extra credit.  We then ended class with a 20-minute clip from Mythbusters that explored the validity of Ben Franklin's famous key-on-a-kite experiment.
News article #28 is due next week.
PSSA reading and math exams are all next week.
Next Tuesday through Friday are Act 80 half-days.

Electric Power

We discussed how to calculate electric power, given current and voltage (Section 8-4 notes).  Students completed page 8-2 (# 1-5 only) and 8-3 with their partners and we reviewed the solutions on the board.  We ended class with a Mythbusters clip that explored the dangers or talking on the phone or showering during a lightning storm.
No homework was assigned.

Ohm's Law

Today we began class by reviewing one of yesterday's topics, subatomic particles, on worksheet 8-1.  We then discussed the formation of lightning and the design and purpose of lightning rods before beginning our analysis of Ohm's Law.  Ohm's law relates current, voltage and resistance, and students learned how to calculate each one of those three when given the other two.  Students completed pages 8-5 & 8-6 with their partner, and the solutions to those problems were placed on the board.
No homework was assigned.

Static Electricity

Today we began our short post-Easter-break week by reviewing our 27th week of news articles.  Students then received their chapter 8 packets on electricity.  We reviewed section 8-1 and 8-2 notes on subatomic particles and static electricity.  I demonstrated the conductivity of different materials using a Van de Graff generator, a machine that produces a constant static electric charge.  In periods 2 & 3, we had enough time to watch the http://www.brainpop.com/ video on static electricity, but we ran out of time in periods 5, 6 & 7.
No homework was assigned.

Review PSSA Science exam

Today in class I collected the lab reports for the online energy lab.  Students had one week to complete the report.  Students were then given their graded PSSA practice exams for the purpose of reviewing the testing format and content.
News article #27 is due on Tuesday, April 6th.

Chapter 11 Notebook Check

Today in class we went over yesterday's test on chapter 11.  Overall, students did very well, although most seem to struggle on the combustion engine questions.  Following our review of the test, students worked on completing their online energy lab while an episode of mythbusters was played on the big screen.  During that time, I called students up individually to check their chapter 11 notebooks.
The online energy lab is due tomorrow.

Chapter 11 Test

Today in class students took the chapter 11 test using my moodle site.  After completing the test, students had the rest of the period to work on the online energy lab.
The chapter 11 notebook check is tomorrow.

Complete Chapter 11

Today, after summarizing our 26th week of news articles, our mission was to complete the Chapter 11 activity packet.  To that end, students were assigned pages 1 & 17, which they could complete while working with a partner.  Any remaining time after reviewing these pages was used to work on the online energy lab.
The chapter 11 test is tomorrow, and notebook check will be Wednesday.

Online Energy Lab- Day 2

Today I was in State College for the PIAA basketball championships.  In my absence, Ms. Shadle continued to lead the students through their investigation into kinetic energy.
News articles are due on Monday, and the Chapter 11 Test is on Tuesday.

Online Energy Lab

Today students began their investigation into kinetic energy using our online energy lab.  Students will relate mass, velocity and kinetic energy in three separate activities during this online lab. 
News articles are due on Monday and the chapter 11 test will be on Tuesday.

E=mc2

Today we talked about Albert Einstein's famous Theory of Relativity, E = mc2.  We also talked about the Law of Conservation of Energy to close out section 11-4 notes.  Students then were assigned pages 11-4 and 11-9 to work on during class with their partner.  Students put the solution to those problems on the board.
No homework was assigned, and the chapter 11 test is on Tuesday.

Calculating Kinetic and Potential Energy

We discussed section 11-3 notes today, which included the difference between internal and external combustion engines.  The difference is the location of where the fuel is processed.  Students then worked with their partner to complete pages 11-5, 11-11 & 11-10.
No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 11 test will be on Tuesday, March 31st.

K.E. vs P.E.

After listening to some summaries from our 25th week of news articles, we continued our differentiation of kinetic and potential energy.  We watched a http://www.brainpop.com/ video on both types and took the video quiz using the student responders.  I demonstrated the motion of a pendulum so that the class could complete worksheet 11-16.  We then finished by completing activity 11-6 together.  Any remaining time was used to show clips from the Discovery original series, "LIFE".
No homework was assigned.

Kinetic vs Potential Energy

Today we reviewed yesterday's assignment from page 11-2 & 11-3.  Students had to identify the energy conversion that took place on different machines.  We discussed section 11-2 notes on potential and kinetic energy.  Following the discussion, students performed a quick mini-lab from page 11-12 that analyzed the difference in rebound of a tennis ball dropped from 50 & 100 cm.  We culminated the class by going outside on this beautiful day to do worksheet 11-7 which asks students to identify all the things that have kinetic energy in 2 minutes that they see outside.  We repeated that procedure with potential energy and then compared the two lists.
News article # 25 is due on Monday.

Energy Chapter

Today we began our chapter on energy.  Students were given a new packet and we discussed section 11-1 notes.  We watched a http://www.brainpop.com/ video on energy before we began the day's assignment.  Students worked with their partner to complete pages 11-2 & 11-3, which focused on identifying energy conversions.
No homework was assigned.

PSSA Science practice exam

Today in class students got a small taste of what the PSSA Science Exam will be like.  Students were given a 61-item multiple choice exam (which didn't count towards their grade) so that they have some experience with the PSSA format once the real test is here.
No homework was assigned.

Chapter 7 Notebook Check

Today in class students presented their summaries for our 24th week of news articles.  Following those oral summaries, students had their Chapter 7 notebooks checked for 100 points, during which time they watched the "Viral Videos" episode of Mythbusters.
No homework was assigned.

Online Simple Machines Lab Check

Today in class students received a score for their 8-day online lab about simple machines.  During the time that their lab reports were checked, students watched a Mythbusters episode that tested the validity that swimming in syrup was as easy as swimming in water due to its increased viscosity.
News articles are due tomorrow, as are the Chapter 7 packets.

Chapter 7 Test

Today students took the assessment for Chapter 7 on the Moodle site.  Students were able to see their grades after the test and analyze which items they got wrong.
The online lab packet is due on Monday for 115 points.

Chapter 7 Test Eve

Today in class students completed their Chapter 7 packets (pages 8, 9, 10, 18, 19 & 20).  They were allowed to work with a partner or in small groups to complete the day's assignment.  At the end of class, we reviewed most of the answers.  The only pages whose answers we did not cover were pages 19 & 20, the two crossword puzzles. 
No homework was assigned and the Chapter 7 test is tomorrow.

Simple Machines Notes

Today in class we formally discussed section 7-5, 7-6 & 7-7 notes on simple machines and the mechanical advantage of simple machines.  We watched http://www.brainpop.com/ videos on the simple machines before doing pages 15-11, 12, 15, 16 & 17 together in class.
No homework was assigned, and the chapter 7 test is Friday.

Final Day for Pulley Lab

Every student was able to funish the pulley lab before the end of today's class.  We discussed the lab and the results and meanings from each section after everyone was done.  Students also had some time afterwards to work on their online lab and their chapter 7 packets.
No homework was assigned and the test will be on Friday.

Pulley Lab, Day 2

After reviewing our 24th news article summaries, students continued working on the science portion of their thematic unit, the pulley lab.  Most students completed the single-fixed pulley aspect of the lab and were well into the block and tackle (or 2-pulley) system before the bell rang.  Student have tomorrow's classtime to complete this lab, or they will need to come in before or after school.
No homework was assigned, and the test on Chapter 7 will be this Friday.

Pulley Lab

Today began the first day of our 3-day pulley lab.  It also marked the beginning of our thematic unit on simple machines.  Students will analyze the difference between a single and multiple pulley system.
News articles are due on Monday, and the Chapter 7 test will be on Friday, March 12th.

Online Lab- Simple Machines, Day 8

Today was the students final day to work on the online lab in class.  About half of all students were able to complete the lab within the 8 days alotted in class.  Those that did not finish have until Tuesday, March 16th, to complete the 23-page lab.  Our plan for the near future is we will begin our thematic unit tomorrow with a 3-day pulley lab.  That should take us to Wednesday, at which time we will probably need two days to finish Chapter 7.  That would put the chapter test either Friday, March 12th or Monday, March 15th.
No homework was assigned.

Online Lab- Simple Machines, Day 7

Students continued to work on the online lab working with simple and compound machines.  About 4-5 students from each class have completed the entire lab, while other students are only up to page 12 (out of 23).  Students have been informed that tomorrow will be the last day to work on the lab in class.  After that, they are on their own to complete it.
No homework was assigned.

Online Lab- Simple Machines, Day 6

I'm Baaaaaaaaaack!!! Today was my first day of school since February 19th.  I was glad to be back and ready to dive back into science.  Students continued their progress in the online lab.  I told them that this Thursday, March 4th, would be the final day that we would work in class on the lab.  After that, students are on their own to complete it before/after school or during study hall, or they may take it home to complete.  It must be completed by Friday, March 12th, the day after the test.
No homework was assigned.

Online Lab- Simple Machines, Day 5

Today was the fifth day for the online lab, the fourth in a row with Mrs. Lepley substituting in my place.  I am very anxious to get back to my classroom tomorrow and return to some sense of normalcy.
News articles are due tomorrow, and the Chapter 7 test will be on Thursday, March 11th (tentatively, no sooner).

4th Snow Day

I am REALLY starting to miss my classroom.  I was out for three days in Hershey followed by two straight snow days- PLUS I'm out this coming Monday and Thursday to be with my wife who is having surgery.  Thank goodness Mrs. Lepley has been in for me all this week and will be next week, as well.  Students will continue their online lab on simple and complex machines when they return on Monday.
News articles are due on Tuesday.

3rd Snow Day

Wow, can you believe it?  I'm in Hershey the first three days this week, then Mother Nature must have felt that I needed an extra day to recover from chocolate withdrawl so school was cancelled today.  Hopefully the roads will be clear enough tomorrow to return to my class.
No homework was assigned, but news articles will be due on Tuesday, March 2nd.

Online Lab- Simple Machines, Day 4

Today was the students' third and final day without me doing the online lab on simple machines.  Most students seem to have started the second part of the lab involving inclined planes and pulleys.  I will be back in the classroom tomorrow- that is unless Mother Nature has another plan in mind.
No homework was assigned.

Online Lab- Simple Machines, Day 3

Students continue to progress through the online lab about simple and complex machines.  By all accounts they have done incredibly well w/o me.
No homework was assigned.

Online Lab- Simple Machines, Day 2

Today students worked on their online lab about simple and complex machines.  They did this while I was nearly 100 miles south in Hershey, PA for a conference on educational technology.  We incorporated the chat room and discussion forum to help answer many of the students' questions.
No homework was assigned.

Online Lab- Simple Machines, Day 1

Today we began our third online lab using ASPIRE software.  This lab inspects the usefullness of simple and complex machines.  I will be at a conference in Hershey, PA this coming Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  Mrs. Lepley will be the substitute teacher during that time, and students will be expected to continue to progress through the lab as if I was there.
No news articles are due this next week.
If you need to contact me while I am away, email me at kcremer@mounties.k12.pa.us.

2 Tough Problems

Students got back their quizzes on work and power today.  We reviewed the solutions to the eight problems before moving on to our in-class assignment: page 15-9, # 5 & 6.  I forewarned students that #6 would easily be the toughest problem that they would encounter all year.  With a little encouragement, most students were up to the task.
No homework was assigned.

Inclined Plane Lab

Today in class students worked in groups of three or four to perform the lab on pages 15-13 & 15-14.  They inspeced the difference between the ideal and actual mechanical advantage of using an inclined plane.
No homework was assigned.

Mechanical Advantage & Efficiency

Today in class we listened to the summaries of the 21st week of news articles.  We then discussed section 7-3 & 7-4 notes on work output, work input, mechanical advantage and mechanical efficiency.  Students then worked on problems 1 & 2 on page 15-8 with their partner.  We showed the solution to those problems on the board.
No homework was assigned.

Work & Power Quiz

Sorry, but I forgot to blog it out yesterday.  Students took the work & power quiz yesterday and did EXTREMELY WELL.
News articles are due on Tuesday.

Final review of work & power

Today in class students were assigned pages 15-5 & 15-6, which contained 10 problems that practiced solving for work and power.  We reviewed the solutions for those problems on the board for all to see.
The quiz on this topic will be on Monday, and news articles are due on Tuesday.

That's alot of snow!!!

Following yesterday's cancellation and today's 2-hour delay, it was back to business.....er, science.  Since we only had 31-minute classes, we only had time to review the word problems using work and power.  Students complete pages 15-3 & 15-4 in class and put the solutions to those problems on the board.
No homework was assigned, and the Work & Power quiz will be on Monday.

Stairway to Power

Today we performed the lab on page 15-7.  Students were timed to see how long it took them to walk and then run up a measured flight of steps.  From there they were able to calculate the work that they did and the power that they showed in both walking and running.  We compared their rates against those of their classmates and students from past years.
There was no written homework assigned, but I did encourage students to help older citizens shovel out of tomorrow's pending snowstorm.  If there is no school tomorrow, the quiz will be moved back to Monday, February 15th.

I've got the Power

After reviewing the summaries of our 20th news article week, I introduced the topic of power as it relates to physical science (P=W/t).  Section 7-2 notes were presented and a http://www.brainpop.com/ video was watched, followed by the interactive quiz.  Students were then assigned worksheet 5-2 in class, and the answers were reviewed on the whiteboard.
No homework was assigned.  The work & power quiz will be this Friday.

Time to get to WORK

Work was the theme of the day.  We began Chapter 7 by discussing what work means in the physical science sense of the word.  Work is the product of force times distance, and students determined the amount of work done in several word problems.  This spanned section 7-1 notes and worksheet 15-1, as well as problem #'s 1, 2, 4 & 5 on worksheet 15-3.
News article #20 is due on Monday.  A quiz on this topic will be on Friday, February 12th.

Substitute

Sorry this post is a day late.  Yesterday in class, students had a substitute teacher.  They watched an episode of ABC News' "Stossel in the Classroom" series.  Students wrote down their reaction to the different segments, ranging from alternate energy sources, digital media, etc.
No homework was assigned.

Chapter 6 Notebook Check

Today we reviewed the Chapter 6 test and had our notebook check.  Students watched a Mythbusters episode that inspected the rumor of a penny dropped from the top of the Empire State could really injure someone on the sidewalk below.  The second myth was about reaching terminal velocity while skydiving.  Both of these video segments were great reinforcements for topics that we covered in Chapter 6.
No homework was assigned.

Chapter 6 Test

Today students took the Chapter 6 test on the laptops using Moodle.  Chapter 6 included topics such as balanced and unbalanced forces, friction, Newton's Laws of Motion, projectiles, mass vs weight and gravity.
The notebook check will be tomorrow.

Chapter 6 Test Eve

Twas the day before the chapter 6 test when all through the class, not a creature was stirring except for the 85+ students that forgot to study over the weekend for tomorrow's BIG science test.  Hopefully they will do so tonight.  Today in class we reviewed the summaries of our 19th week of news articles.  Students were then assigned page 6-9, in which they had to calculate the distance traveled of a free-falling object.  Students were also assigned pages 6-12 and 6-13, which is a vocab review for chapter 6.
The only homework is to study for tomorrow's test.  Notebook check will be Wednesday.

Weight vs Mass

Today we concluded chapter 6 notes by discussing section 6-5, the difference between mass and weight.  Students figured out their mass in kilograms, and they used that mass to calculate their weight on Earth, moon, Mars and Jupiter (page 6-5).  We also reviewed the problems from worksheet 6-8 from yesterday on the board.  We ended class by completing the vocab review page on 6-11.
News article # 19 is due on Monday, and the Chapter 6 test is on Tuesday.

Gravity & Projectiles

We began our review of section 6-4 notes by discussing Sir Isaac Newton and his contribution to the study of gravity.  We described how gravity effects the motion of a projectile, like a football or soccer ball that is kicked into the air.  We watched a http://www.brainpop.com/ video on Gravity and took the interactive quiz that followed.  Students worked with their partner to complete pages 6-7 & 6-8.
No homework was assigned and the test is on Tuesday, February 2nd.

Newton's Laws of Motion

Today students got back their Force Quizzes, and the average score was a 97%.  How awesome is that???  After we reviewed the quiz problems on the board, we discussed section 6-3 notes on Newton's 3 Laws of Motion.  I played a http://www.brainpop.com/ movie on Newton's Laws of Motion, followed by the 10-question quiz.  We reinforced the lesson by completing activity 6-10 and finishing the bottom of page 6-6, which we started on Monday.
There was no homework assigned and the Chapter 6 Test is on Tuesday, February 2nd.

Force Quiz

Students did very well on today's quiz, which related force, mass and accleration (Newton's 2nd Law of Motion).  Following the quiz, students spent the remainder of class time completing the worksheets that concluded our online speed & gravity lab.
No homework was assigned, and the Chapter 6 test is next Tuesday, February 2nd.

Force Quiz Prep

After reviewing the summaries from our 18th week of news articles, students went to the board to display their answers from page 6-3 & 6-4.  Students were then assigned activity 6-6 in class, and we had enough time to put the answers to the first five problems from that page on the board.
The Force Quiz is tomorrow, and I also asked students to bring with them the lab sheets from the online lab we did last week so that they can complete the conclusion questions.

Force, mass and acceleration

Today was Beatles Friday.  After reviewing the problems on the board from yesterday's class, I played some classic Beatles tunes while students worked with their partner to complete pages 6-3 & 6-4.  Just about every student got all the work done, and a good time was had by all.
News article #18 is due on Monday, and the quiz will be on Tuesday.

F=ma

Today we introduced the concept of friction and described the three differing types: sliding, rolling and fluid.  I demonstrated to the kids in the hallway using a hovercraft how a small pocket of air acts as a lubricant and changed the sliding friction into fluid friction.  I also introduced Newton's 2nd Law of Motion, F=ma.  This is the foundation for next week's quiz.  We watched a http://www.brainpop.com/ video on force, and students used the student responders to answer the ensuing quiz.  I ended class by assigning worksheet 6-2, and most students completed that assignment while working with a partner.
No homework was assigned, and the Force Quiz will be next Tuesday, January 26th.  News articles are due on Monday.

Balanced vs. Unbalanced Forces

Today we began Chapter 6 on Forces.  Section 6-1 notes were on the diffence between balanced and unbalanced forces.  We completed worksheet 6-1 together before watching our first Bill Nye the Science Guy video on Balanced Forces.
No homework was assigned.

Prepare to Luge

Today was the second day of our online lab relating speed, distance and time.  We started by reviewing the answers from yesterday's lab on pages 2 and 3.  I demonstrated and described the correct way to collect and record the sets of data for this new lab assignment whose theme was Olympic luging.  Students sought the difference in speed if the luge was run on different planets due to differing gravitaional forces.
Any work that was not completed in class will be done on the students' own time.
No homework was assigned.

Snowmobile Race

After reviewing our 17th week of news articles, students began an online lab that involved students predicting the results of a snowmobile race based on the distance and time traveled in exhibition runs.  Students compared their predictions then to actual results.
No homework was assigned.

Chapter 5 Notebook Check

Today in class students had their notebooks checked for 75 points.  During this time we watched Mythbusters "See-Saw" episode.  We also reviewed the test.
News articles are due on Monday, and that is the last grade of the 2nd marking period.

Chapter 5 Test

Students took the Chapter 5 test today on the Moodle site using the laptops.  Most students did very well on it.
The notebook check is tomorrow, and news articles are due Monday.  Monday's news article will be the last grade of the marking period.

Final Review for Chapter 5

Today in class students completed pages 5-13, 14 and 15, which included two graphs.  We put the solutions to these problems on the board to verify results.  Students were also given a vocabulary crossword puzzle to be used as a study guide.
The only assigned homework is to study for tomorrow's chapter 5 test.

Graphing to the extreme

Today in class students worked together to complete page 5-8.  I then previewed the test with students by giving them a couple of sample graphs that will assist them in studying for Thursday's test.  Finally, students worked with their partners to begin pages 5-13, 14 & 15.
No homework was assigned other than to study for Thursday's test.

Momentum

After reviewing our 16th edition of news article summaries, we discussed section 5-4 notes on Momentum.  Students got to demonstrate how momentum worked when I had two students riding on rollered platforms collide in the hallway.  Students calculated momentum on page 5-12.
No homework was assigned, and the test is still on Thursday, January 14th.

Acceleration Graph

Today in class, students completed the acceleration lab that involved timing a marble rolling down a ramp.  Students created the graph on page 5-11 based on yesterday's data and created an online graph, as well.  That graph was then uploaded into the students' science wiki page.
News article #16 is due on Monday.  The chapter 5 test will be on Thursday, January 14th.

Marble Ramp Lab

Today in class students worked in groups of 3 or 4 to do the lab on page 5-9, 10 & 11.  The lab instructed students to roll a steel marble down a ramp made of meter sticks taped together.  They had to record the time it took the marble to roll down set distances in order to calculate the speed.  The final part of the lab is to construct a line graph of the collected data.
No homework was assigned, and the test is Thursday, January 14th.

Comparing Accelerations

Today in class we completed worksheet 5-6 together, and then students worked in pairs to complete page 5-7.  We put all 10 problems from that page on the board for extra credit.
No homework was assigned, and the test is on Thursday, January 14th.

Accleration & Graphs

Today I discussed in detail how to interpret the slope of a graph when comparing distance vs time, and speed vs time.  Students had about 10 minutes to complete worksheet 5-3 before we reviewed the problems on the board.  Finally, students had the remainder of class to complete the last three problems (# 5-7) on page 5-2.  We also put those problems on the board.
No homework was assigned.  The Chapter 5 test will be on Thursday, January 14th.

Acceleration

Welcome back, students.  Today in class we discussed the slope of a graph and how it helps to identify the relative speed of an object (section 5-2 notes).  We then discussed what acceleration is and how it is calculated (section 5-3 notes).  Brainpop.com helped students to better understand the concept of acceleration before they were off on their own to work on page 5-4.
No homework was assigned.

Winter Olympics III

Today marked the third consecutive year that South Williamsport Jr/Sr High School has held the Winter Olympics.  After drawing some gold medals for prizes and watching Dr. Seuss' "Grinch" movie, students in grades 7-12 gather in the gymnasium to compete against one another in friendly games and activities.
No homework is assigned over break.

Holiday Pictionary

Students got back their news articles and speed quizzes back today.  With the remaining time in class, we played Holiday Song Pictionary.
No homework was assigned and news articles will not be due when we return from break.

Speed Quiz

After reviewing today's 15th news article, students took the speed quiz, which they did really well on. 
There is no homework due tomorrow.

Speed Quiz Practice

Students did problems 1-4 on worksheet 5-3 today before checking their answers on the board.  Students then took the practice quiz on page 5-16 to guage their readiness for Monday's real quiz.
News article #15 is due on Monday, and the speed quiz will be on Monday, as well.

Speed, distance and time

Today in class we reviewed worksheet 5-2 in class.  Students had the opportunity to show their work on the board for extra credit.  Students then worked with their partner to complete worksheet 5-5, which we also reviewed on the board.
Students should continue to bring a calculator to class for the remainder of the year.  No other homework was assigned.

Speed vs Velocity

Students distinguished between speed and velocity.  Speed is how fast an object is moving, while velocity is the speed in a given direction.  We completed worksheet 5-1 and students began and finished most of worksheet 5-2.
No homework was assigned.  A quiz on calculating speed will be on Monday.

Frame of Reference

Today marked our 14th summary of news articles.  Students continued their success at the periodic table quiz following the news article summaries.  We discussed section 5-1 notes on Frame of Reference and calculating speed.  We watched the http://www.brainpop.com/ video on speed, distance and time before doing the top half of worksheet 5-1.

No homework was assigned.

Good oral hygiene

That was the message today as Carol Kirol, the school's dental hygienist, came in to speak to each of the five classes.  Students learned about the dangers of smokeless tobacco use and how it is just as careless as smoking.
Homework is news article # 14, due tomorrow.

Chapter 3 Notebook Check

Today in class, students had their Chapter 3 notebooks checked for 100 points.  During this time, we watched a holiday-themed episode of Mythbusters.
The school's dental hygienist will be a guest speaker in this room on Monday, and news article #14 is due on Tuesday.

Chapter 3 Test

Students took the Chapter 3 test today online using the my Moodle site.  There were 28 questions worth a total of 118 points. 
The notebook check will be tomorrow and worth 100 points.  News articles are due on Tuesday.

1st Snow Day

Students and teachers got to enjoy a mid-week break today due to the weather.  The Chapter 3 test will still be tomorrow.

Atomic Forces

Today students had another opportunity to take the periodic table quiz.  Students volunteered to draw their atoms on the board from the pages we did in class yesterday (3-19 & 3-20).  We finally completed section 3-4 notes in discussing the forces within an atom.  We ended class by watching a video that reviewed this chapter's main topics.
Students are encouraged to study for the Chapter 3 test which is Thursday, December 10th.  No other homework was assigned.

Drawing Atoms

After reviewing the summaries of our 13th news article day, we discussed the part of section 3-4 notes pertaining to energy levels and electron clouds.  I showed students how to draw the arrangement of electrons around the nucleus of an atom.  Students watched the http://www.brainpop.com/ video on the Periodic Table.  After taking the quiz following the video, students worked with their partner to complete activity 3-19 and 3-20.
Students should begin studying for Thursday's Chapter 3 Test.  No other homework was assigned.

Molecular Mass calculations

Today in class we went over worksheet 3-16 from yesterday.  I introduced the concept of molecular mass and used worksheet 3-18 as a demonstration.  Students worked with their partners to complete pages 3-17 and 3-18.
Homework is news article #13 for Monday.  The chapter 3 test will be on Thursday, December 10th.

ions and isotopes

Not as many students opted to take the periodic table quiz today.  Those that did all earned over a 100%, though.  We continued our topic of atomic structure today by introducing ions, or charged atoms that have either gained or lost one or more electrons.  We watched a third straight http://www.brainpop.com/ video today, this time on ions.  We ended the period by completing worksheet 3-16, which we will check at the beginning of tomorrow's class.
No homework was assigned.  Test on Thursday, December 10th.

Atomic Structure 2

Today in class students got their first crack at taking the periodic table quiz.  Everyone of the 12 students that attempted the quiz earned over a 100% (with the extra credit elements).  What a great start!!!
After the quiz we discussed what information could be determined by looking at an element on the periodic table.  By the end of the period, students had to know the atomic number, atomic mass and the number of protons, neutrons and electrons for any element on the periodic table.  Students practiced this on page 3-14.  We then discussed the existance of isotopes and watched a http://www.brainpop.com/ video on the topic.  We ended the class by completing worksheet 3-15.
No homework was assigned. 
Remember that the test is a week from tomorrow, on Thursday, December 10th.

Atomic Structure

After listening to the summaries of the 12th news article week, I returned the rubrics for the VoiceThread assignment back to students.  We then began a discussion of section 3-4 notes of subatomic particles.  I described how the atom is so unbelievably tiny, yet contains even smaller particles within (protons, neutrons and electrons).  We watched a Tim & Moby video on atoms before practicing the periodic table quiz.
The test date was announced as Thursday, December 10th.
No homework was assigned.