In case you missed Back to School Night on September 25, 2008... Details on our first team field trip (Scroll down for science class info):  8 Orange Hike Up Mt. Wachusett Friday, October 8, 2008 (Rain date: October 15, 2008) "Because it is there." --George Mallory (1886-1924), answering the question, “Why do you want to climb Mt. Everest?” Why do you want to climb Mt. Wachusett? It’s an opportunity to: •       Spend a beautiful New England fall day outside •       Spend some quality time with your child, as well as the other 8 Orange students and their teachers. •       Take part in an 8 Orange team-building activity More chaperones allows for small adult-to-child ratios in climbing groups DETAILS: •       Depart from RJ Grey around 9:30 a.m.; return by 2:00 •       Groups will be dropped off at several locations around the base of the hill and all meet at the top for lunch; the whole team hikes down together. If you’d like to chaperone: •       Contact one of the 8 Orange Team Teachers ASAP—let us know you want to join us! •       CORI form required (if you completed one last year, you should be all set!) Your responsibility, if you choose to chaperone: ·       Accompany students.  Take charge in the (unlikely) event of an emergency. ·       Dress for the hike and the weather! Some Information about Science Class (for more info, see your child's "Class Requirements" page, in their science binder) 8 range Science Mrs. Brandy Schmirer Phone: 978-264-4700 x3372               e-mail: bschmirer@mail.ab.mec.edu Welcome to Back to School Night 2008! Texts: Forces, Motion, and Energy;  Holt Rinehart, and Winston, Inc.           SciencePlus Technology and Society:  Level Blue; Holt Rinehart, and Winston, Inc. Course Content: The 8th grade curriculum, like the 7th grade, is an integrated science curriculum.  Over the course of the year, students are exposed to a variety of scientific disciplines and themes.   Physics: Force, Motion, and Energy (Holt: Forces, Motion, and Energy): Ä       What are speed, velocity, and acceleration? Ä       What is a force? Ä       How are forces and motion related (Newton’s Three Laws of Motion)? Ä       How can forces be measured? Ä       What is work, in a scientific sense?   Ä       How do simple machines make work easier? Ä       How does work relate to energy? Ä       What are some types of energy? Chemistry: Particles (Unit 2 in SciencePlus: Level Blue): Ä       What evidence is there that matter is made of particles? Ä       How does the particle model explain the properties of solids, liquids, and gases? Ä       What is the effect of temperature changes on the particles making up matter? Ä       What are chemical changes versus physical changes? Ä       What is the general structure of the atom? Ä       How is the Periodic Table of Elements organized?   Biology: Life Processes (Unit 1 in Level Blue): Ä       What are the main features of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells? Ä       How are plant and animal cells similar and different? Ä       Why is water important to living things? Ä       How do plants harness the Sun’s energy to produce food? Ä       How do living things get energy from food? Ä       Why do we breathe?   Ä       What is cellular respiration, and how is it similar to burning? Biology: Continuity of Life (Unit 8 in Level Blue): Ä       What does it mean to “inherit” your traits? Ä       What part of a cell controls the formation of new cells?  How is this accomplished? Ä       What patterns did Gregor Mendel discover in his research? Ä       How is genetic information organized? Grading: Grades are calculated on a points-possible basis.  Students are encouraged to maintain a “Grade Tracker” with all scores, which allows them to calculate their science grade at any time. Supporting Your Child at Home: This year’s studies involve more abstract concepts—namely, thinking and learning about things that can’t necessarily be seen or touched (e.g., molecular structure and processes; energy; DNA and heredity).  This challenge is healthy, as it promotes expansion of thinking and exposes children to models of problem-solving and learning that stress independence, flexibility, and collaboration.  However, with challenge sometimes comes frustration.  Here are some ways to lend support to your child at home.         Validate and empathize with their feelings around difficulties, and assure them that this struggle does not mean they are “dumb.”         Help them to decipher and articulate what specific problems they are having.         Lend encouragement by speaking of the rewards of patience and perseverance.           Encourage them to seek extra help from me.  I am available every Tuesday after school, from 2:10 until 2:45.  I am also available before or after school by appointment—if students let me know they want to drop by at a particular time, I always do my best to accommodate them! Ä       Use my website to find information about team news, course content, and assignments: http://mail.ab.mec.edu/~bschmirer. This page is linked to the RJ Grey site.  I update this page frequently, so check in often!