Weekly blog 3/30/17

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Image link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Periodic_table_large.png

Summary: This week we learned about the peridoc table and what an atomic number is, what an atomic symbol is, what an atomic mass is, and how to find the amount of neutrons in an element. An atomic number is what signifies how many protons and electrons an element has. An atomic symbol symbolizes an element like O is oxygen and an atomic mass is how many ions are in an element. Then you need to find how many neutrons are in an element. You first find the amount of protons and electrons in the element by looking at the atomic number assuming the element is neutral. Then you find the atomic mass and substract the number of protons from the atomic mass.

SP5: Using mathematics and computational thinking

Mathematical and computational approaches enable prediction of the behavior of physical systems along with the testing of such predictions.

Did you perform any math calculations?

Answer: Yes I preformed math calculations by subtracting the atomic number by the atomic mass. for example if I wanted to find how many neutrons were in oxygen then I would find the atomic number and mass. The atomic number is 8 and the mass is 15.999 but I'm going to make it 15 so it's easier. If I subtract 8 from 15 then I should get the number of neutrons which is 7.

Weekly blog 3/26/17

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Image link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Graduated_Cylinder_low_form_250ml.svg

Summary: This week we learned about volume, density, mass, and a water displacement method. Volume is the amount of space that an object takes up or a space within an object. Density is how tight something is or how many things are in a certain amount of space. Density can also be mass over volume. Then mass is the amount of matter within a space. Then we did a water displacement method. First you fill a graduated cylinder up to milliliters. Then you put in what you want to measure in the cylinder. Lastly you see how much the water went up and that's your volume for that object.


SP5: Using mathematics and computational thinking:
Mathematical and computational approaches enable prediction of the behavior of physical systems along with the testing of such predictions.

Did you perform any math calculations?

Answer: Yes we preformed math calculations because we did an experiment in class. The experiment required a formula of how high 10 pennies was. Another one was when we had to find the density by using mass over volume.

Weekly blog 3/19/17

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Image link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atom_diagram.png

Summary: This week I learned about atoms and matter. I learned that an atom has a nucleus that's made up of neutrons and protons. Then on the outside there are electrons going around the nucleus this is what makes up an atom. Protons, neutrons, and electrons are the 3 subatomic parts of an atom. A proton has a positive charge, a neutron has a neutral charge, and an electron has a negative charge. Then matter can be anything that takes up space some examples are chairs, tables, marker, a pencil, a computer, etc. I also learned that if there are more protons than nuetrons and electrons then the ion becomes positive. An ion is an atom with an electrical charge.

SP7: Engaging in argument from evidence

In science, reasoning and argument are essential for clarifying strengths and weaknesses of a line of evidence and for identifying the best explanation for a natural phenomenon.

Did you participate in a class discussion providing evidence for your answers, and/or used the ACE strategy in your work?

In class we discussed what matter was and described/said some examples of matter (a classmate or an object in the classroom). We also watched the teacher present a google slide about what made up an atom and in tables we helped each other with google doc questions. In class we also took notes so we could use them in class.

Weekly blog 3/12/17

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Image link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Complete-circle-foodchain.jpg

Summary: This week I learned about the food chain. A food chain explains how an environment works. Such as what animal eats what or if they're a decomposer, consumer, or producer. The image up above is an example. The producer is the plants and the consumer is the grasshopper, the mice for eating the grasshopper, the snake for eating the mouse , and the hawk for eating the snake. Then when the hawk dies it's decomposed into nutrients. The nutrients goes to the plants and the process starts all over again. There's also something called a food web which is just like a food chain but more descriptive and complicated. An example is if the hawk eats a small bird and the snake then the food chain would branch out to what the small bird eats.

SP2: Developing and using models
Models make it possible to go beyond things you observe and simulate a world not yet seen. Models enable predictions of the form “if…then… therefore” to be made in order to test hypothetical explanations.

Did you build a model, draw a picture, created a concept map, etc?

We made a food chain on a piece of paper so that we could all understand it better.

Weekly blog 3/5/17

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Image link: http://www.edinburghgardenschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/carbon-cycle.jpg



Summary: This week I learned about the carbon cycle. First in the carbon cycle carbon dioxide is in the air which plants absorb for photosynthesis. The plant is then eaten by an animal and then the animal dies. Once the animal dies it's body decays. When the body decays it decays into the ground which makes fossil fuels. The fossil fuels are things like coal or oil. The fossil fuels are then taken to a factory to be made into energy. The factory lets out excess carbon dioxide (CO2) into the air again. The process then starts all over again.

SP6: Constructing explanations and designing solutions
The goal of science is the construction of theories that provide explanations about the natural world.  explanatory power.

Did you explain something through your work?
(This may be when you researched something)

We researched about the carbon cycle by reading a packet on how a dinosaurs breath survives and goes into a cycle.