Science
Question Everything! There is an exciting movement in Science education and curriculum across our nation. The tag word directing the development of this curriculum is Phenomena. A phenomenon is explained as an extraordinary circumstance observed, a fact, or occurrence. Something that is impressive or extraordinary. These sort of events are highly engaging for students and when students lead with questions - true investigative discovery should take place. This in no way leaves out the current standards/strands. However, more modeling, explanation and demonstration will be required. Please see the video below for a more clarifying definition of what is to come.
As we are waiting for the national Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) to be approved, the District has created a focus group to review current practices along with new modalities to find ways to implement core concepts of Phenomena into our classrooms this very year. Very exciting!
Classroom Chat Extra Credit follow-up on classroom topics
Check out some of these cool articles/videos and follow-up from topics discussed in class. If you answer the questions below or write a summary about the article you can receive $100 - $200 Starrbucks! A $200 reward would include citations from the experts or exact quotes from the article.
Floating Trash Collector Set to Tackle Pacific Garbage Patch
1) Why did Boyan quit his studies at university? What is he doing now?
2) What is Miriam Goldstein afraid of and why would this be a problem?
3) What does the Reprsentative from the California Coastal Comission suggest we do to combat the problem of plastic in our oceans?
4) What do you think we should do to remedy this problem? Can you think of an alternative way to address this.
5) What do you think of Boyan's solution?
Nautilus Live - Ocean Floor Mapping with AltaSea
Check out the Nautilus Live Cam on their website and see their progress! Any new species found? More to come to the classroom soon!!!
Brain Based Learning
Neuroplasticity - why is this important for learning? Before jumping into the text, I start my lessons here! What do my students need to learn...to learn successfully?
- What is "Habits of Mind"?
- Lobes and Neurons
- Techniques we can use to assist in improved learning skills
Life Science: Living Things Need Energy
1.1 Plants and Sunlight
1.2 Food Chains
1.3 Food Webs
1.4 Microorganisms
Helper Videos:
Spiral Notes for Chapter 1
Mini Books: Final Project Ch. 1
At the end of each chapter, students will complete and publish their own mini book which should summarize all of the lessons reviewed in class and help them with studying.
Ch. 1: Living Things Need Energy
Mini book should include the following:
- All 4 lessons from the book
- Lesson 1 Plants and Sunlight (Think Structure vs. Function)
- Lesson 2 Food Chains (Transfer of Energy)
- Lesson 3 Food Webs (Think about Wolves/River)
- Lesson 4 Microorganisms (They are everywhere!!!!)
- Vocabulary
- Important charts, displays, graphics or pictures to explain concepts
- Key details or a summary of that lesson
Rubric:
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Project Information |
Book is missing some key details, vocabulary or important concepts from lessons. |
Book has all 4 lessons and most entries are key details, but may be missing a couple important concepts or key vocabulary. |
Book entails all 4 lessons, key details, important vocabulary and a summary of each lesson. |
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Presentation |
Mini book is disorganized or material is unclear. Color may or may not have been used and pictures were limited or not included. |
Mini book is neat and color was included, but writing may be difficult to read, material is not in the correct order, or pictures do not quite match content. |
Mini book is neat, includes color, artwork to match key concepts and drawings or graphs as needed to support information. |
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Study Guide for Chapter 1 Unit Test:
Students should be able to:
- Lesson 1 Plants and Sunlight: Explain the structure and function of a characteristic on a plant and animal. Explain the process of photosynthesis.
- Lesson 2 Food Chains: Identify what the arrows within a Food Chain signify. Be able to use vocabulary from Lesson Two within a diagram labeling all parts.
- Lesson 3 Food Webs: Create a food web. Explain what happens when one species is removed from a food web.
- Lesson 4 Microrganisms: Understand that microorganisms are everywhere. They can be helpful and harmful. Microorganisms can be producers, herbivores, carnivores and decomposers and make-up part of our Food Webs.
Life Science: Living Things and Their Environment - Animal Adaptations
2.1 Ecosystems
2.2 Living Things Need Each Other
2.3 Changes in Ecosystems
2.4 Adaptations
Helper Videos:
- Study Guide for Chapter 2 Unit Test:
Students should be able to:
- Lesson 1 Ecosystems: Students should be able to draw a requested ecosystem (ex: Pond Ecosystem on Page 85) and identify/label at least 4 Biotic and Abiotic factors.
- Lesson 2 Living Things Need Each Other: Identify more than one way in which plants depend on animals for survival AND how animals depend upon plants for survival.
- Lesson 3 Changes in Ecosystems: Detail ways in which humans can help/harm ecosystems. Answer critical thinking questions predicting what might happen to an ecosystem in certain scenarios like a forest fire.
- Lesson 4 Adaptations: Understand that all plants and animals have a shared goal of survival. Students should understand that over hundreds of years and generations, animals have adapted for survival in their environments. Students should be able to identify the structure/function of an animal’s adaptation and detail if it is physical or behavioral.
- Experiential Learning: From our classroom experiments, their physical eye model and notes on the model in their notebook - students should be able to label and detail how our vision works and answer the question How do animals use their vision and other senses to survive in their environment?
Let's Chat Posted Article Extra Credit
Each Trimester articles with content in the Sciences will be posted on the Let's Chat board. Students can complete the reading and respond to questions to be turned in and shared with the class for $25 Starr Bucks classroom cash.
Trimester II
1) We've talked in class about checking animal scat (poop) for clues. What sort of clues can you find from animal scat? In this article - what did scientist find in the Zebra scat?
2) At it's lowest point, how many total Cape Zebras were left in population? What is their population up to currently?
3) How has climate change effected their living situation?
4) What other factors might be causing stress?
5) What effect have humans had on Cape Zebra habitats?
Check out these other fun articles and info on what we can learn from animal scat.
Earth Science: Rocks and Minerals
3.1 Minerals, the Building Blocks of Rocks
3.2 Igneous Rocks
3.3 Sedimentary Rocks
3.4 Metamorphic Rocks
Earth Science: Slow Changes on Earth
4.1 Weathering
4.2 Erosion and Deposition
4.3 Landforms Changing Over Time
Helper Videos:
Let's Chat Posted Article Extra Credit
Use the article and video link above to answer the following questions for extra credit.
1) What happened fifty-six million years ago?
2) Why would plants and animals need to shift where they live?
3) What does the dwarfing of animals like a horse have to do with warming temperatures?
4) From the article, explain in your own words where this extra carbon is coming from and in return what it does when released into the atmosphere?
Check out these other fun articles and info on what we can learn about carbon and the rock cycle:
Questions:
1) Define, what is a mineral?
2) How many varieties of minerals exist on earth?
3) Name two household products made from minerals.
4) List the five criteria of a mineral.
5) What does Internal Arrangement of Atoms mean? Explain and provide an example.
Physical: Electricty
6.1 Static Electricity
6.2 Electric Circuits
6.3 Using Electrical Energy
