Evidence of Liquid Water on Mars

http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-confirms-evidence-that-liquid-water-flows-on-today-s-mars

For “Big 8 and a Few”

Look on right side for older posts. There are lots of links to solar system information.

Look at the Oct. 2014 posts

My favorite is starchild.gov

Supermoon – Lunar Eclipse this Sunday!

About 7:45

Will last about an hour

Look east!

Photos will be best if taken with something in the foreground of photo – tree, roof line, bird/plane

Submit photos to my e-mail alison.richards@district6.org from your district 6 email if you want me to post it.

Happy sky watching!

One of my favorite websites – NASA Images of the Day

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/iotd.html

Getting Ready for the New School Year – Are YOU?

Looking forward to meeting kids and parent(s), guardian(s), families, and so on at 6th Grade Back to School Night – tonight, from 6 to 7:30!

Less than one week.  Enjoy it!

I hope the smoke clears out so you can have some outdoor fun!  See you all soon!

Mrs. R.

NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN -Spectroscopes Are on Their Way Home

Kids made spectroscopes today.  We talked about safety in every class, but they are to be used to look at different types of light to see different wavelengths (which our eyes see as different colors).   Examples include florescent lights, LED, computer screens, etc.

HOWEVER, NEVER USE A SPECTROSCOPE TO LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN!

Instead, look on the ground to see the light reflected from the sun, or better yet, look at the moon!

Enjoy!  Happy Light Science Exploration, and please use caution!

Mrs. R.

Solar Ovens – Up and Cooking on 05 26 & 27 weather permitting :)

Almost ready to test!  Smores material needed by Tuesday or Wednesday next week!

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…

Cells Project: Research Begins Tues., April 21. Project due May 5.

Projects were due:  May 5th.  A big portion of the Cell Project was to give detailed key facts about 8 – 10 organelles (worth 60/100 points including mechanics).  Many models are excellent but lacking these keys leaves many projects incomplete at this point.  Please encourage your student to complete that necessary step so that I might finalize project grades.

Detailed instructions will be discussed with your student on Tuesday, April 21.  Those instructions, along with an acknowledgment page (for your signature) will come home that day.

The following web sites may be helpful for your research project due May 5.

http://www.cellsalive.com/ click on picture on top left

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/cells/

http://www.biology4kids.com/files/cell_main.html

http://www.johnkyrk.com/er.html

http://www.nsf.gov/news/overviews/biology/interactive.jsp

The above sites are interactive and are definite musts for your research.  Be sure to take notes, and be careful not to plagiarize this project.  If the material is too complicated, then please ask for clarification.

If you find any real cool sites, please submit by copying and pasting along with a brief description to help guide us.  I will upload them after review.  Be careful not to do random searches into unknown territory.  If you add the K12 or kids or education it will often help alleviate taking you to some undesirable site.  However, the above sites are truly the best I’ve found.

Happy Studying!!!

Journal pg 60 Components & Conditions Necessary for Life

Due Friday, 04/03,  to read to other students.  Volunteers who read to whole class will receive 2 extra credit points.

15 – 20 sentences explaining components necessary for life and thoughts on exobiology and place in universe.

Paragraph 1: Intro (life on Earth)

Paragraph 2: Building blocks of cells (i.e., proteins, carbohydrates, lipids)

Paragraph 3:  Astrobiology – what is it?  Why?

Paragraph 4:  Your thoughts, ideas, hopes about this topic (School appropriate please)

*Note:  In class we talked about the idea that we aren’t looking for “little green men” but rather the search is for a building block for cells that might make bacteria, a plant, an algae form that might exist elsewhere in the universe.  The point is to apply what we know about necessity to for life and think about how to find and identify it.

Enjoy Your Spring Break!

May sunshine and laughter surround you during your time off!  See you soon!