Lesson 1 - Monday, Sep 8
1. Retrieve a school-supplied Science Journal (SJ) from your mailbox.
- Students are still expected to bring their own Science Notebook (SN) for regular use inside–and outside–of class this year. It must be an A4-size notebook containing horizontally-lined (writing) paper. It is better NOT to purchase a notebook held together by spiral metal wire (or that contains perforated paper). The best notebooks will have a stapled or stitched binding and contain 60 or more pages. The notebook should also be able to be covered by an inexpensive plastic protective cover.
2. QW#1 – Try answering the Unit 6.1 Driving Question (see below)
3. RA1 (Classifying into groups) – Create groupings for a random collection of living organisms, title them, and articulate your ‘rule(s).’
- Dr. M collected these A3-paper projects at the end of class for grading.
Homework: There is no science homework tonight.
Lesson 2 - Tuesday, Sep 9
1. QW#2 – What I know about mushrooms!
2. DQ2 (Is it a bird?) – See a classification key for the first time (and have the choice of using it to answer the Diagnostic questions).
- Unfortunately, due to an oversight by Dr. M, C period did not have access to to key until after submitting their answers!
3. RA2 (Build a key) – Build a key that works for four animals (penguin, bat, whale, turtle) when provided with yes/no classification questions.
- Although RA2 did not go as planned for both C & D period, E period had more success.
- Dr. M collected all work for safe keeping at the end of the lesson.
- All three classes will return to this activity for slightly different purposes in Lesson 3.
Homework: There is no science homework tonight.
Lesson 3 - Wed, Sep 10 (C, D) & Thu, Sep 11 (E)
Housekeeping: Students are expected to bring their own Science Notebook (SN) for regular use inside–and outside–of class this year.
- It must be an A4-size notebook containing horizontally-lined (writing) paper.
- It is better NOT to purchase a notebook held together by spiral metal wire (or that contains perforated paper).
- The best notebooks will have a stapled or stitched binding and contain 60 or more pages.
- The notebook should also be able to be covered by an inexpensive plastic protective cover.
1. RA2 (Build a key) – Build a key that works for four animals (penguin, bat, whale, turtle) when provided with yes/no classification questions.
- C & D period students needed time to revisit this activity and revise their work.
- E period students did not require much additional time and thus moved on to the RA3.
2. RA3 (Striped Bugs!) – Build a classification key from scratch (i.e., by starting with observations and/or measurements).
Homework: There is no science homework tonight.
Lesson 4 - Friday, Sep 12
Housekeeping: Students are expected to bring their own Science Notebook (SN) for regular use inside–and outside–of class this year.
1. QW#3 – About me
2. RA3 (Striped Bugs!) – Build a classification key from scratch (i.e., by starting with observations and/or measurements).
- All three classes will require a little bit more time on Monday to compete their Striped Bugs classification key.
- E period students, because they were a little bit ahead of the other classes, got to hear a little bit about Dr. M’s scientific background (he studied aquatic insects!) and learn about the life cycle of mosquitoes!
Homework: As per the TASIS MS school homework policy, there is no weekend science homework (due on Monday).
Announcements...
The DRIVING QUESTION of our current unit is: How does putting living things into groups help us learn about them (and why do scientists sometimes have to change those groups)?
#1 - Dr. Merritt would like every science student to have an A4-sized notebook to use in science class this year. The notebook should be well-bound and contain lined (not graphing) paper. If possible, Dr. M would also like students to have a plastic cover for their notebook.
#2 - ...