Lesson 1 - Monday, Dec 9
Today in science: To begin our new unit (7.3), Dr. M posed a new Driving Question to students: Why are human beings different from one another? On a single piece of (blank, unlined) A4 paper, students were then invited to add a written answer to this question on one side of the paper, but also a diagrammed (drawing-based) answer on the other side. Dr. M collected students’ answers–whether finished or not–at the end of the lesson.
Homework: There is no science homework tonight.
Lesson 2 - Tue, Dec 10 (B, C) & Wed, Dec 11 (H)
Today in science: Based on students’ Initial Model work during Lesson 1, Dr. M began identifying those ideas which seemed to be common to many students within the class. As is our usual practice, we are calling this new document, which Dr. M created on a large pieced of A3 paper but which students were free to do either on paper (like him) or on their iPads, our Initial Consensus Model. During this lesson, there was much discussion about four topics in particular: parents (but also grandparents), sperm cells, egg cells, and DNA.
Homework: There is no science homework tonight.
Lesson 3 - Wed, Dec 11 (B, C) & Thu, Dec 12 (H)
Today in science: We finalized our Initial Consensus Model during the first half of today’s lesson. During this exercise, we identify at least two topics we feel we need to know/learn more about: cells (including both body cells and sperm/egg cells) and DNA. To these ends, we began listing on our Initial Consensus Model things we think we know about these topics, but we also listed some questions we’d like answer to.
In the second half of the lesson, classes began researching information about some of the topics we identified at important. At the end of he lesson, Dr. M asked students to share (or leave) with him the work they completed during the lesson.
Homework: There is no science homework tonight.
Lesson 4 - Thu, Dec 12 (B) & Fri, Dec 13 (C, H)
Today in science: B period students continued working in small groups on their various research topics/projects.
After reframing our Initial Consensus Model in light of the good work done by both C & H periods in Lesson 3, Dr. M showed students a new section he created in the Google Science Classroom in which students can now add the fruits of their mini-research project labor(s). There are now editable Google Documents created for each of the following key topics: CELLS, ORGANELLES, NUCLEUS, CHROMOSOMES, and DNA. C period made the first contributions to these documents and H period added their contributions during their final lesson of the week.
During today’s lesson, Dr. M was also able to meet with each student individual to give them a copy of their most up-to-date Veracross Progress Report and their graded Unit 6.1 Chemical Reactions test. Although unable to give students their already-graded Unit 6.2 Human Reproduction test on account of the fact there are still three Grade 7 students needing to complete this test, Dr. M showed students how their test grade has already been incorporated into their overall science grade.
Homework: There is no science homework this weekend.
Announcements...
The DRIVING QUESTION of our current unit is: Why are human beings different from one another?
C & H period homework collection days: Wednesday & Friday.
B period homework collection days: Tuesday & Thursday.
Including this week, there are 4 weeks of school before the end of the Fall Semester.