Highlighting Key: _____ = handout students got today/ worksheet students used own notebook paper to start today;
_____ = work handed in to period tray by students today / graded work handed back to students today
_____ = assessment given to students today
Week of January 4-8, 2016
Fri., 01/08/16
Warm Up: Students got “Matter Unit Vocabulary” (#6R in new unit TOC) & used “Scrambled Vocabulary + Definitions reference
sheets” to FIB; scroll down to Course Documents to access vocab sheet, scrambled reference sheets or a simpler answer key
(for those who cannot cope with the scrambled version) or go to makeup work file box to access vocab sheet & scrambled
reference sheets if you were absent today or did not finish in class
Class Work:
- Students used own notebook paper to create both “Matter Unit TOC” and “Matter Unit Warm Ups” (#5R in new TOC); scroll
down to Current Unit TOC or look on TOC on wall to access TOC & make warm up page the same way as was done in other units if
you were absent today
- Mrs. Best advised students to take all of their Growing & Flowing unit material out of their science binders, to take them home
and keep it at least until report cards come out in 2 weeks
- Mrs. Best went over new Leopard Time sign in/ sign out poster for students to use when entering/leaving the science room
during Leopard Time; new procedure for using the poster will begin on Mon., 01/11/16; ask another student or Mrs. Best to explain
this if you were absent today
- Mrs. Best explained density formula in language arts terms, math equation, shortened math equation and units used; ask
another student or Mrs. Best to explain this during Leopard Time if you were absent today
- Mrs. Best introduced concept of the atom as the building block of all matter as well as that each element in the Periodic Table of
the Elements is a number of the same, unique atoms; also introduced the concept of the bonding of individual atoms into
molecules and compounds; more work on this will happen in class on Monday
- Students watched short animated video about atoms and molecules; scroll down to PPT’s/Videos to access the hyperlink
Homework: 1) Finish, if needed, FIB for vocab. sheet (#6R); 2) Make flashcards for ≥ 6 matter unit vocab. terms (#6R)
Thur., 01/07/16
Warm Up: Students reviewed for today’s biome quiz; Mrs. Best asked students to review what stomatas are, where they are and
their main function
Class Work:
- Students took short Biome quiz; see Mrs. Best to make up yours if you were absent today
- Students finished any missing items, then turned in “Mural Biome packet” (#14R) and “Group Participation Feedback” (#14L),;
turn yours in to Mrs. Best if you were absent today
- Students were cautioned by Mrs. Best that the next 2 units will be hardest of all we will study this year; a key to success will be to
review science material every day, then go to Mrs. Best within a day or two if there are concepts not understood—students were
encouraged NOT to wait a week or two to ask for help; see Mrs. Best if you were absent today
- Students watched 2 short videos with music to introduce our new “What’s the Matter?” unit, students were encouraged to
follow the different perspectives and zooming in/zooming out scale as videos progressed; scroll down to Websites to access
hyperlinks to both videos shown in class
- Mrs. Best introduced “hierarchy” term and tied concept it to what students just watched in videos
- Mrs. Best related that the infinite variety of “stuff” – matter—in the universe is due to the different building blocks used (atoms)
& how they are combined—making the study of chemistry more amazing than magic!
Homework: none
Wed., 01/06/16
Warm Up: Students got out biome murals and finished working on them
Class Work:
- 1st period only: students went to computer lab and took Path Driver math and language arts test on computer; you will make this
up if you were absent today
- Student groups hung their biome murals on the wall; class did gallery walk to observe each mural and use QR codes embedded, if
their device allowed that; ask Mrs. Best to let her take time during Leopard Time to do this with another student if you were absent
today
- Students shared what they liked/disliked about the murals and the project
- Mrs. Best showed students a biome table with basic abiotic and biotic information that will be quite useful on tomorrow’s quiz;
students who can’t access at home were allowed to take a hard copy; scroll down to Course Documents to access table
- Mrs. Best showed a world/US biome location map and asked students in which biome we in the eastern US are; scroll down to
Websites to access the hyperlinks seen in class
- Students were reminded to complete the back page of “Group Participation Feedback” (#14L) as well as all parts of “Biome Mural
Packet” (#14R) to be handed in tomorrow in class
Homework: Review basic biome information table as well as front page of #18R and #20R for tomorrow’s science quiz on biomes
Tuesday, 01/05/16
Warm Up: Students got out their “Biome Information Sheet (#20R) and added on bottom row, if needed, information about the
Mediterranean (chaparral) biome; scroll down to Course Documents to access any period’s completed #20R to access information
Class Work:
- Mrs. Best handed back graded “Growing & Flowing Unit Tests” (#19L) taken Dec. 17, 2015 and explained that any recovery points
that would have taken a student above the maximum 38 points will be “banked” by Mrs. Best and added to a lower grade at the
end of the quarter in 2 weeks; see Mrs. Best for your test if you were absent today
- Students worked in biome groups to finish their mural and notes for note sheet for the “Biome Mural Project” (#14R); students
completed making entries in “Group Participation Feedback” (#14L); complete your notes for #14R and entries for #14L when you
return if you were absent today
- Someone from each biome group entered their biome’s data for “Biome Information Sheet (#20R) on google doc created for
each period; scroll down to Course Documents to access each period’s distinct document
- Mrs. Best announced that biome groups would have approximately 10 minutes at the start of class tomorrow to put all finishing
touches on biome murals before the gallery walk to share murals occurs in class tomorrow, Wed., 01/06/16
Homework: 1) ALL STUDENTS: bring a pair of earbuds, if you have them, to HR tomorrow (Pathdriver test in computer lab at
beginning of first period tomorrow for our team); 2) Finish at least ½ of the rows for “Biome Information Sheet (#20R)
Monday, 01/04/16
Warm Up: Students got “Biome Information Sheet” (#20R) and used graph on screen to color in & label each biome shown on their
sheet; scroll down to Websites to access the hyperlink showing this graph; scroll down to Course Documents or go to makeup work
file box to access worksheet
Class Work:
- Mrs. Best went over the change in biome mural project dates; new information: biome mural is now due at end of school day on
Tues., 01/05/16 (groups who know they cannot meet this new deadline must talk with Mrs. Best); groups will share their info for “Biome
Information Sheet (#20R) during class on Tues., 01/05/16 (will be available to copy from on Mrs. Best’s website page on Tues. night); sharing
of biome murals will be on Wed., 01/06/16; short biome quiz (based on information on #20R) will still be Thur., 01/07/16
- Students voted for name of new LCD projector; final results will be shared in class tomorrow
- Biome groups resumed work on biome mural; now due at end of school day on Tues., 01/05/16
- Biome groups agreed upon & wrote down their row’s information for #20R; will share during class tomorrow, Tues., 01/05/16
Homework: Finish coloring/labeling biomes in graph and in left column for #20R; due tomorrow, Tues., 01/05/16