We've had a busy start in middle school science! After we got to know our classroom community and procedures, we moved on to a pressing matter: how to identify poison ivy. We're going to spend time working on and learning on the Nature Trail this year and don't want While the 6th grade drew scientific illustrations of Toxicodendron radicans, the 7th and 8th grades came up with solutions to this itchy problem. Then the students presented their solutions (Pull it out! Avoid it! Spray it with herbicide!) and debated the pro's and con's of these proposals.
Last week (Sept. 14-18), we focused on the question, "What is Life?" and learned about the Six Characteristics of Living Things. Students in all classes generated questions about life on Earth, many of which we'll be revisiting as this year of LIFE SCIENCE progresses.
This week (Sept. 21-25), we'll begin to learn about the vast biodiversity that exists on Earth. We'll come up with our own ways of classifying items and learn about the classification systems that scientists have developed. Next week we have two guest speakers coming to our classroom-- Mary Lou Forward will share her own experiences with biodiversity in Madagascar, and Jesse Palmer will do trail work with us and discuss his upcoming trip to Antarctica. 7th and 8th graders met Jesse last year before he left for the South Pole, and he told me he's looking forward to seeing them again!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Contact Information
Guilford Central School
374 School Road
Guilford, VT 05301
phone: (802) 254-2271
If you'd like to reach Mrs. Davis, call the school and Mrs. Kerber will connect you to my room. I am at school from 8:00-12:30 every weekday. However, I am teaching classes for most of that time, so the best time to speak directly to me is 8:00-8:45 am. Of course, you may leave a message anytime and I will call you back. Another way to reach me is by email: rachel_davis@wsesu.org
I check this email daily.
374 School Road
Guilford, VT 05301
phone: (802) 254-2271
If you'd like to reach Mrs. Davis, call the school and Mrs. Kerber will connect you to my room. I am at school from 8:00-12:30 every weekday. However, I am teaching classes for most of that time, so the best time to speak directly to me is 8:00-8:45 am. Of course, you may leave a message anytime and I will call you back. Another way to reach me is by email: rachel_davis@wsesu.org
I check this email daily.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Welcome to the science blog!
Hello Guilford students, parents, and anyone else who is interested in the Guilford Middle School Science program! I'm starting this blog as a place to give you updates on what we're doing inside and out of the classroom. Here's what you will (eventually) find on this site:
- contact information for Mrs. Davis
- links to science websites
- science news (current events)
- important reminders about upcoming projects and due dates
- graphic organizers and handouts from class
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