Wednesday, 28 March and Thursday, 29 March, 2007

This is HL #3. Be sure to head your paper properly (upper left, last name, first name, ID number, block, date, HL#3, and write answers only.



Be sure to follow the rubrics exacly. The story is due on your return to class.



These are the instructions for written report 4. Be sure to follow them and use the check-off list!


Advanced science classes, this is the sheet you will use to classify your organisms. Use pencil.

All general science classes, this is the sheet you will use to classify your organisms. Use pencil.

Using information from internet access, and classroom discussions:
Students should be able to:
-illustrate how living things depend on their environment.

Our do-now was to begin planning the technology presentation for the quarter. Students are to design a music video, using either their own created music with GarageBand or parodying other music, about biodiversity and how living things interact with their environment. They will be taking pictures and video footage, in addition to pictures obtained from user-free sites on the internet.

Students received their short story 4 directions, as well as directions for written report 4. Remember, help for written report 4 can be found at: geocities.com/DrGCDMS just scroll to the bottom of the page and click the written report link. Then, scroll down and click the link for the treasure hunt. Follow the resulting links to information about the organisms.

Remember, you also have home learning 3 to turn in!

Students used the remainder of the block to work on their presentations.

Home learning 3, short story 4, and written report 4 can be found at the top of this blog.

Monday, 26 March and Tuesday, 27 March, 2007

Using information from videos, internet access, and classroom discussions:
Students should be able to:
-determine how environmental factors affect living things.
-form a hypothesis about how abiotic factors affect organisms and test it for accuracy.

Our do now was to make up a teacher like question about abiotic factors and answer it.

After reviewing the home learning, students copied the home-learning for the day, which is entitled TE #1 (Talking Earth). It is as follows:

Billie Wind and her tribe of Seminole Indians lives in the Florida Everglades. What other plants and animals do you think she will encounter during her adventures?

Students then watched an episode of Bill Nye the Science Guy on biodiversity to learn how living things depend on each other and on the abiotic factors in their environments.

Students concluded the class by visiting the explorelearning website launching the Gizmo: Effect of Environment on New Life Form. Students altered the levels of sunlight, water, and temperature to determine how the alien life forms were affected. Prior to beginning, students formed a hypothesis stating the cause and effects they expected to visualize.

Remember, home learning should be done on loose leaf paper! Restated, it is:
TE #1
Billie Wind and her tribe of Seminole Indians lives in the Florida Everglades. What other plants and animals do you think she will encounter during her adventures

Thursday, 22 March and Friday, 23 March, 2007

Using information from the novel "The Talking Earth" and videos, and classroom discussions:
Students should be able to:
-read from a novel to discover the biological facts it contains.
-learn about the organization of the biosphere.
-determine how the environment affect living things.

Our do now was a quick write: What do living things need to survive? Be specific and use examples.

Students then read from the Jean Craighead George novel The Talking Earth. As we read, students are encouraged to record: biotic and abiotic factors, human interactions with nature, and natural interactions. The notes for the novel will be published at a later date. I will inform you of that date next week. Also, the of the book will be available after this weekend.

Students then viewed the Bill Nye The Science Guy movie on populations, were they learned how populations interact with each other and with other populations. They also viewed how humans impact on other populations of living things.

Home learning 2 is found at the top of this blog. Use the correct heading and paper and remember to place answers only.

Tuesday, 20 March and Wednesday, 21 March, 2007

Using information from the novel The Talking Earth, videos, internet access and classroom discussions:
Students should be able to:
-read from a novel to discover the biological facts it contains.
-compare and contrast biotic and abiotic factors.
-determine how abiotic factors affect living things.

Students do now was to look at several pictures presented in class, then to list all the things in each picture. After learning the definitions of biotic and abiotic, the challenge was then to group the things from the pictures into one of these categories.

Students then read from the novel The Talking Earth to discover the biotic and abiotic factors.

Students then viewed the United Streaming video Biology: The Science of Life: Ecosystems: The Role of Abiotic Factors. did a virtual lab that explored how living things are affected by changes in their environment (abiotic factors). The activity can be directly accessed by going to drgcdms.podomatic.com and clicking the first link for Tuesday/Wednesday, 20/21 March, 2007.

The second link is to graph the data.

Home learning 1 can be found at the top of this blog.

Thursday, 15 March and Monday, 19 March, 2007

Using information from internet access and classroom discussions:
Students should be able to:
-complete virtual labs on earth and space topics.

Our do now was a quick write: If you could travel to anyplace in space, where would you go and why?

Students used the remainder of the time to work on virtual labs dealing with earth and space. They visited the GIZMO website, found at www.explorelearning.com. For a direct link, visit the drgcdms.podomatic.com site for 15/19 March, 2007. Since each class has a different class code, be sure see me for your class code, since I will not be posting this information online. Use your ID number as your username and password.

Home learning is to continue construction of the newspaper article for the Zoom Project: What is the History of the Earth?

Tuesday 13 March and Wednesday, 14 March, 2007

Using information from the novel A Journey To The Center Of The Earth and internet access:
Students should be able to:
-view a video on the novel A Journey To The Center Of The Earth.
-complete virtual labs on space topics.

Students completed a do now where they made up a space riddle and shared with their classmates. For instance, "I'm the third planet from the sun. Over 70% of my surface is covered with water. I have one satillite. Who am I?" The answer is earth.

Students then used the remainder of class time to complete several virtual online labs. The activities can be found at the drgcdms.podomatic.com site. Click on the links for Tuesday, Wednesday, 13/14 March, 2007 to access the activities.

The only home learning activity is to continue working on the final Zoom project newspaper report: What is The History of the Earth?

Wednesday, 7 March and Thursday, 8 March, 2007

Using information from the novel A Journey To The Center Of The Earth, scientific articles, internet access, and classroom discussions:
Students should be able to:
-read a work of fiction to discover the science facts it contains.
-work on individual research papers.
-work on the Zoom project What Is The History Of The Earth?

The do now was a quick write: Why is our galaxy called the Milky Way?

Due to FCAT testing, block 3 did not meet on March 7, so they are not responsible for this work until March 9.

All other classes took an exam on Earth and Space.

After the exam, students worked on completing the book report, by reading from the novel.

Students also did individual research for their written report on the history of the earth.

Home learning was to finish the book report form, due in class on the 14 or 15 and to complete the written report. The dates the report are due are on the handsouts.

Articles 3 and 4 can be found at the top of this blog.

Monday, 5 March and Tuesday, 6 March, 2007

Book reports are due in class on Monday, March 12 for blocks 2, 4 and 6. They are due in class on Tuesday, March 13 for blocks 1, 3, and 5. Remember, that is the day of the field trip, so be sure to bring them to school and give them to me BEFORE leaving for the trip!

Using information from the novel A Journey To The Center Of The Earth, internet access and classroom discussions:
Students should be able to:
-read a work of fiction to discover the science facts it contains.
-work on individual research papers.
-work on the Zoom project What Is The History Of The Earth?

After reviewing home learning, students received the book report form for the novel A Journey To The Center Of The Earth by Jules Verne.

We then took a quiz on stars, the sun and galaxies.

Students then continued reading the novel. Some classes completed the novel and were given the option of working on the book report form, which is due next week.

After reading, students worked on their individual written reports on the earth's history of on the Zoom project reports.

The book report form is found at the top of this blog.

Friday, 2 March, 2007

Here is a repost of the handouts for the written report and the rock collection project due next week!


Here are the directions for the Rock Collection Project


Use the key to identify your rocks.


Here are the directions for the written report on The History of The Earth

Thursday, 1 March and Friday, 2 March, 2007

This is the home learning assignment. Be sure to put answers only and correctly head your paper.



This if FYI (for your information) and do not need to be answered. But read for information!

Using information from videos from the internet, laboratory activities and classroom discussions:
Students should be able to:
-view videos on galaxies and The Milky Way.
-hypothesize and test to determine how flame test identifies unknown metallic elements.
-work on individual projects.

The do now was to construct a KWL chart on galaxies. After the do now and reviewing home learning, the odd blocks completed lab 16 on the flame test. Those students that were absent can go to the drgcdms.podomatic.com site to do the alternative lab. It must be submitted at the beginning of the class period. Don't forget to print out the individual investigation sheets from the geocities.com/drgcdms site.

All classes viewed the BrainPop movies on galaxies and The Milky Way.

We then read from the book A Journey To The Center Of The Earth for the even blocks.

Even blocks worked on their individual reports or projects. Remember, the Rock Collection project is due in class Monday or Tuesday, depending on block. The written report on The History of the Earth is due in class on Thursday or Friday, depending on the block.

Home learning is found at the top of this blog.