Neo Earth

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Tuesday's Class


Hello everyone!


Last class we were supposed to bring back our pansy plants. We no longer need them, so we can throw them away. During class, we printed our charts from our Google Documents in order to make graphs with the data. The graphs that we make for this lab have to be line graphs. We learned about correlations. If a graph is a positive correlation, when x goes up, y goes up. If a graph is negative correlation, when x goes up, y goes down. When there is no correlation, the graph is a scatter plot and the data has nothing to do with one another. If a graph doesn't change, that means that the x goes up, and the y doesn't change. There is a final kind of graph. An impossible one! When the x doesn't change but the y does, the graph is impossible, at least for 8th grade. This is because the time is always on the x axis in 8th grade, and time cannot stop.


After we the graphs, we have to write a conclusion for the Team Plant Lab. This is done as an individual, and has to be written in paragraph form. Our conclusion must inculde:


-What is the optimal amount of light for a pansy plant to grow?


-Was your hypothesis supported or negated? Why or why not?


-What was the trend on the graph for each plant? (#s included) Why do you think that happened?


-What were the errors in this experiment? Why did they happen?


-What would you do differently next time?

(write this as a seperate comment at the end, not as part of the paragraph format.)


-Did everyone in your group put in the same amount of effort? Why or why not?


You can either type or write your conclusion by hand, but it has to be attached in your lab notebook. Your lab is due this thursday, complete with a graph, chart and conclusion. At the end of the class, Ms. D handed out our quiz results. We had no homework other than to write the conclusion and prepare the lab for thursday and read through your notes and the chapter on photosynthesis. Also, don't forget that we have comment on the blogs. We need four comments for the 8th grade blog, and three for the 7th grade.


Here is a link to the Moodle website. You can find the plant lab on it if you need it.



Good luck on your lab everyone!

The next scribe is Reza!




Monday, November 22, 2010

Class of Thursday 18, 2010

Hello everyone,
Here is the link to Moodle, to check homework:
http://zagreb.ceesa.net/course/view.php?id=189

Thursday in our science block we reviewed first of all the Periodic Table of Elements. We learned some symbols for some of the elements on the table because it would have shown up on our Quiz. After that we watched a few videos from Brainpop, (http://www.brainpop.com/) about cellular life, linked here:
  1. http://www.brainpop.com/science/cellularlifeandgenetics/cellstructures/preview.weml
  2. http://www.brainpop.com/science/cellularlifeandgenetics/activetransport/
  3. http://www.brainpop.com/science/matterandchemistry/diffusion/
  4. http://www.brainpop.com/science/cellularlifeandgenetics/photosynthesis/
  5. http://www.brainpop.com/science/cellularlifeandgenetics/plantgrowth/
After watching the videos, we reviewed pages 32- 37 in our book Science Explorer. Throughout the reading we reviewed the definitions of the following words:

  • Diffusion: main method by which small molecules move across the cell membrane.
  • Osmosis: diffusion of water molecules through a selectively permeable membrane.
  • Selectively permeable: some substances are able to pass through the membrane while others are not.
  • Passive transport: the movement of dissolved materials though a cell membrane without using NRG.
  • Active transport: the movement of materials though a cell membrane using cellular NRG.
  • Exocytosis: movement of proteins leaving the cell across cell membrane.
  • Endocytosis: movement of proteins coming into cell across cell membrane.
An example of diffusion.

Also, here is the link to the YouTube video about diffusion and osmosis we had to watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3wG337xmQc&feature=related

One more thing we reviewed for the Quiz is the Mrs Gren method:

Movement
Respiration
Sensitivity
-
Growth
Reproduction
Excretion
Nutrition

This was it for Thursday's class.
The next scribe is Fabi.

Gio

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Class on Tuesday November 16th, 2010

At the beginning of class we had to first show Ms.D the homework that was due on Tuesday and then we went over the homework that is on Moodle.

Due Thursday: The food packet activity for the people in Speech and Debate.

Due Friday: Study for quiz. The will be focusing on animal cells, plant cells, cell theory, how something is alive, chemical compounds in cells and how cells function in the environments. (There will be a review session on Thursday) Another thing that is due Friday is the second blog comment. Also don’t forget to measure and water your plant.

For more information about homework visit Moodle: http://zagreb.ceesa.net/course/view.php?id=189

Later on we took a few notes on:

Melanin: a pigment in humans that reacts to sun light

Chlorophyll: green pigment

Fiber/cellulose: material from plant that humans cannot digest, causes excretion

Celery is a good example of fiber.

We also talked about the Tree Man. He has a special parasite that causes him to grow abnormal things on his skin.

If you want to find out more about the Tree Man here is a CNN link: http://articles.cnn.com/2008-10-02/health/treeman.wart.skin.disorder_1_common-warts-immune-system-growths?_s=PM:HEALTH

We also went over the food labeling activity and explained it to the people that were not there. After that we looked at a few blog posts and comments. Ms.D showed us a few ways how to write a better comment or post.

· -check your grammar, spelling and punctuation

· -add pictures

· -check rubric

· -choose the right font and color

· -give the link to Moodle

· -add captions to pictures

· add both positive and negative blog comments

The next scribe is GiO :)


Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Global Warming & Climate Change PSAs

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010


If you are interested in viewing the PSAs (Public Service Announcements/Commercials) created by the 7th & 8th Graders during the first quarter, please check out YouAISZ on YouTube. This is AISZ's YouTube Channel.

YouAISZ on YouTube 

Feel free to leave comments or let us know if you enjoyed the creations!

Monday, November 15, 2010

Science: November 15th, 2010

This past science class on Friday we started off with a short video about a show called Life on BBC. Then we had the whole class to work on the following, what we didn't finish in class was homework for Tuesday November 16th.

Pages 32-37 ~ Define the following words in your notebook or in your notes on the computer:
  • Selectively Permeable
  • Diffusion
  • Osmosis
  • Passive Transport
  • Active Transport
  • Transport Proteins -Page 40~answer questions 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26

Pages 44-48~ define the following words in your notebook or in your notes on the computer:


~Photosynthesis (including writing out & understanding the equation explaining what is happening chemically)

~Autotroph
~Heterotroph
~Pigment
~Chlorophyll
~Stomata

Also, you had to write any text that was in bold.

The next scribe is Antonia! :)


Sunday, November 14, 2010

Scribe post


Today for Science Ms.D was not here so we were under the supervision of a substitute teacher.

During the class, we were assigned to use our labels and find the Carbohydrate content, protein content and the lipid content. We were to use this information to complete the packet called "the food label activity". We learned that carbs are 4 cal/gram, proteins are 4 cal/gram and fat (or lipids) are 9 cal/gram. We learned to calculate if a product is a low fat food by fat calories/total calories X 100%.

The second thing we did was we took a test on the YouTube video we were supposed to watch for today. on the test we had to describe Osmosis and diffusion using the examples from the eggs used in the video.

The next scribe is Sophie.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Tuesday November 10

Four parts of DNA: A,T,C,G
Four parts of RNA: A, U, C, G


We went over how we know if something is alive
MRSGREN
o e e r e x u
v s n op c t
e ps w r r r
m i i t o e i
e r t h d t t
n a i u i i
t t v c oo
i e t n n
o i
n o
n


Enzymes speed up chemical reactions in your body.
Organic: Living; Carbon based

Inorganic: Not carbon based and not living.

We finished the table we started last class (table below)

Next scribe: VANCE!

Type of CompoundElementsFunctions
Carbohydrate (Organic)
(4 cal/g) (Sugars and Starches) (ends in -ose)
Carbon, Hydrogen, and OxygenProvider of energy!
Lipid (frat) (9 cal/g) (Organic)Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen.Stores/Produces energy
Has more energy, but harder to break down.
Protein (4 cal/g)
(Made from amino acids, might be enzymes. There are 20 amino acids.) (Organic)
Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, and sometimes Sulfur.Makes up organelles, helps digest, forms some cell membrane/wall parts.
Nucleic Acids Carbon,Oxygen, Hydrogen, Nitrogen,horous
Genetic code - trait - heridity - all functions of your life!Hydrogen and Oxygen.Helps chemical reactions in a cell; the reactions happen here. It is 70% or the body. Forms most of the cells and maintains the temperature of the body.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Science Class on Friday November 5th, 2010

During today’s class, we took notes. Before we begun taking notes, Ms. D checked if we did our homework, which was filling out and completing the chart on carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and water, and to finish reading pages 25-30 if we didn’t finish in class. Then, we all took out our notebooks and we began discussing what we read and what we wrote in our charts. We reviewed the periodic table of elements, we reviewed elements, and we took notes on what organic and inorganic meant, and the chart we completed, and we discussed and learned what a compound is. The notes were the following:













Elements = the basic substance of everything - can be made smaller

- 118 on the periodic table of elements

- 117 definite ones

- Block 117 doesn’t exist



If the letters in a block are written in:


Red = gas

Blue = liquid

Black = solid

White with black outline = human made solid


Organic- alive, living; carbon(C) based

Inorganic- not living; not carbon (C) based


Compound = molecules; two or more elements combined chemically; in order to separate I must add NRG.


Enzymes = speed up chemical rxn in body


We also added another compound to the chart which was nucleic acids, but we didn’t get to it during class. The chart had this information (I wasn't able to add a chart. So I wrote it out. Sorry):


Compounds:

Carbohydrates (Sugar and starch)- (4cal/g)

Lipids (Fat)- (9cal/g)

Proteins- (4cal/g)

Water (H2O)


Elements:

Carbohydrates= Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen

Lipids= Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen

Proteins= Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen and sometimes Sulfur

Water= Oxygen, Hydrogen


Functions:

Carbohydrates= Provider of NRG

Lipids= Stores, produces NRG; similar to carbohydrates but contains even more NRG so it is harder to break down

Proteins= Also known as enzymes; make up organelles, help digest, form cell membranes/cell parts

Water= Makes up 2/3 of a humans body; helps cells keep their shape and size; keep cells from changing temp. too quickly; help chemical rxn




That is what we did in class on Friday. At the end of class we got homework to bring 4 nutrition labels (including carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins). We also have to read pgs. 30-37 in our textbooks, and we have to watch the link, on youtube, that Ms. D posted on Moodle!


Also, don't forget to water your pansy plants and water them!!!



If anyone wants to check out an amusing song about elements also known as the element song…. Click on this link below to watch it!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGM-wSKFBpo


The next scribe is Noam!:)