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SYLLABUS: December 8-19, 2008

These next two weeks are devoted to student's experiments! ALL class time will allow students a chance to work on their experiments in order to relieve pressure outside of class. By now, your son/daughter should have finished their research paper, written a final draft of their materials and methods, and be ready to start collecting data! This is all very exciting and I can't WAIT to see the results of their experiments.

There will be no homework assigned for the next two weeks, as all of the students will be in charge of managing their own data collection.

Questions? Concerns? Contact me for more details!

Happy December! (THINK SNOW)

Syllabus: December 1-19

Monday 10/01
In class: Scientific Method Video; write Question and Hypothesis


Tuesday 10/02
In Class: Wikispaces: Write Methods and Materials

Wednesday 10/03
In class: Wikispaces: Peer Edit methods and materials, and "turn in" rough draft

Thursday 10/04
In class: FINAL DRAFT DUE of methods/materials. Print out two copies
Write out Data sheets

Homework: Gather materials to start experiments on Monday

Friday 10/05: NO SCHOOL!




Monday 10/8- Thursday 10/18: Experiments!

Syllabus: Week 10 Nov 3-7

Monday Nov 3
-Topic shopping for Science Fair Project

HW: Think about topic ideas

Tuesday Nov 4
-More Topic shopping and conferencing with Ms. Fineis
about yeah or nay on your topic

HW: Topic ideas due by tomorrow-

Wednesday Nov 5
-Research intro and websites to search. Continue to conference
with Ms. Fineis about your topic
-Parent/Teacher conferences tonight!

HW: Have parents sign your topic for approval.

Thursday Nov 6
-Video on Scientific method and Researching topic
-Parent/Teacher conferences tonight!

HW: Look for sources over the weekend: TWO credible sources due by next TUES.


Friday Nov 7: NO SCHOOL

SYLLABUS: Week 9 October 27-31

Monday, October 27: OBIS Food chain Game (Outside- YEAH!)

Homework: Create a Study guide for the test over Ecology: Everything we have done for the last 4 weeks.

Tuesday, October 28: Review for the Test

Homework: Study for the Ecology Test

Wednesday, October 29: Test

Homework: Nada

Thursday, October 30: Quarter One reflections
Science Fair Research Project (SFRP) Intro

Homework: None

Friday, October 31: 1/2 hour classes: Topic Shop for SFRP.
Happy Halloween!

Syllabus Week 8 October 20-24

Life Science- Week 8

Notes of Interest:This week we will be exploring Energy! Food is energy rich organic matter that organisms need to conduct their life processes; measured in Kilocalories. Photosynthesis is the process by which energy-rich molecules (food) are made from water, carbon dioxide and light. And feeding relationships define trophic levels: producers, consumers, and decomposers.  Students will be able to: Explain how organisms get the energy they need for life, discuss how photsynthesis makes energy available to organisms, describe how energy moves from one trophic level to another in an ecosyste. And describe how every activity undertaken by living organisms.

Monday, October 20: Calories and Energy Lab

HOMEWORK: Finish Lab sheet , "Measuring Food Energy"

Tuesday, October 21: Energy and Producers, Where does Food energy Come from?

HOMEWORK: SQ3R P. 438-441

Wednesday, October 22: Tropic Levels, Feeding Relationships, 10% Rule, Energy Flow

HOMEWORK: None

Thursday, October 23: Shakespeare Play Field Trip

HOMEWORK: None

Friday, October 24: Phenology, and Food Chain Game

Homework: Using Energy Handout

Syllabus Week 7 October 13-17

 Notes of Interest:

We have a field trip to Flat Creek, at Karns Meadow this THURSDAY—Don’t forget your Lunch and snacks! There are a few students who have not turned in their Emergency Medical Forms --- Come on folks – Get ‘em in Please!!! Quarterly Recognition forms (Pink) must be turned in to the office or you won’t be able to take part in the quarter end activities. We’re two weeks to the end of quarter 1now – keep up the great work!!! Since we are working in the Field this week, you will receive participation points out of 20/day for your active participation in activities

There will be no homework this week! Just make sure that you are actively engaged in class, so you don’t lose participation points, and are prepared for Friday’s Data analysis.

Tuesday 10/14

IN CLASS Exploring abiotic factors in a stream ecosystem: Water Chemistry with Wyoming Stream Team Wednesday 10/15 IN CLASS Exploring the biotic factors in a stream ecosystem: Water ecology, and macro invertebrates with Wyoming Stream Team

Thursday 10/16

IN CLASS FIELD TRIP TO FLAT CREEK *Leave at 8am return by 12:30 pm. Friday 10/17 IN CLASS   Data Analysis!

10 Minute outdoor observations-- A Highlight!

Science Log

Sam J.

October 5th 2008
2:26 pm
48˚ F

"There's a slightly strong breeze, enough to rise goose bumps on my arms, and the sky is completely overcast today. A bit of a gloomy Sunday afternoon. A large group of geese fly by in a clumped, almost V-shaped formation, loudly squawking. Gnats and ants crawl in the cracks of the grass. In the distance, a forest of trees appears to be on fire, glowing a vibrant orange. In the distance, a stream rumbles lightly over mossy rocks. The spot in which I sit is still damp from last nights rain. The grass is beginning to dull in color and it almost seems that everything around me changes color by the second. There's a faint dog bark in the background. As far as I can tell, summer is gone, and fall is definitely here."

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Syllabus Week 6 October 6-10

Life Science- Week 6
Notes of Interest:
1 Bike to School Day is Tuesday - see me for a list of places you can meet for the ride to school with other students and teachers
2 There are a few students who have not turned in their Emergency Medical Forms --- Come on folks – Get ‘em in Please!!!
3 Quarterly Recognition forms (Pink) must be turned in to the office or you won’t be able to take part in the quarter end activities.
4 We’re half way to the end of quarter 1now – keep up the great work!!!

• Monday 10/06

IN CLASS
Return Tests
Milkweed Bug Observations

HOMEWORK
Take home test corrections due Friday

• Tuesday 10/07

IN CLASS
Bike to school Day!
Milkweed bug observations
In class quiz
HOMEWORK
Take home test corrections due Friday

• Wednesday 10/08

IN CLASS
Mono Lake/Yellowstone Investigation
HOMEWORK
Take home test corrections due Friday

• Thursday 10/09

IN CLASS
Computer simulated food web and chain, on Mono Lake.
HOMEWORK
Take home test corrections due Friday

• Friday 10/10

IN CLASS
Test Corrections Due!
Phenology Day!
Pop quiz =)

HOMEWORK
Observation Scenario Handout- Read the scenario, and create a food web! Due Monday.

Walk, Bike, Bus to School Week!

On October 7h, the JH Middle School will participate in its second annual celebration of the International Walk/Bike to School Day!

The JHMS event will kick-off a weeks worth of biking, walking, and busing in the Teton County School District. Bike Groups are being coordinated to encourage students to ride together to school. Students are also being encouraged to WALK or ride the SCHOOL BUS throughout the week.
On Tuesday, the Bike Groups will travel on selected routes, and will be supervised by various adult volunteers. Please find a location that suits your needs. There are IMPORTANT guidelines that will help us plan and insure the safety of your children.

IMPORTANT PARTICIPANT GUIDELINES:
• The events will occur rain or shine, so please dress appropriately- be prepared for a cool morning ride!
• If you are leaving for school in the dark, wear headlamps and bike lights if you have them.
• Make sure your bike is in good working order BEFORE you ride.
• Bring a flashlight if you are walking in the dark, and DON’T walk alone.
• Please make sure your child knows where he/she is going in both the AM and PM, and don’t change the plan!
• Coordinate your own walking or biking groups.
• If you cannot ride a bike or walk, RIDE THE SCHOOL BUS!
• All WALK/BIKE/BUS participants will receive special Colt cards which will be entered into a raffle for over 30 prizes!
• Parents are encouraged to participate (bike or walk) with their student.
• Departure times are prompt! Don’t be late.
• Don’t drive to school. Instead, join a bike group at one of designated locations as described.

Bike group details:
1. Stilson Ranch Pathway Trail Head- 6:45 departure to school.
Bo Miller, Holly Pratt, Charlie Thomas, Chris Wilbrecht, Marlee White, Jill Fineis, and Les Gibson are the route leaders.
**The Highway patrol has been notified and will be on duty while we are on Hwy 22. Adult escorts for the ride back to Stilson Ranch Pathway will depart the school at 2:45 PM.

2. Sage Meadows Trailhead (near Melody Ranch)- 6:45 AM departure to school.
Randall Cresswell and Paul Dykeman will be the route leaders.

3. Rafter J HOA cabin- 7:05 departure to school.
Greg Poduska and Michelle Rooks will be the route leaders.


4. Phil Baux Park at the Base of Snow King- 6:55 AM departure to school.
Rody Hagen and Barb Hoeft will be the ride leaders.

5. Pathways Trail head at the NEW Post Office on Maple Way- 7:10 departure to school.
Kathy Feucht, Kathy Vaughn, and Brook Yeomans will be the route leaders.

The Stilson Ranch Bike group will have an afternoon adult escort. The remaining routes will be responsible to ride the Pathways and sidewalks home on their own and as arranged with their families.

If you have questions you may contact the JHMS 733-4234, Holly Pratt 733-6275, or Sue Prevost 413-4293.

Syllabus Week 5 September 29-October 3

Monday September 29
IN CLASS
Explore new Agenda
Test Prep
Team building: Human Knot


Tuesday, September 30
IN CLASS
Local social scientist Dr. Miriam Azim
comes to do a social-science experiment on Social norms!
Very fun!

HW: Take home test!
Complete the test without help from friends and parents

Wednesday, October 1
IN CLASS
Take-home test due!
Introduction to Ecology!
Investigate Milkweed bug habitats!


Thursday, October 2
IN CLASS
“Sorting out Life” Investigation

Friday, October 3
IN CLASS
Video population Study--
Jane Goodall Movie: “Among the Wild Chimpanzees.”

HW-Weekend
10 minute observation in the "spot" that you have been observing.
Here are things to record-
Your Name,Time, Date, Temperature,
Weather, sounds, insects, birds, wildlife,
trees etc. What do you see around you?

Lab Report Format and Grading

Pts. Description

3 Title: Briefly states the topic of the lab. Includes Name and Date

5 Introduction: Give Background Knowledge of the subject, States question and hypothesis


5 Materials: Lists ALL materials needed for the lab


5 Methods: A narrative that describes all steps used in the lab to test the hypothesis. This section should not be a bulleted list, but a paragraph describing what was done to carry out the experiment. It should be so clear that someone else would be able to follow your directions to repeat the lab. (Like a recipe) First, next, then….


5 Results: A narrative that describes all the data collected in the lab. This section should not be a bullet list, but a paragraph describing what was found out in the experiment. It should EXPLAIN your data table.


5 Data Table: Clear and repeat what your table looked like in your lab.

5 Conclusions: Wraps up the paper, describes what all the data means and ultimately what was accomplished by the experiment. Did you accept or Reject your hypothesis?


5 Correct Formatting: 12 pt Font, Body Text double spaced, Correct Spelling, free of grammatical errors, complete sentences.


38= Total Points

Syllabus Week 4 September 22-26

Scientific Method

Monday September 22
In Class-
Hand in HW from the weekend into the box
Journal Prompt: How does the yeast experiment relate to the scientific method?
Computer Lab: Work on Lab reports- Due on Friday as your QUIZ GRADE for the scientific method.

HW- Work on your lab report due Friday (your quiz grade for the scientific method)
________________________________________________________________
Tuesday September 23
In Class-
How does your phenology project relate to the scientific method? —Write out your proposal with the handout I give you.
Go over Phenology experiments one on one.

HW- Work on Lab report due Friday
________________________________________________________________
Wednesday September 24
In Class-
TBA


HW- Work on Lab report due Friday
________________________________________________________________
Thursday September 25
In Class-
Study day for Celebration of Learning- Organize binders, Note check,


HW- Work on Lab report due Friday

________________________________________________________________
Friday September 26
In Class-
Hand in Yeast Lab report—Remember this is your “quiz” on the Scientific Method
1st day of Data collection for Phenology – FIELD DAY

HW-Study for the BIG celebration of learning on Monday!

Syllabus- Week 3 September 15-19

Life Science Syllabus- Week 3 September 15-19

Monday September 15
In Class:
Journal Prompt: What is an organism?
If you did not take the quiz- See me now—you will take it in the Hall right now.
Go over the quiz
Is Yeast alive?—Why or why not? I have some yeast that I am wondering if it is still “good.” How could you test to see if they were still alive?
Write out an experiment that we could do to see if they are still “active.”
-Make sure you have everything in the right place in your binder, for a binder check tomorrow!

HW:
-Make sure you have everything in the right place in your binder,
for a binder check tomorrow!
SQ3R P.6-9 on Asking about Life.

Tuesday September 16
In Class:
Finish up Experimental Designs by asking: What is our question? Describe our methods of finding out if the Yeast is alive or not.
Choose one experiment to do as a class.
Make a Data table together in preparation for the Lab/Experiment tomorrow
Lab safety/expectations.

Wednesday September 17
In Class:
Yeast Experiment Lab!

HW:
SQ3R P. 16-17

Thursday September 18
In Class:
Write up Lab reports together on Laptops- email to Ms. Fineis when finished.

Friday September 19
In Class: Phenology Field Day!

HW:
Go to that same spot outside near your house, sit quietly and describe it for 10 minutes. –This time, what has changed here? Please include Temperature, Time, Date, NAME, and DETAILED observations.

Outdoor Observation Journal Quotes...

This past weekend's assignment was to sit outside for 10 minutes and record nature observations from one spot. Here are some highlights from journals:

"I am so glad that I was given this assignment because if not I normally wouldn't have made time to go outside and appreciate this beautiful Fall day."- Morgan

"A breeze picks up, only to die back down again.."-Nicole

"The landscape falls away sharply to an expanse of hillside strewn with rocks and ferns curling outward to absorb the sun's nurturing rays." -Sarah W.

"There were a lot of dried up places. On a couple of trees and grass there were spider webs on them. I did find some signs of animals and bugs." - Jennifer G.L.

"As I sit here, everything is perfectly silent except the wisps of a light breeze rustling...the branches and the chirp of grass hoppers, occasionally a warble or caw of a bird resounds across the sky or in the boughs above....Life envelops me in a cradle of splendor."
- Sawyer

Phenology Pictures: Septmber 5, 2008

New found Plants!


Picking our sites...



More signs of a coming fall! Fruits have begun to dry into seed.

Phenology-September 5, 2008

"So, What is Phenology all about?"

Phenology is the study of relationships between climate and biology over time.

This year we will be exploring the ecosystem along an irrigation channel of Flat creek just behind our school. During our time outside we will collect information on how different elements of the environment change throughout the seasons, explore concepts of ecology and become familiar with the secret worlds along the stream that we so often overlook.

Through student's work with the flat creek phenology project, they will:

- monitor how an ecosystem changes through data analysis.
- write and illustrate detailed descriptions of a personal study area.
- connect our explorations with concepts we learn in the classroom.
- conduct and independent science projects to answer a question about the Flat Creek ecosystem and communicate their findings formally.
- be able to describe ways organisms interact and the role non-living factors play in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.

HOW TO SQ3R

The SQ3R Method

Survey, Question, Read, Recite and Review

(From:http://www.ic.arizona.edu/ic/wrightr/other/sq3r.html)

SQ3R (Robinson, 1970) is a method for active elaboration of material that you read, say in a textbook. It consists of 5 steps. I'll talk in terms of a chapter from the text, but this can be adapted to almost anything.

1. Survey (1 minute): Before beginning reading look through the whole chapter. See what the headings are -- the major ones and the subheadings; hierarchical structures seem to be particularly easy for our brains to latch onto -- check for introductory and summary paragraphs, references, etc. Resist reading at this point, but see if you can identify 3 to 6 major ideas in the chapter.

2. Question (usually less than 30 seconds): Ask yourself what this chapter is about: What is the question that this chapter is trying to answer? Or -- along the curiosity lines -- What question do I have that this chapter might help answer? Repeat this process with each subsection of the chapter, as well, turning each heading into a question.

3. Read (slower for some of us than others!): Read one section at a time looking for the answer to the question proposed by the heading! This is active reading and requires concentration so find yourself a place and time where you can concentrate.

4. Recite/write (about a minute): Say to yourself (I do this out loud so I have to study where I don't embarrass myself) or write down (I sometimes do this in the margins of the book itself ) a key phrase that sums up the major point of the section and answers the question. It is important to use your own words, not just copy a phrase from the book. Research shows that we remember our own (active) connections better than ones given to us (passive), indeed that our own hierarchies are generally better than the best prefab hierarchies.

5. Review (less than 5 minutes): After repeating steps 2-4 for each section you have a list of key phrases that provides a sort of outline for the chapter. Test yourself by covering up the key phrases and seeing if you can recall them. Do this right after you finish reading the chapter. If you can't recall one of your major points, that's a section you need to reread.

This method works. It works for me and it has worked for many students in the past. If you have recommendations for how to improve it, I would welcome them for the "next edition" of this mini-lesson.

Reference

Robinson, Francis Pleasant. (1970) Effective study (4th ed.). New York: Harper & Row.

SYLLABUS: September 8-12, 2008

Monday September 8, 2008
IN CLASS
Each one teach one in Lab Station Groups- 1.Cells 2. Stimulus 3. Reproduction 4. DNA 5. Use E 6. Grow & Development


HOMEWORK
SQ3R Section 2 (p40-41) in your Textbook.
__________________________________________________________________
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
IN CLASS
SCHOOL PICS -1st period
Habitat Lap Sit Activity
Trophic Levels discussion
Biome/Trophic levels Lab activity

HOMEWORK
None!

_________________________________________________________________
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
IN CLASS
Chemistry of Life:
LAB
Proteins
Carbohydrates
Lipids
Nucleic Acids
*Field Trip to Center for the Arts. Leave at 10:30

HOMEWORK
Create a study guide for the quiz, based on your notes from class, and your textbook.


__________________________________________________________________
Thursday, September 11, 2008
IN CLASS
Review Material From the last week
Create a Creature activity

HOMEWORK
Study for your quiz!

__________________________________________________________________
Friday, September 12, 2008
IN CLASS
Celebration of Learning! (QUIZ)

**On, Characteristics, Necessities and Chemistry of LIFE.