An 8th Grade Journey - Science

Labs and Directions...

9/6/2014

Doing labs with the classes this week was not what I expected. I struggle with understanding why it is so hard to follow directions or simple requests. My students have lockers within feet of the classroom and yet continue to bring stacks of books and binders to a science classroom. We have no room for extra materials. I don't allow materials to be placed on the floor. I have made chair packs to place necessary items in when the tables need to be clear, but they are being stuffed past capacity with the mega-binders and other class' textbooks. Here is my solution to the problem with the chairpacks - they are no longer to be used to "hang" the books on the back of the chair. Now the chair packs will hang so the books are stored right behind the student on the seat. It should lead to better posture. :-)

As for the following directions - that has the possibility of the classes not being able to participate fully in labs. I will do demonstrations and a single lab that everyone can just record. I tell them that safety is first and following directions is key to safety in a science lab. I don't know if I am willing to try again, but I know I won't be trying anything very soon. It is disappointing as I think science needs to be hands-on and active, but I won't take chances with safety, and I won't let them develop bad habits in my class (such as not following directions). We shall see what the rest of the year brings...

September is here...

9/1/2014

Wow, another week has gone by. We are almost halfway through the first quarter of the school year. I wish I could find a way to get students to really take ownership of their learning. I hate grading papers where it is obvious they did not read the question thoroughly or even look for a correct answer. There is way too much skimming and writing whatever they see. What is the cure? Hopefully by the end of the year I will have better work from my classes. I have some phenomenal students who are truly trying to learn the material and make sure their work makes sense. It is a joy to read "good" work.

I am hoping to get my Google Classroom up and running soon. That means students will be typing much of their work and submitting it to me online rather than in writing. I do believe it is important to have legible handwriting, but, as a teacher, I have to be able to read what is written. It will be an interesting year...aren't they all? I love teaching!!

First Two Weeks

8/23/2014

The year is off to a great start. We have been learning to work in small groups and do some simple engineering projects. We are going to be reviewing the Scientific Process and comparing engineering design and experimental design. All my science classes created a list of rules for when they work in groups. They are going to use those rules to assess themselves and their group members after each lab or project.

I'm looking forward to the school year!!

New School Year 2014-2015 - Science Syllabus

8/11/2014

It's hard to believe that a new school year is here. Welcome to 8th grade Earth Science. I am going to use this space for the course syllabus right now. That means I am going to tell you what I hope to cover this year and what expectations I have of you.

Students should leave 8th grade Earth Science with a better understanding of the planet on which they live. They should understand the phenomena which shapes our planet and the basic structure of our planet. They should know our location in the solar system and the Milky Way Galaxy. Students should also have an understanding of weather and climate and, of course, our atmosphere. It is hoped that students will develop a desire to not only learn more about our wonderful planet but will also learn how to preserve and protect it. We use the Next Generation Science Standards to drive our curriculum.

Areas of study will include: Geologic Time, Atmosphere, Weather and Climate, Oceans, Weathering and Erosion, Volcanoes, Earthquakes, Plate Tectonics, Our Solar System, Engineering, Rock and Water Cycles

A tentative yearlong plan can be found here.

Grades are weighted in the following way: Tests - 40%; Projects/Labs - 40%; Journals/Worksheets/etc. - 20%
Grades reflect both effort and knowledge--that's just the way it is right now. I expect you to do your best on each and every assignment, but it is not always possible to achieve a top grade on everything. You should always be working to improve yourself.

Grading will be based on assignment grades and tests. You will have both individual and group assignments this year. All grades will be individual grades, although part of the individual grade may come from the group assignment. You are always welcome to correct and resubmit any assignment to show you have greater understanding. A re-submission MUST show better understanding of the topic and will never be accepted if it is just "changed answers." This is your education and you need to take it seriously.

Assignments are due on time. I try to have grades done within two days of an assignment due date. Late work will be subject to reduced grades per the Missing Assignment policy for 8th grade. Check Skyward regularly as you are responsible for knowing when you are missing work. I will try to post the "zero" grade for missing work immediately, so you can get the late work in and get the grade changed (if possible). REMEMBER: You are responsible for knowing what is assigned and what is due.

Materials needed in class each day: Science Journal, writing instruments, paper, agenda, and headphones.

Labs - There are chair packs on the back of the chairs in the classroom. These are designed to hold books and materials so the lab tables are not cluttered with unnecessary items. I will not have labs if the desks are full of unnecessary items--I will only do demonstrations. DO NOT bring other class' textbooks or unnecessary items to Science class.

Happy New Year

1/5/2014

We are going to begin the year with a unit on earthquakes and move right into our unit on volcanoes. The two are very closely related, so it only makes sense to have them back to back. We will be using the textbook as well as online resources to learn about earthquakes. The engineering project will be modified slightly and be finished in the next two weeks - that's the plan right now.

Check out this project submission from the Plate Tectonics unit. Very well done and a wonderful "student-choice" project. http://sci-7abbott.weebly.com/

There will be lots of work to do in the next month or so. It will be very important to stay focused and on task. The living museum is scheduled for January 28. We have much to do in a short period of time. You will be busy.

Sad, but must be true...

12/14/2013

While I find it sad, it must be true, very few people read this page. I received only 2.5 responses for the extra credit (three good articles but only two summaries).

Projects are done (or should be). They should be graded within the next few days.

Essay questions were given on Friday. You should write a short essay to answer each question in preparation for the test. The test will be an essay test - no notes allowed.

Monday we will have a lab to help better understand tectonic plate boundaries. Tuesday we will probably review for the test. Wednesday will be the test and the research part of the quarterly engineering challenge activity. Thursday will complete the building portion of the activity. Friday will be for any wrap-up needed and to finish the engineering challenge.

All of this is tentative and could shift by a day.

Let's see who reads this...

12/5/2013

I know I have not been very good about keeping this up to date since I use Edmodo, too, but I am going to offer a little bit of extra credit on one of the projects. The extra credit will be 10 percent added to the final grade for the plate tectonic projects.

So, here is the challenge...

Find an article about plate tectonics that has been published within the last year. Print it, email me the link, private message me with the link in Edmodo, bring in the magazine or newspaper, etc. Include a VERY brief summary of the article (no more than one paragraph). Make sure your name

Fine print: I will only accept an article one time, so the first person who sends it or presents it to me gets the extra credit. Only one article per person will be accepted.

A new way to present!

12/4/2013

Science is so hard! by kscoastie on GoAnimate

Thanksgiving Week...

11/23/2013

With only two days in this week, staying focused on Monday will be critical. Projects are due at the end of the class period on Monday.

Read the rubric!!!
Have the questions!!!
Have pictures!!!
Look at the resources so you know what a timeline (not a list of events) looks like!!!
Know your information!!!

Presentations will be made on Monday, December 2, so you will have the long weekend to make sure you know your presentation material, but the timeline needs to be done Monday, November 25.

We are starting a new unit on Tuesday, December 3. It will be a project-based unit, so be prepared to do more research.

Week of November 18

11/19/2013

This week you are working on your Geologic Timeline projects. Resources are available on the Science Resources tab. DO NOT use only Wikipedia.

You will need to have a list of your sites and books used for research (a bibliography/sources in MLA format).

Do your calculations right after you decide on your scale. Once