Ramsey's Science

Drawing the Solar System

2012-02-16T06:40:00.001-05:00

Today we are going to experiment with drawing our solar system. The students may know that Jupiter is the biggest planet but how big is it when compared to Earth? And how far away is Neptune from then sun when compared to Earth? These questions are hard to understand unless we draw some pictures.
First we draw the planets to scale in relation to size. The activity is called Proportional Planets.
If we have time we will draw the planets in relation to distance from the Sun. The activity is called Our Solar System.

The start up for today is "How many Earth's do you think can fit into Jupiter?"

Bill Nye Asteroids and Meteors

2012-02-15T09:38:00.001-05:00

Today we are going to watch Bill Nye Asteroids and Meteors. The video is a great supplement for our astronomy study.
The start up for today is "what would happen if an asteroid hit the Earth?"

How old are you (on another planet!?)

2012-02-14T08:21:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we talked about comets and asteroids. Today we are going to continue talking about out solar system but with a math twist. The students will complete "how old are you" for a classwork grade today.
The math can be confusing but I think with some patience we can get it down.

The start up for today is "what other units of time could you use to measure your age instead of years?"

Amazing Planet Facts

2012-02-13T06:35:00.003-05:00

Today we are going to compare the planets of our Solar System. Remember, Pluto is a dwarf planet now because it can't clear its orbit of cosmic junk. We will still consider it today though just to compare a dwarf planet to a the others. Here is the assignment Amazing Planet Facts. I want to also show my students a video of the comet Shoemaker-Levy colliding with Jupiter. This video shows what happens to a comet and a planet after they come in contact.

The start up for today is "What is the difference between a comet and an asteroid?"
I thought I would help you a little today with an answer for the start up here.

ALSO, Mid-terms come out Friday so I thought I would help my students out by offering extra credit. If the student reads any article they choose from sciencedaily and write a three paragraph (5 sentences per paragraph) summary of what they have read then I will swap their lowest grade for a 100 percent. The students can do this as many times as they want but it is due Wednesday, Feb 15th. I will take it written on a piece of paper but I would much prefer it to be uploaded to my dropbox. The link is at the top right of this page where it says "upload your work." The students should know the password.

Notebook Check and Start Up Quiz

2012-02-10T08:16:00.000-05:00

The Notebook Check should have ten things the students will turn in.

Ethi-Reasoning
560-566 Resources
Bill Nye Climate Change
Rock Cycle Notes
Bill Nye Rocks and Soil
Earth's Motion and Seasons 178-183
Moon Notes 184-192
Bill Nye Moon
Solar System 194-201
How the Universe Works

The start up quiz should start on December 13 through February 9 for a total of 22.

There is no start up for today. We will clean out our notebook and start fresh tomorrow.

How the Universe Works

2012-02-09T08:38:00.000-05:00

Today I am going to show a video about how the universe works. It is an excellent video introducing how the universe first began. The big bang is a theory that attempts to explain where our planet, solar system, universe, and all the other galaxies came from. Please remember that the notebook check and the start up quiz is taking place tomorrow.
The start up for today is "Tell me everything you can about the big bang?"

Planet Notes

2012-02-08T09:02:00.000-05:00

Yesterday took a little longer than I thought so today we are going to finish going over the planet notes.

The start up for today is "What are the inner planets?"

Solar System

2012-02-07T14:56:00.000-05:00

Today we are going to take our moon phases test. Hopefully you studied.
Once we are done we will be working on the planet notes from the book. The notes can be found here and the book can be found here.
There will be a notebook check and a start up quiz on Friday.
The start up for today is "What is a dwarf planet?"
The notebook check will include the following papers

Ethi-Reasoning
Resources notes
Bill Nye Climate Change
Rock Cycle Notes
Bill Nye Rocks and Soils
Earth Motion and Seasons
Moon Notes
Bill Nye Moon
Solar System Notes

What keeps satellites up there?

2012-02-06T07:09:00.002-05:00

We are going to look at the forces required to keep the Moon in orbit. The lab "what keeps satellites up there?" is great to explore the orbits of the satellites in our solar system and elsewhere. Tomorrow there will be a test on the phases of the moon.
The start up for today is "What two forces must balance to keep a satellite in orbit?"

Moon Calendar

2012-02-03T08:47:00.002-05:00

There will be a test next week on the phases of the moon. We talked about the phases yesterday and today we are going to make a moon calendar that we can use to follow the cycles of the moon. I will check the homework from last night and then the moon calendar for a classwork grade.
The start up for today is "If the moon is mostly lit up it is called a _________."

Moon Notes

2012-02-02T09:03:00.000-05:00

We are done with the TechSteps project. I think it went well and everyone enjoyed working with the satellites. Today we are going to resume our study of Earth's satellite, the moon. The notes we completed last week will be supplemented with My Moon Notes. The students will also be able to see first hand how the phases of the moon are created with shadows. Their head will be the Earth and they will be able to see first hand how the shadow of the Moon model changes as it revolves around their head.
The start up for today is "why does the moon change phase?"

Final day for TechSteps

2012-02-01T07:40:00.000-05:00

Today is the last day to turn in your work on the Google form. Remember, you will not get a grade unless you submit your data on the form. Refer to yesterday's post for the links to the form.
There is no start up for today.

Continue TechSteps

2012-01-31T08:01:00.002-05:00

So yesterday we started TechSteps. The docs.google.com worked great. The goal of this TechSteps project is to allow the students a chance to enter data into a spreadsheet that is collaborative. This project will require the students to work together to create something much bigger than any work they could ordinarily do alone. That said however, after some of the mishaps of yesterday I have decided to create a form where my students can enter their data without worry of it being deleted. The spreadsheet on the Google account is still required but I can verify the work my students do individually with the forms below. Be sure to click on the correct period and enter in your own data for this project.
Period 3 Satellite Form
Period 4 Satellite Form
Period 5 Satellite Form
Period 6 Satellite Form
Period 7 Satellite Form
There is no start up for today.

TechSteps

2012-01-30T08:43:00.001-05:00

Today we are going to be working in a computer lab. The students will be creating a database of the satellites in our solar system. There are several satellites around many of the planets in our solar system and with the database we can begin to compare how they relate. We'll be using a generic gmail account to collaborate on the database. There is no start up for today.

Acuity

2012-01-26T08:28:00.001-05:00

We are scheduled to go to the computer lab today and take an acuity test. When you are done you may NOT listen to music! You may go to ecokids, electrocity, freerice, or picassohead.
There is no start up for today.

The moon

2012-01-25T09:07:00.002-05:00

Today we are going to wrap up seasons and begin working on the moon. We are going to start the class with a brainpop video on seasons and then begin working on the moon notes.
The start up for today is "How does the moon effect the tides?"

Day and Night

2012-01-24T15:38:00.001-05:00

Today we are going to evaluate the differences between the length of day and the length of night. They are related to the tilt of the Earth just like the season. The length of day and night cycle and we are going to be looking at that today. First we are going to review the reason's for the seasons with this activity.
Today's start up is "what is the relationship between the length of day and night throughout the year?"

Astronomy

2012-01-23T08:41:00.001-05:00

We are going to start talking about Astronomy. Today we are going to look at the Earth's seasons. Even though it doesn't feel like winter right now, it is, and the our location on Earth is receiving less direct sunlight. The notes we are going to cover today come from page. 178- 183 in the book and are titled Earth's Motion and Seasons.
The start up for today is "What causes the seasons?"

Google Earth

2012-01-20T07:05:00.001-05:00

Today we are going to look at the landscape... from the sky. Google Earth is an excellent resource, especially when trying to understand the relationship between rocks and the various topography around where we live. We are going to use Google Earth to explore the relationship between where our houses are and where mountains and rivers are located. The perspective this program offers is unique and very informative.
Today's start up is "Describe the rock cycle in your own words."

Rocks and Soil

2012-01-19T07:27:00.002-05:00

Today we are going to watch a Bill Nye video on rocks and soil. The past few days has been loaded with a lot of information and now we are going to review with Bill Nye to help us solidify what we have learned. The start up for today is "How could a topographic map be useful?"

Elkins Topo Map

2012-01-18T08:54:00.003-05:00

So we reviewed the rock cycle yesterday and now we are ready to begin working on how to read topographic maps. I've got topographic maps of the Elkins area and the students will try to study these maps to understand where they live.

The start up for today is "what is a contour line?"

Rocks

2012-01-17T08:00:00.001-05:00

Today we are going to start talking about Rocks. The rock cycle is very important to understanding how new rocks form and were the rocks we see came from. West Virginia is mostly sedimentary rock but there are examples of igneous and metamorphic rock in our state. Once we are sure of the rock cycle we will begin looking at the topography of the area around Elkins.

The start up for today is "What is one example of each type of rock?"

Natural Resources Wrap up

2012-01-12T07:11:00.000-05:00

We didn't finish the video yesterday... there was just to much good discussion going on. So today we are going to finish it and then we are going to answer the question at the end to the section of notes we completed on Tuesday. The questions are from pg. 566 1-6. Here is the link for the book.
The start up for today is "What evidence to scientists use to show the Earth is in a global warming period?"

Global Climate Change

2012-01-11T09:11:00.000-05:00

Today we are going to watch the Eyes of Nye Global Climate Change. The video has a good message about conservation and how people need to focus on the their energy usage. This video is not in the traditional fashion of Bill Nye because it is geared toward an older audience but I think my students will learn a lot.
The start up today is "do you understand what scientists say about Global Warming?"

Resources

2012-01-10T09:05:00.000-05:00

We talked about some tough decisions that sometimes need to be made yesterday. The environment is a fragile thing and it can be dangerous to take it for granted. Today we are going to look at the different aspects of how our economy works and how a balance between the welfare of people and the welfare of the planet can be maintained. We are going to be working in the book today. Here are the notes the students will be using.
The start up for today is "How often to do you actively choose to do something good for someone else? How often do you actively choose to do something good for the planet?"

Ethi- Reasoning

2012-01-09T09:02:00.000-05:00

Today we are going to really get back into "school" mode. We are going to be begin the second semester with a moral dilemma. Ethi- Reasoning is a set of tough questions that my students may face in the near future where having a sense of self awareness and the environment in which we live is essential. Here is the questions my student will be facing.
The start up for today is "Who is the most moral person you know? How do you know they are moral?"

Semester Exams

2012-01-05T07:18:00.000-05:00

Today and tomorrow are semester exams. If the students received a paper stating they need to take my semester exam then I expect to see them today or tomorrow. The good news is that some of my students are eligible for the tubing trip that will take place tomorrow.

Back from Break

2012-01-04T10:45:00.001-05:00

I hope you had a great Christmas break but now its time to start up school work again. We return to semester exams. Today is a review day and our exams are tomorrow and Friday. We will be completing a crossword puzzle today that will cover the entire semester and should be used as a study guide for the exam should you need to take it. Here is the answers to the review crossword puzzle.
There is no start up for today.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

2011-12-22T08:30:00.000-05:00

Today is the last and final day before Christmas break. Exciting Day! To celebrate we will be enjoying one of my favorite Christmas movies of all time, the little known Raisin's Christmas. It's a claymation movie that exhibits the California Raisin's.

Darwin Game

2011-12-21T07:46:00.004-05:00

We are going to the computer lab today to play a game that better explains how evolution works. The Darwin Game is on Discovery.com but you can click here to go there directly. First off I want you to click on the natural selection tab. It will walk you through what natural selection is and it will give you hints on how to play the game. After you are finished with the natural selection tab it will prompt you to play the darwin game. You're going to have to survive for 1 million years as a species that faces several different challenges. The species you create will struggle to survive during each challenge but if your species has enough diversity (differences) then you may be able to live for the entire time and win the game. When you are done I want you to answer the following questions on your own sheet of paper. I will be taking these questions up to verify you won the game.

What is a natural selection?
How is variation passed to the next generation of offspring?
What does "survival of the fittest" mean?
How many challenges did you face during the Who wants to live a million years game?
What did you species look like when you won the game? ( consider if it was fat, had a long neck, was its fur fuzzy, did you have any differences in color?)
Now take the quiz and record the correct answer to each question in a complete sentence.

When you are done you may go to one of the following sites. Freerice, Picassohead, Ecokids, Electrocity, or Energyville. I would like to know if you prefer electrocity or energyville.

Test Today

2011-12-20T08:55:00.002-05:00

We are taking a test today on Evolution. I hope you studied!

Bill Nye Evolution

2011-12-19T09:38:00.000-05:00

We are taking a test tomorrow on Evolution. In order to prepare we are going to watch a Bill Nye video on Evolution.
The start up for today is "what is a homologous structure?"

Crossword puzzle review

2011-12-16T08:38:00.000-05:00

We are going to get ready for our test next week with a review today. The crossword puzzle comes straight from the notes we did in class and it covers the questions that the students will see on the test. Here is the answers to the crossword puzzle. Expect the test on Tuesday and the extra credit I posted earlier is due before the end of the nine weeks.
The start up for today is "What is embryology?"

Bird and Beak

2011-12-15T07:03:00.002-05:00

We've done all the notes we can on evolution. Now we are going to experience the force that cause the phenomena. Today's lab will allow the students to pick a beak type. They will gather as much food as they can in 30 seconds. The beak types that will be available to them will be a spoon, tweezers, clothespins, and toothpicks. The food they will be available to them will be beads, popcorn, rice, cotton balls, and marshmallows. They will put their food in a small vial. As the game progresses only students who can collect a certain amount of food will survive. Some beaks will be better suited to gather food than others. On top of all that, there may come a drought or a fire that kills off a certain type of food. If that happened to be the easiest food to gather then that beak may die. It comes down to a last man/ woman standing situation.
Of course there are a few rules to this game. First the students can only use one hand to work their respective beaks and the other hand must hold the vial while the vial remains on the table. The second rule is that only one piece of food can be gathered at a time. The lab can be printed off here.
This is a fun game. Food flies everywhere but it illustrates survival of the fittest.

Today's start up is "What is the main source of evidence scientists use to support evolution?"

These are the 11 finches Darwin originally studied on the Galapagos Islands

Evolution Continuted

2011-12-14T09:11:00.001-05:00

We didn't finish the notes we worked on yesterday. We will finish those notes first. Then we will complete the last set of notes the students will need to study for my test next Tuesday. Today's notes deal with the evidence in support of evolution. Here is the notes and here is the answers.
The start up for today is "What is the difference between Darwin and Lamarck's theories?"

Evolution

2011-12-13T08:36:00.002-05:00

We were able to wrap up a lot yesterday. The students shouldn't have anything in there science notebook right now. All the start ups and papers in their notebook can be recycled. Today we are going to start fresh with a new start up paper and a cleaned out notebook.
The agenda today is to complete some notes about what science knows of evolution. The notes can be found here and the answers can be found here. We will be working with Early models of Evolution. This will be number one in the notebook.
The start up today is "What do you know about evolution?"

Start Up Quiz and Notebook Check

2011-12-12T07:25:00.000-05:00

We took a test on Friday and so today we are going to work on cleaning out our notebooks. The start up quiz is all the start ups from Nov. 1st to today and the notebook check has nine different things that will be taken up.

The following are the nine things I will be taking up:

Plants 500-511
Plants 512-520
Bill Nye Plants
Bone study
Bill Nye Muscles
Ecosystems 532-537
Ecosystems 539-543
Ecosystems 544-549
Bill Nye Biodiversity

Possible Extra Credit

Go to sciencedaily and read an article of your choosing. Write 3 paragraphs (5-7 sentences each) summarizing the article. I'll need you to submit the summary in my dropbox. The password to upload your work is "password". If you complete this work I'll swap your lowest test score for a 100.

Test

2011-12-09T08:24:00.001-05:00

We've got a test today. I told the students to study their notes. Its going to cover ecosystems and be taken on the clickers. Please make sure you're ready for the notebook check and the start up quiz on Monday. If you're not sure what goes in the notebook check please look back a few days at the post that lists the papers needed.

Bingo Review

2011-12-08T10:11:00.001-05:00

We are on a two hour delay schedule today so our classes are shorter. Since there is a test tomorrow we are going to review today with a BINGO game. Here is the link of all the words we will be reviewing today and here is the bingo cards we used today.
Remember to study for my test
The start up for today is "get out your notes, make sure your name is on them, and get ready to play bingo."

Brainpop

2011-12-07T08:31:00.001-05:00

So there is a test coming up. For a review we are going to go to the computer lab and watch a few brainpop videos. The username is elkinsms and the password is gearup. Here is the list of videos I expect you to watch today:

Ecosystems
Food Chains
Symbiosis
Carbon Cycle
Nitrogen Cycle
Global Warming
Green House Effect

Make sure you got a 100% on each quiz before you go on.

If you finish early you can play a game on brainpop, go to freerice, picassohead or you can go to ecokids and play a game. No you cannot listen to music and no you cannot go to any other website to play games.

There is no startup for today.

Finish up

2011-12-06T07:27:00.001-05:00

We've got a few things to finish up today. We almost finished the graph yesterday and we still have a few loose ends to tie up with the notes. Hopefully tomorrow we will be back on track for the test on Friday. The notebook check and the start up quiz will be Monday. Make sure the students have the following things for their notebook check

Plants 500-511
Plants 512-520
Bill Nye Plants
Bone study
Bill Nye Muscles
Ecosystems 532-537
Ecosystems 539-543
Ecosystems 544-549
Bill Nye Biodiversity

The start up quiz will be start ups that came after November 1st.

Today we are going to watch a Bill Nye video to allow us some time to catch up.

The start up for today is "What kind of a pattern did you see in the graph yesterday?"

Oh Deer Graph

2011-12-05T07:19:00.001-05:00

We went outside on Friday to gather data about how populations change. Today we are going to graph that data and turn it in for a grade. The data we will be using can be found here.
Here is the data:

The graph should look something like this:

Remember, there were three different groups so there will be three different lines on the graph. We picked the number of rounds and we measured the numbers in each group.
The start up for today is "In our lab on Friday, describe a few of the limiting factors."

Oh' Deer

2011-12-02T07:32:00.001-05:00

So I asked the students to bring a coat yesterday. We are going outside and its kinda cold. The lab we are going to do today is designed to observe how change in the number of organisms in a population can happen. The students will be divided into three groups, resources, deer, and hunters. The resources represent all the food, water, and shelter required for a deer to live. The deer represent a moving population that will seek out the resources they need to survive. The hunters are the top consumer and will kill deer to obtain the food they need to make more hunters.
The idea of the lab is that resources, when eaten by deer, can turn into other deer. If the deer fails to get any resources then the deer will die and turn into resources. The same is true with hunters. If the hunter kills a deer then the deer turns into another hunter. If the hunter fails to kill a deer then the hunter will die and turn into resources.
If the lab is followed then students will see how a change in any of the three groups can cause problems with the other groups. In nature there is a balance between the resources, deer, and predators, and also there will be a balance in this lab.
Once we have completed this lab, the students will asked to graph the data for a grade. The graph will show how the populations of the three groups change over time. From one month to the next, the students will see the groups populations fluxuate up and down.

Now for some artistic talent

This childish picture represents how my students will be arranged outside. The resources don't move, the deer move across the field to get the resources while the hunters shoot over the field to get a deer.

The start up for today is "why do you think West Virginia allows hunters to kill deer?"

Energy Through an Ecosystem

2011-12-01T07:30:00.001-05:00

Today we are going to look at how energy flows through an ecosystem. Food chains, food webs, and energy pyramids are all on the agenda for today. The notes we will be working on can be found here. The answers can be found here. And the book can be found here. This is the last set of notes the students will need to study for my test next week. The test is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 9. Please make sure the students study the notes on Ecology from pg. 532-537, 539-543, and 544-549. All the questions for the test will come from these three sets of notes.
The start up for today is "What factors can influence how many of a species can live in an area?"

Characteristics of Populations

2011-11-30T08:08:00.001-05:00

We got to have some fun yesterday but today its back to work. We are going to work out of the book today on pg. 539-543. Here is the answers for the notes.
The start up for today is "List 3 different abiotic factors."

Singing

2011-11-29T07:25:00.001-05:00

Today we are going to sing. I only sing once a year because, unfortunately, bugs always crawl out of the wall and die when they hear my singing voice. BUT I'm gonna sing today and so are my students. Here is the song lyrics we are going to sing. There is also a picture we are going to evaluate for abiotic and biotic aspects. Finally we are going to analyze various ecosystem relationships using this article from MotherEarthNews.com about Keystone Species in Yellowstone and this review sheet.

Today's start-up is "What is the difference between abiotic and biotic?"

Starting Ecology

2011-11-28T08:42:00.001-05:00

I know its cold outside but it isn't snowing yet. So I think we are gonna get outside a bit over the next few weeks. Today we are going to be working in the book learning about ecological relationships on pg. 532-537. Here is the link for the text book.
The start up for today is "Give an example of an organism interacts with its environment."

P.S. Hope you had a good Thanksgiving. And now, I hope your ready to be back to school!

Bill Nye Bones

2011-11-18T09:11:00.001-05:00

Today we are going to watch a Bill Nye video on Bones and Muscles. The students will need to gather facts from the video and put them in their notebook.
The start up for today is "What is the difference between cardiac and skeletal muscles?"

Muscles from the book

2011-11-17T07:05:00.001-05:00

Today we are going to be working from the book. There is a whole chapter on the skin, muscles, and bones. We have been focusing on the muscles and the bones but the curriculum I am supposed to teach actually says that the students should know about the skin too. Today we will explore how each system interconnects together. Here is the link for the book. We are working from chapter 15. The students will complete the questions at the end of each section.
The start up for today is "Can you name a muscle you cannot control?"

Ratios

2011-11-16T07:12:00.001-05:00

The human body is a thing of beauty. There are very complex functions that happen everyday without even the most knowledgeable doctors being aware. We cannot hope to fully realize those ideas in my class today but we can begin to see some of the relationships present on the surface. We will be looking at the ratio of the Femur (thigh bone) to the overall height of the person. The lab can be found here. We will also be looking at how the bicep and the triceps work to control arm movement. The model for muscular motion can be found here. The lab write up for the model can be found here.
The start up for today is "what is the technical name for finger bones?"

Skeletal System

2011-11-15T07:14:00.001-05:00

We looked at how the body is organized yesterday. There are nine major body systems but we are going to focus on the skeletal system today. What is the skeletal system for? What are some the bone names? Where are bones located in the body? These are just a few of the questions we will be looking at today.
Today we will be identifying major bones of the body using this form. We are also going to exploring why bones are so strong with the strong bone lab today.

This is a little video about the functions of the skeletal system.

The start up today is "What is the purpose of the skeletal system?"

Body Systems

2011-11-14T08:29:00.001-05:00

Today we are going to start working with body systems.

Specifially the skeletal and the muscular systems. Before we start working with theses systems we should know how the systems are organized in our body. We will explore this idea with a lab called Bean Soup. Then we will explore all the systems of the body with a Human Machine Body Wheel.

The start up for today is "How is your body organized?"

Veteran's Day Assembly

2011-11-10T20:15:00.001-05:00

Today we will have a veteran's day assembly. The veteran's will come to the school, the band will play, the choir will sing, and it will be beautiful. The cheerleaders are also going to compete this weekend so we are going to have a pep rally for them. On top of all that we are having a 3 hour early dismissal. Needless to say we are not doing much in class today. We will watch a Bill Nye video on flowers. There is no start up for today.

Just one last note; thanks to all the veteran's for their service to this country and their contribution's to my freedom and the freedom of others. I appreciate your service. Thank you.

Finish the test

2011-11-09T08:30:00.002-05:00

We didn't finish the test up yesterday. I took the test up at the end of class and I'm going to let the students finish it up today. I let the students work in groups yesterday and I let them study some more last night. I hope the scores for this test are all 100 percent. We'll see at the end of the day today.
Since we are finishing the test today there is no start up.

Plant Test

2011-11-08T08:36:00.002-05:00

Today we are going to take a test. Normally I would have the students take a test on the clickers but not this time. I didn't go over the material like I have in the past so this time my test will be different. The students will complete a crossword puzzle as their test this time. They will be able to use their notes and work with a partner to complete the crossword puzzle. They will still be able to tell if they get an A or not because only the correct answers will fit in the crossword blanks. If a student is absent they will take a traditional test when they come back. Here is the answers to the crossword puzzle so they can study.
Since there is a test today there will not be a startup.

Acuity

2011-11-07T07:03:00.002-05:00

Last Friday I went to the state Science Teacher's Conference to get some new ideas for my classroom. The students watched a Bill Nye video with my substitute. The start up for Friday was "How are Gymnosperms and Angiosperms different?"
Today we are going to take our first Acuity benchmark. The students will need to do their best but it is understood that the questions for this benchmark cover the materials they should know for the entire year. The grade for the benchmark will not count as a formal test grade but it is prudent to prepare for my plants test tomorrow. The students will need to study the notes they received last week in class.
There is no start up today because of the acuity test in the computer lab.
When you are done with the acuity test you may go to one of the following sites:
www.coolmath.com
www.freerice.com
www.picassohead.com

Brainpop review

2011-11-03T07:17:00.001-04:00

Yesterday's notes completes all the information my students will need to study for the test next week. Today we are going to explore the data a bit more by reviewing with brainpop.com. Remember, the username is elkinsms and the password is gearup. We are going to watch the video and take the quiz on the following topics:

Algea
Seed Plants
Plant growth
Pollination

The start up for today is "what does cotyledon mean?"

Seed plants

2011-11-02T08:53:00.001-04:00

So we've talked about seedless plants and now we are going to talk about seed plants. There are only two sets of notes for this unit so today will be the last set for plants. There will be a test next week on these notes (probably on Tuesday). The notes can be found here and the answers can be found here.
If you need the link for the book it can be found here.
The start up for today is "What is the difference between vascular and non vascular plants?"

Starting Plants

2011-11-01T07:38:00.001-04:00

After yesterday's excitement we are going to begin working on plants. Today we are going to learn about non-vascular plants. The students will not receive a fill-in-the-blank sheet for these notes but we are going to answer the questions in the book for chapter 17 section 1 and 2 on page 505 and page 511. Here is the link for the book. Remember, its a big file so you may need to save it to your own computer.
The start up for today is "what are the a few similarities and a few differences between plants and animals?"
Today represents the first start up that will count for the next start up quiz and it also represents the first assignment that is going in the notebook for the notebook check.

Pumpkin Drop

2011-10-31T07:21:00.001-04:00

Today is the nine weeks reward and the pumpkin drop. We are going to spend the day learning about the force of gravity and how mass and acceleration relate. The students will learn to calculate how fast the pumpkin falls and then we are going to analyze the pumpkins motion with a video camera in order to determine if our calculations were correct.
After the pumpkin drop is over we are going to enjoy our nine weeks reward.

Clinometer

2011-10-28T08:53:00.001-04:00

In preparation for the pumpkin drop we are going to build a clinometer and measure the height of the middle school. We plan to drop the pumpkins out of a third floor window so the students will need to know how high up the window is in order to find out how fast the pumpkin fell. Here is the template I used for the clinometer.
There is a few things to remember when trying to use the clinometer to find the height of a building.

The building and the ground have to be perpendicular.
You must measure the distance between where you stand and the base of the building
You must add the distance between your eyes and the ground to your final answer for the height of the building.

Here is a picture to help

The final step to finding the height of the building requires an understanding of the tangent function on your calculator. Tangent of the Angle of Elevation equals the height of the building divided by the distance between you and the base of the building
In other words, according to the picture,

Tan(angle)=BC/ AC

so to find just BC, the height of the building, you should multiply Tan(angle) and AC and then add your height (AE)
There is no start up for today.
NOTE: your student can clean out the notebook and their startups completely if they recieved a grade for their work yesterday. I'll never ask for those papers again.

Notebook Check and Start up Quiz

2011-10-27T07:25:00.003-04:00

Its that time again. We are wrapping up waves and getting ready to start plants on Tuesday. Today the notebook check should include the following items:

Old book notes pg. 40-44
Old book notes pg. 45-48
Old book notes pg. 66-72
Bill Nye waves
Old book notes pg. 73-78
Old book notes 80-83
Light Foldable

Each of these items can be found on the blog except the Bill Nye waves which could be obtained from a classmate or me if the student was absent that day. Additionally, we completed two crossword puzzled since the last time I took up the notebooks so those completed crossword puzzle can be substituted for any paper that may be missing from their notebook. The crossword puzzle answers found here on the blog are sufficient for credit in the notebook check.
The start up quiz will check for start ups starting on September 26th- October 25th. There should be a total of 16 start ups to check this time.
Remember that after today, once I take a grade for the notebook and start ups, I will never ask for this material again. My students can completely clear out their notebook; all their papers can be recycled. I like a fresh start each time I take up their notebooks.
I have one final note to add about yesterday. Some of my students requested extra credit after they took my test. My tests are hard but they come directly from my the work the students keep in their notebook. I have decided to offer some extra credit for this test. If the students go to sciencedaily.com or click on one of the articles to the right and read any article of their choosing then write a few paragraphs summarizing the article I will add 15 percent to their overall score (this is the equivalent of getting 3 more questions write on my test). The summary is due in one week. I hope this helps.

Test Day

2011-10-26T07:14:00.002-04:00

Today we are taking a clicker test. I hope my students studied for this test. A few people got some extra credit yesterday during our bingo game so that may help. Good luck!
There is no start up today but there is a start up quiz and a notebook check tomorrow.

Bingo

2011-10-25T10:36:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is my science test. It will be tough but we are reviewing to prepare. I am using the words from my crossword puzzle yesterday to create a bingo game to review with. The bingo cards can be viewed here.
The start up is "what is the meaning of opaque?"

Crossword Puzzle

2011-10-24T08:41:00.002-04:00

Today we are going to work on a crossword puzzle to review for the test on lenses and mirrors that will take place on Wednesday. The answers for the crossword puzzle can be found here. I cannot post the crossword puzzle because I don't have a licence from the site I use to make it. The notebook check and startup quiz are going to happen on Thursday. Mrs. Lambert and I are going to have the students participate in a pumpkin drop on Monday, one week from today. There will be a rubric for the pumpkin drop forthcoming so please check back here or ask your student.
The startup for today is "Why are you unable to see your reflection in a sheet of white paper?"

Telescope Exploration

2011-10-21T08:21:00.003-04:00

Today we are going to explore how a telescope is made. There is a website that is a great resource for explaining how a telescope works and the various types of telescopes. Telescopes from the ground up is where the students should be going today and answer these questions about the website.
The start up for today is "how do you think a telescope is made?"

Foldable

2011-10-20T07:26:00.002-04:00

Lenses and Mirrors can get confusing. In order to keep everything in focus (ha ha) we are going to create a foldable. The foldable will be a way to organize all the data we've been talking about in class. If you didn't get the foldable completed in class then you use this example to complete it at home.
The start up for today is "Give 2 similarities and 2 differences between the lenses and mirrors."

Lenses

2011-10-19T08:42:00.001-04:00

Today we are going to work with lenses. Lenses can manipulate light in a similar fashion as mirrors. One lens will cause light to spread out and another lens will cause light to come together at a focal point. The notes we are going to work on today can be found here and the answer key can be found here.
The start up for today is "What kind of a lens causes light to come together at a focal point?"
Concave lens

Convex lens

Burnin' Ants

2011-10-18T11:03:00.001-04:00

There aren't any ants left outside but there are several dead leaves. We are using convex lenses to burn holes in leaves and watch the smoke rise. Convex lenses have a focal point and the students can use it to focus the sunlight on a leaf. They also get to play with concave lenses to see how the image looks.
The start up for today is "What kind of mirror makes a bigger image?"

Mirrors

2011-10-17T09:23:00.000-04:00

Today we are going to discuss how different shaped mirrors can create different images. The notes we are going to work on can be found here. The answers can be found here.They are number 5 in the notebook.
The start up for today is "What are the shapes of the two different types of mirrors?"
Concave mirror's can make an object look bigger or upside down

Diagram of light path for a concave mirror

Convex mirrors can make things look further away

Diagram of light path for a convex mirror

Bill Nye Optics

2011-10-14T07:10:00.001-04:00

Light interacts with objects differently depending on what they are made of. Glass can refract and bend light while a mirror can reflect light at different angles.
There are lots of examples of reflections. Any smooth surface can reflect an image but water is the most photographed.

Refraction is tougher but a rainbow is natural example of water refracting light to make a prism.

The Bill Nye video today will demonstrate both principles. The students will need to write down 20 different things they learned from the video. This will go in their notebook.

The start up is "what is the difference between infrared and ultraviolet light?"

Properties of Light

2011-10-13T07:31:00.001-04:00

We have been talking about waves in science and yesterday we finished up with a test. Now we are going to specialize by talking specifically about light waves. The notes the students already have will be part of the next test so it is important to keep them, not just for the notebook check, but also for studying for my next test. Here are the notes we are going to go over today and in case you didn't the answers, here they are. They will be number 3 in the notebook.
The start up for today is "What are the different types of waves in the EM spectrum?"

Test Day

2011-10-12T12:07:00.002-04:00

Today is the test. The students should have studied the two pages of notes and their crossword puzzle. There is no start up today.

Review for Test

2011-10-11T07:17:00.002-04:00

I was absent last Thursday. The students watched a Bill Nye video on Light and Color. The start up was "how does a different wavelength effect waves?"
We are going to play Jeopardy to review for the test tomorrow. I announced the test last week and said it was coming on Wednesday or Thursday and it turns out that Wednesday works better. The start up for today is "How long does it take light from the Sun to reach Earth?"

Brainpop

2011-10-05T07:25:00.000-04:00

Maid Sylvia is visiting EMS today. On top of that, my students are very excited about the carnival downtown. With all of these distractions I've decided to go to the computer lab today and have the students work with brainpop. The login is elkinsms and the password is gearup. The students will be watching the following videos and taking the quiz until they get 100%:

Waves
Hearing
Sound
Electromagnetic Spectrum
Light
Color

Because we are in the computer lab there will not be a startup today.

Sound Review

2011-10-03T08:27:00.000-04:00

Snow Shoe is a great place to visit. It was very cold though. Unfortunately I was unprepared. The kids had a great time geocaching and I look forward to doing it again. Today we are going to pick up where we left off with waves. We are finished with sound waves and we are going to complete a crossword puzzle to review the key concepts that were covered last week. Here is the crossword puzzle answers. You should use this tool to study for the test that is coming. I'm not sure when the test will be but it will next week after we play Jeopardy. The start up for today is "If I said that wavelength and frequency have an inverse relationship, what does that mean?"

Snowshoe

2011-09-30T07:55:00.001-04:00

We're going to snowshoe. WOOHOO! I'm excited. The kids are gonna love going geocahing and learning about wilderness survival. It's gonna be great.If, unfortunately, you didn't get to go and had to stay back at school you will be working with brainpop.com today.No start up for today

Geocaching

2011-09-29T07:44:00.001-04:00

The snowshoe field trip is tomorrow. We are going to be geocaching and we are going to learn how to survive outdoors. I'm really excited to show my students about geocaching. Here is an introductory video explaining the basic idea.

There is a great website that explains a lot of the geocaching rules and how to get started. http://www.geocaching.com/default.aspx
The start up today is "what is geocaching?"

Waves Demo

2011-09-28T07:31:00.003-04:00

We've discussed the properties of waves and now we are going to witness them. There are several ways to show the properties of waves. Today we will be able to see transverse waves as we jump rope, compression waves as we manipulate a slinky, and hopefully electromagnetic waves with an infrared temperature gun and a spectroscope.
Sometimes its hard to visualize a wave since some aren't visible. Here is a picture that shows how big a wave can be

And here is examples of some sources of waves

The lab we are doing today is called Making Sound and we get to hear sound travel through metal instead of air. It sounds pretty nifty.

The start up for today is "Why can't you scream in space?"

Wave Properties

2011-09-27T07:33:00.000-04:00

So we started waves yesterday. In the same theme we are going to continue with wave properties. Today's notes will go in the notebook as number 2. We will go over the notes before you leave but if you missed them here is the student copy and here is the answers.

Transverse Wave

Compression wave

The start up for today is "What is the difference between mechanical and electromagnetic waves?"

Waves Day 1

2011-09-26T08:59:00.003-04:00

We've worked in the new book once before. Today I'm going to introduce you to the old book. I don't have access to this book online. We are going to complete a fill- in- the- blank today that will go in your notebook as number 1. The answers will presented to you at the end of class. The notes can be downloaded here and the answers here.
The start up for today is "What are three examples of waves?"

End of Science Basics

2011-09-23T07:17:00.000-04:00

Today is the wrap up day. We are starting Waves on Monday. There will be more notes and less labs unfortunately and the material gets harder but I know my students can rise to the challenge. The lesson today is a Bill Nye video on measurements. While the video is on my students will have an opportunity to get missing work turned in. There is a three hour early dismissal today as well.
The new start ups will begin on Monday as well.

Notebook Check/ Start up Quiz

2011-09-22T07:24:00.000-04:00

And finally we come to the last new procedure. We've been in school for a while now and it is time to take up the notebook and check for the start ups. These grades are designed to be easy and should boost grades. Really all that is required is that the students did what I asked them to in class. The work that goes in the notebook will be taken up. I make sure the labs were completed and that the notes were wrote down. Sometimes the students lose these papers which is why I've posted them on my previous blogs and why I announced what I would be taking up, both in class and in yesterday's blog. If the student can't find it online then it is fine for them to borrow a classmates to get the information. All I need is proof they completed the work.

Everyday when the students come to class I have a start up posted on the board. The students are supposed to come into class and begin working on the start up. I will be taking a test grade on these start ups today. The students will be given five different dates. Using their own start up paper, they will need to write the start up question and the answer for those dates down. I take up the quiz and see if they wrote the right ones. It is important to note that I don't expect the students to memorize my start ups, instead they can use their own start up paper as a reference to complete the quiz. Up until today the students could have copied any start up they missed from my blog or from the master start up list I keep next to the board. Again they can use a classmates start ups to get the ones they missed, but they cannot use their classmates start ups today during the quiz.
If these seems confusing please send me an email at mramsey@access.k12.wv.us so I can clarify.

Finally the students can completely clean out their science folder after today. Starting tomorrow we will be working on new information and the old material will not be utilized in my class ever again. When we review before WesTest I will provide for the review material they need. Again, the materials I take up today and anything else in their notebook can be recycled or thrown away.

There is a test today

2011-09-21T07:25:00.002-04:00

I don't really have much to write today. There is a test. I hope your ready.
No start up
On second thought, I should say that the notebook check and the start up quiz is tomorrow. The students will need to have the date, question, and answer for all the start ups thus far.
The notebook check has six things in it:

Seeing is Believing
Scientific Method Notes
Bill Nye Pseudoscience
Fossil Footprints
Beyond the Eye
Book Work pg. 11 and 18 questions 1-5 on both pages.

Jeopardy

2011-09-20T06:27:00.000-04:00

There is a test tomorrow. The start up quiz and the notebook check are Thursday. This week is busy. One final day of review for this test. As a review we will play Jeopardy and the winner of the game will receive a bonus point for the test. The students need to study for my test because it will not be easy. Yesterday I became concerned when my students didn't have their notes to complete the crossword puzzle. Hopefully they were able to download them from the internet. If not, then the crossword puzzle we completed as a class yesterday will have to suffice for a study guide; and of course Jeopardy will help too.
The start up is "what are the rules for Jeopardy?"

Crossword Review

2011-09-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

The test is Wednesday. I hope my students are studying. Today we are going to work on a crossword puzzle with the key vocabulary to help review. The link for the answers is here. I thought I would also post my pre-test the students took at the beginning of the year so they could review the types of questions I ask.
The start up for today is "What five things should you study for my test?"

Test Preparation

2011-09-16T07:44:00.002-04:00

The test on the scientific method and the labs we've been doing in class is drawing closer. On Wednesday we are going to take a test on the work we've been doing for the past month. In order to prepare for the test the students need to study

The scientific method notes
Units for matter
How to find density
How to use scientific tools like

Triple beam balance
Graduated cylinder
Microscope

How to read a graph

The list above is very general and I should say that I make my tests hard. It is my intent to measure the learning that has taken place, not what the students already knew, so it is a good idea to study.

To prepare for the test we are going to watch a few brainpop.com videos today. If you would like to review then the username is "elkinsms" and the password is "gearup" but I think the site limits the times students can access the video to before 5 p.m.

We are going to watch the measuring matter and a few of the famous scientist videos.

The start up is "define density"

Intro to Science Book

2011-09-15T08:32:00.000-04:00

Today we are going to work out of the book. The test next week deals with the scientific method and the labs we've done in class. The book review will be helpful for the students and the questions we go over today may appear on the test. The link for the book is found here. It is a big file so please be patient as it loads. The students will work on pg 6-11 and pg. 12-18. There are questions at the end of each section that will need to be wrote and answers in a complete sentence. This work will be added to their notebook so they can review it this weekend.The start up is "Rewrite the 5 scientific method steps in your own words."

Graph data

2011-09-14T08:14:00.001-04:00

We are going to make a graph today. We gathered data about our heart rate yesterday and the students made a bar graph by themselves for homework. Today I'm going to provide data and the students will make a line graph. They should graph time on the x-axis and heart rate on the y-axis. The following is a picture of the data.

The graph you make should look like this.

The graph will be taken up for a test grade. The start up for today is "what is a great way to organize data that is to be put into a graph?"

NOTE: There is a test on the 21st of next week. The test will cover all the labs we've done in class and the notes we've gone over in class. There will also be a start-up quiz and a notebook check on the 22nd. The notebook includes the following

Seeing is believing
Scientific method/ T.A.L.K.S notes
Bill Nye Pseudoscience
Fossil Footprints
Beyond the Eye

There may be more papers in the notebook by next week. Please make sure you are prepared for these upcoming grades.

How does your heart rate

2011-09-13T08:26:00.002-04:00

There is a nation wide initiative to teach children to get more active. Today we are going to explore different types of exercises and find the heart rate associated with each. The idea is that tomorrow the students can graph their data and turn it in for a test grade. The essential knowledge today is being able to find their heart rate. I found this video online that explains it well.

How to Find a Resting Heart Rate -- powered by ehow

The lab documentation can be found here. The startup for today is "how do you find your heart rate?"

Beyond the Eye

2011-09-12T08:29:00.004-04:00

Today we are going to learn how to use a microscope. I collected various samples of flower and water on my walk this morning. These samples should contain many microscopic organisms that the students can observe under a microscope. The lab paper we are using can be found here.
The specimens the students may see include the following.
Euglena:

Flower Petal:

It is important for the students to remember the proper way to hold a microscope.

One hand on the arm and one hand under the base.

The start up for today is "what is the proper way to hold a microscope?"

Metric Measurements cont.

2011-09-09T08:33:00.001-04:00

We didn't have a chance to finish the lab yesterday. Yesterday we got to work with the triple beam balances but we didn't complete the whole thing. Today we will finish the activity and continue on to the displacement activity. If there is time we watch a brainpop video about different ways to measure matter.
Today's startup is "what does it mean to mass by difference?"

Metric Measurements

2011-09-08T09:00:00.002-04:00

A triple beam balance is a great way to find the mass of something. They can usually be found in doctors offices to find the mass of the patient. Today we are going to practice using a triple beam balance. There are several techniques to learn including the mass by difference technique where the students find the mass of water by subtracting the mass of the glass containing the water. The lab is call metric measurements.
Today's start up is "is there a technique to find the volume of your hand?"

Fossil Footprints

2011-09-07T08:54:00.002-04:00

An inference is an educated guess. There are several different stories that can be derived from a picture. If there is not an explanation then any number of scenarios is possible. The fossil footprints activity shows the students three pictures. Each new picture reveals a bit more of the story and when all three pictures are revealed there are several possible stories. It is up to the students to decide which story is more likely. They will create an inference about what happened based on the information available in the picture.
POSITION 1

POSITION 2

POSITION 3

There are questions that accompany each picture. The questions are designed to help the students create their own inferences. We will go over them in class today.

The start up for today is "What do you think an inference is?"

Creating a Graph

2011-09-06T08:51:00.001-04:00

We talked about how to make a good graph last week. There are several aspects of science and problem solving that requires the skill to make and read a graph. Today we are going to practice how to make a graph. I will provide the data and graph paper to my classes so they can demonstrate how to create a graph.

The start up for today is "What word can you use to make a good graph?

Your graph should look something like this:

Bill Nye Pseudoscience

2011-09-02T07:32:00.001-04:00

We've been working hard in science class. Today I'm going to take up the projects and we are going to watch a video about what science is not. Since we know the scientific method, now we can see what happens with the scientific method is forgotten.
The start up for today is "What does Pseudoscience mean?"

T.A.L.K.S.

2011-09-01T07:37:00.001-04:00

We've been talking about the scientific method but the most important part of science isn't that. In fact is the ability to read a chart or graph. I understand that not everyone is going to grow up and be a scientist but in order to be an intelligent consumer my students will need to be able to personally evaluate the quality of science they see in the media or in society. People use science to lie and to mislead. A graph that represents the data is a great way to discern the opinions from the facts.

Yesterday the students who had their homework done were able to participate in a sponge lab to find out how much water a sponge will hold. Today they will graph the data. I have some notes to give them about how to create a quality graph and then to interpret graphs they didn't create themselves.
The start up today is "What is required for a good graph?"

Sponge Lab

2011-08-31T07:43:00.000-04:00

The scientific method is a great way to problem solve but if the students aren't familiar with how it works it does them no good. The sponge lab is a simple lab that will allow the students to follow the scientific method to discover how much water a sponge can hold. The important aspects of today's lab is the ability to create a lab report including a detailed conclusion. The grade for the labs in my class will come from the detailed conclusion. If your student is absent then the lab is linked here.
I will also be going over the homework that is due today. The students were supposed to complete the cut and paste activity I assigned Monday.
Here is the start up "How much water do you think a sponge can hold?"

Nail Balance

2011-08-30T07:26:00.000-04:00

A new puzzle today. We've been talking about observation in my class. Now we are going to talk about inferences. The challenge is to find a way to balance as many nails as possible on one nail head.

How to balance six nails on one nail

So this link is the shortest one I could find that explains how to balance the nails. I'm sorry if it wont load but youtube.com is blocked at school so I had to use this site instead.
The start up today is "Create a hypothesis for the following problem: How can you balance 10 nails on one nail head?"

Scientific Method Notes

2011-08-29T08:50:00.004-04:00

There is a series of steps associated with the scientific method. Francis Bacon is credited with describing the steps first. Observation, Hypothesis, Experiment are the three original steps to the scientific method. Today I will provide notes and homework that are more detailed. The homework is due on Wednesday. The scientific method notes will be included on the test.
The start up today is "describe the scientific method."