Friday, 17 December, 2010

Students will be able to:
use information from hands on activities and classroom discussions to
-describe phase changes.
-describe the tranfer of heat energy from one object to another.

Students did an FCAT transparency as their do now.

Students then did the heat transfer lab activity, by making ice cream. You can find the handout to the activity, along with the directions for making the ice cream mix, at the top of this blog.

The home learning for the holidays is to complete the Winter Package for Science on Scientific Method.

Have a Safe and Blessed Christmas and I pray all of God's choice blessings for the coming New Year for you!

Thursday, 16 December, 2010

This is HL #9. Turn in one copy to me. Place the other completed copy in your interactive notebook.

Students will be able to:
use information from hands-on activities and classroom discussions to
-investigate and explain Alfred Wegener's hypothesis.
-show Pangaea's movement over geological time.

The do now was an FCAT transparency about the theory of continental drift.

Students received home learning 9, which can be found at the top of this blog.

Students took notes on the Theory of Continental Drift and the Theory of Plate Tectonics, using past home learnings. These notes can be used to aid in answering the questions for home learning 9. If you were absent, review home learning 5, which has the necessary information to take notes AND to complete tonight's home learning.

Students wrote Costa's leveled questions based on the notes and wrote a summary of the main ideas of the notes using the Cornell notes format.

Tuesday, 14 December and Wednesday, 15 December, 2010

Students will be able to:
use information from the interim assessment exam and the CPS clicker sytem to
-review the interim assessment exam and exam 5.

Students used the clicker system to review the fall interim assessment. Students were placed on teams and asked to discuss and then answer the questions. The team with the most points win a free home learning pass!

There was no home learning on either day.

Monday, 13 December, 2010

Students will be able to:
use information from notes, past lessons, and classroom discussion to
-take an exam on Earth Structures.

Students took Exam 5 using the clickers.

There was no home learning.

Friday, 10 December, 2010

Students will be able to:
use information from virtual activities and classroom discussions to
-investigate and explain Alfred Wegener's hypothesis.
-show Pangaea's movement over geological time.

Students worked on the Building Pangaea GIZMO found at www.explorelearning.com. If you wish to access the lab, use the username and password supplied to you. If you've forgotten your username/password, email me for them.

Other classes began a density lab, which related density to the plunging dense oceanic crusts under the less dense continental crusts. You can get the lab paper in class.

Home learning is to complete Exam 5 and bring to class for entering answers on the clickers.

If you lose your copy, you can obtain another in class on Monday.

Thursday, 9 December, 2010

Students will be able to:
use information from virtual activities and classroom discussions to
-investigate and explain Alfred Wegener's hypothesis.
-show Pangaea's movement over geological time.

Students worked on the Building Pangaea GIZMO found at www.explorelearning.com. If you wish to access the lab, use the username and password supplied to you. If you've forgotten your username/password, email me for them.

Other classes worked at making models of Pangaea, from the American Museum of Natural History site. You can find the activity and the handouts at:
http://www.amnh.org/education/resources/rfl/pdf/dinos_plate_tectonics.pdf

There was no home learning.

Wednesday, 8 December, 2010

Students will be able to:
use information from virtual activities and classroom discussions to
-investigate and explain Alfred Wegener's hypothesis.
-show Pangaea's movement over geological time.

Students took the third mini assessment.

Students worked on the Building Pangaea GIZMO found at www.explorelearning.com. If you wish to access the lab, use the username and password supplied to you. If you've forgotten your username/password, email me for them.

There was no home learning, but there will be a mini assessment tomorrow (postponed from today).

Tuesday, 8 December, 2010

Students will be able to:
use information from virtual activities and classroom discussions to
-investigate and explain Alfred Wegener's hypothesis.
-show Pangaea's movement over geological time.

The do now was an FCAT transparency.

Those students that needed to complete the plate tectonics/notes activity did so by clicking the link found at Dr. Gayden's Science Zone (drgcdms.podomatic.com) located under Monday, 6 December, 2010 For Seventh Graders. You can also cut and past the following URL address to access the site: http://www.as.uky.edu/academics/departments_programs/EarthEnvironmentalSciences/EarthEnvironmentalSciences/Educational%20Materials/Documents/elearning/module04swf.swf

Be sure to record the names of ALL the plates AND write at least one sentence to explain EACH boundary/plate activity. For instance: When oceanic and continental plates converge or meet, the more dense oceanic plate subducts under the less dense continental plate, forming an accretionary wedge.

Do this for EACH of the plate types.

There was no home learning, but there will be a mini assessment tomorrow (postponed from today).

Monday, 6 December, 2010

Students will be able to:
use information from virtual activities and classroom discussions to
-investigate and explain Alfred Wegener's hypothesis.
-show Pangaea's movement over geological time.

The do now was an FCAT transparency.

Students used Discovery Education sites to learn about Continental Drift theory. To access the site, visit Dr. Gayden's Science Zone for today's date (Tuesday, 30 November, 2010). Click the link to enter the Discovery Site. Your user name is :
miami_youridnumber
The password is:
idnumber_miamai.

Click the third tab, assessment resources to find the activity Prove They Move. Complete the handout using the online exploration. If you complete this activity, begin the Dance of the Plates activity on the same site.

Those classes that finished began the online activity about plate tectonics found by visiting and clicking the link at Dr. Gayden's Science Zone (drgcdms.podomatic.com).

There was no home learning, but there will be a mini assessment tomorrow.

Thursday, 2 and Friday, 3 December, 2010

This is HL 8. Do both on the same sheet of loose leaf paper.

Students will be able to:
use information from virtual activities and classroom discussions to
-investigate and explain Alfred Wegener's hypothesis.
-show Pangaea's movement over geological time.

The do now on Thursday was an FCAT transparency.
The do now on Friday was a quiz on Plate Tectonics.

Students submitted and reviewed home learning 7. Home learning 8 can be found at the top of this blog.

Students used Discovery Education sites to learn about Continental Drift theory. To access the site, visit Dr. Gayden's Science Zone for today's date (Tuesday, 30 November, 2010). Click the link to enter the Discovery Site. Your user name is :
miami_youridnumber
The password is:
idnumber_miamai.

Click the third tab, assessment resources to find the activity Prove They Move. Complete the handout using the online exploration. If you complete this activity, begin the Dance of the Plates activity on the same site.

Those classes that finished began the vocabulary search lesson.

Wednesday, 1 December, 2010

This is HL 7. Do both on the same sheet of loose leaf paper.

Students will be able to:
use information from virtual activities and classroom discussions to
-investigate and explain Alfred Wegener's hypothesis.
-show Pangaea's movement over geological time.

The do now was an FCAT transparency.

Students submitted and reviewed home learning 6. Home learning 7 can be found at the top of this blog.

Students used Discovery Education sites to learn about Continental Drift theory. To access the site, visit Dr. Gayden's Science Zone for today's date (Tuesday, 30 November, 2010). Click the link to enter the Discovery Site. Your user name is :
miami_youridnumber
The password is:
idnumber_miamai.

Click the third tab, assessment resources to find the activity Prove They Move. Complete the handout using the online exploration. If you complete this activity, begin the Dance of the Plates activity on the same site.

Tuesday, 30 November, 2010

This is HL 6. Do both on the same sheet of loose leaf paper.

Students will be able to:
use information from virtual activities and classroom discussions to
-investigate and explain Alfred Wegener's hypothesis.
-show Pangaea's movement over geological time.

The do now was an FCAT transparency.

Students submitted and reviewed home learning 5. Home learning 6 can be found at the top of this blog.

Students used Discovery Education sites to learn about Continental Drift theory. To access the site, visit Dr. Gayden's Science Zone for today's date (Tuesday, 30 November, 2010). Click the link to enter the Discovery Site. Your user name is :
miami_youridnumber
The password is:
idnumber_miamai.

Click the third tab, assessment resources to find the activity Prove They Move. Complete the handout using the online exploration.

Monday, 29 November, 2010

This is HL #5. Do on the same sheet of loose leaf notebook paper. Follow all directions.

Students will be able to:
use information from virtual activities and classroom discussions to
-investigate and explain Alfred Wegener's hypothesis.
-show Pangaea's movement over geological time.

Students received HL #5, which can be found at the top of this blog.

Students visited online sites to learn about plate tectonics. They visited Dr. Gayden's Science Zone for a link to a BBC activity. Students also visited the site Plate Tectonics Activity, found at the site http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/tectonics

THe do now was an FCAT transparency question on energy.

Monday, 22 November through Wednesday, 24 November, 2010

Students will be able to:
use information from virtual activities and classroom discussions to
-describe how rocks change from one type to another.
-share the findings from science fair projects.

The do now for all days will be FCAT transparencies.

On Monday, students watched a BrainPop movie on the Rock Cycle. Students then were paired to read and draw the rock cycle, from the Pearson site http://www.phschool.com/webcodes10/index.cfm?wcprefix=cfp&wcsuffix=1056&fuseaction=home.gotoWebCode&x=16&y=15

Students should write the definition of the rock cycle and include the drawing which shows each change. Student should also write sentences to explain how each rock type forms.

Students should reconsider the homework information page about Roger, the metamorphic rock, adding the needed information. The assignment should be ready to submit on the 29th of this month.

Friday, 19 November, 2010

This is your home learning assignment. You MUST bring this sheet to class on Monday! Be sure to follow all written directions. Choose the type of assignment you will do and follow the directions.

Students will be able to:
use information from hands-on activities and classroom discussions to
-compare and contrast the layers of the earth.
-use models to represent the earth's layers.
-present science fair projects.

Students completed an FCAT transparency question on the Nature of Matter as their do now.

Students then took a review quiz on the parts of the earth, using the CPS clicker system.

Students spent the remainder of the class period defending science fair presentations.

The home learning assignment can be found at the top of this blog.

Monday, 15 November Through Wednesday, 17 November, 2010

HL 4 is due on Wednesday.


HL 3 is due on Monday.



These are the lab sheets for class.

Students will be able to:
use information from hands-on activities and classroom discussions to
-compare and contrast the layers of the earth.
-use models to represent the earth's layers.

The do now for each day is an FCAT transparency question.

Students are working on completing the weathering laboratory.

Home learnings are shared at the top, along with the lab write-up.

Wednesday, 10 November and Friday, 12 November, 2010

This is HL 2. Follow directions.

Students will be able to:
use information from supplementary texts and classroom discussions to
-classify layers of the earth as solid or liquid.
-compare and contrast the composition of the structural layers of Earth's interior.
-construct a data table to compare and contrast the thickness of each layer and determine the overall depth of the Earth.

Both days used FCAT transparencies as bell ringers.

HL #2 can be found at the top of this post.

Students spent the remainder of the periods reading and taking notes (table, Venn diagram on the parts of the earth. They also made word wall posters of the vocabulary.

Monday, 8 November and Tuesday, 9 November, 2010

Please do both sheets, in the proper order, on ONE sheet of loose leaf paper, properly headed. Follow all written directions.

Students will be able to:
use information from internet access and classroom discussions to
-determine how light and patterns create images that can be deceptive or misleading to our brains.
-determine how material affects the speed of waves.

Due to quarterly assessment testing by the District, classes met on alternating schedules.

The do now for either day was an FCAT transparency, although they questions were different, they all dealt with The Nature of Science.

Students completed Cornell notes on light from the website from Friday, including the three Costa leveled questions with color, and the summary.

Some of the proposed questions were:

Level 1:
What is light?
How fast does light travel?
How can light be controlled?

Level 2:
Contrast reflection and refraction.
Compare reflection and refraction.
Distinguish between the methods that light can be controlled.

Level 3:
Predict what would happen to the angle of light as it passes from a less dense to a more dense medium.
Experiment to discover how the angle of reflections changes as the angle of incidence increases.

Home learning 1 can be found at the top of the blog. Follow directions carefully, and do all listed questions. Use blue/black ink or pencil, and head your loose leaf paper correctly.

Wednesday, 3 November through Friday, 5 November, 2010

Students will be able to:
use information from internet access and classroom discussions to
-determine how light and patterns create images that can be deceptive or misleading to our brains.

The do now on Wednesday was to review mini assessment two.
The do now on Thursday was to review mini assessment one in preparation for the interim assessment next week.
The do now on Friday was to make a KWL chart on optical illusions.

Those classes that needed to view the BrainPops on color, light, and refraction/diffraction did so.

Those classes that needed to demonstrate transverse waves with the mini slinkys did so.

Students took notes on light and how light can be changed by going to Dr. Gayden's Science Zone and clicking the 7th grade link for Wednesday, 3 November, 2010. Basically, the notes should include that:

Light:
-is a form of energy.
-is part of the electromagnetic spectrum that we can see.
-travels in a straight line or path called light rays.
-travels at a speed of 300,000 kilometers per second (186,000 miles per second).
Light can be controlled by:
-blocking it with something to create a shadow.
-reflecting it by changing its path with a mirror.
-bending it by changing its direction by making it pass into another transparent material of different density, like glass or water, called refraction.

Students read about optical illusions and created their own.

Since Science Fair projects are due on Friday, there was no nightly home learning assigned.

-

Wednesday, 27 October - Friday, 29 October, 2010

Print these sheets out and use to make up the lab on Wave Speed.

Students will be able to:
use information from laboratory experiments and classroom discussions to
-compare the speeds of two different waves.
-determine that wave speed affects the speed of ships.

Students watched a clip from the show The Deadliest Catch, showing the action of rogue waves.

Students did the wave speed lab. If you were absent, go to the website listed, and use the data on the page as your own.
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/waves/u10l2d.cfm

The handouts can be found at the top of this blog.

Because Thursday is an early release day, all classes will not be seen. Those classes that meet will work on completing the lab.

On Friday, all classes reviewed the mini assessment in science except period 2, which had assembly.

All classes completed the lab write up and submitted it.

Tuesday, 26 October, 2010

Place this check off sheet on the back of your science board.

Students will be able to:
use information from videos from the internet, textbooks, and classroom discussions to
-compare and contrast reflection and refraction of light.
-construct diagrams of the different light properties.
-review information necessary for the science fair project.

Students took the mini assessment.

Students reviewed for the science fair. For those that have misplaced handouts, you can find the information at the top of this blog.

Students then used their text books, pages 91-92, to make two column notes on reflection, refraction, and diffraction, listing definitions and examples of each. Students then drew a representation of the term, complete with definition.

Monday, 25 October, 2010

Students will be able to:
use information from videos from the internet, textbooks, and classroom discussions to
-compare and contrast reflection and refraction of light.
-construct diagrams of the different light properties.

Students did another Mastering the FCAT problem for their do now.

Students took Exam 2 using the clickers.

Some classes watched the BrainPop movies on light, refraction and diffraction, and color.

Students should continue to read about conservation of energy as their home learning assignment.

Friday, 22 October, 2010

Be sure to bring these with you to class on Monday!

Students will be able to:
use information from videos from the internet, GIZMOs, and classroom discussions to
-investigate how colored shadows combine red, blue and green light to make white light.

The do now was to answer questions from the Mastering the FCAT booklet.

Students received the question set for Exam 2, which can be found at the top of this blog.

Students explored the additive properties of color and light, by doing the GIZMO additive colors of the pHET simulation color vision. If you do have a user name and password for GIZMO, go to the www.explorelearning.com site, type them in and do the activity. Be sure to write down the RGB values for EACH color you make. Record the color also. Try to make the seven colors of the visible light spectrum.

If you do not have a GIZMO account, you can email me for your account information. If your GIZMO account does not work, please use the pHET site. Copy the following into the URL address: http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/color-vision. Then, click the green run now button. Let the program load, and then move the sliders. Record the colors made and the position of the sliders (1/4, 1/2. 3/4, full, etc.)

Monday, 18 October through Thursday, 21 October, 2010

This is HL 18. Follow directions. Do only the indicated problems.



These are HL 17. Do in order on loose leaf, properly headed paper.


This is HL 16. Answers only on correctly headed loose leaf paper.


This is HL 15. Answers only on correctly headed loose leaf paper.



These handouts are for the lab waves on a string.

Students will be able to:
use information from virtual laboratories and classroom discussions to
-predict the behavior of waves through varying medium.

The do now on Monday was a quiz.
The do now on Tuesday was to debrief the mini assessment.
The do ow on Thursday was a Mastering the FCAT question.

Students completed the graphs on Radio Station Frequencies.

Students practiced making compressional and transverse waves with Slinkys.

Students worked on the virtual lab waves on a string. The handouts can be found at the top of this blog. The link to the lab can be found at Dr. Gayden's Science Zone (drgcdms.podomatic.com) under for 7th graders only.

Home learning 15, due on Tuesday, can be found at the top of this blog.
Home learning 16, due on Wednesday, can also be found at the top of this blog.
Home learning17, due on Thursday, can also be found at the top of this blog.
Home learning 18, due on Friday, can also be found at the top of this blog.

Friday, 15 October, 2010

Remember, radiowaves travel at a speed of 30,000 km/s. Don't forget to convert the frequencies of the radio stations BEFORE you calculate wavelength!

Students will be able to:
use information from textbooks and classroom discussions to
-calculate the frequency of a transverse wave.
-construct a graph to show the relationship between the frequency and wavelength of electromagnetic waves.

The do now was to solve problems for wavelength:
A. A wave with a speed of 340 m/s and that travels with a frequency of 10 Hz has what wavelength?
B. A wave with a frequency of 560 Hz travels with a speed of 280 m/s. What is its wavelength?

Students completed the graphs on frequency and call stations. Some classes also do a log graph of frequency and wavelength of electromagnetic waves.

Those classes needing to complete the activity will do so on Monday.

HL 14 can be found at the top of this blog.

Thursday, 14 October, 2010

Students will be able to:
use information from textbooks and classroom discussions to
-calculate the frequency of a transverse wave.
-construct a graph to show the relationship between the frequency and wavelength of electromagnetic waves.

The do now was to solve several frequency problems:
a) A man standing on the pier counts 10 waves that pass him in 2 seconds. What is the frequency?
b) Jovani threw a pebble into the lake. He counted 35 ripples in the water that passed a branch sticking from the water in 7 seconds. What is the frequency?
c) Imara counted the number of times a hummingbird's wings moved in 10 seconds. She counted 110 times. What is the frequency?
d) Which situation has the greatest frequency?
e) Which situation carried the most energy?

Students submitted and reviewed HL #13.

Students began graphing frequency waves. Students looked the call letters and numbers of several Florida AM and FM radio stations. They then converted the numbers to scientific notation (after changing the call numbers to the correct frequency, since AM radio stations broadcast in KHz, while FM radio stations broadcast in MHz.

Students then plotted the data. Those classes that did not complete the graph will do so tomorrow.

There was no home learning.

Tuesday, 12 October and Wednesday, 13 October, 2010

This is HL #13. Answers only on correctly headed loose leaf paper in blue/black ink or pencil.


This is HL #12. Answers only on correctly headed loose leaf paper in blue/black ink or pencil.








Students will be able to:
use information from virtual laboratories and classroom discussions to
-identify and describe the parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.
-compare and order different types of electromagnetic waves by frequency, wavelength, and energy.

Do Nows
On Tuesday, students did a quick write about the waves.
On Wednesday, students will take a mini assessment.

Home Learning
Tuesday- HL #12, due on Wednesday/reviewed on Wednesday
Wednesday - HL #13, due on Thursday/reviewed on Thursday

Students turned in interactive notebooks for notebook check 2.

The remainder of the period on both days was spent on the Glencoe site learning about the electromagnetic spectrum. You can assess the lab by going to Dr. Gayden's Science Zone, and clicking the link under October 12, 2010 for Seventh Graders Only! Print out the handouts found at the top of this blog and complete.

Monday, 11 October, 2010

This is HL #11. Using a sheet of loose leaf notebook paper with no edges, write using blue/black ink or pencil. Be sure to head your paper correctly (upper right hand corner with last name, first name; date; period; HL #11. Also, include the title, waves, on the first line. LETTER ANSWERS ONLY!

Students will be able to:
use information from textbooks and classroom discussions to
-compare and contrast characteristics of electromagnetic and mechanical waves by constructing a Venn diagram.
-explain the relationship between wavelength and frequency.

Students submitted their scientist card.

The do now was to read pages 187-189 in the text and complete a Venn diagram on the information.

Students then watched BrainPops on the electromagnetic spectrum and the water cycle.

Students received HL #11, which can be found at the top of this blog. There will also be a notebook check.

Students spent the remaining class time at the BBC UK site, learning about waves and their properties. Visit Dr. Gayden's Science Zone for October 11. Be sure to click the links under the date that has seventh graders at the top (this is the SECOND blog for this date!)

Information that should be in your notes:

Electromagnetic waves
-do not need a medium to travel
-can travel through a vacuum
-can be transverse waves with a crest and trough
-examples include visible light, ultra violet radiation, infra red waves, microwaves, radio waves, gamma waves, and X-ray waves.

Mechanical waves
-require a medium to travel, which may be either solid, liquid or gas
-can be transverse with a crest and trough
-can be compressional waves (also known as longitudinal waves)
-examples include sound waves, seismic (earthquake) waves, and water (ocean) waves

Wednesday, 6 October through Friday, 8 October, 2010

Note: The due date is MONDAY, OCTOBER 11!!!!!!!

Students will be able to:
use information from textbooks and classroom discussions to
-define electromagnetic and mechanical waves.

The respective do nows were:
Wednesday - students make a foldable to illustrate the sameness and differences between the wave types.
Thursday - Quick write - What types of waves exist? Name them.
Friday - use your assigned vocabulary word and write a sentence using the word.

Students submitted HL #10 and reviewed it on Wednesday. For the remainder of Wednesday, and on Thursday and Friday, students researched their assigned scientist and used Comic Life to make a word wall poster of a assigned vocabulary word.

The technology project (scientist baseball card) is due on Monday, 11 October, and the instructions can be found at the top of this blog.

Tuesday, 5 October, 2010

This is HL #10. Head paper correctly and answer questions, answers only.




These handouts will assist you in learning about energy transformations. Please read carefully!

Students will be able to:
use information from videos from the internet, the textbook, and classroom discussions to
-apply the law of conservation of energy to energy transformations.
-identify how energy changes form.
-complete the power write up for the lab.

Students received handouts on energy transformations, which they used as a do now to answer the questions about energy transformation found on page 2 of the handout. These can be found at the top of the blog.

Students received HL #10, which can be found at the top of this blog.

Students viewed a BrainPop on the types of energy.

The remainder of the period was spent completing the write up for the chemical change lab.

Monday, 4 October, 2010

Students will be able to:
use information from videos from the internet, the textbook, and classroom discussions to
-apply the law of conservation of energy to energy transformations.
-identify how energy changes form.
-complete the power write up for the lab.

The do now was to complete the second sheet questions, found at the top of this blog.

Students took examination one on Energy Transfers and Transformations.

Students completed the writing up of the lab on chemical change.

Update the notebook as a part of the home learning assignment.