FCAT SNACKS

The FCAT is almost upon us and as you may have read in Mrs. Spiwak's blog the team would like to have some snacks, drinks, or hard candy for the students to perhaps help alleviate some of the stress. Please be aware of the possibility that some students have allergies. Several members of the team are ALLERGIC TO PEANUTS!!!!!!!!!!!! so we have to be very careful in what we provide. I also have found that it's good to have more tissues available and some hand sanitizer and even some wet wipe type of cleaning tissues. If you'd like to send in some tissues, sanitizer, or snacks, please let us know.

Thanks to the parents who have already sent in some candy. I don't know if peppermint really helps thinking on tests, but let's use all of our resources to boost our skills.

TYVM

HOMEWORK for 6th period - every night so that we win

Don't forget to get your rice. Go to www.freerice.com and get busy. I really would hate for us to lose. I'll get some also.

If your printer isn't working or you don't want to waste a free page at the library do a screen shot (print screen) and save it to a word file. Just make sure you save it on your thumb drive.

How much rice can we get by MONDAY????????

ECOSYSTEM PROJECT

The project was assigned in class today. It is intended as an in-class project. Bring the materials you will need. There will be 2 computers in class available.

Here are the details for the directions and the rubric.


http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dchzhtwh_2fbd2qsfq

wordle for 4th

More Wordles

Here's a wordle for 3rd period.

The Team Wordle

I wordled all of the lists together.

Here it is. Just click on the wordle to go right to the site.

HOMEWORK for 02/17/09

Read in your HST RED book: Chapter 1, Section 1. This will help you begin reviewing for the End of Course Exam which will be cumulative from the beginning of school in August to the very end in June.

Also, read the DIRECTIONS for the RAFT. Write a scientific question based on the RAFT directions. Put it into your ISN on the output side for today.

Word lists for 4th, 5th, and 6th period

Sad news.... I don't think you can find the wordles we made in class. I'm not able to retrieve them so you might want to make your own.

With permission from your parents go to http://www.wordle.net/ and create your own wordle. Just copy and paste the list for your class.

4th Period
ecology
biotic
abiotic
ecosystem
population
biosphere
organism
nutrients
community
environment
factors
ecology
herbivore
carnivore
omnivore
consumers
symbiosis
commensalism
phytoplankton
decomposers
parasitism
web of life
carrying capacity



5th Period
prey
biotic
herbivore
predator
symbiosis
food web
biosphere
omnivore
food chain
mutualism
phytoplankton
ecology
energy pyramid
carnivore
carrying capacity
parasitism
commensalism
population
community
coevolution
biotic
abiotic
ecosystem
food chain

6th period
biotic
ecology
biosphere
population
abiotic
food chain
community
carnivore
food web
energy pyramid
prey
carrying capacity
symbiosis
predator
photosynthesis
parasitism
host
pollinator
camouflage
mutualism
herbivore
omnivore
decomposers
warning coloration
limiting factors
scavengers
phytoplankton
consumers

1st and 3rd period lists for Worldes

Sad news, there doesn't seem to be a way to retrieve the wordles from class if I didn't save the HTML code and I didn't.
With permission from your parents go to http://www.wordle.net/ and create a wordle picture. When you are happy with the picture you can print it.

This is the list for 1st period

ecology
tomato hornworm
biosphere
glacier
decomposer
ecologist
scavengers
population
phytoplankton
food chain
food web
carnivore
prey
symbiosis
omnivore
energy pyramid
biotic
abiotic
ecosystem
carrying capacity
herbivore
community
survival
commensalism
interrelated
producers
co-evolution
parasitism
mutualism
environment
precipitation
__________________________________

3rd period's list

ecology
biotic
abiotic
carrying capacity
ecosystem
biosphere
community
food web
energy pyramid
food chain
herbivore
omnivore
carnivore
phytoplankton
prey
decomposer
predator
producers
symbiosis
mutualism
commensalism
parasitism
coevolution
population
pollinator
web of lifeenvironment

Thanks to everyone who is really trying to cooperate with a teacher who has no voice

Some of you continue to be extremely cooperative and many of you are joining them since I lost my voice. I appreciate your demonstrations of leadership and feel like I'm seeing more mature leaders than you were just a few weeks ago. I also feel a little like Ariel and am wondering what I got out of the deal with Ursula. Maybe better legs for the River Run?

Thanks for your patience as you read my messages. The less I have to talk out loud, the sooner my voice is supposed to come back. I hate to stay home when we have so much to do ( and some of it might even be fun).

I hope to be able to speak by next week. Until then- keep reading.

GIZMOS

Gizmos is a new program that DCPS has provided for you to become even better at thinking like a scientist. I've assigned at least 2 Gizmo activities for each class right now. If your class hasn't registered yet you can do so from school, home or the public library. It's EZ and here's something your parents might enjoy - it's free to use.

The site is

http://www.explorelearning.com/

To register you just have to READ ALL THE SCREEN (RATS) and Follow Directions (FD). You will have to get the course code during class. I don't want to publish it online because I have a limited number of registrations available for my students - enough for all, but none to share.
Remember, your log in is your school log in and your password is your school password. Guard these and don't share them with your friends.

Here are the directions for using GIZMOS once you are enrolled in my class.
Go to http://www.explorelearning.com/ .
Log in.
Choose one activity to explore.
Download the activity sheets and vocabulary sheet. If you want to enter the data and information digitally on the sheet before you print it make sure that you download it as a word doc not a pdf and that you save it.
Follow the directions on the sheets to carry out the investigation. Complete all questions on the pages.
When you are finished, you will place them in your ISN or Folder.
Everyone must do at least one of the activities. I suggest you start with the ecosystem activity.
Yes, it's graded.

What's this????? Some of you have started already??? Without the directions????? Let me see...Some of these scores are pretty good. R U hvng fun?

Have you met GIZMOS

I have and they are LOTS of fun. They will be available for your exploration after you register for my classes. I will give you your course code and directions tomorrow.

Test on Thursday in the computer lab

The test will be on protists, viruses, fungi, bacteria, archaebacteria, plants and classification.

I will pass out the study guide on Tuesday. You will have time in class to work on it on Tuesday. Bring your ISN that has your work from December and January.

Makeup Lab: INFORMING THE FARMERS

Makeup Lab: INFORMING THE FARMERS

If you missed the lab activity on January 22 or 23 then you will need to complete this alternative assessment.

Use the rubric and directions that are posted on the blog and were handed out in class.

Cut up a potato into strips like “French fries”. Put into cold water.
Prepare a salt solution in a bowl. Measure how much salt you put in and how much water. Use volume to determine the ration of the salt to water. Then make another solution with double the amount of salt, but the same amount of water.

Find a way to measure the flexibility of the potato sticks. Put some the first solution, some in the second solution. Don’t forget your control.

Check the flexibility after treating the sticks. Make observations and record them in your ISN.

Use a sheet of carbon paper (available in class) or a large piece of paper to prepare your V report.

Turn it in ASAP.