Congratulations–You are winners– You won the Spirit Competition! I thought your were the best and now you’ve proven it with great energy and enthusiasm. Speaking of energy, we’ve been studying the great forces that account for our weather. You have been ” my sunshine” for a long time this year. I have been blessed and happy to have been your teacher this year, but it is time for me to retire. I will be spending time with my grandchildren–God is sending us a new one very soon! You will have a wonderful new teacher on Monday. I know you will welcome her enthusiasticly into your lives as you continue your studies.
There have been, and will sometimes be, “storms” in our lives. One beautiful quote for you and for me is from Aya with my extreme gratitude: “Don’t wait for the storm to pass–dance in the rain!” Thank you, thank you, thank you for the many kindnesses you have shown–you make it easy to be happy despite the hard work of learning and growing. I just want to wish you peace and joy as you continue your journey. I love each and every one of you and I hope you never forget where you came from. Remember what you’re made of. Finally, remember that He who created you and the universe loves you beyond measure, no matter what you do or don’t do…May God bless you always.
Your guide on the side,
Joann Rashid Harper
This week we are finishing up the semester as well as the study of “Nature of Storms.” Please be sure you have completed your science notebook while reading the chapter and study your class notes to be prepared for tomorrow’s quiz.
Nice weather we are having, indeed! This week we are taking a close look at the weather and we are flying like the wind…yes, that does have something to do with the Corolis efffect 
. Please complete the vocabulary study as usual, for chapter 12.1 and 12.2. Quiz on 12 and 13 will be combined and given next week. Make the foldables at the start of chapters 12 and 13 since we’ll be pulling info from both chapters this time. Read to fill them in as you study and draw pictures of the key ideas you are learning. Next, we’ll tackle how to read a weather map–the geo lab in chapter 12 and of course listen to Mr. Parr to help us remember the highlights! We’ll tackle the graphic organizers in the Science Notebook on Thursday and Friday, as well. Next week is a short week, due to MLK day, spirit week and the end of the first semester. (5th hour: Try the Geo lab for homework –only 1/2 hour–due to missing the class for Spirit Week Sign-ups). Have a great week and remeber that, just like all weather, “This too, shall pass!”
Welcome Back! I hope you had a wonderful vacation with your families and are happy and well rested as we meet again and welcome the New Year. Time will seem to go very quickly now and we are right back into the fast pace and routines. Remember that there is exactly one half hour of homework/study each schoolnight. (No more and no less, please.) Also, don’t forget about the Science Fair, if you were interested–Thank you, PTSA!
“How’s the Weather?” Let’s find out, together in the next few weeks!
This week: Read and study chapter 11. Make Vocabulary Cards (#21 page 306). Read the book and complete the Science Notebook graphic organizers as you do. The quiz is on Friday and will include the vocabulary and the concepts, as usual. Prepare the GeoLab activity (for Wednesday) by reading and creating a simple data table to use during observations. Use the online resources at the publisher’s site to enhance your study.
(Just a reminder that formative work will be scored next Monday, January 14th for 30% of your grade. No School on MLK Day, January 21st and there are 1/2 days for students on January 25th and January 28th when we will wind up for a new semester.)
This week we are finishing up our study of the hydrosphere and most of the material is found in chapter 10. Finish the vocabulary cards and study them for Thursday’s quiz. Read chapter 10. We’re working on our Science Notebook graphic organizers to study the texts as well. All should be completed by Thursday. Friday we’re planning our final lab activity to make an edible aquifer (which will very much resemble small root beer floats). Ask your parent if it is possible to donate one small portion of the aquifer or aquiclude and bring it in Thursday. View the concepts in motion at the publisher’s site, as usual. We completed a lab on soil permeability. Study your class notes from today and your vocabulary as we had a nice review of the main ideas and concepts in chapter 10. We completed the last lab activity on Friday, which required no write-up, but was a lot of fun! Yum!
Practice Test online Chapter 11. Quiz will be Friday, as usual, when you return. Keep your notebooks up to date–They are projects worth 30% of your grade. They will be scored on or about January 14.
I wish you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. It’s been wonderful working with you this year. I wish you and your families peace, joy, hope and most of all, love–still, always and ever, the most powerful force on the planet!
Sincerely,
Joann Rashid Harper
This week we are continuing our study of how the hydrosphere shapes the geosphere. Most of the information is in chapter 9. Please keep your science binders up to date, as though a project, as they will be handed in near the end of the marking period for a grade that counts for 30% of the report card grade. Most importantly, they are to help you stay organized and give you a place to put your work materials to study. This week: Finish the vocabulary notecards (pg 244); Complete the Science Notebooks for chapter 9; We’ll be filling out the stram development foldable for 9.2. Quiz is Thursday–study your notes and your vocabulary and review the concepts in motion.
Be sure you are keeping your Science Binder and your Science Notebook up to date. They are 30% of your grade and are considered a project for this marking period, to be collected in January. We are staying organized and using the table of contents to make it so please keep this up to date. Parent, please ask to see it and encourage your loved one in their efforts to do good work!
Please take the online practice test to preview chapter 10. New chapter 10 vocabulary is assigned and started in class. See page 272.
Finishing up our foundational studies of the rock cycle, summative assessment is slated for Tuesday. Homework (due Wednesday and also counted as part of the summative assessment): Draw the rock cycle, label the processes and sing about it while doing so . They look beautiful outside our classroom and show your talents!
This week we will start our study of Surface Water which moves materials produced by weathering and shapes the surface of the Earth. Much of the material will be found in chapter 9. Do the launch lab. Make the foldable to prepare for 9.2. Take the practice test online. We are making vocabulary cards in class. (See page 244) We are reading to fill out the graphic organizers for section 9.1 this week. We will complete chapter 9 early next week and test is likely Wednesday.
This week we are studying the Rock Cycle in Chapter 6.Please do the following activities if you are absent and missed instruction. Summative assessment is Tuesday. Written work should be done by Friday. (Power outage in West Dearborn made it impossible for some to finish homework. We went over the answers together after having a little time in class to work on it.)
Ch 6 Online Practice Test (Print out if possible and use as a study guide.)
Do the Launch Lab and the “Foldable” on page 133.
Do t he Mini Lab on page 136: Model Sedimentary Layering.
Read and study the chapter as you fill in the graphic organizers in your science notebook.
Ch 6 Power Point and the study guide questions at the end.
Vocabulary and science notebooks are due Friday.
Practice singing the Rock Cycle Song (Mr. Parr) to help you understand and remember.
This week we wrapped up our chapter 5 work with an assessment on Monday. We evaluated our Science binders for the last time this marking period. They will be returned later next week as we work on chapter 6. We spent a few moments with Bill Nye, the Science Guy reviewing Rocks and Soil…we’ll have to finish that when we return on Monday. No homework over Thanksgiving vacation except to spend some peaceful, calm and restful time with family and give thanks for everything on the earth! (If you ARE looking for something to do, I do encourage you to consider the Science Fair and Reflections Contests that are up and coming–could be FUN and profitable. ). Special thanks to 3rd hour’s Chanel, Sonya, Amanda, and Aya who made the hour especially SWEET as we wrapped up our discussion of igneous rocks (chapter 5) this week. HAPPY THANKSGIVING, Everyone–I am thankful for YOU!!!!!!
Chapter 4 Test was open book which delighted many people and brought out the best in you, for sure! We continue with our study 0f the rock cycles with chapter 5 this week. Did you take the online practice test and print it (if possible) before you began? Read and study the chapter and complete the Science Notebook for Thursday. We’re learning the rock cycle song and classifying igneous rocks this week. Special thanks to Lindsey for bringing in the rock candy treats to help us understand. We are making some rock candy in lieu of the chapter labs this week. Please READ the book, use the online chapter resources, the power point, (and the study guide at the end) as usual to help you get strong–Remember, my precious gems, that it takes a certain amount of pressure and the right minerals to create diamonds! Complete the chapter assessment 1-16 and study for Monday’s test. Have a nice weekend .
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