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Progress Reports and Late Work

Tomorrow, I am giving a class period (44 mins on Friday) to make up missing Late Work.  Late Work will be accepted, but does receive a 20% penalty unless there has been an excused absence, and then it must be turned in within a week from that absence in my classes.

I am noticing many students not putting in any time for Science homework, which is often just completing what was not completed in class.  I rarely assign additional “homework” in the traditional sense.  Please encourage your child to complete late work, and to spend a few minutes every night or so on Science.  The concepts we are studying may have not been presented before (unlike math, for instance, where the curriculum spirals, and builds), often times new units in Science are truly all new material.  We do build concepts, like the recent unit which included metric measurement, density, deep ocean currents (which move due to density), and the “Mini” Ocean Lab.

Students that are doing well, consistently come to class prepared, ready to focus and learn, participate in class discussions, complete homework, and ASK questions during class, and come in at lunch to “fix” or re-do some assignments.  Please tell your student that expecting A’s in rigorous classes takes determination and “grit”.  I hope your are hearing about some of the interesting things we are studying.  Next week we will continue our unit on the atom.

ALR 🙂

Density, Mystery blocks, Thermohaline

What do these topics all have in common?  Ask your student (or yourself?)!

We’ve been very busy with labs on density, identifying mystery cubes by calculating density and then using charts and deductive logic. Today we are completing climographs of three cities to show effects of the ocean current conveyor belt (Thermohaline Current).

Progress Reports will be sent home on Tuesday.  Please remember that this quarter, late work receives 20% less credit unless you have an excused absence.

I hope you enjoy the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday Monday.

Trimester II (Yay!)

Students (& parents/guardians) can expect to see one or two homework assignments per week for science this trimester.  Also, students should be reviewing notes/papers in the Science Journal beginning with tomorrow’s assignment.

 

8 more days until break!!!

Moon Test

Most students did really well on this test, and so very few are indicating a request for a retake.  Students may take an alternate test for the Moon Test during lunch on Tuesday or Wednesday.  Grades of both tests will be averaged.

Students may also  wish to make up the missing points by completing the cartoon lunar eclipse extra credit assignment, which needs to be turned in no later than Monday, Nov. 27.

Important Dates To Know!

Test on Moon phases, orbit, eclipses Nov. 13

Try it for studying!   Let me know how it goes!

Moon Phases Project due Nov. 14

  • Please submit to Google Classroom

Presentations Nov. 14, 15, 16

Projects will be docked 20% for late work  turned in after Thursday, 11/16.  (Grace period for late submissions through Nov. 16th.)

Look for the Moon Tonight, please!

Waxing Crescent

Feel free to use this for your project!  (My recent data to help you!)

This observation of the Waxing Crescent was recorded on Monday, Oct. 25th, at 7:06 PM.  The sun set about 30 minutes earlier (I could still see that setting-sun-glow just above the horizon, somewhat westerly at 253 degrees.)  I looked left of where the sun was setting, because I know from our studies, that once the moon passes New Moon which was just a couple of days ago (I should look that up for the project…), that the moon is orbiting in prograde motion, that is counterclockwise from the Northern Hemisphere.  At any rate, there it was – the moon, in the SW at 212 degrees.  And this is exactly what is expected, that a waxing crescent of this size, is seen approximately 45 degrees from the sun and to “its left” in the sky.  (By the way, I was hoping all of my students were outside looking at and photographing the same moon phase!)

 

Note:  Students may use my data for this moon phase, but please the writing and so on needs to be different from my example!  

Mrs. R 🙂

 

LOOK For the Moon

Students should be gathering data for Moon Phase Project during Conference Week.

  • phase of moon
  • drawing or photo
  • direction, time, of both moon and sun (use compass, compass app, or general direction knowledge)
  • narrative with science info to share with your group/or self to put into your project
  • DUE: Nov. 14th

Simplified Guide to Moon Phases Project – Due Nov. 14 (gives more time!)

Create a presentation that teaches why the lunar phases change.  (Easiest solution is to use Google Slides linked to student D6 email.

Should be 10 – 12 slides (minimum 2 slides per group member, list name on slides)

Show/Explain 8 major phases of the moon

Groups no more than 4; can work independently if choose to

Evidence can include:  journal entries, photos, drawings, news article, video all of phases.  Be sure to include time of sighting (AM or PM) and direction of sun and moon!  (Critical for the explanation).

Add color, sound, creativity, model, etc.

Due date extended to Nov. 14!  Presentations on Nov. 14, 15, & 16.

Helpful websites:

https://stardate.org/nightsky/moon

https://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/StarChild.html

 

Prezi not working in classrooms – Please choose Google Slides

Update…  We’ve tried to log in to Prezi, but student settings are not allowing probably due to link to Youtube.  We will instead use Google Slides which is shareable and linked to their drive.  Sorry for the change!

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