Defining the Ecosystem: Completing ecosystem sorting game
Bellwork:
1) Is one dog a population, community, or an individual?
2) An example of an ecosystem is…
3) A community includes ___________________________ in one place at one time.
- Periods 4 and 5 (groups B and A) spend 15 minutes completing sorting card game
- Discuss: Using bigger cards, we will discuss the categorization of each object or organism card and come to a class consensus on whether each is an individual, population, community, ecosystem, or abiotic.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Sorting out Life
Bellwork:
1) Milkweed bugs eat by…
2) Milkweed bugs shed their exoskeleton so they can…
3) An orange clump in the cotton would be…
-Brainstorm the meanings of new vocabulary words: individual, population, community, ecosystem
-Define the new vocabulary words:
Individual: One organism
Population: All the individuals of one kind in one place at one time
Community: All the populations in one place
Ecosystem: The interacting organisms and nonliving things in one place; a place
-Partner Activity: Ecosystem Sorting Cards ==> Using a deck of cards with common objects, organisms, and scenes, students sorted out which cards represented the new ecosystem vocabulary words
Homework: Read "Life in a Community" and answer the attached questions
Bellwork:
1) Milkweed bugs eat by…
2) Milkweed bugs shed their exoskeleton so they can…
3) An orange clump in the cotton would be…
-Brainstorm the meanings of new vocabulary words: individual, population, community, ecosystem
-Define the new vocabulary words:
Individual: One organism
Population: All the individuals of one kind in one place at one time
Community: All the populations in one place
Ecosystem: The interacting organisms and nonliving things in one place; a place
-Partner Activity: Ecosystem Sorting Cards ==> Using a deck of cards with common objects, organisms, and scenes, students sorted out which cards represented the new ecosystem vocabulary words
Homework: Read "Life in a Community" and answer the attached questions
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Population Study
Bellwork:
1) What organism are we studying?
2) Are organisms biotic or abiotic?
3) The home we built for the bugs is called a _____________.
-Discuss: What can we learn from studying the milkweed bugs in their habitat?
-Lab Activity: Observe the milkweed bugs in their habitat using our new chart in the student workbook (Populations & Ecosystems)
-Reading Activity: Read the article "Milkweed Bugs" in Populations & Ecosystems Resources Book (pgs. 3-5) and complete the reading comprehension/notes worksheet.
Bellwork:
1) What organism are we studying?
2) Are organisms biotic or abiotic?
3) The home we built for the bugs is called a _____________.
-Discuss: What can we learn from studying the milkweed bugs in their habitat?
-Lab Activity: Observe the milkweed bugs in their habitat using our new chart in the student workbook (Populations & Ecosystems)
-Reading Activity: Read the article "Milkweed Bugs" in Populations & Ecosystems Resources Book (pgs. 3-5) and complete the reading comprehension/notes worksheet.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Bellwork:
1) An organism is...
2) The ventilation holes in the habitat bag give the organisms...
3) The cotton in the habitat is for...
The ABCDs of Diagramming (Scientific Drawing)
-A: Accurate labels
-B: Big
-C: Colorful
-D: Detailed
Lab Activity: Milkweed Bug Observations
-Use hand lenses and milkweed bugs in petri dishes
-Observe the bugs, their appearance, and their actions to learn how they move, gather information, and eat.
-Learn how to distiguish between male and female milkweed bugs
- If absent, use Population and Ecosystem Resources Book (pages 3-5) to complete the worksheet (page 21) in the yellow workbook
Pictures:
Milkweed Bugs: Adult (left), Nymph (right); Picture from University of Illinois: Urbana-Champaign website
1) An organism is...
2) The ventilation holes in the habitat bag give the organisms...
3) The cotton in the habitat is for...
The ABCDs of Diagramming (Scientific Drawing)
-A: Accurate labels
-B: Big
-C: Colorful
-D: Detailed
Lab Activity: Milkweed Bug Observations
-Use hand lenses and milkweed bugs in petri dishes
-Observe the bugs, their appearance, and their actions to learn how they move, gather information, and eat.
-Learn how to distiguish between male and female milkweed bugs
- If absent, use Population and Ecosystem Resources Book (pages 3-5) to complete the worksheet (page 21) in the yellow workbook
Pictures:
Milkweed Bugs: Adult (left), Nymph (right); Picture from University of Illinois: Urbana-Champaign websiteMonday, August 27, 2007
Bellwork:
1) A habitat is...
2) 3 things an organism needs to survive are...
3) What are 2 things you've learned so far in science this year?
Discuss: What do organisms need in their habitats to survive?
Lab Activity: Each class built a portion of the milkweed bug habitat for the tables they sit at. At the end of 5th period, there were 7 completed milkweed bug habitats in the classroom.
1) A habitat is...
2) 3 things an organism needs to survive are...
3) What are 2 things you've learned so far in science this year?
Discuss: What do organisms need in their habitats to survive?
Lab Activity: Each class built a portion of the milkweed bug habitat for the tables they sit at. At the end of 5th period, there were 7 completed milkweed bug habitats in the classroom.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Friday, August 24, 2007
Bellwork:
1) One problem global warming causes is...
2) What will happen in the future if we use up Earth's resources?
3) One thing I do that is good for the environment is...
Water Use: You Compared to the world
- Discuss what we use water for every day and the amount of water each task consumes
- Complete the personal water use chart (Down the Drain worksheet) that tells how much water you use when you do particular activities each day.
- Complete the 2nd side of the worksheet, comparing your water use with the United States average and then the rest of the world.
1) One problem global warming causes is...
2) What will happen in the future if we use up Earth's resources?
3) One thing I do that is good for the environment is...
Water Use: You Compared to the world
- Discuss what we use water for every day and the amount of water each task consumes
- Complete the personal water use chart (Down the Drain worksheet) that tells how much water you use when you do particular activities each day.
- Complete the 2nd side of the worksheet, comparing your water use with the United States average and then the rest of the world.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Bellwork:
1) Why is DNA so important?
2) One thing DNA lets us do is...
3) What are we doing when we're being "green"?
We discussed what we saw in the first half of the film "An Inconvenient Truth" and the effects that global warming has had on our planet.
We talked about the idea of the "environmental footprint," which measures the amount of land and water you actually need in order to support what you consume and throw away. We took - as a class - the Earth Day Environmental Footprint Quiz in order to see whether we use more resources than the Earth actually has.
Define habitat: the specific area where an organism or species lives.
Homework: write a paragraph describing your habitat.
1) Why is DNA so important?
2) One thing DNA lets us do is...
3) What are we doing when we're being "green"?
We discussed what we saw in the first half of the film "An Inconvenient Truth" and the effects that global warming has had on our planet.
We talked about the idea of the "environmental footprint," which measures the amount of land and water you actually need in order to support what you consume and throw away. We took - as a class - the Earth Day Environmental Footprint Quiz in order to see whether we use more resources than the Earth actually has.
Define habitat: the specific area where an organism or species lives.
Homework: write a paragraph describing your habitat.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Bellwork:
1) Where do animals get their food?
2) Why don’t plants move?
3) How do bacterial cells move?
- Completed "Divisions of Life: Animals, Plants, Cells" guided notes
- Discussed DNA and our current connections to it ==> CSI, similar shows, and crime-solving; Maury, Jerry Springer, and issues of parentage; genetic diseases; personal appearance; particular actions and instincts
- Defined "being green":
1) Thinking and acting in ways that protect and improve the environment
2) Pushing for sustainability: ensuring there are enough resources for us AND people in the future
- Discussed "green" choices we make ==> reusable lunch bags, glass cups, turning off lights, recycling, selling scrap metal
- Worked in groups to complete "Making Green Choices" worksheet ==> 12 questions where you chose the "greener" option
1) Where do animals get their food?
2) Why don’t plants move?
3) How do bacterial cells move?
- Completed "Divisions of Life: Animals, Plants, Cells" guided notes
- Discussed DNA and our current connections to it ==> CSI, similar shows, and crime-solving; Maury, Jerry Springer, and issues of parentage; genetic diseases; personal appearance; particular actions and instincts
- Defined "being green":
1) Thinking and acting in ways that protect and improve the environment
2) Pushing for sustainability: ensuring there are enough resources for us AND people in the future
- Discussed "green" choices we make ==> reusable lunch bags, glass cups, turning off lights, recycling, selling scrap metal
- Worked in groups to complete "Making Green Choices" worksheet ==> 12 questions where you chose the "greener" option
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Life: Animals, Plants, and Cells
Bellwork:
•1) What is a cell?
•2) Are people animals?
•3) Name 3 kinds of plants.
"Divisions of Life: Animals, Plants, Cells" Guided Notes Worksheet
- Class began this guided notes worksheet, filling it in along as I went through a powerpoint.
- We broke to brainstorm and discuss what makes animals animals, plants plants, and the different kinds of cells.
- We listed the traits of animals.
- We listed the traits of plants.
- We discussed the different kinds of cells.
Worksheet to be completed on Wednesday.
Bellwork:
•1) What is a cell?
•2) Are people animals?
•3) Name 3 kinds of plants.
"Divisions of Life: Animals, Plants, Cells" Guided Notes Worksheet
- Class began this guided notes worksheet, filling it in along as I went through a powerpoint.
- We broke to brainstorm and discuss what makes animals animals, plants plants, and the different kinds of cells.
- We listed the traits of animals.
- We listed the traits of plants.
- We discussed the different kinds of cells.
Worksheet to be completed on Wednesday.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Monday, August 20, 2007
Bellwork:
Not completed
Binder building: 1 1-inch binder, 4 binder dividers, 1 1-subject notebook, looseleaf paper.
Binder sections: notes, classwork, tests/projects, homework
Class Rules in the notes section, lab rules in the classwork section
Not completed
Binder building: 1 1-inch binder, 4 binder dividers, 1 1-subject notebook, looseleaf paper.
Binder sections: notes, classwork, tests/projects, homework
Class Rules in the notes section, lab rules in the classwork section
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Friday, August 17, 2007
Bellwork:
1) An example of appropriate behavior is...
2) When we hear the timer ring during group work, we...
3) The word scientists use for living things is...
- Discuss the 6 characteristics of life
- Answer 2 questions:
1) Do nonliving things ever have any of these characteristics?
2) Do you have to have ALL six characteristics to be alive?
- Decide how these characteristics apply to seeds, rocks, dogs, people, trees, and flowers
- Complete Science Interest Inventory worksheet
1) An example of appropriate behavior is...
2) When we hear the timer ring during group work, we...
3) The word scientists use for living things is...
- Discuss the 6 characteristics of life
- Answer 2 questions:
1) Do nonliving things ever have any of these characteristics?
2) Do you have to have ALL six characteristics to be alive?
- Decide how these characteristics apply to seeds, rocks, dogs, people, trees, and flowers
- Complete Science Interest Inventory worksheet
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Bellwork:
1) When we pass in papers, we...
2) When I want to empty my pencil sharpener, I...
3) When I don't remember today's date, I find it...
4) When I have something I want to say, I...
- 6 characteristics of life: scientists have discussed what qualities make organisms living too
- If an object does not have all 6 characteristics, if it not alive
- Seeds v. Rocks: 6 characteristics of life activity
- Working in jobs, students recorded their observations of seeds and rocks in a t-chart. They then compared and contrasted them by noting similarities and differences.
- We predicted what the 6 characteristics all organisms have might be
6 characteristics of life (as defined by scientists):
1) Eats/drinks and makes waste
2) Grows and develops
3) Reproduces
4) Made up of cells
5) Responds to stimuli (ex: a cat running to its food bowl when it hears the can opener)
6) Adapts to environment (ex: fish and their gills, camouflage)
Homework: Bring in science supplies.
1) When we pass in papers, we...
2) When I want to empty my pencil sharpener, I...
3) When I don't remember today's date, I find it...
4) When I have something I want to say, I...
- 6 characteristics of life: scientists have discussed what qualities make organisms living too
- If an object does not have all 6 characteristics, if it not alive
- Seeds v. Rocks: 6 characteristics of life activity
- Working in jobs, students recorded their observations of seeds and rocks in a t-chart. They then compared and contrasted them by noting similarities and differences.
- We predicted what the 6 characteristics all organisms have might be
6 characteristics of life (as defined by scientists):
1) Eats/drinks and makes waste
2) Grows and develops
3) Reproduces
4) Made up of cells
5) Responds to stimuli (ex: a cat running to its food bowl when it hears the can opener)
6) Adapts to environment (ex: fish and their gills, camouflage)
Homework: Bring in science supplies.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Bellwork/sponge:
1) What voice level do we use in the hallway?
2) What is an "observation"?
3) An example of something scientific is...
4) Which "manager" is the timekeeper when we work in groups?
- Define "organism": a living thing
- Discuss examples from the homework observations
- Brainstorm in pairs a list of characteristics living things have that nonliving things don't ==> what do living things have/do that make them alive?
- Share ideas as a class
- Define "biotic" and "abiotic"
- Biotic: a living organism or the product of an organism (ex: fruit)
- Abiotic: nonliving
- Vote on science drawings for mini-movie
1) What voice level do we use in the hallway?
2) What is an "observation"?
3) An example of something scientific is...
4) Which "manager" is the timekeeper when we work in groups?
- Define "organism": a living thing
- Discuss examples from the homework observations
- Brainstorm in pairs a list of characteristics living things have that nonliving things don't ==> what do living things have/do that make them alive?
- Share ideas as a class
- Define "biotic" and "abiotic"
- Biotic: a living organism or the product of an organism (ex: fruit)
- Abiotic: nonliving
- Vote on science drawings for mini-movie
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Tuesday, August 14: What is Science
Bellwork:
–1) What does the “C” stand for in CHAMPs?
–2) What voice level do we use during lab work?
–3) What do you do if Mr. Beam comes in during science class?
We discussed the group jobs (team manager, data manager, information manager, materials manager) students will have during lab work and what their responsibilities will be. There is a poster outlining this on the lab bulletin board, and students will receive a smaller copy to keep in their binders later in the week/at the beginning of next week.
Defined the words: data (information gathered from an experiment), procedure (directions/instructions)
We discussed the drawings made yesterday, shared examples, and talked about what qualifies as science or being scientific. Examples: fossils, animals, chemicals, dissection, volcanoes, flowers, the planets.
Defined: observe/observation (information gathered from studying something with the 5 senses)
Homework: Observe a living thing. Bring in your list of observations.
–1) What does the “C” stand for in CHAMPs?
–2) What voice level do we use during lab work?
–3) What do you do if Mr. Beam comes in during science class?
We discussed the group jobs (team manager, data manager, information manager, materials manager) students will have during lab work and what their responsibilities will be. There is a poster outlining this on the lab bulletin board, and students will receive a smaller copy to keep in their binders later in the week/at the beginning of next week.
Defined the words: data (information gathered from an experiment), procedure (directions/instructions)
We discussed the drawings made yesterday, shared examples, and talked about what qualifies as science or being scientific. Examples: fossils, animals, chemicals, dissection, volcanoes, flowers, the planets.
Defined: observe/observation (information gathered from studying something with the 5 senses)
Homework: Observe a living thing. Bring in your list of observations.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Monday, August 13: First Day of School
Bellwork: Filled in an index card with personal information (name, birthdate, address, phone number, guardians'/parents' names, allergies).
Introduced to class rules and lab rules.
Defined the word "lab": a place where science experiments are done AND the act of doing a science experiment.
Learned morning and afternoon procedures:
Mornings:
- Eat breakfast in the row of tables next to the stage and then go to the gym.
- Wait to be dismissed and then picked up from the gym or cafeteria.
Afternoons:
- Wait to be dismissed by teachers.
- Bus riders go out the door in the Cheetah hallway.
- Walkers and car riders go out the front door.
Staying after school:
- Stay in your assigned area.
Drew pictures that represented science. Some of these images will be used in a mini-movie showcasing what the students now know about science.
Homework: Have parents fill in and sign forms in folders. Lockers will not be assigned until the folders are brought back with all forms completed.
Introduced to class rules and lab rules.
Defined the word "lab": a place where science experiments are done AND the act of doing a science experiment.
Learned morning and afternoon procedures:
Mornings:
- Eat breakfast in the row of tables next to the stage and then go to the gym.
- Wait to be dismissed and then picked up from the gym or cafeteria.
Afternoons:
- Wait to be dismissed by teachers.
- Bus riders go out the door in the Cheetah hallway.
- Walkers and car riders go out the front door.
Staying after school:
- Stay in your assigned area.
Drew pictures that represented science. Some of these images will be used in a mini-movie showcasing what the students now know about science.
Homework: Have parents fill in and sign forms in folders. Lockers will not be assigned until the folders are brought back with all forms completed.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Welcome!
Welcome to 6th grade science. In this class we will be using 3 different modules. Using these modules, we will learn about:
1) Populations and Ecosystems (life science)
2) Earth History (earth science)
3) Earth in Space (astronomy)
This blog will allow us to keep track of what we learn every day. If you are absent, you can look here to see what you missed and find a list of work that must be completed. If you are missing work, you can look here to see what needs to be completed. Hopefully this will be a great resource for you over the course of the year.
1) Populations and Ecosystems (life science)
2) Earth History (earth science)
3) Earth in Space (astronomy)
This blog will allow us to keep track of what we learn every day. If you are absent, you can look here to see what you missed and find a list of work that must be completed. If you are missing work, you can look here to see what needs to be completed. Hopefully this will be a great resource for you over the course of the year.
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