Excellent JOB!

Wow!  You guys did a great job! I was terribly impressed with all the things I saw, and I know our judges were very enthusiastic but also hard-pressed to make selections.  Inquiry to investigation, and thoroughness were the hallmarks of what they were looking for; you guys made it tough to pick.

That being said, I know it's not easy to pour a lot of work into something and not get the results or accolade you hoped to receive.  I've completely been there myself.   If I had a nickel for every time I'd tried something and failed,  I could buy us all a Blizzard (the big kind)!  But I think I can honestly say that I learned more from my "not-quite" experiences than  my "easy" ones.   And I'm not  alone.

 I read an essay about a noted scientist last week-one who's authored several books, done landmark work in genetics, and been president of universities, etc.- and he loved lab science dearly.  He was hired by a research university to study DNA.   He found himself at a critical point in his career with his research going very badly.   It's "a reality every scientist encounters. " It was a very upsetting and discouraging time, but in the midst of it, he realized that not only had he lost his research footing, he'd lost his faith, and he missed a relationship with the living God desperately.  He had put his faith in the wrong thing: himself.

He dropped to his knees and began that moment to seek Christ again, and live every day as if He were real.

I've been privileged to have gotten taught by him for a week.  His science would blow you away, but what you remember is the grace and humility of Chris that shines through his words and his careful consideration of how best to be Jesus to those around him.  His failure led him back to the source.  God led him to new opportunities, and his family also came to Christ.

And science fair is important, and learning is amazing.  I am continually geeked out about what God has made and how Christ holds it all together and it's fun to open those surprises in class together.

But Christ is all.  May you realize that no matter how incredible creation is, it is only a joyful reminder of the Love that holds it all together. And I pray that in the growth of joy or disappointment, you may realize His joy in you.  Keep seeking!

 And periodic table all the way to Xenon this week, then we are calling it a great start to getting acquainted with Mendeleev's great idea.

We'll finish with investigation of harmful substances, then prepare for a nutrition unit.  Between DC, Spring Break, and conference week,  middle school will have one open book quiz on Thursday 3/27, last periodic table quiz (unless you want a challenge, then see me), and 6th and 7th grade students will have an assignment to prep for nutrition that Anna, Livi, and the other eighth grade students have completed with Mrs. Anderson.

New class focus beginning April 21.

SCIENCE FAIR IS NEXT WEEK!

 Science fair is next week!  So exciting! I cannot wait.  I will be ribbon shopping this weekend!


We won't have a quiz next week over vocabulary.   On Tuesday, we will have a periodic table test over #1-46 including technetium, ruthenium, rhodium, and palladium as our newest.  It also includes some random but oldies out of the most common.  (Tin, platinum, plutonium, gold, silver, iodine, uranium, radon, and radium.) We're almost to the halfway point, which is our contribution to your high school chemistry and beyond!  You've done a great job with this.

Most of you did a great job listening and participating today with our guest speaker on autoimmune disease.  Thanks, parents, for letting your kids take a gander at their blood sugar.  Hopefully, they came away better informed  and determined to avoid the preventable forms of such diseases.

UPDATE!

I've uploaded the grading scale for your science fair projects below.

Problem: Finds an original problem to investigate which is interesting to the student and which can be tested (10 pts.)

Hypothesis development: Developed a hypothesis as an educated guess with a reason for that guess. (10 pts.)

Description of Procedure: Procedures were outlined in a step-by- step fashion that could be followed by anyone without additional explanations. (10 pts.)

Data Collection: Data was collected several times. It was summarized independently, in a way that clearly describes what was discovered. (10pts.)

Data Representation: Data was organized into a data table and a graph was made (if appropriate) and correctly labeled. (10 pts.)

Diagrams or Pictures: Provided accurate, easy-to-follow diagrams, pictures, or drawings that showed parts of the experiment. (10 pts.)

Display Board: Each of the parts of the experiment are neatly and clearly written and labeled. (20 pts.)

Scientific Report: Each step of the experiment is neatly, clearly, and accurately presented using the required format. Spelling and grammar are correct. (20 pts.)

              

              

Immune system

Science fair countdown: 10 days!

This week's periodic table elements: 1-42 plus the nine additional common elements.  (See previous blog post if it's a head scratcher.)

This week we're studying the immune system, starting on p. 370. 

Vocabulary includes:

lymphatic system, lymph, lymph nodes, tonsils, thymus, spleen,  allergen, antibiotics,  active immunity, passive immunity,  white blood cells, macrophages, t-cells, b-cells, antigens, antibodies. 

Don't just" know what these mean"; listen in class, think and seek to make sense of how they work together. 

Also:  the lymphatic system is your body's secondary line of defense.  What's the first?