Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Grade 7 Week 17: the Nervous System


How do our bodies respond to internal and external stimuli?
What are the structures and functions of the nervous system?

Contract Week 17 has you researching the nervous system or a disorder of the system.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Grade 8 Ocean Biomes WebQuest

Assume the role of an ocean scientist as you and your group decide the fate of slated government projects that affect the oceans.

The Ocean Biomes WebQuest is an active review of our targets that has you assume the role of an ocean scientist(biologist, chemist, geologist, physicist) with a group of of scientists working on a project for the government.  Use and add to resources built over the five years of this dynamic activity to find solutions to issues regarding our us of the oceans.  Submit forms for your individual research and present your group findings this Friday.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Grade 7 Week 16: Protection



What are the structures and functions of the immune system?
How does the immune system interact with the other systems of the body?









What are the structures and functions of the integumentary system?
How does the integumentary system interact with the other systems of the body?




Contract Week 16 has you researching the immune or integumentary system or disorders of the system.

You should also be collaborating with your group to create a presentation and exam notes on The Human Body.

Grade 8 Week 16: Our Use of Ocean Resources


Describe ways we use the ocean as a resource.
What are the effects of this use?

How do we balance the need for these resources and the damand it puts on the ocean?



Contract Week 16 has you researching our influence on the oceans' organisms and other resources.

This week we will highlight the ups and downs of our use of ocean resources by watching the Nature program "Crash:  The Tale of Two Species" and research Super Survivors, or living fossils like the Horseshoe Crab.

Grade 7 Week 15: Transport



What are the structures and functions of the circulatory system?
How does the circulatory system interact with the other systems of the body?






Contract Week 15 has you researching the system or disorders of the system.

Grade 8 Week 15: Ocean Environments

This week we look at conditions at the varying zones of our oceans, the animals that live there, and our effects on those areas.



What are ocean conditions near shore?
What environments do you find near shore?
How are animals adapted to surviving ocean fluctuations in littoral(intertidal) areas?







How do conditions change as we move out to open (pelagic) ocean?
How are organisms adapted to life there as distance for shore changes?
...as depth changes?







Contract Week 15 has you looking at human influences on the shoreline, or creating a poster for the wall of a specific ocean zone.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Grade 7 Week 14: Digestive and Urinary Systems





What are the structures of the digestive system?
What are the function of those parts?







What is the function of the kidneys?
How does it do this?
Contract Week 14 has you researching the digestive or urinary system or a disorder of either of those systems.

Grade 8 Week 14: Waves v. Tides

What causes waves?

Why do waves break as seen in the picture above?
What near shore currents are caused by waves?
How can we use the energy transfered in waves to create energy?

What causes tides to fluctuate between low and high?
What are the effects of tides?
How can we use the energy in tides to create electricity?


Contract Week 14 has you designing your own contract that teaches the class more about waves and/or tides.  Good luck and be creative.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Grade 7 Week 13: Respiratory System

How does gas exchange occur in the lungs?
How are those gases involved in cellular respiration?
How did lungs evolve from gilled animals?

Contract Week 13 has you researching the structures, functions, and formation of the respiratory system or describing one unique disorder of the system.

Grade 8 Week 13: Ocean Systems - Currents


What causes water to move in currents?
What are the effects of currents on climate?

Contract Week 13 has you diagraming the ocean, researching how the oceans effect climate, and El Nino.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Grade 7 Week 12: Muscular System

We continue with form and function of the Human Body systems with the muscular system.

What is the function of the muscular system?
how does your muscular system interact with your skeletal system to move and support your body?

Contract Week 12 has you finding form, function, and formation or diseases of the muscular system.

Grade 8 Week 12: Freshwater

This week the goal is to find out where freshwater can be found and how we get it.  We will also look at the effects we have once we get it with our Groundwater Model.

How does freshwater move around us?
Where does Plymouth get its water?

Thursday we will be doing a little role-playing with the Groundwater Model.  Thoughts after using it?  How does our use of groundwater affect that part of the water cycle?

Contract Week 12 has you researching the past and future of Sheboygan Lake/Marsh due to eutrophication, creating a visual on the Great Lakes and the effects of our use, pollutants, and invasive species, and finally to find out finally...where does Plymouth get its water?

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Grade 7 Week 11: The Skeletal System


We start our look at form and function of the Human Body systems with the skeletal system.

What does your skeletal system do for you and how does it do it?

Contract Week 11 has you finding form, function, and formation or diseases of the skeletal system.

Grade 8 Week 11: The Water Cycle


We learned in sixth grade about evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.  In eighth grade, let's get serious.  There are many ways that water moves in the world around us that we cannot see, or don't think about.

How does water mover throughout the atmosphere, the geosphere, the hydrosphere, and the biosphere?

Contract Week 11 has you adding to what you learned back in sixth grade about the water cycle and looking forward to chemistry by researching the weird molecule we call water.