Monday, 30 October and Tuesday, 31 October, 2006

Using information from classroom activities, text, and lab activities.
Students should be able to:
-demonstrate the conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy.
-compare and contrast the types of waves.
-learn about the regulations for the presentation of the science fair project.

Students do now was to make a KWL chart about waves. After this discussion, students reviewed the directions for home learning 2, found at the top of this blog. Students also were given rubrics and information for the science fair project, due December 4 or 5, depending on block. These pages can also be found at the top of this blog. The page with the space for the name is to be attached to the back of the science fair board.

We viewed the brainpop movie on waves, also accessible to students by visiting the glencoe.com site, for 7th grade science unit, student textbook center, textbook resources.

We then read from Sciencesaurus, a supplementary text, about waves, wave characteristics, and types of waves, information which was recorded in our notes. Basically:

wave-an oscillation that travels from one place to another with a certain velocity.
oscillation-a back and forth or up and down motion.
velocity-speed and direction.
mechanical waves-waves that travel through matter (solids, liquids, gases) such as sound waves and water waves.
electromagnetic waves-waves that can travel through matter and empty space, such as visible light, microwaves, X-rays, and radio waves.
amplitude-the distance a wave oscillates from its resting position. The larger the amplitude, the more energy carried by the wave.
wavelength-the distance from any point on one wave to a corresponding point on an adjacent wave.
frequency-the number of oscillations produced in a certain amount of time. The treater the number of oscillations per second, the higher the frequency. The higher the frequency, the more energy carried by the wave.
hertz (Hz)-a measurement of frequency, where one hertz is equal to one wave per second.
wave speed-the distance a wave travels in a given amount of time.
transverse wave-when the oscillation of a wave is perpendicular to the direction in which the wave travels.
crest-the peak or highest point of a transverse wave.
trough-the valley, or lowest point between two crests.
longitudinal wave (also known as compressional wave)-a wave whose oscillation is parallel to the direction in which the wave travels.

After reading and taking two column notes, students used the whack hall walkers to determine the relationship between potential energy and kinetic energy. They concluded that the more energy stored in a system, the greater amount of kinetic energy that could be removed (evidenced as the whacky hall walker moved farther when the rubber band was turned more times).

Thursday, 26 October and Friday, 27 October, 2006

Using information from classroom activities and the internet.
Students should be able to:
-research their sceince fair project and find background information on the topic.
-analyuze energy transformations.

For the do-now, students were asked to write on the topic: What is the relationship between kinetic and potential energy. Discussion to help clarify the question included visualizing a roller coaster car at the bottom of a hill before the ride starts. As it sits, it has lots of potential energy, but no kinetic energy. Finally, the ride starts and the car moves slowly up the hill, gaining momentum as it travels. In this instance, as kinetic energy increases, potential energy decreases. But wait! The car is now perched at the top of the hill and sits in anticipation. The car once again has potential energy, but no kinetic energy. Now comes the downward journey at high speed. The potential energy decreases while kinetic energy increases, that is, until the car reaches the bottom of the hill and stops. Therefore, the relationship is that as potential energy energy increases, kinetic energy decreases and vice versa.

Once the do now was finished and home learning 1 reviewed, students reviewed the requirements for the short story, which is the home learning assignment for the weekend, and can be found at the top of this blog. Remember, no late stories, and follow the rules. or your grade will be affected.

Students then spent the rest of the class determining energy transformations on the Glencoe site. Visit the http://drgcdms.podomatic.com site for the links if you want to do the activity at home. Students copied the chart and completed it as they did the exercise. Advanced classes were also required to answer the journal questions. Students finishing this acitivty early should use the time to work on the background for their science fair project.

As students worked individually, individual students were called to review their science fair plans. All plans must be approved prior to beginning the project. No plan equals an F for 15% of the second grading period. Those students who have not as yet submitted plans shoudl make plans to stay after school this Tuesday get them approved.

Tuesday, 24 October and Wednesday, 25 October, 2006

Using information from classroom activities, text, and videos
Students should be able to:
-compare and contrast potential and kinetic energy.
-critique the statement "energy is neither created nor destroyed".
-list 7 types of energy.

The do now was to make a KWL chart on energy.

Students then read from the Reading Essentials Florida Science workbook, pages 73-76. As they read, they should answer all the in-text questions. They then copied all vocabulary words and definitions into their notes. Students that were absent can visit the site www.mhln.com
Click on student and enter teh class code : Gayden220 in the class code field then click go. Then click on the link for the book. Type in pages 154 and read and answer all the in-text questions up to page 158. This is Unit 2, chapter 6, Section 1.

While this was going on, individual students conferenced about their science fair plans. Students who failed to bring in plans are advised to have them in by next class period. Students can also stay after school on Thursday, October 26 for help with designing a plan.

Home Learning #1 can be found at the top of this blog. Be sure to use blue or black ink or pencil and write on loose leaf paper that is headed correctly in the upper left hand corner, to the right of the red line but above the first blue line:
Last name, first name
ID number
Block
Date
HL #1

Thursday, 19 October and Monday, 23 October, 2006

Using information from classroom activities and the internet
Students should be able to:
-create a science fair plan
-take benchmark exams.

Students completed their do now, which consisted of writing their science fair plan as a cause/effect statement, which has been the instructional focus of the school for the past two weeks. Students wrote the if statement as the cause and the expected effect statement as the then. An example: A student wants to determine how salt affects the rate at which water freeezes. He adds varying amounts of salt to a specific amount of water and measures the rate at which the water freezes. The cause, or if statement would be: if more salt is added to a specific amount of water... the effect, or then statement would be: then the rate at which the water freezes will increase.

After completing the do now, students took benchmark exams SC.H.1.3.5 and SC.A.1.3.1.

Students spent the reaminder of the class period developing their science fair plans or researching their topics.

For your convience, I have listed the science fair plans at the top of this blog.

Friday, 13 October through Wednesday, 18 October, 2006

Using information from classroom activities, the internet/or laboratory activities:

Students should be able to:
-become acquainted with the Zoom In, Zoom Out project.
-compete in the Animal Olympics
-create a science fair plan
-differentiate between chemical and physical changes.

The do now for these days included quick writes that listed the differences between chemical and physical changes and explained the purpose of the science fair.

Students participated in a variety of activities on these days. We introduced the Zoom project, the one that supplies the laptops for student home use. The theme for this year is: How does Water Affect The Quality of Life in Florida? Students in all classes will participate in finding the answer to this essential question. In science, we will study the quality of water from taps at home and school, bottled water, and water from community lakes and canals. We will assay the water for salinity, conductivity, and ion content (sodium, potassium, calcium). We will also take pH readings.

We have also read a book that relates to the project. Students will take a field trip to the Everglades next month. The book The Missing 'Gator of Gumbo Limbo introduced various animals of the Glades and how they rely on the water of that river of grass. We performed an Animal Olympics and compared our ability to those of some of the animals of the Everglades. We did the manatee breath holding, the bald eagle wing span measurement, the panther jump, the sleeping heron perch on one leg while blindfolded, the snake branch walk, the alligator 12 meter run, the from leap, and the owl resistance to blinking activity. In all activities, humans came up short when compared to the abilities of the animals.

Students also continued to research their science fair projects and to complete the science fair plans, introduced on the 11th and 12th of this month. Completed plans are due in class on the 24th and 25th of October. No plan means no science fair project is being done, which accounts for a total of 15% of the second marking period's grade.

Students with goggles also demonstrated their knowledge of physical and chemical changes. They were given an unknown chemical, which they placed in a mold and put in water. The substance, which was crystalline prior to introduction to water, was removed and a bouncing ball was formed! Students correctly concluded that this was a physical changes, since the substance changed only in shape and state, when it dissolved, dried and became solid again. There was no heat removed or added, no gas formed, and no precipitant formed, as are indicated when a chemical change occurs.

Home learning is to continue to work on the science fair plan.

Wednesday, 11 October and Thursday, 12 October, 2006

Using information from classroom activities, the internet/or laboratory activities:

Students should be able to:
-research the Florida Temperature and Climate project. (block 2)
-compare and contrast chemical and physical changes. (block 2)
-hypothesize, experiment, analyze data, and draw conclusions from an experiment. (block 2)
-justify the use of atoms as machines. (block 2)
-visualize the properties of solids, liquids and gases. (blocks 3 and 4)
-take an exam on the nature of matter. (all blocks)
-learn about the science fair and complete a science fair plan. (all blocks)

For our do now, students were asked to write four sentences about the science fair, a science fair project, and a science fair plan.

Once the do now was completed, students took the second exam of the grading period on the Nature of Matter.

Finally, students received their science fair planning sheets, which are due in class on Oct 24 for blocks 1, 3 and 5 and on Oct 25 for blocks 2, 4, and 6. Thes sheets may be found at the top of this blog.

Students used the remaining class time to visit internet sites to search for a project and being their plans.

If you need help finding a project, go to the geocities.com/DrGCDMS site and click on the Science Fair link. There will be several sites you can visit to find possible projects. Remember, no experimentation on animals higher than invertebrates. No research only based projects. No volcanoes or vinegar and baking soda projects. No boiling water or melting ice projects. In short, make it a project worthy of a 7th grader who is as intelligent as you!

Monday, 9 October and Tuesday, 10 October, 2006

Using information from the novel The Missing 'Gator of Gumbo Limbo, the internet/or laboratory activities:

Students should be able to:
-read a work of fiction to discover how the scientific process can be used to solve the mystery.
-research the Florida Temperature and Climate project.
-compare and contrast chemical and physical changes.
-hypothesize, experiment, analyze data, and draw conclusions from an experiment.
-justify the use of atoms as machines.
-visualize the properties of solids, liquids and gases.

As a do now, students completed the H diagram on physical and chemical change or a 3 box diagram on the parts of the atom. The notes basically are:

Physical changes-change in shape, size and state, with nothing new being formed
Chemical changes- a change into something new with new properties, may include a release in gas or the formation of a solid precipitate, the release of heat (exothermic) or removal of heat (endothermic), or a color change.

Atoms have:
-protons-positive charge, have mass, found in the nucleus
-neutrons-neutral or no charge, have mass, found in the nucleus
-electron-negative charge, have little or no mass, found in orbits around the nucleus
-both protons and electrons have a charge
-both protons and neutrons are in the nucleus and have mass.

After finishing the no now and reviewing home-learning 12 on atoms, students took a quiz on the atom. We also read article 4 on Atomic Drive, or nanocars made from atoms.

Select classes began a computer program entitled What's the Matter, in which they identify a metal that can be used to make a probe for a thermometer used to measure the temperature of lava.

Blocks 4 and 5 also completed the lab on chemical changes. Those absent should check the podomatic site and do the make-up lab.

Block 2 also read from the book The Missing 'Gator of Gumbo Limbo, completing the book. The book report is due next class meeting.

Home learning is to study for the exam on The Nature of Matter, which covers notes from September 20 until today's class.

Thursday, 5 October and Friday, 6 October, 2006

Using information from the novel The Missing 'Gator of Gumbo Limbo, the internet/or laboratory activities:

Students should be able to:
-read a work of fiction to discover how the scientific process can be used to solve the mystery.
-research the Florida Temperature and Climate project.
-compare and contrast chemical and physical changes.
-hypothesize, experiment, analyze data, and draw conclusions from an experiment.

For our do now, students constructed an H diagram, with one leg standing for physical changes, the other leg standing for chemical changes, and the middle cross bar to be about what they both had in common.

Home learning 11 was collected and reviewed, then home learning 12 was distributed and explained.

Students from block 5 finished the book The Missing 'Gator of Gumbo Limbo. Students in Block 2 read chapters 4-6.

The project papers were presented, and data was reviewed. Remember, you must have a cover sheet for your project. The next page is your problem and hypothesis page. The second page is the background information. Pages 4-7 are the graphs for the data for Homestead and Marianna Florida from January 1 through September 30 of this year.
Students then analyzed the data to answer the conclusion questions.

Finally, students completed lab 6. Those students absent should complete the lab described on the podomatic site for 5/6 October. Remember, book reports and projects are due in class on Monday or Tuesday, depending on your block schedule.

Wednesday, 4 October, 2006

Data for project;

Average Annual Temperature, degrees Celsius
Month Homestead and Marianna
Jan 18.7 and 13.5
Feb 17.6 and 11.2
Mar 20.0 and 16.0
Apr 22.8 and 21.6
May 24.2 and 23.7
June 26.4 and 27.1
July 26.2 and 25.6
Aug 26.7 and 27.9
Sept 25.8 and 24.4


Average Rainfall, cm
Month Homestead and Marianna
Jan 1.4 and 12.3
Feb 8.8 and 10.1
Mar 1.5 and 2.4
Apr 7.0 and 4.1
May 8.7 and 12.8
June 12.3 and 5.2
July 33.2 and 5.8
Aug 27.3 and 13.3
Sept 17.2 and 2.4

Average Windspeed, km/hr
Month Homestead Marianna
Jan 11.3 and 8.1
Feb 9.7 and 6.4
Mar 9.7 and 8.1
Apr 9.7 and 6.4
May 8.1 and 6.4
June 8.1 and 4.8
July 8.1 and 4.8
Aug 8.1 and 4.8
Sept 6.4 and 4.8

Average Relataive Humidity
Month Homestead Marianna
Jan 76 and 72
Feb 76 ad 70
Mar 72 and 60
Apr 72 and 65
May 73 and 67
June 78 and 65
July 81 and 71
Aug 79 and 78
Sept 81 and 77



Project data and papers! Remember to follow the directions for successful completion of the project.

All graphs must be in pencil. Use the same symbols throughout the graph. Remember to use numbers to represent the months. You are making a line graph.

Tuesday, 3 October and Wednesday, 4 October, 2006

Using information from the novel The Missing 'Gator of Gumbo Limbo, the internet/or laboratory activities:

Students should be able to:
-read a work of fiction to discover how the scientific process can be used to solve the mystery.
-take a quiz on matter.
-research the Florida Climate and Temperature project.
-differentiate between the properties of a solid and a liquid.

Students made, completed, and shared a KWL chart on the atom, after which home learning 11, entitled what is an atom, was passed out and explained. Remember to only write answers. Do not copy the complete statements. Just put what goes in the blank on your paper.

Students took a five question quiz on matter, after which forms for the book report and for the project were distributed. Find these also at the top of this blog.

Students then finished the book The Missing 'Gator of Gumbo Limbo, except blocks 2 and 5. Block 5 did not read, as they had to complete Lab 5. Students absent from Block 5 should remember to check the site: http://drgcdms.podomatic.com for the 28.29 August episode to find out what to do to make up the missed lab.

Block 2 only read chapters 2 and 3. Remember, you may listen to the chapters on the site:
http://drgcdms.podomatic.com
Just click the green arrow for the chapter you wish to hear. Alternately, you can go to iTunes, click the podcast link, type in The Science Zone in the search box and hit return. Search through the resulting list until you find Dr. Gayden's Science Zone. Choose the subscribe button to download the episodes. The episodes, including the chapters from the book will then be in the podcasts section and you can listen to them at your leisure.

Students then viewed Brainpop movies on the atomic model and the atom.

Finally, students used the internet to find the real time data necessary to complete their project.

Find the book report form at the top of this blog, but the project sheets will be on a separate blog, dated Wednesday, 4 October. Also find the data necessary to make the graphs.