Friday, January 10, 2014

Adopt An Element Project

As we wind down our first week back, here's the info I promised about completing the adopt an element project due next week. We will have a bit of time in class on Tuesday to finish any research not done on Friday.

Due: Wednesday, January 15

Grade Value: 100 points

Go here for the instructions:
http://sciencespot.net/Media/adtelempjt.pdf 


Using Glogster for Your Adopt An Element


Login with:
Username: challengerscience
Password: Royals

If you create a glog on here, save it with your first and last name so that I can identify it!


Using ANIMOTO for Your Adopt An Element

Password: royals


Monday, January 6, 2014

Keeping Warm and Dreaming of Science

2014 has certainly come in with quite a bang this week and January is starting to live up to its reputation! Looks like we're gonna be pushed back 2 days on our planned schedule for the week so some things will have to be shifted around. I'm not sure on MAP testing details yet, but will follow up with those as soon as I do. I am assuming it will be on Thursday.

Updated Schedule:Wednesday: Pre-test on chemical reactions, notebook set up, chemical reactions vocabulary startup
Thursday: MAP Testing (Tentative!)
Friday: Awesome Chemical Demo Day!! Exploring the Periodic Table



Some great science is coming out of this cold snap so I couldn't help but share!

Look at this amazing temperature spread across the lower 48!


Now, why in the world is this going on? Well, meteorologists attribute these types of weather patterns to what are called polar vortexes. NOAA and the National Weather Service put together a great infographic to explain polar vortexes. 

Here's a great short article from USA TODAY on the Polar Vortex. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/01/06/polar-vortex-cold-air/4342315/ 



Stay warm and see y'all Wednesday!


Friday, January 3, 2014

Starting the New Semester

I hope this Friday evening finds you warm and toasty as the weather outside is indeed quite DREADFUL!  As we prepare to enter a new grading period and begin a new unit of study I wanted to find a way to reach my students other than the traditional routes of emails and my use of a class twitter account. This blog will serve as a great way for me to relay information about what happened in class, discuss what we are doing the next day, and basically keep everyone in the loop!

Anyways, Monday brings us the start of the second half of this already AWESOME and AMAZING school year in room 101. We are planning to get the ball rolling with our unit on chemical reactions and properties of matter ASAP. This unit follows an interesting format of Magical Words Mondays, Text Tuesdays, Write It Wednesdays, Think About It Thursdays, and Fact/Fascinating Fridays. Each day will be devoted to specific, content aligned activities that help students to become well rounded learners in the science we are studying through the integration of technology, vocabulary, reading, writing, and experimentation! In the end, the goal is to get the students to achieve mastery of the content that we are exploring.

The schedule for the week looks like:


  • Monday: Magical Words Monday, Notebook Prep, Pre-test on Chemical Reactions/Properties of Matter
  • Tuesday: MAP Testing (Making up from the snow days in December)
  • Wednesday: All About Atoms...Introducing the Atoms Family!!
  • Thursday: Exploring the PTE Demo Day (YOU DON'T WANNA MISS THIS!!!)
  • Friday: Exploring the PTE with QR Code Scavenger Hunt


In the chance that we will have a snow day or two (pretty likely), I'll be sure and update the schedule and let you know!

One last thought for the day as we embark on 2014...Make this year remarkable!