Ms. B's Jr High Science

2010-05-21T10:08:00.003-07:00

The last week of the year is about to begin, and it's a very full week!

Monday and Tuesday mornings students will be taking their fourth and final CBMs (Curriculum Based Measurements), so please send them to school with a full night's sleep and having had a nutritious breakfast.

Tuesday afternoon the 8th graders will be rehearsing for graduation.

Wednesday is Field Day for the 6th-8th grades; students may not wear bathing suits, but shorts and a t-shirt are appropriate; also, students should bring a towel, and apply sunscreen before school!

Thursday the 8th graders will have their graduation ceremony at 10 am at Grace, and finally

Friday 28 May 2010 is the last day of school-- it's a half day, and students will receive their report cards at the end of the day.

While the 8th graders were on their trip, the 7th graders made Flubber! If your student would like to make more Flubber at home, this website has an excellent recipe.

Thank you, and your students, for a great 2009-2010 school year, and I hope everyone has a safe, enjoyable summer.

2010-05-10T09:23:00.003-07:00

It's two weeks into May already, and the students are very busy finishing out the year.

8th graders have been learning the bones and muscles of the body, and this week will learn about the skin. Their very last Science test for 8th grade (!) is on Friday, 14 May, and will cover the skin, muscles, and bones. It is open note, but students still need to study and keep up with their vocabulary!

7th graders did a wonderful job on their Biome projects, and have moved on to learning about resources allocation and biodiversity. They have a short project at the end of the week in which they will choose an animal that has gone extinct in the last 300 years, and write a 1st person account of its existence-- this project should not require very much out-of-class time, but I know your student would appreciate your supportive interest! Remember to ask them about it Friday.

Students received an updated grade today (as they do every Monday). While the quarter will continue through the last week of May, Monday 17 May is the last day I will be accepting late work. Please remind your student that they only have one week to take care of any outstanding tests or homework!

2010-04-27T22:45:00.003-07:00

The last five weeks of school are upon us, and they'll move fast!

The 7th graders have a biome project this week:

In groups of 1-3, they chose a biome and a specific geographical location to research. They need to find:

*the major native species of the area (flora (plants) and fauna (animals))

*any human activities that are impacting the area

*the climate of the area (specifically statistics on rainfall and temperature)

They also need to create food web of a minimum of 5 organisms (more is better) in their area, including:

*at least one major producer

*at least one major first level consumer

*at least one major second level consumer

*at least one major decomposer

All this information needs to be presented on a small poster board-- larger than a piece of construction paper, smaller than a desk top-- that can be displayed in the classroom. Some groups have already asked to do a diorama instead of a poster board, and as long as all of the requested elements are present, that's fine with me.

Students need to be prepared to present their research, food web, and poster in a 5 minute presentation Monday 3 May.

The 8th graders are learning about the skeletal system and muscles of the body. They'll have coloring sheets and lots of practicing to do to remember the names of the major bones and muscles, so please help them by quizzing your student at home! They will have a project assigned to them next week, due before the 8th grade trip, so keep an eye out for the requirements as we move through the unit.

The next exam for the 8th graders is Friday 14 May, and the 7th graders have a test Wednesday 5 May.

2010-04-12T21:06:00.000-07:00

The Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) will be in the mornings of 12 April - 19 April. The schedule is as follows:

Day 1 (12 April-Monday): 7th grade takes the writing exam

Day 2 (13 April-Tuesday): 7th and 8th grades take Part 1 of both the reading and math exams

14 April-Wednesday: Regular Wednesday schedule, no AIMS

Day 3 (15 April-Thursday): 7th and 8th grades take Part 2 of both the reading and math exams

Day 4 (16 April-Friday): 7th and 8th grades take Part 3 of both the reading and math exams

Day 5 (19 April-Monday): 8th grade takes the science exam

Students need to arrive as promptly as possible on these days, well-rested, and having had a nutritious, delicious, breakfast!

In the afternoons of this week, 8th graders will continue their AIMS review, focusing especially on the Scientific Method, while 7th graders will begin studying ecosystems and energy roles. Homework will be extremely light, if there is any at all.

After AIMS, 7th graders will be picking a biome to study in-depth (in a group), focusing particularly on the food webs and resources present in their biome, while 8th graders will be learning the names of the major bones and muscles of the body.

Progress reports come out 20 April (Tuesday), and students will have some time in class to make sure they're all caught up as we head into May!

2010-03-26T21:07:00.006-07:00

The fourth quarter is underway, and the 8th graders have been finishing up their Heredity and Genetics unit, and will be studying for the upcoming AIMS. The 7th graders have started an Ecology unit, and are learning about ecosystems and biomes. Please remember to check in with your student about assignments and projects-- both grades had an opportunity for extra credit before the April break, and the 7th graders will have a Biome project after AIMS that will require them to do a little outside-of-class research.

These are some pictures from a recent 8th grade lab, where the students were modeling the structure of DNA.

2010-03-07T14:32:00.003-07:00

The last quarter of the year is starting, and we have lots of fun work ahead of us in Science!

8th Grade: We've started our Genetics unit, and are diligently studying the principals of heredity. Ask to see your students' pedigree charts in the next couple weeks-- students will be tracing the inheritance of various traits through families of pandas, pea plants, and puppies (and various other creatures real and imagined). Homework will include Punnett Squares and AIMS review, so dig out those old Science notebooks.

7th Grade: We're studying fossils and geologic time at the end of our Earth Science unit; the last (and upcoming unit) will be Environmental Science. We have a couple of large projects coming up, so remember to be consistently keeping up with your daily assignments.

3rd quarter report cards come out on Thursday, 11 March. All assignments for the 3rd quarter, including the extra credit assignment, were due Friday, 05 March. All assignments beginning Monday, 8 March are counted in the 4th quarter grade.

2010-02-24T20:25:00.003-07:00

All third quarter work needs to be turned in by Friday 5 March, which is the end of next week! To that effect, while you are enjoying your long Rodeo weekend, please use your time wisely...

8th grade: Remember to review your diagrams of a cell from this week, as well as the steps in the cell cycle. You have a labeling and vocabulary quiz on Tuesday.

7th grade: Your homework over the weekend is to write one paragraph describing a feasible (i.e. realistic and reasonable) way to protect stone monuments and structures from weathering.

Extra Credit Many students have asked for extra credit this quarter. Extra Credit will not make up more than 10% of a student's overall grade. If you want extra credit for the third quarter, please research a scientist and either write a one page paper OR create a timeline with at least ten relevant dates (birth, education dates, import and and relevant scientific contributions, death, etc.). Some suggested scientists:

8th Grade: Newton, Einstein, Hooke, Watson and Crick, Franklin, Darwin, etc.

7th Grade: Copernicus, Galileo, Brahe, Kepler, Newton, Wegener, Darwin, etc.

2010-02-18T18:17:00.004-07:00

The Science Fair will be open to students, parents and family Friday 19 February, until 7 pm, at the Lakeside Campus:

8140 E Golf Links Road

Please come and see what your students have been working on for the last few months!

2010-02-08T11:20:00.003-07:00

Progress reports are being handed out today; please ask your student about their mid-quarter grades! I will have highlighted their Science Fair grade to-date, their overall grade, and any assignments they may need to make up due to absences. Only students with a grade below a 70% in Science will need to return their progress reports to me, signed by someone responsible at home, by Thursday 11 Feb.

2010-01-25T18:16:00.002-07:00

As of today, all of the Science Fair Board components (question, hypothesis, materials, procedure, data tables and graphs, and conclusion) should have been turned in, in their finalized form (i.e. typed!). Students should also have either purchased a 36" x 48" tri-fold board or pre-ordered one from the school.

A number of students have not completed all of the tasks associated thus far with Science Fair. The grading for Science Fair is as follows: there is one grade on timely completeness- for each component the student either turned it in, completed and on time, or didn't. There is a second grade for quality- the descriptions of the expectations were included in the Science Fair packet, and students are being held to the "meets expectations" standard. These two grades will be calculated on the grades that will go out for progress reports in two weeks. They have a large impact on the overall Science grade this quarter; students that have been remiss in turning in their Science Fair components must have all components in by Friday 29 January if they are expecting to receive points on them.

There is a third Science Fair grade calculated once the final board is completed and turned in 17 February; and there is a separate score from the judges of the Science Fair that will also be included in the final Science grade for the third quarter.

Science Fair is an assessment not just of a student's ability to work within the scientific method, but also of their ability to work independently on a long-term project with several components and due dates. It is about responsibility and accountability. Please check in with your student this week and ask after the status of their project.

Wednesday of this week (27 January) is the 100th day-- we need every student in attendance!

8th graders have a Chemistry exam on Thursday.

7th graders have a Minerals exam on Friday, as well as a 1 page report due on the origins and uses of a mineral of their choice. This paper must be typed, and include a map showing where their mineral can be found.

2010-01-03T22:23:00.002-07:00

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a restful break, and that those Science Fair projects are well on their way.

As we begin the second half of the year, we'll be focusing on AIMS review in 8th grade, which means that in addition to the new material on chemical bonding and genetics, we'll be looking back at our physics and periodic table facts. In 7th grade we're starting out with volcanoes, moving on to rocks and minerals, touching on environmental science, and ending with biology; even though there isn't a 7th grade AIMS exam, I still expect students to retain information from past units, and will be assessing them accordingly.

In January and February homework assignments will be minimal to allow students to keep up with their Science Fair projects. Please refer to the handouts students received before break for due dates, instructions and expectations.

2009-12-15T15:15:00.000-07:00

The end of the second quarter is here!

Report cards will come home Wednesday 16 December. Science grades are broken down as discussed in the syllabus.

We've gotten a little backed up on our Science Fair due dates. Remember: if your project requires more than two weeks to perform, you'll need to be setting it up with your partner over break. The hypothesis, procedure, and materials list need to be turned in, typed, as soon as break is over... and for the few of you who have not given me your permission slips, those must be on file before you are eligible to participate in science fair-- and participation is mandatory!

As soon as we get back from winter break, I'll be compiling the list of students who are both eligible and wish to participate in the SARSEF. Eligibility will be based on the report card grades from 1st and 2nd quarters, as well as the on-going grades for 3rd quarter. Students who wish to participate in SARSEF must have had and continue to maintain at least an 80% in science.

2009-12-07T15:49:00.003-07:00

Jr. High Science Fair Project “Suggestions”

From Soda Bottle Science:

“Wave Machine”

Objective: To observe how different liquids have different densities

Materials: several 1-liter soda bottles, liquids of different densities

“Viscosity Bottles”

Objective: To discover how the viscosity of a liquid changes with temperature

Materials: several 1-liter soda bottles, water, cooking oil, pennies, hair dryer, ice

“Inertia Bottle”

Objective: To investigate how the mass of an object affects its inertia

Materials: several 1-liter soda bottles, wooden board, thick book, tennis ball, basket ball

“Soda Bottle Pendulum”

Objective: To explore the law of pendulums

Materials: 1-liter soda bottle, sand, small washer or nut, string, broomstick, chairs

“Hot-Air Balloon”

Objective: To observe what happens to the volume and density of air when it is heated and cooled

Materials: soda bottle, pan/water/stove, sunshine, ice cubes

“Infiltration Bottles”

Objective: To investigate which earth material allows water to flow through it fastest

Materials: several 1-liter soda bottles, plastic cup, water, sand, gravel, soil

“Porosity Bottle”

Objective: To investigate which type of soil stores moisture best

Materials: several soda bottles, thumbtack, sand, potting soil, topsoil, cups, water, paper towels, garbage bag

“Soda bottle greenhouse”

Objective: To investigate if the color of light affects the growth of plants

Materials: clear soda bottle, colored soda bottle, identical plants/accoutrements

“Yeast Beast”

Objective: To investigate how yeast cells get food

Materials: 2 1-liter soda bottles, yeast, sugar, water, balloons

“Soda Bottle Composters”

Objective: To explore how nutrients are recycled in nature

Materials: 4 1-liter soda bottles, newspaper/grass clippings/vegetable scraps/etc., spray bottle, tape

From 50 Terrific Science Experiments:

“Don’t Be Dense”

Purpose: Compare the densities of several liquids. Determine the relative densities of some objects.

Materials: glass jar, water, salt, food coloring, oil, molasses, small wooden block, paper clip, egg, crayon, button

“Heat It Up”

Purpose: Determine that warm molecules move faster than cold molecules

Materials: 4 glass jars, water, food coloring, ice, wooden spoon

“Cold Feet”

Purpose: Compare the effectiveness of wool, cotton, and nylon as insulators

Materials: socks of different materials, thermometers, empty soda bottles, clay, glass jar

“Enzyme Buster”

Purpose: Observe the effects of acids, bases, and water on the enzyme in apples that speeds the browning reaction of apple by oxygen

Materials: apple slices, small cups, vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda, milk of magnesia, water

“Raindrops Keep Falling on My Leaves”

Purpose: Determine the effects of acid rain on plant growth

Materials: 3 identical plants, spray bottles, water, vinegar, baking soda

“Speed Demon”

Purpose: Observe the effect of a catalyst on a chemical reaction

Materials: beef liver, water, hydrogen peroxide, thermometers

“Bold Molds”

Purpose: Grow fungi (bread molds) and observe some of their growth requirements

Materials: plastic bags, bread, hand lens, water

“Chalk It Up to Acid Rain”

Purpose: Observe the effects of acids on chalk, a calcium carbonate compound

Materials: chalk, vinegar, straw, file, plastic wrap

“Tips on Smooth Lips”

Purpose: Evaluate the effect of oils and waxes on moisture retention in lips

Materials: tissue paper, petroleum jelly, chapstick, lipstick, stiff paper, water, food-coloring, tape, dropper

From 46 Science Fair Projects for the Evil Genius:

“Go with the Flow”

Problem: Does shape affect the ability to withstand high velocity winds?

Materials: glue, cylinder, wood, hair dryer, scissors, ruler

“Kinetic Pendulum”

Purpose: To understand the principles of pendular motion

Materials: bowling balls, plastic bags, rope, string, swing set

“Vlip”

Problem: Do trained dogs respond to commands because of association with sound and not because of any understanding of language?

Materials: pet dog, training book

“Flying in the Wind”

Purpose: To determine if wind speed is different at ground level compared to 30 or 40 feet above ground

Materials: ribbon, clothespins, flagpole

“A Better Burger”

Purpose: To compare the fat content of different grades of ground beef

Materials: 3 grades of beef, kitchen scale, use of standard kitchen equipment

“A Sweet Treat”

Problem: What happens when an organism is given a choice between a sweet food with little nutritional value, and a nutritional source of energy?

Materials: white sugar, brown sugar, saccharin artificial sweetener, aspartame artificial sweetener, compass, ants, popsicle sticks, cardboard

“A Fantastic Vitamin”

Problem: Does boiling foods affect the Vitamin C content?

Materials: carrot, jars, water, corn starch, Vitamin C tablets, iodine, eyedropper, standard kitchen equipment

“A Bold Mold”

Problem: What environmental factors create mold that spoils food?

Materials: lettuce, bread, meat, cheese, fruit, spray bottle, sandwich bags

“In the Ear of the Beholder”

Problem: Is all noise equal?

Materials: 10 Jr High students, 10 adults

“Zenith is not a radio”

Purpose: To determine the time of the sun’s highest altitude

Materials: plywood, protractor, level, clay

“M&M’s Ring Around the World”

Materials: several bags of M&Ms

Problem: 30-A: Percentage of each color in a bag?

30-B: Number of pieces per bag?

30-C: Weight of individual pieces? (additional material: scale)

“Choices”

Purpose: To determine which is the stronger trait for selecting objects-- the location of the object or the association of color?

Materials: cupcakes, food coloring, eye dropper, 20 male students

“Melting Mountains”

Purpose: To determine if the rate at which ice melts effects the amount of material lost

Materials: milk jugs, styrofoam trays, wood, sand, freezer, scale, heat lamp

“Parallelogram Prevention”

Purpose: To find the best placement of braces to strengthen a square wooden frame

Materials: screw hooks, lumber, nails, sand, towel, scale, wood, saw, drill, hammer

“A Taste of Plant Acid”

Purpose: To determine if pH is a factor in the taste of an onion

Materials: several different kinds of onions, litmus paper

“A Nose Knows”

Purpose: To determine if age affects the ability to identify scents

Materials: cookies, vanilla extract, ten adults, ten students, small jars

2009-12-01T15:50:00.004-07:00

8th grade: We're working on an Alien Periodic Table, and taking our final Periodic Table exam Friday 04 December.

7th grade: We're finishing up our Earthquake unit this week, and taking the exam Friday 04 December.

Both grades have an extra credit assignment available to them on their respective homework boards.

All 2nd quarter work is due Thursday 10 December. NO EXCEPTIONS!

Science Fair will be introduced in the next week. Students will be bringing home an information packet that includes the following pages:

La Paloma Academy’s

General Science Fair Rules

The SARSEF (Southern Arizona Regional Science and Engineering Fair) official rules can be found at http://www.sarsef.org/. LPA will be adhering to the general rules, along with the following additional expectations.

Participation in the LPA Science Fair is mandatory.
LPA highly encourages group projects, but groups cannot have more than 2 students in them. Once a partner has been chosen, the group can only be changed with prior teacher permission.
Student projects must be approved by the teacher before they are started. Projects that do not have prior teacher approval will not be eligible for judging.
LPA will be holding a school Science Fair on February 19, 2010. Students who wish to be considered for the SARSEF have an additional set of expectations:

Academic eligibility: Students with below an 80% in Science cannot be considered for SARSEF participation.
Students must indicate to their teachers before they begin their project that they wish to be considered for SARSEF. They will not be eligible for consideration without teacher approval beforehand.
Students who wish to be considered for SARSEF are encouraged to work alone (no partner).
Student journals: Each aspect of the Science Fair will be collected by the teacher and kept in a student folder, this will suffice for the student journal for those students not participating in SARSEF; students who wish to be considered for SARSEF need to follow an additional set of rules regarding the student journal, which will provided in the official SARSEF packet.

Science Fair is designed as an independent project. Students should not expect to complete the project during class time: Science Fair projects must be completed at home, during students’ allotted homework time.

Science Fair Grading

Each piece of the Science Fair will receive two grades: one for on-time completion, and one for quality of work. Your teacher will explain the expectations for each section. The final Science Fair Board will receive a grade based on the following matrix:

category	student fell below expectations if...	student met expectations if...	student exceeded expectations if...
project complexity	project is not experimental (i.e. modeling or demonstrating without variable manipulation)	experimental in nature shows an understanding of scientific variables	variable manipulation is thought out for more than one possible relationship
hypothesis	handwritten no “If... then...” statement used does not address the problem as stated	typed “If... then...” statement clearly addresses the stated problem	shows an advanced understanding of causality and metaphoric relationships
materials list	handwritten does not include all materials used includes erroneous items	typed clearly lists all materials used	specifically lists materials to demonstrate understanding of the impact of the materials on the variables being tested
procedure	handwritten written as a narrative poor grammatical conventions evident	typed written as a series of step-by-step directions clearly stated so as to allow an exact replica of the experiment to be carried out	demonstrates an advanced understanding of variable manipulation and control
analyzed data	messy unlabeled or mislabeled	neatly graphed or drawn in pen appropriate format to demonstrate understanding of variable relationships appropriately labeled	computer generated graphs/charts
results and conclusion	handwritten does not demonstrate an understanding of the data poor grammatical conventions evident	typed addresses data addresses hypothesis	synthesizes experiment results with real-world applications, demonstrating an understanding of the importance of scientific modeling in a controlled environment
abstract	handwritten poor grammatical conventions evident written as a first person narrative	typed succinctly summarizes experiment written in the third person	demonstrates a clear understanding of neutral, objective scientific language
board presentation	messy unlabeled or mislabeled missing pieces	neat has all appropriate pieces, clearly labeled	demonstrates artistic effort and time as appropriate to the subject

Jr. High: These are your

Dates to Remember

Monday 07 December	Science Fair Introduced
Wednesday 09 December	Permission Slip Due Project Picked Out
Friday 11 December	Hypothesis Due
Monday 14 December	Procedure Due Materials List Due
Monday 11 January	Experiment Complete Raw Data Due
Friday 15 January	Analyzed Data Due
Monday 25 January	Conclusion Due Proof of Board Provided
Monday 08 February	Abstract Due
Wednesday 17 February	Final Board Due
Friday 19 February	LPA Science Fair/Judging

2009-11-06T09:00:00.002-07:00

It's the middle of second quarter and...

The 7th grade has finished their Astronomy Unit and commenced studying Plate Tectonics. We ended Astronomy with a number of demonstrations involving balloons, and I would like to congratulate the 7th grade classes on showing responsible behavior with their lab supplies. Continue showing me that same responsible, mature behavior and we will continue to explore science in hands-on activities.

The 8th grade has been introduced to the three states of matter, the three laws governing the behavior of gases, and the law of conservation of energy. 8th graders have also demonstrated admirable behavior in labs and with lab supplies during class time-- remember to turn in the essay persuading me to continue offering labs despite the recent vandalism and lab-supply destruction that occurred in the classroom!

A number of students have been requesting extra credit: there are bonus points available on every test and quiz (is there a word in English that rhymes with "orange"? how many cards are in a full deck-- not counting the jokers?), but it's important to study and do well on regular class work; don't depend on last-minute extra credit to improve your grade. A small extra credit project will be offered to each class at the end of the term, but will not impact students' grades more than 5%.

Progress Reports will be going home 12 November (Thursday).

2009-10-08T21:12:00.000-07:00

The first quarter has flown by!

Both 7th and 8th grades have completed a unit on the Scientific Method.

8th grade is finishing up their Physics (Motion and Forces) Unit-- they have had several hands-on labs demonstrating Newton's three Laws of Motion (many of which involved toy cars, and a big "Thank you!" to those students that brought in cars that were superior in quality to the ones I provided), and many word problems involving nuts, goats, cliffs, and gravity... not to mention pennies, bowling balls, and the Empire State Building.

Remember, even as we finish up this unit and move on to Chemistry, those equations and definitions for speed, acceleration, force, and momentum need to have found a permanent place in your brains! Extra credit for this quarter was a timeline of Sir Isaac Newton's life and achievements, and many students did an excellent job of finding out about an extraordinary and historically significant scientist.

7th grade is still studying Astronomy-- we've covered the rotation of the Earth on its tilted axis, the phases of the Moon, eclipses, the structure of the Sun, and (most) of our solar system. Once we finish up the solar system we'll be expanding into conversations about stars, the galaxy, other galaxies, and the universe at large. There are several small opportunities for extra credit if students would like to spend some time outside of class investigating Astronomy.

As a reminder, here is the Science Supply List for this year... anything that students can bring in would be much appreciated.

1 box Kleenex
1 pack 3x5 lined index cards
1 roll of tape (Scotch, packing, duct or masking)
1 pack of post-its (any size or color)
1 pack of Expo white board markers
1 pack of ballpoint pens (red, blue or black)
1 pack of pencils
1 pack of plastic cups (6 or 9 oz)
1 roll of paper towels

Students are expected to come each day prepared with at least one (preferably two) writing utensils for their personal use, and paper to write on. Students should also have a folder or notebook that is dedicated to Science; if the student is using a spiral notebook, one with perforated pages is appreciated.

During the second semester students will be expected to purchase a 36”x 48” tri-fold board for the Science Fair. Students must have this board by the beginning of the third semester, and will be asked to bring a note from home proving they have the board; boards will not be stored at school.

Students can expect to participate in two labs a month-- behavior permitting; any contributions towards the cost of those labs would be much appreciated—if each student can manage $10 then the cost of all the labs for the year will be covered. Lab supplies are purchased mainly at Target and Albertsons, so gift cards to those venues would be greatly appreciated if that is an easier method of payment.

2009-08-13T20:55:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Jr. High Science with Ms. Basayne-Smith!

This year in Science we will be studying the following topics:

7^th Grade:

8^th Grade:

Astronomy- The Solar System

Geology- Structure of the Earth, Volcanoes and Earthquakes, Rocks and Minerals

Biology- Ecology and Ecosystems

Physics- Motion, Forces, and Energy

Chemistry- Atoms, Matter, the Periodic Table, Solutions, Acids and Bases

Biology- Cells and Genetics

Health - Human Anatomy and Function

Health- Human Growth and Development

You are expected to bring at least one writing utensil and notebook paper (spiral notebooks with perforated pages or loose leaf paper are both acceptable) to class every day. You will also be expected to keep track of your notes and handouts from Science class, and are therefore required to have either a 3-ring binder or a folder. It is YOUR responsibility to be prepared for class every day.

Your overall Science grade is determined from your grades in several categories:

Participation and Attendance (10%): This grade is a reflection on your attendance and engagement in the work we will be doing. If you come to school regularly, pay attention, and follow the class rules you will have full credit in this category.

Homework and Classwork (10%): This grade is determined by the completeness, timeliness, and accuracy of your homework and classwork. While homework will not be assigned daily, when it is assigned, you are expected to have it completed by the next class period.

Cumulative Quizzes (15%): Cumulative quizzes will be given once a week and will cover any science material we’ve gone over (8th graders, this means some 7th grade material may appear from time to time!). Quiz scores are often a good measurement of how well you are paying attention to and your understanding of the material… if you attend class and review the homework and handouts on your own each night you should have no problem scoring full points on quizzes.

Exams/Unit Tests and Vocabulary Tests (25%): Exams will occur at the end of chapters and units. They can cover material from several weeks before they are given, and will be announced the week before they occur. While review sessions will occur in class before an exam, it is YOUR responsibility to study a little bit at home every night, especially when you know there’s an exam coming up!

Labs and Projects (40%): Activities in class will occur throughout the year that will demonstrate the concepts we’re learning; some of these activities will only last one class period, while others will take several classes to complete; some projects and labs will even include homework that you will need to complete and turn in the next day. YOU MUST BE IN CLASS TO PARTICIPATE IN LABS AND PROJECTS. Included in this category are Science Fair Projects, which we will discuss in more detail second and third quarters, and both individual and group presentations.

All work needs to be neatly written or typed, on clean paper. Anything messy and/or illegible will not be graded!

Each student is expected to have a school planner to keep track of their assignments; planners will be checked regularly and their accuracy will be reflected in the classwork/homework grade. Any incomplete assignments will result in 7th Hour.