Week of March 28 - April 1

We just keep having a lot of fun in science and it is continuing.  Beginning on Tuesday, March 29, we will be starting to research for our power point project that will be completed after MAP testing.  Please refer to your packet that was given out on Tuesday to find out any details that you did not catch when we went over it in class.  All dates are listed in the packet and instructions will be thoroughly read through.  You will get a grade for the rough draft/notes portion of the research and your scoring guide will help you get that perfect grade.  You will also be graded on the power point with your partner, which goes along with another scoring guide.  The final grade will be the presentation.  The scoring guide for this is attached to the power point scoring guide.  There is no reason for you to get a bad grade on this.  The scoring guide is very detailed and that is just how it will be graded.  No secrets...you know each detail.

Remember that expectations are very strong now that it is 4th quarter and late work will be taken off according to the handbook.  No exceptions.  Watch your grades because one late project can drastically pull your grade down. Complete work on time and you will have no problem!

Week of Feb. 21-25

Weathering and Erosion Walk is due on Tuesday.  This assignment was given out last Wednesday and it is time to bring it back completed and signed.  Parents, please make sure it is finished and they have it packed away to have in class. I will send out an email on Monday for those students that tell you they did not receive one or they do not know where it is.  This is a fun activity and students really enjoy doing this with an adult.

We are moving quite quickly in class and it is important that students keep up on activities because they can get behind very fast. It is not third quarter and it is important to understand that expectations have increased as the year had progressed.  Effort is a huge part of your grade in science at this point and the effort you put forth will show in your grade.

Here is a link to the USGS to view some of the pictures that were shown in class. USGS landslide pictures

A lab is scheduled for Friday, so come ready to play in the dirt.   

Please look at all of the class assignments if you have any questions about what happened in class when you were absent.

Week of March 14-18

Presentions on the ecosystem went very well.  If your child does not have a grade for that, they did not present that week and will be doing so on Tuesday or Wednesday of this week.

Monday, we turned in the ecosystem books and we handed out new books on Earth's Changing Surface.  We will be studying about weathering and erosion during the first part of our studies.  Students will be doing a weathering and erosion walk that you will be participating in.  This should not take a lot of your time, but is a good conversations starter and will be fun for you to show your child what you know.  Believe me, you are an expert on this subject. I will email this project to you so that you have a copy of this walk.  I know how these papers do not always get home.  They do need your help, or another adult's help on this.  Later in this unit, they will also create a box of erosion and weathering that occurs in our world. 

Last week we began writing a story about the ecosystem using the information we learned form chapter 1 & 2 of the current book.  You were given a scoring guide and we brainstormed how to write the story by using a mind map.  Please remember to use the 9 Key Terms that work well with your story and underline the words.

On Tuesday, we will begin doing the activity in class that you have chosen.  We will begin presenting these on Wednesday and finish on Thursday.