7th Grade Science

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7th Grade Science - Cope

BWCA Ecosystem Project links:

CARDS BWCA project description

CARDS google-docs link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19wBzu9pBkRk_blu_pSz_Yijo406If39ly4nrSR9Tbq0/edit

Project description goodocs link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OuqcrHNRGECkl5dFX6sAvwYobkPAtZT6zODic91GszE/edit

www.enature.com
www.dnr.state.mn.us
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/index.html

Feb 2, Tuesday
7-3: Students checked their work on p 21 in the P&E lab manual. They began pages 34-38 (P&E lab manual).
7-4: Students finished checking p 49, did p 21 in the P&E lab manual and checked it.
HOMEWORK: Materials list and float plan are due on Friday (Class does not meet Friday; you can turn this in on Monday.)
Feb 1, Monday
Students had class time to work in the computer lab on the BWCA Ecoscenario project.
HOMEWORK: Materials list and float plan are due on Friday
January 31, Tuesday
Students continued watching the National Geographic video: Strangers in Paradise. They completed the viewing guide on page 49 in the P&E lab manual. 7-3 finished the discussion plus p 21 P&E lab manual and turned in lab manuals for grading. 7-4 discussed only two of the organisms on the chart for p 49; discussion continues on Thursday.
HOMEWORK: See Monday, Jan 30
January 30, Monday
Students in both classes had class time to work in the computer lab on the BWCA Ecoscenario project.
HOMEWORK: Complete the BWCA food web card for your population by Wednesday; share it to ccope@carondelet-mpls.org BEFORE Wednesday morning.
January 27, Friday
Students in 7-4 had class time to work in the computer lab on the BWCA Ecoscenario project. Students in 7-3 were unable to do so since behavior expectations were not met;we hope to be able to use the computer lab on Monday. Students in 7-3 continued watching the National Geographic video: Strangers in Paradise. They completed the viewing guide on page 49 in the P&E lab manual.
HOMEWORK: Select the population you want to research for the BWCA Escoscenario project. Begin finding the information for the food web card. (due February 1) Please write on a Google-docs document and share to ccope@carondelet-mpls.org

January 23-26, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
Student groups presented their ecoscenarios. Students took notes on pages 46 - 46 of the P&E lab manual.
Students BWCA groups selected their habitats. February 15 was selected at the presentation deadline.
On THURSDAY (1/26) students began watching the National Geographic video: Strangers in Paradise. They completed the viewing guide on page 49 in the P&E lab manual.
HOMEWORK: Select the population you want to research for the BWCA Escoscenario project. Begin finding the information for the food web card. (due February 1) Please write on a Google-docs document and share to ccope@carondelet-mpls.org.
January 19, Thursday
Students worked on food webs, posters and presentations in the classroom.
January 18 and 20, Wednesday and Friday
Students used Fossweb Populations and Ecosystem module to research their ecoscenarios. Each group designated a student to research the introduction, abiotic conditions, biotic conditions and human issues related to their assigned ecoscenario.
January 17, Tuesday
Students began planning for the Ecosystem group project

Select your group’s Ecoscenario.
Decide which group members have responsibility for each job described under Research and Preparation on page 42. Look over pages 42-47 lab manual and read the page about your group's ecoscenario (p 31 - 41 P & E text).
Use the cards to create a food pyramid, food chain and food web.

HOMEWORK: Finish the trophic level notes and be ready for a quiz on Wednesday.

December 22, Thursday
There was no science class due to the middle school dance. A note about Camp Widjiwagon was sent home through the homeroom.
December 21, Wednesday
Students completed a note-taking packet and used Mono Lake ecosystem cards to construct a food web as the class discussed Trophic Levels (pages 17 -21 in P & E text).
December 20, Tuesday
Students did parts 1 and 2 of the Brine Shrimp lab on page 13 of the DOL lab manual.
HOMEWORK: Finish reading pages 17 - 21 in P&E text.
December 19, Monday
Students in 7-3 looked at the hatching brine shrimp under the microscope. They took turns reading the beginning of the article Trophic Levels on pages 17-21 in Populations and Ecosystems text. Students in 7-4 were involved in Christmas program rehearsal; they read page 17 as they returned.
HOMEWORK: none

December 16, Friday
Students in 7-3 continued and those in 7-4 began the labs Field of View & Magnification and Focal Plane on pages 11- 12 of the DOL lab manual. Students in 7-3 set up a brine shrimp culture and viewed brine shrimp eggs under the grow lab.
Homework:
Read pages 25-29 P&E text and answered questions on page 19 in the P&E lab manual by Tuesday
December 15, Thursday
Students in 7-3 began the labs Field of View & Magnification and Focal Plane on pages 11- 12 of the DOL lab manual.
December 14, Wednesday
Students attended Christmas Carol at the Guthrie theater. There was no science class.
December 13, Tuesday
Students saw the video "Of Fire and Ice" about Mono Lake. They read pages 25-29 P&E text and answered questions on page 19 in the P&E lab manual.
HOMEWORK: Finish the reading and page 19 by next Tuesday.
December 12, Monday
Students did the microscope lab on page 9.
HOMEWORK: none
December 9, Friday
The microscope lab on page 9 of DOL lab manual was introduced. Students will do the lab on Monday. Presentation reviews continued.
HOMEWORK: none

December 7-8, Wednesday, Thursday:

Students discussed and corrected pages 27 and 29 in P&E lab manual. Students who failed to include evidence in questions 1 and 4 on p 29 were challenged to review the online simulations and revise their work on that assignment. The students reviewed as a class the titles, results and strengths of the insect project presentations using their notes. They identified the characteristics that contribute to a strong experimental study. HOMEWORK: P&E lab manuals will be collected on Thursday. Use p 3 of the DOL text and read the information on page 7 of the DOL lab manual to complete the microscope diagram.

December 6, Tuesday:
Student insect project presentations were completed. In 7-4, the class discussed/corrected page 29 in the P&E lab manual. An extension project using the remaining Milkweed bugs was briefly proposed.

HOMEWORK: none

December 5, Monday
Students completed cabin, study group and bus cards for the trip to Camp Widjiwagon. They did pages 27 and 29 in the P&E lab manuals (due Tuesday) in the computer lab.

December 1-2, Thursday and Friday:
Students brought in their insect project displays. Each student project was presented in a 5-7 minute presentation using the display or a powerpoint style presentation. Students took notes on each presentation, listing (1) project title and student presenters, (2) summary of the purpose and results (3) key strength of the project and (4) constructive improvement if applicable.

HOMEWORK: NONE Presentations will continue on December 6

November 29, Tuesday:
Students in 7-4 continued presentations of the milkweed bug data analysis. Students in 7-3 completed the milkweed bug study data analysis and began presentations.

HOMEWORK: Displays are due on Thursday; Presentations continue next week. Insect Project experiments will be done Dec 1-2 and Dec 6.

November 28, Monday:

Science 7-3 did not meet today. Students in 7-4 completed the milkweed bug data analysis and began presentations.
HOMEWORK: Displays are due on Thursday; Presentations continue tomorrow.

November 22, Tuesday

Students took a short quiz about the Milkweed Bug experiment. They prepared a diagram of their insect displays. They completed the Milkweed Bug study data analysis and worked with their partner to prepare a RERUN style report.

HOMEWORK

Displays are due on Dec 1; Presentations are Dec 1-5

November 18 and 21, Friday and Monday

Students worked in the computer lab. They typed the cover sheet and RERUN for their project report. They worked on pages 27 and 29 in the P&E lab manual. They signed up for a display time and they received information about displays and presentations.

HOMEWORK: Final insect project report is due Tuesday.

November 17, Thursday
Students wrote the RERUN in their notebooks during class, summarizing their insect project report in ten sentences. They discussed the final report checklist that they will use to organize the final report in class on Monday. This report is already complete except for the title page, RERUN and corrections that students will add before next Tuesday. Students continued to graph milkweed bug data and to write the Milkweed Bug observation study data analysis in their notebooks.

November 16, Wednesday

Science classes did not meet; students helped prepare the Thanksgiving Baskets for Waite House families. They ate lunch with their families. Lunch included a program about the January trip to Camp Widjiwagon in Ely.

November 15, Tuesday
Students graphed and wrote an analysis of the Milkweed Bug observational study.

HOMEWORK:

Data table, graphs and data analysis of your insect project experiment is due onThursday, November 17.

November 14, Monday:

Students worked on their insect project data analysis during class time.

HOMEWORK

Data table, graph and data analysis is due Thursday, November 17

November 10 - 11, Thursday- Friday:

Students continued the quiz on investigations and insects (Inv 1-2 P & E plus Inv 9 DOL). They turned in their graphs and data on Friday and briefly discussed Data Analysis (due Thursday, November 17). A more complete discussion continues on Monday.

November 9, Wednesday:

Students began a quiz on investigations and insects (Inv 1-2 P & E plus Inv 9 DOL); the quiz will be taken in three parts. They had time in the computer lab to work on their graphs.

HOMEWORK:

Data and graphs are due on Friday

November 8, Tuesday:

Students shared their tree collections and larvae journals. The U of M Insect Fair was explained and students are encouraged to participate if they are interested. Display ideas are due tomorrow. Students or student groups who are considering the fair need to let me know by tomorrow.

HOMEWORK:

Display idea proposal

November 7, Monday:

Students received their graded notebooks and leaf collections or larva journals. The collections will be shared on Tuesday. They learned to use create a graph to graph the averaged data from their insect experiment.

HOMEWORK:

Typed data and graphs are due on Friday, November 11

November 2-3, Wednesday and Thursday:

Students watched and discussed the National Geographic video: Among the Wild Chimpanzees. They completed questions on p 13 of the Pop & Eco lab manual. Absent for the video? Click on the video name; it's a link.

HOMEWORK:

All late work for 1^stquarter is due on Thursday, Nov 3. All Re-done work for 1^st quarter is due on Monday, Nov 7.

November 1, Tuesday:

Students watched the rest of NOVA The Unknown World and they completed pages 72-73 in the DOL lab manual. They turned in their DOL lab manuals.

Homework:

None

All late work for 1^stquarter is due on Thursday, Nov 3. All Re-done work for 1^st quarter is due on Monday, Nov 7.

Oct 31, Monday
Students watched the NOVA DVD The Unknown World. They recorded answers on the note-taking aid on pages 72-73 of the lab manual.

HOMEWORK: NONE (Happy Halloween!)

October 28, Friday

Student presentations continued for part of the period. Students began watching the National Geographic video: Among the Wild Chimpanzees. They completed questions on p 13 of the Pop & Eco lab manual. The video as well as two 7-4 presentations continue next week.

HOMEWORK:

Leaf collections or Larvae journals (see links on Oct 26-27homework)

Oct 26-27 Wednesday-Thursday
Students took and discussed a quiz on observational vs experimental studies on Wednesday. They prepared group presentations and began sharing them with the class on both days. Presentations continue tomorrow.
HOMEWORK: A choice of Leaf collection or Monarch, Milkweed bug or Painted Lady larvae journal is due on October 31.

Oct 25 Tuesday

Students compared observational vs experimental studies using a note-taking aid. The directions for a group presentation of their essays and drawings were modeled using milkweed bugs. Essay part II and P&E lab manuals were collected. Students will prepare and present their group presentations on Wednesday.
HOMEWORK: none

Oct 24 Monday
Students read pages 6-7 in the Pop & Eco text and defined population, community, ecosystem, biotic and abiotic. They used the words in a card sort game. They observed their milkweed bug cultures.
HOMEWORK:
Insect Essay Parts I and II plus bibliography is due October 25

Oct 19 Wednesday
Students began writing the research paragraph and the conclusion to their insect essay.
HOMEWORK:
Insect Essay Parts I and II plus bibliography is due October 25

Oct 17-18, Monday-Tuesday
The homework assignment was discussed and modeled using the projected image of the web site. Students used laptops in the classroom to begin the assignment. They learned to find other experiments using a Google search and PAST ABSTRACTS FROM MONARCHS IN THE CLASSROOM.
HOMEWORK:
Note cards on other experiments or scientific principles related to the independent variable the student is testing is due on Wednesday. These notes will be used to write Part II of the Insect Essay (due October 25).

Oct 14, Friday
Students turned in their life-cycle drawings. They viewed several scenes from the DVD Microcosmos.
HOMEWORK: NONE

Oct 13, Thursday
Students turned in their final copy of the Investigation Plan. They learned the characteristics of the seven main orders of insects from a powerpoint presentation, identifying examples using printed cards.
HOMEWORK:
Life Cycle Drawing for your project insect is due tomorrow.

Oct 12, Wednesday
Students turned in their experiment Data table. They used the materials brought from home to work on the life cycle drawing during class time. Life cycle drawings are due on Friday.
HOMEWORK:
Investigation Plan--final copy is due tomorrow.

Oct 11, Tuesday
Students turned in the Insect anatomy Drawing. Q & A for project products that are due this week continued: Investigation Plan, a demonstration of how to construct a data table using Micro-soft Word, and a discussion of the Life cycle drawing assignment (due Friday). Students received a copy of the Beginner's guide to tree identification. In 7-3, the observation assignments were discussed and students who are working with painted lady butterflies gathered thistle in the Peace Garden. In 7-4, students spent time improving their milkweed bug habitats.
HOMEWORK: Data Tables are due tomorrow. See timeline for other assignments due this week.

Oct 10, Monday
Students turned in the Honey Bee Drawing. A discussion of project assignments consumed most of the class period. Students observed and cared for their milkweed bug cultures. Project assignments discussed:

The graded Investigation plans were returned and discussed. Final drafts are due THURSDAY, 10/13
Characteristics of a good data table were discussed. Typed data tables with the first week of data (or typed BLANK tables if the student has not yet collected any data) are due WEDNESDAY, 10/12
Questions about the Anatomy Drawing were discussed; Drawings are due TUESDAY, 10/11

Announcement (October 7):
One thing about insect projects that does not seem fair: Sometimes the insect population you start with dies no matter how well you care for it. If you started with an expensive insect or with monarch butterflies, you may not have the option of simply getting more insects and restarting your experiment. You may need to research a new insect, write a new paper and write a new investigation plan. All of those take time.
Solution: If you needed to write essays on two different insects, you may turn in the first essay (about the population that died) and bibliography, along with a life cycle drawing of the first insect. You may use that assignment as an acceptable alternative to the Larvae/nymph journal or the Leaf collection assignment (due on October 31.

Oct 6-7, Thursday- Friday
Students worked in groups of 3 to draw three views of a preserved honey bee applying the drawing rubric that will be used as the standard for their own project insect anatomy drawing. Tomorrow's field trip and the choice of: leaf collection or Monarch, Milkweed bug or Painted Lady larvae journal was discussed.
HOMEWORK:
Insect Anatomy drawing is due on October 11.

Oct 5, Wednesday

Students watched the opening scene of the DVD: Microcosmos as an exercise in observation of insect anatomy. The timeline was discussed. The leaf collection and the upcoming trip to Eloise Wildflower Garden were mentioned. Please see the insect web site to view MORE information on these topics.

HOMEWORK:

Insect Anatomy drawing is due on October 11. Download the Insect Anatomy Drawing rubric here.

Oct 3-4, Monday and Tuesday
Students turned in the Investigation plans on Monday. They observed the painted lady pupae. They continued, graphed and discussed results of animal mapping. They studied the activity of one cricket in an empty terrarium vs with food, water and shelter. They raced mealworms, collecting the data in a group chart. They observed and cared for their milkweed bug cultures.
HOMEWORK
Read pages 55 - 59 DOL text and do pages 56 -57 DOL lab manual (due Wednesday)

Sept 30, Friday
Students reviewed the requirements for the Investigation plan (due Monday). They observed the painted lady pupae. They applied an animal observation method called animal mapping to study the activity of one cricket in an empty terrarium vs with food, water and shelter.
HOMEWORK
Investigation plan is due on October 3.

Sept 29, Thursday

Students reviewed the requirements for the Investigation plan (due Monday). They checked and observed the milkweed bug culture. They observed the painted lady pupae. They learned an animal observation method called animal mapping through a classroom simulation and they prepared to observe animal activity on Friday.
HOMEWORK
Investigation plan is due on October 3.

Sept 28, Wednesday

Students missed science class today due to the Stanford 10 testing. Please see below for homework.

Sept 27, Tuesday
Students who completed insect essays on time received grade sheets. The finished, graded copy is on file. Students whose essays were completed later will receive grade sheets on Monday, October 3 (or earlier). Students turned in the scientific method tutorial and their problem and hypotheses. They began work on their investigation plan. They hung up their painted lady pupae.
HOMEWORK
Investigation plan is due on October 3.

Sept 26, Monday
Students missed science class today due to the Stanford 10 testing. They were unable to turn in homework assignments and no graded work was returned since they tested in home room groupings. Please see below for homework.

Sept 23, Friday
Students took a re-test on the terms INDEPENDENT VARIABLE, DEPENDENT VARIABLE, EXPERIMENTAL SUBJECT, and CONTROL. They measured the painted lady larvae and milkweed bugs and recorded observations. In the computer lab, they practiced the Scientific Method Tutorial http://www.gccaz.edu/biology/glacier/scientific_method/ that they will do at home before Tuesday. One way to verify that the student has completed the tutorial is to print out the trophy at the end of the activity. If your printer is broken or if you like a paperless option, just e-mail a PDF of this trophy to ccope@carondelet-mpls.org
If the image will not print out, a parent who has witnessed that the student completed the tutorial can e-mail or send a note to verify the success.
HOMEWORK:
Type the INVESTIGATION QUESTION you will use for your insect project. Identify your experiment's Independent Variable and Dependent Variable. Type multiple hypotheses, including the null hypotheses.

Sept 22, Thursday
Students took and discussed a test on the terms INDEPENDENT VARIABLE, DEPENDENT VARIABLE, EXPERIMENTAL SUBJECT, and CONTROL. They measured the painted lady larvae. They began a discussion of two key factors that help make an experiment fair: (1) replications and sample size and (2) experimental controls
HOMEWORK:
Insect Essay part I and Bibliography (due 9/23) must be typed and edited. Bibliography should be done according to the directions. Turn in ALL of your note cards on Friday with the essay. REMEMBER: This is NOT a rough draft.

Sept 20-21, Tuesday and Wednesday
Students began a new table of contents; they tabbed both the new table of contents and the milkweed bug data table. The characteristics of good scientific questions were reviewed. The terms Independent Variable and Dependent Variable were discussed. They observed their painted lady larvae. DOL lab manual pages 61-62 were collected Tuesday, returned and corrected in class on Wednesday.
HOMEWORK:
Insect Essay part I and Bibliography (due 9/23) must be typed and edited. Bibliography should be done according to the directions. Turn in ALL of your note cards on Friday with the essay.

Sept 19, Monday
Student table groups made 12 observations about Hissing Cockroaches. They completed page 61 in the DOL lab manual. They had time to record observations for Milkweed bugs and Painted Lady larvae.
HOMEWORK:
Do page 62 in the DOL lab manual

Sept 16, Friday
Students visited Richardson Nature Center in Bloomington this morning. Programs included Monarch Migration, Bee-keeping and bee life cycle, and collecting insects using sweep nets. They classified the insects into orders. After they returned to school, 7-3 saw 20 minutes of Nature series video: Silence of the Bees (the video they missed when they did not meet on Wednesday).
In class, students worked for six minutes at each of these stations: (1)Painted Lady butterfly observations. (2) Hissing Cockroaches introduction: page 61 DOL lab manual, questions 1-3. (3) Monarch larvae journals. (4) Milkweed bug colonies care and observations. Notebooks were collected.
HOMEWORK: Begin writing your essay. Decide whether you need to change insects. If so, read and write new notecards on the new insect population.

Sept 15, Thursday
Students worked for nine minutes at each of these stations: (1)Painted Lady butterfly. (2) Beetles: Ladybird beetles and Bean beetles. (3) Monarch larvae care and journaling. (4) Milkweed bug colonies care and observations.
HOMEWORK: Notebooks will be collected tomorrow. I will be checking:

Monarch stations 4-6
Homework questions on "2 Insect Investigation"
Experiment Question that you will use for your experiment
Milkweed bug observations since 9/7
Monarch larvae journal
Notes on Beetle lab
Painted Lady observations (from September 16)

Sept 14, Wednesday
Carondelet's opening prayer service at the lower campus meant that classes used the Mass schedule (1 hour for mass first thing in the morning and 35 minutes for each class afterwards). 7-3 did not meet because students returned to campus after 11:35. 7-4 watched the first part of the Nature series video: Silence of the Bees.
HOMEWORK: see Tuesday

Sept 13, Tuesday
Scientific Investigations, written observations and scientific drawings were discussed. Monarch larvae were observed. Students observed milkweed bug colonies.
HOMEWORK: Homework questions on "2 Insect Investigation".

Sept 12, Monday
The note cards were returned. The requirements of the Insect Project Essay Part I and Bibliography were discussed. Monarch larvae were distributed to each group. Students observed milkweed bug colonies.
HOMEWORK: Finish your note cards

Assignment logs from Aug 29 - Sept 9 were removed to save space. All assignments are listed below. The most recently collected grading is listed on top. Scroll down to see the earliest assignments. Consult Mrs. Cope if you need an alternative assignment to help you catch up with the class for assignments you missed the first two weeks. The time to Re-do or turn these in late has passed.

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7^thgrade assignments 1st Quarter 2011-2012

NB means Do in the NOTEBOOK LM means Do in the LAB MANUAL

P&Emeans Populations and Ecosystems DOLmeans Diversity of Life

	Second grading—was collected Sept. 16	grade	possible
	Notebook (9/8-16)
9/8-9/16	Milkweed bug observations (10 points each day of observations)		50	NB
9/8-9/16	Monarch Station lab (4-6): Larva, field guides and life cycle chart		40	NB
9/13-9/15	Homework questions on “2 Insect Investigation”		10	NB
9/15	Beetle lab notes		5	NB
9/15-9/16	Painted Lady observations		10	NB
9/15-9/16	YOUR QUESTION for your insect experiment		5	NB
	NOTEBOOK Total points		120

	Assignments in progress on 9/7 (not yet graded):
9/1-10/15	Pages 6-7 Milkweed bug life cycle drawings (Draw, color, label and date on the day the stage first appears in your milkweed bug culture.)	check mark	70	P&E LM
9/16 –9/19	Pages 61 -62	check mark	20	DOL LM

Re-do means that Mrs. Cope has requested all students who did not do well on these assignments Re-do them for possible full credit.

	First grading—was collected Sept. 7 (7-4) or Sept.8 (7-3)		possible
	Notebook (8/29 -9/7)
8/29-9/5	Read “Sticky Situation” (pollinators article); Take notes.	Re-do	10	NB
8/30	Insect collection assignment		10	NB
9/1-9/7	Milkweed bug observations (10 points each day of observations)		40 (50 in 7-3)	NB
9/2-9/6	Monarch Station lab—Egg, pupa and adults		10	NB
9/6-9/7	Insect project website notes: Read the sections on Insect population selection, Shopping list and Insect care; take notes as directed.		10	NB
	NOTEBOOK Total points	(7-4)	80
		(7-3)	90
	P&E Lab manual (8/30-9/7)
8/30-31	Page 8--Read p 3-5 P&E text; List and define P&E lab manual: terms		7	LM
9/1-9/7	Page 1--Milkweed Bug Observations part 1 and 2 (10 points each)	Re-do	20	LM
	LAB MANUAL Total points		27
	Assignments in progress on 9/7 (not yet graded):
9/7-9/9	Monarch Station lab—Larva, field guides and life cycle chart		20	NB
9/1-10/15	Pages 6-7 Milkweed bug life cycle drawings (Draw, color, label and date on the day the stage first appears in your milkweed bug culture.)		70	LM