Week 26 and 27

Back from Spring Break!
a.k.a. The most needed and well-deserved holiday EVER.

I spent my break playing Assassin's Creed, Knitting (niece or nephew due in July), Teaching myself JavaScript and HTML, and planning out our Genetics unit.

This past week went by so quickly! I'm not complaining though. I can feel summer just around the river bend.

Monday and Tuesday:
To eat up some of the time until we could start a new unit (and hey, any excuse for a project) I had my kids do a brochure.

They were tasked with creating a theme park based on one or more of the body systems. All of my kids picked one and stuck with it. Here's a link to the rubric I created for this brochure:
Theme Park Brochure

We spent all of Monday and Tuesday on this project, and many of the kids weren't finished. I think it's because I spent so long explaining the requirements. In the past I've skimmed and expected them to read the rubric and that hasn't worked out  so well. I'd rather sacrifice some time up front to prevent constant confusion.

Here's the best brochure from the bunch:

Gotta love those Honors kids.

Wednesday:
We played Trashketball to review the Body Systems Unit

Thursday: Body Systems Test

Friday:
Today was originally slated as early release. The district pushed it back last minute for use after Easter for UIL. I decided to use today as a way to go over the test. The kids are doing better and better on my tests overall. I think we've finally found a studying and reviewing system that works!

This upcoming week is going to be CRAZY in the extreme.

Monday and Tuesday: STAAR writing
I will likely only have 2 or 3 of my normal 6 classes these days. To make sure no one gets ahead, and the kids get a chance to rest their weary brains, I'm having them watch Bill Nye/Magic Schoolbus/Captain Planet.

Wednesday:
Today we're officially beginning the genetics unit (YAY)
As always, day 1 begins with vocabulary. Our words for this unit:
DNA (chromosome was a word during the cell unit so we'll just use DNA this time)
Asexual Reproduction
Budding
Sexual Reproduction
Uniform Offspring
Diverse Offspring
Inherited Trait
Dominant Trait
Recessive Trait
Heredity
Gene
Allele





Thursday is an early release day before Easter. I will be at the oral surgeon getting my wisdom teeth out (EEP) and the kids will be watching the Bill Nye over Genetics. I'm equal parts excited and terrified. I am allergic to hydrocodone, so I'm not sure what they'll give me for the pain post-surgery.



Friday is Easter so no school!

I hope everyone out there has a safe and joyful Easter.
~Ms. Kat

Week 25

Another doozy of a week. This entire spring (if you can even call it that) has been crazy. And it's only going to get crazier!

Monday- Heart and lungs part of the fetal pig dissection

Tuesday- We had intended to open up the skulls of our pigs today and investigate the brains. Unfortunately, in 2nd period, 7/8 of the brains were mush. One group managed to get the skull open without cutting the membrane around the brain, so I decided to use that as an example and close up the dissection early. All other classes got to look and touch the brain, but not dissect.

I had this video I'd intended to show the kids next week after the mock STAAR. A word of warning:

I had not watched this video yet. It was an hour and a half long, and I had no time (this was a plan D, last-minute backup). If I had, I'd have edited out a few parts. There's a scene where a woman gives birth, and even though it was well done, the kids were a bit....shocked? They weren't expecting it (and neither was I). There's also a shot during the nursing section of a nipple leaking milk. While I'm all for normalizing the female body, birth, and nursing, I was afraid some parents might consider this a bit young. I did have one parent call the school to inquire, but my administration is very supportive so all is well.

Inside the living body

Wednesday- We spent some time completing the analysis questions of our lab packets and discussed the questions and answers as a class. I showed my kids a model of a lung because no one could really grasp the idea of breathing. Here's a video of how to create the model. I used the instructions out of my ScienceFusion lab book.

Model Lung

The kids found it fascinating. They couldn't understand that the chest cavity was essentially a vacuum and negative pressure caused the lungs to expand. A great moment once they got it!

We also continued the Living Body video from Tuesday

Thursday:
I was out this day, so I left them a Measuring up on the body systems.

Friday:
We took some notes on Homeostasis, and internal/external stimuli.
We had a surprise guest speaker today. Melvin Adams came during 3rd and 4th period and gave a lovely presentation. His friend (whose name I cannot remember) also spoke and rapped some inspiration for the upcoming STAAR. Very cool show.

Next week is going to be CRAZY CAKES.

Monday: mock STAAR
Tuesday: mock STAAR
Wednesday: Homeostasis lab
Thursday: Measuring up Internal/External Stimuli
Friday: Early Release Bill Nye!

And then spring break happens! Thank goodness too. We're all getting a little frustrated and overwhelmed.

Peace and love,
Ms. Kat