Tuesday/Wednesday, October 28/29, 2014

GUEST BLOGGER: Angelina from Period 3

So what we did in class today was mainly watching the movie "Super Size Me". 

First, we completed question #12 on page 13 of your science notebook on an index card. Then we got out and opened up to page 15-16 which were the "Super Size Me" Notes. We completed (a majority) of the notes while watching the video, but as a group we first completed the challenge question at the top of page 15 in your science notebook. Note that we did not have enough time to finish all of our notes for the video because we were out of time. Also note that you do not have to write your answers in full sentences.

Monday, October 27, 2014

GUEST BLOGGER: Jessica from Period 3

Today in science, the students wrote an index card on Activity 14, Conclusion question #2. They also went over sources of error for Activity #14 by looking at the class data collected with this form. For example, maybe you stopped your timer at the wrong time, or your cup overflowed. Also, page 1 of vocab was due.  

The main activity for the day was finding the surface area of cubes in different configurations to show that the more you mechanically break down food, the easier it is for your body to chemically break down the food even further because the vinegar can act simultaneously on more surfaces to chemically break down your food.

Thursday/Friday, October 23/24, 2014

GUEST BLOGGER: KC from Period 2

Hello class!

Today we did Activity 14 Part 2, but first Mrs. McCabe stamped pgs 5-6 in our Science Notebooks. Vocab is also due Monday, don't forget. 

First we had to finish our data table and procedures. After that we conducted our experiment by following our exact procedures. 

Here is a video of Table 5's experiment from Period 3.

Then we submitted our results to the qr code and finished our Conclusions. 

After our break, we worked on typing up our Activity 14 Part 2 Materials and Procedures into a Google Doc that was due Monday. Lots of kids got that done and submitted by the end of class. 

That's all for today!

Tuesday/Wednesday, October 21/22, 2014

GUEST BLOGGER: Allison from Period 2

Today in Science we started off by receiving our new Unit B Stamp Sheet & the graded answer to #28 Unit A Test was passed back. We reviewed the answers to both #27 and #28, and then did vocabulary for activities 12 & 14 while Mrs. McCabe stamped our Activity 12. 

Table groups next worked on Activity 14 Part 2 by designing an experiment (bottom of page 8) trying to solve this problem: how does the size of food affects the speed at which chemical breakdown occurs? After completing the Procedure Notes on pages 5 & 6 (unnumbered, found after the Activity 12 Analysis), table groups began working on their procedures on page 9. We will finish our procedures and conduct our experiment next class.

Monday, October 20, 2014

GUEST BLOGGER: A.J. from Period 4

Late start today, so we didn't have a ton of time.

We jumped immediately into Activity 12's analysis questions.  The first question table groups worked on together; many groups agreed that the liver in their model was not accurate. We discussed why that might have been (lack of knowledge, lack of materials, lack of space) and said that all models have their limits. The second analysis question students answered on their own. We discussed how many students drew their heart in the wrong position (on the side/shoulder rather than closer to the middle) and that many students had organs in their first picture that we didn't even build. We discussed whether it would be possible for us to build all the organs inside our model, but most agreed the model would be far too packed and chaotic. So the question then came up...if models are inexact and often only tell part of the story, why bother? Students said that despite their shortcomings, models are helpful because they are visual representations of complex things that we don't usually get to see with our own eyes. This discussion provided the answer to analysis question #3.

The second half of the period we worked on Activity 14 Part 1. We did an experiment by dropping a tablet (like the ones that fizz when it touches liquids) into vinegar.

Then we recorded what we observed in our science notebook.

We also went over the answers to THE MODEL above our observations, and the answers are: the antacid tablet represents food; breaking the tablet represents mechanical breakdown; adding vinegar represents chemical breakdown. We'll extend the model next class as we design an experiment to test how mechanical breakdown impacts the speed of chemical breakdown.

Thursday/Friday October 16/17, 2014

Activity 12

Fun stuff!  After playing musical chairs and moving to new seats, we tackled building a model of the human body.  Though we only focused on 6 body systems and limited organs, it was still a practice in comprehending how all the pieces fit together.

Table group leaders assigned clay and organ systems to table members, and each person began to shape their parts.

Many students downloaded the free 4D app so they could see how the parts looked 3 dimensionally as well as how the different systems interact.

After 30 minutes of group work time, bodies were assembled, drawn and labelled at the bottom of page 3, and then dismantled.

We had time to complete the first table at the top of page 4 but not the second/middle table (that's homework).  We'll complete the Analysis Questions on Monday.  Have a great weekend!

Tuesday/Wednesday October 14/15, 2014

Unit A Test Day!!!

We started the class period reviewing tonight's homework, then played a lively round of Kahoot to review for the Unit A Test.  We strolled over the Computer Lab and exchanged stamp sheets to complete the Unit A Notebook Check, then began the Unit A Test (scores for #s 1-26 will be sent home via Flubaroo Wednesday afternoon).  Finally, students started working on their Unit A tabs of their ePortfolios.  This tab should be updated by next week (Tuesday 10/21 for periods 1 &3, Wednesday 10/22 for periods 0, 2 & 4).

Here we go!

After being inspired to start blogging in my classroom at a recent Google Conference, I'm embarking on this blog for the sake of my 7th grade Life Science students at CVMS.

So what's a Blog?

blog

bläɡ/

noun

1. 1.

   a regularly updated website or web page, typically one run by an individual or small group, that is written in an informal or conversational style.
2. 
   

The purpose of this blog is to provide a daily glimpse into what class is like in room 406. What did we learn?  What experiment did we do? What did groups talk about or work on? How many times did Mrs. McCabe trip or tell ANOTHER random story about her kids? And if you're absent (or absent-minded) you can visit this page and get a play-by-play about what you missed.

The "plan" (and that's stated loosely, fingers crossed this all comes to fruition) is that each class period will have a blog entry - that's three blog posts a week. I'm going to hit up students to be "Guest Bloggers" so I don't have to write these all myself.  For information about what a blog entry should look like, how to sign up or where to submit your blog post, click on the link on my webpage under "Daily Blog" and use the pull down menu.

I'll also welcome random musings from students about current events in science.  If you see a movie, read an article, or there's a current event you'd like to report upon that ties into what we're learning in here, feel free to submit.  I, of course, reserve the right as editor, but I'd like to think I'm pretty open-minded.  Let's see what we can come up with.....