Discovering Science at the Macro and Micro Level...

Scientists in the Schools came in for an interactive workshop on how the MIND works (PERCEPTION and the BRAIN)

Grade 7 Discoveries - 

The grade 7 students will be holding their Oil Spill Conference this coming Thursday. They have been working very hard on studying the effects of either the Husky Oil Spill in Alberta, and the BP Oil Spill in the States. 

Students have learned about how poster conferences are conducted in the academic community, as well as how a research poster must be constructed in order to be effective and professional.

Thank you to all families who have supported their child in the research process. Stay tuned to find out how our poster conference turns out!

WHAT'S NEXT? 

Students will discover the properties of SOLUTIONS and MIXTURES through lab activities, connecting their observations with more complex applications found in chemistry.

Grade 8 Discoveries - 

The grade 8s have completed their study on the plant and animal cell and moved on to studying OSMOSIS (the movement of water in and out of cells).

The salt water pulled the water out of the potato to reach EQUILIBRIUM in solvent concentration. 

Making QUANTITATIVE and QUALITATIVE OBSERVATIONS through completing a lab report.
High school, here we come!

FLUIDS - 

The grade 8s have moved on to studying FLUIDS. Through this unit, they have learned how to make notes effectively (a necessary skill for high school, college, and university) through an open-book quiz.

Students will be studying VOLUME, BUOYANCY, VISCOSITY, and DENSITY, and how they are all related through a number of labs and demonstrations.

Let the Investigations Begin!

Take a look at what our scientists have been up to in grade 8. Stay tuned to find out how our grade 7s are coming along on preparing for their OIL SPILL CONFERENCE.

The MITOCHONDRIA - the powerhouse of the cell. Without these, our cells wouldn't have energy to carry out their functions!

The ROUGH ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM - Studded with ribosomes to help with putting proteins together - this process is also known as TRANSLATION!

The grade 8s learned how to make their own WET MOUNT SLIDE using the ELODEA plant leaf.

Upon further investigation, students were able to observe the CHLOROPLASTS moving along the CELL WALL. This movement is called CYCLOSIS or CYTOPLASMIC STREAMING.

Life Systems

This week, students "met" their lab partners. After getting to know each other's strengths, they moved on to their first assignment together. Students were to introduce themselves to their first unit of study - Life Systems.

Students were asked to create a brainstorm web, with their main idea in the middle. Their attention to detail was exciting, as well as the great questions that arose throughout their research.

Grade 8 students are looking at CELLS:

While the Grade 7 students are looking at ECOSYSTEMS and FOOD WEBS:

Stay tuned to find out where our investigations take us!

We Meet Again!

For some of us, we've already had two years of science together, where we won the Scientist in the Schools competition both years! What a great feeling to contribute to the scientific community. This year we have more exploration where we will jump right into the scientific world!

HERE'S SOME IMPORTANT INFO!

There are so many things to wonder about in our world, and grade 7/8 Science will allow our students to not only pose questions which are meaningful to them, but to find ways of answering their own curiosities through research, and both lab and field experimentation.

I am coming into this class with a bachelor's degree in Science, an additional teaching qualification in Intermediate Science, and a master's degree focusing on inquiry-based learning. More importantly, I love Science, and look forward to exploring our world along with the students as the year progresses.

5 ways you can contribute to your child's learning in Science:

1. ENCOURAGE your child to bring his/her Science-related questions to school. 

• If you're hearing your child say things like "I wonder how..." or "I wonder why..." or "But I don't get how that works...," encourage him/her to "Google" it, ask the question in class during a Science period, or bring him/her to the LIBRARY! 

2. ASK for the study package

• Students will be provided with a study package before any Science test. Students will typically have in-class time to study from these, but will REQUIRE at-home time. 
• Science is a topic that typically requires a study partner mid-way through the study process. This is because it is difficult for students to truly know how much they know without being tested ahead of time by a friend or parent

3. SIGN all tests and labs after they are marked and handed back

• Don't feel as though you are being "annoying" or "nosy" by asking your child how he/she thinks they could have improved, or what worked or didn't work for him/her during the study period.
• Questions such as "I remember testing you on this topic when we studied. Do you know why you got a 3/5 on that question?" are good ones! These encourage the students to learn from their mistakes, ensuring they continually improve.

4. ENCOURAGE your child to write down any questions which arise during homework completion or after receiving a marked test or assignment, and bring them to me. 

• The only way to benefit from struggle and frustration is through finding a solution! I am more than happy to address questions that come up. By bringing me questions, we all work together to assure your child does not fall behind. 

The worst feeling for a student is feeling like you have no idea what's going on!

5. MAKE it YOUR business to know what we are doing in class.

• I encourage you to check out this site on a regular basis.  Here, you will find information on projects, homework, upcoming tests, and even pictures of what your children are producing and learning about in class.

"Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn."

-Benjamin Franklin