Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Wednesday, 31 August, 2010

This is HL 3. Follow all written directions.

Students will be able to:
use the information from the laboratory activities to
-explain the necessary parts of a laboratory write-up.
-use the laboratory write-up to record an experiment.

Students completed the lab write up for the Mexican Jumping bean and the effects of heat experiment.

Home learning 3 can be found at the top of this blog. Follow all written instructions.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Tuesday, 20 August, 2011

This is HL 2. Answer on your own paper to submit, but write on this sheet to check your work and place in your notebook.

Students will be able to:
use the information from the text and a hands on experiment to
-explain the necessary parts of a laboratory write-up.
-use the laboratory write-up to record an experiment.

Students learned how to write up a laboratory report. You will place a copy of the lab format in your interactive notebook, so that you can refer to it as you complete your lab write-ups.

The experiment detailed discovering how heat affected the movement of a Mexican Jumping Bean.

Home learning 3 can be found at the top of this blog.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Thursday, 25 August, 2011

This is HL 1. Be sure to follow all written directions.

Students will be able to:
use the information from the text to
-differentiate between the steps of a scientific process.

Students do not yet have textbooks, so for right now, we are reading and studying the text via the overhead LCD projector.

Students have been learning about the skills necessary for scientists to make discoveries. The notes include:

What skills do scientists use?

Science is a way of learning abut the natural world.

Scientists use skills such as observing, inferring, predicting, classifying, evaluating, and making models to study the world.

Observing means using one or more of your senses to gather information. It also means using tools, such as a microscope to help your senses. Observations can be either quantitative which deals with numbers or amounts, or qualitative, which deals with descriptions that cannot be expressed in numbers.

Inferring is when you explain or interpet the thing you observe. It is not guessing. Inferences are based on reasoning from what you already know or based on assumptions you make about your observations.

Predicting means making a statement or a claim about what will happen in the future based on past experience or evidence.

Classifying is the grouping together of items that are alike in some way.

Evaluating involves comparing observations and data to reach a conclusion about them.

Making models nvolves creating representations of complex objects or processes. Some models can be touches, such as a map. OThers are in the form of mathematical equations or computer programs. Models help people study things that can’t be observed directly.

Home learning 1, due tomorrow, can be found at the top of this blog. Be sure to follow directions!

Thursday, 25 August, 2011

Monday, August 22, 2011

Monday, 22 August, 2011

Welcome to Dr. Gayden's Eighth Grade Science Class!

Come to this site to find out what we do daily (or almost daily). Come here to find your home learning assignments or to see if you need to visit the podomatic site for a make-up lab.

Have a great and successful year!

Saturday, May 28, 2011

May 31, 2011












Here is the study guide for the objective portion of the final examination.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Friday, 20 May, 2011







Be sure to bring the exam on Monday!

Students will be able to:
use information from textbooks, internet access, experimentation, and class discussion to
-describe the major land biomes.
-justify why certain plants and animals are associated with particular biomes.
-prepare an iMovie presentation on an assigned biome.

Students continued with their iMovie presentations. Be sure to have all the necessary slides:
name, biome, city name/picture of city/temperature graph/rainfall graph/latitude/elevation/five plants and animals from the region.

We will take the exam on Monday using the clickers, so be sure to bring back your copy, which can also be found at the top of this blog.

Notebooks will also be collected on Monday.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Monday, 16 May, 2011



Here is the information needed for your fourth grading period project. Be sure to follow the directions carefully!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Tuesday, 3 May, 2011


This is HL 8. Answers only on a correctly headed loose leaf sheet of paper.


These are the notes for organizational levels of living things.

Students will be able to:
use information from textbooks, internet access, experimentation, and class discussion to
-explain the heirirchial organization of living things.
-observe and record observations during an experiment.

Students completed notes on Organization of Living Things. You can find the notes at the top of this blog.

Students then began the lab on Characteristics of Living Things. This lab will be completed in class on Thursday.

Home learning 8 can also be found at the top of this blog.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Monday, 2 May, 2011



Here are the instructions for your fourth grading period project/technology project.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Monday-Wednesday, 25-27 April. 2011


THis is HL 7. Follow all written instruction.

Students will be able to:
use information from textbooks, internet access, experimentation, and class discussion to
-identify biotic and abiotic factors of their enviroment.
-cite evidence of the interactions between the abiotic and biotic parts of the environment.
-analyze ow abiotic factors affect the life of organisms in an ecosystem.

Students reviewed past content to ready for the final ESSAG design.

Home learning 7 can be found at the top of this blog.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Wednesday, 20 April, 2011


This is HL 6. Read the passage. Correctly head your loose leaf paper and answer questions 1-10. Numerical answers only.

Students will be able to:
use information from textbooks, internet access, experimentation, and class discussion to
-identify biotic and abiotic factors of their enviroment.
-cite evidence of the interactions between the abiotic and biotic parts of the environment.
-analyze ow abiotic factors affect the life of organisms in an ecosystem.

Students define biotic and abiotic factors by categorizing things from photos. Biotic factors are those living or once living organisms in an ecosystem. Abiotic factors or non living parts of the environment that biotic factors depend on for life. They include water, soil, sunlight, air (atmosphere), temperature, and climate.

Students then defined the characteristics of living things.

Home learning 6 can be found at the top of this blog.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Friday, 1 April, 2011


This is the answer sheet. Record your answers here.









These are the pages of the home learning.

Students will be able to:
use information from fcatonline, FCAT explorer, florida achieves, and relelased FCATs to
-review for the science FCAT.

Students reviewed HL 4, from the tips package.

They then used Florida Achieves to review for the FCAT.

Home learning 5 can be found at the top of this blog.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Monday, 11 April through Wednesday, 13 April, 2011

Students will be able to:
use information from fcatonline, florida achieves, and past FCAT exams to
-review for the science fcat.

Due to FCAT testing, class may not meet on each of the three days.

Students spent all class time reviewing for the FCAT. Students either did Mastering the FCAT, grade 6 questions or worked with FCAT Explorer or fcatonline.

Students should do strand H from the 8th grade Mastering the FCAT as home learning 3. It is due on Thursday.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Thursday, 7 April. 2011

Students will be able to:
-explain the effects of forces on an object.
-manipulate models and label graphics to demonstrate effects of forces on objects.

Students reviewed the F strand of Mastering the FCAT. Tonight's home learning is Strand G of Mastering the FCAT, all gridded response and multiple choice questions.

Students also reviewed portions of the GIZMO Physics and Fan Carts.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Wednesday, 6 April, 2011

Students continued to review for the FCAT.

Students answered FCAT type questions and reviewed them.

Home learning 1 is from the Mastering the FCAT booklet. Answer all the multiple choice and gridded response questions from Strand F on The Processes of Life.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Wednesday, 30 March, 2011

Students will be able to:
use information from internet acces and/or classroom discussions to
-review the strand on force and motion.

Students reviewed Strand C from the Mastering the FCAT booklet.

Students then worked on FCAT explorer at their own pace. Students should complete as many of the modules as possible between now and FCAT day.

Home learning is from the Mastering the FCAT book: HL 19 Mastering the FCAT Strand E p34-36-33 #47-53 all multiple choice and gridded response questions.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Tuesday, 29 March, 2011

Students will be able to:
use information from videos from the internet and classroom discussions to
-review for the science FCAT.

Students reviewed HL 16 on Strand B, matter.

Students worked on FCAT explorer.

Home learning is from the Mastering the FCAT booklet. Do Strand C, questions 22-32, but only the multiple choice and gridded response questions.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Friday, 11 March, 2011








Students:

Here are the questions for your spring package. Go to the site below for a treasure hunt to find the answers!

http://drgcdms8.podomatic.com

You can find the questions above.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Thursday, 10 March, 2011



This is HL #14. Do both on the SAME sheet of properly headed loose leaf paper. Do only the questions indicated. Follow all printed directions.

Students will be able to:
use information from internet access, textbooks, virtual activities, hands-on laboratories, and/or classroom discussions to
-recognize which organisms are common decomposers.
-describe the process by which organims reshape the landscape.
-differemtoate betweem the processes of weathering and erosion.

Students did the Crunch Time probe on Rotting Apples as the do now.

Students then observed sand and soil to determine the relationship between the two. They were asked to describe how the two were alike and how they were different. Students were also asked to describe the process of soil formation.

Home learning can be found at the top of this blog.