Grade 5: Week of October 28th to November 4th

On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, we will be testing our weather instruments. All students who make weather instruments for bonus credit will get to test the instruments themselves! On Monday we will create our own weather map, using symbols of fronts, clouds, air pressure, and precipitation. We will also begin an analysis of another weather map and students may complete it for homework. On Tuesday we will begin our Wind and weather instrument review sheet to prepare for the test. Students will have some time to complete this in class. At the same time that we are reviewing our last unit in weather, we will review and mark questions pertaining to the Weather Nine Weeks Test. This test will review all we have learned in weather, and will be presented in a multiple choice format so students will get accustomed to the format of the End of Grade Test. Most questions for the Weather Nine Weeks Test will be taken from Competitive Edge questions on pages 148-151, and students will receive an answer key once they have completed these questions for homework. Students will take the Wind and Weather Instruments test on Thursday and will take the Nine Weeks Test next week.

Homework this week:

Monday night: Weather map sheet (if students did not finish it in class), Competitive Edge pgs. 146-147 #1-22 (preparation for the Nine Weeks test)

Tuesday night: Review sheet (if not finished in class), study for the Wind and Weather Instruments Test, Competitive Edge pgs. 148-149 all questions

Wednesday night: study for the Wind and Weather Instruments test on Thursday

Thursday night: Study for the Weather Nine Weeks Test using pgs. 148-151 questions in the Competitive Edge and the answer key

Grade 7: Week of October 28th to November 4th

We will test students' lung capacity on Monday and discuss the results. Females and males generally have different lung capacity, as do athletes from the rest of the general population. Students will begin their review sheet on the respiratory system and continue working on it Tuesday. We will examine the causes and effects of smoking long term and students will begin a poster to dissuade other students from smoking. The posters will be displayed in the hallway for all to see. On Friday students will write the Respiratory System test.

Homework for this week:

Monday night: Part A of the Review sheet (vocabulary). Study parts of the respiratory system and their meanings.

Tuesday night: Finish all of the Review sheet. Study the review sheet.

Wednesday night: Finish draft of the poster to dissuade others from smoking. This is to be done in pencil and does not need to be colored. Bring coloring materials: colored pencils or markers. All posters must have a slogan, at least two effects, and one or more visuals. Marks are given for creativity, adhering to assignment expectations, and neatness. Students may print out visuals or draw them, and may design the final copy on the computer.

Thursday night: Study for the Respiratory system test. Finish the Non-smoking poster and color neatly (or design on the computer).

Grade 8: Week of October 31st to November 4th

We will continue to watch Blue Gold: Water Wars and conduct a Paideia discussion on causes of fresh water depletion, effects, and solutions. On Tuesday we will begin our unit on Geology, or the study of how rocks have changed over time. Students will receive Power Point notes detailing the history of Geology, relative dating of rocks, radioactive/radiometric/absolute dating of rocks, and geologic time. This week we will focus on radiometric dating of rocks and how certain isotopes decay in half-lives. Students will perform an activity involving one million dollars to illustrate the concept of half life. They may only spend half of their money per day until it is gone and then we will calculate how many days it will take. There are still a couple of students who have not taken the Hydrology test. After this, I will hand back everyone's graded test.

Homework for the week:

Monday night: Write down at least three causes, effects, and solution of fresh water depletion based on the video Blue Gold: Water Wars (see video sheet for help).

Tuesday night: no homework

Wednesday night: reread power point handout again, pg. 403 study guide definitions: first column

Thursday night: Pg. 380 questions - all of Review and Reflect

Report Cards and Award Assembly

Report cards go out on October 28th. The Awards assembly will be held in the gym from 9:00-10:00 for grades 6 through 10, and 10:00 to 10:30 for grades 3 to 5. Hope to see you there!

Grade 5: Week of October 24th to 28th

Students will ponder the question: What makes one area colder or hotter than another? This will lead to a discussion of climate and what causes micro-climates such as rainshadows, and land and sea breezes. Students will learn about convection cells and how this causes wind. We will examine what causes a convection cell by adding hot water with food coloring to cold water, and then discuss how cold air sinks while warm air rises. Finally we will make our own weather instruments and our own weather maps. We will use thermometers, anemometers, barometers, and rain gauge to measure weather on a daily basis. Students will receive a bonus grade for making any of their own weather instruments and may use them to test the weather with us! We will have a test on all of these concepts next week.

Homework for the week:

Tuesday night: Competitive Edge pgs. 143-145 #1, 2, 4, 8, 12

Wednesday night: Competitive Edge pg 111 #1-4

Thursday night: Competitive Edge pg 138 #1-4

Grade 7: Week of October 24th to 28th

We are finished learning about the digestive system and will begin learning about the respiratory system, which involves breathing and cellular respiration. Students will learn about the functions of the respiratory system, its parts, and how to protect this system by not smoking.

Our tentative homework schedule is:

Tuesday night: Answer questions from the "Respiration Basics" sheet. Study.

Wednesday or Thursday night (depending on how much we cover in class): pg. 386 questions from the textbook (all)

Grade 8: Week of October 24th to 28th

Grade 8s will receive a Chapter 17 hydrology review sheet on Tuesday which they need to complete by Wednesday. Wednesday night students will need to study for Thursday's test. On Friday we will watch a movie called Blue Gold: Water Wars. This documentary and informational video examines current water issues such as water shortages and global pollution. It also examines the questions of public versus private ownership of water and how we provide clean inexpensive water for all.