7th Science 16-17 Spring Trimester Archive Page

Weeks of 6/12/2017 – 6/23/2017 (Final Newsletter): Concluding the school year, looking ahead to next year.

6/12 – 6/16: Finish Solar Cars, SLC, Rockets

Monday 6/12: Solar Car Speed Trials, and Modification Write-Ups

Tuesday 6/13: Solar Cars Class Tournament

Wednesday 6/14: , Solar Car Interviews, SLC Reflection, Notebook Maintenance

Thursday 6/15: Finish Notebook Maintenance, Introduction to Rockets, & Initial Design

Friday 6/16: No School – Conferences evening prior

6/19 – 6/23: Rockets, End of Year Awards, Field Trip

Monday 6/19: Car Deconstruction, Reassemble Kits Rocket Designs & Initial Testing

Tuesday 6/20: End of Year Science Awards, Rocket Launch

Wednesday 6/21: 7th grade field trip to Splash! (Last day for students to turn in makeup work)

Thursday 6/22: Last day of school!

Friday 6/23: No School – end of Trimester Grading Day

Upcoming Calendar Dates: Student-Led Conferences 5:00-7:30 PM Thursday, June 15. End of Year Field Trip Wednesday, June 21. Last Day of School Thursday, June 22.

Science Interactive Notebook: Last day for all makeup work is Wednesday, June 21.

Homework: None assigned as of 6/12

Announcements: Hello, and welcome to another week of 7th grade science! This will be the last newsletter of the year, so there is more to it as it encompasses the final two weeks of the school year. This week we will be finishing our solar cars unit with speed trials for all cars, and a class-wide tournament. Speed cars will race speed cars, and art cars will be pitted against other art cars. We will also bring in some VIP voters to vote for the best art car designs on Tuesday. Students will also be writing up small investigation reports on the modifications that they tried on their cars, and the effects the adjustments had. We will spend some time cleaning up from the Solar Cars unit, setting up kits for next year, and the basic deconstruction of the speed cars. By mid-week we will spend some time reflecting on the progress we made this year, and starting our very short rockets unit. For the rocket project we need as many 2-liter bottles as we can get – which is why I sent a separate email about it last week. Many of you responded that you could send some to school with your student. Many thanks for those who can contribute a couple plastic bottles! The last week of school we will finish by launching our water bottle rockets, and having the end of year field trip. Again, I am really excited to have all of these students for another year as 8th graders! Next year our major units include a major focus on engineering design, an earth science unit on geologic processes, a life science unit on genetics, a physical science unit on newton’s laws of motion, and another chemistry unit on how our bodies convert food into energy. As part of the earth science unit in the fall, we will also seek to finish the work started by my last group of 8th graders by completing a seismic building analysis of the school, and presenting a report of their findings to the district for consideration. We will also be able to utilize the seismometers that my last group was able to construct with a grant that I was part of. I also will be working on a science YouTube channel this summer with different science experiments that students can do if they choose, or you would like them to. To close, I just want to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed this group of students, and am glad that we were able to make it work so that I have all of the 8th graders next year.  I hope you all have a fantastic summer.  While I won’t check it quite as often, please feel free to email me over the summer if you need anything.  I have a few trips planned, but will mostly be around town playing baseball, prepping for the fall, or working on my farm.  Take care!

KK

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Week of 6/5/2017 – 6/9/2017: Finish Car Construction & Modifications

Monday 6/5: Car Construction & Modifications

Tuesday 6/6: Car Construction & Modifications

Wednesday 6/7: Car Construction & Modifications

Thursday 6/8: Speed Trials for Solar Car Challenge & Art Concept Car Voting

Friday 6/9: Car Construction & Modifications

Upcoming Calendar Dates:  EWEB Solar Car Challenge, Saturday, June 10. Student-Led Conferences Thursday, June 15.  Last Day of School Thursday, June 22.

Science Notebook: Notebook 7 (pages 54-63) Grading Monday 6/5

Homework: None assigned as of 6/4

Announcements: Hello, and welcome to another week of 7th grade science!  This week we will finish the principle construction & modifications to our solar cars.  The Solar Car Challenge is this Saturday, June 10, and we need to be able to select the cars that will be participating for it.  I am attaching the schedule for the challenge here: 2017 Solar Challenge schedule.  Just a reminder that I can only take one speed car and one art car per class to the challenge.  I will notify everyone who has won the opportunity to participate in the Challenge by the end of the day on Thursday.  There is no transportation to or from the challenge.  I will be there around 8:30 to help setup, and will be there until the last of our speed cars is done competing.  Typically, we are done with the Solar Cars unit when we have the Solar Car Challenge, but we will have our own Challenge at school the following week.  Students will race their cars in a seeded tournament based on their speed trial times, and we will have some awards for the fastest cars, top vote-earners for the art cars, and the art cars will even have their own tournament.  I should have most of Notebook 7 graded on Monday this week, and finished by the end of the day on Tuesday.  The end of the year is starting to fill up, but if we have time we will have a couple of lessons on basic rocketry.  At Student-Led Conferences on the 15th, students will be able to show off their solar cars, and the work that they have done this trimester from science.  The invitations for conferences should be coming home soon.  I hope you all have a fantastic week! Let me know if you need anything.

KK

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Week of 5/29/2017 – 6/2/2017: Final Draft Design, Building Materials & Their Proper Use, Car Construction

Monday 5/29: No School – Memorial Day

Tuesday 5/30: Finish Final Draft Designs, Building Materials & Their Proper Use, Build Day 1

Wednesday 5/31: Build Day 2

Thursday 6/1: Build Day 3

Friday 6/2: Why Doesn’t it Work!? Modification Day 1

Upcoming Calendar Dates:  EWEB Solar Car Challenge, Saturday, June 10. Student-Led Conferences Thursday, June 15.  Last Day of School Thursday, June 22.

Science Notebook:

Homework: None assigned as of 5/28.

Announcements: Hello, and welcome to another week of 7th grade science!  This week we are going to be immersed in the construction of our solar cars.  Most students will be building by Tuesday or Wednesday.  We will do the principle testing of our cars early the following week, and have a race day around June 8 to determine which groups have earned the opportunity to go to the EWEB Solar Car Challenge on Saturday, June 10.  Just a reminder that I can only take one speed car and one art car per class, and that it is optional.  If the winning group from a class cannot attend, I will give the option to the 2nd place car in the class.  After we’re done with the Solar Car Challenge we will spend a day or so in a seeded tournament to determine class champions.  I hope you all have a fantastic week!  Let me know if you need anything.

KK

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Week of 5/22/2017 – 5/26/2017: Gear Ratios, Rough Draft, Final Draft Design

Monday 5/22: Calculating Drive Gear Ratios, Distance Per Revolution, Gear Ratio Lab

Tuesday 5/23: 2nd Draft & Final Draft Prep, Group Plan & Procedures

Wednesday 5/24: Kordon Gone (Districts Track Meet)

Thursday 5/25: Final Draft Design

Friday 5/26: Building Materials & Their Proper Use, 1st Build Day

Upcoming Calendar Dates:  Districts track meet Wednesday, May 24 (Kordon gone). EWEB Solar Car Challenge, Saturday, June 10. Student-Led Conferences Thursday, June 15.  Last Day of School Thursday, June 22.

Science Notebook: Notebook 5 (pages 37-43) make-up deadline Friday 6/2.

Homework: None assigned as of 5/22.

Announcements:

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Week of 5/15/2017 – 5/19/2017: Finishing the Weather Unit, Introduction to Solar Cars

Monday 5/15: Finish Weather Unit Review, Weather Unit Test

Tuesday 5/16: Begin Solar Cars Unit, Solar Cars – Unit Goals & Pre-Build Worksheet

Wednesday 5/17: Solar Cars – Finish Pre-Build Worksheet

Thursday 5/18: Kordon Gone (Sub-Districts Track Meet) “Who Killed the Electric Car?”

Friday 5/19: Solar Cars – Initial Rough Draft, Introducing Gear Ratios

Upcoming Calendar Dates:  Sub-Districts Track Meet Thursday, May 18 (Kordon gone). Districts track meet Wednesday, May 24 (Kordon gone). EWEB Solar Car Challenge, Saturday, June 10. Student-Led Conferences Thursday, June 15.  Last Day of School Thursday, June 22.

Science Notebook: Notebook 3 (Pages 17-26) make-up deadline Friday 5/19. Notebook 4 (Pages 27-36) make-up deadline Friday 5/19. Notebook 5 (pages 37-43) make-up deadline Friday 6/2.

Homework: Forecasting Precipitation Reading (due Wednesday 5/17)

Announcements: Hello, and welcome to another week of 7th Grade Science!  We’re in the home stretch, everyone: the last six weeks of the school year.  With the last half-trimester in front of us we have also finally arrived at our solar cars unit.  Monday we will take our unit test for the weather unit after going over the unit review one last time, but after that we will jump into solar cars.  The unit typically takes 4-5 weeks when I teach it at 7th grade.  There are two different types of cars that students are allowed to build when I run this unit in 7th grade: speed concept cars (designed to go as fast as possible) or art concept cars (need to move at least 1 meter, but designed with a more elaborate artistic design).  The top speed car & art concept car from each science class will have the option of participating in the EWEB Solar Car Challenge on Saturday, June 10 at Cal Young MS.  I will provide much more detail about the Challenge once we get closer to the date.  One last reminder that if any student wants to make up any work from Notebooks 3 & 4 that they have until Friday, May 19 to do so.  Any make-up work turned in for these notebooks at this point will not impact the mid-trimester grade, but will still positively impact the final grade at the end of the trimester.  I hope you all have a fantastic week!  Let me know if you need anything.

KK

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Week of 5/8/2017 – 5/12/2017: Finishing the Weather Unit

Monday 5/8: Weather Data, Longitude, and Latitude

Tuesday 5/9: Weather Data, Longitude, and Latitude

Wednesday 5/10: Daylight, Weather, and Heating & Cooling of Soil & Water

Thursday 5/11: Finish Heating & Cooling of Soil & Water, Unit Review (UPDATE): Test pushed to Monday 5/15 to allow for thorough review

Friday 5/12: No School – Mid-Trimester Grading Day

Upcoming Calendar Dates:  Mid-Trimester Grading Friday, May 12.  Sub-Districts Track Meet Thursday, May 18 (Kordon gone). Districts track meet Wednesday, May 24 (Kordon gone). EWEB Solar Car Challenge, Saturday, June 10. Student-Led Conferences Thursday, June 15.  Last Day of School Thursday, June 22.

Science Notebook: Notebook 3 (Pages 17-26) make-up deadline Friday 5/19. Notebook 4 (Pages 27-36) make-up deadline Friday 5/19.

Homework: Forecasting Precipitation Reading (due Wednesday 5/17)

Announcements: Hello, and welcome to another week of 7th Grade Science!  This week we will finish up our weather unit, and also reach the midpoint of the spring trimester.  We will be starting our solar cars unit in earnest next week which will continue until the 2nd week in June.  It feels like just yesterday that this group of students walked into my classroom for the first time, and here we are nearing the halfway point of our time.  I hope you all have a fantastic week!  Let me know if you need anything.

KK

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Week of 5/1/2017 – 5/5/2017: Weather Map Analysis, Storms, and Storm Data

Monday 5/1: Finish Weather Map Analysis

Tuesday 5/2: Collecting Weather Data, Analyzing Storm Data

Wednesday 5/3: Analyzing Storm Data, Forecasting Precipitation

Thursday 5/4: Forecasting Precipitation, Weather: Power of Water

Friday 5/5: Weather: the Power of Water

Upcoming Calendar Dates:  Mid-Trimester Grading Friday, May 12.  Student-Led Conferences Thursday, June 15. EWEB Solar Car Challenge, Saturday, June 10. Last Day of School Thursday, June 22.

Science Notebook: Notebook 3 (Pages 17-26) make-up deadline Thursday 5/11. Notebook 4 (Pages 27-35) make-up deadline Friday 5/19.

Homework: None assigned as of 4/30

Announcements: Hello, and welcome to another week of 7th grade science!  This week we will be examining storms and data collected from a series of storms to help explain what is going on in the models that we have been creating.  Believe it or not, but the mid-trimester grading day is quickly approaching.  Notebook 4 will be the last science notebook grade to impact the mid-trimester grades.  Our unit test will not impact the mid-trimester grades, but will be taking it right around the grading day (give or take a day or two) depending on how quickly or slowly we finish things.  I hope you all have a fantastic week!  Let me know if you need anything.

KK

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Week of 4/24/2017 – 4/28/2017: Weather Maps

Monday 4/24: Finish Electric Car Intro., Cloud in a Bottle

Tuesday 4/25: Storm Models

Wednesday 4/26: Finish Storm Models, start Weather Map Analysis

Thursday 4/27: Weather Map Analysis

Friday 4/28: (Early Release, Periods 4-6) – Kordon gone on AVID Field Trip

Upcoming Calendar Dates: Friday, April 28 Early Release 4-6. Mid-Trimester Grading Friday, May 12.  Student-Led Conferences Thursday, June 15. EWEB Solar Car Challenge, Saturday, June 10. Last Day of School Thursday, June 22.

Science Notebook: Notebook 1 (Pages 1-8) make-up deadline Friday 4/28.  Notebook 2 (Pages 9-16) make-up deadline Friday 4/28. Notebook 3 (Pages 17-26) make-up deadline Thursday 5/11.

Homework: None assigned as of 4/24.

Announcements: Hello, and welcome to another week of 7th grade science!  This week we are finishing talking about cloud formation, and are going to be examining many types of weather maps.  Over the next couple of days I will be grading Notebook 3, and some of the models that students have recently finished.  I expect us to be done with this unit in about two weeks, and then we’ll be able to get into our Solar Cars unit.  I hope you all are having a fantastic week!  Let me know if you need anything.

KK

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Week of 4/17/2017 – 4/21/2017: Movement of Air Masses & Cloud Formation

Monday 4/17: Why Heat Rises

Tuesday 4/18: Modeling the Movement of Wind/Air

Wednesday 4/19: Clouds: Formation, Observation, and Associated Weather

Thursday 4/20: Storms & Storm Clouds

Friday 4/21: Weather Maps & Symbols

Upcoming Calendar Dates: Friday, April 28 Early Release 4-6. Mid-Trimester Grading Friday, May 12.  Student-Led Conferences Thursday, June 8. EWEB Solar Car Challenge, Saturday, June 10. Last Day of School Thursday, June 22.

Science Notebook: Notebook 1 (Pages 1-8) make-up deadline Friday 4/28.  Notebook 2 (Pages 9-16) make-up deadline Friday 4/28. Notebook 3 make-up deadline Friday 5/5.

Homework: None assigned as of 4/18.

Announcements: Hello, and welcome to another week of 7th grade science!  This week we will be learning about convection currents, and how they impact weather systems.  This topic will dominate our conversation before we get into cloud formation later in the week.  I just finished the most recent grade update for Notebooks 1 & 2.  My apologies for taking a bit longer than usual on them.  This week I will be grading the models that we construct on Tuesday, and will then turn my attention to Notebook 3 later in the week.  I hope you all have a fantastic week!  As always, let me know if you need anything.

KK

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Week of 4/10/2017 – 4/14/2017:

Monday 4/10: Modeling Transfer of Heat to Air

Tuesday 4/11: Conduction Lab

Wednesday 4/12: Convection Lab

Thursday 4/13: Why Heat Rises

Friday 4/14: Winter Term Reward Lab: Ooobleck!

Upcoming Calendar Dates: Friday, April 28 Early Release 4-6 (Kordon gone on AVID Field Trip), Mid-Trimester Grading Friday, May 12,  Student-Led Conferences Thursday, June 8. EWEB Solar Car Challenge, Saturday, June 10. Last Day of School Thursday, June 22.

Science Notebook: Notebook 1 (Pages 1-8) make-up deadline Friday 4/21.

Homework: None assigned as of 4/9

Announcements: Hello, and welcome to another week of 7th grade science!  This week we will have a full helping of our weather unit after the short week we had coming back from spring break.  The Ooobleck lab on Friday 4/7 was postponed to Friday 4/14 due to the power outage at school.  With track in full swing, a reminder that I am not available after school Monday-Thursday, so if your student needs extra help on anything they need to be coming in at lunch, or they can see if I am available before school – I typically have meetings in the morning on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  I hope you all have a fantastic week!  Let me know if you need anything.

KK

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Week of 4/3/2017 – 4/7/2017: HIV/AIDS, Weather Unit Introduction

Monday 4/3: No School – Trimester 2 Grading Day

Tuesday 4/4: HIV/AIDS Webquest

Wednesday 4/5: Earth Science Pre-Assessment, Weather Observations & Weather Report

Thursday 4/6: Earth Science Unit Introduction, Weather Observations & Weather Report

Friday 4/7: Early Release, Periods 1-3 – Ooobleck! Lab (postponed until 4/14 due to power outage at school)

Upcoming Calendar Dates: 4J AVID Strides for Education Fundraiser 6k Walk/Run: Sunday, April 9 @ 2:00 PM,  Friday, April 28 Early Release 4-6, Mid-Trimester Grading Friday, May 12,  Student-Led Conferences Thursday, June 8. EWEB Solar Car Challenge, Saturday, June 10. Last Day of School Thursday, June 22.

Science Notebook: Notebook 1 (Pages 1-8) make-up deadline Friday 4/21.

Homework: None assigned as of 4/3.

Announcements: Hello, and welcome to another week of 7th Grade Science!  It is hard to believe that we’re starting the 3rd and final trimester of the school year.  This week is an odd week as we start school on Tuesday, and then have an early release day on Friday.  For the regular days we’re going to start our Earth Science unit on the Weather.  This will be a much shorter unit than the Chemistry and Physical Science units.  We expect it to take approximately 5-6 weeks.  After our Weather unit, we will do our Solar Cars unit – which for many students is the highlight of the year in science.  Later this week, I will archive the winter term blog posts just like I did for the fall term.  I hope you all have a fantastic week! Please let me know if you need anything. 

KK

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