Grade 5: Week of March 21st to March 24th

We are learning about ecosystems and their role in the environment. We have discussed abiotic and biotic factors in an ecosystem, and learned about smaller ecosystems including ponds, estuaries, salt marshes, and lakes. We will discuss various biomes including deserts, deciduous forest, rainforest, tundra, taiga, and grassland. I would like students to bring in a poster board to prepare for their biomes poster (done individually or in groups). 5B needs to have their poster on Thursday and 5A on Tuesday March 29th. We will paste plant and animal pictures of each biome on the poster board as well as common locations of the biomes.

In addition, Grade 5 will plant a garden with Grade 6 students to show how producers are part of our ecosystem. I would like Grade 5s to bring in seeds of their choice. We will plant them after evening frosts are through.

Grade 6: Week of March 21st to 24th

We are creating a garden to study photosynthesis first hand. Thank you for all of your seeds which we will plant in April! We modeled the chemical reaction of photosynthesis, and discussed the role of atoms, subscripts, and the nature of a chemical reaction We will further discuss the role of carbon dioxide in the environment, including greenhouse gases.

Grade 7: Week of March 21st to 24th

We reviewed certain concepts of genetics that many of the class had missed and had a retest this Tuesday. Students will receive their test back with their retest quiz attached. If students increased their knowledge on the quiz, their entire test grade will increase. We will continue to learn about DNA, its replication, and mutations. We will discuss mutations such as current nuclear reactivity in Japan.

Grade 8: Week of March 21st to 24th

We have been working on balancing equations, oxidation numbers, the Law of Conservation of Matter and more - in other words the basics of chemistry! We will have a test on the concepts of the Law of Conservation of Matter on Thursday. Please note there is no school on Friday.

Grade 5: Week of March 14th to 18th

We are wrapping up our Landforms unit this week. Students will receive an Erosion test on Tuesday or Wednesday depending on which class they are in. 5B will have a Nine Weeks Landforms test on Friday and 5A next Tuesday March 22nd. Then we are moving on to our exciting ecosystems unit! We are planting a garden for this unit - more information to come.

Grade 6: Week of March 14th to 18th

Students are planning a voyage to our solar system and beyond. Based on previous learning, they must decide on the dangers and challenges they face, including Einstein's Law of Relativity, cost, purpose of the voyage, equipment needed, and duration. They will present their proposal and we will vote on the best one.

We are planting a garden behind the middle building for our photosynthesis unit and to review soil. Students will get a representative soil sample so the Johnston County Cooperative can examine it for nutrients and so we can add the appropriate amount and kind of fertilizer. We will discuss types of plants students would like to have in the garden and when to plant them. Finally, we will discuss the parts of plants involved in photosynthesis and the photosynthesis equation.

Grade 7: Week of March 14th to 18th

Students will receive a test on Genetics this Wednesday or Thursday depending on which class they are in. We will then study DNA more in depth and create a model of it and its corresponding base partners next week. We will separate the DNA in an onion to study its consistency.

Grade 8: Week of March 14th to 18th

Grade 8s will continue to learn about the Law of Conservation of Matter, including the balancing of equations, coefficients, and subscripts. The Periodic Table Test will be on Tuesday of this week.

Grade 5: Week of March 7th to 11th

We have been examining the impact of construction, farming, dams, and deforestation on the soil, specifically how these activities can erode soil away. We have also discussed many solutions and ways to prevent erosion. Grade 5s will do an experiment to test water absorption rates of plants, and soil without vegetation to show how vegetation affects erosion. Our Erosion test will be on Thursday or Friday of this week.

Grade 6: Week of March 7th to 11th

Students will examine various topics of the universe by watching The Universe video (History Channel). Some topics we will cover are solar flares, the sun, galaxies, magnetars, gamma rays, and black holes. We will also discuss an article from Popular Science on high speed travel to Mars, the speed of light, and how the theory of relativity relates to space travel. We will have a Paiedia seminar on space travel to discuss what students have learned over the week and then students will need to design a space travel proposal to another planet or galaxy. This proposal will include dangers/obstacles/challenges of the voyage, equipment needed, duration, speed of travel, purpose, and money involved. The class will vote on the best proposal.

Grade 7: Week of March 7th to 11th

We are continuing to study how genes express themselves in three ways: dominance, co-dominance, and incomplete dominance. We will study examples and students will then write their own. Since genetics is a new field of study for students, they will complete a study guide with definitions and examples. Students will receive a test on Genetics next week.

Grade 8 Science

We are continuing to learn about the Periodic Table and will examine "mystery" elements and compounds of the each family on Monday. Students can expect a test on Thursday or Friday. We will examine "Conservation of Mass" through exothermic and endothermic reactions, and ionic and covalent bonds.

Progress reports for grade 8 will go out on Wednesday March 9th. I would prefer them back signed by Thursday or Friday.

I am also sending out letters this week for students to purchase the End of Grade coach books which will cost $10.00. We do not have any class set of E.O.G. review material so it would be wonderful if each parent could purchase a book. Your child would get to keep the E.O.G. coach book, which contains lessons, multiple choice questions, and two full length practice tests. If money could come in by Friday, March 11th it would be wonderful so we can buy the books promptly and start studying.