Lesson 1 - Monday, Dec 8
Housekeeping: All students were reminded that Chapters 1 & 2 of the Power Cell Packet should have already been turned in to the Google Science Classroom before the start of today’s lessons (even those students who missed classes due to the choir performances last week). Students then followed slightly different lessons depending on where they ended their previous lesson…
C & E periods were asked to explain–both in sentences and in a diagram–a story about a single peanut’s journey from the moment it goes into a human mouth all the way to a single cell in the tip of the finger. Students were not allowed to use any resources to create their human body story, only their previous knowledge. This is an initial model that will be amended and corrected–with exercises, investigations, activities, and the Power Cell Packet–during the next two weeks.
Some D period students needed additional time to complete their initial human body models (based on the peanut scenario). When finished, these same students were asked to begin reading and answering questions in Chapter 3 of the Power Cell Packet.
Homework: Students who’ve yet to 1) complete and submit Chapter 1 of the Power Cell Packet, 2) complete and submit Chapter 2 of the Power Cell Packet, and/or 3) complete their initial human body model (based on the peanut scenario) should spend some time attending to these tasks.
Lesson 2 - Tuesday, Dec 9
Housekeeping: Students in all three classes were asked to make a new entry in their science notebooks for a new activity called NWI – Nutrition Labels. C and D periods spent most of the entire lesson doing Noticings, Wonderings, and It Reminds Me Of… for a rather large collection of nutrition labels describing (mostly) common foods and some drinks. E period did similarly but for far less total time as we had an extended discussion about the disease known as “cancer,” as well as some of the different treatments available to/for cancer patients.
Homework: Students who’ve yet to 1) complete and submit Chapter 1 of the Power Cell Packet, 2) complete and submit Chapter 2 of the Power Cell Packet, and/or 3) complete their initial human body model (based on the peanut scenario) should spend some time attending to these tasks.
Lesson 3 - Wed, Dec 10 (C, D) & Thurs, Dec 11 (E)
Housekeeping: Students were given most of today’s lesson to work on, complete, and submit Chapter 3 of the Power Cell Packet.
Homework: Students who’ve yet to complete and submit Chapter 3 of the Power Cell Packet should spend some time attending to this task.
Lesson 4 - Friday, Dec 12
Housekeeping: All classes began today’s lesson with a return to the Science Journal, something we haven’t done for over a month! Today’s journal posed two questions to students about “food.”
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 do the microscopic structures and functions of a cell explain what it means for something to be alive?
C & D period homework collection days: Wednesday & Friday.
E period homework collection days: Tuesday & Thursday.
Including this week, there are 4 weeks of school to complete before the end of the Fall Semester.