Earth & Life Under The Microscope

Today we're learning about Spreadsheets in AppleWorks...  We will write a simple function (the computer can do the math for you!), create a data table, and create a graph.

1. Open Appleworks, select Spreadsheet.
2. Set up a formula to find your percent on the ch. 7 quiz and on the notebook check.

= formula for computer to solve  
/ divide   + add   * multiply  - subtract  
( ) solve inside the parentheis first

Pretend that my score was 15 points out of 18 points possible.  To determine my percent, I'm going to divide my score by the points possible.  I set it up as:    =15/18   If I type this as my formula, the computer will divide 15 by 18.  Since I want to know my percent grade, I am going to multiply this quantity by 100....  =(15/18)*100  this will tell me my percent on the quiz.  There are other functions you can use (averaging to find the mean, median, mode, and many more!) to help you, this is the basics.

3. Set up a Data Table  (this means type your data into the computer using columns and rows)
4. Turn the Data Table into a graph (there is a button across the top of the program, or it is also in the drop down menus)
5. In your notebook, answer:  What are two things Spreadsheets can do?  How can I use a Spreadsheet in my life?

Homework tonight:  Survey 10 people (ask them the same question; it could be as simple as "How many hours of TV do you watch each day?"), record your results in a data table (in your Science Notebook).

By the way, other programs which can do the same as AppleWorks (if not better) are Microsoft's Excel, and Google has come out with an online spreadsheet tool.  Google's  would be useful if you are working in a group and would like to share the file.  Click here for more information on Google's spreadsheet tool.  (I must admit, this is new and I have not yet played with it).

More help with Spreadsheets in AppleWorks:  This link will allow you to download a file with sample project.

Copier willing, this is what we will be working on this week.  circulatorysystem2.pdf (641.93 KB)

M 2/12- Circulatory Word Search Puzzle (p. 4)
Extra credit opportunity: Lean the "Pumps Your Blood" Song (each verse is worth 25 bonus points) and perform it infront of the class (from memory).  Hear and practice the song by clicking here.  To see the heart as it works, go to the Science Museum of Minnesota

T 2/13- Write 5 facts about the heart.   (Will not be checked for 3° and 6° until Thursday)

W 2/14- Finish labeling and coloring of p. 8

R 2/15- Copy "Body Story: Heart Attack" into notebook (3°, 5° were not given this paper; students should finish the Comparing Circulatory Systems chart p. 6)

F 2/16- None unless students would like extra credit (if so, practice the "Pumps your Blood" Song, a link is on Monday's homework)

Online heart surgery games:  Choice #1,  Choice #2
                                           easier         more difficult

Complete the table and the glossary by clicking on: http://vilenski.org/science/safari/menu/index.html

If you finish early, go to expedition (self test) and play "The Classification Game Show Who Wants to be a Scientist!"

M 2/5- Science -O- Rama Project Part 1 (or Science Fair Project Question, and parent permission) due Thursday, 2/8.  Ideas are below and are posted outside of H-208.

T 2/6- Science -O- Rama Project Part 1 due Thursday.  To download and print the paper showing part 1, click on this file link: SciORamaPart1.pdf (57.49 KB)

W 2/7-Science -O- Rama Project Part 1 (or Science Fair Project Question, and parent permission) due Thursday, 2/8.  Ideas are below and are posted outside of H-208. If students did not use class time wisely, a textbook was sent home to continue working on chapter 7 workbook pages

Also, we will be having a quiz tomorrow, students will be allowed to use their notebooks while taking the quiz.

R 2/8- I ended up not collecting the Science -O- Rama Part 1's today, so students who have not yet completed this, have one more day, but I plan to collect them tomorrow (Friday)

F 2/9- Have a good weekend.

 

	Project Idea	Difficulty Level		Reference
	Are two eyes better than one?  Does the number of eyes used increase accuracy?	2		http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/pennycupgame.html	¿Son dos ojos mejor de uno?  ¿El número de la exactitud usada los ojos del aumento?
	Are you taller in the morning or at night?	1		Mrs. Donaldson	¿Es usted más alto por la mañana o en la noche?
	Can decalcified bones reabsorb calcium from solution?	4		w	¿Pueden los huesos descalcificados reabsorbar el calcio de la solución?
	Can I change the sleeping and activity habits of an animal?	3		w	¿Puedo cambiar los hábitos el dormir y de la actividad de un animal?
	Can I determine how a bird eats by looking at its beak?	1		w	¿Puedo determinarme cómo un pájaro come mirando su pico?
	Can the Fruit Loop color be identified by the taste?	1		Mrs. F
	Can you find out how much caffeine you consume when drinking tea?	3		w
	Carbon Decay Lab	4	*
	Do all Lucky Charms marshmallows  taste the same?  (effect of color on taste perception)	1		Mrs. F
	Do boys have better peripheral vision than girls?	3		http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/peripheralvision.html
	Do males or females have a better sense of smell?	2		w
	Do people remember audio or visual information better?	2		w
	Do proteins digest faster in acid or alkaline environments?	4		w
	Do smells effect seed germination?	2
	Do smokers have a better sense of smell than non-smokers?	1		Mrs. F
	Does age effect reaction time?	2		http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/reactiontime.html
	Does age effect your sense of smell?	2		Mrs. F
	Does caffeine affect a person's blood pressure?	2		w
	Does foot sweat help a plant grow? (growing seeds in sweaty sock vs. clean sock)	2		Mrs. F
	Does height effect your sensitivity of touch?	2		http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/sensitivitytester.html
	Does lack of sleep affect athletic performance?	2		w
	Does light effect the growth of mold on bread?	1		w
	Does noise effect a person's concentration?	2		w
	Does noise effect the growth of plants?	2		w
	Does temperature affect how long soda stays carbonated?	1
	Does the anti-viral Kleenex really prevent you from getting sick?	3		Mrs. F
	Does the hand you write with effect your directional hearing?	3		http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/clappingwhere.html
	Does your astrological sign effect your sense of smell (or memory)?	2		Mrs. F
	Does your eye color affect your vision?	2		w
	Does your sense of smell effect your sense of taste?	2		http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/tastevsmell.html
	Electromagnetic Spectrum diagram/model	2	research
	Genetic variation in desert lab	4	*
	How do different types of music affect pulse?	2		http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/drinkingstrawpulseme.html
	How does exercise affect blood pressure?	3		w
	How does temperature affect the amount of sugar/salt which will dissolve in water?	1
	How does the ear work?	2	research
	How does the eye work?	2	research
	How does the heart work?	2	research
	How does the size of a pumpkin compare to the number of seeds in it?  (replace pumpkin with any fruit)			w
	How long does it take water to freeze?  Will it freeze more quickly if the water is very cold to begin with?	2		w
	How many calories are in a peanut?	3		http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/projects/peanut.html
	How many teeth does a sand dollar have?	1		w
	How much bacterial growth develops on cooked turkey left out of the refrigerator?	2		w
	Is it safe to reuse the same water bottle over and over?	2		w
	Mini-museum of extinct animals or plants	2	research
	Model of an ecosystem:  Everglades,		research
	Model of the Ear (inner and outer)	2	model
	Model of the Eye	2	model
	Model of the Heart	2	model
	Models showing light as it is reflected, refracted, transmitted AND absorbed.	1	model	http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/periscope.html
	Scale model of the circulatory system	4	model
	something about taste and health of food?  Or tongue helping with digestion	4		http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/tonguemap.html
	What are ecosystems (or biomes)?  Where are some examples of the different ecosystems in California	1	research	Mrs. F
	What are the effects of acid rain on seed germination and plant life?	3		w
	What concentration of bleach is needed to kill mold?	3		w
	What is the pH (acidity) of many common substances?	2		w
	What liquid causes hands to wrinkle the fastest?	2		w
	What made the dinosaurs go extinct?  Research and present theories	2	research
	What plants can my socks grow?  Or What plants have seeds in my neighborhood?	1		http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/sockseeds.html
	What substance prevents (or slows) hands from wrinkling in water?	2
	What temperature do germs grow best at?	2		w	¿Cuánto energía está en un cacahuete?
	What type of leaves produce the best leaf rubbings?	1		w
	What type of wood absorbs the most water?	1		w
	What types of mold grow on bread?	2
	What works best to reduce an acid pH, home heartburn remedies or over-the-counter antacids?			w
	Where does my happy meal come from?	3	research	Mrs. F
	Which bean germinates the fastest?	1		http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/germinator.html
	Which colors heat the fastest?	2
	Which drink has more caffeine?	3		Mrs. F
	Which fabrics cool the fastest?	2
	Which fertilizer do plants like best?	2		w
	Which fruit has the most vitamin C?	2		Mrs. F
	Which hand sanitizer is the most effective?	3		Mrs. F
	Which liquid will cause a nail to rust the most, the fastest?	2		w
	Which plants are easiest to close offspring from?	2		w
	Which public places have the most germs?	3		w
	Which pedometer is most accurate?	2		Mrs. F
	Which soda increases blood pressure?	2		Mrs. F
	Which type of birds live around me?	1		w
	Which type of bread will get the moldiest?	1		Mrs. F
	Which type of bread will mold the quickest?	2		w
	Which vegetable has the most carbohydrates?	2		Mrs. F
	Who is Charles Darwin?  What is natural selection?  What is evolution?	3	research
	Will cut flowers last longer if stems have leaves or not?	2
	Will fruits or vegetables lose their moisture more rapidly?	2		w
	Appropriately labeled diagram showing natural selection in birds.	3	research
	Appropriately labeled diagram showing the types of drugs and the areas of the brain/body they effect	2	research
	Appropriately labeled diagram comparing the amount of sugar in one serving of  beverages appropriate for middle school students.	1	research	use sugar cubes
6th grade	Which water sealer works best at sealing wood?	2
6th grade	How does ice melt faster?  In the air, an oven, water or running water.	2		Good Eats
8th	3-D model of DNA	2	model
w= http://www.terimore.com/science-projects/easy-science-projects.htm

 

It is time once again to start thinking about a Science-O-Rama Project (also known as a "Science Fair Project").  Check back periodically to get due dates and updated information related to the project.  I divide the project process into 6 parts: 

Assigned on	Description	CA Standard		Due Date
Friday, Feb. 2, 2007	Topic/Question & Permission* from Parents/Guardians, and Teacher. (5 points)	6th grade 7	7th grade 7	Thursday, Feb. 8, 2007
	"Design an Experiment" with your Question, Hypothesis, Procedure. If you're doing a model/research project, your Question, hypothesis, research, and bibliography are due. (15 points)	7a	7, 7b
	"Sloppy Copy" builds upon previous works, and includes Results of the experiment and the Conclusion*. (30 points)	7b, 7c, 7d, 7e	7b, 7c, 7e
	"Backboard" turns the information from Part 3 into a visual presentation* (100 points)	7b, 7c, 7d, 7e	7b, 7c, (7d), 7e
	"Oral Presentation" describing Science Fair Projects to the class and why the project was selected. (100 points)	7b, 7c, 7d, 7e	7e
Science -O- Rama	Tour the projects, bring family & friends for extra credit! Join us at Arts on the Green Location to be announced. Time 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.			Arts on the Green

Have fun!

Now that we're in second semester, it's time for the 7th graders to start thinking ahead.  Click here to check out the requirements for participating in 8th grade promotion activities, as explained by Mrs. Thornberry. 

1. Look at the list of Science-O-Rama / Science Fair project ideas. scioramaideas.pdf (168.18 KB)  (This was not working on Friday during class.  I have now fixed it.)

If you have your own idea, talk to Mrs. Fischer about it.  You must get approval by Thursday.  See Week of 1/29 if you are interested in doing a group project.

2. Go to the website, The Secret of the Bones.  Complete the activity by identifying the classification of organism belonging to the skeleton.

3. In your notebook, write the Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, and Family of the Mystery Skeleton.  Also, copy 3 facts about the mystery organism.

4. If there is enough time, Check out Two Dream Science Trips.  Summaries of the trips are worth extra credit.