This Thursday is the DEADLINE for retaking the rocks & minerals quiz #2

the next 2 week’s targets:

1. students will identify the major tectonic plates: Eurasian, African, Indo-Australian, Pacific, North American, and South American using unlabeled maps of the world drawn from a variety of perspectives
2. Using their learning about the layers of the earth, the properties of the asthenosphere, and the tectonic plates students will describe and model how plate tectonics causes major geological events such as ocean basins, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and mountain building

warm up:

1. how are minerals formed in the 3 different types of rocks?

in the classroom:

After warm ups and sharing good news, we took a quiz over the rock cycle and layers of the earth. Afterwards, students were given time to write a short science fiction story in their journals and create a bar graph of the elements that make up the earth’s crust. Both activities are found on my class handouts page. If they didn’t finish these in class, then it’s to be completed at home.

homework: 

none, unless they didn’t finish their story and graph in class. Due next class period.

this week’s target: build a model showing the structural layers of earth: the core (inner & outer), the mantle (lower, middle & upper), asthenosphere, lithosphere and crust (oceanic & continental)

warm up: see class handouts page

in the classroom:

after warm ups and sharing good news, we took a quiz over the rock cycle, rocks & minerals quiz #3. Students then wrote down the words and definitions in their glossaries and we moved onto our next target within geology- layers of the earth. Students began a cool foldable which can be found on my class handouts page. We didn’t finish it in class, but will when I see them for the next day. It’s not homework because I want them to work hard and complete with quality their journey through the rock cycle which is due later this week.

homework:

1. complete Journey through the Rock Cycle by Thursday, 26th (A) and Friday, 27th (B) 
2. study the earth’s layers foldable and these vocab. words: mantle, inner & outer core, asthenosphere, lithosphere, crust & atmosphere for next quiz on Monday, 30th (A) & Tuesday, 31 (B). 

classify rocks as igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary based on the process that makes them.

warm ups: posted on class handouts page

class activity: 

We continued our next segment, the rock cycle and made a cool rock cycle fold-able. See class handouts for a picture of it. We simulated the making of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks through  the rock cycle using crayon shavings, applying heat and pressure. Afterwards, students were to complete a data table and answer 3 questions, which may be found on my class handouts page. 

We took a quiz over the 5 words below from the homework; discussed the crayon lab and how it simulates the rock cycle in the natural world and finally talked about their project, journey through the rock cycle. Details for this project are found on my class handouts page.  Briefly, students imagine themselves to be a rock and they describe places where they’re taken and what happens to them while there. They will share this information how they choose, comic strip, which I provided in class or however they creatively choose. It can be done on the computer, using a video, etc. Students will have another quiz over the rock cycle, focusing on the process, how rocks are made.

Here’s a simple animation of the rock cycle. Check it out

homework:

complete journal entry #2 and know these words: sedimentary rock, igneous rock, metamorphic rock, rock cycle, and element for our next quiz on Wednesday 18th (A) and Thursday 19th (B). Complete the data table and conclusion questions for the rock cycle simulation by 1/18 (A day) and 1/19 (B day).

Next quiz- the rock cycle will be on Monday, 24th (B) &Tuesday, 25th (A) and the journey through the rock cycle is due on Weds. 26th (B) & Thurs. 27th (A)

the  journey through the rock cycle rubric is found on my class handouts page. It tells exactly what will be graded. 

newsflash! the retake deadlines for ID mineral quiz #1 is Friday, 13th (A) and Tuesday, 17th (B)

this week’s target: classify minerals according to their physical properties, luster, streak, hardness and color and understanding the rock cycle

warm ups: find Monday’s & Tuesday’s on class handouts page.

Wednesday’s- Mineral A has a hardness of 5, and it can scratch Mineral B. What do you now know about Mineral B? Your choices are: Mineral B has a hardness of 5 or less. Mineral B is harder than Mineral A. Mineral B has a hardness of 4. Mineral B has a streak of 5.

class activity: After the warm up and good news, students took their first quiz called ID mineral quiz #1. Finally, students worked on completing the streak and hardness tests of their 10 unknown minerals. Upon completion, they were able to identify them using a mineral booklet that hopefully confirmed their discoveries of their properties: streak, luster, and hardness. Most classes didn’t have enough time to complete journal entry #2 that I posted on my class handouts page. Wednesday-Thursday, students completed their discovering of minerals’ physical properties  with the following journal entry: using no more than ½ of a journal page, summarize what you’ve learned about minerals. Afterwards, we began our next segment, the rock cycle. We took a rock cycle pretest and made a cool rock cycle fold-able. See class handouts for a picture of it. Friday with my A day students, we simulated the making of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks through  the rock cycle. Afterwards, students were to complete a data table and answer 3 questions, which may be found on my class handouts page. 

homework: complete journal entry #2 and know these words: sedimentary rock, igneous rock, metamorphic rock, rock cycle, and element for our next quiz on Wednesday 18th (A) and Tuesday 17th (B). Complete the data table and conclusion questions for the rock cycle simulation by 1/18 (A day).

this week’s target: classify minerals according to their physical properties, luster, streak, hardness and color.

warm up: A tortoise challenges a hare to a four-hour race. The hare is so confident of winning that he allows the tortoise to start with a 10-km lead. The hare runs at a speed of 14 km per hour, but stops for a two-hour nap in the middle of the race. The tortoise plods along at 4 km per hour the whole race. Who gets farther in four hours? 

class activity: After discussing the warm up, we spent some time catching up by sharing good news Then we wasted no time in digging into our new unit, earth structures and the rock cycle. Students were given a short pretest specifically exploring their knowledge of the process of identifying the physical properties of minerals through a series of tests: luster, hardness, streak, etc. Afterwards, students worked in groups to match the key vocabulary with their definitions, which is on my class handouts page. They wrote the 5 highlighted terms & definitions in their journals to be quizzed on next week Monday and Tuesday. Finally, they read a short story called Digging for Diamonds, followed by making a journal entry. Title it as Journal entry #1 with the date. After reading Digging for Diamonds, summarize what you learned about how physical properties are used to identify the finding of a diamond. Jot down one or two questions of your own about gems. We didn’t complete it in class Tues. or Weds. They’ll have some time in class Thurs. and Fri. to complete it. 

Homework: know the 5 vocabulary & definitions for a quiz on Monday & Tuesday (9th-10th).

learning goal for the week:

investigate how inclined planes, pulleys and levers can be used to change the amount of force and work on something.

warm ups:

1. a boat ride @ six flags pulls boats across the pond applying 5000 N on the cable attached to the boat. Friction on the boat is measured at 1000 N. What’s the net force on the boat?

class activity:

We had fun investigating, exploring the use of three simple machines: levers, pulleys and incline planes. Our purpose was to see if using these three machines truly helped moving objects. How much force was needed to move the load, a textbook, without the simple machine and with them? Students had fun discovering that just because it was “easier”, meaning using less force, didn’t mean that it was less work. In some cases, though it required to use less force to move the load, it was more work. For example, students discovered that it’s easier to go up a low incline plane than a shorter, steeper one. However, it is less work to go up the steeper plane than the low one. After the activities, I had given them this reflective question that they’re to complete in their journals: How does an inclined plane, pulley and lever affect the amount of force exerted on an object? I also gave them their reviews for the final. We’ll go over them on Thursday for my A day students and for my B day students we’ll work on them in class discussing the material. See my class handouts for the review.

homework: complete the reflection for Weds. (B) and Thursday (A). Complete the review by the day of the test to earn 5 extra credit points toward your exam score.

newsflash: improve energy voc., energy transformations & thermal energy transfer quizzes by this friday, 9th.

learning goals:

1. 6.8B: identify and describe the changes in position, direction, and speed of an object when acted upon by unbalanced forces
2. 6.8E: investigate how inclined planes and pulleys [and levers] can be used to change the amount of force to move an object

warm ups:

we’ve been using our benchmark, which students have a hard copy.

class activity:

Monday-Tuesday: students were given a progress check over motion, in which they are to show that they know how to calculate speed, given the distance and time something moves. I’m also checking to see if they can interpret a motion graph of distance and time. Afterwards, students were given a fun speed story in which they are to look at a motion graph with 6 different movements and create a Christmas story matching the motion graph. It’s to be done on the backside of the half sheet with a minimum of 6 sentences and maximum of the half sheet. I have two different versions, of which both may be found on my class handouts page. Finally, we had fun exploring force through tug of war, boys vs. girls.

End of the day results: girls 4—boys 2.

Homework: complete the Christmas speed story by Weds and Thurs of this week

headlines: extra credit: complete activity C from gizmo: distance-time graphs by Dec. 5th & 6th

learning targets:

1. 6.8C Students investigate how to describe the motion of an object by calculating the average speed of objects.
2. 6.8D Students will also describe motion by measuring and graphing changes in motion

warm ups: 

class activities:

Students worked on Monday and Tuesday, wrapping up the two gizmos on motion: measuring motion and graphing distance-time (activities A & B). Both gizmos may be found on my class handouts page. They’re due on Thursday and Friday, this week.

On Wednesday and Thursday, we’ll go over the material, preparing for a short assessment on Thursday and Friday. I’ll be assessing students’ ability to hit our targets for this week as well as some questions on energy transformation and a few force and motion vocabulary. Just before the Thanksgiving break, students copied in their journals 11 key words for our new unit of Force & Motion. 

homework:

complete the two gizmos: measuring motion and graphing distance/time motion by this Thursday and Friday.

our mission:

1. investigate the ways thermal energy moves, i.e. conduction, convection and radiation
2. Describe the changes in position, direction, and speed of an object when acted upon by unbalanced forces

warm ups:

Think of an example of thermal energy moving via conduction, convection and radiation and explain. Or take this challenge: explain how convection works in the atmosphere or give an example of each way thermal energy moves in the natural world.

class activity:

Discussed and posted on the board some great examples of each way that thermal energy moves through matter. Afterwards, we had fun oooing and ahhing over a convection model that I had of boiling water with pencil shavings. As the water boiled, students could see how thermal energy through convection moved the pencil shavings from bottom to top in a circular motion, creating a convection cycle. We talked about how this happens in the oceans where lava spills out onto the ocean floor and how wind is made through the rising hot air being displaced by the cooler dense air. We wrapped up discussing thermal energy by looking at 9 thermal energy scenes and identified the means of transfer and what the clues were that lead us to such conclusions.

We moved into our next unit Force & Motion taking a little pretest over some vocabulary. However, this is a bit interrupted by the need to take our district’s science benchmark.

Students will be taking another quiz over the transferring of thermal energy this Thursday and Friday. They’ll need to be able to define conduction, convection, and radiation,  identify examples of each and explain how it works in a given scenario.

homework:

prepare for the transfer of thermal energy quiz on this Thurs and Fri by using the 9 thermal energy scenes as practice explaining to your parents how energy is transferring

our target for mastery is investigating the ways thermal energy transfers through matter: convection, conduction and radiation.

warm ups:

explain why a candy bar melts in one’s hand. beginning with the energy form of using a flash light, trace the energy form back to its original form.

Using the colored fuzzy bendies as models, show an element, a compound, and finally a mixture. Once you’re sure of your models, draw them on your warm up. Prepare to defend your answer.

class activities:

We’ve been working on developing our understanding of thermal energy movement using two different gizmos. Both activities are on my class handouts page. We also spent some time reviewing how elements, compounds and mixtures are different by using colored pipe cleaners (fuzzy bendies). Students did well in displaying an element as a single colored pipe cleaner, a compound as two or more different colored fuzzy bendies twisted together, and finally a mixture would be several different colored fuzzy bendies laying side by side or loosly intertwined.

homework:

complete the gizmo at home, due tomorrow (B) or Friday (A). Quiz over energy transformation and energy vocabulary tomorrow.