Grade 8: Week of March 26th to 30th

We will begin officially reviewing for the EOG. Students will receive questions for warm up every day to start class and will receive a warm up class grade for a total of 10 points per week. Mrs. Barbour ordered our EOG coach books last week and they should be arriving some time this week.

Our new chapter is about exposure to chemicals. We will explore acute versus chronic exposure to chemicals, how chemicals enter our body through inhalation, ingestion, and absorption, and the difference between dose and concentration. We will discuss the threshold and potency of chemicals, and individual susceptibility based on factors such as age, gender, and lifestyle. Students will learn about chemical exposure through discussion of common chemicals in poison ivy, fried chicken, and vinegar. They will also explore chemicals they are probably not as familiar with such as dioxins, DDT, and mercury. Please note I am being quite strict about homework, and students will receive a detention slip to stay after school Wednesday if they do not complete Tuesday night's study guide homework.

Homework for the week:

Monday night: Study guide of pg. 343 words: definitions and examples (no examples for FDA, EPA, and toxicologists), pg. 343-344 Multiple choice #1-9

Tuesday: pg. 354 Review #1-3, Reflect #1-2

Wednesday: Homework: continue the study guide of words in bold in the text from exposure to metabolism

Thursday: Fill in the chart completely with two other chemicals of your choice. The first two chemicals were completed in class as model examples.

Grade 5: Week of March 26th to 30th

On Monday we will go over the Landforms Nine Week test, especially the most missed questions. We will discuss important vocabulary and do certain hands-on activities to reteach concepts missed. Students may expect to receive back their test this day. We will also check on our plants and see if the limiting factors of temperature, sunlight, nutrient-rich soil, and water have any effect on the pea plants' growth. On Tuesday we will begin learning about biomes, or large ecosystems, such as the rainforest, grassland, tundra, taiga, and deciduous forest. We will read about these biomes, answer questions, look at pictures, create webs, and do various review activities to learn many aspects about each biome. On Wednesday those receiving less than 77% may retake a landforms quiz (the most missed questions from the Landforms Nine Weeks Test).

At the same time we are learning about ecosystems, we will begin reviewing for the EOGs. Mrs. Barbour has ordered our EOG books. In the meantime, we will learn about one lesson at a time during the beginning of class. Students will also have EOG vocabulary words and will write definitions, draw pictures, and make sentences for each one. 5A will do these vocabulary words during Thursday class time and for homework. 5B and C will have these vocabulary words for homework Wednesday and Thursday and will receive instruction on them Wednesday.

Homework for the week:

Monday night: Research the temperature and precipitation of each ecosystem: the rainforest, grassland, tundra, taiga (coniferous forest), and deciduous forest. See google images for each ecosystem.

Tuesday: Competitive Edge Pg. 66 #1-5; those retaking the Landforms test need to restudy tonight. Students will retake a mini test on Wednesday on those questions most students missed.

Wednesday: pg. 67-68 #10-15; Pictures and sentences for the words: abiotic, abrasion, air mass, air pressure, balanced forces, biotic, canyon (5B, 5C only). Students will receive a sheet with definitions.

Thursday: pg. 68 #16-20; Pictures and sentences for the words: carnivore, climate, cloud, condensation, dam, deforestation; 5A will have all words for homework they do not finish in class,

Grade 6: Week of March 26 to 30th

We have finished our sedimentary rock inquiries and are moving on to metamorphic rocks, which form from igneous and sedimentary rocks, but under great heat and pressure. We will explore how rocks recrystallize from heat and pressure and form new rocks. Then we will summarize the rock cycle by acting it out. We will do this as a class first, and then in groups. Finally we will work on a "rock story". Students will choose an igneous rock and describe the process by which it turns into sedimentary and metamorphic rock. On Friday we will be cleaning the school for the SACS visit which occurs April 3rd and 4th. It is an extremely important visit, as we get accreditation for our school.

Homework for the week:

Monday: Pg. 480 Review #1-4, Reflect #1, 2

Tuesday: Choose the rock for the "rock story" and either draw or print out the rock. Color the picture.

Wednesday: Make sure at least half the story is finished.

Thursday: Finish the rock story to hand in Friday.

Friday: Show parents the report card and returned signed envelope on Monday or Tuesday of next week to the homeroom teacher.

Grade 5: Week of March 19th to 21st

On Monday students will have a brief time to study for the Landforms Nine Weeks test and then we will begin learning about our last unit of the year: Ecosystems. We will learn that ecosystems are groups of living and non-living things interacting together, and examine various biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors of ecosystems. On Tuesday students will have their Nine Weeks Landform test. Then on Wednesday we will explore the limiting factors on an ecosystem by planting pea pods in an area with no sunlight, with poor-nutrient soil (sand), in an undesirable temperature (the freezer), without water, and finally with all of the right factors for the pea plant to grow. This experiment has had surprising results in the past - we are looking forward to seeing how the pea plants grow in various conditions!

You will receive an email or letter from me this week about EOG coach books. I would very much appreciate if each parent could purchase an EOG coach book for Science. It will cost only $6.00 and students will use it on a regular basis to prepare for the EOG exam. It has mini-lessons, questions very similar to the EOG, and EOG practice tests. I will assign homework from the EOG coach book and we will do exercises in class and during remediation time. The cost break down of the book is the following: $4.99 + 12% for shipping + 6.75% NC sales tax/per book = $5.93 + 5.95 shipping and handling per order. I will pay the remainder of the shipping and handling so we can keep the book cost at an even $6.00. Please have the money in by Wednesday March 21st so we may order the books.

Homework of the week:

Monday: Study for the Nine Weeks Landform test

Tuesday: Read pgs. 83-85 and answer questions on pgs. 94-95 #1, 3, 4 in the Competitive Edge

Grade 6: Week of March 19th to 21st

We will continue to learn about sedimentary rocks this week and have learned about the sedimentary rocks shale, conglomerate, sandstone, limestone, and coal. On Tuesday and Wednesday we will do a sedimentary rock inquiry and examine the grain size, color, and other features of these sedimentary rocks.

*Please note that students only have until Wednesday to retake any Science test below 70% and then this grade will go on the report card.

Grade 8: Week of March 19th to 21st

This is our last unit on chemicals and students will explore various synthetic and natural made chemicals. We will discuss the risks and benefits of certain chemicals, including exposure, potency, and side effects. This week Mr. Wilkinson and I will coordinate so students can research a specific chemical in groups and present it to the class. Each group will research their chemical's Material Safety Data Sheet, level of toxicity, its status as a carcinogen, its risks and benefits, and if it is a preservative/sulfite/nitrate, etc.

You will receive an email or letter from me this week about EOG coach books. I would very much appreciate if each parent could purchase an EOG coach book for Science. It will cost only $6.00 and students will use it on a regular basis to prepare for the EOG exam. It has mini-lessons, questions very similar to the EOG, and EOG practice tests. I will assign homework from the EOG coach book and we will do exercises in class and during remediation time. The cost break down of the book is the following: $4.99 + 12% for shipping + 6.75% NC sales tax/per book = $5.93 + 5.95 shipping and handling per order. I will pay the remainder of the shipping and handling so we can keep the book cost at an even $6.00. Please have the money in by Wednesday March 21st so we may order the books.

Homework for the week:

Monday: pg. 329 Review #1-3, Reflect #1
Tuesday: pg. 333 all, start researching chemical

China trip

We will have our last doughnut fundraiser March 30th at 2:45 pm at carpool!

Unfortunately two people needed to cancel their trip to China, and we have two spots left. We will visit Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai over spring break from April 6th to 14th. Some highlights are the Great Wall of China, visiting a Chinese school, the world trade center in Shanghai, Terracotta Warriors, the Forbidden City, and eating a traditional dinner with a Chinese family.

If you are interested in visiting China with us you may contact me at crennie@neusecharterschool.org. The cost of the trip is approximately $3000 and includes flights, domestic flights, hotels, tours, breakfast, and dinner.

Work days and report cards

Thursday March 22nd and March 23rd are teacher work days.

Friday March 30th is report card day.

Grade 5: Week of March 12th to 16th

We are continuing to learn about the impact of human activities on soil erosion, and how to prevent erosion. We are specifically examining construction, deforestation, dam building, and farming. This week we will begin preparing for our Nine Weeks Landforms test. Students will study their Competitive Edge (pgs. 209-212) and another sheet of multiple choice questions to prepare for the test. The Landforms Nine Weeks test covers all concepts from the quarter and is really a mini Practice EOG. Students will take this test next Tuesday (March 20th).

You will also receive an email or letter from me this week about EOG coach books. I would very much appreciate if each parent could purchase an EOG coach book for Science. It will cost only $6.00 and students will use it on a regular basis to prepare for the EOG exam. It has mini-lessons, questions very similar to the EOG, and EOG practice tests. I will assign homework from the EOG coach book and we will do exercises in class and during remediation time. The cost break down of the book is the following: $4.99 + 12% for shipping + 6.75% NC sales tax/per book = $5.93 + 5.95 shipping and handling per order. I will pay the remainder of the shipping and handling so we can keep the book cost at an even $6.00.

Homework for the week:

Monday night: pg. 207-208 questions #1-11 (already started in class)

Tuesday: pg. 209-210 #6-18 in the Competitive Edge book

Wednesday: sheet of multiple choice questions, study for the Landforms Nine Week test

Thursday: study for the Landforms Nine Weeks test

Grade 6: Week of March 12th to 16th

This week we will begin studying sedimentary rocks and the process by which they are formed. Today students read about how sedimentary rocks are formed through the processes of physical and chemical weathering, cementation, compaction, and leaching of minerals through the rock. Students will have many hands on activities, models, and animations to illustrate the process. I will show students how vinegar chemically weathers chalk, or limestone. We will do a cementation and compaction activity to "create" various types of rocks with clay, sand, and Plaster of Paris. Finally, we will learn about the different environments in which sedimentary rock form and the most common types.

Monday: pg. 475 Review #2, 4, 5

Tuesday: Add images/pictures to the Sedimentary rock flow chart students already made in class. Students may draw or print out images. I suggest students go to google images and search for physical weathering, chemical weathering, cementation, leaching, and compaction. If students do not have a printer at home, drawing the images is acceptable.

Wednesday: Pg. 475 Reflect #4, 5, 6

Thursday: Pg. 475 Review #1, Reflect #1-3

Grade 8: Week of March 12th to 16th

We are just finishing up our Law of Conservation of Mass unit and students learned about binary and polyatomic ions, as well as organic compounds. Students will receive their review sheet on Tuesday and we will have a test Friday. We will begin our new chapter on the risks and benefits of chemicals on Thursday.

You will receive an email or letter from me this week about EOG coach books. I would very much appreciate if each parent could purchase an EOG coach book for Science. It will cost only $6.00 and students will use it on a regular basis to prepare for the EOG exam. It has mini-lessons, questions very similar to the EOG, and EOG practice tests. I will assign homework from the EOG coach book and we will do exercises in class and during remediation time. The cost break down of the book is the following: $4.99 + 12% for shipping + 6.75% NC sales tax/per book = $5.93 + 5.95 shipping and handling per order. I will pay the remainder of the shipping and handling so we can keep the book cost at an even $6.00.

Homework for the week:

Monday night: pg. 317-318 multiple choice questions and Skills and Concepts #1-6

Tuesday: remainder of the review sheet

Wednesday and Thursday night: study for the Law of Conservation of Matter test

Grade 5: Week of March 5th to 9th

On Monday students observed our erosion student inquiry outside. On Friday we had deposited soil on a steep slope, a flat plain, a flat plain with crop residue on top, and underneath a plant. Already we observed that the steep slope had more erosion from the rain and thunderstorm on Friday and Saturday. We also did a lab involving chalk and vinegar to show chemical weathering. Student saw the vinegar start to dissolve the chalk/limestone right in front of their eyes.

On Tuesday we will watch various short videos on erosion such as landslides, mudslides, sinkholes, and tsunamis. We will examine the causes of each of these and if they could have been prevented or not. On Wednesday we will continue to review for the Weathering and Erosion test on Thursday. On Friday we will begin to examine human causes of erosion such as deforestation, land clearing, farming, and dams.

Homework for the week:

Monday: finish the review sheet (if not already done), study for the Weathering and Erosion test on Thursday

Tuesday and Wednesday night: study for the test on Thursday

Thursday night: Look at images of deforestation, the Hoover dam, the Three Gorges Dam, windbreaks, terraces, and slash and burn to prepare for Friday's lesson. Students will receive a bonus grade for printing them out. We have already enjoyed many other interesting pictures about landforms, weathering, erosion, and deposition! They are currently put on our wall for all to see.

Grade 6: Week of March 5th to 9th

On Monday students examined different types of igneous rock: granite, scoria, basalt, pumice, and obsidian to determine how and where they formed. They examined grain size, features of the rock such as holes and weight, and color. We will continue to work on this student inquiry Tuesday and then begin our review sheet on igneous rocks and minerals. Students will take their Minerals and Igneous Rock test on Friday.

Homework for the week:

Tuesday evening: first page of the review sheet, study for the test Friday

Wednesday evening: make sure the entire review sheet is complete, study for Friday's test

Thursday evening: study for Friday's test

Grade 8: Week of March 5-9th

Grade 8s have drawn both covalent and ionic bonds after watching short videos about bonding from the website "Brain pop". These bonds have proved to be a bit challenging since students have had to synthesize previous information and create their own bonds based on ionic and covalent bonding rules. We also started on our study guide today which is a support for students. This week we will do a lab on endothermic and exothermic reactions, and determine temperature changes. We will also study how to write basic chemical equations using ions, subscripts, coefficients, and oxidation numbers. Most of our compounds will be binary compounds, or compounds made of two elements, but we will touch on polyatomic atoms, or atoms that act together as one charge. Finally, we will do a lab to illustrate the Law of Conservation of Mass. We will determine the mass of the reactants and compare it to the mass of the products.

Homework of the week:

Monday evening: 1st page of the study guide

Tuesday: 2nd page of the study guide

Wednesday: 3rd page of the study guide: oxidation, subscripts, and binary compounds only

Thursday: worksheet - highlight the subscripts and circle the coefficients. Try to balance the first five equations for bonus marks. Review and study the study guide for ten or more minutes.

Conservation of Mass Study Guide

Conservation of Mass Study Guide Name: _____________________

DEFINITION	EXAMPLE 1 (in class)		EXAMPLE 2		EXAMPLE 3
Law of Conservation of Mass states matter cannot be ___________ or ____________, only change form. This means the mass of the _____________ in a chemical reaction must equal the mass of the ________________.	10 grams of Sodium + 20 grams of Chlorine à _______ grams of Sodium Chloride OR 15 g of Hydrogen + ______ g of Oxygenà 18 g of Dihydrogen Oxide (water)		________g of hydrogen + 2 g of Chlorine à 18 g of Hydrogen Chloride OR 21 g of Zinc + 5 g of Sulfur à _________ g of Zinc Sulfide		Your own example:
A chemical reaction is any change which ____________ the chemical properties of a substance or which forms a __________________. It is the exchange of _____________ in the outer shell. Evidence of chemical reactions or chemical change is a change in ___________, _____________, burning, adding heat, the formation of a _________ (powder) or a _________ (see your notes). It is difficult or impossible to change substances in a chemical reaction back to _____________ form. Chemical reactions form compounds.	Na + Cl à NaCl Sodium + Chlorine à salt		(See pg. 209 and the periodic table). You may use both ionic and covalent bonds. Make at least two chemical reactions.		(See pg. 209 and the periodic table) You may use both ionic and covalent bonds. Make at least two chemical reactions.
The elements and chemicals to start a chemical reaction are the _____________. The substances that are formed during the reaction (or what we end with) are the ____________.	Reactants Na + Clà H2 + Oà	Products NaCl (salt) H2O (water)	Reactants K + Cl à __ + __à Ca + Cl2à	Products FeI3 _________	Reactants: your own examples	Products:
Almost every chemical reaction involves a change in ___________. Exothermic reactions produce ________. Think of “exo” as heat exiting the substance so we can feel it. Thermic means heat. Think of “thermos”. In exothermic reactions the temperature _________.	Example: Burning wood		Your own example:		Your own example:
Endothermic reactions are reactions that _________or require heat. “En” means the reaction will take energy in and use it up in the reaction. In endothermic reactions the temperature ____________ because the heat is used up in the chemical reaction.	Example: baking soda and vinegar		Your own example:		Your own example:
Ionic bonds form when an atom _________ or __________ electrons. It happens between a ___________ and non-metal. Ionic bonds produce __________ or positive and negative charges.	Na + Cl à NaCl Metal + non metal Na + Cl à Na Cl Picture:		(Include formula and picture)		(Include formula and picture)
Covalent bonds form when an atom __________ electrons. It happens between a _____________ and a non-metal. It does not produce _________.	H2 + O à H2O Non-metal + non-metal Picture (Lewis Dot Diagram):		Include formula and Lewis Dot Diagram.		Include formula and Lewis Dot Diagram.
Ions are __________ and _____________ charges formed by ionic compounds. Electrons have a _____________ charge. When Na (sodium) loses electron it becomes ___________. When Cl (Chlorine) gains an electron it becomes ____________.	Na + Cl à Na Cl		Choose a metal and non metal and show positive and negative charges.		Choose a metal and non metal and show positive and negative charges.
Oxidation number is the number of electrons an atom is capable of _____________, _____________ or sharing. (pg 301-302)	Calcium has an oxidation number of 2. This means it tends to lose two electrons, thus becoming positively charged. Ca²		Find the oxidation number and put the charge: H (hydrogen): ______ O (oxygen): ________ Si (silicon): _________ C (carbon): _________		Find the oxidation number and put the charge: Cl (Chlorine): ____ K (Potassium): ___ N (Nitrogen): _____ P (Phosphorus): ­­___
A subscript shows the number of ________ an element in a chemical reaction. A way to remember subscript is to remember “sub” which means ___________(pg. 301, 306)	Ca + Cl2 à CaCl2		Find the missing subscripts to balance the chemical equation/reaction. Fe2 + S à Fe__S Fe + I3 à Fe + I__ Cr + PO4 à CrPO__		Find the missing subscripts to balance the chemical equation/ reaction. Si + O2à O__ +Si HF4+ SiO2à SiF__ +HO__
A coefficient is a number written before the element symbol to ___________ an equation. It acts as a ___________ for the atom or molecule. One must___________ the equation because the Law of Conservation of Mass states the mass of the reactants must equal the mass of the __________.	Fe + 2HClà FeCl2 + H2 This means there are two hydrogen and two _____ on the reactant side and ______ Chlorine and _______ Hydrogen on the product side of an equation. (pg. 305-306) *Think of algebra equations for similar rules.		Find the missing coefficient to balance the equations/ reactions: ___K + SO4 à K3SO4 ___Li + Br2 à ___LiBr ___As+__NaOà As2+Na3O3 Au6 + ___Sà __Au +S4		Find the missing coefficient to balance the equations/ reactions: 2N2 +5O2 à __O+__N __HCl+ Znà ZnCl2+ H2
Binary compounds are made of ______ elements. “Bi” means _________. Think of bicycle. (Pg. 302)	Fe + S à FeS		Your own example:		Your own example:
Polyatomic ions are groups of atoms that act ___________ as a single charged atom or group. “Poly” means more than _______. It is like a group or gang of atoms with the same charge. (Pg. 303)	Iron (III) or F³ Nitrate NO³		Your own example:		Your own example:
Organic compounds are compounds containing ____________. They may be __________ or non-living. Over _____% of all known compounds contain carbon. 1st organic compound: Hydrocarbons contain ___________ and ____________. 2nd : Polymers are made synthetically (in the lab) from ______________. 3rd: Alcohols are composed of ________, ________and ________. 4th: Fats, carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins.	*Note the word organic in chemistry is not the same as organic farming! Hydrocarbons: fossil fuels such as methane: CH4 Polymers: are often plastics. Alcohols: propyl alcohol CH3CH2Ch2OH Protein: butyric fat in milk is CH3(CH2)2COOH but there are 11 more types of fat in milk + H20 and lactose		Put an example of each type of organic compound. Hydrocarbon: Polymer: Alcohols: Protein/fat/carbohydrate or vitamin:		Put an example of each type of organic compound. Hydrocarbon: Polymer: Alcohols: Protein/fat/carbohydrate or vitamin:
Valence electrons are electrons in the ________ electron shell of an element. An element needs ______ electrons or an octet to be _________ or not want to chemically react with another element.	Valence electrons of Helium: 8 so it is stable. *See the number at the top of the column, not the atomic number (this is the total number of protons or electrons it has, not the valence electrons).		Valence electrons of Sodium: _____ Calcium: _____ Oxygen: _____ Nitrogen: _____		Valence electrons of: Silicon: _______ Hydrogen: ______ Gold: ________ Mercury: ________