Homework for the Week of 11-30-09

I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving!

213:
Monday: Read pages 18-20. In your notebook, answer the "As You Read" questions on p. 18.
Wednesday: Complete your lab notes-- which weather forecast was the most accurate?
Thursday: Over the weekend, watch at least one weather report on television or read one in the newspaper or online. Aside from basic information like temperature and precipitation, what other information was included that seemed useful to you? Summarize and explain on a loose-leaf sheet of paper.

215:
Monday:
Read pages 18-20. In your notebook, answer the "As You Read" questions on p. 18.
Tuesday: Complete your lab notes-- which weather forecast was the most accurate?
Wednesday: Over the weekend, watch at least one weather report on television or read one in the newspaper or online. Aside from basic information like temperature and precipitation, what other information was included that seemed useful to you? Summarize and explain on a loose-leaf sheet of paper.

223:

*Don't forget that if you are doing extra credit, December 4 is the last day!*

Wednesday: Read pages D34-D37. In your notebook, answer Stopping to Think #2 and Analysis #1.
Thursday: Begin your lab notes for "Plants Have Genes, Too!" by writing your purpose, hypothesis, and procedure. Leave at least one blank page for your results and conclusion. Complete SpongeBob Genetics worksheet.

225:

*Don't forget that if you are doing extra credit, December 4 is the last day!*

Tuesday: Read pages D34-D37. In your notebook, answer Stopping to Think #2 and Analysis #1.
Wednesday: Begin your lab notes for "Plants Have Genes, Too!" by writing your purpose, hypothesis, and procedure. Leave at least one blank page for your results and conclusion.
Thursday: Complete SpongeBob Genetics worksheet.

8A:
Tuesday: Complete lab notes for the Properties of Materials lab.
Wednesday: Read pages B24-B25. Think of a sport or other human activity and write a paragraph explaining how developments in materials have improved or advanced that material over time. (For example, think of how changes in how basketball shoes are designed have affected the game over time.)

8B:
Thursday: Complete lab notes for the Properties of Materials lab. Read pages B24-B25.
Think of a sport or other human activity and write a paragraph explaining how developments in materials have improved or advanced that material over time. (For example, think of how changes in how basketball shoes are designed have affected the game over time.)



Genetics Games!

Seventh-graders, here are some games to help you build your understanding of genetics.

Also, here is an extra credit opportunity! Take a quiz to help you practice using Punnett squares. At the end of the quiz, after you see your results, there is an option at the bottom of the page to email the results to your teacher. Enter my email address, elewing@cps.edu, and receive one point of extra credit for every question you get correct. This offer is good through December 4, 2009.

To help you through these activities, remember these vocabulary words:
  • allele: an alternate form that a gene can have for a single trait. For example, the trait of eye color has an allele for blue eyes and an allele for brown eyes.
  • dominant: a trait that is "stronger" than another trait, so that it covers it up, or dominates it
  • recessive: a trait that "hides," so that it may not be visible even if the person carries it in their genes
  • genotype: the genetic blueprint of an organism
  • phenotype: the way an organism's genes are displayed outwardly; the traits you can actually observe
  • heterozygous: having two different alleles for a trait (for example, Tt, Bb, Gg)
  • homozygous: having two of the same alleles for a trait (for example, tt, BB, GG, aa)

Cell Practice

Seventh-graders have a quiz this week on cells, their parts, and the ways they reproduce. If you need a little extra help, check out The Incredible Megacell to read an interactive comic about cells and their organelles, and play a game to see if you know what job each organelle does.

Homework for the Week of 11-16-09

213:
Monday: In your notebook, answer #3 on page 60, in a paragraph of at least 6 sentences. Review the text if you need to.
Thursday: Answer the last question from your worksheet on Global Warming: The Signs and the Science: Why is global warming considered a moral issue by some people?
Friday: Begin filling out your lesson plan outline with ideas you can share with your group. bring in any materials (visual aids, posterboard, etc.) you would like to use to prepare your lesson.

215:
Monday:
In your notebook, answer #3 on page 60, in a paragraph of at least 6 sentences. Review the text if you need to.
Tuesday: Answer the last question from your worksheet on Global Warming: The Signs and the Science: Why is global warming considered a moral issue by some people?
Friday: Begin filling out your lesson plan outline with ideas you can share with your group. bring in any materials (visual aids, posterboard, etc.) you would like to use to prepare your lesson.

223:
Wednesday: Review for your quiz on cells. Read pages D16-D22. In your notebook, answer Analysis #1 on p. D23.
Friday: Choose someone you know personally and make a list of 15 traits they have (they can be physical traits, or personality traits). Circle the ones you think are genetic.

225:
Tuesday: Review for your quiz on cells. Read pages D16-D22. In your notebook, answer Analysis #1 on p. D23.
Thursday: Choose someone you know personally and make a list of 15 traits they have (they can be physical traits, or personality traits). Circle the ones you think are genetic.

8A:
Tuesday: Complete Challenges on pages B9 and B11.

8B:
Thursday:
Complete your lab notes for the "thumbs" experiment.
Friday: Complete Challenges on pages B9 and B11.

Homework for the Week of 11-9-09

213:
Monday: Read pages 55-59. In your notebook, answer #4 on page 60, in a paragraph of at least 6 sentences.
Thursday: Complete your lab notes for the windmill location lab.
Friday: Completed science fair projects due Monday morning! Review all important documents to make sure you have a finished product that reflects your best effort!

215:
Monday:
Read pages 55-59. In your notebook, answer #4 on page 60, in a paragraph of at least 6 sentences.
Tuesday: Complete your lab notes for the windmill location lab.
Friday: Completed science fair projects due Monday morning! Review all important documents to make sure you have a finished product that reflects your best effort!

223:
Wednesday: Review lab procedure on pages C43-C46. In your lab notes, summarize the procedure in your own words. Lab notes will be due at the end of class on Friday!
Friday: Completed science fair projects due Monday morning! Review all important documents to make sure you have a finished product that reflects your best effort!

225:
Tuesday: Review lab procedure on pages C43-C46. In your lab notes, summarize the procedure in your own words. Lab notes will be due at the end of class on Thursday!
Thursday: Completed science fair projects due Monday morning! Review all important documents to make sure you have a finished product that reflects your best effort!

8A:
Tuesday: Completed science fair projects due Monday morning! Review all important documents to make sure you have a finished product that reflects your best effort!

8B:
Thursday- Friday:
Completed science fair projects due Monday morning! Review all important documents to make sure you have a finished product that reflects your best effort!

All About Coal

In sixth grade, we have been learning about the energy resources that power our world. Today we are going to investigate coal.

In class, we talked about how coal is formed. Find out more about coal formation by visiting the Energy Kids site on coal.

After you have read about how coal is mined, watch this video to see what a coal mine actually looks like.

But how does using coal impact the environment? Return to the Energy Kids to find out.

On television and in commercials, you may have heard people discussing the idea of "clean coal." Is such a thing possible? Learn more about the "clean coal" debate by watching this news report.

Homework for the Week of 11-2-09

213:
Monday: Add information to your fossil fuels Venn diagram. Review the Research Paper Checklist to make sure your project is on track!
Wednesday: Study for your fossil fuels quiz. Make sure your coal lab worksheet is complete and in your notebook, ready to be collected tomorrow.
Thursday: Read "What is Nuclear Energy?" and complete questions. Complete scientific method review questions. Extra Credit: Find a news article related to energy resources and write a one-page summary and response.

215:
Monday:
Add information to your fossil fuels Venn diagram. Review the Research Paper Checklist to make sure your project is on track!
Tuesday: Study for your fossil fuels quiz. Make sure your coal lab worksheet is complete and in your notebook, ready to be collected tomorrow.
Wednesday: Read "What is Nuclear Energy?" and complete questions. Complete scientific method review questions. Extra Credit: Find a news article related to energy resources and write a one-page summary and response.

223:
Wednesday: In your notebook, answer Analysis #3 on page C26 of your text. Review the Research Paper Checklist to make sure your project is on track!
Thursday: Read C58-C61 and answer Stopping to Think1 and 2, then Analysis #4 on page C63.

225:
Tuesday: In your notebook, answer Analysis #3 on page C26 of your text. Review the Research Paper Checklist to make sure your project is on track!
Wednesday: Read C58-C61 and answer Stopping to Think1 and 2, then Analysis #4 on page C63.
Thursday: Complete your drawings of the organisms you observed. See if you can identify them using your Pond Critters chart.

8A:
Tuesday: Study for your unit test (11-10-09).
Wednesday: Review the Research Paper Checklist to make sure your project is on track!

8B:
Thursday: Study for your unit test (11-10-09). Review the Research Paper Checklist to make sure your project is on track!