Roller Coasters from Tuesday, 5/31

Roller Coasters are Rolling Right Along

Sometimes they look better if you tilt your head!!!

Remember the criteria is 2 hills, 1 loop, a controlled stop, and 5 successful trials.

How's Your Grade?

If your grade is a 70% or above then you won't be getting additional assignments. If it's below a 70% then

• I have given you a printout to take home and get signed.
• When it's signed you must return it to me.
• You will be issued a packet.
• You will complete the work and submit it to me on or before Monday, June 6.
• If you don't do the work and turn it in on time you will have to complete it during our celebration.

Just follow the directions above and you will be successful in raising your grade to a 70%. No, I am not accepting any old assignments as late work - been there, done that, posted the grades.

What's that you say? Your parents want you to do the work this weekend since you have 4 days!!!!

Here are the assignments

1. Complete the Student Exploration Guide for Distance – Time Graphs. It will be
spot - checked for accuracy.
2. Earn at least 4/5 points on the Assessment Questions. You must print out your results.
3. Complete the Student Exploration Guide for Roller Coaster Physics. It will be
spot-checked for accuracy.
4. Earn at least 4/5 points on the Assessment Questions. You must print out your results.

FYI: NASA Honors Human Spaceflight Achievements At Kennedy Center Concert

If you will be in Washington DC tomorrow or know someone who will be there...


 WASHINGTON -- NASA is inviting the general public and journalists to a special concert at 7 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, May 25, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington to honor American achievements in human spaceflight. The event, “Human Spaceflight: the Kennedy Legacy” is a musical celebration on the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy’s speech to Congress when he challenged our nation to land a man on the moon and return him safely to Earth.
The one-hour concert will feature the Space Philharmonic under the baton of Emil de Cou. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, astronauts and special, surprise guests will participate in the event along with local high school musical groups and the Soldier’s Chorus of the U.S. Army Field Band.
A limited number of tickets is available for the general public on a first-come, first-served basis. To attend the free event, please contact NASA Guest Operations at 202-358-1750. Tickets for those who RSVP will be available at NASA's Will Call tables, which will be staffed in front of the Concert Hall (in the Grand Foyer) from 5-6:45 p.m. Wednesday.
Reporters, who would like to cover the event, must contact Katherine Trinidad at 202-358-3749 or katherine.trinidad@nasa.gov by 12 p.m. on Tuesday, May 24.
To see video, audio and a transcript of President Kennedy's 1961 speech and learn about NASA's plans for future human space exploration, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/history/features/kennedy_moon_speech.html

KEEP UP WITH YOUR GRADE!!!

Be PROACTIVE - check your grade portal. Make sure you are earning a good grade. School is not over until it is. Parents, check with your child. If they are missing assingments - find out WHY. I am not taking any late or missing assignments at this time. There is no such thing as extra credit either.

If you need to take the recycle quiz - remember, it is tomorrow in the gym before school. Follow the directions previously posted. Bring your own writing implement.

What's up with the new NOTES section in the grade portal????

To clarify for all of the parents .
I added the "Notes" section so that I could add notes to all of the parents and students.
There are no assignment for NOTES. The NOTES are just that- notes.  The notes do not count in the total grade. If you look at the Headings you will see that as always, the Assessments are 60% of the total grade while Technology and Activities are each 20%. That means that there's no value for the grade for the notes section. The 0% is the value of a note. The value of the NOTE is just its value as a note. It doesn't affect a grade.

Study Guide for EOC

As you know, you will be taking the End of Course Exam soon. The test was written based on the benchmarks identified by our curriculum. You have or will be taught lessons in support of all of the benchmarks that may be tested on the EOC. I anticipate that it will be a fairly rigorous test because everything for the year will be tested. In order to help you review at home along with the review that we do in school I have prepared a study guide. The study guide is based on the benchmarks, vocabulary, and topics that you have learned this year. I anticipate that if you can do all of the tasks, know all of the vocabulary, and have worked hard all year you should be prepared to go in and do well on the test. I will provide microprinted copies of the study guide so if you want a full size one, you should print your own at home or at the Jacksonville Public Library. Remember, you are supposed to be able to print up to 5 free pages a day (according to my library). You have access to the HOLT Red book online and you have the Green book at home. We will review during a portion of 2 of your classes next week - you still have to finish your roller coasters.
Copy this link and paste it into the address bar to access the study guide.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lifwuixyEoKG1tJeYqqQPhtSiWRR21KmPlOWZPLc0RY/edit?hl=en


Here's the link to it at scribd if you like that service better.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/55398549

Here’s how to earn a recycle opportunity for your quiz on Speed...

1. Correct all of your errors on the original quiz. Show all of your calculations. EXPLAIN why your answer was NOT correct and why it is correct now.
2. Ask your parents to sign your quiz. This lets me know that they know that you know that they know how you did. NO initials please.
3. The re-test will be in the gym on Wednesday, May 18 –BEFORE you are dismissed to class. I will make the quiz available from 7:25 – 7:40 while I am in the gym on duty. You must bring your own paper to do your work and your own writing implement. You may bring your own calculator to use. I will provide only the quiz questions.

EPCOT TRIP and SCHOOL PICTURES

The EPCOT Trip is scheduled for June 9, 2011. If you are planning to attend then your payment of $75.00 is due on or before May 20, 2011. Please give your cash, money order, or cashier's check to either Mrs. Hayden or me (Mrs. Smith). NO personal checks can be accepted.

School pictures: either payment or pictures is due back to school by 05/13.

Exploring a roller coaster

Work through this site with your group

http://www.jason.org/public/digital_labs/roller_coaster/coaster.html

Roller Coasters amd More

We are now into ROLLER COASTER CONSTRUCTION. Please make sure that your group has a piece of pipe insulation that someone has cut lengthwise into 2 strips. Please do the cutting at home so that no one interferes with your cutting. Ask the folks at home for help with this delicate operation. I do not want anyone cutting the tubes in class. You will also need tape. I recommend masking tape. A base for the roller coaster is also a good idea. A piece of cardboard or an old project board would work so that the footprint of your coaster is limited. Vertical building not horizontal sprawl is encouraged this year. You may bring in support materials for your RC, but nothing with a sharp point like toothpicks. You may keep all of your materials in the science room if you have a box that closes up. No loose materials will be stored in class.

Here's the criteria for a top score on the coaster.
Freestanding, 2 hills and 1 loop or corkscrew, a controlled stop, and 5 or more successful trials have been run.
ROLLER COASTER PROJECTS DUE: B day - Tuesday, May 31 and A day- Wednesday, June 1.

Don't worry, there will be several individual assessments, a few more GIZMOS, and of course your roller coaster booklet BEFORE final grades are due.

Domino Derby has been put on hold temporarily. Do not worry about making it up if you missed it.

Grades will be posted today and tomorrow. I have taken assignments after the due dates and as a result I am not offering do-overs this 9 weeks. If you were absent from your class this week I will take your work on Friday. That's only if you missed class due to an absence. Progress reports come out next week.

An Open Letter From Arne Duncan to America's Teachers

An Open Letter From Arne Duncan to America's Teachers