Farewell 8th Graders

It's been a pleasure to teach all of you and get to know you as young adults.  I wish you luck in high school and beyond.  Take care, be safe and make wise choices.  Enjoy your summer.

Periods 1, 3, 5

Study Guides!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We began working on our year end study guide.  It's huge!  10 pages total reviewing the whole school year's worth of science.  The study guide will be collected daily until Wednesday so students can study from it for their finals.  The Finals schedule is as follows:  Thursday, Periods 1,3, 5 have finals.  Friday, Periods 2, 4, 6. 

Once again students, the study guide is worth 200 points.  The final is worth 300 points.  You will also be graded on your growth from the pre-test that we took at the beginning of the year to this post-test.  So, work hard, study hard!  Have a great last week in 8th grade!

Study Guide For Final

Science Textbooks/Cruise

If you see any textbooks looking like this one, bring it back!  I need it!  Those of you who checked out textbooks and haven't returned them will be fine $60.00.  Thank you!


Also, tomorrow is the Annual 8th Grade Cruise on Coeurd'Alene Lake!  Those of you who have earned the priviledege will have an amazing time as well as get to eat some pizza and drink some soda too!  It'll be sunny, plan accordingly like SUNSCREEN!

See you on the BOAT tomorrow!!

Constellation Projects

The project due date has come and gone.  There were a few great projects.  See the amazingly perfect project about Libra below!  Nice job to the student who put in a ton of effort and it shows!  All late work is due by tomorrow!  Study guides come out on Monday and we will work on them in class for three days.  Finals are next Thursday for periods 1, 3 and 5 and Friday for periods 2, 4 and 6.  Study hard.  Grades for the final are based on two factors.  One, the actual score on the final and measurable growth from the students pre-test score from the fall to their post-test scores.  It's a great way to see how much all have learned over the school year here in Earth Science.  Work hard these last 6 days!

Classroom Planetarium

Today was the day we inflated the planetarium and sat under the stars in the middle of the day!  Once sitting in there for awhile and taking it all in, the students tried to identify what constellations they were actually looking at.  The top class gets some sort of prize.  Whatever I can afford. :)

Constellation Projects

Alright people, the end of the year is close so that can only mean one thing!  Constellation projects!  We will be researching constellations, the myths and cultures affiliated with them and then write our own myths about our constellations.  Once complete, we will then build a planetarium and paint the constellations and be able to fit a whole class in the planetarium to view our constellations in the dark.  Below is the paperwork that goes along with the project.  

Constellation Project Details

Big Bang Theory

Today we covered the state mandated topic of the "Big Bang Theory".  Students watched the video below and answered questions based on the video and turned it in at period's end.


Big Bang Theory Video
Video Worksheet

Black Holes

Nat. Geo: Black Holes Video

Livin' The Life Of A Star!

To review the stages of the life cycle of a star, we watched a short video and then students are to write a creative story from the perspective of a HIGH MASS star going through it's life cycle.  The pages below can be used as reference in their writing.  It's expected that facts are included within their writing that are accurate.

Life Cycle of Star Pages From Book
Rubric For Story

Magnitude and Star Temperature

We read E115-E128 about stars life cycles as well as their temperature and colors.  When completed the reading, we worked on the worksheets below.  Also, vocabulary from 4.1, 4.2 and the word constellation need to be defined.

Star Magnitude/Temperature

Life Cycle of Stars

We started ASTRONOMY today!  We are truly on the home stretch to the end of the school year now!  Students will need foam board by about next Wednesday for a project.  One per pairing of students.  We will also be using our devices on Tuesday and Wednesday next week for research!  Plan accordingly.  Today, we watched two Brainpop movies.  One about the sun and one about the life cycle of stars.  You can logon and watch those.  rachaelkt and the password is donorschoose.
There is a worksheet that goes along with it.  See below.

Brainpop-Life Cycle of Star worksheet

Finding Nemo

Nemo has to find the EAC (East Australian Current) in order to find his dad.  So, we decided to watch Finding Nemo today and Monday.  There is a worksheet that goes along with it.  Within the movie there is some good science!

Finding Nemo Worksheet

Rubber Duck INVASION!

True story!  1992.  92,000 rubber ducks dumped accidently into the ocean.  Where did they go and how did they get there?  We solve those mysteries in class today.  Today students were to use the map below to map the ocean conveyor belt.  They also were to make predictions about where they thought those 92k ducks went after being dumped just east of Japan.  Then on Wednesday, they were to use the book page C85 to map all the ocean currents and their temperatures.

Rubber Duck Article

Link to world map

Ocean Currents

This post is for Monday, April 28th.  We read section 3.1 in the book and completed a worksheet over our reading.

Oceans 3.1 Worksheet

Finishing Up Aquifers, On To Oceanography!

We finally finished our aquifer pamphlets and moved on to ocean currents.  Weather is affected by our ocean currents.  We will be watching Kon Tiki at the end of next week.  It's a great documentary about how primitive peoples used ocean currents to travel over 3,000 miles using ocean currents! Stay tuned!

Edible Aquifers

For the students to get a better idea in their mind of what an aquifer REALLY looks like, we made edible aquifers today in class.  This activity was great, the kids seemed to really get what we were making and without all your donations, it wouldn't have been possible, so THANK YOU!  We also had some pollution running through our aquifers and discussed how we could possibly prevent pollution in our drinking water and/or conserve our aquifer's water.  Great day in class.

The questions below needed to be answered in order to receive full credit for the activity.

1. What observations/results surprised you? What did not?
2. How did results compare among different aquifers? (Even if all students used the same option in Step 3,
each aquifer will be somewhat different.)
3. What parts of the activity were most/least like what would happen with a real aquifer? Why?
4. What happens if all of the water is pumped out of an aquifer? Where does more ground water come from?
How long do you think it would take? Is there always more ground water, or could we run out?
5. Do you think a contaminated aquifer can be cleaned? If so, how?
6. How can we conserve (save) ground water? What specifically can kids do?
7. How can we protect ground water (keep it clean)? What specifically can kids do?

Aquifer Brochures

Tuesday and Thursday we are working on aquifer brochures based on our knowledge of the Spokane-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer.  The requirements are below.  These will be 50 points and I'm looking for the best one in EACH class.

Aquifer Brochure Rubric

Aquifer Atlas

The following link has the aquifer atlas that is in class.  It will help you complete the worksheet.  We worked on the aquifer atlas worksheet Friday and Monday in class.  It's quite extensive, so work hard. Hope you all had a great weekend.

Aquifer Atlas

Aquifer Atlas Worksheet

Movie Poster Mania!

Today in class we finished watching the video over the Great Missoula Flood.  Once complete, we began making our movie posters.  Above are some examples of movie posters.  The students posters must include the following:  Title, 2 movie reviews, 3 facts, color, creative, picture, 75% or more of poster must be used.

Mystery of the Megaflood

In class, we began watching the PBS video over the Mystery of the Megaflood.  The video details how Glacial Lake Missoula formed, how the ice dam broke and where all the flooding occured around this area.  There is a worksheet that goes with it as well.  Tomorrow we will finish the video and worksheet then we will create movie posters based on the movie.  Bring your supplies!

Mystery of the Megaflood Worksheet

About the Ice Age Floods

We are onto the Great Missoula Floods that had a direct impact on this area as well as Washington and Oregon!  We were to read the packet and then summarize our reading by creating a 9 box comic.  For Wednesday, students will need posterboard (NOT TRI-FOLDS).  We will be creating posters based on our learning.  Glitter, crayons, colored pencils, markers, etc are also needed!

Ice Age Floods Reading

Comic Paper

Quiz Day and Documentary

 

Weather Quiz today.  I'm not sure everyone believes me when I tell them they should study.  It's 4th quarter and we are on the homestretch!  I know the weather is nice but school must be on the list of priorities.  After the quiz, we watched a documentary of the deadly Joplin, Missouri tornado that hit that area May 22, 2011.  The picture above is what is left of Home Depot.

Stormy Weather....Quiz Tomorrow!

We have a quiz tomorrow!  You should study and get 4th quarter off to an amazing start!  All work from this week is due tomorrow as well.  Today we worked on learning how storms form such as tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, etc.  Students were expected to complete the worksheet below.

Some information about the quiz besides vocabulary is the following:
1.     How does the addition of energy (heat) affect air? 

2.     How is air pressure and air density related?

 3.      When air masses meet at fronts, why does the warm air rise above the cold air?

4.      What causes your ear drums to “pop” when you go to a higher elevation?

Extra Credit

5.      What characteristics describe a continental tropical air mass?  

Weather 3.2 3.3 Worksheet

Weather Puts Up Quite A Front

Weather fronts:  Warm, cold, occluded, stationary.  We read section D 3.1.  We briefly learned about these types of fronts today and then had an assignment that help reinforce our learning.  The link to the worksheet is below.  Remember their is a quiz Friday over the vocabulary and you also need to know how energy and density play a role in weather.

Weather D 3.1 Worksheet

Air Pressure and A Little Fun Demo

In class today we talked about air pressure and I had a little demo using a hard boiled egg, matches and a bottle.  It demonstrated how air pressure changes and then forces the egg into the bottle.  We also read D 2.1 in the book starting on page D43 and completed the worksheet below.  Remember there is a quiz on Friday!

Reading Worksheet D2.1

What Is Up With The Weather?

Well, we will answer that question and others this week in Science!  It's a quick review of weather concepts that have already been covered over the years.  Today we did vocabulary and reviewed the water cycle.  There will be a quiz over vocabulary terms on Friday!  Study!

Weather Vocabulary

Bridge To Future Winners:

Congratulations to all our winners!  Thanks for coming out to our event! All prizes can be picked up at school once it resumes April 7th!

Bridge To Your Future Night

 

March 27th!  It's TOMORROW!  We will have many groups/activities/sports teams from the high school coming down here to PFMS from 4:30-6:30. You can win a Samsung Galaxy Tablet, gift cards to various restaurants(Zips, Pita Pit, Noodles Express, Applebees, Rob's Seafood) as well as WalMart gift cards, Starbucks coffee sampler and Starbucks pint glasses too.  This event will allow you and your child the opportunity to see what amazing things the high school has to offer over the next FOUR years! We have THREE NEW GROUPS COMING: Ski Club, Snowboarding Club and Rock Climbing Club!
Other groups will include:  School counselors, North Idaho College, Educational Talent Search (ETS), Girls Basketball, Cross Country, ROTC, Football, Softball, Baseball, Golf, Japanese Anime Manga, ASB, Key Club, DECA, PFHS Booster Club, Near Peer, KTEC, Spirit Club, National Honor Society, Yearbook, Dance and more!

Three Fourths Done!

It was quiz day today over minerals.  So far, so great!  What an amazing way to end third quarter!  I will choose Science Students of the Quater when we come back.  There are a lot of potential candidates out there!
A couple things to remember, Bridge to Your Future Night is THIS THURSDAY 4:30-6:30 at PFMS.  See you there!  Have an amazing Spring Break and see you soon.

Mineral Quiz Tomorrow!!

Tomorrow we will have a quiz that goes over the following mineral vocabulary: cleavage, compound, crystal, density, element, fracture, hardness, luster, mineral, Moh's, ore, streak, fluorescence.  Other information that needs to be known are the 4 characteristics of a mineral and what they mean.  Students will also be responsible for knowing how minerals are used in industry as well as three properties that are used in identifying minerals.  If students know all this, they should ACE this quiz on the last day of the 3rd quarter!

Finishing The Chapter

Today we finished reading the chapter on Minerals. We learned about how minerals are used in our everyday lives.

We had a reading worksheet that we completed as we read.

Reading Worksheet A2.3

Into the Crystal Caves

In class we began watching the video about the Crystal Caves discovered in Mexico.  Students were to take note of the different scientists that are involved in the expedition as well as what were the scientists looking for in those HUGE crystals?!  Friday there is a quiz over the mineral chapter.  It is mostly vocabulary.  Friday is also the last day to turn in late/missing work.  The quarter ends next Tuesday.  Have I mentioned yet that there is an amazing event planned March 27th for 8th graders only?!  See you then at 4:30 next Thursday!  

Into The Crystal Caves

Properties of Minerals

In class today, we read about the properties of minerals and their reliability when it comes to identifying minerals.  Some properties such as how a rock breaks, the streak it leaves and hardness are very reliable.  Other properties such as color are very UNRELIABLE!  Remember, we have a quiz on Friday!

Homework was also assigned!!  Internet use will be needed!  It is due next Monday!

Mineral Mania

Minerals!

We started a new unit today!  We are going backwards in the book.  We are back in Unit A Chapter 2.1.  Our focus today was the four characteristics of a mineral:
              *formed in nature
              *definite chemical make-up
              *crystal structure
              *solid

After completing the reading, we worked on the worksheet below.

Mineral_2.1 worksheet

Test Tomorrow!

Today and yesterday we worked on determining the epicenter of earthquakes using triangulation.  The packet is below.  It isn't an easy concept so if you were gone, I suggest you look on Youtube for videos that discuss this to help you at home and when at school, ask ME!  Quiz tomorrow, study sheets were passed out today in class along with a Mercalli/Richter scale assignment.  I will have to post that in the morning, I forgot!
Epicenter Triangulation Worksheets

Earthquakes Review

It's a review day in class today.  We are reviewing earthquakes and will have a test on Friday! I expect people to study and do well on it so they get a great grade for the quarter.  Did you know there is only 10 days left in the quarter?  The questions are below for the Chapter review.

Expectations:  #1-4 define all words
                      #5-20 all
                      # 24
                      B 73 1-8
                      Short answer:  Describe how energy and density play a role in earthquakes.

Earthquakes Chapter Review

Megaquake: Cascadia

We decided to pull the plug on the Spaghetti project.  It was on life support and not looking good.  So, we have moved on in our lives.  Today we watched the video below and during the video, we were to cite evidence that supports the theory of megaquakes happening in the past as well as in the future.  

We do have an earthquakes quiz on Friday!

Megaquake Video 

Week in Review

We spent the week wrapping up our spaghetti tower challenge - we will be testing the structures on Monday, March 10th.   Each group will be evaluated on Monday based on the rubric passed out last week. 

In addition to the project we also completed Reading Worksheet 2.2.

A Visit From Our School Counselor

Today in class our school counselor, Mr. Trackwell came and visited.  He was here introducing the idea of high school registration!  Speaking of which, March 12th 6 pm at PFHS in the Commons, parents are invited to go learn about registration.  But, back to my class.  He will be back tomorrow and the students will create a 4 year plan for high school.  In our spare time, we worked on structures!

Spaghetti Towers Project Continues....

Another day of building here in Room 106.  I see some great thinking and planning going on.  It will be great to see those walls upright and standing!  We will have a few interruptions the next two days getting ready for registering for high school. Keep building and stay tuned for new pictures posted!


Photos of project

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Day 3: Spaghetti Towers

Today, was a great day of building our structures.  I think everyone is learning how to budget, build and adjust their plans when things don't go as planned.  A great learning experience! We will continue to work on our structures throughout next week with a few exceptions.  Check out my upcoming dates tab!

Day Two: Spaghetti Towers Project

The class will be breaking into groups of four and create a spaghetti tower using only dry spaghetti, white glue, and tape.  The structure must be able to hold up a golf ball at least 40 cm high without breaking.  The structure will be tested on an earthquake simulator and must withstand shaking for a minimum of ten seconds.  Each team will be given a specific budget to work with.

Good LUCK!!!!

 

Spaghetti Earthquake Structure Project

The following links will help guide you in your research.

Earthquake Engineering
Building Safer Structures
How we make structures earthquake resistant
Quake: Hazards & Preparedness 

BUILDING BIG: All about skyscrapers
Exploratorium: Life Along the Faultline - Buidling for the Big One
Earthquake Proof Skyscrapers
Imagination Station
Why the Skyscrapers Just Swayed

Japan's Killer Quake

 

We watched a very powerful documentary about the 9.1 earthquake that rocked Japan three years ago along with a devastating Tsunami.  Along with watching the documentary, we completed a worksheet that went along with the documentary.  Posters were due today and judging will take place tomorrow.  The link to the movie as well as the worksheet are below.

Japan's Killer Quake
Japan Killer Quake Worksheet

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Poster Day 2 and Other Stuff

 

We worked on completing our faults poster (see yesterday's post).  They will be due on Monday, graded as well as voted on by students to see which is best.

In other news, we will begin creating our earthquake resistant buildings next week and need supplies!  The supplies we need are wax paper and spaghetti noodles.  Anyone that can bring either one for the class to use it would be appreciated.  Thank you in advance.



Have an awesome weekend!!

It's Your Faults Poster

It's poster time in class!  We are busy creating informative posters about the different faults that cause earthquakes as well as their movements.  NOTE:  We will finish them tomorrow (Friday) in class.  Winning poster from each class gets a candy bar 6 pack! How awesome is that?  The requirements for the poster are below and the information can be found on pages B49-50 in the book.


Earthquake Faults Poster Rubric

Earthquakes!! What Causes Them?

In class we read B 2.1 about earthquakes, where they are located and what causes them.  Faults are where earthquakes happen.  Reverse faults happen at convergent boundaries.  Normal faults happen along divergent boundaries and strike-slip happen at transform boundaries. 









 Reading Worksheet B. 2.1