8th grade - Before you return from the hurricane

Today I passed out a copy of the letter I gave parents during OPEN HOUSE. It was about the Science Project Options for 8th grade students. Here's a copy.

Dear Students and Parents,

All students at Julia Landon College Preparatory and Leadership Development School are expected to complete a science project. This year students in the eighth grade may choose from several options for their project. Each option has guidelines for completion. Student projects will be graded according to appropriate criteria for the option chosen. By choosing an option, a student is committing to completing that style of project. Parents must approve the option chosen by their child. It is each student’s responsibility to choose an option, obtain parental permission to complete the option, and complete the project according to established rules and/or policies.

The options possible include:

o   An individual or a 2 member team science project that follows the traditional format. Each student will complete all forms required for the project. All rules for Intel –ISEF, SSEF, and NEFRSEF will be followed. Projects in this option are eligible to seek entry into the school science fair. Participants of the school science fair are eligible to be selected to advance on to the DCPS science fair and/or NEFRSEF. Winners at NEFRSEF may be selected to attend the Florida Science Fair. Rules and information about forms and dates can be found at http://www.nefrsef.org/ . Minimal teacher assistance will be available in class and students who choose this option are eligible to meet with interested and available science teachers for after school coaching by appointment. Students are expected to present their projects in class

o   Toshiba ExploraVision. In this option, students work on a team of 2-4 students. The team is sponsored by a teacher from JLCP. Full information can be found at www.exploravision.org . Students are expected to present their projects in class. Minimal teacher assistance will be available in class and students who choose this option are eligible to meet with interested and available science teachers for after school coaching by appointment. All dates can be found on the webpage.

o   E-cybermission. In this option, student teams choose to complete a mission in one of several categories by first identifying a problem in the community and then using the scientific method to develop a solution. Full information can be found at http://www.ecybermission.com/. Students are expected to present their projects in class. Minimal teacher assistance will be available in class and students who choose this option are eligible to meet with interested and available science teachers for after school coaching by appointment. All dates can be found on the webpage.

An informational meeting for parents about the different options will be held on Tuesday, September 12. It will be held in Room 309 from 3:25 until 4:00.

Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns.

Pamela L. Smith, NBCT and Daniel Geary

Eighth Grade Science Teachers

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Explore the science project options and discuss them with your parents. I may post the agreement letter that you will have to ask your parents to sign. If I do post it, it will be available on FOCUS for you to download. Otherwise I will pass it out at your next class.
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PENDA Reminder: All assignments (9/4 and 9/11) are considered due on Monday, 9/11, at 7:00 AM.
Penda will issue new assignments on Friday that will be due on 9/18. Use your time wisely.
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If you missed class we began this project.

Pure Substances and Mixtures Flipbook
25 point classwork assignment

The purpose of this flipbook is to help you keep track of the definitions, examples, and questions generated by these topics. (In the past, this has been a very difficult topic for 8^th graders.) 

Use your FUSION textbook (pg. 350-362) and the ScienceSaurus books to create your foldable.

Elements (5 points) ü Definition (outside flap) ü 3-5 Common Examples ü Draw an atomic model of an element of your choice. ü Explain how elements can be classified.	Compounds (5 points) ü Definition (outside flap) ü 3-5 Common Examples ü Draw a model of one compound (molecule) of your choice. ü Explain how compounds can be classified.
HETEROgeneous Mixture (5 pts) ü Definition (outside flap) ü 3-5 Common Examples ü Pick one of your examples and sketch it. Make sure you can see why it is heterogeneous! ü If you were to grab a handful of a heterogeneous mixture, how much of each substance would you get with each sample?	HOMOgeneous Mixture (5 pts) ü Definition (outside flap) ü 3-5 Common Examples ü Pick one of your examples and sketch it. Make sure you can see why it is homogeneous! ü If you were to grab a handful of a homogeneous mixture, how much of each substance would you get with each sample?

Answer the following questions in your ISN (Complete Sentences) (5 points)

1.     What is the difference between a compound and a mixture?

2.     Why do all samples of a pure substance have the same chemical properties?

3.     Would muddy water be considered homogeneous or heterogeneous? Justify your response!

4.     Is a chocolate chip cookie a heterogeneous or homogeneous mixture? Justify your response!

5.     How can you tell the difference between HETEROgeneous and HOMOgeneous mixtures? 

7th grade: Before you return from the hurricane

Please try to develop a testable question for your science project. Additionally, if you are planning on doing a team project (2 people) you must have parent approval. I will send out a letter for you to take home, complete, get it signed, and return it to show me your parents not only support you doing a team project; but also support your choice of a team member. I may post this on FOCUS over the hurricane days just like I posted the science project handbook. During your next class we will explore sound and waves. Wear the appropriate shoes.