Thursday, March 19, 2015

Weekly Reminders - 3/23/15

3/25 -  Bring in plastic bags (grocery bags) to pack books up in the locker.  Bags should not be too large because it will not fit in the lockers.

3/27 - 6th grade students can bring in snacks and drinks to share with the class in the afternoon.

3/27 - Last day of school before Easter break. Please read Mr. Woods' blog for information on studying for NYS ELA and Mathematics Exam.

NYS exams will be administered after the break.  Dates will be posted on Mr. Woods' blog

8th Science - 3/23/15


https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yIkKUYdH8vpMOHcN1UbXklhCGNilYe2Yujct5wJg5tg/pub

3/25 - Copy vocabulary definition

1    Organism – a single individual from a population

2      Population – all of the individuals of one species that live and reproduce in the same area at the same time.

3      Community – populations of different species that interact in some way.

4      Ecosystem – communities and the abiotic factors that affect them.

5     Biosphere – made up of all the ecosystems on earth.

7th Science - 3/23/15


https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-XcREQOGxbiKQg8yzPDwHGqRGRjkejNQpPOFA-auBDs/pub

Homework:

3/25 - Copy vocabulary words in NB

1. state of matter - One of the four principal conditions in which matter exists—solid, liquid, gas, and plasma.the temperature at which a liquid freezes: The freezing point of ... noun, Physical Chemistry ... The freezing point of water is 32°F, 0°C.

2. matter - physical substance in general, as distinct from mind and spirit; (in physics) that which occupies space and possesses rest mass, especially as distinct from energy

3. kinetic theory of matter - states that all matter is made of small particles that are in random motion and that have space between them. This means that no matter what phase matter is in, it is made of separate, moving particles.

4. melting point - The temperature at which a given material changes from a solid to a liquid, or melts; the same temperature as freezing point

5. heat of fusion - also known as the latent heat of fusion, is a category of latent heat describing the energy for the phase change between a liquid and a solid to occur without a change in temperature

6. freezing point - the temperature at which a liquid freezes: . The freezing point of water is 32°F, 0°C

7. boiling point - The temperature at which a given material changes from a liquid to a gas. The boiling point is the same temperature as the condensation point. Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit or 100 degrees Celsius

8. heat of vaporization - Substances exist in three different phases: solid, liquid and gas. Heating and cooling a substance can transform it from one phase to another.Vaporization is the phase change that occurs when a liquid is transformed to a gas.

9. evaporation - the process of a substance in a liquid state changing to a gaseous state due to an increase in temperature and/or pressure.Evaporation is a fundamental part of the water cycle and is constantly occurring throughout nature.

10. condensation -the conversion of a vapor or gas to a liquid.

6th Science - 3/23/15


https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IWJ44TIzkGnRxuq_SHwig-H8_fnyLvAyBF5w8uMNgdk/pub

6th Social Studies - 3/23/15


https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gXZzk0NCfN3mdJ7fxnalNMfu53SkRvixRYFqtlym08E/pub

Homework:
3/24 - Copy vocabulary words in NB

1. Akbar - 1542–1605, Mogul emperor of India (1556–1605), who extended the Mogul empire to include N India.

2. Shah Jahan -Grieving emperor who built the Taj Mahal for his late wife Mumtaz Mahal

3. Mumtaz Mahal - was a Mughal Empress and chief consort of emperor Shah Jahan. The Taj Mahal in Agra was constructed by her husband as her final resting place.

4. Agra - A city of north-central India on the Yamuna River southeast of New Delhi. It was a Mughal capital in the 16th and 17th centuries and is the site of the Taj Mahal

5. Taj Mahal - a white marble mausoleum in central India, in Agra on the Jumna River: built (1632–43) by the emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal; regarded as the finest example of Mogul architecture

6. Jayavarman II - (c. 770–850) was a 9th-century king of Cambodia, widely recognized as the founder of the Khmer Empire, which ruled much of the Southeast Asian mainland for more than six hundred years.

7. Suryavarman II - Khmer king of the Khmer Empire from 1113 AD to 1145-1150 AD and the builder of Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world which he dedicated to the Supreme God Vishnu.

5th Science - 3/23/15

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ij4BN7T03HzuT2k4Dz2CSibUHimLiEZqZD2l4i1nSkA/pub

Homework:

3/24 - Copy vocabualry words in NB

1. fish a limbless cold-blooded vertebrate animal with gills and fins and living wholly in water.

2. amphibians - a cold-blooded vertebrate animal of a class that comprises the frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders. They are distinguished by having an aquatic gill-breathing larval stage followed (typically) by a terrestrial lung-breathing adult stage.

3. reptile - a cold-blooded vertebrate of a class that includes snakes, lizards, crocodiles, turtles, and tortoises. They are distinguished by having a dry scaly skin, and typically laying soft-shelled eggs on land.

4. invertebrates -an animal lacking a backbone, such as an arthropod, mollusk, annelid, coelenterate, etc. The invertebrates constitute an artificial division of the animal kingdom, comprising 95 percent of animal species and about 30 different phyla.

5. vertebrates - an animal of a large group distinguished by the possession of a backbone or spinal column, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes.

6. bird - a warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrate distinguished by the possession of feathers, wings, and a beak and (typically) by being able to fly.


7. mammal - a warm-blooded vertebrate animal of a class that is distinguished by the possession of hair or fur, the secretion of milk by females for the nourishment of the young, and (typically) the birth of live young

5th Social Studies - 3/23/15

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1S_KRadNLYEIxDz7LyB_9YXIz2QSiqavrh8X03XzZSlk/pub

Homework:

3/25 - Copy vocabulary words in NB


1.  atlas a collection of maps; it is typically a map of Earth or a region of Earth, but there are atlases of the other planets (and their satellites) in the Solar System
2.  canal - an artificial waterway constructed to allow the passage of boats or ships inland or to convey water for irrigation.

3.  gold rush -The rush of migrants to California that began in 1848 after gold was found at Sutter's Mill, 
northeast of Sacramento.

4. investor - is someone who provides (or invests) money or resources for an enterprise, such as a corporation, with the expectation of financial or other gain.

5.  reaper - person or machine that harvests a crop

Saturday, March 14, 2015

8th Science - 3/16/15


https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sJ1h5E_YwSAWvcNL9Bzrq2pDtVyYzhzIh7ZLih0vuvQ/pub

3/17 - Unit IV Exam

3/18 - Debate:  Bring in copies of research that shows the conflict between the two sides and your point of view on the topic.  You must have evidence of solid research to back up your claim.  You can choose a side or decide not too but must be ready to defend your stance.  Below are some terms you may want to know or use.

Overview: The Conflict Between Religion and Evolution

Almost 150 years after Charles Darwin published his groundbreaking work On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, Americans are still fighting over evolution. If anything, the controversy has grown in both size and intensity. In the last decade, debates over how evolution should be taught in schools have been heard in school boards, town councils and legislatures in more than half the states.
Throughout much of the 20th century, opponents of evolution (many of them theologically conservative Christians) either tried to eliminate the teaching of Darwin’s theory from public school science curricula or urged science instructors also to teach a version of the creation story found in the biblical book of Genesis. The famous 1925 Scopes “monkey” trial, for instance, involved a Tennessee law prohibiting the teaching of evolution in the state’s schools.
Evolution: A Glossary of Terms Creationism – The belief that the creation story in the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible book of Genesis is literally true and is akin to a scientific explanation for the creation of the Earth and the development of life.
Creation science – A movement that has attempted to uncover scientific evidence to show that the biblical creation story is true. Some in the creation science movement, known as “young Earth creationists,” reject not only evolution but also the idea that the universe and the Earth are billions of years old.
Darwinian evolution – The theory, first articulated by Charles Darwin, that life on Earth has evolved through natural selection, a process through which plants and animals change over time by adapting to their environments.
Intelligent design – The belief that life is too complex to have evolved entirely through natural processes and that an outside, possibly divine force must have played a role in the origin and development of life.
Social Darwinism – A belief that Darwin’s evolutionary theory can be applied to human society and that groups of people, just like life in the wild, are subject to “survival of the fittest.” The now discredited idea influenced many social theories and movements in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, from laissez-faire capitalism to various eugenics movements.
Scientific theory – A statement or principle, honed through scientific observation, reasoning and experimentation, that explains a natural phenomenon.
Theistic evolution – A belief held by some religious groups, including the Catholic Church, that God is the guiding force behind the process of evolution.

7th Science - 3/16/15


https://docs.google.com/document/d/10IpqqJR78JPJYaN_TAuq2E4yUVz_SUTOrkmQOnznnCI/pub

3/17 - Unit IV Exam

3/18 - Creating a model of the layers of Earth.  Students need to bring in jello that is already made.  Follow the ingredients and colors that were given in class on 3/11.

6th Science - 3/16/15


https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZADLa0XU9mNiBHg9Ns9iYXLADtu9vN4G5NMbOO5zmAE/pub

3/17 - Unit IV Exam

6th Social Studies - 3/16/15


https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JT_P5rwehDQqUlUN8JawKzvZr5XqVY7EoFiPRpeWki8/pub

3/16 - Map of the Month due

3/18 - IV Exam

5th Science - 3/16/15


https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iwuVYyJ1vCZlMEp0RhklraT4nv47xhDG6fkLxF6XB9I/pub

3/17 - Unit IV Exam

5th Social Studies - 3/16/15

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OqFLI2xo30Si9OI7MJWs-h95HRczG-JNCcrwdchKB1I/pub

3/16 - Map of the Month Due

3/18 - IV Exam


Monday, March 9, 2015

Weekly Reminders - 3/9/15

Map of the Month due – 2/16 -  ALL students received maps!

8th Science - 3/9/15


https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_wKZ6K6J_b-3woDv0RTVpk4kcnu-fQTiMSm0txCLAgM/pub

Homework:

3/12 - Copy vocabulary words in NB

1.  Dormancy -A period of time when the growth or activity of a plant or seed stops due to changes in temperature or amount of water.

2.  Gravitropism - The way a plant grows or moves in response to gravity; also called geotropism.

3.  Guard cells - Cells that control when stomata open and close.

4.  Hydrotropism - The way a plant grows or moves in response to water.

5.  Photosynthesis - The process by which plants capture light energy and use it to make their own food.

6.  Phototropism - The way a plant grows or moves in response to light.

7.  Respiration - The process by which plants and animals break down sugar to obtain energy.

8.  Stomata - Small openings on the underside of most leaves through which oxygen and carbon dioxide can move.

9.  Thigmotropism - The way a plant grows or moves in response to touch.

10. Transpiration - The process by which plants lose water through their leaves.


3/10- Song and rap 


3/18 - Evolution project

7th Science - 3/9/15


https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H1YxzIYttiFQE4SmhH3ZXIMb1HvDcfrGrQEm_8SByEw/pub

Homework:

3/11 - Copy vocabulary words in NB: 1- 11

3/13 - 12-23.  OR you can copy all of them at the same time.  Make sure it is completed by Friday (3/13)

1.  crust - the thin and solid outer most layer of the earth above the mantle

2. mantle - The layer of rock between the earths crust and core

3.  inner core - it is solid, dense and extends from bottom of outer core to center of the earth



4. mesosphere - Its the strong lower part of the mantle, between asthenosphere and the outer core and extends from asthenosphere to earths core

5. fault - A break in a body of a rock along which one block slides relative to another

6.  divergent - Plates move away from eachother

7. convergent - plates move toward eachother

8. continental drift - hypothesis that states that continents once formed a single landmass broke up and driffed to the preasant locations

9. sea floor spreading - the proces by which new oceanic lithosphere forms as magma rises towards the surface and solidifies

10. transform slip - the boundry between tectonics plates that are sliding past eachother horizontally

11. pangaea - present continents were joined in a single huge continent "all the earth"

12. convergent - when plates move towards each other

13. seismograph - an instrument that records vibrations in the ground and determines the location and strength of earthquakes

14. magnetic reversal - the earth magnetic plates change places

15. mid ocean ridge - an underwater mountain that takes place where sea floor spreading takes place

16. seismic waves - a wave of energy that travels through the earth and away from earthquakes in all directions

17. plate tectonics - it explains that the earth is divided into pieces in the lithosphere that move around on top of the asthenosphere

18. ocean crust - the thinnest part of the plate


20.  compound - a substance composed of two or more elements

21. continental crust - the thickest part of a tectonic plate

22. asthenosphere - the soft layer of the mantle on which the tectonic plates move

23. lithosphere - the solid outer layer of the earth that consists of the crust and the rigid upper part of the mantle

6th Science - 3/9/15

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NU8uqO_bPWVPNzSLt8X-LrHGXosif6zJxvzcy393VPE/pub

6th Social Studies - 3/9/15

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XCll0tXUVntaAHQGXJ9mwbEMQXI94foNUxmEZPfPmNw/pub

Homework:

3/12 - Copy vocabulary words in NB


1.  Sahara - the largest desert in the world; covers most of North Africa; bordered the three kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, Songhai.

2.  Sahel - the dry grassy region south of the Sahara Desert

3. Sudan - the area between the Sahara desert and the Gulf of Guinea
4.  Niger - the river that flows from west africa to the Gulf of Guinea; incredibly important to surrounding areas

5. griot - a learned storyteller, entertainer, historian

6. dinar - a unit of currency in the form of gold

7. timbuktu - Capital city in ancient mali; the center of commerce; center of learning throughout the muslim world

8. Sundiata - the king who could not walk or talk, the lion king of mali

Sunday, March 8, 2015

5th Science - 3/9/15

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eEIb1iey4br-ieVMixLUuT_o4Q-xbQZmOqQNo74Hrj4/pub


2/12 – bring in at least 4 beans or seeds for planting and a clear plastic cups.  Students will work in pairs ( 2 students per group)


Weekly Vocabulary words:

1. vascular - vessels or ducts that convey fluids, as blood, lymph, or sap.

2. sexual reproduction of plants -process by which plants generate new individuals, or offspring.

3. fertilization -reproduction by pollination.

4. spores - a small organism or a single cell being that is able to grow into a new organism with the right conditions.

5. fronds - A big compound leaf; a term applied to the leavesof palms and ferns

6. rhizoids - A slender rootlike filament that grows from an alga, a fungus, or the gametophyte of a moss, liverwort, or fern, used for attachment and nourishment.

7. asexual reproduction of plants - the formation of new individuals from the cell(s) of a single parent. It is very common in plants.

8. mosses - small flowerless plants that usually grow in dense green clumps or mats, in damp or shady locations.

9. rhizome -creeping rootstalk, horizontal underground plant stem capable of producing the shoot and root systems of a new plant.

10. Tropism - the turning, bending, movement, or growth of an organism or part of an organism elicited by an externalstimulus, either toward (positive t.) or away from (negative t.) the stimulus

5th Social Studies - 3/9/15

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QbO-qdDQRxKjE_dQWcFwLeo9hkqSGXNNWPMsHxbxAac/pub

Homework:

3/12 - Copy passage on the Louisana Purchase and draw map in NB

THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE On April 11, 1803, Robert Livingston and James Monroe arrived in France. They were amazed to learn that Napoleon Bonaparte was offering to sell the entire Louisiana Territory to the United States. The 885,000 square miles of land would cost the United States 15 million dollars, or about four cents per acre. Livingston and Monroe had not gotten permission to spend 15 million dollars. Since there were no phones or private jets, it would take months to sail back to the United States. They feared that if they waited to hear from President Jefferson, Napoleon Bonaparte might change his mind. On April 30, 1803, Livingston and Monroe agreed to purchase the entire Louisiana Territory for 15 million dollars. When news of the purchase reached the United States, President Jefferson was surprised. He planned to spend 10 million dollars for the port city of New Orleans. Instead, he received a land package that doubled the size of the United States. President Jefferson asked Congress to approve the sale. Many of the men in Congress were against the purchase. They felt that the Louisiana Territory was a worthless desert. Still, enough men in Congress voted to ratify the Louisiana Purchase. The money to pay for the purchase was borrowed from English and Dutch banks. On December 20, 1803, the United States of cially took possession of the Louisiana Territory. The Louisiana Purchase was one of Thomas Jefferson’s greatest contributions to the United States. Doubling the size of the United States without losing any American lives paved the way for purchasing other territory. As you will soon learn, the Louisiana Purchase also opened the way for Americans to travel West. It wouldn’t take long for the United States to grow and become the most powerful nation in the world.








Sunday, March 1, 2015

8th Science - 3/2/15


https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Xyx5mPMmLW4xpfNGq32O2zua7xM88tPM0Th_h_dCN_I/pub

Homework

3/4 - Copy and define vocabulary words in NB.

1.  biotic factor -  a living thing, as an animal or plant, that influences or affects an ecosystem.

2.  abiotic factor - are essentially non-living components that effect the living organisms of the freshwater community.

3.  ecosystem - a system which is formed when a community of organisms interacts with the environment.

4.  community - a social unit of any size that shares common values.

5.  density - a measure of mass per unit of volume. Density is a measure of mass per volume. The average density of an object equals its total mass divided by its total volume.

6.  producers -they produce their own food! They do this by using light energy from the Sun, carbon dioxide from the air and water from the soil to produce food - in the form of glucouse/sugar.

7.  herbivores - an animal that gets its energy from eating plants, and only plants.

8.  parasitism - relationship between two species of plants or animals in which one benefits at the expense of the other, sometimes without killing it.

9.  biosphere - layer around the earth which holds life. Our biosphere may be finite, but it varies considerably and its potential size is unknown.


10. limiting factor - any condition required by a species that becomes absent in a habitat.

7th Science - 3/2/15


https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H1YxzIYttiFQE4SmhH3ZXIMb1HvDcfrGrQEm_8SByEw/pub

Homework:

3/4 - Copy vocabulary words in NB

1. photochemical smog - a unique type of air pollution which is caused by reactions between sunlight and pollutants like hydrocarbons and nitrogen dioxide.

2.  sulfurous smog - results from a high concentration of sulfur oxides in the air.

3.  acid rain - any form of precipitation with high levels of nitric and sulfuric acids. It can also occur in the form of snow, fog, and tiny bits of dry material

4.  pH scale -measures alkalinity or acidity: pH7 is neutral, below 7 is acid and above 7 is alkaline.

5.  acid -something that has a sour taste, or something that has a pH of less than 7 in chemistry.

6.  base - a substance that, in aqueous solution, is slippery to the touch, tastes bitter, changes the color of indicators

7.  Clean Air Act -  a United States federal law designed to control air pollution on a national level.

8.  scrubber - a diverse group of air pollution control devices that can be used to remove some particulates and/or gases from industrial exhaust streams

9.  Safe Drinking Water Act - the principal federal law in the United States intended to ensure safe drinking water for the public.


10.  Clean  Water Act - principal law governing pollution of surface waters in the United States.


6th Science - 3/2/15


https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dA0_ttpuslONb__5kdxMbfLF7Nz_DjyDIKi-K0Tjpz8/pub

Homework

3/4 - Copy vocabulary words in NB

1. chemical change - occur when chemical reactions between substances form new products.

2.  compound - a substance that results from a combination of two or more different chemical element.

3.  chemical bond - something that binds, fastens, confines, or holds together.

4. chemical formula - A shorthand way of representing the number and type of elements in a compound or the number of atoms in a molecular element.

5.  ion -an atom or group of atoms that carries a positive or negative electric charge as a result of having lost or gained one or more electrons.

6.  chemical property - any characteristic that gives a substance the ability to undergo a change that results in a new substance.

7. molecule - smallest particle in a chemical element or compound that has the chemical properties of that element or compound.

8.  exothermic - a chemical reaction that releases energy by light or heat. It is the opposite of an endothermic reaction.

9.  endothermic -characterized by or formed with absorption of heat.


10.  mass - A measure of the amount of matter in an object

6th Social Studies - 3/2/15

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BZ0FDIXUD88q68R_exCeWEtTTh30JskLjrKO1TYnfuI/pub

Homework:

3/5 - Copy vocabulary words in NB

1. Savannas - consists of areas of open grassland with very few trees.

2.  Aksum -  powerful kingdom in northern Ethiopia during the early Christian era.

3.  gold trade - Exchange of salt for commodities such as gold and slaves, particularly in WestAfrica. Salt was probably one of the earliest goods traded over long

4.  ivory - the hard white substance, a variety of dentin, composing the main part of the tusks of the elephant

5.  Great Zimbabwe - ruins are the largest collection of ruins in Africa south of the Sahara. Located in the heart of southern Africa

6.  Lalibela - The small town of Lalibela in Ethiopia is home to one of the world's most astounding sacred sites: eleven rock-hewn churches, each carved entirely out of a single rock.

7.  Mansa Musa - (about 1280 – about 1337) was an emperor (mansa) of the Mali Empire during the 14th century. 

8. Songhai - largest of the former empires in the western Sudan region of N Africa.

9.  Kush - The Kingdom of Kush was an ancient state that existed (twice) in what is now the northern part of The Sudan.


10.  Swahili - language, also known as Kiswahili, is a Bantu language and the first language of the Swahili people. 

5th Science - 3/2/15

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Bw_ePZ80uw3sqjxvsQsTKnetwGQy0kMaJfnK1nA6w6o/pub

Homework:

3/4 Copy vocabulary words in NB

1. vascular - vessels or ducts that convey fluids, as blood, lymph, or sap.

2. sexual reproduction of plants -process by which plants generate new individuals, or offspring.  

3.  fertilization -reproduction by pollination.

4.  spores  - a small organism or a single cell being that is able to grow into a new organism with the right conditions.

5.  fronds - A big compound leaf; a term applied to the leaves of palms and ferns.

6.  rhizoids - A slender rootlike filament that grows from an alga, a fungus, or the gametophyte of a moss, liverwort, or fern, used for attachment and nourishment.

7.  asexual reproduction of plants - the formation of new individuals from the cell(s) of a single parent. It is very common in plants.

8.  mosses -  small flowerless plants that usually grow in dense green clumps or mats, in damp or shady locations.

9.  rhizome -creeping rootstalk, horizontal underground plant stem capable of producing the shoot and root systems of a new plant.


10.  Tropism -  the turning, bending, movement, or growth of an organism or part of an organism elicited by an externalstimulus, either toward (positive t.) or away from (negative t.) the stimulus


5th Social Studies - 3/2/15

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1biE9eLPzhp1-ATvxizCNjIMzh0oZcCqiZ-zFIbMqYOw/pub

Homework

3/5 - Copy vocabulary words in NB

1.  Industrial Revolution -took place from the 18th to 19th centuries, was a period during which predominantly agrarian, rural societies in Europe and America became industrial and urban.

2.  Cotton gin - machine for cleaning cotton of its seeds, invented in the United States by Eli Whitney in 1793.

3.  interchangeable parts -parts that are designed to fit in any device of the same type, rather than being designed for one specific item, and they revolutionized the world of manufacturing. With their development, the groundwork for mass manufacturing and distribution was laid, and the Industrial Revolution was born.

4.  reaper - a farming tool or person that reaps (cuts and gathers) crops at harvest, when they are ripe.

5.  Samuel Slater - The English-born American manufacturer Samuel Slater (1768-1835) built the first successful cotton mill in the United States, in 1790.

6.  Eli Whitney - (December 8, 1765 – January 8, 1825) was an American inventor best known for inventing the cotton gin.

7.  Francis Cabot Lowell -The city of Lowell was named after Francis Cabot Lowell, son of John Lowell, a wealthy businessman who built a successful textile mill in Lowell, MA.

8.  Cyrus McCormick -whose invention of the mechanical reaper revolutionized farming across the world.

9. John Deere -crafted his famous steel plow in his blacksmith shop in 1837, he also forged the beginnings of Deere & Company—a company that today does business around the world and employs more than 50,000 people.


10.  Lowell, Massachusetts  - The City of Lowell was named after Francis Cabot Lowell