Grade 8: Weeks of May 23rd to June 3rd

PATHOGENS PROJECT

We will complete a project on pathogens, or disease causing microbes. There will be seven elements to this project:

1. Notes: due May 26th (10 marks)
2. Research: one print out, magazine, or book due May 24th (5 marks)
3. Bibliography: due May 26th (5 marks)
4. Written research paper: May 27th (20 marks)
5. A power point (regular power point, or Prexis) or poster on Glogster: May 27th (10 marks)
6. Presentations: May 31st and June 1st (10 marks)
7. Participation: 10 marks

There will be time in Science class and Technology class to complete work, but students will need to bring in one piece of research to Science class. Any work that is not completed in class must be completed at home. Students will present in partner groups, may do the power point or poster together, and may help each other as needed. However, notes, research paper, bibliography, and research must be done individually and each student will receive an individual mark for his/her efforts. Parents must approve of your research topic.

The research project will consist of the following paragraphs:

1. Introduction: introductory statement, define your pathogen, tell which type of microbe it is (virus, bacteria, protist, fungi), and what you will discuss in your essay.

2. Special characteristics: Describe the pathogen and its special characteristics (physical characteristics, most common victims, most common area it is found, any epidemics, etc.)

3. Spread of the pathogen (host to host by ingestion/inhalation/touch, spread by vectors, spread by environmental sources, who is most susceptible) and favorable conditions for the disease (warm climate, unsanitary conditions, overcrowding, contamination, etc)

4. Symptoms and treatment of infection

5. Prevention: antimicrobial solutions, washing hands, not drinking unsanitary water, government regulation, etc.

Grade 5: Week of May 9th to 13th

We are rapidly preparing for our EOG in Science. Grade 5s will take their EOGs on Friday May 20th. We will have a fair amount of homework this week, including quizzes, but I will not be giving homework next week, the week of EOGs. Also time will be given in class to complete review sheets and students will test themselves in partners.

Homework is as follows:

Monday night:
1. Bring back the progress report signed.
2. Finish review sheet on Ecosystems and study for the Ecosystems test.
3. Finish Column 5 vocabulary sentences.

Tuesday night:
1. Study for the Ecosystems test on Wednesday and Ecosystems EOG Quiz Thursday (this content is related).
2. Finish Column 6 vocabulary sentences.

Wednesday night:
1. Study for the Ecosystems EOG quiz Thursday (students have a review sheet they completed in class on Tuesday.

Thursday night:
1. Study the vocabulary definitions and sentences Column 5 and 6 for the final vocabulary test on Friday.

Grade 6: Week of May 9th to 13th

We are finishing up our unit on natural selection and adaptations. Grade 6 will receive a review sheet on Tuesday and will take their test on Thursday, unless they need more time to review. Then I will postpone it to Friday. We will watch a very interesting video on the Galapagos Islands which shows diversity and adaptation at its finest. We will observe the Galapagos Islands as Charles Darwin observed them and examine how he came to his conclusions and formed the theory of natural selection.

Homework is as follows:

Monday night: return the progress report signed

Tuesday night: finish the review sheet and study for the Adaptations test

Wednesday night: study for the Adaptations test

Thursday night: no homework unless we postpone the test to Friday

Grade 7: Week of May 9th to 13th

Since I did not see grade 7 at all for four days, I needed this Monday to understand what grade 7 had learned and completed, and what they had not. Both classes will take a test this Friday and receive a review sheet on Wednesday. Our test will cover composition of the atmosphere, layers of the atmosphere, CFCs (causes, effects, solutions), destruction of the ozone layer (causes, effects, solutions), and ozone in the form of volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxide.

We are missing three blue Science books. Please check your house to see if you might have one in your house.

Students homework is the following:

Monday night: return the progress report signed.

Tuesday night: to be determined

Wednesday night: finish the review sheet; study for the test on Friday

Thursday night: study for the test on Friday

Grade 8: Week of May 9th to 13th

We are rapidly preparing for EOGs and finishing our microbe book. Grade 8s will have a fair amount of homework and studying this week but I will not assign homework next week because of EOGs. The Grade 8 Science EOG is on Thursday May 19th. Students have finished answers questions on microbes and are now putting these questions in paragraph form and printing or drawing pictures for each page. Please see the Microbes booklet worksheets which gives instructions on how to complete the book.

Homework for the week is as follows:

Monday night:
1. Complete lessons 31 to 34 and the EOG Review in the EOG book (Chemistry section)
2. Study for the quiz on geology (see EOG book) on Tuesday
3. Bring back progress report signed for a homework grade

Tuesday night:
1. Complete pages 1-4 of the Microbe book or more including drawings or print out of pictures
2. Complete the review sheet on Microbes and study for the Microbes test Thursday

Wednesday night:
1. Complete pages 5-9 of the Microbe book including pictures
2. Study for the Microbes test on Thursday

Thursday night:
1. Complete pages 9-12 of the Microbe book including pictures
2. Study for the EOG Chemistry Quiz on Friday(see Chemistry section of the EOG book)

Friday: Microbe book is due. We will take the EOG Chemistry Quiz and then begin a full length practice quiz in partners. Next Monday we will finish a real EOG test that Department of Public Instruction released.

Extend 2 testing and Progress Reports

We will have students Extend 2 EOG testing this week in the media center. This means we will have a different schedule than usual this week and I will only be teaching grade 5, 6a, and 8a. I will give all other work to supervising teachers for other classes.

Progress Reports will be given out May 6th. Please bring them back signed by Tuesday May 10th. Thank you!

Grade 5: Week of May 2nd to 6th

We will be reviewing for our EOG and learning about food webs and food chains this week. Students received a review sheet on Newton's Laws Monday and will take a quiz on it Wednesday. Students will receive a review sheet on Ecosystems on Wednesday (or possibly Thursday and will take their test next Tuesday. It is the last chapter test they will take. Students will also be writing sentences to prepare themselves for a Vocabulary Quiz on Column 3 and 4 words. Most students did very well on their last Vocabulary test!

Students will have the following homework:

Tuesday night: write sentences on Column 3 and study for Newton's Laws Quiz
Wednesday night: write sentences on Column 4 and finish part or all of the review sheet (review sheet might be given for homework Wednesday or Thursday)
Thursday night: study for the Column 3 and 4 Vocabulary Test, study for the Ecosystem test
next Monday night: study for the Ecosystem test on Tuesday May 10th