Wednesday 23 May 2012 – 7th

Challenge question: What can an owl pellet tell you about the owl’s diet?

HW: Have a wonderful summer.

In class today: This was our last science class of the year, we worked on Sali 78: Coughing up clues.  We discussed the introduction of the lesson about introduced species, food chains, etc.  Students then worked with the table partner to take apart an owl pellet, finding the bones from the voles, mice and birds that the owl had eaten, identifying the types of bones and trying to put the skeletan back together.  7S class was interrupted by a fire alarm due to the construction that has started in converting our auditorium to the library.  I thank them for coming back in and quickly cleaning up before heading off to their electives.

Tuesday 22 May 2012 – 7th

Challenge question: How do animals adapt to changes in their environment?

HW: None.

In class today: We began by reminding students who still have not turned in their textbooks that they need to do so ASAP.  Students were then put in groups of six, and each selected one of the beaks.  Students then spent six days “feeding” (see link for handout:Activity_Feed_the_Birds ) and recording what they ate and how they adapated as a food group was removed each day, and the days were growing shorter.  We discussed how each group did, completed the analysis and summary paragraphs in class and turned them in before a game of mummyball – although 7D’s game was interrupted by a fire drill.

Monday 21 May 2012 – 7th

Challenge question: How many bears can live in the woods?

HW: Work on your portfolio reflections.

In class today: We began by passing back papers.  Next we began the “Bears in the Woods” activity – taken from Project Wild.  Some students were normal bears, others had a handicap or cubs.  Students recorded the food and water that they gathered each round on their record sheet (see link:Activity_Bears_in_the_WoodsForStudents ).  After the last round, we discussed the questions and students completed the analysis and the final paragraph before turning it in at the end of class.  The key terms for this activity were: habitat, carrying capacity, population, and limiting factors.

Friday 18 May 2012 – 7th

Challenge question: How is genetics used to trace the evolution and migration of humans.

HW: Work on portfolio reflections.

In class today: Students watched the first part of a PBS video called “Journey of Man”. In this video, a geneticist uses the a marker on the Y chromosome to trace humans from their origin in Africa to Australia through India.

Thursday 17 May 2012 – 7th – late post

Challenge question: How do bee colonies function?

HW: Work on portfolio reflections.

In class today: Only 7S had science today due to setting up for portfolio night and the talent show in the afternoon.  The class watched a NOVA video called “Bees – Tales from the Hive”.

Wednesday 16 May 2012 – 7th

Challenge question: How do you draw a food chain?

HW: Work on portfolio reflections.

In class today: We began with writing three reflections in learning journals.  We then started our food chain lesson. Students listed their favorite big meal, drew a picture of themselves, then pictures of all the food and what it comes from – everything was to go back to plants and then the sun.  This was taped into learning journals as well.

Tuesday 15 May 2012 – 7th

Challenge question: What is the difference between angiosperms and gymnosperms?

HW: Work on your portfolio reflections.

In class today: Students got their legal sized paper set up, took metric measurements of their finger, palm, forearm and height and then we went on a field trip to look at different trees around the school.  At each stop, students were to make measurements of height, leaf/needle lengths, reproductive parts (flowers, cones, seeds) and so on and do a detailed description.  We look at A: blue spruce, B: crap apple; C: Japanese Maple, D: oak; F: ponderosa pine; and E was their choice.  Once back in the building, students organized thier raw data into a data table and wrote a paragraph comparing and contrasting angiosperms and gymnosperms.  This was due by the end ot he period.

Monday 14 May 2012 – 7th

Challenge Question: What did you learn about seed plants, gymnosperms, angiosperms, and from the flower exploration lab.

HW: Finish the two worksheets that you were supposed to have done last week with the sub.  Work on your science portfolio reflections.

In class today: We began by passing back papers and getting binders organized (see link:7thSciBinder_14May2012 ).  Next we reviewed and collected three sets of notes and the flower exploration lab. We then passed back all the “babysat” papers and students worked on choosing their favorite 6 science assignments from the year for their portfolio.  Students then had time to work on drafts of their reflections.  The science portfolio prompts are as follows:

Science Portfolio reflections: please answer these questions for each piece you selected.

1) What is the assignment about?

2) Why did you choose this piece? (Does this piece show your best work, or did you choose it for some other reason?)

3) How does this piece show what you learned about science?

4) How could you have done better (or improved) on this assignment?

Friday 11 May 2012 – 7th

Challenge question: What characteristics do angiosperm flowers have in common? and What are the parts of flowers?

HW: Finish seed observation final write-up and flower exploration.

In class today:  Students did their final seed observation.  They were to either take their plants home with them or leave them in the back of the room to “be adopted”.  See below for what needs to be included in your learning journal for your final seed write-up.  Next students shared their favorite page of their Ecology vocab book before turning it in.  We then did the flower exploration (see link:Activity_Flower_exploration ).  Students were to examine three flowers: Alstromeria plus two others of their choice: dianthus, dame’s rocket, white lilac, baby’s breath, or geranium.

Final Seed observation Information:

Growing Seeds Final write up must include: (All of this should be in your learning journal!!)

1) A completed Plan or EDD.

2) All Observations including Drawings (minimum of 5) and measurements, Predictions, and Discussion of predictions.

3) Put your measurements in a Data table and make a Graph of your data (tape the graph into your LJ).

4) Write your Conclusion:

State your claim (answering your questions – in third person),

Give your evidence (from your data), and your science reasoning for why this happened.

Thursday 10 May 2012 – 7th Late Post

Mrs. Du Houx was out, her husband had been put in hospital the night before due to a reaction from bee stings he had gotten Sunday when he was helping a friend work his bee yard near Salida.

Mrs. Costello, the sub, reported that all classes were well behaved.

In class: Students did their plant observations then worked through review worksheets.  All notes and worksheets will be collected on Monday.  Mrs. Du Houx does not have electronic copies of the worksheets, they go along with the recent reading assignments from Bacteria to Plants.

Wednesday 9 May 2012 – 7th late posting

No science class today due to the DU field trip.

Tuesday 8 May 2012 – 7th

Challenge question: What did you learn during 7th grade science?

HW: Bring a sack lunch and whatever stuff you need (swimming suit, towel, socks for ice skating, etc.) for our walk to DU tomorrow.  Ecology Picture Vocab due Friday the 11th.  Three sets of notes from BP due Thursday (seed plants p. 140-149, Gymnosperms p. 150-155, and Angiosperms p. 156-161).

In class today: Students began with the seed experiment observations.  We will wrap up this long term observation on Friday. By Monday students will need daily observations, at least 5 drawings, a data table (taped into their learning journal) and a conclusion.  Students then took the end of year district test over 7th grade science.  When they finished with the test, they could work on yesterday’s exploration of classroom plants (monocots vs. dicots), their notes, or read.

Monday 7 May 2012 – 7th

Challenge question: What characteristics can be used to tell monocots from dicots?

HW: Prepare for end of year test – test is tomorrow.  Reading and notes from last Thursday, due tomorrow, BP p. 140-149 Seed plants; Gymnosperm (BP p. 150-155) and Angiosperm (BP p. 156-161) reading and notes due this Thursday.

In class today: Students began with their seed observations.  Next we reviewed for the end of year test (see link:7th post review ).  Papers were passed back (see link:7thSciBinder_7May2012 ).  Then students began an exploration of 12 classroom plants – they had to draw, label, color and describe and explain whether each plant was a monocot or dicot, based the the notes they took in their descriptions.  We will finish this after the test tomorrow.

Thursday 3 May 2012 – 7th

Challenge question: What are the different parts of seeds?

HW: Read and notes from Bacteria to Plants p. 140-149 on Seed Plants AND Ecology picture vocab book due May 11th.

In class today: Students started with their seed observations.  Next we finished up the mosses and ferns lab by adding water to the peatmoss and sand in the Discover activity and writing a summary paragraph.  Students turned in both the notes on mosses and ferns and the lab.  We then began our seeds exploration lab.  Students were to: 1) Examine,draw and describe the lima bean. (Use Petri dish to draw a circle for each seed, make your drawing inside this circle, the drawing should fill the circle). 2) Carefully remove the seed coat, open up the two halves. Draw, label and describe the inside of both halves. Use the diagrams on page 142 in Bacteria to Plants (If you do not see the embryo, ask for help). 3) Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the pop corn kernel. 4) Write a paragraph about what you learned about seeds. Include the words embryo, seed coat, cotyledon.

Wednesday 2 May 2012 – 7th

Challlenge question: What are the similarities and differences between mosses and ferns?

HW: Work on Ecology picture vocab book (front page of list only) AND if you did not finish coloring and describing each of the items, do so.

In class today: Students began by doing their daily seed experiment observations. We reviewed that my sub loves the 7th grade and thinks they are wonderful.  We briefly reviewed, then collected Sali 72: Miracle Fish, from yesterday.  Next students took a pop quiz on plants, most students failed, so it was not collected, but was to be put in the science binder in the test and quiz section.  We reviewed information about vascular and nonvascular plants and sporophytes and gametophytes.  Students then took two pieces of printer paper and did observations of mossess and ferns (see link:MossFernLabPageSetup ).  They were to include detailed descriptions and color and labels on their drawings.