8th Grade Earth Science Daily Blog

Tuesday 5/26 - Friday 5/29

Distance Learning Week 9

Weekly Summary: LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL! We have 1 more chemistry topic you need to learn before you go to high school…acids and bases. We’ll do a short lesson on that and then have a really mini astronomy unit.

•Daily question response required

•Assignments are available on Google classroom beginning Tuesday and due by Thursday or Friday (check individual assignment due dates) at 11:59 pm

•No Quiz this week! No assignments will be accepted after Friday 5/29 at 11:59 pm

This Week’s Plan – suggested completion schedule

Monday: No School

Tuesday: Daily Question; Intro video; Acids and Bases Video

Wednesday: Daily Question; Acids and bases worksheet

Thursday: Daily Question; 209 Seconds that will make you question your entire existence – and follow-up question

Friday: Daily Question; Impact Craters

Have a great summer!!

Monday 5/18 - Friday 5/22

Distance Learning Week 8

Weekly Summary:

Continue with Chemistry! This week we’ll review balancing equations and I’ll demonstrate a lab involving open and closed systems to help us show that mass is conserved.

•Daily question response required

•Assignments are available on Google classroom beginning Monday and due by Thursday at 11:59 pm

•Quiz available Thursday and due by Friday at 11:59 pm. Quiz covers this week and last week's material.

This Week’s Plan – suggested completion schedule

Monday: Daily Question; Intro Video; Balancing Equations Practice 2

Tuesday: Daily Question; Open vs. Closed Systems Notes and Follow-up Question

Wednesday: Daily Question; Open vs. Closed Systems Lab demo – Data Collection

Thursday: Daily Question; Open vs. Closed Systems Lab – Analysis

Friday: Daily Question; Quiz on Law of Conservation of Mass, Balancing Equations, and Open and Closed Systems

All assignments will be “turned-in” through Google Classroom

Monday 5/11 - Friday 5/15

Distance Learning Week 7

Weekly Summary:

Continue with Chemistry! This week we’ll learn about the law of conservation of mass and how chemical formulas and equations help us to show that mass is conserved.

•Daily question response required

•Assignments are available on Google classroom beginning Monday and due by Thursday at 11:59 pm

•No quiz this week, but you will be quizzed on the material next week

This Week’s Plan – suggested completion schedule

Monday: Daily Question; Intro Video; Chemical Reactions and Equations Reading and worksheet

Tuesday: Daily Question; Intro to Conservation of Mass Video and Follow-up Question

Wednesday: Daily Question; Counting Atoms Practice

Thursday: Daily Question; Chemical Equation Intro Video and Worksheet

Friday: Daily Question; Balancing Equations

All assignments will be “turned-in” through Google Classroom

Tuesday 5/5 - Friday 5/8

Distance Learning Week 6

Weekly Summary: Continue with Chemistry! This week we’ll review the periodic table.

•Daily question response required

•Assignments are available on Google classroom beginning Tuesday and due by Thursday at 11:59 pm

•Quiz available Thursday and due by Friday at 11:59 pm

This Week’s Plan – suggested completion schedule

Monday: No School!

Tuesday: Daily Question; Intro video, Foundations of Chemistry Quiz

Wednesday: Daily Question; The Periodic Table Reading and worksheet

Thursday: Daily Question; The Organization of the Periodic Table Activity

Friday: Daily Question; Quiz

All assignments will be “turned-in” through Google Classroom

Monday 4/27 - Thursday 4/30

Distance Learning Week 5

Weekly Summary: Start Chemistry!

•Daily question response required

•Assignments are available on Google classroom beginning Monday and due by Thursday at 11:59 pm

•Quiz available Thursday and due by Tuesday at 11:59 pm

This Week’s Plan – suggested completion schedule

Monday: Daily Question; Intro video, Foundations of Chemistry Reading and questions

Tuesday: Daily Question; Element, Compound or Mixture Activity

Wednesday: Daily Question; Physical and Chemical Properties and Changes Notes Video & follow-up question

Thursday: Daily Question; Physical and Chemical Properties and Changes Demos & follow-up question

Friday: No School!

Note: Your quiz on this week’s material will be the suggested assignment for Tuesday 5/5

Monday 4/20 - Friday 4/24

Distance Learning Week 4

Weekly Summary: Finish up Ch. 14 - Investigate recent climate change and how humans are influencing climate change.

•Daily question response required

•Assignments are available on Google classroom beginning Monday and due by Thursday at 11:59 pm

•Quiz available Thursday and due by Friday at 11:59 pm

This Week’s Plan – suggested completion schedule

Monday: Daily Question, Intro video, 14.3 lesson outline

Tuesday: Daily Question, BrainPOP Greenhouse Effect and “quiz”

Wednesday: Daily Question, Humans and Greenhouse Effect video and follow up question.

Thursday: Daily Question; AVO, Vehicle Type and CO2 Activity

Friday: Daily Question; Quiz

All assignments will be “turned-in” through Google Classroom

Monday 4/13 - Friday 4/17

Distance Learning Week 3

Weekly Summary: Continue with Ch. 14 - Investigate rain shadows and climate cycles with a focus on El Nino.

•Daily question response required

•Assignments are available on Google classroom beginning Monday and due by Thursday at 11:59 pm

•Quiz available Thursday and due by Friday at 11:59 pm

All assignments will be “turned-in” through Google Classroom

This Week’s Plan – suggested completion schedule

Monday: daily question, Intro video, Rain Shadows PBS learning media

Tuesday: daily question, Finish Rain Shadow Activity

Wednesday: daily question, 14.2 worksheets

Thursday: daily question, El Nino article and questions

Friday: daily question and Quiz

Monday 4/6 - Thursday 4/9

Distance Learning Week 2

Weekly Summary: Start chapter 14 - Climate

•Daily question response required

•Assignments are available on Google classroom beginning Monday and due by Thursday at 11:59 pm

•Mystery Cities assignment available Monday and is due by Friday at 11:59 pm. This is your quiz for the week!

All assignments will be “turned-in” through Google Classroom

This Week’s Plan – suggested completion schedule

Monday: daily question, Intro video/Notes, Weather vs. Climate WS

Tuesday: daily question, 14.1 lesson outline

Wednesday: daily question, 14.1 Video, Climatograph Practice

Thursday: daily question, Mystery Cities Activity

Friday: This is a non-school day this week!

Monday 3/30 - Friday 4/3

Welcome to Earth Science – Distance Learning Style

Weekly Summary: Review chapter 13 weather topics, with a final test at the end of the week.

•Daily question response required

•Assignments are available on Google classroom on Monday and are due by Thursday at 11:59 pm.

•Kahoots are available Monday and due by Friday at 11 pm.

•Test is available Thursday and is due by Friday at 11:59 pm

All assignments will be “turned-in” through Google Classroom

This Week’s Plan – suggested completion schedule

Monday: daily question, 13.1 vocabulary review & Clouds review

Tuesday: daily question and 13.2 Key Concept Builders

Wednesday: daily question and Ch. 13 Review assignment

Thursday: daily question and 3 Kahoots

Friday: daily question and Ch. 13 test

Friday 3/6/20

HW due today: none

Mrs. Tiede is gone today. Students watched an episode of Nova called Killer Hurricanes.

HW: Isotherm and isobar packets due Monday 3/16

Thursday 3/5/20

HW due today: none

Students had a workday for the isotherm and isobar packets.

HW: Isotherm and isobar packets due Monday 3/16

Wednesday 3/4/20

HW due today: NWS models

After checking station models, students learned about how station models can be connected to show areas of equal temperature and pressure. These are called isotherm and isobar lines. They had worktime in class on an isotherm packet.

HW: Isotherm packet due Monday 3/16

Tuesday 3/3/20

HW due today: METAR 1-8; 9-12 are extra credit (2 test points)

Students took a fluency test on metric conversions. Anyone not scoring 10/10 can take it again to improve their score. Then they learned how to interpret national weather service station models.

HW: NWS models

Monday 3/2/20

HW due today: Hurricane plotting, Weather Journal

After a few review slides and another practice fluency test on metric conversions, students continued to work on interpreting METAR reports.

HW: METAR 1-8; 9-12 are extra credit (2 test points)

Friday 2/28/20

HW due today: none

After a practice fluency test on metric conversions, students learned how to interpret METAR, a weather reporting tool used by pilots. They worked on interpreting several METAR reports.

HW: Hurricane plotting due Monday, Weather Journal due Monday

Thursday 2/27/20

HW due today: Tornado graphs

Students used hurricane tracking charts to plot the paths of two 2017 hurricanes. The plotting and analysis questions will be due on Monday.

HW: Hurricane plotting due Monday, Weather Journal due Monday

Wednesday 2/26/20

HW due today: Tornado graphs (if finished)

Students took a quick, check-in quiz, then had a little bit of time to work on their tornado graphs. The last half of class, students took notes on hurricanes and watched a few clips demonstrating hurricane wind speeds.

HW: Tornado graphs due tomorrow; Weather Journal due March 2

Tuesday 2/25/20

HW due today: none

After talking about tornado safety and preparedness plans, students worked on creating three different types of graphs to represent tornado data from MN and nationwide.

HW: Tornado graphs due tomorrow; Weather Journal due March 2

Monday 2/24/20

HW due today: 13.2 lesson outline

Students took notes on tornadoes and watched clips about how tornadoes form and how they are rated on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. Mrs. Tiede did a fire tornado demonstration, and then went through several myths/facts about tornadoes.

HW: Weather Journal due March 2

Friday 2/21/20

HW due today: Webquest

Students took notes on several severe weather types including thunderstorms, hail, and lightning. They watch clips of thundersnow and microbursts!

HW: 13.2 lesson outline due Monday; Weather Journal due March 2

Thursday 2/20/20

HW due today: none

After a few notes about air masses and fronts, students worked on a webquest about air masses and fronts. The webquest has been emailed to everyone. Check your SPAM folder if you don't see it in your inbox.

HW: Finish Webquest - due tomorrow; Weather Journal due March 2

Wednesday 2/19/20

HW due today: Lab report

Students were assigned an at home project called the weather journal. They will be photographing or drawing, and recording the weather conditions on 7 different days between now and March 2. See the Weather Journal Resources tab of the 8th Grade Earth Science Daily Blog (above in drop down by 8th Grade Earth Science) for details. Then they took notes (and filled in the table on their knowledge organizers) about air pressure and weather.

HW: Weather Journal due March 2

Tuesday 2/18/20

HW due today: none

Students took a metric system conversion practice test, then as a few students needed to continue testing their anemometers, class time today was used for that, as well as working on the lab report. We compared and discussed the class results, which students will need to write the conclusion to the lab. Screenshots of the results are below:

HW: Lab report due Wed 2/19

Friday 2/14/20

HW due today: none

Students continued to test their anemometers. Some began writing their lab reports.

HW: Lab report due Wed 2/19

Thursday 2/13/20

HW due today: 13.1 lesson outline

Students continued to work on their anemometers, and many began testing them with the fans.

HW: none

Wednesday 2/12/20

HW due today: RH and DP calculations

After correcting the relative humidity and dew point calculations from yesterday, students learned about how meteorologists measure wind speed using anemometers. Then they began a 3 day lab during which they will work to build their own anemometer and use it to calculate the wind speed from a box fan.

HW: 13.1 lesson outline

Tuesday 2/11/20

HW due today: none

After a quick review of humidity and dew point, students used the data they collected yesterday to calculate the relative humidity of the areas they investigated. Then they worked on a relative humidity and dew point worksheet.

HW: finish page one of RH and DP calculations

Monday 2/10/20

HW due today: Cloud ID Activity

After correcting the cloud ID activity, students learned about relative humidity and dew point. Then we went around the school collecting data with sling psychrometers, so we can calculate RH and DP tomorrow.

HW: None

Friday 2/7/20

HW due today: none

Some classes started by finishing the cloud type and altitude diagram in their notes. All classes viewed slides of cloud types and practiced identifying them. They had time to work on the cloud ID activity worksheet. The last 15 minutes of class, they watched more of the Wild Weather episode they started on Wednesday.

HW: Finish Cloud ID Activity

Thursday 2/6/20

HW due today: none

Students got their chapter 12 tests back, then learned about how clouds are formed and the types of clouds.

HW: none

Wednesday 2/5/20

HW due today: none

Students watched a video called Wild Weather to help introduce the next chapter.

HW: none

Tuesday 2/4/20

HW due today: content practice worksheet

After correcting the content practice worksheet, students took the ch.12 test. When finished with the test, they worked on a metric conversion practice worksheet (which will be corrected in class tomorrow) and had study hall time.

HW: none

Monday 2/3/20

HW due today: webquest and review assignment

Students turned in their webquests and corrected the review assignment before playing jeopardy to help review for tomorrow's test

HW: Content practice worksheet and study for test!

Friday 1/31/20

HW due today: none

Students had worktime for the webquest and the chapter 12 review assignment. Chapter 12 test on Tuesday.

HW: Webquest and review assignment due Monday

Thursday 1/30/20

HW due today: 12.3 lesson outline

Students finished taking notes on winds, including global wind belts, jet streams, and local winds like land and sea breezes. Then they worked on a webquest about winds and pressure. The webquest has been emailed to the students.

HW: Webquest due Monday

Wednesday 1/29/20

HW due today: 12.2 lesson outline

After one more air pressure demonstration (can crushed by air), students learned about air pressure and the heating of the Earth, and how these cause winds. The drew a diagram to help them see the convection currents that cause winds and the direction the winds move due to the coriolis effect.

HW: 12.3 lesson outline

Tuesday 1/28/20

HW due today: PPB lab analysis

Students wrote their results on the board for the number of bottles of rice it would take to get a million grains, and we discussed the lab. Then students watched several air pressure and heat transfer demonstrations, and took notes on what each demonstration showed.

HW: 12.2 lesson outline

Monday 1/27/20

HW due today: Proportion practice

After correcting the proportion worksheet, students worked on a lab in which they tried to visualize a billion using grains of rice.

HW: finish lab analysis

Friday 1/24/20

HW due today: none

Students created a table in their notes to show the composition of gases in the atmosphere, many of which ire only found in tiny amounts and are shared in parts per billion . Then we reviewed setting up and solving proportions to be ready for Monday's activity in which we will try to visualize a billion grains of rice.

HW: finish proportion practice

Thursday 1/23/20

HW due today: mystery cities graphs

Students used their graphs to answer the analysis questions and identify the cities whose daylight hours data they had been working with. Then they followed along with Mrs. Tiede to draw a diagram of the layers of the earth's atmosphere in their notes.

HW: none

Wednesday 1/22/20

HW due today: none

To continue our discussion about the seasons and daylight hours in each season, students graphed the average daylight hours per month for 9 different cities (students worked in pairs and divided the graphs in half so each student did 5 - with both doing city E). Students who finished their graphs could work on the analysis questions with their table partner. There will be time in class to work on the analysis tomorrow.

HW: Finish the mystery cities graphs

Tuesday 1/21/20

HW due today: none

After getting new seats, students discussed a meteorology pre-test to see what they already knew about various aspects of meteorology. Then they reviewed what causes the seasons on Earth (2 things), because weather changes with the seasons.

HW: 12.1 lesson outline

Thursday 1/16/20

HW due today: metric conversion practice packet due at end of class

Students watched an episode of Nova called the Day the Dinosaurs Died.

HW: none

Wednesday 1/15/20

HW due today: none

We reviewed the metric system prefixes and their values, and learned how to convert between units using the ladder method. The practice packet is due tomorrow by the end of class.

HW: none

Tuesday 1/14/20

HW due today: none

Students took the test on chapter 10, then had time to work on homework from other classes.

HW: none

Monday 1/13/20

HW due today: chapter 10 review assignment

After checking the review assignment, students played Kahoot to help them review for tomorrow's test.

HW: study for tomorrow's test

Friday 1/10/20

HW due today: radiometric dating lab report (due at end of class)

Students had a day to work on their radiometric dating lab reports and the review assignment for chapter 10. There will be a test on chapter 10 on Tuesday of next week. The review assignment and the study guide are below:

HW: chapter 10 review assignment

Thursday 1/9/20

HW due today: 10.3 lesson outline

Students reviewed some radiometric dating terms, then completed a lab in which they used pennies to represent a radioactive element that decayed when all the pennies had been flipped to tails. The modified lab report will be due tomorrow at the end of class. Tomorrow will be a work day for the lab report and a review assignment for chapter 10.

HW: none

Wednesday 1/8/20

HW due today: National park activity

After reviewing relative age dating, students learned more about absolute age dating. They participated in an activity using their birthdays to compare the two types of dating, took some notes, and created a graph to show half lives of radioactive elements.

HW: 10.3 lesson outline

Tuesday 1/7/20

HW due today: relative dating practice

After a quick review of some of the principles of geology, students worked through an activity in which they looked at stratigraphic charts of rock layers at three national parks. They tried to correlate the rock layers between the three parks to determine which one had the oldest rocks.

HW: Finish national park rock layer/geologic time scale activity

Monday 1/6/20

HW due today: Tech Excavation packet and 10.2 lesson outline

After discussing a few of the tech excavation questions, students learned about several principles of geology which are useful for relative dating purposes. Then they worked on relative dating practice worksheets.

HW: Finish relative dating practice worksheets

Friday 1/3/20

HW due today: 10.1 lesson outline

Students reviewed how fossils are formed, then learned about how they can be used to help figure out how old a rock layer is. Fossils can help with both relative-age dating and absolute-age dating. Students practiced relative-age dating with an activity that used technology to represent fossils. The activity and 10.2 lesson outline can be found below this post.

HW: Finish Tech Excavation packet and 10.2 lesson outline

Thursday 1/2/20

HW due today: none

Welcome back and Happy New Year! Students got their earthquake tower reports back, then participated in an activity called the Great Fossil Find in which they pretended to be paleontologists digging fossils (out of an envelope), and attempted to assemble the creature.

HW: 10.1 lesson outline

The pictures below are clues to some of the exciting topics we will be studying this year!