What We Did Today 1/3/11

8th Grade

Started exploring mass, weight, volume and density.  Students learned the formula for finding density.  They will be having a quiz on these subjects on Wednesday.  The quiz will be fill-in-the-blank.  This is a good study guide:

Mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object.  This differs from weight because weight takes gravity into account.  This means that your weight will change depending on the gravity of where you are but your mass will remain constant.  We measure mass with a balance. 

We can also measure volume.  Volume is a measure of space taken up by matter.  Volume can be measured with a formula (length x width x height) or in a graduated cylinder.  You can also use water to indirectly measure volume.  This is done by adding the object into water and calculating the displacement of the water. 

These calculations can help us find the density of an object.  Density is the mass of a known volume of a substance.  Specifically, the formula for density is mass divided by volume.  The density of water is 1 g/cm3.  An object that is more dense will sink in water.  An object that is less dense will float in water. 

7th Grade

We started exploring force.  Force is a push or pull on an object.  It is measured in Newtons with a Spring scale.  Spring scales show the measurements in pounds or Newtons.  We use Newtons in science since the measurement of weight depends on the gravity and Newtons remain more constant.  Students were given Spring scales and taught how to use them properly.

Students are to have a completed Venn diagram of mass and weight with them by tomorrow.  They had a few minutes to work on it in class but if it is not complete, it is homework.  You can find some great information here, here, and here. 

Benchmarks are GRADED!

And the results are up in Powerschool!  They are really disappointing in most cases - students are not taking these seriously enough!  Also - progress reports are printing this afternoon so you should be receiving them shortly.

Please make an appointment to see your child's teachers if the grades are not where they should be.

Review for 8th Grade Benchmark

I tried to link each fact to more information in case you didn't understand - STUDY HARD!  This test is difficult!

The best method to correlating rock layers is through index fossils. 
If we find fossils from oceanic animals in a desert area, we can assume that the area was once covered with water.
Fossils of tropical animals have been found in Antartica because Antartica used to be closer to the equator (think Pangea).
Mammals increased in number and humans developed in the Cenozoic Era.
Since tectonic plates are always moving around, the shape, location and placement of Earth's continents change over time (see Pangea link).
Earthquakes are caused by the movement of the plates - they displace and break rocks at the fault lines and the Earthquake is the shaking that radiates out fromt he breaking of the rock.
The lithosphere is composed of the Earth's upper mantle and crust.
The liquid layer of the Earth is the outer core - the inner core is pressed so tightly together that it is more like a solid.
The crust of the Earth is broken into plates - these plates are constantly moving.

 

Plate boundaries (more information here)

• Divergent boundaries -- where new crust is generated as the plates pull away from each other.
• Convergent boundaries -- where crust is destroyed as one plate dives under another.
• Transform boundaries -- where crust is neither produced nor destroyed as the plates slide horizontally past each other.
• Plate boundary zones -- broad belts in which boundaries are not well defined and the effects of plate interaction are unclear.

Convection currents are the circular motion in a liquid caused by heating and cooling.

Pangea
Seafloor spreading - great animation here too!
Cooling rates influence the texture if the igneous rock:

• Quick cooling = fine grains
• Slow cooling = coarse grains

Granite formation
Sandstone formation
Gneiss formation
Basalt formation
Conglomerate rock
Earth's spinning core creates Earth's magnetic field.

8th Grade - Earth Layers Foldable

The 8th Grade did a project today on the layers of the Earth.  They followed directions to color, cut and paste the layers appropriately.  The worksheet, directions and follow up questions can be found here. 

Homework:  The foldable and questions must be completed when they come into class on Monday.

8th Grade - Rock Cycle

The 8th graders are studying the rock cycle which will play a large part in their benchmark on December 15th.  They took written notes on the cycle today and completed a diagram - so they now have written and pictorial notes on it.

Here is a summary of the rock cycle.

Further information can be found in the following sites:
Interactive Rock Cycles
Rock Types and Cycles
Rock Cycle Animations
Brain Pop Rock Cycles (must sign up for a free trial to see this)

8th Grade Work Today

The 8th graders had a trip today (some of them) and missed their classwork.  For those who did, you'll find the worksheet here.  It is due tomorrow - no excuses.  When you go on a trip you are still responsible for the work you miss.

BENCHMARK DATES!!!

The first benchmark of the second marking period will be given on December 15th for both 7th and 8th graders.

All students will be given a packet of information, worksheets and lab activities that we will be working on in preparation later this week.  I will start a study guide for the test this week as well.

Stay tuned!!