Essential Questions

1. Genetically speaking, how are traits passed down from parents to their biological children?
2. How did Mendel’s work differ from other scientists trying to understand how traits are inherited?
3. What were Mendel’s findings regarding patterns of inheritance?
4. How can genotype and phenotype be different in biological siblings?
5. How does genotype determine phenotype?
6. How do children get their traits? Why do children have some traits that cannot be seen in either biological parent? 
7. How does our individual genetic code influence the way we look/act/behave?
8. How do dominant genes and recessive genes relate to phenotype?

Genetics Key Vocab Words

Here are the key vocab words we have so far...

• Dominant
• Recessive
• Punnett Square
• Genotype 
• Phenotype 
• Mutation
• Hereditary 
• Chromosomes
• DNA
• Genes
• Allele
• Traits
• Inherit

Genetics Research Questions

1. Genetically speaking, how are traits passed down from parents to their biological children?
2. How did Mendel’s work differ from other scientists trying to understand how traits are inherited?
3. What were Mendel’s findings regarding patterns of inheritance?
4. How can genotype and phenotype be different in biological siblings?
5. How does genotype determine phenotype?
6. How do children get their traits? Why do children have some traits that cannot be seen in either biological parent? 
7. How does our individual genetic code influence the way we look/act/behave?
8. How do dominant genes and recessive genes relate to phenotype?

Seminar

Please take this survey! 

Important Dates!!

Dates:

• April 12: Tides and Season assignment due (on classroom)
• April 13: Planets and Moon quiz, vocab quiz retakes
• April 15: Solar System article due (on classroom)
• April 18 & 19: Final Space Unit Test
• April 20 & 21: Final Space Colony Project due and Presentations

A few important links:

Homework Hotline

Science Blog

Questions for the Space Exploration Pros/Cons Activity:

Here are the questions from the Space Exploration Activity from class!  Remember these questions are different than the write-up due!

1. Do you think we should continue to explore space both through manned and unmanned missions?
2. Do you think the money spent on space exploration is worth it?  
3. We should be spending time and money sending astronauts to Mars.
4. We should keep funding NASA, just cut their budget.
5. Do you think there are any benefits to space exploration?  
6. We are wasting time trying to explore Mars, when other “Earths” have already been discovered, we should try to go there instead.

Planet Research Activity

This week in Science we started a Planet Research Activity that will be part of another assignment.  If you were absent the day the activity was assigned, or just need a reminder of what to include in your research, here the requirements for the project:

1. Research 3 planets or dwarf planets: things to keep in mind:
1. Is your planet a planet or dwarf planet?
2. Planet name and general location-the planets/dwarf planets DO NOT need to be from our Solar System.  Do not research Earth.
3. Is it a rocky planet or gas planet?  
4. Does it have landmarks/geographical features?
5. Average temp. (or theorized temp.)
6. Do you think it could support human life, why or why not?

*Remember if you choose to do four or more planets in your research, there is an opportunity for extra credit.

If you have any questions about the activity send Ms. Trecek an email!

Welcome to Tri. 3: A new unit and some policy changes.

The first week of the third trimester is almost complete and that means a new unit for 8th grade Science!

This week we started learning about Space-even though it was a short week!  On Wednesday each class had a Space Inquiry on Google Classroom where they had to make predictions about what they thought could be found/seen in our Solar System.  They then had to find evidence supporting their predictions and write a brief explanation of that evidence and cite their source in MLA style formatting.  The last step of the inquiry was to look at some examples of space exploration.  They had to research four different examples of space exploration and write a 2-4 sentence paragraph explaining their research, and again, cite their source.  This assignment is due today-so please remind your student to double check that they've hit the "turn-in" button on Classroom!

This trimester will be a busy one, not just in Science class, but school-wide.  Namely due to the Iowa Assessments that are coming up NEXT WEEK.  All students should have received a summary of their percentile rankings from the last time they took the assessments and a sheet that they are supposed to review with their parents/guardians.  Please remind your students to go over these with you!

As an incentive to study not just for their Iowa Assessments, but to remain on task and focused on doing well all trimester a new policy has been adopted.  At the end of the trimester students will have the option to not take their final exam for Science if:

• They have an overall score of "A" at the end of the trimester.  (Remember this is on a class by class basis.)
• If your student improves on their Iowa Assessment they can opt out of the final for that subject.  For Science that means they have to improve by the percentile ranking discussed during Seminar-if you have questions about this I'll include a link to the blog with these scores here!) 

If they don't quite make the requirements to opt out of their final, there's an option they have to get a little help on their test.  

If they have all of their homework complete and turned in ON TIME they can use 1 note card (front and back) on their final.  

I know it seems strange to be talking about the final test at this point but it'll be here sooner than we all think and I wanted to let everyone know about the new policy right away!  

Let's all have an awesome trimester!

-Ms. Trecek

Final week of Tri 2!

The second trimester of the school year comes to a close this week, then it's on to a new trimester and a new unit!

The final for 8th grade Science is a comprehensive unit test over Force and Motion.  The students were given a study guide to help them prepare for the test over the weekend, as well as participation in a class-wide kahoot! review during class time.  Students can expect to be tested over the following for their test:

• Identify and define each of Newton's Laws of Motion in his or her own words.  
• Identify different words from Force and Motion Vocabulary.
• Create accurate graphs of force and motion using Distance/Time and Velocity/Time.
• Calculate Net Force and Acceleration.
• Explain how density can affect the look of colored solutions in a test tube.

The finals schedule for Mrs. Tech's Science classes looks like this:

Monday 2/29-Final for Titan students
Tuesday 3/1-Final for Olympia students
Wednesday 3/2-Make up day for students who were absent during their designated test day.

Another reminder for everyone is that the Storybook Projects which were assigned on January 25 and 26 are due Friday, March 4.  Per Mrs. Tech's policy final exams and projects are not eligible for retakes so it is imperative that students are studying for the test and consulting the rubric for their projects which has been on Google Classroom form the day the project was assigned.

If you have any questions about the final exams or projects please email Ms. Trecek at becky.trecek@lewiscentral.org and feel free to consult the Homework Hotline for additional information by clicking here.

Graphing Quiz Retakes and Make Ups

Hello!

Due to some scheduling shifting for the week of February 15-19, Science class will look a little different.

First things first: graphing quiz retakes are due Friday, Feb. 19 by 3:15.  I've told students this all week but haven't had a lot of takers.  In order to retake students must do the following:
1) Correct the mistakes they made on their original quiz.
2) Fill out the blue relearning document (found in my classroom,) as stated on the sheet.  In a nutshell, it's saying what mistakes they know they made, what were they confused over, etc.
3) Go through the questions they had documented on the relearning document with an expert.  In this case, I count as an expert, Mr. Moen (another science teacher) counts as an expert, a para in the room counts, or parents count!  Have them sign the sheet!
4) Turn in the original quiz and relearning sheet to Ms. Trecek and make arrangements to retake with me either before school, after school, or during lunch.  (If you're coming after school make arrangments to stay with me 24 hours in advance please so I can adjust my transportation arrangments.

The late/missing work is piling up and with approaching assessments and a wonky schedule next week Mrs. Tech and I have agreed to open up a ONE TIME ONLY Make-Up Day!  Students will have the opportunity to turn in any missing or late work from the Density Unit to present work for full credit.  Taking advantage of this could greatly raise some grades, as well as better prepare students for the upcoming Trimester final.  Please encourage your students to check PowerSchool and see what they could turn in and make-up.

As always, feel free to email me if you have any further questions!

Graphing Force and Motion Updates

The graphing portion of the Force and Motion unit is nearing completion.  Students took a quiz over graphing 1/28-29 and once those grades are all posted in the grade book the re-take window will be open!  Just a reminder that any student that did not receive a perfect score on an assessment may take the re-take they just have to fill out a blue relearning sheet and turn it in before the re-take can happen.

A Graphing Review practice assignment assigned on Classroom was due Friday, January 29.  If students want credit for the review they need to turn in their finished assignments on paper to Ms. Trecek by Friday February 5 per Mrs. Tech's late work policy.

As always, feel free to email Ms. Trecek at becky.trecek@lewiscentral.org if you have any questions or concerns!

Graphing

1/19 and 1/20: Introduction to graphing force and motion. Students were given the task of creating two of their own story problems for graphing as homework (assigned through Google Classroom).

Density Posters

Density poster assigned, here is the rubric, we worked on this all class Monday/Tuesday and students will present Wednesday/Thursday.

Vocab Words

1. Balanced 
2. Inertia 
3. Mass 
4. Pulls 
5. Friction 
6. Opposite 
7. Rest 
8. Matter 
9. Acceleration 
10. Force 
11. Weight 
12. Unbalanced 
13. Velocity

Complimentary MBB and WBB Tickets For Students

By Creighton Today – December 16, 2015 

Omaha and Council Bluffs area middle school and high school students are invited to attend Creighton basketball games for free during the holiday break and sit in the CU student section (or an upper bowl ticket if the student section is sold out, lower-bowl student-section tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis).

For the men’s games – Monday, Dec. 21 vs. North Texas (8:15 p.m., tip-off); Monday, Dec. 28 vs. Coppin State (8:15 p.m., tip-off); Saturday, Jan. 2 vs. Villanova (9:00 p.m., tip-off) and Tuesday, Jan. 5 vs Georgetown (8:15 p.m., tip-off) - students will be admitted to the games by signing in and showing their school ID at the top of the escalators inside the main ticket lobby of CenturyLink Center Omaha (10th & Cass Streets) starting 90 minutes prior to tip-off.

For the women’s games – Tuesday, Dec. 22 vs. UNI (6:00 p.m., tip-off); Tuesday, Dec. 29 vs. St. John’s (6:00 p.m., tip-off); Thursday, Dec. 31 vs. Seton Hall (1:05 p.m., tip-off) and Friday, Jan. 8 vs. Xavier (6:00 p.m., tip-off) – students will be admitted to the games by signing in and showing their school ID at the southwest corner of D.J. Sokol Arena inside the Wayne & Eileen Ryan Athletic Center starting 60 minutes prior to tip-off.

For questions, please call the Creighton Athletics Ticket Office 402.280.JAYS.

You can read the full article, here. 

FYI

There is a quiz on 12/16 (Wednesday of next week) over our scientific vocabulary we have been working with so far in our Force and Motion unit.

Hour of Code - Seminar

Go to this link: https://studio.code.org/

Click Student sign up.

Choose from the beginning level choices of Angry Birds, Frozen, Minecraft or Star Wars (the Star Wars and Mincecraft choices were just added)

Can you save Eggbert?

Save Eggbert!

Force and Motion

Force and Motion
Big Idea: Force affects motion.

Iowa Core Ideas:

• Concept 3.3 Understand and apply knowledge of motions and forces.
• Skill 3.3.1 The motion of an object can be described by its position, direction of motion, and speed. That motion can be measured and represented on a graph.
• Skill 3.3.2 An object that is not being subjected to a force will continue to move at a constant speed and in a straight line.
• Skill 3.3.3 If more than one force acts on an object along a straight line, then the forces will reinforce or cancel one another, depending on their direction and magnitude. Unbalanced forces will cause changes in speed or direction of an object’s motion.

Core Essential Questions:

• How does force affect motion?
• How does force and motion impact our daily lives?
• How do Newton’s laws describe the motion of a moving object?
• How do forces influence motion?
• How does the mass of an object influence motion?
• How does friction affect a moving object?

Learning Targets:

• I can explain how different forces will result in different motions
• I can identify how different forces will impact motion

Key Vocabulary: 

Speed, Acceleration, Velocity, Momentum, Inertia, Mass, Position, Force, Balanced Forces, Unbalanced Forces, Push, Pull, Kinetic Energy, Potential Energy, Friction, Air Resistance

Key Vocab

• Speed
• Acceleration
• Velocity
• Momentum
• Inertia
• Mass
• Position
• Balanced Forces
• Unbalanced Forces
• Push
• Pull
• Friction
• Air Resistance 
• Newton’s Laws