Lesson 1 - Monday, Feb 10 (Dr. M absent)
Today in science: Today is a Friday schedule in the middle school due to a special MS weekly schedule.
With a Guest Teacher, D period students took structure/function notes from an excellent 12-minute video created by the Institute of Human Anatomy. In today’s lesson, students made it to the gallbladder and will thus finish their note taking on the remaining structures (and their functions) of the human digestive system in Lesson 2.
In E period, also with a Guest Teacher, students made it all the way through the Institute of Human Anatomy video, and so then had the opportunity to watch a second video, in which well-know TV personality Adam Savage swallows “Pillbot,” a robotic endoscope that can swim in your stomach to map and examine your insides.
Homework: There is no science homework tonight.
Lesson 2 - Tuesday, Feb 11 (Dr. M absent)
Today in science: With a Guest Teacher, D period students finished taking their structure/function notes from the excellent 12-minute video created by the Institute of Human Anatomy. They then had the opportunity to watch a second video, in which well-know TV personality Adam Savage swallows “Pillbot,” a robotic endoscope that can swim in your stomach to map and examine your insides. Students also engaged with a Kahoot! quiz focused on the human digestive system structures and functions before then having explained to them where/how to get started on a new assignment called the “Power Cell Packet” (Google Science Classroom > Classwork > Unit 6.5 – Power Cell Packet).
In E period, also with a Guest Teacher, students engaged with a Kahoot! quiz focused on the human digestive system structures and functions. They were then asked to use their iPads to go into the Google Science Classroom, head into the Classwork section, and visit the Unit 6.5 – Power Cell Packet resource. There, they were asked to locate the PDF document called the “Power Cell Packet.” Students then downloaded/imported that PDF into their Notability App saved it within a Notability folder specifically set aside for Science. With the Guest Teacher, students completed Chapter 1 and were then given time to work on additional chapters.
Homework: D period students have been asked to complete Chapters 1 & 2 of the new Power Cell Packet before the start of their next science lesson (Wednesday). E period students have no homework assignment as they were able to work on and complete Chapters 1 & 2 during class.
Lesson 3 - Wed, Feb 12 (D) & Thu, Feb 13 (E)
Today in science: With Dr. Merritt’s return, students were asked to complete three housekeeping tasks: 1) Use the video notes they recorded in their science notebooks to complete the Scientific Model portion (structures/functions) of the small intestine handout, 2) Re-copy the names of the small intestine structures from the Scientific Model to the Physical Model and then record the physical objects Dr. M plans to use in his small intestine model (e.g., a leg from a pair of tights, plastic pipettes, colored waters, etc.), and 3) Submit/Turn in what they’ve completed so far in their Power Cell Packets (PCPs) to the assignment created for them by Dr. M in the Google Science Classroom.
Students then watched Dr. M take the food we digested in the stomach last week (which he kept in the refrigerator all this time!) and transfer it to his model of the small intestine. We watched how the most liquified (digested) food, which was now quite watery, passed through the walls of the small intestine only to be absorbed by numerous, thin, long paper strips we pretended were blood vessels absorbing the nutrient-rich liquid. We then examine the solid (softened, undigested, partially digested) substances still remaining inside of the small intestine. We even formed this substance into something that looks (and feels) more like human feces and discussed what might happen to it when it passes to the next organ in the digestive system: the large intestine.
Homework: There is no science homework assigned during the 3-day weekend.
Lesson 4 - Friday, Feb 14 (No School)
Today in science: —
Homework: —
Announcements...
The DRIVING QUESTION of our current unit is: What happens to the food we eat?
D period homework collection days: Wednesday & Friday.
E period homework collection days: Tuesday & Thursday.
This week marks the third full week of the new Spring Semester.