Detective Work

Some friend and I have been debating on the identity of this plant sample, found near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and need your help to settle this once and for all.  One of us says it is a moss, another insists it is a club moss, and the third claims it is not a plant at all, but a lichen.

Your job is to collect observations about this plant, using whatever tools you wish, and do some research online to help you determine which is the best way to classify this organism.  Then you will write a letter to me, in a business letter format, explaining your results.  You should give detailed reasons for  your decision, citing online sources.  You will probably need to do some basic research on all three of these types or organisms, so you can make the best decision.  Look for information about their physical characteristics, reproductive cycles, and other plants the specimen is related to. It would also be very helpful if you could include pictures, diagrams, or any other visually pertinent information.  If you believe your sample is comprised of more than one species, you should explain that too.

Here is a form to help you with the layout of your letter. http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonplans/format.pdf

Here is a rubric to help you score your letter.  Please print it out and staple it to your letter when you are ready to turn it in.

Good luck!

Lesson for Thursday 2/23

Hey kids - sorry I couldn't make it today!  The roads were HORRIBLE down here in Littleton.  )-:  I figured I owed it to everyone NOT to run Mrs. Risenhoover's car into a ditch and break my other leg trying to hobble through the snow on crutches.  


So, it's been a goofy week.  I decided to postpone the test until next week so we can review together tomorrow.  It doesn't make any sense to do the test tomorrow if we've only had basically one day together this week.  I knew you wouldn't mind.  (-;


Today, please spend some time finishing your outline if you need to, and look at the websites in the post right below this one.  There are section review quizzes and additional resources if you are ready for an extension activity.  


Go ahead and leave a comment on this post or send me an email if you have any questions or need help, or if you find some useful resources you want me to add to the blog post.  My email address is tnorton@plattecanyonsd1.org.


<3

Resources for Chapter 9 - Plants

If you are having trouble with your skeleton outline, you can download mine and fill it in.  Here is the link.

Visual Timeline

History of Plants Website
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When you are finished...

Seed Plants Brain Pop

Vascular Plants Animated Lesson

Section 1 Self Checking Quiz

Section 2 Self Checking Quiz

Section 3 Self Checking Quiz

Whole Chapter Review Quiz

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When you are DONE preparing for your test...

Medicinal Plants

More Medicinal Plants (Rainforest)

Why Leaves Change Color in the Fall

Why Leaves Change, For Kids

If you want to know the pine trees of Bailey by name... (You know who you are!)  <3

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=109 - Colorado Blue Spruce

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=105 - Douglas Fir

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=175 - Engelmann Spruce

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=177 - Lodgepole Pine

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=108 - Ponderosa Pine

Photosynthesis and Respiration Resources Found By Students

Resources for Photosynthesis and Respiration

Here is a powerpoint show you can use to help you practice using your manipulative tools.

Here is a video made by me - basically just the way I will teach it in class.

Self Checking Quizzes for Homework This Week

Chapter 3, Section 1

Chapter 3, Section 2

Geekswooning

You know what "geekswooning" is right?  ;-)  These girls are my heros!

Explorations for January 10 - Cells and Viruses

Bacteria cells - read about bacteria cells on the left side, and click some of the interesting links on the right side.  Especially, check out the agar art!  Draw a labeled bacteria cell in your notes.

Cell types BrainPop. and quiz...

Compare all three kinds of cells.  Are you very clear on what differences there are between prokayotic and eukaryotic cells?

Cell Parts Brain Pop.  and quiz...

A very thorough tutorial about eukaryotic cells.  Be sure to change it from animal to plant, and compare the differences.  Can you visualize what all of the parts of the cell are, and what they do, and how they work?  Be sure to read all of the words and click on each organelle.  Add to your cell diagram notes any information that you think will be useful for your test.

Section 1 Self-Checking Quiz.

Section 2 Self-Checking Quiz.

Read about how a flu virus spreads, be sure to check out the video!

Viral life cycle. Scroll down to about half way down the page to see an animated drawing of a virus infecting a cell.

Flu Virus infection animation

Section 3 Self-Checking Quiz.

Are you ready for Thursday's test?  Maybe you can think of some things you still need to review, and find resources to help you out.  Reread the chapter?  Study vocabulary?  Finish your homework?  Do the chapter review/practice test at the end of the chapter?

Cell Organelles Videos and Powerpoint Lesson

Chapter 2 Powerpoint

The Classification Rap

Here's the video everyone loves!

Resources for Geologic Time

Slideshow to go with Chapter 14

Greek and Romans found dinosaur fossils too - a podcast on how cultural context influences interpretation of findings

A pretty good geologic time line for 7th graders.  A little more info than you need, but not TOO much!

Can you put together dinosaur bones?  This is a fun paleontology puzzle.
A very pretty pictoral time line with visuals of what the earth may have looked like at all kinds of different points in Earth's history.  Click Start the Journey.  Skip through the introduction to see the much more interesting whole time line.

Lots of fun paleontology activities to do here.

An interactive tutorial on geologic time, including some of the stuff we've already learned (fossils, relative age, absolute age), but worth having another look at anyway.

Big 5 Mass Extinction Events from the BBC - very nice!

Dinosaurs in Denver (Discovery Channel)

Asteroid Theory (National Geographic)

Dinosaur games and puzzles

Put together a pile of bones to make a dinosaur skeleton 

Dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals - National Geographic

10 Myths About Dinosaur Extinction

Parenting in Dinosaurs

virtual dinosaur egg hatching

Reptile nerd heaven

Terrapin Turtles

The Clickable Crocodile 

Creation Wiki's Take on Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs A to Z - alphabetical list of many dinosaur species

... More to come!

Western Black Rhino Is Now Extinct

Coincidentally, we were just talking today in class about how extinction in general is a non-event in the geologic time scale, while mass-extinction is something different entirely.  Just saw this article about the Western Black Rhino's status changing to "extinct", as the last living animal was observed in 2006.

I'm not really sure how I feel about this "non-event."  Feels tragic to me...

Resources for Fossils and Geology

Here are some videos and other links that help illustrate some of the principles in Chapter 13...

This video illustrates the law of superposition in an easy-to-understand way.

Video explaining the three types of unconformities

 

This video explains absolute age and how we can use Carbon 14 isotopes to date once-living things.

This is the "Nerd-Version" for anyone who wants to really, really understand radioactive decay!

Fossils Powerpoint

Recipe for Salt Dough for homework.  If you don't have any clay or plaster or playdough, you can make your own.  Use sand, pebbles, dirt, spices, whatever... to make the different layers of rock.

Thinking About the Food Drive...

 

This is a video of a TV chef showing how to prepare some delicious food you can find at the food bank.

Here's what's on my mind.  Every year we have a food drive at school, and donate tons and tons of food for the local food banks.  This year, I'd like to push our food drive to a new level.  I want to learn more about how food banks and soup kitchens work, what kinds of people are "food insecure", what kinds of people volunteer at soup kitchens and food banks, and how to best get involved in helping the needy.  So I've been doing a little research...

Ever thought about "volunteering at a soup kitchen"?  I think it's something a lot of people talk about, but I wonder if anyone ever actually does it.  I looked into volunteering at a soup kitchen and was shocked to see what goes into providing enough food for all the hungry people who show up for lunch.  Here are the volunteer guidelines and soup recipes for a soup kitchen that serves between 700 and 1000 meals a day.  In Denver, you have to be 14 to volunteer...  )-:  But we can still help out in our own way, right?  (-:

Food Bank of the Rockies is a great place to volunteer if you are over 14.

I've also been thinking about the kinds of foods we donate to the food bank.  Most years we reward students for the number of food items brought in.  This means that kids are bringing in whatever unused stuff they have in their own pantry that no one wants to eat, or they are buying really cheap items, like ramen noodle soup, so they can get the most reward for their dollar.  But if I was in need of help feeding my family, and all we had to choose from was creamed spinach and ramen noodles, I would really worry about whether or not my kids were getting balanced, healthy nutrition.

I'd sure like to see kids bring in LESS food, and make it MORE of the stuff people would really want to eat, and which would help them meet their nutrition needs, rather than just fill the food drive box.

Here is a list I compiled from my research about what food banks are asking for...

• Peanut Butter (provides ready to eat, kid-friendly, portable protein)
• Cereal (less sugar is better)
• Tuna and other canned meat (non-perishable protein)
• Beans of all kinds - dry, canned, pinto, black, refried, kidney
• Rice - instant, wild rice, brown rice, or any kind of rice
• Macaroni and Cheese - easy!
• Chili - dry mix or canned
• Canned Stews - filling, easy to prepare, great for small portions (seniors who live alone, etc)
• Canned Soups - lower sodium is better, chunky soups are more filling
• Canned Lunch Meats
• Full Meals in a Can/Box - many people don't have the extra ingredients needed to make a recipe from scratch.  If all of the ingredients are in the box, that is often better
• “Pop Top” Food Items - something most of us wouldn't think about...  some folks don't have can openers, or have arthritis and can't operate them.
• Non-food items - food stamps can't be used on non-food items - things like diapers, toothbrushes, toothpaste, cleaning products, shampoo, feminine hygiene products, deodorant, coloring books, etc.

I also found that there are many items people try to donate to food drives, but the food banks can't take them.  Here is a list of items you can't donate to a food bank...

• Home-canned or Homemade Goods
• Rusty or Unlabeled Cans
• Alcoholic Beverages, Mixes or Soda
• Opened or Used Items
• Glass Containers (they may break)
• Baby Food in Glass Jars (but baby food in boxes or plastic jars is okay)
• Over-The-Counter or Prescription Drugs
• Food After or Very Close to its Expiration Date

Here is a cool poster you can print to help advertise the items most needed...

12 Most Wanted Posters

 Know what else I learned?  Dollar for dollar, your donation goes a lot farther if you just donate money to the food bank, rather than share your dollar with the grocery store.  Food banks can buy a lot more healthy food at a better discount, using monetary donations, and can even buy some perishable items, like fresh fruits and veggies.  My conclusion, if you have food in your pantry your family will not eat, by all means, donate it!  But rather than buying items from the grocery store simply to donate for a food drive, you'd be better off giving your money directly to the food bank.  Here is a link you can use to donate money to the Rocky Mountain Resource Center.  https://www.givingfirst.org/addToCart.do?organizationId=27214What could be easier?

 One more thing I discovered is that often times people don't know how to prepare the bulk ingredients found at their food bank. People often prefer the pre-packaged convenience foods because they are easier to make, but they are not very good for you.  Also, they get snatched up quickly from the food bank shelves, leaving only ingredients that need preparation.  I found one simple cookbook with recipes designed for food bank clients.  I was thinking students at FMS could prepare a cookbook and have it printed, and give them to the foodbank in addition to our food donations.

Well, these are all big ideas, and I can't pull them off by myself!  If you are interested in being a part of my little project to take the food bank to a new level, please contact me at the school.

Tiffany Norton
tnorton@plattecanyonsd1.org
(303) 838-2054 x 1413

Chapter 12 and Glossary

Here is Chapter 12, in case you need it...  And it occurs to me you might need a glossary!

Blog on Climate

Your challenge today is to write a blog post about Climate Change. The requirement is simple:  250 - 500 words, on any aspect of climate change that interests you.  I will choose up to three blog posts to publish here on this blog.

First, take the Carbon Footprint Calculator Quiz.  Open the link in a new tab so you can come back here easily.

Next, decide what you want to write about.  Ideas ...

What does Carbon Footprint mean?
What is 350.org?
What are greenhouse gases?
How to decrease your carbon footprint.
Wangari Maathai, and what her work has to do with climate.
Rainforest degradation and climate.
Desertification and climate.
Polar bears and climate change.
What does eating meat have to do with your carbon footprint?
Is "organic" better for the environment?
Climate change is everyone's problem.
Arguments against climate change.
What is the number one thing you can do to reduce your carbon footprint?
Which countries have the largest and smallest carbon footprints?
What are carbon offsets?
What is cap-and-trade?
Is climate change good?
 
Then start collecting some research.  In a good blog post, you will include quotes and links to other sources by highlighting the text you wish to link, and then inserting a hyperlink to the URL, so that your reader can click for further information.  Look above - see how you can click the words, "Carbon Footprint Calculator Quiz"?  You will need to include at least three hyperlinks in your blog post. You must also include at least one photo or video.  When including photos or videos, you must include a caption below, with the URL for the page the photo or video was taken from.

Write your blog post in Microsoft Word.

When you have finished, SAVE AS [your name]climateblog in your home file. 

SAVE AS, again, [your name]climateblog in the J drive, inside the 7th grade science folder, where you will find a folder called Nortons Inbox.  This is how your work will be graded.

If you must do your blog post at home, you can email it to me as an attachment.

Chapter 11, in case you need it

Here is a link to a copy of the CD book, in case you are using the online version and have trouble.  Test is Thursday of next week.  Have a great weekend!

Chapter 11

P and S waves rap for 10-4

Quite possibly the most boring educational rap on the web, but it sure does the job...  Maybe one of my youtubers can find me a better one.  (-:

Wangari Maathai

Please watch the following video about Wangari Maathai, and then work together to read the Discussion Guide.  In what ways does Wangari Maathai's story serve as a connecting point for Kindness Day, International Towne, and Earth Science?

Taking Root The Vision of Wangari Maathai


Another video you can watch:

Chapter 10 in Earth Science

Here is a link to a copy of the CD version of the text book.  Just Chapter 10.  I hope this helps!  If you are having trouble listening, see if there's a yellow warning bar at the top of the page.  Click options, and then tell it to "trust this document always."  That should work.

Chapter 10