Ms. Khzouz

Hello hornets!

These last 2 weeks students were learning about the importance of Carbon and how it is used in cellular respiration.  We did a lab where students had to mix water and yeast and different temperatures of water (20, 30, 40, and 50 degrees Celsius).  Students learned that the warmer the water got the more foam they got.  The foam is carbon dioxide which is a product of cellular respiration.  Students learned that respiration is breaking down sugar molecules into carbon dioxide gas and water.  After students completed the lab they graphed their results on a line graph.  Then we read an article on the rate of respiration.

Next week we will be learning about the importance of photosynthesis and its role with cycling matter and energy through the environment.  This will be done after students are done WIDA testing.

Make sure bellwork is being completed so you can study for the bellwork quiz coming up.

Hello Hornets!

Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday were all snow days!  Hoped everyone stayed warm and safe.

Tuesday we watched a video and answered video questions on the importance of the element Carbon.  Below is the link to the video and the questions to the video.

Friday we read an article, boxed and summarized it as well as did QAR (Question and Answer Relationship) strategies for standardized test prep.  We will do this for the next 5 weeks on Fridays to help bring our scores up on standardized tests.

Video questions with answers:  doc00227620190204124834

Hello Hornets!

Monday-No School MLK Day.

Tuesday- Students had a half day therefore we had science for 20 minutes.  During those 20 minutes we were able to have a sneak peak of the new unit.  We started off with bellwork for the new unit called “Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems Part 1”.  We observed the chemical equations for cellular respiration and photosynthesis and compared the two.  We realized that the two chemical equations were the same but reversed which must mean that it goes in a constant never ending cycle.  After we watched a 4 minute video on cellular respiration and photosynthesis, then had a class discussion on what we learned as well as connecting it to previous learning.

Wednesday-Snow/Ice Day! School canceled.

Thursday-Friday Science NWEA.  Students are testing all hour at a level 0 voice.  Students are recommended to have a good night’s sleep and a healthy breakfast to get the brain working at its best!

Next week will resume normal schedule and students will continue with the new unit in science.  Come prepared with all materials to class!

Stay warm and safe!

Hello hornets!

Last week was a busy week for all of the students.  With it being the last week of the semester students had NWEA testing as well as midterms in most of their classes.

Monday-we spent the day reinforcing what we learned in the exothermic and endothermic lab by reading an article and summarizing each section in our own words.  We also compared and contrasted exothermic and endothermic by taking notes in our venn diagram in our ISN.

Tuesday-Wednesday- Students spent time in class on Tuesday working on their study guide for the science midterm.  Students were given all hour to work productively.  Wednesday students played a review game to help practice and get familiar with the type of questions that would be on the midterm.

Thursday- Students were given all class period to complete the science midterm consisting of 45 multiple choice questions.  They are graded and posted for you to view them!

Friday-Students had a half day so we did a quick bellwork.  Bellwork consisted of reflection questions asking how students thought they did last semester and what type of goals they would like to set for the new semester.  Then we changed classroom jobs as well as seats.

 

Things to remember:

Monday 1/21/19 No school MLK Day!

Tuesday 1/22/19 and Wednesday 1/23/19 Half days.  Students are released at 11:05

Thursday 1/24/19 and Friday 1/25/19 Science NWEA.  Students will be testing all hour in their science classes.  Remember to have a good night sleep and eat a healthy breakfast to fuel the brain.  Be prepared to test and good luck!

Click on the link or copy the link and paste into your web browser.  Study your ISN, bellwork, and study guide for the midterm.  Come prepared with a pencil! NO PHONES AND NO CHEATING.

https://jeopardylabs.com/play/7th-grade-science-midterm-11

Welcome back!

I hope everyone had a relaxing holiday weekend with family.  This first week back from break we spent doing a lab on exothermic and endothermic reactions.

Monday-We reviewed expectations and norms of the classroom as a refresher for students.  Being gone for two full weeks can throw us off at times and we forget the rules.  We set up our notebooks for the lab and went over lab procedures and expectations.

Tuesday-Thursday we completed the exothermic and endothermic lab.  Students learned about the transfer of heat.  Students had to complete their lab sheets for 15a and 15b to be checked on Friday.

Things to remember:

Friday January 18th is a half day.

Monday January 21st no school.

Tuesday-Wednesday January 22-23 is a half day.

Thursday-Friday January 24-25th Science NWEA.  Please make sure students understand the importance of this test!  Students need to take the test seriously and read each question carefully.  This is not a free period to nap or sit there and not take the test.  Once the testing window closes for NWEA students will not be given extra time therefore they need to use their time wisely.  Make sure students get a good night sleep and a healthy breakfast to get the brain going.

Hello Hornets!

This week was all about the Law of Conservation of Matter/Mass.  Students were given a packet on this law with examples that we have looked closely at.  Students learned that matter is neither created nor destroyed during physical and chemical reactions.  We spent this entire week learning about the law and using 3 examples to prove the law.  We have spent this week examining the atoms, elements, mass (grams), reactants, and products of balanced chemical equations to prove that matter has been conserved.  After we have completed the 3 examples in our packet, we are then starting to write the CER (Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning) of this law.  Students were given a claim about the Law of Conservation of Matter/Mass and the 3 examples served as the evidence portion.  We are spending time this week and next writing the first draft of the reasoning.  Once students are done with their drafts we will be editing any mistakes to it.  After the final draft is complete students will be publishing their CER paper.  We will be typing this paper up next week in class.  For students who do not finish will have to finish typing it up to be turned in the first day back to school after break (January 7, 2019).

Friday we took our first bellwork quiz for this new unit (Matter and Its Interactions Part 2).  As a reminder students should be doing bellwork everyday as well as making corrections to their answers and reviewing at home for our quizzes.

One more week until Christmas break!(:

Have a wonderful weekend!

Good afternoon Hornets!

This was a fun filled week of interactive lab investigations as well as the Jim Jones Basketball assembly.

We started off the week on Monday spending the day checking our homework of page 14a and 14b of our interactive science notebooks.  Students had to classify a list of examples as physical or chemical changes.  Students also had to develop a reason why the example was a physical or chemical change.  After we classified matter as either change, we developed a T-chart of evidences to look for in the lab when we are observing either change.

Tuesday-Wednesday we conducted an experiment of 6 different activities.  Each activity students had to read a list of 2-3 short directions of what to do.  Then students would observe the matter change and classify it as either physical or chemical change.  Some of the activities included observing what happens to a candle wick when we burn the candle, or observe what happens to the wax (physical or chemical change).  Another activity included crushing a sugar cube and deciding what type of change it was, burning sugar in a test tube and observing the color and smell change.

Thursday we had the Jim Jones assembly during 2nd and 3rd hour.  Other hours watched a Bill Nye the Science Guy video on Chemical Reactions and had a video worksheet to go with it consisting of 15 questions.

Friday- I conducted two demonstrations as part 2 of the lab we did earlier this week on Tuesday-Wednesday.  First demonstration was making iodine clock.  Students observed me mix different types of chemicals in a beaker and watch the dramatic and unexpected color change.  Students were able to tell that it was a chemical change because there was an unexpected color change within the substance.  The second demonstration was making elephant toothpaste.  Students observed hydrogen peroxide, water, yeast, dish soap, and food coloring mix in a beaker.  The chemicals mixing caused gas bubbles to be released and the substance poured out of the beaker kind of like a volcano.  Students were able to classify the substance as a chemical change and give reasoning based on the evidence we charted out on Monday.

 

Things to consider:

Next week we have the 7th grade field trip on Tuesday.  Make sure all permission slips/money are turned in.  Also please make sure to remind your child that we are proud hornets.  We represent Woodworth Middle School everywhere we go.  It is important that we are respectful to places that welcome us, staff members, and any volunteers.  It is important that students follow directions so we can have more reward opportunities in the future and everyone is safe.

This upcoming Wednesday is late start day.  Students start at 9am instead of 8am!

Friday will be the first bellwork quiz for this second part of the unit Matter and Its Interactions.  Make sure students are doing their daily bellwork, checking their answers, and studying at home as well to prepare for the quiz.

 

Evidence of Physical Change:

• Size change
• Shape change
• Process is reversible (can be undone)
• Phase/state change
• molecules do not change (no broken bonds and no molecules rearranged)
• Matter is the same (no new substances are produced)

 

Evidence of Chemical Change:

• Process is not reversible (cannot be undone)
• Unexpected color change
• Texture change
• Light is given off
• Sound is given off
• An odor is released
• Gas is released
• Smoke is released
• Temperature Change