Travis Middle School Science

6th Grade

The 6th graders will begin the study of Taxonomy (the science of classifying organisms).  The afternoon class started this lesson last week.  The morning class will be catching up quickly.  I hope to have a unit test by Friday or Monday for both sections.

7th & 8th Grade

I’ve discovered that Taxonomy is an important part of the STARR test, but due to this year’s re-organization of C-Scope, that it is only now addressed in the 6th grade.  So that the students are not lacking in the knowledge required to be successful on the STAAR test, I will be teaching Taxonomy to both the 7th and 8th grade.  The 7th grade will have more rigorous version of the 6th grade’s lesson, and the 8th will be more rigorous than the 7th.

There will be several microscope labs associated with this unit.  Few homework assignments will be given.

Our week will be fractured due to the STAAR tests being administered to the 7th and 8th Grade.  Only the afternoon classes will be “normal”.

6th Grade

In an effort to complete our current unit, the 6th grade will take a test on microscopes and cells Monday.  The morning class will only meet on Monday and Friday.  To keep both 6th grade classes in the same place, the afternoon classes will be reviewed on material that they’ve previously covered.  We will resume the C-scope schedule next week discussing how organisms are classified.

7th Grade

The 7th grade will take their test on genetics Monday.  They will not have science class again until next Friday.

8th Grade

The 8th grade will meet normally all week.  We will continue our STAAR review through Wed.  I encourage all students/parents to review all of the review work that has been done in the past week.  Each student has both the sample questions and corrected answer sheets.  Those questions that have been missed should be reviewed.  All of this material has been taught in the past two years, unfortunately, some students seem to have misplaced the knowledge.

We begin our final 6-week’s period of the 2011-2012 school year this week.  These final weeks are always a challenge due to last minute preparation for the pending state mandated tests (STAAR).

6th Grade

Students will learn about the structure and function of cells, about scientists who led to the development of the cell theory, and how to use a microscope to determine that organisms are composed of cells.  We begin our week with a quiz on the parts/proper use of the microscope, followed by several labs in which each student will have an opportunity to both prepare slides and to observe actual plant and human cells.

7th Grade

Students will develop their understanding that in some organisms, all of the genes come from a single parent (asexual reproduction), whereas in organisms that have sexes, half of the genes come from each parent (sexual reproduction). Students build on prior knowledge of dominant and recessive traits and the role genes play in heredity.

8th Grade

The 8th grade will deviate from the CSCOPE schedule for the next three weeks.  We will be doing STAAR reviews 2-3 times per week.  To insure that all students make an effort during this review, all of the work will be graded as homework/quiz grades.  Once the STAAR tests are complete at the end of April, we will again resume the CSCOPE schedule.

Lesson Plans for the week of April 16th, 2012

This is the final week of the 5th 6-week.  All classes will take their 6-week’s test and turn in their notebooks by mid-week this week.

6th Grade

The 6th Grade test will be given on Tuesday, April 10th.   The test will cover the following units:  Structure of the Earth; Earth Materials; Plate Tectonics.  Science  notebooks will be due this day as well.

7th Grade

The 7th Grade test will be given on Tuesday, April 10th.   The test will cover the human organ systems, Endocrine, Immune, Reproductive, Muscular, Skeletal, Integumentary, Nervous, Digestive, Excretory, Respiratory, and Circulatory.  Science  notebooks will be due this day as well.

8th Grade

The 8th Grade test will be given on Wednesday, April 11th.  The test will cover the following units:  Light Years & Origins of the Universe; Stars & Galaxies; and Interdependence Among Living Systems.  Science notebooks will be due on Wednesday.

We will begin reviewing for the STAAR test this week.  This state issued science test will be given in three weeks.

All classes are winding down their units this week.  Next week will be 6-week’s tests.

The names of students with missing grades will be posted on the back board on Monday.  All missing grades must be made up by the end-of-day on Tuesday or zero’s will be assigned.

6th Grade

The 6th grade will begin a review of the units done this 6-weeks.  They will be taking their 6-weeks test early next week, about Tuesday.  Notebooks will be due on that day as well.  Parents, please be sure that your child has come in for a re-take of the plate tectonic quiz given last Monday.  Some students still need to come in for the re-do.

7th Grade

The 7th Grade will take a vocabulary quiz on Monday.  The list of vocabulary words are attached, Immune, Endocrine, and Reproductive Systems Vocabulary Terms, and all students were supposed to have downloaded the current powerpoint onto their laptop on Friday.  On Tuesday, we will have a unit test.  Preparation for the 6-weeks test will begin on Wed, with the test being given about Tuesday of next week.

8th Grade

We are finishing our unit on the interactions of organisms and their environment this week.  Part of this unit is to review “Genetics” which was taught last year.  The genetics unit is important as it will be part of their Star test in three weeks.  Students may expect a unit test, which will be a C-scope test, about Wednesday.

Students will begin STAAR testing this week.  These tests will occur on the mornings of the 27th and 28th.  The only science classes that will be effected will be the 6th and 7th grades.  The 7th grade will miss two days of instruction.  The morning class of 6th graders will also miss two days of class.  The afternoon 6th grade class will be remediated during their class time.  The 8th Grade classes will not lose any instructional time.

Lesson Plans for the week of March 26th 2012

As we begin the last half of the 5th 6-weeks, we will have many interruptions to our instruction.  Between our STAAR tests and atheletic events, it will be difficult to keep an “normal” schedule.

As the 4th week of this grading period starts, I plan to send out progress reports.  Look for your child’s report the first part of this week.  Bonus points will be assigned for each student that returns a signed report the very next day.

Lesson Plans for the week of March 19th, 2012

6th Grade

The 6th grade will begin a study of the theory of plate tectonics for the remainder of this 6-week’s period.  We have already discussed many of these concepts during our study of rock formation, but this unit will help students understand how that events such as earthquakes and volcanoes occur.

7th Grade

We will continue our discussion of human body systems.  Prior to spring break, we began discussing the muscular/skeletal system.  This venue will continue this week.  A vocabulary quiz will be given on Wednesday or Thursday .  The list of vocabulary words will be given out on Monday (Muscular, Skeletal, & Integumentary Systems Vocabulary)

8th Grade

The 8th Grade will be reviewing for their STARR test at least a couple of days a week for the next month.    Monday and Tuesday will be used to review the benchmark tests that most students have taken twice this year.

We will begin a unit that discusses relationships that occur within an ecosystem.  This unit will begin on Wednesday.

Since today is the deadline for all missing work from the first two weeks, I will send out progress reports on Tuesday rather than today.  This will give me an opportunity to update the grade status of the students who want to wait until the last minute….which by the way is the end of the day today.

This is the last week of school before spring break.  I hope to finish all of our units, and perhaps start on new units, before the week is done.  Although it would be nice to have all unit tests on Friday, I’ll not do so as so many families will be starting their spring break early.

I’ll be sending progress reports out on Monday for parent signatures.  All students are encouraged to return those progress reports the following day (Tuesday) for bonus points.

6th Grade

The 6th Grade continues to discuss the types of rocks, the rock cycle, and we’ll start discussing plate tetonics the first of the week.  The unit should be complete by Wed or Thursday.  We should be able to have a unit test either Wednesday or Thursday.

7th Grade

The 7th Grade will have a vocabulary quiz Monday.  About Wednesday, or possibly Thursday, there will be a unit test on the nervous, digestive, and excretory systems.  We will be studying the muscular & skeletal systems when we return from spring  break.

8th Grade

The 8th Grade will have a vocabulary quiz on Monday.  We will do a lab activity on the H-R diagram early in the week and complete the unit by Wednesday or Thursday.  A unit test will be given before the end of the week.

Although we will continue on with the C-scope program, we will be taking time to review for the upcoming STAAR tests.  The science test will occur the end of April…the next to last test that the 8th Graders will take.

Lesson Plans:  March 5th 2012

6th Grade

The 6th Grade will review the different layers of the Earth on Monday and test on this information on Tuesday.  On Wednesday, we will begin our discussion on the types of rocks and how they are formed.

7th Grade

The 7th Grade will continue their discussion of human body systems this week.  We will be testing the respiratory/circulatory system on Tuesday or Wednesday, and starting on the Nervous/Digestive system.

8th Grade

8th Graders will be testing on Light Years and Origins of the Universe on Tuesday.  On Wed, they will start a unit on how stars are classified.

Lesson Plans:  Feb 27th, 2012