Upcoming Due Dates

Important Upcoming Due Dates:

Data Table Draft (HW grade)- due 5/2 or 5/3

Data Table Final Draft (work in in class 5/2 or 5/3) - due 5/4 or 5/5 if not completed in class

Experimental Design Product (must be embedded in blog)- due 5/4 or 5/5

Do not forget that you must make your experimental design product public and embed it into a kid blog post. Do not leave this until the night before it is due! I've seen some nice experimental design products walking around the computer labs!

Posted by Emma Heaps

ERB Week 4/26-4/29

During ERB classes:

We worked on the experimental design product for the exam. Your experimental design product is due 5/4 (A Day) or 5/5 (B day). Be sure that you continuously check your rubric, check spelling and grammar, and check to see that your design is well organized.

You must embed your product into a kidblog post by the due date. You will have to go into glogster, prezi etc to get the embed code and then copy and paste that embed code into your kidblog post. Be sure that you are in the "html" section of the kidblog post.

We also reviewed the Plants and Cell Division Test.

HW:

Due 5/2 or 5/3- Draft of data table for lab (HW grade)

Due 5/4 or 5/5- Experimental Design product (posted on blog) and final data table

Posted by Emma Heaps

4/21 and 4/25

Today in class:

1. We reviewed the line graphs from the Egg/Osmosis lab. We specifically looked at the line graph that showed the change in the mass of the egg over time. We discussed appropriate titles, axes titles, and scale. Be sure to review graphing for your Final Exam/Experiment.



2. We discussed hypothesis writing. Be sure to state what you belive will happen AND explain why. Your explanantion should connect to what you know about plant growth (photosynthesis etc).



3. We discussed procedure writing. Your procedure nees to be step by step. You need to mention the supplies used, and work with the time frame that I provided you with. You also must include a labeled diagram of your lab set-up, which can be produced on the computer or hand drawn (an then scanned in).



4. We spent most of the class period working on the experimental deisgn product in the computer lab. Remember to refer to your rubric while working.

HW- Work on experimental design product. Due 5/4 or 5/5

Posted by Emma Heaps

4/19 and 4/20

Today in class:

1. We checked over the note handout from the plants video that we watched last class

2. We discussed the science trimester exam. The exam will be lab based. You will design and carryout a lab that answers the question "Will colored light cause a plant to grow faster than colorless light?" We reviewed the exam rubric. Your exam will have four major components: experimental design product, data table, graph, conclusion. For due date see end of blog post.

3. We discussed the experimental design product in detail. Then you were given time to brainstorm with your lab group. Next, we went to the computer lab to get started on the experimental design product.

Experimental Design Product (also see rubric)

Your experimental design product will be technology based. You may use Voicethread, Glogster, or another online application that has been approved by me. You will use this application to present your experimental design. Your experimental design should include a step by step lab procedure, a definition of all of your variables, a labeled diagram of your lab set-up, and a hypothesis. This week and ERB week will be spent in the computer lab working on your experimental design product. It will be due (posted to blog) on 5/4 for A day classes and 5/5 for B day classes.

Supplies you will have are:

• 2 marigold plants
• 1 clear “growth” light-bulb
• 1 red light bulb combined with “growth” light-bulb
• Plant potting trays, soil
• Necessary water
• NO fertilizer will be used.
• Dates of actual lab procedures are 5/4- 5/18 for A day, 5/5-5/19 B day.

HW :

• Work on experimental design product, pull old labs for reference
• Meet in computer lab 2152 next class

DUE DATES- A Day

Experimental Design Product- due 5/4

Data Table - create in class 5/2, due 5/4

Graph- prep at home and make in class 5/18

Conclusion- prep at home type in computer lab during exam time.

DUE DATES- B Day

Experimental Design Product- due 5/5

Data Table - create in class 5/3, due 5/5

Graph- prep at home and make in class 5/19

Conclusion- prep at home type in computer lab during exam time.

Posted by Emma Heaps

4/15 and 4/16

Today in Class:

1. Our QR asked "What is different about an angiosperm and a gymnosperm?"
2. We finished working on the egg lab. We performed the day 5 procedure, and popped the eggs over the sink. Then we began to answer questions from the lab packet and work on the two graphs (one to show change in weight and one to show change in circumference). When answering the lab question be specific, give details, and explain yourself throughly. Questions should be answered in complete sentences. For your graphs, be sure to keep all your graphing guidelines in mind including title, axes labels, and scale.
3. We watched a plant movie and took notes.

IF YOU WERE ABSENT: You need to contact your lab partner for the data that you missed. Then you shoul be able to answer lab questions and make your graphs. You need to see me on Monday.

For HW:

• Finish Egg lab (all questions and graphs)--due by next class. Late labs will lose 10 points each day. Lab is a quiz grade. I will collect from you lab packet (with question answers), 2 graphs, and your data table.

Posted by Emma Heaps

4/11 and 4/12

Today in class:

1. We finished discussing seedless plants (see seedless plants powerpoint). Be sure you understand the differences between vascular and non-vascular seedless plants and examples of each. Also, be able to explain the life cycle of moss, and understand a picture of the moss life cycle.

Moss life cycle (and haploid/diploid) screencast

1. We checked on our eggs for day three of our lab. The eggs have been in water and now they are in salt water. What do you think will happen to them by next class?
2. We made a list of what to study for the test (see below). An I took questions from the class.

Come in for tutorials (with questions!) Monday and Tuesday after school! Please spend time preparing before tutorial so that the time is more meaningful.

Homework:

Cell Division and Plants test next class (4/13 or 4/14)-- What to study:

• All sections of study guide (vocab t-notes and study questions)
• Powerpoints (4 of them)
• Mitosis ans Meiosis foldables
• QRs
• Cell Division quiz
• Diffusion/Osmosis Egg Lab
• Plant book pages 78-85
• Cell Division book copy
• Diffusion book copy
• Blog and screencasts

Posted by Emma Heaps

Plants review

This screencast is a quick review of our introduction to plants. It reviews types of plants and the the overall two stage life cycle of plants. It is important that you are clear on this information first before we delve into learning about seedless and seed plants specifically.

Posted by Emma Heaps

4/6 and 4/7

Today in class:

1. We graded and reviewed the cell division quiz. Please see me to clarify any concepts that still confuse you. (picture page from will be posted soon on HW webpage documents sections)
2. We performed the diffusion lab day 2 procedures. We checked on the egg after two days in the vinegar. It looked more like a water balloon than an egg! It had grown! What process was at work?
3. We discussed seedless plants and reviewed part of the seedless plant powerpoint. We reviewed the characteristics of non-vascular plants, and the way in which non-vascular plants take water into their cells by osmosis. We also reviewed the sporophyte and gametophyte stages of plants. We then began to discuss the life-cycle of moss.

Seedless plant screencast coming soon!

For HW:

• Blog comment due next class
• Work on study questions, TEST 4/13 or 4/14
• REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW

Posted by Emma Heaps

4/4 and 4/5

Today in class:

1. Today in class we begun class with the cell division quiz.


2. Then, we set-up the osmosis/egg lab and performed the day one procedures. To set-up the lab, you created a data table with space to record information about all of the variables in our lab. Each day, you will take the egg and record the date, liquid used, circumference, mass, and observations. Today, after taking down observations and measurements, you soaked the egg in vinegar.


3. We then discussed how to comment on a blog post. Comments should be meaningful and appropriate. Eighth graders and Mrs. McEwen have been busy reading your macroinvertebrates blog posts, so respond to any comments that they have left you.

Our egg lab is demosntrating the effects of osmosis. To review diffusion and osmosis watch this screencast:

HW for next class:

• Read pages 82-85 in plants textbook


• Vocab T-notes: rhizoid, rhizome


• Blog comment (see above) due by 4/11


• Work on study questions (Though these are not "due" for a grade, you MUST work on them to prepare for classwork and labs and our test on April14. I suggest working on the diffusion study questions tonight.

Posted by Emma Heaps