2013-2014 Waas Science - what a year!!!!!

This year has been a great year in science at WAAS! I have experienced so many new and different opportunities to learn and grow. I cannot even explain in words how much fun science has been but now I guess I am going to have to try to put it into words! In thinking about science this year, I thought about how Mrs. Giacomelli has made a difference in my life a s a science student.


The following link states 4 ideal qualities of a good science teacher and she has met all of them. She was able to make me laugh, enjoy what I was learning, be curious about my environment and how it relates to what I was learning and most of all she respected my thoughts and encouraged class participation and was also just very kind and thoughtful to me. I liked that a lot!
http://www.bachelorsofscience.org/4-ideal-qualities-in-a-science-teacher
I learned that being a good teacher means being able to make your student love topics that they would not otherwise like and a happy teacher makes for happy students! I was very happy in science this year and learned lots!!!


This year we did a lot of dissections! The most outstanding for me was the fetal pig dissections, it was just plain gross. I learned from this dissection that a pig's internal system works almost like a human's system. But that was not the only fun thing we did this year. To celebrate Science Olympiad, we played paintball. It was Mrs. G versus Mr. Simon, it was so much fun and I think allot more people will join SO next year for paintball!


We also had our school carnival and I have to say it was loads of fun. My favorite part was shooting my mom with a water gun. We spent the rest of the school year taking our final exams which I did for the first time and did very well. I was very happy. This year I learned so much! I can definitely improve next year on making sure I take good notes, listen well in class and follow directions during labs. All of which makes for a successful year in science which thankfully I had!


We wrapped our science year with our first annual boat regatta. Before this we had our last dance of the year which was a Hawaiian dance. I had lots of fun with my friends and did our 'Broadway Night" production in Explorations also. The boat regatta today was so much fun. Yasmin and I were on "Team Queen" and we dominated the "peasants" by placing first ! We really liked our prizes and I can't wait for next year and can't wait to use my gift card at the movies this summer! Our boat sank on the way back but after an awesome victory.
This was definitely the best year ever in science! Thank you Mrs. G ......you are the best!!!!!! Have a great summer and I cant wait to see you this summer at Chemistry camp!!!! woohooooooo!!!


                                                                             "Team Queen" getting ready to launch

                            And we're off! 

   Mrs. G and Mr. Simon need help! 

                       Paintball fun 

Me and Ellie at Hawaiian dance 

Broadway Night 

First place ..yeah! 

 Carnival fun 

I dissected a pig!!!!!

This week has been an awesome and fun week as usual in science! I was so excited to start the fetal pig dissection. Even though these pigs were never alive, I felt like they were going to come alive on the dissecting tray. The fetal pigs are probably the biggest thing we have dissected this year.












On Monday we did the external drawing of the pig. This helped me learn all the parts of the external body structure of a pig. On Tuesday we drew the bone structure of the pig. This helped me learn all the bones in the bone structure. I learned how each bone is used in the pigs. I also learned that the mandible is a facial bone.












On Wednesday we started skinning the pig. This process almost made me gag. I let my group take one for the team! I so could not be a doctor! On Thursday we explored the digestive system of the pig. We cut through the muscle and examined the organs, aka "guts". I learned that the pigs digestive system is almost like a human.












On Friday we went to play paintball to celebrate Math Counts and Science Olympiad. I had lots of fun shooting at people, it was my first time playing paintball! I can definitely improve by wearing more padding on my legs so next year I wont get so bruised playing paintball because "someone" shot me in the legs and left really bad bruises......that "someone" will remain nameless....or maybe not Mrs. Giacomelli!!! I have plans to get you next year! Be very afraid!!!










I have attached a link to a fetal pig dissection if you are brave enough to watch it!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWYpnLtXQrg

external pig drawing 

 Madison dissecting pig 

fetal pigs getting ready to be dissected 

DC Week

There is so much going an at school. We still have so much work to do, but there are so many fun activities coming up. I am really looking forward to paintball and the boat regatta. This week we had a really short week of science again because the sixth grade went to Washington D.C on Wednesday and came home really late on Friday night. I am exhausted. 

On Monday in science we took our Chapter 12 science test on birds and mammals. Thankfully it was open notes so it wasn't that hard. I am glad it was open notes because it had been a long weekend in Raleigh at Science Olympiad. I learned new vocabulary from Chapter 12 such as the difference between soaring and gliding. Soaring involves using currents of warm air to move upwards and gliding uses falling currents of cool air to move downwards.

On Tuesday we watched Myth busters. I learned that air pressure does affect a human body while deep sea diving. The myth is that if you dove really deep down and your air pressure was cut off that your body would push up to your head and that is the case! I have no plans of going deep sea diving anytime soon!

On Wednesday the 6th graders left for D.C bright and early at 5:00 am! We arrived in D.C around noon and had to do the first part of our tour in pouring down rain! It was a long bus ride! I enjoyed visiting the Supreme Court and the American History Museum. My favorite part of the trip was seeing Dorothy's shoes from the Wizard of Oz and the original Miss Piggy. I learned how the Supreme Court works that the justices are sworn in for life.

I think my dad and I can definitely improve on listening and following directions more carefully; because we were late getting to our bus because we went to the wrong museum to meet the group. I definitely need to make sure that even though my dad was responsible for me that I should also be responsible by listening to the directions as well. This is definitely a good lesson to apply when I return to science class.

We returned to Wilmington at almost midnight on Friday and I was so happy to get in my own bed! Another long, tiring week. I have attached a link of Miss Piggy and her friends at the national museum.

http://americanhistory.si.edu/press/releases/miss-piggy-joins-kermit-frog-smithsonian

WAAS at Spy Museum 

Standing in front of Supreme Court 

 Eyeball of sheep dissected by 8th graders

Busy week before Spring Break!

This week was a very busy week at school. There were so many activities going on in each class that we only had only full day of science class. The week started out with me being sick. A field trip was planned to the Hindu temple in Cary, but I was not able to attend. I understand from my friends that learning about the Indian culture and eating Indian food was fun. I was still sick on Tuesday and did not go to school. However, during the day when I felt better I worked on my science vocabulary. I learned that birds are specially designed to fly, their bones are almost hollow and they have two sets of feathers.

On Wednesday, I felt a bit better and went to school. There was no science class because we had a visitor from New Hanover County who taught us about Human Growth and Development. The boys were separated from the girls for this talk. I learned  how my body is going to change when puberty occurs. I learned that my hormone levels will increase which will cause me to sweat more. It's a good idea that I already have good deodorant. Puberty sounds so complicated I am not looking forward to it!

On Thursday there was only a half day of classes and then we left for the fun run and family picnic at the park. I was still not feeling better, so I did not attend the fun run, but it was very obvious that everyone had fun just from looking at the pictures. There was no way I could run with my stomach feeling the way it did.

On Friday, we finally had a full day of school and our first real science class of the week! We pulled apart the owl pellet during our dissection making sure to get every single bone inside. Then we rubbed the fur between our fingers to make sure there were no bones left. We then pulled off any leftover fur from the bones; we put it in a plastic bag to observe after spring break. I learned from this lab how an owl hunts and digests food and what he eats. He digests food by swallowing his prey whole because he does not have teeth and when the food gets to his gizzard the food is separated into digestible and un-digestible parts consisting of bones, fur, feathers and claws.

In thinking about ways to improve, I realize when I am sick and have to make up work, it is important to always make the most of every science class because we have so little time to get so much done. My goal after spring break when I return to school for the weeks before summer comes; is to really focus on giving 100% in every class.

I have attached a link on how owls hunt for their prey.

 http://www.owlpages.com/articles.php?section=owl+physiology&title=Food



owl pellet

 ellie at fun run

owl pellet dissection 

diagram of bones 

skull of animal 

owl pellet dissection 

I am tired now...

I can't remember the last time I was so tired. I am so tired. Thankfully science class is always fun and interesting and I was looking forward to dissecting the frog. On Monday we finished partially dissecting our frog. I learned more visually where the internal and external parts of the frog are located. I really need to continue improving on understanding and interpreting the directions I am given. I really need to ask if I am cutting the right parts during dissection if I am unsure. On Tuesday I went to National History Day downtown at the Cape Fear Museum. I presented on "The Rights and Regulations of the American Food Industry and its Impact on Obesity Trends". I placed second in the individual exhibit competition and moved on to the state finals in Raleigh.

On Wednesday we reviewed notes on reptiles and worked on our frog lab. I learned that reptiles may have come from dinosaurs and birds may have come from flying dinosaurs. We also took yearbook pictures. On Thursday we had our quiz on Chapter 11 on amphibians and reptiles. I did well on my quiz and prepared by printing off the notes. On Friday we worked on our lab by removing the organs from the frog. I learned how the organs function.

I am really tired and I have been feeling like this little girl all week.....I am tired now....(see link attached)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bab3sKi7xtw



internal frog organs

Science Olympiad team 

dissected frog 

dissected frog 

Vertebrates

 

On Monday I was excited because we were finally learning about vertebrates! I've been waiting for this ever since we started dissecting. No offense to all the invertebrates but their body structure is kind of boring. Even though we aren't dissecting a fish, I'm sure Chloe the cat would surely enjoy the fish smell left in the room and visit more often. Learning about vertebrates is a bit harder because they have so many more body parts to learn about. I learned that vertebrates have a backbone and some skeletons can be made of cartilage and some can be made of bone.

On Tuesday we started the frog lab. We opened and examined the mouth of the frog. When I first opened the mouth I thought I had taken off the tongue because it did not look like humans. I learned that the tongue is not attached to the back of its throat like humans but it is attached to its lower jaw which allows it to extend further.

On Wednesday we reviewed the chapter very well and examined the frog. On Thursday we began our frog dissection. I like this lab because it is the closest to the human body we will get. My dissection went pretty well. My group exhibited teamwork and worked pretty well together; this was a great improvement over last week. I can definitely improve on how I assign lab duties and making sure everyone has an equal share of the workload. Our ability to communicate well this week is a great benefit of lab work as there is less chance of us messing up. This was probably my favorite lab because my group worked so well together.

On Friday we had our open book quiz. I thought this was easy because I had my notes but also difficult because I had to keep flipping through to find the answers.

My dad and I worked on Science Olympiad this week. I can definitely improve on working with my dad. I have a hard time listening to him sometimes because he doesn't always listen. We are working on being better listeners.

The link below has a lot of neat information on tree frogs including their sensitivity to their habitat. This week was a long week and I am looking forward to spring break!

http://www.nwf.org/wildlife/wildlife-library/amphibians-reptiles-and-fish/tree-frogs.aspx

frogs  

useful test tool 

go team WAAS! 

skinning the frog 

Spirit Week!!!!

On Monday we observed starfish. Although these spiny creatures are cool on the outside, there is not really much to them on the inside. Today we also had a surprise visitor. We had a cat! His or her surprise visit made me think of "Cat in a Hat". The fishy starfish we were dissecting or maybe it was the squid, attracted this feline friend to science! I liked learning about sea cucumbers because of how they moved. I learned that the starfish eats by ejecting his stomach and secreting enzymes to break down the food. The way the starfish eats made me glad we have mouths and teeth to chew our food. I think I can improve by printing out the notes before class so I can follow along and make notes on the side.

On Tuesday - Well today was 'Wacky Tacky Day". It was cool seeing all the teachers in their wackiest apparel!. The starfish dissection was practically my worst dissection! This bony echinoderm was like cutting through dry cement! Apparently there was some miscommunication from the group of what I should cut and what I shouldn't. That was unfortunate for me because no one wanted to cut the starfish because they didn't want their hands to smell like fish. So there I was like a deer in headlights not knowing what to cut. So they told me to cut it like a donut. Of course I thought the metrephoric plate was the hole and the part with the legs cut off was the donut part. Let's just say my starfish was a little "special". I definitely need to improve on the way I interpret the directions I am given and be sure to ask for clarification when in doubt!

On Wednesday we finished our starfish dissection. This dissection helped me learn how the parts of a starfish work. I enjoyed having a visit from the cat; which is ironic because in Explorations we are doing the play Cats. I think I need to improve on how long I take to do my labs. I think I should try to finish more at home.

On Thursday we reviewed for our test on Friday by playing Pictionary. The practice vocab quiz helped me know what I needed to study. Pictionary was interesting. My table especially...Zane's and James Albert's drawing needed some true interpreting. The different ways we reviewed this week really helped me know what to study better. I need to improve on studying vocab.

On Friday we had our test. I think I did pretty well. I had a fun time at the dance on Friday evening. It was a long hard week but lots of fun!

I watched this starfish dissection on you tube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb1ZDwGwTBs

Friday dance 

 Me and my friends 

Playing pictionary 

starfish

starfish dissection