Daily Assignments for the Week of:  November 2, 2009

Monday – Students finished the roots and stems observations.  The completed sheet can be used on the quiz on Thursday!  Germinating seeds were checked and recorded for day 10.  Students were informed of any missing tasks.  The homework is to finish and review the roots/stems sheet for the quiz.

Tuesday – Election Day: No school for students.

Wednesday -   Students set up the procedure to determine the water content of a storage root and a storage stem.  Germinating seeds were checked and recorded for day 12.  The completed sheet should be added to student folders.  The homework is to review the roots/stems sheet for the quiz.

Thursday – Students used their completed sheets to answer the roots and stems quiz questions.  Data was recorded for the root and stem water content experiment.  In the remaining time, pages 137-141 were used to compile information on leaves.  The homework is to read 137-141 and complete leaves questions 1-7.

Friday – The roots/stems quiz was returned.  Data was recorded again for the root and stem water content experiment.  When the data remains constant for three readings, the discussion and conclusion can be completed.  That should happen on Monday.  Information on leaf structure, venation, grouping, and attachment to the stem was distributed and discussed.  The information was used to label different leaf types.  It can be turned in on Monday without any loss of credit.  Grades to date are available on line.   No homework over the weekend as long as all of the work for the term, which ends on Monday (11/9), has been completed!

Daily Assignments for the Week of:  October 26, 2009 

Monday – The seed quiz was moved to Wednesday to accommodate the social studies test. Quiz information and format were reviewed.  Any remaining bean dissection sheets and corn/bean life cycle sheets were collected.  Students participated in a pretest to determine their degree of alignment with the CMT science standards.  No preparation was required.  They will compare their results with a post test to be taken at the end of the course.  Students with extra time worked on science reading comprehension and cloze exercises.  The homework is to study the seed worksheet and text pages for the quiz and to read pages 131-132 on roots.

Tuesday –Today we reviewed for the seed quiz with a short video and a discussion of the seed worksheet.  Students then worked on any past due activities and started power outlining the information on roots.  The homework is to study the seed worksheet and text pages for the quiz.

Wednesday -   The seed quiz was taken and the power outlines were continued.  Germinating seeds were observed for Day 5.  The power outline will be worth double points in the plants notebook.  Germinating seeds were observed for Day 5.  The homework is to power outline the section on roots: pages 131-132. 

Thursday – The seed quiz was returned.  Roots and stems lab directions were explained and students began gathering data.  The lab will be continued tomorrow.  Students were informed of any missing tasks to date.  The homework is to use pages 131-136 to complete the questions on side one of the roots/stems sheet.

Friday – Germinating seeds were observed and recorded for day 7.  The roots and stems lab was continued and if completed it was collected.  Grades can be viewed on line at any time.   No homework if all of the work for the week has been completed.  The roots/stems lab is due on Wednesday.  The roots/stems quiz is on Thursday (the format will be matching questions). 

Daily Assignments for the Week of:  October 19, 2009

Monday – The lab report involving Euglenas was reviewed.  Together we had written the title, purpose, hypothesis, materials, procedure, and data sections of a formal lab report.  In the discussion section, students should be sure to include organelles and the behaviors of the Euglenas.  Follow the four bullets on the lab report guide when developing the conclusion.  To reinforce the concepts of variables and experimental design, students answered questions about four situations and then prepared an experiment for a fifth situation on their own.   The homework is to complete the discussion and conclusion for the Euglena lab and to bring in all notebook papers to date. 

Tuesday –Notebooks were collected which included the Euglena lab (last night’s homework) as the last page.  Situations 1-4 of the experimental design activity were discussed.  Seed plants were introduced as we began our study of Chapter 6.  Students with any extra time began gathering information on seed structure, function, and dispersal.  The homework is to finish the experimental design activity.  The seed sheet that was distributed should be completed for Thursday.

Wednesday – The homework was collected.  Bean seeds were dissected, observed, colored, and labeled.  The dissections can be finished tomorrow.  The homework is to finish the seed worksheet and to bring in two examples of seeds.  (The seed quiz will be next Tuesday, 10/27.) 

Thursday – Bean seed dissections were completed and collected.  Corn/bean life cycle sheets were distributed as the two seeds were attached to a poster and labeled.  Students were informed of any missing tasks.  Their average to date can be viewed on line at any time.  The homework is to read the corn/bean life cycle sheet and color all of the diagrams true to life.  The seed quiz is on Tuesday. 

Friday- Seed worksheets were returned and discussed.  Quiz information and format were reviewed.  Any remaining bean dissection sheets and corn/bean life cycle sheets were collected.  Conditions for seed germination were discussed and then lab partners set up a Petri dish with two corn seeds and two bean seeds that will be observed over the next two weeks.  The germination process will be documented in a series of labeled diagrams.  Grades to date can be viewed on line at any time.   No homework if all of the work for the week has been completed.  The seed quiz is on Tuesday.