3/27

We reviewed for our Bacteria and Virus Quest on Monday, and took the assessment on Tuesday. On Wednesday, students were introduced to the weird (and creepy) organisms that live in a drop of pond water. I took a local sample of pond water and had students identify the different creatures that they found living in the water. We found lots of protists (protozoa and algae), and some students even found worms and arthropods. A few students even brought in their own samples to observe! We discussed the characteristics of the protist kingdom on Thursday, and we will continue to do so after break. On Friday, students took a career survey in the IMC. Students answered 70 questions and reviewed what "career clusters" were best suited for them based their answers. Students were asked to choose three careers that interested them, and these will be used in LA classes after break to begin research for their career project.

A big congratulations goes out to Evan Murley, Jacob Amiri, Kellyn Maguire, and Esabelle Cherry for receiving first place awards at the regional science fair last weekend. They did a fantastic job!

Have a great and relaxing spring break!

3/20

We began the week by doing some observations of bacteria. We looked at slides containing bacilli, cocci, and spirilla-shaped bacteria, and we also viewed the bacteria that is commonly found in yogurt (Lactobacillus acidophilus). We also spent time in class calculating and graphing bacteria growth rates over time. From these activities, students discovered that, in ideal conditions, bacteria reproduce quickly over a short period of time (exponential growth). Students watched a video that showed the helpful and harmful sides of bacteria. They were able to see how sourdough bread is made, view several examples of diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria (TB, "Black Death," flesh-eating bacteria, E. coli poisoning, etc.), and see how antibiotic resistance is becoming a problem today.

We discussed viruses, and came to the conclusion that they are non-living particles. We also watched a video that described how a virus infects its host, the discovery and use of vaccines, pandemics from the past (influenza, smallpox, and polio), and how researchers are finding new viruses everyday. Next week, we finish our chapter on bacteria and viruses ("quest" on Tuesday) and begin to examine the protist kingdom.

Three 7th grade students (Jacob A., Kellyn M., and Evan M.) will be participating in the regional science fair on Saturday. The science fair will be held at Unity Junior High in Cicero, and the projects will be on exhibit from 12:30 until 3:00.

3/12

This week, we wrapped up our classification chapter and took our chapter test. We did a brief overview of the two bacterial domains (Archaea and Bacteria), and we talked about how bacteria reproduce, how important they are to our environment and our health, and a bit about pathogenic bacteria. Most of us also like to eat at least some products that are made from bacteria (cheese, yogurt, sour cream, sourdough bread, pickles, etc.). We watched a few BrainPOP videos about bacteria, antibiotic resistance, and our immune system on Thursday. Next week we will view bacteria under the microscope, calculate the growth rate of bacteria, and talk about pathogenic bacteria in more detail.

3/6

Because of ISAT testing, our schedule this week was a bit crazy! Some students had science class twice and others had it three times. We spent our short week reinforcing the principles of classification and the six kingdoms. I showed students how to use a mnemonic device to help them remember the six kingdoms and some characteristics of each (using six our fingers). For example, the ring finger represents the fungi kingdom. Because there is no ring on your finger, you must be a "fun guy." "Fun guys" usually sit on the couch playing video games (no movement) and definitely don't make their own food (consumers)! Hopefully this will help students to better remember these kingdoms for our test on Tuesday!

We also worked more with classification this week in our "Creepy Critters" lab. Students were required to study the characteristics of 20 aliens and put them into groups based on their similarities. It was a challenging task, but students found unique ways to classify their creatures. Next week, we will take our classification chapter test (Tuesday) and move on to our final chapter before break: bacteria and viruses.