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I will be in a meeting all day on Tuesday, so you will all have guest teachers. Be aware that any work done while under the instruction of a guest teacher is worth double the XP.
5th Grade: Matter and its properties
- MS-PS1-1. Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures.
- MS-PS1-3. Gather and make sense of information to describe that synthetic materials come from natural resources and impact society.
- MS-PS1-4. Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed.
What is a crystal? Can there be differences in the way a crystal is crushed? How can properties of crystals be used to identify an unknown substance? These are the kinds of questions you will be answering this week as you hone your powers of observation in our Matter and its properties unit.
6th Grade: River Studies
- MS-ESS2-1. Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth's materials and the flow of energy that drives this process.
- MS-ESS2-2. Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience processes have changed Earth's surface at varying time and spatial scales.
We will explore how dams and waste disposal affect rivers. We will also determine what causes more dramatic changes in the course of a river - age or slope. If we are diligent enough, we might even explore how wolves affect the course of a river!
- MS-LS3-1. Develop and use a model to describe why structural changes to genes (mutations) located on chromosomes may affect proteins and may result in harmful, beneficial, or neutral effects to the structure and function of the organism.
- MS-LS3-2. Develop and use a model to describe why asexual reproduction results in offspring with identical genetic information and sexual reproduction results in offspring with genetic variation.
We will follow in Mendel's footsteps as we attempt to figure out dominance. Then we will use what we have learned to determine the traits of our very own Monster offspring as we figure out it's genotype and phenotype. Your creativity and drawing skills will be put to the test.
8th Grade: Chemistry-Bonding
We will learn about the transfer of energy during chemical reactions. Exo Endo, what's the diff? Reactants high, what's that? These are the kinds of questions you will be able to answer by the end of the week.
- MS-PS1-2 Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.
- MS-PS1-4. Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed.
We will learn about the transfer of energy during chemical reactions. Exo Endo, what's the diff? Reactants high, what's that? These are the kinds of questions you will be able to answer by the end of the week.
Tuesday and Thursday I am available for after school help. If you are planning on staying (until 3:30), you must have a specific Science-related issue that needs my help, and sign up on the board by lunch time. If what you need is to work on blogs, you will be asked to go to the library.
