ACC - Orbital and Electron Dot Diagrams
Today we discussed how to make drawings of atoms using the orbital model and also electron dot diagrams.
Mr. DuRoss - 7th Grade Science Blog
Taxonomy - Introduction
We are now beginning our taxonomy unit, it will take us through next week, with a test before vacation. In this unit we will be studying the modern taxonomic system, the characteristics of the Kingdoms of living things and how to make and use dichotomous keys.
ACC - Atomic Number and Mass
We have talked about what the atomic number and atomic mass information on the periodic table means. Students must finish page 133 for homework, due Tuesday. It is some practice with figuring out atomic mass, number, # protons, # neutron and # electrons. There will be a short quiz on what we have dones so far on Wednesday. For the quiz, students should be able to:
- Use the period table entry of an element to:
- identify the symbol
- identify atomic number and mass
- determine the number of electron shells and number of electron in each shell
- calculate the number of protons, neutron and electrons in an atom
- draw electron orbital digram of an atom of the element
- identify the location, mass and charge of protons, neutron and electrons
ACC - Periodic Table
This week we are beginning out chemistry unit, an 8th grade science topic. We began with an introduction to chemistry and the periodic table.
Nutrition
We have concluded our nutrition unit. Notes are posted below and we will be having a quiz on Monday. For the quiz students should be able to:
- List the 6 nutrients
- Define the following chemistry terms
- organic
- inorganic
- compound
- element
- atom
- State the calories required for an average person and know what happens if excess calories are consumed or burned
- Match nutrients, vitamins and minerals to their function in the human body
- Calculate the number of calories in a food according to the grams of protein, fat and carbohydrates
Photosynthesis and Respiration
ACCELERATED
This week we are going to be completing our cells unit. We are discussing photosynthesis and cellular respiration. We will have a quiz on these two processes on Friday of this week.
For the quiz students should be able to:
- Write out the chemical equation for photosynthesis
- Write out the chemical equation for respiration
- Identify the reactants and produces in a chemical reaction
- List the requirements of photosynthesis and respiration
- List the products of photosynthesis and respiration
- Identify the organelles in which photosynthesis and respiration take place
- Identify which types of organisms carry out photosynthesis and respiration
Osmosis and Diffusion Quiz
There will be a quiz on osmosis and diffusion tomorrow. For this quiz students should study their notes and worksheets on diffusion and osmosis. Students should be able to:
- define the following terms
- semi-permeable
- osmosis
- diffusion
- solute
- be able to predict the how cells would be affected by osmosis in a variety of examples
- describe what happened in our molasses experiment and explain why it happened
- identify which solution has a higher concentration of solute if give the amount of solute and solvents
Accelerated - Cell Quiz
Monday there will be a quiz on cells and microscopes. Students should study their notes and for the quiz, they should be able to:
- Write out the three parts of the cell theory
- Write out the organization of life in the correct order from simplest to comples
- Identfy the organelles that perform certain functions
- Mitochondria
- ER
- Ribosome
- Cell Membrane
- Chloroplast
- Chromosomes
- Cell Wall
- Nuclear Membrane
- Cell Wall
- Golgi Bodies
- Cytoplasm
- Vacuole
- Lysosome
- Locate the following organelles in a cell diagram
- Cell Wall
- Cell Membrane
- Chloroplast
- Vacuole
- Cytoplasm
- Mitochondria
- Nucleolus
- Chromosomes
- Identify the function of the parts of a microscope
- Nosepiece
- Diaphragm
- Determine the size of an object as viewed under the microscope and convert from mm to µm
- Calculate the total magnification of a microscope
- Describe how magnification affect the field of view in a microscope
- Describe how the image viewed under a microscope differs from the actual specimen
Cell Processes
We are completing the last section of our cells unit, by studying cell processes. This week we are focusing on osmosis and diffusion. This week we are completing several experiments and demonstrations related to osmosis and diffusion. We will be having a quiz on these concepts on Monday 11/19. A hard copy of the notes is posted below.
Accelerated - Cell Organelles
Today we began the next section of our unit. We will be studying cells and cell organelles. We are completing the Observing Cells lab on Wednesday and Thursday, the lab will be due on Friday. We will be having a quiz on microscopes and cells on Monday 11/19.
Accelerated - First Quarter Benchmark
The first quarter has concluded and it is time for our first benchmark assessment. This assessment will cover all of the material from the first quarter of the year. It will be multiple-choice on scantron, students should bring a pencil. We will be reviewing in class today. For this assessment students should be able to:
- Scientific Method
- define:
- data
- experiment
- hypothesis
- observations
- list the steps of the scientific method, in order
- given an experiment, identify the:
- independent variable
- dependent variable
- variables held constant
- control group
- experimental group
- Living Things
- define:
- reproduction
- homeostasis
- spontaneous generation
- adaptation
- given an example, describe how natural selection would affect a population
- Microscopes
- Describe how to use a compound microscope
- calculate total magnification for a compound microscope
- describe how field of vision is affected by magnification
- identify and describe the function of :
- diaphragm
- nosepiece
- eyepiece
- coarse adjustment
- objective lens
- estimate the size of an object as viewed under a microscope
- Metric System
- define weight and describe how it is affected by gravity
- measure the length of lines using a metric ruler
- read a diagram of a graduated cylinder
- identify the proper units for measuring length, volume, mass, weight and density
- describe the proper tools needed to measure length, volume, mass, weight and density
- describe the difference if finding the volume of regular and irregular shaped objects
- calculate the volume and density of objects if given the required measurements
- identify an object using the density chart
- describe whether an object will float or sink if given the density
First Quarter Benchmark
The first quarter has concluded and it is time for our first benchmark assessment. This assessment will cover all of the material from the first quarter of the year. It will be multiple-choice on scantron, students should bring a pencil. We will be reviewing in class today. For this assessment students should be able to:
- Scientific Method
- define:
- data
- experiment
- hypothesis
- observations
- list the steps of the scientific method, in order
- given an experiment, identify the:
- independent variable
- dependent variable
- variables held constant
- control group
- experimental group
- Living Things
- define:
- reproduction
- homeostasis
- spontaneous generation
- adaptation
- given an example, describe how natural selection would affect a population
- Microscopes
- Describe how to use a compound microscope
- calculate total magnification for a compound microscope
- describe how field of vision is affected by magnification
- identify and describe the function of :
- diaphragm
- nosepiece
- eyepiece
- coarse adjustment
- objective lens
- estimate the size of an object as viewed under a microscope
Cells
We have finished the section of the unit focused on cells and cell organelles. The observing cells lab is due on Wednesday. Notes are posted below. There will be a quiz on cells on Thursday. For the quiz students should be able to:
- Match the organelle to the function for the following organelles
- Mitochondria
- Nuclear membrane
- Cytoplasm
- Vacuole
- Ribosome
- Endoplasmic reticulum
- Cell membrane
- Chromosomes
- Chloroplast
- Cell wall
- Identify the following organelles in a diagram
- cell wall
- cell membrane
- chloroplast
- cytoplasm
- vacuole
- Compare and contrast plant and animal cells
Accelerated - Living Things
This week we are finishing our unit on living things. There will be a quiz on evolution and natural selection on Tuesday. For the quiz students should be able to:
- List and apply the steps of natural selection
- variation
- struggle for survival
- reproduction
- adaptation
- Describe the evidence that scientists have to help them understand evolution
- define the following words and phrases
- survival of the fittest
- adaptation
- asexual reproduction
- evolution
- mimicry
Microscopes
We are now beginning our next unit, Cells. To begin we will be discussing and using microscopes. Students will learn to use dissecting and compound microscopes. Today we completed our microscope notes and began using dissecting microscopes. Student have homework due Wednesday. They must complete the microscope coloring assignment. Tomorrow we will be using the compound microscopes, the microscope lab is due on Friday. We will also be having a quiz on the parts of a compound microscope on Friday. For the quiz, students should study their notes on microscopes.
For the quiz Friday, students should be able to:
- Identify the parts and function of the compound microscope
- convert from micrometers to millimeters and vice-versa
- describe how microscope magnification affects the diameter of the field of view
- know the proper steps to view an object under low, medium and high power
- calculate the total magnification of a microscope
- determine the size of an object as viewed under the microscope
Accelerated - Metric System
We are concluding our metric system unit early this week. All of the notes will be posted here, unfortunately this website is frequently offline, I will work to try to address this. Today in class we will be finishing the density lab, it is due tomorrow. We will be having a test on the unit on Wednesday.
For this test students should be able to:
- describe why and if an object will float in a gas or liquid
- define density and explain why it is an "identifying property"
- calculate density, mass or volume if given 2 out of the 3
- calculate volume in order to determine density
Living Things
This week we will be completing our Living Things unit. We have discussed the characteristics and needs of living things and we have also talked about the idea of spontaneous generation and the scientists that disproved it. Videos of the notes are posted below. There will be a quiz on Tuesday, for this quiz students should be able to:
- Match examples of the 6 characteristics of life to the proper characteristic (ex. a wolf eats a rabbit = obtain and use energy)
- Match examples of the 5 needs of living things to the proper need (ex. a person gets hypothermia = proper temperature)
- Describes the three scientists experiments that disproved spontaneous generation
- Recognizes the definition of the following terms
- homeostasis
- ingestion
- digestion
- excretion
- warm-blooded
- cold-blooded
Accelerated - Metric System and Length
The accelerated class is not splitting off from the regular class. So I will post separately for each class. We are now in our second unit, the metric system. We will be learning how to accurately measure length, volume, mass and density. This week we will be completing two graded labs, measuring length and using a map scale. These two labs are due on Monday.
Beginning of the year
This blog is once again operational and I will now regularly update it with copies of our notes, videos of my in-class presentations, a description of assignments and test topics.
This week we have been working on the scientific method. We have reviewed the steps of the scientific method and talked about proper experimental setup. We are having a quiz today and grades will be posted on the portal by the end of the school day.
Next week we will be conducting some experiments and reading about some examples to help better understand how science works.
There will be a test on the scientific method on Monday. It will cover all of the material in the unit. To help study, a hard copy of the notes is posted below:
Final Exam
The final exams for both regular and accelerated 7th grade science will be Monday, June 10 and Tuesday June 11 in class. Monday's section will be the multiple-choice portion, Tuesday will be the constructed response portion.
The final exams are cumulative and cover all of the material that we have learned this year. Students have received review packets, which contain a list of most important topics for each unit, a vocabulary list, and review questions for each unit.
Regular 7th grade science classes have been assigned the review questions and vocabulary as homework on Tuesday - Friday next week. Accelerated students will have to complete the review independently, because we are finishing our last unit this week.
We will also be having one last binder quiz soon, be sure those binders are organized!
Each day in class we have reviewed one or two units. The videos from these review sessions is posted below:
