Science with Mrs. Baarck

Week of 1/23

2012-01-25T14:53:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's the last full week of January and I'm still waiting for snow that piles up and lasts! I think we're due a snow day!!

Seventh graders are learning about the protist and fungi kingdoms. We will be working on a small writing project at the end of the week. Eighth grade is wrapping up a challenging chapter 14! They have risen to the challenge though. Last Friday, we had a "snowman challenge" of balancing chemical equations. I'd bet they'd beat most of you parents at balancing those equations. Anyway, test will be on Thursday of this week and will require some study time to be successful!

Week of 1/17

2012-01-18T12:35:00.003-05:00

So...I'm full of new ideas after two days of Apple iLife training! Maybe now I can do as much with iMovie, Garageband, and iPhoto as my students can! :) Seventh grade finished up their bacteria lab. Where in the school did we grow the most interesting looking stuff? Ask them! We will have a test on Friday of this week

Eighth grade continues working on chemical equations. This is some challenging material. I bet most of the parents will struggle to remember how to do some of the work. I have added lots of links to websites that will help practice these steps. Also on my page on the middle school website, I have two movies talking through the steps of how to balance equations. Please take advantage of these!

Week of 1/9

2012-01-09T15:43:00.002-05:00

This unseasonably warm weather is great for recess duty, but, being a die-hard Michigander, I miss snow!! However, with no possible snow days in the foreseeable future, we are going to get a lot of learning done!

Seventh grade is starting a chapter on bacteria. Where do you think bacteria thrives the best in our school? Seventh graders will know after they conduct their lab this week. Eighth grade will be learning more than they probably wanted to know about chemical formulas and equations. Get ready parents - do you remember how to balance chemical equations? :)

If you are struggling to find out what your child has to study or wonder just what a certain project entails, I always post notes, review games, and project details in ebackpack. Don't let your child tell you he/she doesn't know what that is - they do! And they know how to access all of it.

Reminder - 2nd quarter ends Friday, Jan. 20. Keep an eye on your child's grades and missing work.

God's Blessings,
Mrs. Baarck

Week of January 3

2012-01-04T11:20:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year - a fresh start in some ways, but we are actually wrapping up 2nd qtr in the next several weeks. Seventh grade is beginning their studies of the six kingdoms of life. Next week we will jump into the world of bacteria. Eighth grade is working on programming their own computer animations. Their animations will show some topic about the periodic table that they have learned in the last six weeks. I can't wait to see what they create!

Weeks of 12/12 and 12/19

2011-12-15T12:01:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone was able to attend last night's Advent service that was led by the sixth through eighth graders. They shared their talents beautifully, and hopefully, that helped all of us to calm our busy minds and refocus on the meaning of this often hectic season. We lost some instruction time to prepare for that service, but we are jumping right back in to get some things wrapped up in time for our Christmas break.

Seventh graders have been working on their creation projects as a culminating project for our creation vs. evolution unit. Projects are due on Wednesday, and we will begin sharing them at that time. Students have had two class periods to work on this in school.

Eighth grade is finishing up Chapter 13 - possibly by break time. We are learning about chemical bonding. We are also learning a programming tool that will be used to share some of our new chemical knowledge sometime after Christmas.

May your family enjoy a safe, peaceful, and blessed Christmas holiday!

Mrs. Baarck

Week of 12/6

2011-12-06T09:28:00.001-05:00

Eighth grade will be finishing their Periodic Table chapter and have a test on Thursday. We will then move right into chemical bonding - one of my favorite areas of science! Element projects are due on Monday, December 12. There is no more class time to work on these, so plan accordingly.

Seventh grade is beginning our Creation vs. Evolution unit. We will be discussing the history behind the theory of evolution and reviewing our knowledge of the account of creation in Genesis 1. We will share our faith, but also learn some scientific proof for creation. I want my students to be able to answer questions about why they believe what they believe and be able to give non-christians some scientific food for thought. Creation has scientific proof behind it, and evolution is not the accepted fact that it is often taught as.

Week of 11/28

2011-11-28T14:22:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone had a restful Thanksgiving break. We have four solid weeks of time to accomplish lots of learning before Christmas. Seventh grade will be building DNA models and learning a bit about mutations in DNA as they prepare for a chapter test on Friday. Eighth grade is just beginning their study of the periodic table. This part of our curriculum involves an element project. Students will receive the two elements that they will be studying on Wednesday of this week. Research for the project will be done in class, but the construction of their element "squares" will have to be done at home. Due date is December 12.

Week of 11/20 Be Thankful!!

2011-11-20T18:32:00.001-05:00

So...we have lots to be thankful for...a beautiful community, a caring christian school and church, loving and active school families, and focused and motivated children! But, I bet we're all thankful for the short school week as well. Here's what's keeping us busy this week:

Seventh grade will continue their study of heredity by starting an in depth look at DNA. Eighth grade will be reviewing and taking a chapter test on atoms on Tuesday. Wednesday, my homeroom will be working with their 1st grade buddies, helping them with an animal research project.

Have a safe and blessed Thanksgiving!!

Week of 11/14

2011-11-14T11:26:00.001-05:00

You should be seeing work being done at home on the computer for both 7th and 8th grade this week. Both grades are working through interactive websites which fit with the chapters we are working on.

Seventh grade is doing a project entitled "Simple Inheritance". By following a teenager with cystic fibrosis, they will learn the way genes are passed through a family.

Eighth grade is learning the makeup of atoms and how every element has a unique number of particles within it. They are using an interactive lab on www.sascurriculumpathways.com.

All instructions to get into each of these websites is posted in ebackpack for the students to access.

Week of 11/1

2011-11-01T08:22:00.000-04:00

Good Morning! After a busy week with the 8th graders in Washington DC, I've returned to a busy week at school wrapping up the 1st quarter. Seventh graders will be doing a little bit of Ch. 4 review to get ready for a test on Thursday. Eighth graders have to finish up their solution inquiry labs and will be getting ready for a Ch. 4 test on Friday.

Report cards will be handed out at next week's parent/teacher conferences. See you then!

Week of 10/17

2011-10-19T14:32:00.001-04:00

So...I've finally figured out a little bit of new technology and I'm able to share some of the things my students are able to create with our new MacBooks. These kids are amazing with technology. Give them the tool and they'll show you what they can create when they are motivated! Please enjoy the videos to the right as a small sample of what's going on in our classroom.

Seventh graders are learning about the cell. Each person was assigned an organelle and became an expert on it. Then the students were combined to create one complete cell and each group compared a cell to something that would be familiar to anyone. The results were very entertaining.

Eighth grade had to create a "States of Matter" project that covered the four states of matter very comprehensively. Whether a keynote, blog, prezi, poster, or movie every students was able to create something that they felt comfortable with. You may not even know what some of those technological terms are. Ask your child to show you what they did!

Week of 9/19

2011-09-20T15:55:00.001-04:00

As both 7th and 8th grade begin Chapter 2, all students are now using www.quizlet.com to manage their vocabulary lists. This free website allows students to create their own set of online flashcards to use to prepare for tests and quizzes. Mrs. Bresemann introduced this site to her 8th grade Lit classes and they have been using it for their vocabulary. It can be used in any subject. Your child should know their username and password and be able to show you their flashcards. I hope this tool will help students to better prepare for assessments.

Learning Lots of New Things!

2011-09-14T17:09:00.002-04:00

Well, I have been so immersed in new technology, that I forgot to take care of some technology that I was already used to using! Sorry about the delay in the blog. Both 7th and 8th grades will be finishing up their chapters on Friday this week. Lots of study guides are in ebackpack for them to use to prepare.

Get Ready - It's Almost Time!

2011-08-29T09:52:00.000-04:00

Well, it's time to get back into the swing of things! Wednesday is the big laptop rollout day. I can't think of a more exciting (or overwhelming :)) start to the school year. Can't wait to see all of you there.

A couple of items of note...I have updated all emails addresses for my homeroom. Please let me know if you think you are not receiving updates. After discussion with the faculty and administration, we will allow feathers for those who had them put in as long as they are the smaller variety that have been placed discreetly within the hair. Remember, as with all hair type things, the goal is to be modest and NOT an attraction. This means larger, more colorful feathers placed more on the top of the hair would not be acceptable as well as colored streaks of hair and other extreme hairstyles. Our goal here at St. Lorenz is to be focused on our Lord and our education, not the fashion sense of the students. We appreciate your help in this matter!

So - enjoy the last beautiful week of summer. I know I will.

Week of 6/6

2011-06-06T11:30:00.001-04:00

Wow! How did it get to be the last week of the school year already?! Seventh grade will be wrapping up their plant studies. Eighth grade will be working with electricity and magnetism. No homework this week. Happy summer to all!

Week of 5/23

2011-05-23T11:36:00.000-04:00

There are lots of activities competing for my science time this week, so it's important to stay on top of the assignments even when there is no class. Seventh grade should be focusing on writing their chastity essays. They were given all of the requirements last Friday, and the essays are due this Friday. Eighth grade is wrapping up their heat unit and will have a Chapter 10 Test on Thursday which is our last day for science this week.

Week of 5/16

2011-05-17T14:47:00.000-04:00

Seventh graders will be wrapping up their human body presentations. We have also begun our sex ed unit. We will have a speaker on the ramifications of sexting on Tuesday. Thursday our class will be split into boys and girls for further discussion. Daily quizzes will be given on the system of the body that was presented the previous day. All powerpoints on the various systems are posted on GoogleDocs for review.

Eighth grade is working on Heat & Heat Technology. We will have a lab on Tuesday with presentation on Wednesday.

Week of 5/2

2011-05-02T11:41:00.000-04:00

Seventh graders are well into their human body project. This will be their last week of work. Some groups may be ready to start presenting on Thursday. Eighth grade is wrapping up their study of energy resources and will test their knowledge of motion and energy transfer by designing a contraption to protect an egg from a 3 m or higher fall. Chapter 9 test for them on Thursday.

Week of 4/25

2011-04-25T14:26:00.000-04:00

Let the spring madness begin! Academic bowl, track meets, science olympiad, baseball, softball, spring thing,... oh yeah, we are still supposed to be learning things in school! :) I will be trying my best to help my students stay motivated. Seventh graders are in the beginning stages of a large project on the human body. The first pieces are due on Wednesday (vocab, pictures, facts, letter), and they will have had three class periods of work time to prepare. You will probably see them doing some work at home, but if they seem overwhelmed, then they have not been using class time wisely. Eighth graders continue studying energy and will have quite an "eggciting" challenge by the end of the week.

Week of 3/28

2011-03-28T16:55:00.000-04:00

Five days of intense work ahead of us! Got to get a lot accomplished before spring break. Seventh grade will be wrapping up their study of the animal kingdom by investigating birds and mammals. They will have a short test on each of these sections rather than a full chapter test on both topics. Eighth grade will be finishing up chapter 7 with a test on Thursday. Academic bowl qualifying test will be given on Wednesday so that participants for the bowl can be announced before spring break.

Week of 3/21

2011-03-21T11:15:00.000-04:00

Even though it's a short week, we'll be very busy. Seventh grade is finishing up a chapter and will have a test on Tuesday. Eighth grade is study Archimedes' and Bernoulli's principles. Wednesday is the end of the quarter, so all students should make sure that they have turned in any absent or late work!

Week of 3/14

2011-03-15T10:35:00.000-04:00

Achievement testing week! I will only see 7th graders on Monday and Friday. Eighth grade will see me Monday, Tuesday, Friday (Mrs. Baarck's homeroom) and Monday, Thursday, Friday (Mr. Wascher's homeroom). Seventh grade will be reviewing for a test on Friday. Eighth graders have a lab which will require an empty 2 liter bottle with the label removed. I will need 8 total.

Week of 3/7

2011-03-06T16:48:00.000-05:00

Whoa - another five day week ahead of us! We'll get so much accomplished (hopefully)! Eighth grade is creating movies to demonstrate their understanding of Newton's Laws of Motion. They will wrap up Ch. 6 with a test on Friday. Seventh grade is finishing up their study of invertebrates with a test on Tuesday. They will move onto the first three classes of vertebrates and possibly be ready for the perch dissection on Friday.

Week of 2/28

2011-02-28T14:34:00.000-05:00

I'm praying for a five day week. It will be exhausting, but necessary, for me to get caught up! :) Seventh graders will be doing their first "official" class dissection of the year: earthworms. It's amazing what can actually be seen in such a small creature of God. They will finish the week learning about the last two phyla of invertebrates: echinoderms and arthropods. Eighth grade continues to study forces and will investigate Newton's laws of motion with some activities and videos.

Week of 2/22

2011-02-22T14:47:00.000-05:00

Lots of catching up to do! Eighth grade will be wrapping up their friction lab and presenting their findings to the class. They will end Ch. 5 with some discussion on the force of gravity. Seventh grade begins their in depth study of the animal kingdom starting with the many phyla of invertebrates.

Week of 2/15

2011-02-14T12:26:00.000-05:00

Oh, what a relaxing(and productive) 4-day weekend! I hope the kids are as ready to get back to learning as I am. Seventh grade will continue investigating their owl pellets and will wrap up Chapter 14 by the end of the week. Eighth grade will be designing and conducting friction experiments as they continue to learn about forces. Lots of action going on in the lab this week!

Week of 2/7

2011-02-08T11:12:00.000-05:00

The two snow days were very welcome last week, but it put me a little behind. We will have a very busy week crammed into only 4 days! Eighth grade will be working on calculating speed and acceleration and will also begin constructing an investigation to study the effects of friction. Seventh grade is studying animal behavior and will end the week working on an owl pellet dissection activity. This pellet activity is really interesting!! Ask about it at the dinner table - as long as you don't mind discussing an owl regurgitating while you're eating! :)

Week of 1/31

2011-01-31T08:55:00.000-05:00

So... Eighth grade has finished their chemistry units and now moves on to physics! We will begin our study of forces, speed, gravity and acceleration. Later in the week we will study the movement of dominoes. If anyone has some that we could use, students bring them in!

Seventh grade continues its study of the six kingdoms. We will have a test on protists and fungi on Tuesday. Their fungus poems turned out awesome!! We will then begin our look at the animal kingdom, saving the plants for some warmer weather!

Week of 1/24

2011-01-24T11:33:00.000-05:00

So...it used to seem that things slowed down a bit in the winter. Not so much anymore!! Eighth grade is finishing up their unit on chemistry with a final chapter starting this week. We will be doing a really interesting lab on Friday which will have the students creating their own indicator for acids and bases.

Seventh grade is continuing their trek through each of the kingdoms. We are now focused on fungi. This week we will take a closer look at the lowly mushroom and will also work with our creative side to create poems about the many types of fungi! Test will be on Friday already.

Week of 1/10

2011-01-10T14:40:00.001-05:00

Both 7th and 8th grades have very involved science activities to look forward to this week. Eighth grade is reaching the height of their chemistry unit by learning about chemical reactions. They will learn how to write and balance chemical equations. We will be doing activities and internet practice to help us learn these new concepts.

Seventh grade is beginning its study of each kingdom in the classification system. This chapter we will be focusing on bacteria. Ask your child if all bacteria is bad? Can bacteria be used as medicine? What area of the school used the most bacteria? They should know the answers to all of these questions by the end of the week!

Week of 1/3

2011-01-03T08:50:00.003-05:00

Welcome back! I pray everyone had a restful and rejunvenating break. Hallelujah! Christ is born!!

Both 7th and 8th grades will have a chapter test on Thursday of this week. We will do some extra review to refresh our memories of things learned "last year"! The second qtr. ends in two weeks, so keep an eye on your child's grades and assignments.

Week of 12/16 until Christmas Break

2010-12-16T08:45:00.002-05:00

The snow days were certainly a welcome surprise, but they wreaked havoc on my lesson plans! Seventh grade was given a take home test yesterday. They will receive class time to get started on it, and it will be due on Friday, Dec. 17.

Eighth grade is starting a new chapter - chemical bonding. Hopefully some hands-on activities will make this very abstract concept more concrete for them.

Have a blessed Christmas! Celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus!

Week of 12/6

2010-12-06T11:51:00.002-05:00

Eighth grade is finishing up their periodic table chapter. There is a test this week. Also, by the end of the week, they should be able to identify the main elements in most everyday objects. Element projects are due Friday.

Seventh grade is working on the creation unit. This is a lot of discussion and debate. The unit will end next week sometime with a take home essay test. The Answers in Genesis website is a great resource for this topic. There is a link on the right side of this page.

Week of 11/29

2010-11-30T13:27:00.002-05:00

Seventh grade will be finishing Ch. 6 this week. There are a couple of links on this page to practice some of the things we have been talking about in class.

Eighth grade is starting the periodic table. This chapter includes a project which involves researching two assigned elements. As a grade, we will be constructing a huge periodic table on the back of the science classroom. There are links to help with researching this project and for practicing memorizing the symbols of the 40 most common elements.

Week of 11/.22

2010-11-23T08:07:00.003-05:00

We have so many things for which to be thankful! At the start of a busier time than usual for many of us (holiday preparations), may we all remember to slow down now and then and praise God for all he has given us.

Seventh grade is studying the structure and function of DNA. They will be building candy models of DNA on Wednesday. Eighth grade is studying the structure and function of atoms. They built models of an atom on Monday. Eighth grade will also habe a test before the Thanksgiving break. There are helpful links for both grades to practice some of the skills that we have been learning in class.

Week of 11/15

2010-11-15T11:30:00.002-05:00

Wow! We have a full five days of learning this week. I hope to take advantage of that and get a lot covered before our Thanksgiving break. Seventh grade will be wrapping up their heredity chapter and will have a test on Thursday. They have shown a lot of enthusiasm about Punnett squares. Eighth grade is beginning the study of the atom. Chemistry - here we come!! - one of my favorite areas of science. Watch the links list to the right for websites that offer practice in different skills we will be learning.

Week of 11/8

2010-11-09T11:47:00.002-05:00

2nd quarter has begun. A clean slate for all students can be a great comfort. Let's start the quarter strong! 7th grade is studying heredity and will be learning how to create Punnett squares. Eighth grade is finishing up their study of elements, compounds, and mixtures. Thursday is a special morning for all 7th and 8th graders. We will spend the morning discussing the topic of bullying, and Friday we have NO SCHOOL! The week will pass quickly. :)

Week of 11/2

2010-11-02T11:23:00.004-04:00

The 8th graders and I are back from a busy and successful trip to Washigton DC! Now it's time to get back to a normal schedule. With the first quarter ending on Friday we have lots to do. 7th grade will be finishing up their chapter on cell activities. Ask them about their egg lab - they saw lots of interesting things happen! They will have a test on Ch. 4 on Friday. Eighth grade will need to spend some time reviewing to get back into our science mode. We are working on mixtures, but will not be able to wrap the chapter up in time for the end of the qtr.

Week of 10/18

2010-10-19T21:13:00.002-04:00

Both 7th and 8th grade will begin new chapters this week. 8th grade will start investigating elements, compounds, and mixtures. Hopefully, many activities will help these abstract concepts become more concrete. 7th grade will continue learning about cells and their processes. A great lab will show how a cell can regulate the materials that go in and out of it. Lots of fun and, hopefully, lots of learning!

8th grade change

2010-10-11T15:42:00.001-04:00

Due to lots of things affecting our 8th grade schedule today, we completed Tuesday's lesson today and will finish our boiling pt. project tomorrow. Quiz is still on Wednesday.

Week of 10/11

2010-10-10T19:28:00.002-04:00

Midquarter reports went home on Friday. Most teachers are asking that these be signed and returned. 8th grade will finish their boiling point project Monday and will start preparing their data to submit to the online project site. If timing goes as expected, 8th grade will have a Chapter 3 Test on Thursday. Seventh graders have begun work on their organelle advertisement ad. They will get a workday on the computers on Monday and presentations of their ad will begin on Wednesday. Only a four day week this week and lots to accomplish. It will be a busy week!

Week of 10/4

2010-10-03T16:39:00.002-04:00

Lots of exciting things happening in science this week. Parents - keep an eye on your child's grade. It is midqtr. already this Friday! 8th grade will continue its work on states of matter and changing states. We will begin an experiment where we will share data with students from all over the world. Check out the International Boiling Point project in the link section of the blog.

7th grade is investigating cells and will actually prepare slides of their own cells this week. Later in the week we will begin a creative writing project that will tie in with our learning of the organelles that help make a cell work.

Week of 9/27

2010-09-28T08:26:00.002-04:00

Both 7th and 8th grade will have tests this week. 7th grade will have theirs on Wednesday, and 8th grade will be on Thursday. 7th graders will continue learning about life by getting in depth studying of the cell beginning Thursday. 8th grade is still learning about matter and how to describe it. They will continue investigating the property of density with a fun layering lab on Tuesday! Don't forget to study!!!

Week of 9/20

2010-09-23T15:10:00.000-04:00

Ooops! A little late this week. Sometimes it's kind of hard to get back into routine.

So... we had a busy science week. 7th grade is learning what it means to be "alive". Ask them to do our little chant for you. It would be a good way to see if they know what we're learning in class. 8th grade is getting lots of practice with measuring. We are now investigating the concept of density and will be moving onto physical & chemical properties.

Week of 9/13

2010-09-13T08:39:00.004-04:00

Hello all! Welcome back to school. Time to get into a new routine and that can take a little time. I hope this blog will help you and your student to stay on top of things (at least in science!).

Both 7th and 8th graders are getting a general introduction to their science topics this year. We are reviewing basic tools and measurement techniques and also looking at the scientific method, variables, and constants.

On the right side of this blog, please find the listing of homework assignments by grade level for the week ahead. Helpful websites are also listed on the top right hand side.

Week of 5/24

2010-05-25T15:56:00.002-04:00

7th grade has finished their human body project. Grades will be posted soon. We will now finish the year with our plant unit. We hope to be able to explore some of the beautiful flowers and trees that are part of our St. Lorenz property.

8th grade will finish up the year with a unit on heat and temperature. Thursday we will attempt to create solar cookers and heat up some simple foods.

Week of 5/17

2010-05-17T13:52:00.002-04:00

It was nice to finally enjoy spring weather again this weekend. However, the cooler May days have been helpful to us teachers!

Seventh grade will be finishing up their sex ed unit this week. Mr. Bender will have a class with the boys, while Mrs. Baarck will be with the girls. We will also be finishing our human body project presentations. The class will also begin writing their chastity essays.

8th grade is finishing their chapter on enery. There will be a test on Thursday, and our annual Egg Drop is on Friday. Get those creative juices flowing and save your egg!! :)

Week of 5/10

2010-05-10T08:32:00.003-04:00

After a busy week preparing for Ghana Festival and our human body projects, it is time to get focused on our regular curriculum and finish up human body presentations.

7th Grade will hear a different system presented each day. The following day they will have a short quiz on the presentation. We will be done with the human body at the end of the week. After each day's presentation and quiz is completed, we will use the remaining time to start covering the material in our sex ed unit.

8th grade will be finishing their unit on light and will move into the study of heat and energy.

Week of 4/26

2010-04-26T12:24:00.003-04:00

Four day week - Music Festival is on Friday at our school!

8th Grade is finishing their chapter on Simple Machines. Test will be Tuesday. Their brochures turned out really good! We will begin a chapter on light and color which will have a set of physical science challenge experiments that we will complete and submit answers to online.

7th grade is in the midst of their human body project. They will soon be finishing their individual research and then meet with their group to begin creating their presentation.

Week of 4/19

2010-04-20T08:42:00.003-04:00

Let the craziness begin! As our step quickens with each warmer and warmer spring day, our schedules also get busier and busier. Help your child stay on task by checking grades often and keeping an eye on their schedule.

7th Grade is beginning their 3-week long unit on the Human Body. Though this is a group project, each individual has responsibilities of things to complete that affect only their own grade. We will start out with each students learning about one organ, and then moving into the system that their organ is part of.

8th grade is finishing up a chapter on work and machines. They will create a Publisher brochure showing simple machines in use around our school.

Week of 4/12

2010-04-12T16:34:00.002-04:00

Welcome back from hopefully a restful break! May the recent celebration of our risen Savior give you renewed hope of eternal life in heaven.

7th grade will be wrapping up their study of the animal kingdom by taking a closer look at birds and mammals.

8th grade will continue learning physics by exploring simple machines.

Week of 3/29

2010-03-29T15:38:00.001-04:00

Start of a new quarter! Both grades will be finishing up chapters right before spring break. Start out the quarter with a strong grade so you don't have to dig yourself out of a hole at the end of the school year.

Week of 3/8

2010-03-05T14:01:00.002-05:00

Hello again! I got a little behind. I guess this isn't quite a habit yet. With the distractions of science fair and a student teacher teaching my 7th graders, I too easily let my new habit fall by the wayside. My apologies!

The 7th graders greatly enjoyed their first class dissection. Who knew an earthworm could have such distinct parts?! We will be finishing up our Chapter on invertebrates this week, and I'm hoping to be ready for the test on Friday.

Eighth grade is learning about Newton & motion. We will be planning and directing short videos that illustrate Newton's 3 Laws of Motion. I am also hoping to get to a Ch. 6 Test on Friday.

Week of Feb. 8

2010-02-09T14:31:00.004-05:00

Reminder - data & graphs due on Feb. 17 - the long weekend will be a good opportunity to get some experimenting done!! Boards are still available.

8th grade is learning how to calculate speed & acceleration.

7th grade will have a test this week, and then will move on to an Animal Behavior Unit. Miss Johnson, our jr. hi. student teacher will be teaching part of this unit to the 7th grade classes.

Week of 2/1

2010-02-03T10:00:00.003-05:00

Science fair procedures and materials lists were due last Friday. I have reviewed them and made comments and suggestions for all students. Now is the time to carry out the experiment. Data and graphs are due on Feb. 17. I still have project boards available here at school for $3.00.

7th grade will be learning about the fungus kingdom, writing poems, and looking at some fungus under our microscopes.

8th grade is finishing their chemistry unit with a test on Wednesday and beginning their physics unit soon after that.

Week of 1/25

2010-01-27T09:16:00.004-05:00

7th grade continues its study of the kingdoms of life. We will be moving into the protist and fungi kingdoms after a Ch. 10 Test on Wednesday.

8th grade is finishing their chemistry unit with a study of pH and other indicators of acids and bases including a short introduction to organic chemistry.

Both grades have materials list and procedures due for the Science Fair on Friday. After I have OK'd the procedures, there is an approximately 2 week window for the experiment itself to be completed.

Week of 1/19

2010-01-19T18:56:00.003-05:00

Science fair is upon us! Though I know the thought of science fair strikes fear in many parents' hearts (including mine! :)), it is an important experience for students to plan, execute, and present a finished project within deadlines. That in itself is applicable to almost any job in which a student may have an interest. Additionally, the proper procedure of stating a problem and searching for a solution is a valuable process. I have outlined the steps for students to follow and assigned due dates to help them pace their progress.

8th grade will have a test this week and will then move on to the last chapter in our chemistry unit.

7th grade is beginning a unit which will take a closer look at each of the kingdoms of life. We hope to find the answer to the pressing question "What area of the school will grow the largest bacteria culture????"

Week of 1/4

2010-01-05T08:52:00.004-05:00

Welcome back! I pray everyone had a restful Christmas break and is refreshed and ready to jump back into school.

8th grade will be continuing its chemistry unit and begin exploring chemical equations. Get ready parents - do you remember how to balance chemical equations??? :)

7th grade begins studying classification and will learn more about the amazing diversity of life in God's creation.

Heads up!! Science fair is coming. Packets of information were handed out before Christmas break. Also, a sheet with due dates to help your child stay on task during the project was handed out. The first due date is Tuesday, Jan. 12. On this date a title for their project must be turned in!

Week of 12/14

2009-12-14T17:15:00.002-05:00

I hope the Advent season has been one of focusing on our coming Christ!

7th grade continues its Creation unit. There is a lot of discussion and notetaking involved. Students will be graded on their completeness of their notes. The test will be a short answer essay test in which they will be allowed to use their notes to construct their answers. The test will be given out sometime next week.

8th grade will be studying the how and why elements bond with each other. Element projects are due on Wednesday. Test for the 8th grade will be on Tuesday of next week.

2009-12-08T08:20:00.003-05:00

This week both grades will be taking tests and then starting a new chapter.

7th grade will begin their creation unit. We will be using a lot of material from Answers in Genesis. They are the group with whom Carl Kerby, who recently visited our church, is associated. I have included a link to their website on my link list. There is so much information there. We will also be discussing evolution, so the students know what the theory says, what we as Christians can agree with, and what scientific inaccuracies are part of the theory.

8th grade will continue their study of chemistry as we move into the study of how and why atoms bond with each other. Reminder: Their element project is due on Wednesday, Dec. 16.

Week of 11/30

2009-11-30T12:34:00.004-05:00

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving! Praise God for the many blessings He showers upon us!

7th graders are beginning the study of DNA this week with the start of Ch. 6. We will be taking a very close look at the structure of DNA and building our own model of it this week. Candy/marshmallows of 4 different colors will be needed for Thursday's lab. Each lab group will need a supply of approximately 32 pieces (gummi bears, gummy lifesavers, marshmallows, etc.)

8th grade begins its study of the elements and their arrangement of the periodic table. We will begin an element project which will help us build our own classroom periodic table. Assigned elements and details will be given in class on Tuesday. The project will be due before Christmas break on Wed. Dec. 16.

Week of 11/23

2009-11-23T17:01:00.003-05:00

Short school week this week!

7th grade will have a Ch. 5 Test tomorrow. Study meiosis and Punnett squares and vocab.

8th grade also has a test tomorrow. Ch. 11 - study atomic history and atomic models and vocab.

November 16, 2009

2009-11-16T12:18:00.003-05:00

I'm back! Washington DC, jury duty, family illnesses, and parent/teacher conferences wreaked havoc on my newly formed habit. I apologize to anyone who has been following this. So....getting back on track.

7th grade is studying heredity. We are learning how certain traits are passed from parents to offspring. We will be practicing using Punnett squares to predict possible offspring. Test should be early next week.

8th grade is moving into our Chemistry unit. We are studying the history of the atom, and will soon be making models of elements. Test for this chapter will be on Monday of next week.

Using the Science Links

2009-10-13T12:20:00.004-04:00

Parents and students - In the science links on the right, there is one titled "Study Help for Tests". After you click on this link, scroll down to the bottom of the page to where it says "GO resources." There is a place to enter a keyword which is found on the chapter highlights page at the end of each chapter. This code will take you to a list of different options including a printout of vocab for the chapter and a 15 question quiz over the chapter.

If you are looking for more information on a certain topic, SciLinks is a great resource. The SciLinks link requires the use of codes found in your book also. These codes are at the end of every chapter and are very topic specific. You must become a member of this website, but it is free when you register as a student. These codes link the user to interesting websites pertaining to specific science topics.

Mrs. Baarck

Week of 10/12

2009-10-12T12:31:00.003-04:00

Seventh and eighth graders have a test on Thursday this week. Eighth grade is finishing up discussing changes of state and the seventh graders are working on a cell organelle advertisement. Parents of 7th graders should ask to see this ad if you're curious what your child is doing. We are working on the computers at school to produce this ad. Students can work on the ad at home. They have been saving to a flash drive as well as to the network here at school. The ads are due Friday morning. If possible, please print the ad in color at home. If not, I can print those who are not able to, here at school. They have received a sheet telling them exactly how they will be graded. I'm excited to see the ads. I've seen some great creativity already!

Mrs. Baarck

Week of 10/5

2009-10-06T13:24:00.002-04:00

This week has the 7th graders beginning to look inside the amazingly created cell, while 8th graders are reviewing the states of matter and the changes among them. Both grades will have quizzes this week, and the 7th graders are starting a small project to finish their cell chapter. Both grades can expect a test sometime next week. Please look at the sidebar for details specific to each class.

Mrs. Baarck

Welcome

2009-10-01T11:40:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my new blog. This is an experiment for me, so I ask for your patience. Communication is very important among teachers, parents, and students. I am hoping to use this blog to be more successful at that. Creating and using a blog is a not habit I'm used to, though, so it will take time for me to get it the way I want it. Feel free to make comments and/or suggestions as I work through this process.

Thanks!
Mrs. Baarck