Science News 02/23-02/27

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Blogs resume this week. Don't Forget

5th Grade: Rocks and Minerals

• MS-ESS2-1. Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth's materials and the flow of energy that drives this process.  
• MS-ESS3-1. Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earth's mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and current geoscience processes.

This week we will discover how the Earth recycles materials as we follow the rock cycle, and talk about the difference between weathering and erosion. We will then play a fun game that will teach you how scientists go about identifying minerals. Wear your hard hat, we are going into the mines!

BirdBrainScience reading: "The Force it Takes to Break Rock"

6th Grade: Eco-detectives

• MS-ESS3.A: Natural Resources Humans depend on Earth’s land, ocean, atmosphere, and biosphere for many different resources. Minerals, fresh water, and biosphere resources are limited, and many are not renewable or replaceable over human lifetimes. These resources are distributed unevenly around the planet as a result of past geologic processes.

On Monday we will finish the river studies presentations. On Tuesday you will be introduced to the Mystery of the Gray Bay, and become environmental detectives as we analyze the factors that could have led to the dying fish. You will meet the first two suspects and create a timeline of events. Don't jump to conclusions. Wait until all the evidence is presented.
BirdBrainScience reading: "When All Parts Come Together"

7th Grade: Genetics

• 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 are in the final stretch of our Genetics unit. Your presentations should be about ready. Make sure you participate actively during presentations on Wednesday and Thursday so you can be ready for the panel discussion on Friday.
BirdBrainScience reading: "Genetic Disorders"

8th Grade: Forces and Motion

• For any pair of interacting objects, the force exerted by the first object on the second object is equal in strength to the force that the second object exerts on the first, but in the opposite direction (Newton’s third law). (MS-PS2-1)
• The motion of an object is determined by the sum of the forces acting on it; if the total force on the object is not zero, its motion will change. The greater the mass of the object, the greater the force needed to achieve the same change in motion. For any given object, a larger force causes a larger change in motion. (MS-PS2-2)

This week it is all about speed. What is speed? What is velocity? How is average speed different from instantaneous speed? Most importantly, why do we care about it? These are just some of the ideas you will be discussing this week. On Friday, we will have fun outside during the Speed Challenge. Don't forget your running shoes!
BirdBrainScience reading: "Kung-Fu Vectors"

Can't wait another week to know what's happening? Follow @ADVENTURESTEM on Twitter to get your daily dose of AdVENTURE news.

This week I am only available Wednesday and Friday. 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.

AdVENTURE Open House and Student Exhibition
We will have Open House and student exhibitions this Thursday, February 26. Open House starts at 5:00, and Student Exhibitions will start at 5:30. Join us for an evening of celebration.\

Make sure you are completing all your work on time. Don't be caught unaware!