Quick quiz: What does Genghis Khan, stars, a really small speck, and dinosaur pee have to do with each other? You'll have to ask your child this weekend.
Let's just say that I told students that if their brain didn't hurt today when they left my class, then I didn't do my job (my head still hurts thinking about these things!)
Cheers!
Today, students were introduced to their first chemistry project: "Elements survival guide." All students were given the project guidelines and tonight's homework is the following:
1. Finish the diagram of the 6 essential elements of life that we began in class.
2. Use your student copy of the states of matter notes to fill in the blanks using the notes below.
Cheers!
For homework tonight. Use the slide presentation below to fill in the blanks of your student copy.
Howdy!
Welcome to all my students starting chemistry with me today at the beginning of term 2. Please subscribe to my website ramblings. If I get enough people to subscribe then I will be awarded...absolutely nothing! How cool is that? Seriously this is where I get to send reminders and share cool stuff about what we are doing in chemistry with all one of you who will listen.
I was so excited today introducing chemistry and we had some great discussion going on. In fact, I love science and chemistry so much that I had ostrichbumps (think goosebumps, now think bigger) about the cool stuff we were talking about. One of the cool things we discussed is elements that are harmful separately, but when combined together make a totally edible substance. Any guesses? Sodium (Na) will violently react with water (think explosion in your mouth). Chlorine is a gas that was used as a weapon in WWI. Now take out your mixing bowls and combine a little sodium and a little chlorine and poof, lovely edible table salt (ostrichbumps). How ridiculously awesome is that!
I love science
Cheers!
It has been a pleasure working with a great bunch of students from homebases Gates and Russell during Term 1 and we will have new adventures again during term 3. If you do not want to hear my ramblings about the same things, or are just tired of me, then feel free to unsubscribe for now.
Cheers!
Tomorrow is the last extra help session for science in term 1. I am willing to sit down with students during this time to help them revise their project that was due on Friday, however, I need to know ahead of time that the student is coming so that I can have their project graded with feedback ready to go otherwise I cannot give appropriate help. This is mainly beneficial to those students that struggled with the project and would not be able to do revisions on their own outside of school. The extra help is from 3-4.
Due to the cancellation of extra help this week due to the weather I changed classroom plans to include a solid one hour and twenty minutes of work time on the rubric report which should have been enough time to finish most of the 50% that needed to still be done (if students were self-directed).
I offered students the option of doing their data graph on Google spreadsheet with assistance from me, however, if they did not ask for help I would go to plan B which is good old graph paper (can be found online).
The rubric is due at the beginning of class tomorrow (11/2) unless accompanied by a parent/guardian note explaining problem-solving/hardship (this is what I refer to the students as their "only get-out-of-jail-free card."
Use the following picture to help you create your rubric data graph. Everything in red are notes. All words should be exactly as I have them (except your data will change).
I was supposed to have extra help tomorrow afternoon from 3-4. I will be able to move this back one day due to the closing tomorrow (Monday). So extra help will be held on Tuesday from 3-4 this week only.
Due Tuesday at beginning of class:
This is a great story of a humpback whale rescue. Enjoy.
Cheers!
http://youtu.be/EBYPlcSD490
So. I had an interesting experience at the Sargent Center. After battling my way up a ropes course to get about 40ish feet off the ground, I did the zip-line back down to the ground. As an individual challenge I wanted to try and step off the platform and resist the urge to grab ahold of my harness rope (no hands drop). Well, I got more than I bargained for.
To protect students, I used the blur option which did my face too; oh well.
I am on the platform with my hands behind my head.
Cheers!
If anyone works with Sulfur hexaflouride and is willing to donate some it does some awesome stuff that I would love to demonstrate to my students. It ties in to a lot of concepts we have been discussing this year and last year. By the way it is non-toxic.
Check out #4 on this list to see two cool videos of what it can do.
http://listverse.com/2008/03/04/top-10-amazing-chemical-reactions/
Cheers!
Ask your child about crushing cans in science today. Fun!
HERE YE, HERE YE!
To me, distinguished work requires a significant level of self direction and effective communication to relate ideas and problems.
If you are in the process of doing the D work option for a follow up to the first rubric, I would suggest you come talk to me soon to get approval and/or update me on your findings by the end of the week. I will not be chasing you down.
Don't let that ship sail!
Cheers!
