Water Use Survey Reminder

Hey All,

Hope Thanksgiving was restful and fun. Remember that your water use survey is due on Tuesday, 12/2. I will trade that for an update on any missing work you have - what a deal!

EBMUD Reminder

If you did not finish the questions and writing about the EBMUD system in class, be sure to have it completed for next Tuesday, 11/25. Have a great weekend!

Directions for MythBusting

PIRATE MYTHBUSTERS DIRECTIONS!!!!
For each myth being tested, please set up a new page IN YOUR SCIENCE NOTEBOOK to detail the steps of the scientific method:

* The Question (the myth):

* Hypothesis:

* Experiment Methodology (how did they do it?):

* Explanation of what happened in the Experiment (what happened when they did it?):

* The Data (the information gathered):

* The Conclusion (Was the myth busted or not? Was it a valid experiment? What future research, questions, or experiments stem from this experiment?):

EMAIL SCIENCE GOALS AND SCHEDULE FOR NEXT WEEK

Hi All,

What great discussions about "California's Real Water War" and "Saving the Bay Again" today. If you have not completed these responses, please do so!

BY TOMORROW, NOVEMBER 14TH: EMAIL ME YOUR 3 SCIENCE GOALS FOR THE END OF THE SEMESTER (end of January).

For Tuesday, November 18th, we will be discussing Michael Pollan's "Why Bother?"

I will be gone at the National Science Teachers Association conference in Portland, OR on 11/19-21.

For Wednesday, November 19th, please have completed reading the EBMUD water booklet and be prepared to complete worksheets and writing responses in class.

On Wednesday, November 20th, the class will be viewing Myth Busters episodes, using them to reinforce understanding of the scientific method.

Homework, Tests, and Other Fun Stuff

Hey All,

Great work in the garden this week. The transformation has begun!

Don't forget - test next Wednesday (10/29). Use the test review handout as your guide. We will have a thorough review in class on Tuesday, but PLEASE study over the weekend.

Also, don't forget the "California's Real Water War" and "Saving the Bay Again" readings and answers to the prompts (these were due yesterday).

FINALLY, any missing work needs to be completed by next Thursday (10/30).

Loose Ends

Hi All,

There is a lot going on in class these days: Thank you for building the compost sifter, creating the final garden map for Chaparral House, and for keeping up on your EcoChores. You are keeping up with them, right?

Here are some things that have been due or are coming due soon:

You should have finished reading "Why Bother?" by now - we will discuss it sometime next week.

For 10/15, you should have finished your hypothetical hypotheses.

We are quickly moving into water studies in the next week. We will wrap up Drop in the Bucket on Tuesday.

Have a great weekend!

Composting and Why Bother?

Hey All,

Sorry I have been sick. For Wednesday, 10/8:

After watching Do the Rot Thing, respond to the following three prompts in DETAIL, and email your answers to me:

1. DESCRIBE how a compost pile is a SYSTEM.

2. How do humans fit into the causes and effects in this system?

3. Who is the coolest composter in this video? and why?


ALSO, read "Why Bother?" up to the line on page three for Wednesday.

Garden Map Assessments

Please complete the half-sheet Self- and Peer-assessment sheets on your garden mapping project for class on Wednesday, 10/1.

Final Soil Writing

If Simon's assessment (checklist) indicated that you still need to fix or complete your work, please do that for class on Wednesday, 10/1.

Garden Ecology Observations

Hi All,

We will continue our garden ecology observations on Tuesday in class. I have your sheets. Remember the procedure:
1. Choose a meter-long section in a productive garden plot.
2. In that meter, identify at least 10 different living things.
3. In that meter, identify at least 5 different non-living things.
4. What are at least 5 living or non-living things beyond the garden plot that may affect your research plot?
5. Give some good examples of how you think things that you have identified interact in the garden plot.

Ouch! Where are all of the garden maps?

A reminder that the Garden Maps were due today, and it was your group's responsibility to get yours to me. Props to those who got me their maps: Pascal, Yashoda, Kaila, Emma, Aster, Vivek, and Nina. Where are the rest? Have a good weekend.

Finish Garden Maps

We have spent most of two classes at Chaparral House Garden taking measurements and plotting the main features of the space. Please work with your parter(s) to complete the map on your graph paper by the end of Friday, September 26th. Include your names, measuring device, scale, and major features.

Soil Writing Self-assessment

Hey All,

Don't forget to complete the self-assessment on your soil writing and to make improvements on that writing by tomorrow, September 24th.

Welcome to 7th Grade Science!

Hi All,

It was great getting a chance to meet on Thursday - I am very excited about this year's investigations and learning in science!

Due Wednesday, September 10, please read the National Geographic "Where Food Begins" article, and write a good paragraph in your science notebook in response to the following prompt:

After reading this article, how has your view of the importance of soil changed or been intensified? Please cite three important pieces of information from the article that make you feel this way.

Hope you all are having a good weekend!