Tuesday, 15th HoHo

Thank you to Jacob B and Connor for volunteering to be our first presenters!

After each of your quickly reviewed chapter 1, we all completed the chapter quiz.

Monday, 14th HoHo

Happy Birthday, Krishin!

The last chance to submit the glowstick lab will be tomorrow (Tuesday).  It is really important for you all to maintain good work habits.  When an assignment is given a due date, you need to complete it by that date.  If you need an extension, a discussion needs to be had and you should not ASSume that it is ok to hand in late assignments.

After reviewing the evolution of the atomic theory by discussing Dalton, Thomson, Rutherford and Bohr (board work), we began exploring some of the elements of the periodic table (chapter 2 material) by investigating the element properties.  Our goal during this lab was to confirm or revise your initial definition of metal, non-metal and pure substance.  

Chapter 1 Quiz tomorrow!

Friday, 11th HoHo

After you all handed in your Glowstick lab write ups, we did a quick check-in on the WHMIS symbols and wrote a few notes on Matter (link here).  Our dry ice demo furthered our understanding of indicators. sublimation and deposition.

Homework (due Monday): read workbook pages 14-15 and do page 18 of your workbook.  Remember there are links to a online version of the textbook and workbook provided in the tabs above.  If you forget the password, please email me.

Link to Genetics presentation schedule (https://goo.gl/Kmi9gS).  Please email me if you are wanting to fill a spot.  The questions that you ALL will be asked during your presentation (if not clear):
1)  Is this a chromosomal or gene mutation?  How do you know?
2)  How does this affect meiosis and/or mitosis?

Quiz on Tuesday will be on chapter 1, which includes:

• lab safety
• safety symbols
• matter & states of matter
• particle theory
• kinetic molecular theory
• atomic structure (general)
• atomic theorists

Thursday, 10th HoHo

Ahhhh

It seems like so long ago ...

I'm in Nanaimo meeting with a bunch of students teachers, Ministry of Education members, UVic, VIU, UBCO (all have innovative teacher-education) programs. 

It's blowing my mind just how keen people are AND how many good examples of learning there are. I'm also pushing some buttons, when I can, to see if I can make people feel "uncomfortable" about what is not happening ... that should be. 

Please stand by and continue to give me a little more patience to both: 
1/ get to marking your journals;
and 
2/ uploading the latest "Industrial Revolution" powerpoints. 

Here's the cartoon you asked for Ciara: 



Science Homework: Finish your formal lab write up.  If electronic, please email me. If created on a google doc, please share it with melaniepaas@gmail.com.

Wednesday, 9th HoHo

It was not Halloween, but we did "play" with glow sticks.  After discussing the scientific method (from video link given on Tuesday), we set up our formal lab and started on Glow Stick Chemistry lab.

Formal lab write up is due on Friday.  There are conclusions questions that will need to be researched.

Tuesday, 8th HoHo

Mr. Neufeld will share is presentations slides here shortly. In the meantime....

Your homework tonight: Please watch this video (Bozemann on the Scientific Method) and define all the terms used in the Scientific Method in preparation for our lab tomorrow.

I did not receive lab safety quizzes from Leo, Carmel, Abby, Jacob M., Mandi, Matthew and Sabrina.  You need to hand these in BEFORE you can do the lab tomorrow!  I do have 3 or 4 with no names....

Additionally, I have NOT received Genetic research presentations from (and hold on as it is a long list)...
Jess, Jacob B, Hannah, Trevor, Krishin, Cody, Leo, Tristan, Clarissa, Carmel, Madisenn, Cormac, Abby, Jacob M., Brennan, Matthew, Vienna, Crystal, Megan, Taylor, Rachel, MaKenna, Connor, Sabrina, Victoria, Kerice

Monday, 7th HoHo

After we discussed what the chemicals were that we used in the lab last Thursday and further added to our definition of the difference between physical and chemical change, Mr McKenzie led a great discussion on climate change.  Here is the link to his presentation (https://goo.gl/pgiylJ).  There are some great links and video clips that we didn't have time to watch.  You should all check it out further!

Friday, 4th HoHo

Mr. Neufeld will update this shortly.

Thursday, 3rd HoHo

Today we had a very interdisciplinary discussion about collecting data as evidence.  See yesterdays notes to look at the difference between quantitative observations and qualitative observations.  To practise our lab safety and making observations like scientists, we experimented with mixing 3 unknown substances together in different combinations, collected qualitative data and hypothesized whether the reactions were exhibiting a chemical change or a physical change.

Wednesday, 2nd HoHo

After Jan Unwin from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Advanced Education gave us insight into the future of assessment in education, a few of us headed down to the LC to show off our (e)co-valuation projects to Jan and members of UVic.

The rest of us continued discussing household and lab chemical safety (see notes here) in preparation for our lab tomorrow.  The Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) are the symbols that we will be seeing in our labs and therefore, it is important to be familiar with them.

Homework: Check out the different chemicals at your house to determine what kind of hazardous symbols they have.

Tuesday, HoHo 1st

It is not every day that you can see your teacher truly suck an egg!  And when she can't do it, we have leaders like Tristan to step up.  Thanks for helping, Tristan.  That was just AWESOME but gross of both of us who tasted it burnt egg.

Today we discussed the lab safety needed to be safe during our chemistry labs.  If you weren't there, watch this video to give you an overview.

Thank you to Ms. McAvoy for your help and for showing us how awful it may be if you get a strong acid or base into your eye (by a demo...she didn't actually get it into her eye...PHEW!).  You all received a take home, multiple choice test to complete on lab safety. This is your safety contract and must be DONE BEFORE you are allowed to do any labs.  Our first lab is Thursday so have it done by then.  Gracias!

PS. Jess, please send me that video so I can blog it.