Earth Science: No homework. (I’d originally intended some, but it involved taking textbooks home through the rain, so we’ll finish it Monday.) We worked on plate tectonics — hand-out & drawing.
Life Science: Homework is hand-out HW #22. Afternoon periods did the same in-class work that the morning classes did yesterday. Morning periods began watching a documentary called Food, Inc. (The video has a slant, but we discussed that during the viewing.)
3-D Model Cell Countdown: 10 more days.
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Greetings, Students & Parents,
My apologies for the long delay in getting grades updated. Getting truly caught up turned out to be impractical, so I declared victory and posted what I’ve graded so far.
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Earth Science: No homework. We had an assembly in which a performer demonstrated the physics of juggling.
Life Science: No homework. In the morning classes, we did an in-class assignment on photosynthesis and sugar as food — easy stuff. We had no fifth period science class, and sixth period went to an assembly where they got to see & handle reptiles.
3-D Model Cell Countdown: 11 days.
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Earth Science: No homework. We had a test on layers of the Earth and continental drift.
Life Science: Today’s homework is hand-out HW #21. We worked on today’s homework in class, so most students are nearly finished — but #9 is a toughy.
3-D Model Cell Countdown: 12 days.
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Earth Science: Homework is to study notes & practice test for tomorrow’s test. Today we stapled our class notes into packets, took a practice test, and went over the answers. The practice test is allowed as notes on tomorrow’s open-note test. The test will have about a dozen multiple choice questions and an essay question.
Life Science: Homework is hand-out HW #20. This is a fairly easy homework, but it gets conceptually much more challenging tomorrow. In class, we reviewed proteins and then watched more of the venom video to see how proteins can affect the nervous system.
3-D Model Cell Countdown: 13 days.
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Earth Science: No homework. We read about continental drift and tectonic plates.
Life Science: No homework. We read a little about proteins. Then we watched a video about medical cures being developed from venom; animal venoms being made of proteins. Fun stuff.
3-D Model Cell Countdown: 14 days.
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Earth Science: No homework. We learned some more about continental drift, and started making our own continent puzzles.
Life Science: Homework is a “3-D artistic” hand-out, which has the students draw pictures of some of the cell parts that are in the 3-D model cell. With the beriberi case study, I had students confusing the actual cause (malnutrition) with the first dead-end of the researchers (the idea that it was caused by bacteria) so we summarized it today.
3-D Model Cell Countdown: 17 days.
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Life Science: In periods 2, 3 & 6, students got their biggest test back today. Period 5 will get it tomorrow. The left-hand percentage is for the cell questions. The right-hand percentage is for the graph and interpretation questions.
Test redo’s are encouraged. Not happy with your score? Come in before or after school and redo it. 
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Earth Science: No homework. In class, we introduced tectonic plates.
Life Science: Homework is “3-D Vocabulary”, a pink hand-out that covers the same organelles that are required in the 3-D Model Cell project. The intention is to support the written component of the project. In class, we had some light work while I checked out in-class resources to students one at a time.
3-D Model Cell Countdown: 18 days.
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Earth Science: No homework. We talked a bit about how density makes hot air balloons rise, but the concept was a bit abstract.
Life Science: Homework is a model cell project. Details are on a hand-out, provided today. Due date is 30 November. So, 20-day countdown starts today. In class, we worked some more with the beriberi case study. So far, we’ve narrowed it down to white rices vs. balanced meals.
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