Tuesday, September 30th, 2025

Today you will need: notebook, pencil, computer
Learning objective: properties of water, lab report, and experiment set up

Do Now
Think/pair/share - What's so special about water?

Next

• Discuss the grading breakdown for parts of the project (research, experiment, lab report) 

• Watch this video and learn about the properties of water - take notes! List the properties of water in your notebook. 

Then

• Last groups inoculate mold spores onto substrate and set up your experiment (controls and variables) 

• Then, work on your Materials and Methods section of your lab report. Using sentences, describe all of the items you used as well as your process for setting up your experiment. Note the dates that you made the Jello or Gelatine and when you inoculated it with mold spores. Include the source of mold and the ingredients of your substrate (Jello or Gelatine).

Exit Ticket
Name at least two constants (or controlled variables) in your experiment set up

Monday, September 29th, 2025

Today you will need: notebook, pencil, computer
Learning objective: work on lab report and experiment set up

Do Now
Open your mold lab report document. Copy and paste the guidelines below into the bottom of your document for future referencing. Delete guidelines before you submit your final report for grading.

● Arial font

● 12 point font for the body (NOT bold or italic)

● Left alignment text expect for the title

● Title should be centered, bold, and 16 to 18 point font

● 14 point font and bold for sections headings

● Double spaced

Next
Groups will begin to inoculate their jello with mold spores. Teacher will demonstrate technique. Groups in which all members have completed their annotations and research section of their lab report will go first. After you have inoculated your petri dishes of Jello and placed them in their assigned locations (according to your experimental design), you can work on the materials and methods section of your lab report.

Exit Ticket
What is a skill you would like to learn someday?

 Friday, September 26th, 2025
No school for students - PD Day for teachers

Thursday, September 25th, 2025

Today you will need: notebook, pencil, computer
Learning objective: fungi research, annotations, and research summary, experiment set up

Do Now
Turn & talk - Is all mold bad? Why or why not?

Next
Studio time - work on your annotations or the research portion of your lab report. You can also identify your variables, add a title, and complete your hypothesis statement. There will not be anymore time alloted in class for these tasks after today!

Then
Set up your experiment. Obtain four petri dishes and fill them with the substrate you will be using. This means that you will need to make your Jello or Gelatine by following the directions on the package. For the hot water you can use the electric tea kettle in the back. Once your petri dishes are filled with Jello or Gelatin (your substrate), they will need to be placed in the refrigerator to set over the weekend. This way they will be ready to go when you return on Monday. When you are finished please wash the dishes immediately so the next group can get set up. 

Exit Ticket
Fist to five - readiness to begin your experiment on Monday

Wednesday, September 24th, 2025

Today you will need: notebook, pencil, computer
Learning objective: fungi research, annotations, and research summary

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2025

Today you will need: notebook, pencil, notebook, pencil, computer
Learning objective: fungi research, annotations, and research summary

Monday, September 22nd, 2025
🍁 Happy First Day of Autumn! 🍁

Today you will need: notebook, pencil, notebook, pencil, computer
Learning objective: fungi research, annotations, and research summary

Do Now
Ask your table neighbor what they did over the weekend. Remember what they told you because that will be your ticket out at the end of class.

Next
Go to Google Classroom and open the Mold lab report template. MAKE A COPY!

Then
Decide who you will work with for your mold lab project. Four people max. Then, as a group, decide what variable you will change (example, temperature, light, substrate). Your group must agree on ONE variable to change. 

Last
Continue your research on mold and fungi OR if you are ready you may begin to work on the research section of your lab report. You can copy and paste some of what you wrote in your annotated notes into your lab report... so long as you used your own words or used quotations.

Exit Ticket
What did your table neighbor tell you they did over the weekend?

Thursday, September 18th, 2025
Today you will need: notebook, pencil, computer
Learning objective: fungi research

Wednesday, September 17th, 2025
Today you will need: notebook, pencil, computer
Learning objective: identifying variables, graphing data, and fungi research

Tuesday, September 16th, 2025
Today you will need: notebook, pencil, Divided in Two worksheet and key
Learning objective: practice using a dichotomous key

Do Now
Take out your dichotomous key you created yesterday. Is it finished? If yes, I will be coming around to check and grade. If not, please continue to work on it!

Next
Work through the identification of organisms (laminated photos on a ring) using the dichotomous key provided

Then
GWT if time remains
Did you finish?...

• Is it alive worksheet

• Variables worksheet

• Simpson 's variables worksheet 

• CER worksheet

• Who's More closely related worksheets part 2a and 2b

Exit Ticket
I feel stressed when...

Monday, September 15th, 2025
Today you will need: notebook, pencil, Who's More Closely Related worksheet part 2a and 2b
Learning objective: taxonomy, using and creating dichotomous keys
✴️ Reminder to get your safety contract signed by a parent/guardian ✴️

Do Now
First, find your assigned seat
Then, turn & talk - what is a dichotomous key?

Next
Practice using and creating a dichotomous key (whole class)

Then
Who's more closely related, part 2a (with your table partner)

Last
Who's more closely related, part 2b (with your table partner)

Exit Ticket
I feel happy when.....

Friday, September 12th, 2025
Today you will need: notebook, pencil, Who's More Closely Related worksheet
Learning objective: taxonomy and dichotomous keys
✴️ Reminder to get your safety contract signed by a parent/guardian ✴️

Thursday, September 11th, 2025
Today you will need: notebook, pencil
Learning objective: taxonomy
✴️ Reminder to get your safety contract signed by a parent/guardian ✴️

Do Now
Lab safety contracts are due!
Draw the the taxonomy hierarchy pyramid in your notebook. Use color!

Next
Taxonomy   mini-lecture and notes

Exit Ticket
Who is someone that made you smile today?

Wednesday, September 10th, 2025
Today you will need: notebook, pencil
Learning objective: review scientific variables, practice CER
✴️ Reminder to get your safety contract signed by a parent/guardian ✴️

Tuesday, September 9th, 2025
Today you will need: notebook, pencil
Learning objective: understand the difference between and observation and an inference, review variables
✴️ Reminder to get your safety contract signed by a parent/guardian ✴️

Do Now

• Turn in your signed lab safety contract

• Finish the variables practice worksheet with a partner and then submit for grading

Next:
Record the following terms and definitions in your notebooks...

• observation - using our senses to gather information about the world around us

• inference - the process of drawing conclusions based on evidence and reasoning

Then: 

• Watch this Mythbusters experiment and practice determining the variables. 

• observations vs. inferences practice 

Exit Ticket
Share one observation or one inference about the classroom 

Monday, September 8th, 2025
Today you will need: notebook, pencil, variables practice sheet, lab safety contract
Learning objective: understand the lab safety rules, know the difference between types of variables, review steps of the scientific method

Do Now
Take out your notebook and write the following terms and definitions...
Independent variable: The factor that is intentionally manipulated or changed in an experiment.
Dependent variable: Is what you measure in the experiment (your data)

Controlled variables:  Things in the experiment that do not change. They stay the same and are not affected by the independent variable.

Next
Review and discuss lab safety contract. If you understand and agree with each rule, please put your initials after the rule. Sign your name at the end of the contract and take home for a parent signature. Bring back tomorrow.

Then
Think/pair/share: Silently try to recall the steps of the scientific method. Jot down the ones you remember in your notebook. Then, discuss with your table mate what you wrote down. Write down the steps you came up with on a mini white board. Share out with the class. 

Last:
Variables practice worksheet (with your table partner)

Exit Ticket
Who is somebody who has been kind to you lately?

Friday, September 5th, 2025
Today you will need: notebook, pencil, task from yesterday
Learning objective: explore the concept of aliveness

Do Now
Get into your group from yesterday and figure out who is "going to the concert"

Next

Four corners activity and worksheet - Is it alive?

Then
Card sort activity

Exit Ticket:
Submit your worksheet

Thursday, September 4th, 2024 

Do Now 

Create a "name card" to be used throughout the year

1. Choose a playing card

2. Write your name, preferred name, or nickname that you would like to be called, in permanent marker, big and clear, somewhere on the card (it does not matter which side)...If you made yours last year, you may need to darken up the ink - go over it with marker again.

3. On the bottom corner write P1 or P2 (depending on what class period you have this class)

Next
Discuss necessary materials for class: sketchbook, folder, pencil

Where to put materials in the classroom (bins and turn-in shelf)

Next 

Communication and team building activity 

Each of you has an envelope at your table with strips of paper in it. Whoever had the most recent birthday starts by taking one strip of paper out of the envelope and passing it to the left. Each person continues to take out one strip and pass to the left until all strips are gone. 

You can read your statement out loud, but you can’t show it to anyone and you can’t trade it. As a group, decide what the problem is, and then solve it.

Reflect 

What strategies did you use to solve the problem?

What behaviors helped or hindered you as you were solving the problem?

What roles emerged in the group that were helpful?

Exit Ticket

One word for the week so far