6th grade Science:

Monday - Note: I have 6th grade Science 1st, 5th, and 6th periods. The way that is working out is that I start the day's lesson with 5th and 6th period so that means 1st period will usually be one day behind. I wanted to mention that so that parents don't get upset if their 1st period child seems one day behind! Sorry for the confusion.

As students finish their 7 Random Facts blog and their Mt Staint Helens blogs, they will also work on reading other blogs and leaving comments like we practiced. Students will also start signing up for and practice using our class social network. (Parents, if you want to register to our class social networking site to see what your child is doing there please shoot me an email saying who you are and who your child is because if I get requests to join our site from names I don't recognize, and I see 130 students a day so I don't remember all your names, I will deny the request! So once you shoot me that email go ahead and register and I'll add you.)

HW - None

Tuesday - Today students will start/continue reading the responses of their fellow 6th graders. 1st period will read 5th period's work, 5th period will read 6th period's work, and 6th period will read 1st period's work.

Then we are going to start changing gears to begin our Water Quality Project. I will show students some videos from years past.

Students will decide which water quality jobs they want to study to collect data.

HW - None

Wednesday - Today students will begin learning about Freshwater Pollution as they choose which job they want to study. I will try to make sure each student gets a least one of his or her top three choices for a water quality job.

HW - None

Thursday - I will not be here today so students will work with a sub.

Today students will work on the Water Pollution Webquest to answer the five questions that will help them write their blog.

HW - None

Friday - Today students will continue to work on the Water Pollution Webquest to answer the five questions that will help them write their blog.

HW - None

8th grade Science:

Monday - As students finish their biome blog and their Global Warming blog we will begin reading each other's work and commenting. Many have also started using our class social network so they are getting ready to start their own discussion topics. (Parents, if you want to register to our class social networking site to see what your child is doing there please shoot me an email saying who you are and who your child is because if I get requests to join our site from names I don't recognize, and I see 130 students a day so I don't remember all your names, I will deny the request! So once you shoot me that email go ahead and register and I'll add you.)

The two blogs and the social network work is continued from last week so we need wrap those up today or at least by tomorrow at the latest.

HW - Sign the research participation sheet for the Science games we will be trying out next Monday.

Tuesday - Today we will start to investigate what it means to be living.

[Note: 3rd period will be setting fish traps today. We monitor our section of Chimacum Creek for the Jefferson County Conservation District by identifying and counting the fish we catch in our traps.]

1. We will begin by observing some objects. Students will write down what they see.
2. Then we will brainstorm if the objects are alive.
3. Then we will start a list of evidence that something is alive.
4. Then students will work in teams to sort a set of cards of things into piles to determine which are living, non-living, was once living, or undecided.
5. Then students will complete an assessment probe sheet called, Is it living?

HW - None

Wednesday - Today students will sort a set of cards into piles of living, non-living, once living or undecided so that we further explore the idea of what it means to be alive or what is living.

[Note: 3rd period will be retrieving the fish traps today. We will identify and count the fish we catch.]

HW - None

Thursday - I will not be here today so students will work with a sub.

Today students will discuss their ideas of what characteristics all living things share, then they will complete an assessment called Is it Living.

HW - None

Friday - Today we will go over the Is it Living responses as students work on their characteristics of living things. Then students began to work on their What is Living blog assignment.

HW - None