This week began with the completion of our online infectious disease simulation assignment. On Tuesday, students were given the following challenge, "reduce the spread of infectious diseases at Carroll". Students have begun to develop guiding questions, survey questions, and to brainstorm possible actions that can address this challenge. NC State returned on Thursday to continue their educational research on scale, focusing on scale factors. NC State has asked that we send home a permission letter to parents whose children are not already part of the study, but who are interested in their child becoming a participant. If you agree to allow your child to participate, participation only involves the completion of 3 short surveys during NC State's future visits to Carroll. These NC State permission forms will go home with students next Monday, February 8th (forms will only go home to students who are NOT already part of the study). Please direct all questions regarding the research study to the lead researcher whose contact information is included on the permission form.
This week in science students have been developing a greater understanding of how infectious diseases are transmitted as well as prevented. We have discussed the historical spread of typhoid fever by watching the documentary, "Typhoid Mary: The Most Dangerous Woman in America". We have also discussed the differences between epidemics and pandemics by playing two online infectious disease simulations, "The Great Flu" and "Pandemic II". As students have worked together to complete the online simulations, they have also been asked to reflect on which strategies and interventions worked best in transmitting and preventing global pandemics. The NC State educational researchers returned on Thursday this week to continue their ongoing study on "scale".
We began this week in science class by reviewing for our science benchmark. Students reviewed for the benchmark by working together to answer practice benchmark questions as well as by teaching and re-teaching difficult concepts related to chemistry and the hydrosphere. Following the science benchmark, students used their developing knowledge of infectious diseases to work together to develop their own (fictional, but realistic) disease brochures.
To start the week we discussed disease tables. We focused our discussions on the cause, symptoms, transmission, treatment, and prevention of infectious diseases. We then completed a disease table for the following: Bubonic Plague, Yellow Fever, West Nile Virus, Malaria, and River Blindness. To finish out the week, students began working with their learning teams to answer benchmark review questions on the Hydrosphere and Chemistry units. The 8th grade science benchmark will be on Tuesday, January 12th.
We began this week in science reviewing how to identify elements, compounds, mixtures. We also practiced how to use the equation for density to solve word problems. By the middle of the week we viewed online simulations and discussed how the movement of molecules and their arrangement changes as they change from solid to liquid to gas. Next, students created their own working definitions for physical and chemical properties of matter. We finished the week with a "challenge" in which students were asked to create rules for reading the periodic table as well as for how to create atomic drawings. Interims went home today.
This week in science, students worked collaboratively on the culminating activity for the Hydrosphere unit. Early in the week students worked to categorize hydrosphere concepts. On Tuesday and Thursday, researchers from NC State continued their longitudinal study on "Size and Scale" with our students. By the end of the week, students continued researching their "fill-in-the-gap" questions. We will have our Hydrosphere unit test next week.
On Monday, students turned in their completed "aquatic superhero" booklets. We then began a new challenge based on water quality. Students are working in their groups to try to identify a polluter of the Neuse River. In addition to identifying the polluter, students need to provide evidence using their knowledge of abiotic and biotic factors to make their case.
This week in science we talked about "protecting" our oceans. With this theme in mind, students first generated and answered guiding questions. Next, using the answers to their guiding question, students were challenged to create aquatic superheroes that specialized in protecting a specific ocean zone, animals, and natural resources. The finished aquatic superhero booklet will be due in class on Monday.
Students worked collaboratively this week learning about the Neuse River Basin. Once their research was complete, they combined their findings to create a "paper slide video" which was turned in on Wednesday. On Thursday, students competed against one another in an online quiz review game (Kahoot) to help them prepare for our first Hydrosphere quiz which was completed today.
This week in science, students worked to finalize their "water arguments" about water availability on Earth and human access to water. Today, in their learning teams, students explained how the following two statements can be true at the same time:
(1) "There is no water shortage on Earth." (2) "By 2025, 2/3 of the world population will live in countries where there isn't enough water or the water is of poor quality." |
AuthorMr. Jones is the 8th grade science teacher on the GOLD Team. Archives
February 2016
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