Tuesday, 28 February and Wednesday, 1 March, 2006

Using information from classroom activities:

Students should be able to:

-demonstrate how graphs can help make data analysis easier.
-recognize and provide examples of data that follow similar patterns.
-explain what makes a good estimate.
-explain why one would use a random sample.
-explain how bias can influence data gathering


Continuing to review for the FCAT, students worked on the Tom Snyder Production of Science Court: Statistics. The program reviews graphing and interpreting graphs. Students, learned that :
-data are bits of information gathered during an investigation.
-graphs and charts make it easier to see patterns in data.
-examples of cause and effect relationships include: the more cars over time on the roads, the more accidents occur over time; the more a person eats over time, the more weight they gain over time; the more a students studies, the better their grades.
-students then expressed the ideas presented above as graphs.
-students were able to predict the shape of a graph concerning UFO sightings by studying Shep's graph of left-handed people.
-students were able to explain the patterns in Shep's graphs; as the town's population increased, there were more people who were left-handed and also more people who were there to see UFOs.

Today, Science Court continued, with students learning how to do random samples. Students received bags of colored beads and were asked to randomly sample the beads to make predictions about the contents of the bag. In doing so, they learned what makes a good random sample. Students are well on their way to drawing a conclusion about random samples, bias in data gathering...and the truth about UFO sightings in the town of Sciville!

Friday, 24 February and Monday, 27 February, 2006

Using information from classroom activities:

Students should be able to:

-take an exam on earth and space.
-demonstrate how graphs can help make data analysis easier.
-recognize and provide examples of data that follow similar patterns.
-explain what makes a good estimate.
-explain why one would use a random sample.
-explain how bias can influence data gathering

Students took Exam 6 on Earth and Space.

Students then worked on the Tom Snyder Production of Science Court: Statistics. Students, as a group, were asked to determine if Shep Sherman's data, which stated that the rise in UFO sightings in his town was correctly correlated with the rise in the number of left handed people in the town. In fact, he's so certain of the correlation that he's taking the chief of police, Chief Chan to court...Science Court! Students have the task of looking at the data, determining its truthfulness, and graphing the data to find correlations. They must answer questions about data, cause and effect, and offer explanations for Shep's data. The trial, and the data collection will be continued in class!

Tuesday, 22 February and Wednesday, 23 February, 2006

Using information from laboratory activities:

Students should be able to:

-compare and contrast bodies in space.
-rank reasons why the solar system formed as it did.
-justify why and how heavenly bodies behave as they do.
-make predictions, experiment, analyze data and draw conclusions based on observations about the expanding universe.

Students took a quiz on the sun, constellations, galaxies, and motions of the earth.

After the quiz, students did a lab on making a model of the expanding universe. Students used balloons to represent the universe. They partially inflated the balloon. Then, they placed dots on the balloon's surface and labeled the dots. They measured the distance between the dots. Finally, they completely inflated the balloon and remeasured the distance between the dots. They found that as the balloon expanded, the distance between the dots increased. As the balloon represented the universe and the dots the galaxies, they concluded that as the universe expands, the galaxies move farther apart.

Home learning was to submit the soil project and study for the exam on earth and space.

Friday, 17 February, 2006

Here is the article A Change in Time, done in class on Thursday, 16 February and Friday, 17 February. Friday was a straight day, so most of the classes either finished articles or watched BrainPop presentations on space.

Did you know you can sign up for a trial of BrainPop? Ask your parents permission. Then, visit the site at www.BrainPop.com. Click the link for free 14 day trial. You can Pop your Brain until the trial ends...and learn some science at the same time!

Thursday, 16 February through Monday, 21 February, 2006

Using information from laboratory activities and current science articles:

Students should be able to:

-analyze a science article for main idea and cause and effect.
-make predictions and test their validity.
-experiment, draw conclusions and analyze data from an experiment.

Students read the article A Change in Time from Science News for Kids. The article dealt with the change in Daylight Savings Hours that will begin in 2007. Due to the size of the article, the article is not on this blog, but is on a blog dated Friday, February 17. Look there for the article.

After reading the article, students took a quiz on stars.

The laboratory experience dealt with parallax. which scientists use to measure the distance from earth to stars. Of course, students did not measure the distance to Alpha Centari, our nearest star excluding our sun. They used metric rulers to discover how apparent shift allows an object's distance to be measured. Many found out that they experienced more apparent shift when using their left eye. Others found a greater change in apparent shift when using their right eye. Despite the dominant eye, all persons experienced that the closer an object is, the greater the apparent shift.

Home learning 12, found at the top of this blog, deals with galaxies and constellations.

February 15, 2006

Article Three: Triple Play: A planet with three suns

Tuesday, 14 February and Wednesday, 15 February, 2006

Using information from laboratory activities and current event articles:
Students should be able to:

-analyze a science article for main idea and cause and effect.
-make predictions and test their validity.
-experiment, draw conclusions and analyze data from an experiment.

Students read and analyzed an article that deals with a Jupiterlike planet that formed around a multiple-star system. Due to space, the article cannot be included in this blog. Look for the article in a separate blog dated February 15.

After reading the article, students performed lab 16. The lab deals with Identification of Elements by the Flame Test. While the lab itself cannot be posted on this site, the following website is a way to virtually experience what was done in class;
http://www.800mainstreet.com/spect/emission-flame-exp.html
Part one allows you to virtually do the experiment yourself!

Video of the techniques used can be seen at:
http://cwx.prenhall.com/petrucci/medialib/media_portfolio/text_images/039_FlameTestsMet.MOV

Home learning deals with day and night, seasons, and solar and lunar eclipses. These can be found at the top of the blog.

Friday, February 10, and Monday, February 13, 2006

Using information from classroom activities and the novel A Journey to the Center of the Earth:
Students should be able to:


-read a work of science fiction to find the science facts it contains.
-analyze graphic, numerical and textural information.
-interpret visual information.
-make, test, and validate hypotheses and theories.
-identify cause and effect relationships.
-make judgments and draw conclusions based on findings.

Today, students concluded the book A Journey to the Center of the Earth. Axel, his uncle Lidenbrock, and Hans find themselves flying from an active volcano. But they are no longer in Iceland. They have traveled thousands of miles underground to emerge from Mt. Stromboli, in Sicily. Naturally, fame and fortune awaits our travelers. Professor Lidenbrock presents his findings to scientific communities, who marvel at his findings.

The author concludes by marveling even more at how Jules Verne was able to write such a fantastic tale, with many events actually coming true over a century later. He predicted that caves would hold the bones and tools of our ancestors. He predicted that there were large bodies of water beneath the earth's surface. He predicted that someday, portable electric lights, which we call flashlights would someday be invented. While we now know that the Earth's center is a solid ball of iron and nickel, surrounded by a liquid outer core, and that travel to its center is impossible, it was fun to read about adventures that happen when you let your imagination take control!

Students were given the book report form to complete. Forms can be done in blue or black ink, or in pencil. Complete sentences must be used to answer the questions. No late papers will be accepted. The form can be found at the top of the blog.

Students continued their search for the lost probes. Using various tests, groups were advised on how to choose a rescue plan. Many groups met with success and located their probes while using a very small budget.

Home learning is to work on the short story, which is due in class on Tuesday for odd blocks or Wednesday for even blocks.

Wednesday, 8 February, and Thursday, 9 February, 2006

Using information from classroom activities and the novel A Journey to the Center of the Earth:
Students should be able to:


-read a work of science fiction to find the science facts it contains.
-analyze graphic, numerical and textural information.
-interpret visual information.
-make, test, and validate hypotheses and theories.
-identify cause and effect relationships.
-make judgments and draw conclusions based on findings.

In A Journey to the Center of the Earth, Alex finds a rusty dagger that once belonged to Saknussemm, the Icelandic explorer whose note began the quest. Eager to follow in his footsteps, the trio find the path blocked by a giant bolder. They decide to use gunpowder to blow it up. Once the fuse is lit, the rock is blown to smithereens, but a giant hole opens up that swallows the Central Sea..and the travelers. They descend rapidly down a deep well, but find a surprise waiting for them. The water hits the bottom and rides a wave of lava back up to the surface. The trio is in a volcano that is about to explode. Rapidly, they travel upward, finally being expelled into the daylight in a burst of cinders, falling rocks, and flames.

Short story three was explained. Students are advised to follow the rubrics carefully. Papers are to be submitted by the dates specified. The story can be outrageous as desired, and as fictional as desired, as long as the terms are used correctly in context. The rubrics can be found at the top of this blog.

Students then worked in groups to begin this grading period's technology project: The Great Solar System Rescue. Starfleet Command has lost several probes. The teams are instructed on how to rescue these probes. Each team consists of: an astronomer, who is an expert in the location, movement, and sizes of planets; a space historian, who is an expert in the histories of our solar system and of space exploration; a meteorologist, who is an expert in planetary weather and atmosphere; and a geologist, who is an expert in the composition of planets and moons (and what they're made of).

Each team used transmissions from the lost probes, computer information, and background information from their expert manuals to locate the planet from which the transmissions have been made by the lost probes.

Home learning, located at the top of the blog, is on the sun's structures and features and how the sun gets its energy.

Monday, 6 February and Tuesday, 7 February, 2006

Using information from classroom activities and the novel A Journey to the Center of the Earth:
Students should be able to:


-read a work of science fiction to find the science facts it contains.
-determine the soil types found in Florida.

Students read from Journey to the Center of the Earth, where the trio finds bones from prehistoric men. They also see a 12 foot man tending his flock of mastodon and mammoths. Understandably, they decide not to stick around to learn more.

After reading, students worked on the soil project, continuing to identify soil profiles and types from the profiles presented in the last lesson.

Home learning can be found at the top of this page, dealing with star classification and the life cycle of stars.

Thursday, 2 February and Friday, 3 February, 2006

Using information from classroom activities and the novel A Journey to the Center of the Earth:
Students should be able to:


-read a work of science fiction to find the science facts it contains.
-determine the soil types found in Florida.
-calculate the percentages of the different soil types found in Florida.

Today, classes continued to work on soil project by identifying the soil profiles found in the four photos. They also determined texture, structure, classification, and use for each of the soil types. The profiles are in this order: Profile D, Profile C, Profile A, and Profile B. They are found at the top of this page.

Classes read to catch up with other classes. The story left the trio in the Central Sea, where they discovered an island with geysers. It was named Axel Island in honor of Axel. A fierce storm of lightening and waves tossed the raft about. Axel was almost hit by a flaming ball of fire. Their raft was flung far and wide. The travelers are now no longer under Iceland, but somewhere in central Europe.

Home learning consists of working on the written report on Erosion, due on Monday or Tuesday of next week.

Tuesday, 31 January and Wednesday, 1 February, 2006

Using information from classroom activities and the novel A Journey to the Center of the Earth:
Students should be able to:


-read a work of science fiction to find the science facts it contains.
-determine the soil types found in Florida.
-calculate the percentages of the different soil types found in Florida.

Students read from the novel a Journey to the Center of the Earth. Axel is found by Hans and his uncle, and they continue their journey towards the earth's center. They cross the Central Sea and witness a battle between two prehistoric monsters. Fortunately for the trio, the monsters destroy each other. At least, that's what they think happens...they don't wait around to find out!

After reading, students worked on Soil Project, by counting the area (via boxes) that each soil type of Florida covers. To find percentages of soil types in Florida, students divided the boxes for each individual soil type by the total number of boxes for Florida, and multiplied their answer by 100.

HlL # 8 deals with star magnitude and star distance in AU. Look at the top of the blog to get the pages.