Mrs. Vena's Science Class

May Above & Beyond

2010-05-02T12:29:00.000-07:00

April Above & Beyond

2010-04-12T14:25:00.000-07:00

Earth Day is April 22. In honor of this special day our Above & Beyond will focus on caring for our planet. This months Above & Beyond needs to be turned in by April 30. For 2 points, complete 18 problems and for 4 points, complete all 35 problems. They must be correct to receive credit.

About the 2010 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge

2010-04-01T07:43:00.000-07:00

About the 2010 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge

4th Grade Project

2010-03-17T09:23:00.000-07:00

My Pet Insect Project

Instead of taking a test for the Invertebrates topic, the fourth grade students will be completing the “My Pet Insect” project. This project requires:

1.The student is to find a “pet” insect. You do have the option of purchasing an insect, but I prefer that the students find a critter that is part of our ecosystem. Also, the option of setting the pet free at the end of the project may be preferable.
2.Students need to find their pet by the Wednesday, March 24.
3.Depending on your individual pet, you need to create some kind of home for it. It can be as simple as a large freezer bag with holes punched in it. Please do not purchase any kind of elaborate terrarium or cage for this project.
4.The pet may be kept indoors or outdoors.
5.The students will need to complete some research on their insect. I will provide some time during class, but further research may be necessary at home.
a.They will need to find what Order their insect belongs to.
b.They also need to find 5 interesting science facts about their pet.
c.The students need to provide an illustration of the life cycle of
the insect.
d.Include a photo of their actual insect on the back page.
6.This project is due on Wednesday, March 31. The students need to bring in their project booklet and the actual pet to show to the class.

Grading Changes

2010-03-12T09:39:00.000-08:00

Beginning the third trimester, grades 5-7 will no longer be able to turn in late work for full credit. Late work will receive half credit for the first week it is missing and no credit after that. Absent work may be turned in for full credit for one week after the due date.

Late work will not be accepted in the 8th grade. Absent work may be turned in for full credit for one week after the due date.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

March Above & Beyond

2010-03-08T12:49:00.000-08:00

WONDERS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM

You may have heard of the 10 Wonders of the World here on Earth, but imagine what the rest of the solar system has to offer in terms of “Wonders”. Of course, you will have to research the components of the solar system (moons, planets, asteroids, meteoroids, plutoids, kuiper belt objects, oort cloud, sedna, comets and the sun) and decide for yourself what wonders you want to learn about.
Find a wonder of space and write a short essay (at least 2 paragraphs) about it. Include a picture or drawing of your wonder. You may complete up to two wonders this month and each is worth 2 points. All work must be received by Wednesday, March 31.

End of the Trimester

2010-03-03T21:08:00.001-08:00

The second trimester is coming to an end. Friday, March 5 is the last day that I will accept work. On Monday, we all start with a clean slate :)

February Above & Beyond Update

2010-02-26T18:37:00.000-08:00

Sorry! I had to stay home with my sick children today so I was not at school to accept homework and February's Above and Beyond. All of these assignments have a new due date: Tuesday! See you then.

February Above & Beyond

2010-02-10T10:36:00.000-08:00

Project: Choose one or two of the following. Each is worth 2 points. Project options:

Periodic Table
1. Select an element from the Periodic Table.
2. Write a brief report on the element and include:
a. When was it discovered?
b. Who discovered it?
c. What is the atomic mass, number, and configuration?
d. What are some of its common uses?
e. Where is it found? (is it mined, found in the soil, or in the atmosphere?)
3. Draw or make a model of the element. (see your teacher for more details).

OR

Scientist
Research a scientist in any science field (ex. biologist, chemist, physicist, geologist, oceanographer, astronomer or meteorologist).
Write a brief report on this person and include:
1. Where was this person born?
2. What made this person famous?
3. How did this person utilize the scientific method?
4. How did this discovery or invention help man progress?

OR

Scientific Event
Research any scientific event in history .
Write a brief report about it and include:
1. What caused it?
2. When did it happen?
3. Where did it take place?
4. How did it happen?
5. Why did it happen?
6. Could this event have been avoided?
7. Could this event happen again?
8. Did this event change mankind? How?

6th Grade Volcano Project

2010-02-04T14:11:00.000-08:00

Projects are due Wednesday, February 17. See project details below.

Science Fair Project Update

2010-01-24T18:30:00.001-08:00

Just a reminder:

1. The research paper is due Friday, January 29.
2. The presentation board is due Tuesday, February 2.

January Above & Beyond

2010-01-22T10:41:00.000-08:00

Go to:

http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/animals.html#PROJECTS

Each project is worth 2 points. Students can complete 2 projects.

Science Fair Project Paper

2010-01-12T13:14:00.000-08:00

Write at least one page for each portion of the scientific method, unless otherwise stated.
1. Topic
-How did you come up with your topic? What questions did you come up with?
2. Research
-What did you learn from your 3 research articles?
-Cite your research!!!!!
3. Hypothesis
- 1/2 page
-Explain how you came up with your hypothesis
-Talk about how your hypothesis has changed over the last few months
- State your final hypothesis
4. Procedure
-step by step final draft
5. Data
-raw data ( just the numbers, notes, etc)
-analyzed data (graphs, charts, etc.)
6. Results
-what does it all mean? what did you learn from the data?
-use your research to help you figure this out.
7. Conclusion
-1/2 page
-Was your hypothesis correct?
-Explain how it was correct or incorret.

Volcano Research Project

2010-01-12T12:10:00.003-08:00

Your mission is to find information and report on a volcano that has erupted in the last 100 years. Your reports must include:

Type of volcano
Geographic location
Name, distance, and population of nearest major city
Date of most recent eruption and date of most destructive eruption
Other events associated with the last eruption (earthquakes, floods, mudslides, etc)

Then, attach a one page description on the major hazards to humans in the vicinity of this volcano. Speculate on what you would do if you were in charge of minimizing the risk to the population.

Create a model of this volcano. You can make it out of any materials (clay, paper mache, Styrofoam, Rice Krispies, etc). Lava eruptions are optional (vinegar and baking soda is one option, while mentos and diet coke is another). The base should be no larger than 2x2 feet.

Underwater Volcano Footage

2010-01-10T21:21:00.000-08:00

Thank you to Raquel Lee for emailing this video to me. 6th graders - check it out!

Gratitude

2010-01-04T13:53:00.001-08:00

Thank you for all of your generous gifts this Christmas. I feel blessed to have all of you in my life!

6th grade - Volcano Alert!

2009-12-20T11:31:00.000-08:00

A volcano is ready to erupt in the Philippines....go to www.cnn.com to find out more information.

Science fair Projects

2009-12-18T10:15:00.000-08:00

7th and 8th grade students are expected to complete their experiments and data collection during Christmas break. Students will turn in a final copy of their experiment procedures and all data collected on Wednesday, January 6.

If interested students (not required, but some students have asked) can begin the preliminary sections of the research report. This includes:
1. Write one page about how you came up with your topic and what questions you came up with.
2. Write one page about what you learned from your three research articles.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, kristy.vena@earthlink.net

December Above & Beyond

2009-12-18T10:12:00.000-08:00

The Star of Bethlehem

This makes a fascinating web search! So many theories out there about what the wise men really saw and why it drove them to seek a newborn king. Could it have been a comet or an arrangement of planets or a supernova? If you have clear nights mid-December, get outside and look for the Geminids Meteor Shower display.

Here's what you need to do:
1. Google the terms, “Star of Bethlehem” . Read at least 2 articles on this subject.
2. Go to this website: http://www.unmuseum.org/bstar.htm
3. Look for the meteor shower…..look at this site: http://stardate.org/nightsky/meteors/
4. Write a summary of all that you learned!

This is due by Friday, January 8.

8th Grade Update

2009-12-15T08:23:00.000-08:00

I will no longer be accepting late work from the 8th grade class. All work must be turned in on the due date. Failure to turn work in on time will result in zero points for that assignment.

End of First Trimester

2009-11-17T21:36:00.001-08:00

Hi all,

We are at the end of the first trimester...already! Any work that you want to turn in before I do my grades this weekend need to be turned in by Friday. There are no exception....all work in by Friday.

7th grade will have a test on Friday.

Above & Beyond can be downloaded from the calendar section of Engrade. If you turn it in by Friday it will count for the first trimester. After that, it will count for the second trimester.

6th Grade - Model Earth Assessment

2009-10-06T09:35:00.000-07:00

The due date for the Model Earth project has been moved to Wednesday, October 14 in class (not after school). The rubric for the project can be found on page 46 of the lab manual.
The project must include:
1. sketches and designs

2. constructed model of Earth with a cut-away, including:
a. 3 layers
b. 2 continents
c. 2 mid-ocean ridges
d. 2 deep ocean trenches
e. 2 plate boundaries

3. class presentation

7th Grade - Optical Instrument Project

2009-10-06T09:31:00.001-07:00

I have moved the due date of the optical instrument to this Friday. The rubric for the project can be found on page 15 of the lab manual.

It must include:
A plan for building the instrument including materials used
Answer the following questions for testing:
How did I test my instrument?
What changes did I make from my original plan?
Manual: step by step procedure for how to use the instrument.

Time Lapse Station Fire Video

2009-09-02T11:15:00.000-07:00

This is the link to the time-lapse video I showed in class this week of the Station Fire. We were able to observe the formation of clouds at the top of the smoke caused by the intense heat.

Check it out:
http://www.urlesque.com/2009/09/01/time-lapse-tuesday-california-wildfires/

Welcome to the 2009-2010 Science Class

2009-08-25T12:14:00.001-07:00

Welcome back!

Science Fair Winners

2009-03-10T15:35:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to the following winners of the 2009 HNM Science Fair:

7th grade:
1st - Molly Birgen and Nikki Perez
2nd - Christian Zavala
3rd - Justin Gregory

8th grade:
1st - Emily Andersen
2nd - Mairead Blaes and Emily Romero
3rd - Erica Sanchez and Angela Gomez

These students have been invited to attend the Los Angeles County Science Fair in April. Go Raiders!

San Dimas High School Science Roadshow is back!!!

2009-03-10T15:32:00.000-07:00

Let's do it again! The chemistry and physics students from San Dimas High School will be back on Wednesday, March 25 for show us some awesome experiments! It was a great time last year! Check out the pics:
http://www.bonita.k12.ca.us/sandimas/elliott/scienceroadshow3.18.08/index.html

Long Time No Post

2008-10-28T19:34:00.000-07:00

I haven't added a post in a while and there is a lot going on...
1. Grades fro the 5th grade test are posted, check out how you did.
2. The 8th grade tests are not complete yet, I hope to have them on Engrade by tomorrow.
3. Model Earth projects are due tomorrow for 6th grade.
4. Optical Instruments are due tomorrow for 7th grade.
5. Science Fair Project Proposals are due this week for 7th and 8th grades.
6. October Above and Beyond is due by Friday!

What did I forget?

Progress Report Info

2008-10-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

Progress reports are due Wednesday, October 15 by 3:15.
On Engrade, progress reports that have been turned in are annotated with the (*) symbol.
You may notice on Engrade that some assignments are listed at the end that have nothing filled in. Be sure to look at the due date! I put in my assignments for the week on Monday and fill them in as they get turned in. If it is blank, don't worry if it is not due yet.

Homework Club

2008-10-08T20:55:00.000-07:00

I will be the teacher for the Homework Club on Wednesdays. I am an experienced tutor, especially in science and math. I look forward to seeing some of you on Wednesdays after school.

Technical Difficulties

2008-10-06T17:25:00.000-07:00

Be aware that Engrade is experiencing some techinical difficulties. It is not displaying grades accurately. If you have any questions about your grade you can send me a message through Engrade or email me at kristy.vena@earthlink.net. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Pumpkin Science?

2008-10-06T06:58:00.002-07:00

Does anybody have a copy of the Pumpkin Science experiments that I assigned last year for Above & Beyond. The website that I found it on is no longer in service, and I can't find my original. It's worth 1 point of Above and Beyond if you can bring me a copy! Thanks.

Progress Reports

2008-10-06T06:46:00.000-07:00

Every student will receive a progress report this Friday, October 10. They must be signed and returned by the following Wednesday.
Be sure to have all missing work in by this Thursday.

Test Grades Posted

2008-09-28T19:06:00.000-07:00

The results of the 6th, 7th and 8th grade Microscope Test are posted on Engrade. See how you did.

Heads Up!

2008-09-27T11:43:00.000-07:00

September Above and Beyond is due on Tuesday! If you want to earn some extra points be sure to get it in on time as I will not accept it late. You can print it out from the school website or find it on the "Calender" section of Engrade.

Update

2008-09-26T06:19:00.000-07:00

Here are some updates:

1. You are welcome to send me a message through Engrade. If you have any questions about class or your grade, just send me a message and I will be happy to help. So far it has been a really helpful simple tool.

2. Be sure to check the Engrade calender! It has a lot of useful information about assignments and events.

3. Grading codes: When you go online to check your grade you may notice some interesting codes. Here is what they stand for: "M" means the assignment is missing, "A" means you were absent so you have an extra day to get it in before it counts against you, "E" means the assignment is excused.

4. Progress Reports: I wanted to clarify the purpose of handing out progress reports every Friday....it does not count against your grade! It is a means of getting students to turn in missing work in a timely manner. Any work that you turn in late gets full credit. I give progress reports to remind you to turn your work in!

Engrade

2008-09-14T16:01:00.000-07:00

Access your child’s science grade at home, anytime!

I am piloting a new online grade-book which will make it possible for you to access your child’s science grade at home. Access codes will be available at Back to School Night. Access codes will only be handed out by me to parents (not students), and I will not give them out by phone or email.

How to:
1. Go to http://www.engrade.com/home-students.php , and click on the green words “sign up for a free student account here”.
2. Fill in your access code from the slip of paper I have given you. You will then be prompted to come up with a username and password. This is your own private account that cannot be accessed by anyone else.
3. Once you have created your account you will be able to see your child’s science grade, a calendar of lessons and events, and more. When possible, you will even be able to print some assignments from home.

I am excited about this new means of communicating with parents and students. I am happy to answer any questions you might have.

Microscope Mania

2008-09-03T20:55:00.000-07:00

During the next couple of weeks the students will be working on their microscope skills. This week we will focus on the history, anatomy and focusing of the microscope. Today the students learned about Antony Van Leeuwenhoek, an uneducated, self-taught scientist whose passion for microscopy changed the way we view the biological world. If you would like to read more about him, check out: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/leeuwenhoek.html. Ask your child if they know what a "wee beastie" is!

Welcome Back!

2008-09-01T11:33:00.000-07:00

I hope that everybody enjoyed their summer break...I know I did! As you can see I have made some decorative changes to my blog. This is because I wanted this site to go with the theme for this years science classes...GO GREEN! Our focus for this year will be the environment, and how our actions impact it. This will also be the theme for the 7th and 8th grade science fair projects. We will be recycling within our classroom and really looking at ways to make our campus more environmentally friendly. So what do you think? Let me know what your ideas are!

San Dimas High School Science Roadshow

2008-04-14T18:13:00.000-07:00

We were lucky enough to have the AP chemistry and physics students from SDHS come and demonstrate their knowledge on March 18. The chemistry teacher took a ton of pictures of our students. Click here to view:
http://www.bonita.k12.ca.us/sandimas/elliott/scienceroadshow3.18.08/index.html

Welcome!

2008-04-14T11:40:00.000-07:00

Hello, welcome to Mrs. Vena's science class blog. The purpose of this blog is to talk about 5th through 8th grade science classes at Holy Name of Mary School. It is not for socializing or discussion beyond the scope of science class. Please feel free to ask questions, inform me of things you have learned outside of class related to science, and comment on our classes. My hope is that these discussions will provide an open forum on science topics and also provide a source of communication outside of class.
Let me know what you think of science class! How could I make it better? Do you have an idea for a class or lab that relates to our current topic of study? What would you like us to do next week in science?