Science News 03/30-04/03

5th and 8th do not forget about Zondle. The easiest way to study for your CST! 

The expectation is that you play at least two games a day.

For the first time in Blog history, one grade level (8th grade) won a doughnut party. Congratulations!

Click me for quick access to your class websites. 

5th Grade: Electricity

MS-PS3-2. Develop a model to describe that when the arrangement of objects interacting at a distance changes, different amounts of potential energy are stored in the system.
MS-PS3-5.Construct, use, and present arguments to support the claim that when the kinetic energy of an object changes, energy is transferred to or from the object.

This week you will build your own electrical invention. Remember that I provide the batteries, wire and lights, but you must provide any other materials you need. Your working invention is due on Friday and will only be graded if accompanied by the write-up (Items 2-5 in the project page).  

BirdBrainScience reading: "Your space neighborhood"

6th Grade: Biomes

• 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.

You will continue to work on your Biomes project. Your website is due on Friday, and remember you will be graded as individuals and as a team. Since it is the end of the term, late/incomplete work cannot be considered for grading. Make sure you review the rubric early!
BirdBrainScience reading: "Earth: The Feature Presentation"

7th Grade: Evolution

• LS4.A: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity

• LS4.B: Natural Selection

• LS4.C: Adaptation

This week we will mostly work with fossils, and how they provide evidence for evolution. We will analyze the fossil record, and dig into the past. Are we really all related?
BirdBrainScience reading: "Hippopotamuses"

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 is the final stretch for our motion and forces unit. You will continue to work on your rollercoasters, making sure you complete all the requirements. You will have a chance to decorate your coaster and run any final trials you need before presenting your work on Friday (due date). If you are working on the alternate assignment, it is also due on Friday. Since this is the end of the term, late/incomplete work cannot be considered for grading.
BirdBrainScience reading: "How far to the next star?"

Science News 03/23-03/27

                                             

5th and 8th do not forget about Zondle. The easiest way to study for your CST!

The journey of a thousand blogs begins with just one post.

Click me for quick access to your class websites. 

5th Grade: Electricity

MS-PS3-2. Develop a model to describe that when the arrangement of objects interacting at a distance changes, different amounts of potential energy are stored in the system.
MS-PS3-5.Construct, use, and present arguments to support the claim that when the kinetic energy of an object changes, energy is transferred to or from the object.

We continue to explore circuits. This week we will learn about circuits in series and in parallel. We will devise different switches and play a couple of games. By Friday you will be ready to create your very own electrical invention

BirdBrainScience reading: "Floating in Space"

6th Grade: Biomes

• 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.

We are starting our Biomes unit. This is a fun research project, where you will learn all about the different biomes around the globe. Not only will you learn about them, but you will also devise ways to survive in each biome just in case you ever get lost.
BirdBrainScience reading: "Strength in numbers"

7th Grade: Evolution

• LS4.A: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity

• LS4.B: Natural Selection

• LS4.C: Adaptation

We continue our work on evolution, working like Darwin to determine the "rules" of natural selection. What does fitness really mean? Why is it not survival of the sneakiest? We will progress to working with the fossil record to reveal what it can tell us about evolution
BirdBrainScience reading: "Life is a competition"

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 is project week. If you have enough coins you have already been placed in groups, and will begin working on your rollercoaster design. If you do not have enough coins, you will work on an alternate assignment to review all of the Forces and Motion concepts.
BirdBrainScience reading: "Carbon atoms are great dance partners"

Science News 03/16-03/20

To blog, or not to blog, that is the question...

Not really, you know you have a blog due this week!

Click here for quick access to your class websites. 

5th Grade: Electricity

MS-PS3-2. Develop a model to describe that when the arrangement of objects interacting at a distance changes, different amounts of potential energy are stored in the system.
MS-PS3-5.Construct, use, and present arguments to support the claim that when the kinetic energy of an object changes, energy is transferred to or from the object.

We begin our electricity unit. During the week we will explore simple circuits, and visit several stations to determine how electricity flows in different systems. We will also begin to explore how diagrams can be used to represent the flow of electricity in a closed circuit.

BirdBrainScience reading: "Different Kinds of Building Blocks" (This is a review for cells)

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.

This week we will finish the Mystery of the Gray Bay. On Monday we will hear from the last of the suspects, and talk about the expectations for the WAC assignment. You will draft your WAC using an organizer on tuesday, so that you are ready to write your full essay during the rest of the week.
BirdBrainScience reading: "Can't We All Just Get Along?"

7th Grade: Evolution

• LS4.A: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity

• LS4.B: Natural Selection

• LS4.C: Adaptation

This week we begin to explore evolution. We discover why it could be considered "The Greatest Show on Earth". We will determine what is the evidence that we have that evolution is actually a thing, and explore genetic mutations and genetic drift using candy. You are in for a treat.
BirdBrainScience reading: "Diversity of Life"

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 we will finish energy transformations and jump with both feet into Newton's ideas. By the end of the week you will have everything you need to begin developing your roller coaster. Do you have enough coins? This is your last chance to accumulate enough to participate in the group challenge.
BirdBrainScience reading: "Babysitting Rocks"

Science News 03-09 / 03-13

Parent information meeting is Wednesday, March 11 at 4:00 in room 35. We will talk about Student Exhibition Nights and End of Year activities. 

To blog, or not to blog, that is the question...

Not really, you know you have a blog due this week!

Click here for quick access to your class websites. 

5th Grade: Magnetism

• 3-PS2-3. Ask questions to determine cause and effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each other.
• 3-PS2-4. Define a simple design problem that can be solved by applying scientific ideas about magnets.

This week we will explore magnetism. We will figure out how magnets work, and why, if you break a magnet, it is still, well, a magnet. Can you have just a north pole? Perhaps you will be curious enough to create your own electromagnets. Finallty we will discover just how many times we use magnets in our every day life.

BirdBrainScience reading: "Proving Invisible Things Exist"

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.

As we continue to explore the mystery of the Gray Bay, we will explore Parallel Park and the deer situation. Could hunting mountain lions be responsible for the fish kill? Perhaps it is the fertilizer used by the golf course and the farm. Or is it too much/or too little algae? The mystery deepens.
BirdBrainScience reading: "Trade Off"

7th Grade: Geologic Time

• MS-ESS1-4. - Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence from rock strata for how the geologic time scale is used to organize Earth's 4.6-billion-year-old history. 

What is Earth Time? What happened in to end the Cambian era? Be prepared to show off your creative skills as you navigate through the different epochs that comprise the history Earth.
BirdBrainScience reading: "Evolution Explosion"

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 we will cover energy transformations, and use our "forces" to determine the direction of movement. If we combine forces, does an object move? What is a balanced force, and what happens when it becomes unbalanced? "It's time to Move it, move it."
BirdBrainScience reading: "How to build the fastest slide of all time"

Minerals in Our Life Magazine - 5th grade project