New Unit

On Monday  we did not have school because it was a teacher workday.

On Tuesday we reviewed our test we took on Friday. I did very well and only missed one question. I definitely would not have missed it if i had read it carefully. This is definitely something I can improve on. Since we were starting a new quarter, we cleaned out our binders. After cleaning them out I then realized that I am going to have a lot of information to study for my midterm. We have also started a new unit on plate tectonics. This unit will have lots of vocab from the unit about the earth's core because that is what forms the earth's plates. After that we started a new science starter. Then we continued to work on our Eco-science lab. This was our last day of data collection and all of our plants had died. This was probably because there was a large decrease in temperature over the weekend. After eight days of growing we threw the plants in the garbage which in my opinion was not very eco-friendly.

On Wednesday we spent most of the class time working on our Eco-bottle lab. We worked on our conclusion and discussion questions. When writing any conclusion it is important to use your hypothesis and tell whether it was correct or  incorrect. From this week I need to improve on constructing a conclusion so I am glad this lab will give me lots of practice.

On Thursday we officially started to discuss unit 4. First we started out the unit by taking new note cards. One word that really stuck with me was magma. I had heard this word before but never really understood what it meant. In case you heard this word mentioned and did not know what it means, it is a lava like substance but instead of it being on top of the earth it lies below the volcano. We also went over some basic information about the earth's crust to get us ready for plate tectonics. One thing we had slightly covered in past units was the ocean crust and the continental crust. The continental is denser under mountains because of the pressure applied from the mountains. After starting notes we worked on finishing our Eco-bottle lab. Today we traded labs with other groups and evaluated other group's work. For the most part, our lab did not have many corrections just some technical errors that we can easily fix.

On Friday we finished the week with a cool activity. Okay it was not as cool as an explosion but it was better than a pop quiz or worksheet. We started the class by adding more note cards to our collection. The new vocab really helped me understand how the earth is made up and how the plates move. After vocab we reviewed our notes and learned how some early scientists reasoned how the continents move apart from each other each year. This theory is called continental drift. After notes we did an activity that we will finish on Monday. this activity was very hands on and allowed us to do some real thinking.

Overall this week has been great and went by a lot faster than I had anticipated.

Dead Plants and a Test

     On Monday we took more data from our plants and our group was on day four of collecting data but the plants had been growing for much longer. Since we were not there to water the plants over the weekend the plants began to wilt. Also since they have been moved to the green house they did not grow as much. While each group was taking data we also reviewed notes. One thing I learned was some ways that carbon is returned to the atmosphere. One way is the burning of fossil fuels. Since humans are burning a lot more fossils, increased levels of carbon dioxide are occurring. One thing I can do to study for my test is review the discovery education question and notes.

     On Tuesday we reviewed in class by taking a survey of questions to see what we knew. This helped me a lot because it helped me know which note cards I need to review. Two words I often mix up are Convection and Conduction. I know from reviewing that convection is heat moving through a liquid. After that we started a new lab to help demonstrate the carbon cycle.  As a group we would have a total of eight tests and each group was assigned to do one question. The question our group had to answer was, "do plants do cellular respiration in the light?" My hypothesis is no, because plants need sunlight to perform photosynthesis so since they have sunlight they will have a way to make food. Our group set up our trials and then will wait until tomorrow to get our results. After that we learned how to set up a graph in spreadsheets to better and more neatly display our data. It was definitely a challenge but easy when we got the hang of it. After that we took the data for day 5 of our plants. Our plants still seem to be wilted but so did everyone else.

      On Wednesday we finished collecting data for our carbon cycle lab. In the is lab we found that when plants undergo cellular respiration they produce carbon and take in oxygen but when they undergo photosynthesis they produce oxygen but take in carbon. We know this because the indicator turned green when there was carbon but turned blue when there was oxygen. The plants in the light turned blue but the plants in the dark turned green. From this lab I learned  that plants are a main contributor to the carbon cycle. After that we finished setting up our graphs with our data for our plant data. We then took data for our plants for day 5. Our plants do not look as healthy as they did and the pesticide is making the water very cloudy in the bottom of our bottles. On Friday we will take our test and it will also be the last day of data we take.

On Thursday we took data from our plants on day 6. Most of our plants were dead except for one of our control plants. Although we have not completed all our data my prediction for our plants is that that they will just continue to die and wilt. I think this was their predetermined fate from the beginning.Along with taking plant data we also prepared for our test on Friday. We did this by reviewing our study guide in class. This really helped me a lot because the students who did their study guide had an opportunity to ask questions in class and go over notes. Overall one thing I can improve is studying. Using the discovery education questions is a great way but I definitely need to study the questions about the earth's axis.

On Friday we had our test. This test was a lot easier in my opinion than the quiz. I felt much more prepared for the test and was able to retain the information better when studying during the course of a week. I think quizzes are a lot harder than tests because there is less possible points so if you mess up then it affects your grade much more. After the test we also took plant data and my prediction was right, our plants are dead. I feel bad for this poor grass, I sure wouldn't want to be sprayed with chemicals and then get malnourished. Overall this week has been a busy one and I am glad it is over.

New Unit

     On Monday in class we started a new unit on how humans have impacted the Earth over time. As humans we tend to consume more natural resources than we actually need to survive. Along with over population of the earth of a whopping 7 billion, our resources tend to deplete rather quickly. This new unit targets that problem and educates us on what our actions can really cause.

     To start the class,we did vocab cards on some of the new words in our vocab. One word that stuck with me was biomass. Biomass is dried matter that is compiled in a habitat or living area. An example of this is dried leaves. So instead of saying "I have to rake the leaves outside", you could say " I have to rake the biomass outside".

     After that we talked about our new lab. In this lab we will go over and learn how the things that we pollute the atmosphere with can affect the growth of our plants. This is the first lab so far this year in which we will actually construct our own labs. This project is very similar to the biosphere lab we did in sixth grade but this lab will take about 2 weeks.

     On Tuesday we finished up the note cards for the quiz we will take next Tuesday. One new word we added to our collection of note cards was hydroelectric energy. Hydroelectric energy is energy made by water sources such as dams. However this is one of the many "natural resources" that is questionable if it hurts or helps the environment. In our notes we began learning about the largest contributions to the gaping hole in the ozone layer. For those who were wondering what the ozone layer is, it is a layer in our atmosphere that protects our plant from some of the sun's harmful rays. I bet you never thought that one animal's fart could contribute to 20 percent of the earth's overall green house gas level. Cow farts contain methane which is natural green house gas but is still harmful to our atmosphere. I bet you will remember that next time you see a cow.

     After notes we got into groups and discussed and brainstormed for our sustainable ecosystems lab. In this lab our group will be testing to see the effects of pesticides on plants. We will have two control groups and two test groups to make sure our results are very accurate.

    On Wednesday I was sick so I could not attend science class. However it seems like they were very productive.

   On Thursday we continued with our lab. Since I was not there the previous day, my lab partner had to update me on what was happening.To finish up the main parts of the lab we created our lab procedure. Since we were testing the effects of pesticide on plants, we made sure to include the step on the amount of pesticide used and when to apply it. After writing the procedure we set up our bottles. To do this we took four water bottles,two for tests and two for control, and cut the tops of of them. Then we poked a hole in the top and put water on the bottom of the bottles. Then in the upper part a mixture of soil and Bermuda grass seeds.  To finish them off we added four sprays of water and let the magic of science kick in. One tip when doing any labs is to label each test or group so that you do not get anything mixed up.

    On Friday we continued with our labs.  Today was the day we created our data tables for the growth of our plants. When making our data table we made sure we included both qualitative and quantitative observations. A quantitative observation is an observation that deals with numbers but a qualitative is an observation that deals with descriptions and appearance. For example in our lab our first quantitative observation was the height of the grass and our first qualitative observation is that nothing has started to sprout in the soil yet.

I can improve on my speed for Picture This. I have a new strategy up my sleeve.