April 1st, 2010: The Moon Phases

Today you will do a virtual lab showing the different phases of the moon.

Virtual Lab

Drag the text down on the left hand side of the lab.  Read the procedures for the lab.  After you are done, draw a diagram of the moon phases with the sun.  Include a paragraph explaining the diagram and why the moon changes.




HW:  Project DUE

Friday, February 12th

Stop and make sure you have completed both homework assignments for this week before you play the Forces Game:  3 Puck Chuck

Homework:
p. 96-103 Reading and Visual Checks

p. 103 #1-5

Have a nice week off!

Wednesday, 2/3/10

Today in class we will be doing a forces lab on PBS.com.


You will be exploring different actions that occur in structures.  On a piece of binder paper, keep track of the forces that occur in each action. Draw diagrams of the forces in each action and write down examples of where the action takes place in a real structure.

Answer the following questions after you have taken notes on the forces in 5 different actions.


1.  Are the forces balanced forces or unbalanced forces in each action.


2.  Why do you think it is important for engineers to know what forces happen in each action?


3.  If you were an engineer asked to build a new bridge, what actions from this lab would you need to keep in mind when designing the bridge?  Explain why you chose the actions.


HW:  Page 94 #1-6

Thursday, January 14th: Speed Problems

Today in class you will practice solving for speed, distance, and time using the speed triangle.  Keep track of your work and solutions on a piece of binder paper under the correct website header.

Website #1 Calculate and show your work on a separate piece of binder paper under the heading Website #1.  Check your answers by clicking the "Please Mark" button on the bottom of the page.

Website #2  Follow the slides and calculate each problem using the information given on the left side of each slide.  Keep track of your work on your binder paper under the heading Website #2.   After you complete 10 problems, come back to the blog. 

Challenge Question #1!
Challenge Question #2!  Extra Credit:  These are  REAL challenges if you finish early.  List the steps that you took to answer either question for some extra credit.


Speed of Light  Extra Credit:  Are you interested in how the speed of light was measured?  Read this short article and describe how the speed of light was measured in a one paragraph summary.

Extra Credit Opportunities

Extra Credit and all missing assignments are DUE on Friday December 18th.

Choose from the following two choices:

1.  On page 446-447 pick from one of the following assignments:  a) Something in the Air,  b) What do you Mean by That? or c) Labeling Trans Fat
Use the following link for research:  Real World Science Links


2.  On page 442 do the Summarize assignment:  Create your own lesson summary as you write a Newsletter.  Follow the directions to complete the newsletter.

Carbon Project

Carbon Project

Background

Carbon is arguably the most essential element on Earth. 

Step One

Pick a topic for your project.  Your topic must relate to why carbon is critical to life on Earth. 

Possible Topics:

1. Carbon comes in many forms (graphite, diamond, charcoal)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphite

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond

http://www.teachersdomain.org/asset/oer08_vid_elevator/

2. Carbohydrates

http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/C/Carbohydrates.html

http://www.umass.edu/nibble/infofile/carbo.html

http://www.chem4kids.com/files/bio_carbos.html

3. Carbon fiber

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_fiber-reinforced_polymer

http://www.teachersdomain.org/asset/oer08_vid_futurecar/

4. Carbonation (in Soda!)

http://www.science-house.org/CO2/activities/co2/soda.html

5. Chemical Bonding of Carbon

http://www.visionlearning.com/library/module_viewer.php?mid=60

6. Photosynthesis

http://www.iknowthat.com/com/App?File=ScienceLab.htm&Type=S&SWF=photosynthesis%2Fscience_desk&App=Science+Lab

http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java/photosynthesis/

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/methuselah/photosynthesis.html

7. Carbon Cycle

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_cycle

8. Carbon Footprint

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_footprint

9.  It’s All About Carbon

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=994329

10.  Carbon-Based Life

http://www.teachersdomain.org/asset/ess05_vid_carbon/

http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/answers/980221b.html

11.  Carbon-Dating (Used to date archeological finds, fossils, etc.)

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/first/radiocarbon.html

To Research further you may also use nettrekker. which is an educational search engine.

Click on the following link:  NETTREKKER

Login as Username:  burnettstudent
password:  student
Step Two

Research your chosen topic.  Use the provided links.  If you still need more information, use Google Search.  Open a Pages blank document or MS Word file, title it:  Carbon_mylastname_my firstname.  Save it to your desktop (not to your digital locker, at least not yet).  In the last five minutes of class, save your work  in your digital locker.  While researching, answer the following questions:

Topic-Specific Questions

Topic #1:  Carbon Comes In Many Forms
1.  Pure carbon exists in how many different forms?
2. Can you find pure carbon in nature?n If yes, where?
What makes carbon look different in each form?

About Graphite
1. How is it made?
2. Is it a hard or soft material?
3. Describe 3 important uses of graphite.

About Diamonds
1. Where (which countries) is it found?
2. How far down in Earth are diamonds found?
3. How do humans "get" diamonds?


Topic #2:  Carbohydrates
1. What is it?
2. What are carbohydrates used for?
3. Do carbohydrates come in different forms? If so, give examples.
4. How are carbohydrates made?
5. Why do humans like carbohydrates?


Topic #3:  Carbon Fiber
1. What is carbon fiber?
2. How is carbon fiber made?
3. What is the history of carbon fiber?
4. What is carbon fiber used for?


Topic #4:  Carbonation in Soda
1. What is it?
2. Why do we want carbonated soda?
3. Are we adding pure carbon when making carbonated soda?


Topic #5:  Chemical Bonding
1. How many bonds does carbon form?



Topic #6:  Photosynthesis
1. What is it?
2. What is carbon bonded to before the reaction?
3. What is carbon bonded to after the reaction?


Topic #7: Carbon Cycle
1. What is it?
2. What are the five main "parts" of Earth carbon moves (cycles) through?
3. What form does carbon take when it is in our atmosphere?
4. What form does carbon take when it is in our oceans?
5. How do plants and animals exchange (share) carbon?  Explain how the process works.

Topic #8: Carbon Footprint
1. What is it?
2.  How is the carbon footprint measured?
3.  What is the history of the term?


Topic #9: It's All About Carbon (Overview)
1. Why is carbon the central element in life?
2. How is oil and coal made?
3. What can humans do to slow down global warming?


Topic #10: Carbon-based Life
1.  How many atoms can carbon bond with?
2.  Why do scientists think that other life forms will probably be made out of carbon?
3. 


Topic #11: Carbon Dating
1. What is it?
2. What do we use carbon dating for?
3.  How does carbon-dating work?

Step Three

Present your research, into one of the following ways:

 

• a Poster using Pages,
• a Cartoon using Comic Life,
  
• a research report using MS Word,
• a slide show using Keynote,
• a web using Inspiration 8
• a photo album using iPhoto
• a short video using iMovie

 

 

Acid Base Indicator Project

Purpose:  The purpose of this project is to communicate to the class your opinion as to which type of acid-base indicator is the most effective in identifying acids bases and neutral substances:  litmus paper, cabbage juice, or pH paper.

Step 1:  Research-  Use the following websites to help you to make an educated decision as to which indicator is most effective:

Litmus Paper

What is litmus paper?

How litmus paper is made
Function of Litmus Paper

Cabbage Juice
Introduction to Red Cabbage Juice

What physical properties of Red Cabbage juice allows it to be an indicator?

More info on Cabbage juice

pH Paper 

 What is pH?

How does pH paper work?

How to test pH with pH paper
Color Chart

Step 2:  Choose the type of indicator that you found was the best.

Step 3:  Choose a media
 Written Speech (3 paragraph minimum)
 Poster using Pages
Keynote presentation

Step 4:  Plan the Content
Content should include:
-What does the indicator look like?
-How does the indicator work?
-What information does the indicator give you?
-Reasons for why you think this is the best type of indicator.
-A counter-argument 

Step 5:  Save
Save the file as period_lastname_firstname_indicators
example: 1_foerder_diane_indicators

Drop it into my drop box