4TH QUARTER ASSIGNMENT LIST

Here is the list of 4th quarter assignments up through 5.22.15:

Q 4 assignments, Ms. Pinegar, science, through 5/22/15

GENETICS VIDEO INTRO SHEET (Bill Nye episode #83)

ACT 54, bar graph, Investigating Human Traits

ACT 56, Q3 (Joe's Dilemma)

ACT 57, 3-Level Reading Guide + Venn Diagram

ACT 58. Hypothesis genealogy diagram

ACT 59, Analysis Q 7

ACT 60, Analysis Q5

ACT 61 (exit ticket)

ACT 62, Analysis Q 3a & b

ACT 63, Q 1

ACT 65, drawing of your critter & Q 8

ACT 70, Q 2, use recognizing evidence writing frame

ACT 67, Q3

ACT 71, Q2

ACT 89, Q4 (evidence & tradeoffs writing frame)

ACT 90, & 3b

ACT 91, Q1, 2, 3b

SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY WORK SAMPLE, HEART RATE LAB

On 3.12, we began the State-required Scientific Inquiry work sample.  The work sample is completed entirely in class and takes several days to complete.  Students design and carry out an investigation in teams, but all writing is done individually by each student on forms I hand out.  I will score the work twice. Scoring will be done using the State Scientific Inquiry Scoring Guide.  Students will earn a State score on a scale of 1-6 (6 is highest); this will be entered into Synergy for the State requirement.  I will also score the work using the proficiency scale that I use for other work.
There are four sections to the work sample and each section is scored separately.  On 3.12, we watched and discussed a video from PBS/NOVA, The Map of the Human Heart.  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/map-human-heart.html
Then we read  Background paragraphs that I wrote using various sources.  Students wrote their own Background using the text I'd written together with question prompts I wrote for them. I'm proud of ALL students for taking this work very seriously.  They worked cooperatively to create an atmosphere of quiet concentration.  Way to go, 6th graders!  You're well on your way to being in 7th grade! 

ACT 85, IS THERE ROOM FOR ONE MORE?

On 3.11, students worked in their teams to read the text and answer the Stopping to Thinks in their notebooks. I assigned Analysis Qs 1a, 1b, and 1c, due 3.12.  Qs 1a & 1b are being scored using the Analyzing Data scoring guide.  Q1c is scored using the Understanding Concepts scoring guide.  Students are to finish the "After" column of the ACT 77 Anticipation guide and to tape it into their notebooks.    

ACT 83, A SUITABLE HABITAT

On 3.9 & 3.10, students worked with their teams to read the introduction on text pg. E-58 & the rest of the reading beginning on pg. E-60.  They were to fill in the 3-Level Reading Guide as they read. I am scoring the 3-Level Reading Guide.

ACT 82, THE CELLS OF PRODUCERS

On 3.5. and 3.6, students looked at cells of an aquatic plant under the microscope.  They made pencil drawings under low and high power and labeled a chloroplast on the high power drawing.  Many students were also able to see cytoplasmic streaming.  Parents, ask your child about this.  We all thought it was "way cool!"  (Cytoplasmic streaming is often difficult to find.)  I am scoring the drawings.

ACT 79, EATING FOR ENERGY

On 2.27 & 3.2, students worked in their teams of 4 to complete the Talking Drawing, the reading, and the Stopping to Thinks.  I assigned Analysis Qs 1-4.  Q 3 is scored using the Organizing Scientific Ideas scoring guide.  This is due 3.4.15.

ACT 77, UPS & DOWNS

On 2.26, students first filled in the "Before" column of the Anticipation guide.  This should be taped into the notebook.  Students worked through the Procedure in teams of 4.   The group was divided into two pairs and each pair worked on graphing the data on one of the tables found on pg. E-33 of the text.  Each student made a population graph on graph paper provided.  The team followed Procedures Parts A and B.  Each student taped her/ his graph into the science notebook.  Students also filled in the "After" column of #1 & 2 of the Anticipation guide. I am scoring the graphs. 

ACT 76, PEOPLE, BIRDS AND BATS

This was the lesson on 2.25 & 2.26.  Students worked in teams to read and follow the Procedures on pg. E-24 of the text.  The text provides "letters" written about vertebrate species (types of animals).  Students classified the animals in the "letters" into one of the vertebrate classes found on pg. E-30 & E-31.

ACT 75, CLASSIFYING ANIMALS

This was the lesson for 2.23 & 2.24.15.  Using Animal & Phylum cards provided in the SEPUP kit, students worked in groups to make their own classifications of the animals.  They followed the Procedures found on pages E-21 & E-22 of the text.

ACT 81, A Producer's Source of Energy

I demonstrated this lab today (3.4.15)  because we didn't have enough plants for student groups to follow the procedure.

We filled in parts of the Tables on sheet 81.1, following Procedure #1.
Then, we did Procedures #2 & 3.  A photo of this is found here.  The cup on the left is BTB and water.  The cup on the right is BTB and water after a student blew into it with a straw.:
ACT 81, Procedure Part A, #3 & 4

Here is a photo of the Elodea plant in a capped vial with more BTB solution in the cup next to it.  This is part of Procedure #4:
ACT 81, Procedure Part A, #4

This last photo shows the two vials of steps #4 & 5, Procedure Part A.  After Aiden took this photo, we put both vials in the SE window of the lab:
ACT 81, Procedure Part A, #4 & 5

We discussed step 6 in table groups and wrote down our predictions afterwards.

We did not observe any change as results on the following day, 3.5.15,  (step # 7)
I will update this post when we have observed results.

ACT 72, THE MIRACLE FISH?

This Activity begins the new unit on Ecology.
Learning Target: I can explain the trade-offs of introducing a species into a new environment.

• Read the introduction and  the story, "Fishing on Lake Victoria."
• Use the sheet, "Intra-act: The Miracle Fish?" & fill it out.  Then read about the Nile Perch on pages E-6 - E-8. 
•  Use the Writing Frame for Activity 72 to answer Analysis Q 6. Read the scoring guide found on the back of the Writing Frame to help you understand how to earn a 3 or 4.

ACT. 73, INTRODUCED/ INVASIVE SPECIES

Learning Target: I can describe invasive species and the impact they have on an ecosystem.
vocabulary: Ecology - the study of relationships between living organisms and their physical environment.

We watched a video from OPB TV, The Silent Invasion.  It can be found here:

http://watch.opb.org/video/1274375861

As students watched the video, they took notes:

• List 2 invasive species
• List a problem caused by each of the species
• For each species, List a way in which ecologists are working to eliminate the species.

This work was done 2.20 & 2.23.

ACT 18, THE CIRCULATION GAME

First, fill in the first two columns of the KWL chart.
Follow the Procedures for Part A, Blood Flow.  Due Fri., Jan. 13: 

• Fill in the last column of the KWL chart with 3+ facts.
• Do Analysis Q 4 & 5.

The Circulatory/ Cardiovascular System SONGS/ VIDEOS

Activities 18 (The Circulation Game), 21 (Inside a Pump) and 23(Heart Parts) teach about the Circulatory/ Cardiovascular System.  Here are links to 2 YouTube videos that teach about the Circulatory System.  They're pretty entertaining and educational, too.

Happy Days "Pump Your Blood" episode - Did you ever watch the Fonz?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIXcWE0bTwY

They Might Be Giants, "The Bloodmobile"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Futnu_6NmQo

Osmosis; mini-lecture, video on Mon., 2.9.15; help understanding gas exchange in the lungs

Today, we discussed osmosis and diffusion.  Osmosis is the diffusion of water.  Diffusion is the movement of particles from where there are many to where there are not as many.

This discussion was to help students better understand how oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged between alveoli and capillaries in the lungs. Students learned that the semi-permeable membranes of the alveoli and the capillaries allow oxygen and carbon dioxide to pass between the two structures.  

That way, the capillaries can be rid of the waste carbon dioxide that is carried from each cell.  This carbon dioxide goes from the capillaries into the alveoli and then from the lungs up and out of our mouths when we exhale.

In the opposite situation, we inhale, taking in oxygen.  The oxygen travels to the alveoli, where it goes through the semi-permeable membrane there.  Then it crosses the semi-permeable membrane of the capillaries and is carried through the blood vessels to cells.  There it is combined with glucose (the form of nutrients used by your cells).  The glucose and oxygen are turned into energy by the mitochondria.  This also makes waste carbon dioxide.  

Here is a link to the video we watched.  This video explains osmosis:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaZ8MtF3C6M

ACT 17, GAS EXCHANGE

We spent a couple of frustrating days trying to work with the lab portion of this Activity before giving up.  I think there is contamination of the materials involved and I haven't been able to solve the problem.  We moved on.

We watched parts of a video found on YouTube: The Respiratory System
We watched from the beginning to 3:00 and from 6:41 to 14:20.
While watching the video, we filled in the diagram found at:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4MpOPBiXv5sdzZEMWwzemZoNzA/view?usp=sharing
(Skip the labels for #3, #5, #16.  Note that #11 & #17 are the same.)

We also watched this video, and filled in more of the Diagram:Draw & Label the Respiratory System
Draw a red line from outside the Diagram's body all the way to the capillaries to show the flow of oxygen-rich air.  Draw a blue line from the capillaries all the way to outside the Diagram's body to show the flow of carbon dioxide-filled air.

THE ASSIGNMENT IS BELOW:

Tape the Diagram into your notebook next to the 2-square for ACT 17 .  Tape it in as a flap.
Write about the journey of an oxygen (O₂) molecule from the air all the way into your capillaries. Label the notebook page at the top with “O₂  Respiration Journey.”

·       Do Analysis Qs 2c, 6b, 7, and 8.  Label the notebook page at the top with “Analysis” and ACT 17.

·      Fill in the Table of Contents for this work.

·      DUE WED., FEB. 11.

ACT 16, SUPPORT SYSTEM: BONES, JOINTS & MUSCLES

This Activity was begun Thurs., Jan. 29.  Our class time for Act. 16 ended Feb. 3.  Part A is comparing a chicken wing to a human arm.  In Part B, students dissected a chicken wing to compare movement of the wing to the movement of a human arm.  We finished dissection Feb. 2.  On Feb. 3, we watched a chicken wing dissection video on YouTube: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OusR-Xx3XEQ

We also discussed the Table on page B-35 of the text, Table 2: Types of Joints.
Work assigned for this Activity is: Procedure, Part B, #13 & #14; Analysis Q 6 & 7.  Q 6 & 7 will be scored using the UC scoring guide. 

SCORING GUIDES for ALL ANALYSIS QUESTIONS

Here is a link to all of the scoring guides from SEPUP, the publishers of our curriculum.  These are the guides I use to score student work.  Beginning this 3rd quarter, I will include the acronym (initials) of the scoring guide I use when I blog about an assignment or enter an assignment into the electronic grade book (StudentVUE/ ParentVUE/ Synergy).

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4MpOPBiXv5sQU95ME5mRnZadHc/view?usp=sharing

ACT 15, DIGESTION, AN ABSORBING TALE

We worked on this Activity on Tues. and Wed., Jan. 27 & 28.  It includes reading from the text and labeling a torso that has the digestive system drawn on it.  Based on the reading, students answer Analysis Q 3.  A "3" on Q 3 will include at least 4 places that food travels to and 3 changes to the food that take place along the journey through the digestive system.  These places need to be labeled in numerical order.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4MpOPBiXv5salc2Vl9xM2dDcFk/view?usp=sharing

ACTIVITY 14, Breakdown, Introduction, Part A & Part B planning

After reading the introduction to the activity and filling in a 3-square, we had a discussion about surface area.  I demonstrated the effect of breaking an object in pieces on its surface area.

The first demonstration uses Cuisinaire rods.  Look at the photos below.  Count each square side of each piece of the 3-cube object.  Include in your count sides that are hollow and sides that have an extra "piece" on the end.

In this first photo there are 14 squares:

In the second photo there are 16 squares, 10 on the 2-cube piece & 6 on the 1-cube piece:

In the last photo of cubes, there are 18 squares, 6 per cube.

The area of the outside of an object is called the surface area of the object.  The idea of this demonstration is to show you that the number of pieces you break an object into affects the object's surface area.

Now, let's look at photos of pieces of antacid tablet.  You'll work with antacid tablets in this Activity, #14.

Here's a whole antacid tablet together with a drawing of the pieces that make up its surface area:

 You can see that there are two circular pieces and one long skinny strip.  The skinny strip shows the edge of the tablet when it is "unrolled" away from the tablet.

Here is a tablet broken in half, together with a drawing of its pieces:

Now it looks as if there is more surface area to this broken tablet than there is with the whole one.  There are two more edge pieces than the whole tablet had.

This last photo shows an antacid tablet broken in 4 pieces, together with a drawing of its pieces:

Notice now that there is even more surface area than the tablet that was broken in half.  I hope you are beginning to see the pattern in the relationship between the number of pieces of the tablet and the amount of surface area it has.

ACT. 14 to be scored for Quarter 3

ACTIVITY 14, BREAKDOWN

In this 2-day activity (Fri., Jan. 13 & Mon., Jan. 16), students learned about the digestive system.  In their table teams, students designed and carried out a lab to prove/ disprove a hypothesis on the effect of chemical breakdown on food particle size.  Chemical breakdown was represented by vinegar and food particle size by antacid tablets.  Students collected data, made a bar graph, and answered Analysis Q 4 of this Activity.  The procedures will receive one score and the data table, graph, and Analysis will receive another.   This work is due Mon., Feb. 2.  Consult my earlier blog post for supporting information for this Activity.

ACT 12, What's happening inside?

This is an activity that we are working on over several days.  We began work on Wed., Jan. 7 and are continuing through part of the week of Jan. 12.  We will most likely finish on Tue., Jan. 13.  Below are documents that students will need in addition to the work they do in their notebooks.  The textbook is needed also.

ACT. 12. vocabulary list.  I recommend you learn each term as you work your way through the procedures of ACT. 12.
https://drive.google.com/a/apps4pps.net/file/d/0B-wrGjR-xWl7U3g0T0M1TExCZUk/view?usp=sharing

ACT 12, Organ or Structure Cards
These are used in Part B of the Procedures.
https://drive.google.com/a/apps4pps.net/file/d/0B-wrGjR-xWl7aU15MlJIV3hoQm8/view?usp=sharing

ACT 12, worksheet:  Functions of Human Body Systems  This is also used in Part B of Procedures.  I have not downloaded the Body Systems cards or the Function cards yet.  I will do that on 1.12.15.
https://drive.google.com/a/apps4pps.net/file/d/0B-wrGjR-xWl7VGktVzV1UVpiVDA/view?usp=sharing

Use of SEPUP scoring guide

Here is information from the curriculum developers of SEPUP, our science curriculum.  This explains how the scoring guide is to be used:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4MpOPBiXv5sSnRaT2ktcXlJWWM/share

ACTIVITY 11, Traffic Stop, assigned 1.5.15, due 1.6.15

Here is the 3-square for this Activity, read in class on 1.5.15: