A STEM Designated School
A STEM Designated School
8th grade put their knowledge of genetics to the test this week with the creation of their own mythical creatures, the Bloop. They randomly drew two “chromosomes” and interpreted the alleles on those chromosomes to determine the traits exhibited by their individual creatures. Then, we explored the idea that individuals can acquire different traits over their lifetime, and the teams added an acquired trait to their Bloop.
Moving on to the next stop in their unit on cells - essential chemical compounds! The 6th grade used iodine as an indicator to determine which of their samples contained starch (a form of carbohydrate) and which did not.
6th grade is expanding their study of cells to organization within an organism. They used Legos (and some collaboration and problem solving) to model the way specialized cells combine to form tissues, organs, and organ systems.
7th grade is beginning a unit on electricity and circuits, and spent last Friday exploring static electricity. We attempted to light a light bulb using a balloon, lit a fluorescent tube with our plasma globe, and made “lightning” using pennies!
7th grade introduced their chemical reactions unit with a classic favorite - vinegar and baking soda! We took some time to observe the properties of the vinegar and the baking soda before the reaction, and then again afterwards. We used these observations to discuss what we think was happening inside those beakers. One curious phenomenon we noticed… after the reaction, the beaker was curiously cold. Want to know why? Ask a 7th grader!
Another successful camp trip in the books! 6th grade recently spent two adventure-filled days at Camp Christopher, and we loved every minute of it. Team-building, problem-solving, mini-golf in the rain, camp legends around a “campfire”, zip-lining, hiking… we did it all! Keep an eye on the SJS Facebook page for the rest of our pictures!
8th grade got up and moving last week during our Flex Day! To give distance-time graphs a more personal touch, we headed to the gym to walk (or run) it out! The students times each other crossing a set distance, then worked together to calculate and graph their movement.
The 7th grade kicked off the school year with a brief review of some “elemental” vocabulary, using cubes to show their understanding of atoms, elements, molecules, and compounds. From there, we began to explore the placement of elements on the periodic table, and the patterns we are able to see from their organization.
Enjoy these channels (in no particular order), they can provide some great information!
https://www.youtube.com/user/scishow <–SciShow
https://www.youtube.com/user/destinws2 <–Smarter Every Day
https://www.youtube.com/user/1veritasium <–Veritasium
https://www.youtube.com/user/minutephysics <–MinutePhysics
https://www.youtube.com/user/Vsauce <–Vsauce
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