Two weeks till Spring Break - which means only two weeks left until the end of the semester. Time to really start focusing on making sure you have all of your work completed! I will be distributing progress reports to both the 7th and 8th grade at the end of the week so that you can take an inventory on how you are doing!
Monday
7th - Today we discussed Boiling Point. You discovered in our experiment that all water boils at 100 degrees Celsius, but that it may take longer for the water to reach that temperature if you have more of it. Also, you figured out that the boiling point of a liquid is the point at which it turns into a gas (the particles spread WAY out because they are HOT - think about how you would feel in a crowd of people on a 90 Degree August day...yuck). You also created a line graph of your data. The PLATEAU of the line is the boiling point!
Tuesday
7th - Today, we continued to discuss Characteristic Properties. We completed an experiment that explored the FREEZING/MELTING point of a mystery substance. Your homework is to GRAPH your data (I know there are a lot of points - stop whining and get to work!) Don't forget, I have posted all of your comments on GoogleDocs and your revisions are DUE on FRIDAY for a GRADE. I have also posted a rubric in the 7th Grade documents link for how you should structure your re-writes (also follow the "Tips for Writing a Literature Review" sheet that you received a couple of weeks ago). **NOTE** We had a really great discussion about how snow guns work today. Here is a link to an article that explains exactly how they work! http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/snow-maker.htm (You may have to cut and paste it into a new window).
8th - QUIZ: Cardiovascular System. This quiz will include all readings from the chapter and all notes from the class. Today we also finished up the Cardiovascular System (specifically, we went over disorders and diseases). Your Chapter Test (combined with the Respiratory System) will be NEXT Thursday and Friday (the usual split that we do for tests).
Wednesday
8th: In our double, we will begin our discussion of the Respiratory System. We will also do an activity that demonstrates how the Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems work together. Due to your trip to the Courthouse on Friday, you will NOT have an article due this week. Instead, the articles will be due NEXT WEDNESDAY (the topic is Respiratory System).
Thursday
7th - We will discuss the graphs that you created for homework. You should have THREE lines on your graph (except for one group, which will only have two). The three lines should be the Temperatures of the Water, Substance 1 and Substance 2. The Temperature should be on the Y-axis, and the Time should be on the X-axis.
FOR THE QUIZ You should know:
1. How to make a REALLY good graph. Paying particular attention to labeling and assigning appropriate intervals to the X and Y axis.
2. What happens to the phase (solid, liquid, or gas) of a substance when you heat or cool it.
3. What #2 looks like on a graph.
4. How to tell, by looking at a graph, whether or not a substance is boiling, freezing, or melting.
5. What happens to the substance when it is warmer or cooler than it's boiling or freezing point and what happens to the substance when it is EXACTLY at it's boiling or freezing point (this is based on the graph we put on the board in class today).
8th - We will continue to discuss the Respiratory System.
Friday
7th - QUIZ on the Characteristic Properties of Boiling, Freezing and Melting Points. Also, your Literature Review re-writes are DUE today. Today is also the "soft" deadline for your testing. If you absolutely cannot finish this week, you may have next week. The FINAL deadline for testing is next Friday!
8th - No Class. Moakley Courthouse Field Trip.
