What did we do in class?  Find out here!                                           Science 7th

 

Friday 4/20/18

Finish up human body work

 

Today, we are trying to wrap up work before break.

 

First priority is the activity essay. Get that done and meet with Mr. Rohlen.

 

Second is the oxygen model. If not done with that, get that done, including the rubric in the bin.

 

Third is any previous missing products from this class.

 

If you are done with all of that, you can choose. You may work in groups on the presentation for the teachers on how to build in more activity. You may also work on your social studies projects. 

 

Thursday 4/19/18

Write a convincing argument on the importance of being active

 

This is pretty much the same as yesterday. Finish writing, follow the steps from yesterday for proofreading, then finish up! Let's try to get this done today.

 

When done, let's work on presenting this to the teachers. I would divide this into two parts, establishing that there is a problem and providing realistic solutions. Gather info from everyone involved for both of these, then pick the best and reorganize.

 

Wednesday 4/18/18

Write a convincing argument on the importance of being active

 

More writing! Proofreading! It's another exciting day in science!

 

Today, everyone should finish a draft of their short essay. Remember, the main focus of this essay is to convince the reading that teens need more activity and to give ways to make that happen. This is based on evidence. You don't say, "I think..." but base it on facts.

 

Once you have a rough draft, you should:

 

    1) Read it over yourself again. Reading out loud can really help.

 

    2) Have someone else read it carefully and make corrections. Do those corrections.

 

    3) Repeat step 2 again with someone else. If possible, try to have one adult be one of your proofreaders. 

 

     4) Read it yourself again and do final corrections. Email or share with me your essay with your section and "Activity" in the subject line.

 

Follow these four steps to finish the paper. You should be done with all four by the end of class tomorrow.

 

When done, you will do one of two things. If you have not finished your oxygen model, you should work on that. If you have finished the oxygen model and the short essay, you should get together with others to get arguments together to present to the faculty on changing the school day. Think about two parts. First, you need to convince the teachers that there is a large need for more activity for teens. Then you need to present solid ideas on how to do that. Look at everyone's info, then sort through and combine or pick out the best. After that, reorganize the new, better info and ideas.

 

Tuesday 4/17/18

Understand the importance of being active

Write a convincing argument on activity

 

Everyone should have finished the questions by this point. Check in with me about your answers. One piece of advice, elaborate on your answers! Have lots of details, as that will really help with the writing part. The writing will be more difficult if you only have one or two word answers. Elaborate! If you have not finished the questions, know that you are behind and will probably need to work outside of class to get this done.

 

When you have finished your questions and have had them checked with me, you will start your short essay. The goal of this is to convince the reader of the importance of activity, the need for more for teens in America, and then ways we could improve, either for ourselves, for the school, or the whole community. You may not use every answer you have, and you may need more information for some.

 

There are a few ways to organize this. You will need a hook to start with and a "call to action" to conclude with. In between those two things could be one long paragraph or two medium sized ones. You could start with the problem of teens not getting enough activity, backed with evidence. Then go to the importance of activity, backed with evidence. It would probably be good to state what counts as activity. It would be good to talk about why teens are not getting enough activity, then it is key to talk about ways to improve this. You could start general, like what most kids could do, then end strong with specifics for the school or town. We will write today and revise tomorrow.

 

HW - If you do not finish a draft today in class, finish it before class tomorrow.

 

Monday 4/16/18

Understand the importance of being active

Read, research and write!

 

We have mostly finished up with class time on our previous Central Question about oxygen going into the body. We are almost ready to begin our next unit, Ecology. This is the study of nature. First, we are going to do a bit more to learn about human bodies. Our goal is a one or two paragraph short essay on the importance of being active for our health.

 

We will all listen to this radio piece here about teens and their level of activity. Next, you will need to answer the following questions in your journal.

 

1. How much activity do they recommend for teens and pre-teens?

2. What counts as activity?

3. Why is this much activity recommended? What are the benefits?

4. How much activity do you think you get per day? Per week? Does it change with the time of year?

5. How much activity do you think your peers get?

6. What are some of the reasons teens don't get enough?

7. What are ways people could improve the amount of activity they get?

8. What are ways the school could help improve the amount of activity people get?

 

Get on a blank page and label it BEING ACTIVE and date it 4/16. Be sure to at least write the number for each question, if not the whole question, before you write your answer. Some of the questions will just require some thinking, some will require some research. Once you have good answers for all of the questions, check in with Mr. Rohlen. The next step is to turn your answers into a paragraph or 2 telling about the activity of teens.

 

 

 

Central Question

How is oxygen brought from outside the body

to each and every cell in the body?

 

Friday 4/13/18

Finish your explanatory model that answers our central question

 

Today will be the last class period for the explanatory models. To have it counted as done, you need a completed poster and a completed rubric. The poster should be on the back counter in the corner, the rubric in the bin.

 

When done, you have some options. It is open science exploration time! We have a few students that are already done and have begun other science explorations, including two pairs that are dissecting eyeballs. Gross, but awesome! There is only today left for the free science exploration, so plan accordingly, and investigate something cool!

 

Next week, we are on to something else.

 

Thursday 4/12/18

Create a finished explanatory model to our central question

 

We are nearing completion of posters for some folks. Let's go over what to do when done. When you are done, you need to submit your answer (If a poster ---> side counter in the corner, if digital ---> email to me and your partner with section and "oxygen" in the subject) and carefully fill out a paper rubric (orangeish in the folder) and turn in the bin. I will need both of those to count the assignment. If you only turn in one or the other, the assignment will have to count as missing. Be sure to finish this by Monday or it will be late! Each day next week will be spent on something else, so no class time for this.

 

OK, back to work on your answers. Again, be sure to check the tips from last Thursday (see below) and keep that central question in your mind. Check in with me frequently. Do your best work and try to finish today or tomorrow.

 

Wednesday 4/11/18

Create a finished explanatory model to our central question

 

Let's do a quick check in on where everyone is on their models to begin with. Afterward, right to work. Let's try to finish tomorrow!

 

Tuesday 4/10/18

Formulate an answer to our central question

 

At this point, everyone should be working on a formal draft. We will be finishing this up in the next couple of days, so work hard to get this done! Stay focused, ask for feedback, and be willing to make improvements! =)

 

Monday 4/9/18

Formulate an answer to our central question

 

We will start with a check in. How did Friday go? Where is everyone on their drafts? We will make a list of who needs to meet with me and then get going.

 

If you need to check-in/meet with me, make sure you are ready. If you are waiting, stay focused. It would be great to get this done in the next few days. Let's get this done!

 

Friday 4/6/18

Formulate an answer to our central question

 

A big secret to success with these explanatory models is to be open to feedback so that you can make changes and improvements on your drafts. Let's keep that up! Everyone should try and get much closer to an approved rough draft today. Think of the tips from yesterday and keep plugging. While Mr. Rohlen is not here, you can ask for feedback from other students or the guest teacher. Be creative! I can't wait to see the different ways you have chosen to answer this question! We will spend all of today on this.

 

If you do not have a rough draft approved or do not think you are ready to be approved, you should definitely work on this outside of class.

 

Thursday 4/5/18

Formulate an answer to our central question

 

By the end of class on yesterday, I had seen just a few initial drafts of people's answers. We have a ways to go. Really, try to make the best, most clear answer you can to answer our question, "How is oxygen brought from outside the body to each and every cell in the body?"

Remember some of these tips as you work today:

• Be sure to have multiple visuals for the various steps along the way.

• In your visuals, be sure to include things we can see with our own eyes and processes/things we cannot see, the unobservable features.

• In your diagrams, don't worry if it looks like the actual object or organ. Make your diagram represent it in a way that helps us understand, like the heart in the movie last week. The heart does not look like 4 balloons with tiny strong men pushing on it, but that helped us understand it.

• Make sure you have labels for various parts and pieces in your diagrams.

• Even more importantly, make sure you have very clear captions explaining what is going on for each of your diagrams. For many diagrams, you may have multiple captions on one diagram.

• Do not be afraid of multiple drafts. You have the time, and you really want the best answer you can do, so that means listening to feedback and re-doing drafts. =)

 

 

Stay focused and really try to get your plan approved today.

 

 

Wednesday 4/4/18

Formulate an answer to our central question

 

Back to our explanatory models from yesterday. We are trying to plan out super helpful answers to our central question. Today, you should really try to get a good rough draft approved. If not today, you should definitely go for approval tomorrow.

 

If you have time to start a more formal draft, great. However, if you do NOT finish a rough draft in class, you should start planning ti work on it outside of class before you get behind!

 

Tuesday 4/3/18

Surveys on teachers

Update on MMM

Formulate an answer to our central question

 

First, we will do surveys on teachers. We use this information, so be sure to take it seriously and give us meaningful feedback! =)

 

More updating on March Mammal Madness. Final Roar was last night! Only two remain!!

 

And back to formulating ideas for your model. Same three steps as yesterday.

 

To start with, list out each step and part for your answer, from air going in the body to when oxygen is giving to each cell, with everything in-between. Just list, without a lot of detail at this point.

 

Next, figure out a visual for each step or step groups. Some of the steps may be combined into step groups, but many will be their own visual. It can be analogies for the visuals, not actual pics or the actual anatomical pics. However, you will need good visuals for each step or step group.

 

Finally, come up with good written explanations for each of the visuals.

 

When you have those 3 steps done, you are ready to begin your rough draft. Remember some of these tips as you work today:

• Be sure to have multiple visuals for the various steps along the way.

• In your visuals, be sure to include things we can see with our own eyes and processes/things we cannot see, the unobservable features.

• In your diagrams, don't worry if it looks like the actual object or organ. Make your diagram represent it in a way that helps us understand, like the heart in the movie last week. The heart does not look like 4 balloons with tiny strong men pushing on it, but that helped us understand it.

• Make sure you have labels for various parts and pieces in your diagrams.

• Even more importantly, make sure you have very clear captions explaining what is going on for each of your diagrams. For many diagrams, you may have multiple captions on one diagram.

• Do not be afraid of multiple drafts. You have the time, and you really want the best answer you can do, so that means listening to feedback and re-doing drafts. =)

 

Monday 4/2/18

Update on MMM

Formulate an answer to our central question

 

First, we will do a bit of updating on March Mammal Madness. There wasn't anything over the weekend, but there was the Sweet Sixteen last Wednesday, and the Elite Trait on Thursday, so lots has happened since we last discussed!

 

The rest of today will be working on formulating ideas on how to answer our central question with an explanatory model. First, get with your assigned partner and get out your notes. The goal of your explanatory model  is that your answer would help someone not in our class understand how oxygen gets from outside the body to each and every cell in the body. The more you use representations of different parts and processes to help explain your answer, the more helpful your answer would be to someone.

 

To start with, list out each step and part for your answer, from air going in the body to when oxygen is giving to each cell, with everything in-between. Just list, without a lot of detail at this point.

 

Next, figure out a visual for each step or step groups. Some of the steps may be combined into step groups, but many will be their own visual. It can be analogies for the visuals, not actual pics or the actual anatomical pics. However, you will need good visuals for each step or step group.

 

Finally, come up with good written explanations for each of the visuals.

 

A good explanatory model has:

• Helpful diagrams. They include both the observable and the unobservable processes involved, and they help the reader understand the answer better.

• Good written components that succinctly explain what is going on and why.

• Great science! The model includes science processes involved, as well as scientific vocabulary used correctly.

• Care and creativity in the presentation. It is something we want people to look at, so make it engaging!

 

As you work, keep in mind the question and make sure you are staying on target with it.

"How is oxygen brought from outside the body to each and every cell in the body?"

 

Friday 3/29/18

No school today. Enjoy the long weekend!

 

Thursday 3/29/18

School ski today, so we have class, but we are competing today on things like knowing the bones in the body.

 

Wednesday 3/28/18   

Understand how the circulatory system works and how it delivers oxygen

Understand better what happens in alveoli and capillaries

Begin an explanatory model that answers a question

 

We are going to finish Hemo today. As we watch, again think about our central question. We were just going to learn the role of capillaries, which is an important part of our answer.

 

With the second half of class, we need to make sure we understand what happens in the alveoli and in the capillaries enough to be able to represent with diagrams and explain with words. Research both of those to make sure you have a deep enough understanding to explain them clearly.

 

If you have time, you should get to work on answers to the central question, "How is oxygen brought from outside the body to each and every cell in the body?" Come up with some ideas on how to answer that question with clever diagrams, analogies, and more.

 

Tuesday 3/27/18   

March Mammal Madness update

Act out the circulatory system again

Understand more about the circulatory system and blood

Continue movie

 

For the beginning of class, we will get a caught up the bouts from last night for MMM. Get out your brackets and update. You should also add up all of your points for Round 2 for all four brackets.

 

Next, let's act out the circulatory system again. Since the movie also sort of explained each step yesterday, try to visualize the steps blood takes as it goes through the body.

 

After that, let's get back to more about all this in the movie.

 

Monday 3/26/18   

DO NOW

Share answers

Learn more about blood

 

DO NOW: Try to draw and explain the path of blood in your body. What happens to blood in different parts of the circulatory system?

 

We will spend some time discussing this and sharing different people's answers.

 

After, we are going back in time to watch a movie on blood.

 

Friday 3/23/18

Finish initial drafts

Understand the path of blood in the body

March Mammal Madness updates!

 

Today, we will try to finish our initial answer in our journals. Remember, you need to show and explain the different steps along the way.

 

After most people have an initial model, we will act out the circulatory system.

 

 

 

 

Thursday 3/22/18

Go over work expectations and strategies

Share first draft models

Update on MMM, if time (Round 1 of both Urban Jungle and When the Kat's Away)

 

We are going to begin with a review of expectations for both work and behavior. While not everyone needs a review, many of you seem to need this. Class time is not being used very wisely. We will also talk about and even walk through a bit of research together to see other ways to do work. While often people need to focus and work harder, sometimes it is also a matter of working smarter.

 

Next, let's take a look at a couple of the first drafts people worked on. We will look at what they did well and what could be improved.

 

With the last bit of class, let's get updated on March Mammal Madness. We have a lot to catch up on! Round 1 of Urban Jungle was Monday night, and Round 1 of When the Kat's Away was last night. Some good stuff! Tonight is Round 2 for both Urban Jungle and Great Adaptations.

 

While folks are doing this, if you have not finished your initial draft, you should finish that right now. Get that done!

 

Wednesday 3/21/18

Begin making first draft of explanatory model

 

We are going to start with a bit of sharing. I HIGHLY recommend taking notes on facts you do not have. Add them to yours. Once we have shared all of our facts answering our question, let's try to diagram this out in a model. A good model will have a diagram or diagrams that show both the observed and unobserved features of what is going on. It might have arrows showing the direction of energy or particles. It should have written components that explain what is going on in the diagrams. Let's begin to make a model that answers "How is oxygen brought from outside the body to each and every cell in the body?"

 

If there is any other information people need, then finish gathering information about our question.

 

Tuesday 3/20/18

Dig deeper into understanding how oxygen gets to each cell in a body

Finish looking into how lungs work

Research and understand the differences between 3 blood vessels

 

We are researching and gathering facts all class today. Be sure to sit somewhere where you will get lots done.

 

First, if you need more on lungs, keep going there. You are looking for the function of lungs (why do we have them) and how they work.

 

Once you feel you have enough for the lungs to answer the 2 questions, begin researching blood vessels. There are three types, arteries, capillaries, and veins. Find the differences for each, including the function of each.

 

When you finish that, research the path that blood takes in the body. Since it is circular (You know, the CIRCULATORY system? Get it?!?), there is no starting point, but pick anyway and follow the path of blood. You should find that it is sort of a figure 8 with the cross part of the 8 being the heart.

 

If you finish all of that, it's time to start your first explanatory model to answer our question, "How is oxygen brought from outside the body to each and every cell in the body?" In your journal, try to answer this question using diagrams and captions. A good model will have a diagram or diagrams that show both the observed and unobserved features of what is going on. It might have arrows showing the direction of energy or particles. It should have written components that explain what is going on in the diagrams. Instead of just listing random facts, You should try to put it all in order. Start with air outside the body, and then try to go step by step. We will work on this tomorrow.

 

HW - If you did not finish the lungs and blood vessel research, you need to do that outside of class.

 

Monday 3/19/18

Evaluate ourselves for Responsibility for Learning

Check on 3 facts progress

Dig deeper into understanding how oxygen gets to each cell in a body

Look into how lungs work

 

Before we begin today, we need to do our responsibility for learning. You should look at the at rubric and decide where you land. Then have some evidence on why you think that. Be sure to meet with me today on this.

 

 

While you are doing that, I will check in on your work. Everyone should have at least three facts that help answer our central question.

 

Next, pair up with whomever you are sitting next to. Each should share what they have found so far on our central question, "How is oxygen brought from outside the body to each and every cell in the body?" Take notes during this sharing, adding what the other person has that you might not.

 

When you are done sharing, do some more research, this time focusing in on the lungs. Find out more about them, including how they work and what their functions are.

 

Friday 3/16/18

Go over MMM bouts from last night (Round 1 of Antecessors)

Begin to understand how oxygen gets to cells in the body

 

And RohlenScience is back!

 

You all did some good work on the skeletal system and the muscular system. Now we are onto the circulatory and respiratory systems.

 

You have over 100 trillion cells in your body. That is 100,000,000,000,000,000 cells! Each cell need oxygen regularly, so how is oxygen brought from the air outside the body to each cell? Think about how much is involved in this? There are over 7 billion people on Earth. Imagine if FedEx needed to bring a package to each of them and how long that would take. This is quite a bit more. Let's start to research about this and see what we can find out. Try to have at least three facts that are each part of the answer to our central question.

 

Remember, our central question is:

"How is oxygen brought from the air outside the body to each and every cell of the body?"

 

HW - Find 3 facts that help to answer the central question by the beginning of class on Monday, if you did not find 3 in class.