May 15 - We are now studying the particle theory as it relates to temperature. This unit, students will be responsible to design a device that controls and utilizes thermal energy transfer.
April 2, 2019. We are well into our study of the particle theory of matter. Outcomes that we have explored already include Cluster Two: Outcomes 5, 6, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20. Review of this material is recommended. We are studying concentration this week and will move onto separation methods next week. (Outcomes 21, 22 and then 18, 19) At that point, there will be a formal assessment of understanding and retention of material, aka a test. We will study the remaining outcomes after that.
Lab Report 1.4 due Wednesday, January 1 via google classroom. Below you will see three pics that comprise a model conclusion. Students are expected to write their own conclusion for Lab 1.4. Feedback on conduct and report 1.3 are due back signed.
January 15, 2019 - Today, I handed back lab report 1.3 with grades and feedback. I had the students fill out a self-assessment to see how they could improve for their next lab. Some common factors include: Writing the question as part of the answer and editing for punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and grammar. Please review the report and feedback with your child and send it back to school signed. Now, students are working on lab report 1.4 and will hopefully apply advice. Also, could you please sign the lab conduct evaluation from lab 1.3 and return it to school. So far, I only have 1 returned.
We graduated to the Chemistry Lab!!!! Conducting Lab 1.4 Are all Solvents Alike?
First official Science Lab in Grade 7. Lab 1.3 Will a filter paper separate all of the solid particles from a mechanical mixture?Polishing our observation skills.December 10 - Today, students read page 18-21 in the text. They made their own notes and then are to answer questions 1-6. Question 6 needs to be done at home. We will be focusing on independent reading and note making this unit.
December 5 - Today, we started out unit on Particle Theory of Matter. Did you know that scientists used to believe that everything on Earth was made of fire, wind, water or earth? Ask your grade 7 student what scientists currently think everything on Earth is made of. Next, we talked about the different states of matter and the characteristics of those states. We also addressed the names of the changes in state of matter.
Test Thursday.
Decomposers and Scavengers start the food chain all over again. They allow matter to be recycled.
Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration for a cycle. They form the carbon cycle.
November 22 - Today, study guides were handed out and we took notes and made diagrams and watched videos about photosynthesis and cellular respiration. These concepts make up outcome 8.
November 21 - We are wrapping up our study of ecosystems. Study guide will be given out tomorrow. There is a copy here. Test will assess ability to demonstrate and communicate understanding of outcomes 1-5, 8-12,14. Test date is November 29.
There is a meeting at the Community Hall on November 30 at 7:00. At the meeting, Jay Toews will share their findings from research about our lake. There will also be a question and answer period. This topic directly relates to our study of ecosystems in Grade 7 science. I strongly encourage grade 7 and 8 students to attend with their families.
Quizlet is a tool that students can use to practice with their vocabulary.
Check out the following links to videos on Biological Amplification:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5P-UoKLxlA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZk6vcmLcKw Deadly Links Game - Simulating BioaccumulationAsk your child about the game featured below. They had lots of fun and were able to connect to biological amplification aka bioaccumulation, biological magnification.
October 16 - We have been learning about Ecological Succession. Watch some videos online and talk about it with your student. Check out the island of Surtsey. Very cool. Also, students are working on an assignment to show their understanding of abiotic, biotic, and interactions in ecosystems. This project is due on October 22. They must choose and ecosytem. Create a model or diagram of that ecosystem. Make a chart with 10 biotic and 10 abiotic elements from the ecosystem. This list must include scientific detail, variety, and extend to situations. Then, create a list of a minimum of 6 interactions that occur in their ecosystem. These should vary between abiotic to abiotic, biotic to biotic, and abiotic to biotic. Students should work to include scientific vocabulary and detail in their descriptions. Projects should be typed up or very neatly printed or written.
October 4 - We have been learning a lot of new vocabulary and extending our knowledge about some previously known concepts. We have been talking about organizations systems used by ecologists, abiotic and biotic factors that affect organisms, and also adaptations that allow organisms to survive in their environment. We are using a new ap called Quizlet to create vocabulary study sets that can help us study at school or at home.
September 14 - Yesterday, we defined an ecosystem as a place on Earth where living and non-living things interact. Homework for Monday: Choose an Ecosystem that we have not talked about in class. Explain why it is an ecosystem.
For example: A jungle is an ecosystem. I know this because it has living things such as rubber trees, palm trees, vines, and moss. These living things interact with non-living things such as rainfall. The amount of rainfall in the jungle dramatically affects the health of the living plants that I mentioned. We discussed that ecosystems can be very large like the Earth all the way to very small like a drop of water. September 10 - Today in Science, we played a game called "Oh Deer". This game simulated the life cycle of deer within a habitat. Be sure to discuss as a family how the deer population changed over time and the factors that could affect the deer population. What other populations might be related to the deer population? How many parts of an ecosystem might be affected by changes in the population of one species? Check out the pics below too. Fun times.
This side of each page will be fluid. The left side will contain links that may be transferred in or links that will be applicable all year.
September 5 - Our first unit of study will be ecosystems. |