News from 7th Grade Life Science
Mr. Bennett's Class - Winter Break Edition!
It's beginning to look a lot like....the end of 1st Semester??
This Friday we will celebrate the completion of 1st semester. 90 days have come and gone; your child is halfway finished with 7th grade! It sure has been busy here at Five Forks Middle School. Here is a look at what's been going on, and what's ahead, in life science...
Egg Osmosis Lab
What's that smell coming from Mr. Bennett's room? Students just completed their egg osmosis lab this past Friday. We had a lot of fun watching our eggs respond to hypotonic, hypertonic, and isotonic solutions. Students worked in groups of four to take data over the course of 8 days. We were able to apply what we learned to better understand how cells move molecules through their semi-permeable membranes. We saw how water moves from areas of high to low concentration in osmosis. We are happy to report that our room no longer smells like eggs & vinegar.
3-D Cell Models
During the month of November, students had the opportunity to apply their knowledge of cell organelles as they built 3-D models to represent plant and animal cells. This in-class project was a lot of fun and we enjoyed seeing all of the creative models.
Under Construction
One of the Completed Models
Busy Building Cells
Microscopes
Students got a couple of opportunities to work with our compound light microscopes at the beginning of our cell unit. Students learned the parts of the microscope, how to calculate the total magnification, & how to focus at different power levels. We were able to observe several prepared slides and also make our own wet mount slide.
SCIENCE FAIR PROJECTS ARE IN AND GRADED...CHECK THE PORTAL FOR POSTED GRADES COMING SOON!!
What's Ahead...
Final Exams are Here!
Remember that students will be taking final exams THIS Thursday and Friday. Students will take their 1st & 2nd period final exams on Thursday and their 3rd & 4th period exams will be Friday. These tests will cover all 1st semester content and will account for 10% of their overall course average. Finals are extremely important. Please make certain that your child is spending adequate, quality time completing study guides and studying for their exams. In science, I have sent home a study guide that I will grade and review with them in class. If your child has completed their interactive notebook, according to my expectations, the study guide should be a breeze to complete. The interactive notebook is the absolute BEST tool to use in my class!! Students may also go to my website and eClass for additional review links and games that we have used throughout the semester. Don't forget to get a good night's rest and eat a good breakfast before exams!
Winter Party
The last 45 minutes of our school day will be spent celebrating the great work our students have acheived during first semester. We will have pizza, drinks, and many other baked goods. Students will be involved in various activites in their homeroom classes as they enjoy some good food and fun. Thanks so much for all of you who have sent in donations and other items for the party. If you have not made a donation yet....it's not too late!! You can still send in a $5 donation to your child's homeroom teacher by Friday. Thank you for your support!
Happy New Year...Website Changes in 2015
Just a quick reminder that all teacher webpages will be moving to eClass after our Winter Break. I know I have been including resources on both my school webpage and eClass, so you would have access to the same information as students. In January, our teacher webpage subscriptions will not be renewed, so all content, information, and resources will be on our eClass pages ONLY. Please have your child share their username and password information with you so you will be able to access the information too.