Week of June 4, 2018
Welcome to the last week of the 2017-2018 school year! Wow! Now that EOGs are behind us, we'll spend most of our time in science this week working on an open-ended Challenge Based Learning project centered around healthy lifestyle choices and how they impact our body systems. My hope is that this creative research project will impact students' lifestyle choices for days/weeks/years to come.
I want to say thank you to all parents for sharing your children with me this year! These students have truly reinforced to me that I have chosen the right profession. I will miss seeing their faces every day this summer but look forward to seeing them in the hallway next year as 8TH GRADERS!!! Enjoy your summer!!!
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Week of May 29, 2018
Welcome back, it's EOG week! Hope you enjoyed your holiday weekend. This week in science we will continue reviewing for the 7th grade science final assessment (that is on Friday 6/1). Students will be given a chance to teach their peers and participate in review challenge games.
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Week of May 21, 2018
This week the Human Body Systems mini-unit will come to a close and will be followed by a mini-test (on Wednesday and Thursday of this week). The Human Body Interactive Book that we've been working on during class will serve as your study guide for this unit. After this week, we've covered all of our 7th grade science content! Can you believe it? Next up, review and application activities!
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Week of May 14, 2018
This week we will officially conclude our Genetics unit and jump right into learning about the Human Body Systems through virtual simulations, Webquests, higher level reading articles, creative writing and even labs. How do the digestive, excretory, reproductive, respiratory and circulatory systems work together to sustain life? We'll find out!
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Week of May 7, 2018
We'll begin this week by completing and sharing our Genetic Diseases PSA projects. Then, we'll begin reviewing for the Genetics Unit Test.
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Week of April 30, 2018
This week students will continue to interpret and complete punnett squares and pedigrees. Towards the end of the week, we'll begin our first self-guided project of the unit. In this project students will explore how behavioral, genetic and environmental factors influence whether or not an individual will develop a specific disease.
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Week of April 16, 2018
Get ready for an exciting week full of genetics!
Students will start off the week in a self-guided experiment extracting DNA from strawberries and bananas. Then, they'll get the special opportunity to hear from a research geneticist from NC State!
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Week of April 9, 2018
Welcome back!! :-)
This week in science seventh graders will continue learning more about the processes and applications of genetics. They will do a mini-project on the history of bananas and will compare and contrast mitosis and meiosis using virtual tools. Looking forward to another great week of discovery with your students!
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Week of April 2, 2018
No school. Enjoy your SPRING BREAK! See you on Monday, April 9th!
Week of March 26, 2018
In these last 4 days before Spring Break and the end of Quarter 3 we will continue our study of Genetics. Students will analyze animal profiles to pinpoint the advantages and disadvantages of asexual and sexual reproduction. Then, using Google Slides, students will develop a Stop Motion Video that depicts how a certain asexual organism reproduces.
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Week of March 19, 2018
After wrapping up our Cells unit on Tuesday and Wednesday, we'll move into Unit 5... Genetics! This unit will be an eye-opening experience as students begin to understand how organisms (particularly humans) pass down traits to their offspring (children).
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Week of March 12, 2018
This week we'll discuss the hierarchical organization of life and will also continue to review Eukaryotic cells. By this point, students have had many opportunities to practice and present their knowledge of animal/plant cells and protists. It has been incredible for me to see the progress they've made so far. Please log into Power School with your student and have a conversation about how he or she has progressed with each standard over the past few weeks. Each assignment is labeled by one of this unit's three sub-standards (7.L.1.1, 7.L.1.2, or 7.L.1.3).
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Week of March 5, 2018
This week students will continue identifying key characteristics of protists (specifically volvox, euglena, paramecium and amoeba) while also practicing their microscope skills. Our shipment of these LIVE protists have arrived and we are so excited to see and study them in action under the microscope!
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Week of February 26, 2018
This week in science we'll take a (temporary) break from our exploration of multi-cellular Eukaryotic organisms and jump into unicellular Eukaryotic organisms mainly, protists. Students will continue learning to use microscopes to effectively analyze specimens smaller than our naked eyes can see and they will begin to recognize key characteristics and structures of protists that allow them to move, eat and reproduce.
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Week of February 19, 2018
This week we'll wrap up the Plant Cell Analogy Project and will continue applying knowledge of cell structure and function in a Cells debate. Looking forward to a week full of creativity and critical thinking!
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Week of February 12, 2018
This week will begin with a closer look at the functions of organelles within Eukaryotic cells. Students will become more familiar with the parts of a cell through virtual simulations, text analysis and a poster size cell sort activity. Then, we'll begin the Plant Cell Analogy Project (7.L.1.2) where students will have to use critical thinking and creativity to compare the structures and functions of a cell to the structures and functions of something from their everyday life.
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Week of February 5, 2018
This week we'll continue our exploration of cells by identifying similarities and differences in the structure and function of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells and animal and plant cells. Students will interact with the content using technology (primarily EdPuzzles), graphic organizers, reading protocols with higher level reading articles, and even by acting out a play!
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Week of January 29, 2018
This week we'll wrap up our weather unit with road trip presentations and the last 7.E.1 summative assessment. Then, we'll jump into the world of cells beginning with the characteristics of living things. Can you pinpoint the specific differences between living and nonliving things in our world?
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Week of January 22, 2018
Due to our three snow days last week, the quarter will extend to Wednesday, January 24. All students will have two more science blocks to work on and finalize their Weather PBL projects with their groups. They will present their final travel itineraries to the class in the following science block. As expressed last week, I am so impressed by students' work on this project so far and am excited to see their presentations week!
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Week of January 16, 2018
This week we will continue working on the Road Trippin' Weather PBL project. I am so impressed by students' work on this project so far and am excited to see their presentations next week!
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Week of January 8, 2018
After two snow days last week, our Weather Test has been postponed to January 8 (B day) and January 9 (A day). After the test students will be given the opportunity for remediation and enrichment through our Weather PBL project! We will continue to work on this project for the next couple of weeks.
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Week of January 2, 2018
Welcome back!!
One block of this short week will be devoted to review and enrichment before the weather test. The test will be January 4 (B day) and January 5 (A day).
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Week of December 18, 2017
This week we will continue the weather rotation schedule that we began last week. We hope students are enjoying experiencing different teaching styles and learning activities as they learn more about weather.
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Week of December 11, 2017
The seventh grade science teachers are excited to announce that this week marks the start of our first science class rotation schedule. For the next four science blocks only, classes will rotate through Ms. Buie, Ms. Weyant, Mr. Sullivan and Ms. Samuels' classes. As a result of this unique plan, students will have the opportunity to learn from different teachers and experience unique learning activities along the way.
In Ms. Buie's class, students will explore how the movement of air masses creates extreme weather. In Ms. Weyant's class, students will interact with convection and air pressure gradients. In Mr. Sullivan's class, students will observe and predict weather conditions using weather maps. Then, finally in the learning commons with Ms. Samuels, students will compile their newfound weather knowledge to actually experience how meteorologists forecast the weather!
A day students, this is your rotation schedule:
B day students, this is your rotation schedule:
12/14 Thursday --> Weyant in room 1416
12/18 Monday --> Sullivan in room 1407
12/20 Wednesday --> Samuels in the Learning Commons
Week of December 4, 2017
This week our focus on standards 7.E.1.1, 7.E.1.6 and W7.1 continues as we finalize our Atmosphere Argumentative Essays. This cross-curriculum approach grants students experience with essay planning, writing and critiquing while also assessing important seventh science standards The final draft of the essay will be due on Thursday, 12/7 by the end of the school day. Students may work on this assignment at home as need be.
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Week of November 27, 2017
Welcome back! This week we will enter the dynamic weather world! Students will hit important 7th grade writing standards as they draft, peer-critique and self-assess argumentative essays concerning the significance of our atmosphere.
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Week of November 20, 2017
Happy Thanksgiving! As our Physics unit comes to a close, we will begin transitioning into Weather! During this two day week, students will use prior knowledge and research skills to demonstrate how the hydrosphere operates.
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Week of November 13, 2017
This week students will continue to make progress on their student-choice and self-directed Energy projects. To be successful with this project, students will truly have to begin with the end in mind, put first things first and use class work time wisely. As a reminder, this will be the first summative assessment grade in the second quarter.
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Week of November 6, 2017
This week we will continue to investigate energy transformations through a student-centered electrical circuit challenge. Throughout the rest of the week, students will work on their first summative assessment in the second quarter - a student-choice project centered around energy!
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Week of October 30, 2017
This week in science, students will continue exploring energy forms and energy transformations primarily through virtual resources. They will also use their knowledge of simple machines to create cartoons modeled after those of Rube Goldberg. Finally, towards the end of the week, students will actually manipulate electrical circuits using batteries! We have a full week ahead!
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Week of October 23, 2017
After the completion of our Physics Mid-Unit (Motion) Assessment last week, we will now begin exploring physics topics involving energy. This will include a practical applications of potential and kinetic energies, energy transformations, and electrical circuits.
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Week of October 16, 2017
This week we will continue practicing graphing motion using Dash. The Dash Mini Project, the first notebook check and a review session will all be taking place on 10/17 and 10/18 (Tuesday and Wednesday). Our first and only major grade this semester, the Mid Unit Assessment, will be this Thursday and Friday. Here is the study guide for the test. Students also received a paper copy in class.
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Week of October 9, 2017
This week we will move into graphing constant and variable motion. Students will manipulate the data they collected from the Speed Lab as well as data from a virtual "Moving Man" simulation to practice their graphing skills. Later in the week, we will use these graphing skills to direct the motion of our favorite robot, Dash! Note that students must have returned a signed Lab Safety Contract to school in order to participate in the robot experience.
Looking ahead:
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Week of October 1, 2017
This week students' math skills were put to good use as they learned how to calculate speed, distance and time. Along with sufficient word problem practice, students were able to put their skills in motion (literally) as they completed the Speed Lab.
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Week of September 25, 2017
This week we will really dive into Force, Motion and Speed primarily through use of video simulations! I am so excited. I hope you are too!
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Week of September 18, 2017
This week students will be introduced to the first topics in our Physics Unit: Force, Gravity and Friction. We will explore these ideas using mini-simulations and interactive videos.
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Week of September 11, 2017
This week in science we will set up our Interactive Notebooks (how-to link found here), practice using the Scientific Method through our first informal lab (The Peppermint Lab), and finally... begin our first unit- Physics!
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Week of September 5, 2017
Welcome back from the long weekend!
Please be sure to have required science supplies by the end of the week. These items can be found on our class syllabus. In addition, if you are interested in donating to our classroom, please visit this site.
This week in science class we will be reviewing and modeling lab safety rules and procedures as well as beginning the scientific method! By Friday (9/8) students should return a signed copy of their contract to class. These contracts will stay on file for the remainder of the school year. Here is the link to the lab safety contract if your original copy was misplaced.
By the end of the week we will have set the stage for an awesome year of safe, systematic and inquisitive science exploration!
Week of August 28, 2017
Welcome back to school!! This week we will focus on pinpointing our unique skill-sets, strengthening our leadership abilities, building community, and establishing school/classroom policies and procedures.
Our class syllabus can be found here. Please take a second to view it and make note of what supplies your student will need in science this year.