10/31 Inside The Cell

In-Class:
Students viewed Inside The Cell Part I and detailed the function of each organelle in their notebooks. We will complete the video and note taking next week.
Homework:
NONE

Reminder:
Think Link Testing will take place Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Students are required to bring their texts every day. The usual schedule will be disrupted due to testing in Science, Math, and Reading but students will have assignments each day.

Thursday, November 6 - QUIZ: Microscope structures.

Activities:
flashcards and matching games www.quia.com/jg/1493080.html

quiz practice www.quia.com/quiz/717688.html

10/30 Cell Diagrams

In-Class:
We continued diagramming the plant cell and animal cell from pages 20 and 21 in the text.
Homework:
Complete diagrams. DUE IN BIN Friday (20 points)

Seventh hour students have lost the privilege of passes from class. Lunch is immediately before science and students have the opportunity to use the washroom at that time.

10/29 Cell Drawings

In-Class:

We reviewed the microscope structure and function and students began work on the Plant Cell and Animal Cell Diagrams. Cell Diagrams are found on pages 20 and 21 in our text. Diagrams are DUE FRIDAY in BIN.

Homework:

Complete one drawing.

Cells must....

• be completed in pencil and colored (Use colored pencil. Marker will bleed through to the opposite side of the page and may obscure the details.)



• be titled Plant Cell on one side; Animal Cell on the other side.



• include all organelle labels listed on pages 20 and 21.



• show effort and attention to detail.

Week of November 3, 2008

Quiz over microscope structure.

Think Link testing will take place all of next week for Science, Reading, and Math. Please contact me at school with any questions.

10/28 Microscope

In-Class:
Completed labeling The Microscope and Microscope Crossword (use p.196 for labeling.) Reviewed pages 4 through 9 and read pages 10 through 13.
Homework:
Any worksheet or reading assignment not completed while in class.

Reminder: I will be checking for textbooks and assignments in class Wednesday. Texts are expected to be brought each day. Even if we don't use the chapters directly, we do use the reference materials daily.

Congratulations to Hours one and eight! They were the best behaved classes during my absence and will receive a small treat Wednesday in celebration of their good choices.

10/27 Opera

In-Class:
We attended The Magic Flute at Governors State University. Students in hours 8 and 9 used the additional time available to complete Communicating Results.
Homework:
None

Substitute: Mr. Rab

10/24 ISAT prep

In-Class:
Students completed Communicating Results in an effort to enhance skills in the areas of graph interpretation and data analysis.
Homework:
None

Substitute Teacher: Mr. Rab

10/23 burning candles

In-Class:
Students performed observations on a burning candle with fluorescent lights and without fluorescent lights. They wrote up their observations and we discussed conservation of mass.
Homework:
None

Thank you to all my "guest speaker" students who translated my whispers so that everyone could hear me despite my having laryngitis!

10/22 lights for learning

In-Class:
Students received a presentation from "Lights for Learning" organizers. Lights for Learning is a fundraiser/educational presentation for the school.
Homework:
Reminder second and third hour students will take the metric quiz tomorrow, Thursday.

I was absent from school today. Mr. Lale was my guest teacher.

10/21 Metric Quiz

In-Class:
Students completed the metric system evaluation (25 points.) Many students had time to preview the upcoming unit on cells by reading pp.4-9 in their texts and studying the parts of the microscope p. 196. All students attended an assembly during hours 2 and 3.

Homework:
preview cell unit if not completed in class.

Wednesday - Lights for Learning Presentation
Thursday - Extra Credit Due. Hours 2 and 3 will take their metric quiz.
Friday - Last Day of the Quarter

Monday, October 27 - Opera field trip.

10/20 LAB - effervescent tablet

In-Class:
Student wrote out their observations and inferences during our laboratory using water and an effervescent tablet. We brainstormed ideas for introducing variables and formed hypotheses about the expected outcome. Try it at home!!!
Homework:
Study handouts for Metric Quiz

10/17 science-y videos

In-Class:
Due to the half day schedule, I met with my first hour class only. We enjoyed Mythbusters episodes and their relevance to the scientific method. We also watched Sports Science the physics of swimming.

Homework:
Enjoy the fall leaf color "changes."

Congratulations to my Homeroom students. They were the first homeroom with 100% return on permission slips to the Opera!

10/16 metric review

In-Class:
Self evaluation and correction of metric assignments. Notebooks collected from hours 1,2,3, and 7. (50 points)

Homework:
Organize handouts in folder for review of metric system. Review page 176 and 177 in text if needed.

October 21, 2008: Metric Quiz
October 22: Lights for Learning Presentation
October 23: Extra Credit Due
October 24: End of first Quarter

Go to www.convert-me.com to check any work that you may have missed correcting in class.

10/15 metric review

Thank you to all my helpers today in science!

Students are encouraged to visit the media center for morning tutoring with the metric system. I noticed many students receiving help this morning and hope to see many more tomorrow morning.

A special thanks to Jaquirha, Julia, Brittany and Roma for assisting with the metric review as one on one tutors throughout the day.

In-Class:

Completed metric conversion practice assignments. Received extra credit assignment, Metric Length Worksheet II, worth 10 points. Due October 23.

Homework:

Complete any in-class work. Organize notebook for notebook check. Hours 1,2,3,4 and 7 should prepare their notebooks for collection Thursday. Hours 8 and 9 must have their notebooks prepared for collection by Friday.

Metric Quiz: Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Wednesday, October 22 - Lights for Learning Presentation

Friday, October 24 - Last day of the first quarter

10/14 metric conversions

In-Class:
Students practiced converting units of measure within the metric system. They received three worksheets: Metric Units of Capacity, Metric Units of Weight, and Metric System. At least two of the three sheets must be completed before tomorrow. Students will keep these assignments in their notebooks.
Homework:
Make sure you have completed at least two of the three assignments.

Friday, October 17: half day

Tuesday, October 21: Metric System Test

Wednesday, October 22: Lights for Learning presentation

Friday, October 24: Last day of first quarter

10/10 metrics

In-Class:
Students perused sites related to conversions within the metric system and between the English Standard and the metric system.

http://www.convert-me.com/

www.quia.com/hm/425366.html (hangman)

www.quia.com/ba/190632.html (battleship)

www.quia.com/cm/222241.html (column match-up)



Homework:
Organize notebooks.

10/09 scientific inquiry

I was absent from class today. Mr. Lale was my substitute.
Sadly, today's Field Trip was cancelled due to liability concerns with the site.

In-Class:
Students completed key terms, the work of scientists and key terms, what is science and submitted the work to the in bins. Hours 1,2,7,8 also completed the section summary questions from what is science in their notebooks.

Homework:
Complete any assignments not finished in class.

REMINDER: Notebook check next week.

10/07 classification

In-Class:
Hours 1,2,3 reviewed using a field guide to identify leaves. We discussed how to use a dichotomous chart. Hours 2 and 3 submitted their clothes classification in the BIN. Hour 1 graded the 4 questions in their notebooks. Hours 1,2,3 took makeup tests.
Hour 7 disrupted the learning process to the extent that we were left with several minutes at the end of class to identify leaves.
Hour 8 and 9 viewed video clips What is Science and The Work of Science. Students took short notes on each clip.

Homework: Organize notes in notebook. Notebooks will be checked in the next two weeks.

Our Field Trip has been postponed until Thursday due to inclement weather.

10/06 classification

In-Class:
Introduced classification. Students received the handout "Classifying Organisms" and responded to four questions about the summary. We discussed dichotomous charts and gave examples of using a dichotomous chart to classify material in a junk drawer.
Homework:
Complete four questions (DUE in Notebook) if not done in class. Complete a dichotomous chart for classifying clothing (DUE in Notebook)

WEDNESDAY, October 8 - Field Trip from 8:15 to 11:15. Dress for mud, gravel and cool weather.

10/03 QUIZMO vocab.

In-Class:
We played QUIZMO (similar to BINGO) using the vocabulary for scientific method and the metric system.
Homework:
None

Congratulations to Jalyn from 3rd hour. She was our only two time QUIZMO champ!

Next week events: Monday afternoon we will have a guest speaker from the Steger Historical Society present to the entire team.
Wednesday is our field trip. Dress appropriately to spend 3 hours outside.

10/02 science speak

In-Class:

Students copied vocabulary related to the study of science into their notebooks. Test results demonstrated that we need to get back to some more basic strategies for learning before moving into the concepts of science. We will continue with activities and hands-on learning while I include more direct instruction for students who need it.

Homework:

Study vocabulary and organize handouts in science folder.

10/01 metrics

In-Class:

We discussed and practiced the "ladder method" for converting measurements within the metric system. Students had time to complete "Metric Mania" and Review and Reinforcement, the metric system in class.

Homework:

Complete any work not done in class.

Students who earned an F or a D on their Test must get the test signed by a parent in order to retake the test. Retakes will be given next week.