Classroom Reporter 1/30/2015

Social Studies: 

World War 1 Statistics part 3 

LT: I can create a list of the countries with the highest number of killed soldiers

Today in social studies we finished up our station activity with our groups. First, we finished our graphs if not complete already. After that, in our groups we worked on the questions on a separate sheet of paper. Then in our interactive notebooks we had to do the World War One Death Statistics- By Nation and rank the countries by their percentage of deaths in each nation. At the end of class we turned everything in to be graded.

Science – Today we took Chapter 8 Test. We graded them using GradeCam in class. Then we worked on our word wall for Chapter 9

Classroom Reporter 1/29/2015

Science: 

Classroom Reporter: Kathryn’s notes

Today in science class Mr. Grove checked our Chapter 8 study guide (homework grade)

We did not have a new learning target today.

We choose a Science Fair topic that Mr. Grove had on the board. Then we talked about how we would do the experiment. 

Together we checked our Study Guide 8 answers.  After we checked our study guide, we played a Jeopardy review game on chapter 8.

Homework: Turn in your science project idea sheet
                    test on chapter 8 tomorrow -open note

Social Studies:

Today we resumed doing our WWI statistics activity. 

We worked on the graphing part of the activity.  

Tomorrow we will conclude by analyzing our graphs.

This is an in-class group based assignment. 

Random Things Mentioned Today in Class
Crystal Pepsi

William Onyeabor, 'Who Is William Onyeabor?' NPR Link Music (YouTube) 

Science Project Ideas we discussed today. All are experiment based!

·         How effective are child-proof containers and locks.

·         Can background noise levels affect how well we concentrate?

·         What method will keep cut flowers fresh the longest?

·         Does the color of light used on plants affect how fast they grow?  

·         Does the color of a room affect human behavior?

·         Do athletic students have better lung capacity?

·         Does temperature affect how long a battery lasts?

·         Does the type of potting soil used in planting affect how fast the plant grows?

·         What type of food allows mold to grow the fastest?  

·         Does having worms in soil help plants grow faster?  

·         Does the color of hair affect how much static electricity it can generate? (test with balloons)

·         Can some people really read someone else's thoughts?  

·         Which soda decays teeth the fastest?

·         Can the human nose tell artificial smells from real ones?  

·         Does sugar affect the size of bubbles that can be blown with bubble gum?

·         Does age affect human reaction times?

·         Does the temperature of a soap solution affect the size of the bubbles it creates?

·         Does the color of food or drinks affect our perception of taste?

·         Does music have an affect on plant growth?

·         Does the air pressure (PSI) of a football affect how accurate it is thrown?

·         Does the mass of a paper towel affect its strength when wet?

·         What is most effective way to keep an ice cube from melting?

·         Does the salinity of water affect how quickly it boils?

·         Can the food we eat affect our heart rate?

Classroom Update 1/28/2015

Science: Paige’s Notes

Learning Target: I will demonstrate my knowledge of the behavior and composition of the Earth’s ocean.

Situation Update: Write 2-4 sentences about where you are in your Science Fair Project. You will share with the class.

Important stuff coming up: Study Guide due 1/29. Open Note Test on 1/30.

Write five facts from Bill Nye Ocean’s video

Spend the remainder of class working on Chapter 8 Study Guide.

Chapter 8 Study Guide is Homework

Social Studies

1-28-15

L.T.: I can evaluate data from WWI and analyze its significance

Today in class we worked in groups on an activity analyzing data from WWI. We also worked as a class to analyze Austria’s data. No homework. J

Classroom Update 1/23/2015

Social Studies:
Today we started with  a few notes on the end of WWI.  Mr. Grove collected the Writing Sample Quarter 2: Life in the Trenches writing prompt. We then completed a short peer edit activity on writing samples. Then we had a short quiz on WWI.

 Eric's Notes:

Lt:How were debate and negotiation used by nations as they sought an end to WWI?

Turning points of WWI-

1917-Russian Revolution[Russia becomes a communist]

-Result: Germany increases its attacks on the western front against the allies

1918-American Expeditionary Force arrive in France to help the Allies stop the German assault on the Western front

1919-Armistice ends the War

The Big Three [Britain, France, and the U.S]will decide what the peace treaty will be

Treaty of Versailles[1919]

Germany is punished by the treaty

Germany forced to accept war-guilt clause, disarm its military, pay reparations to France and Britain.

League of Nations is created 

Science: 

Ocean Currents Part 2:

LT: I will explain how currents circulate nutrients and organisms throughout the ocean

Open text to page 162

We read together page 162 to 166 in our science book

Then we made a scatter plot about the buoys of the Atlantic Ocean. We made a correlation between temperature and water density. 

Classroom Update 1/22/2015

Science: 

Chapter 8, Section 4

Ocean Currents

LT: I will explain how currents circulate nutrients and organisms throughout the ocean.

I. Surface Currents

  A. Current-a large stream of water flowing through the ocean

        1. caused by temp. and salinity differences

~Then, we labeled the currents on the blank ocean currents map by writing the name next to the arrow.~

  B. Coriolis effect-rotation of the Earth’s causes currents to curve

  C. Currents help circulate nutrients, organisms, and gasses through the oceans.

  D. El Nino-large sheet of warm water that forms in the Pacific Ocean near South America

II. Upwelling

A.      Upwelling-the movement of cold water up from the bottom of the ocean

1.       Caused by winds along the shore

B.      Importance: upwelling circulates nutrients up from the bottom of the ocean

~Lastly, we did some Agree or Disagree statements.~

Science Chapter 8 Notes
Section 1-2
Section 3
Section 4

Social Studies:

Learning Target: I can demonstrate my knowledge of life in the WWI trenches by writing a letter home.

In class today our assignment was to write a “letter home” from the perspective of a soldier in the trenches of WWI. We are required to use the information given to us on the 21st of January to make the letter more accurate.

Homework

Finish WWI Writing Prompt

            Must Be Finished. NO LATE WORK ACCEPTED

Assignment Sheet
Grading Rubric

Classroom Reporter Update 1/21/2015

Science: Today we took notes on:

Chapter 8, section 3

Ocean Water Properties

Lt: I can explain how nutrients are circulated through earth’s oceans.

I.                   Ocean salinity

A)    Salinity- the amount of salt dissolved in Water.

1.     Average ocean salinity =3.5%

B)    Things that change SALINITY

1.     Precipitation=decreases salinity

2.     River water=decreases salinity

3.     Dry weather (evaporation) = Increases salinity

C)    Higher salinity = higher ocean water density

II.                 Other Properties

A)    Gases dissolved in ocean water – oxygen and carbon dioxide

1. Cold weather can hold more dissolved oxygen than warm water

      B) Buoys – used to monitor oceans temperature and salinity

      C) As you go deeper in the ocean light decreases, temp. decreases, pressure increases 

Then we viewed and discusses positive and negative aspects of Science projects.

Social Studies:

Life in the Trenches

World War I

LT: I can explain the poor conditions in the trenches for solders during the WWI.

Then we did a station activity: Welcome to the Trenches

Mr. Grove checked the WWI Map Homework.

Station Questions Sheet

Here are links to each station activity:
Station 1
Station 2
Station 3
Station 4
Station 5
Station 6
Station 7
Station 8
Station 9 

Science and Social Studies Updates 1/20/2015

Science

Today in Mr. Groves 3^rd period we talked about science projects for the academic excellence fair on March 3^rd, 2015. We also got to walk around the class room and look at projects from previous years. Everyone is still thinking about what to do for our projects. The whole class had to make a table in our interactive notebooks so that we could decide how well or poor students in the past did on their projects. With  the “project stations”, we had 2 minutes at each station and we had a partner, we had 10 stations to look at…so we had about 22 minutes worth of the interactive movement around the classroom today. At the end of class if you did good you got a thumbs up stamp. We had a good day in 3^rd period today. 

Social Studies:

Social Studies- January 20, 2015- WWI Home front

Learning Target- How was life on the American home front affected by the US decision to go to war.

Writing Prompt: Since the men have to go to war, the women have to do the men’s job as well as their home job.

We took some notes:

Espionage & Sedition Acts: used to jail anti-war activists

Women gain new opportunities- which results in the 19^th Amendment.

Selective Service Act- conscription (draft troops).

War Industries Board oversees mass production of weapons and war material.

Homework: Finish WWI Map

SS - Interactive Notebook Check #6 Tomorrow and Quiz

Here are the resources you might need!

Grading Rubric Draft 

Word Wall Unit 7

Social Studies Quiz and Notebook Check Jan 15

Social Studies - We will have a quiz on Thursday on Imperialism and the causes of WWI.

We will also have a Notebook Check on Thursday.

Jan 12. 2015 Social Studies and Science Update

Social Studies: This week we will be learning about World War I and its beginnings. Discussions will include: causes, effects, alliances, new methods of warfare, mapping before and after. We will complete our writing assignment this week discussing life in the trenches.

Here is today's PowerPoint:

Science: Monday- Thursday will be the Council of Adolescence will be in class.

We will be doing a project for Academic Excellence Night. 

The permission slip needs to be returned Friday. - 1/16/2015

Link to the information.
Link 1: Letter
Link 2" Project Idea Sheet
Link 3: Grading Rubrics

Dear 8th Grade Parent/Guardian:

Northview will be having The Academic Excellence Fair on March 3, 2015 from 6:00-8:00 PM.  This year the 8th grade students will be required to complete a science project for display during the fair.  Students will be required to either:

1. design and carry out a scientific investigation,
2. or complete research on an 8th grade science topic and create a visual display.  

Students will be given additional information and guidance on their projects between now and the due date, but will not be given class time to work on the project.  Students will be required to complete the Academic Excellence Fair science project outside of class.  If a student needs to use resources at school (computers, science equipment), the student can make arrangements to stay after school with his or her science teacher.

Students may complete this project on their own or in a pair with one other student.  Groups larger than two students will not be allowed.  The presentation must be completed on tri-fold board, in Power Point, or other similar method.

When helping to guide your student through this project, you can find large amounts of tips and project ideas at your local library and online.  Here are just a few excellent places to get you started:

www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects

www.education.com/science-fair

parentingteens.about.com/cs/homeworkhelp/a/blscproindex.htm

Academic Excellence Fair 8th Grade Science Project Timeline

Date	Task
Monday 1/12	Introduce Academic Excellence Fair project and send parent letter home to be signed
Friday 1/16	Parent Letters are due back signed
Friday 1/30	Project topic is due (what the student is experimenting, question and hypothesis) or (the research topic)
Tuesday 2/17	Project display information is due (how it will be displayed, special needs or accommodations for the display)
Tuesday 3/3	Projects are due!  The Academic Excellence Fair will be this evening at Northview  No late projects can be accepted!

Please sign and return the bottom portion of this letter.  You may write any questions you have about this project on the return slip as well.

Thank you,

The 8th Grade Science Teachers

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have read the due dates and requirements for the Northview Academic Excellence Fair with my child.

Student Name: _________________________________

Parent/Guardian Signature: ____________________________________

Date: _____________________

Welcome to 2015! Progress Reports are sent home today.

I hope you had a nice break!

Social Studies: Today we are looking at different viewpoints of the explosion of the USS Maine in 1898 through analyzing primary sources in station activities.

Progress Reports were sent home in both Social Studies and Science today.  Please return them tomorrow 1/7/2015 signed.

Science- The Council on Adolescents will be in Science class next week 1/12-1/15  presenting "Pressures, Decisions & Consequences" Students need to return permission slips by Thursday 1/8 to participate.

On Friday 1/9 students will be touring Hickory High School and Hickory Career and Arts Magnet School.