We are scientists!


The seventh graders have been busy working through the scientific process by designing an experiment. They have made observations and inferences, asked a scientific question, identified independent and dependent variables, developed an hypothesis and created a procedure.  Throughout this process, students have supported one another and strengthened their own learning by giving each other feedback, or “feed forward” as some of them like to call it, using their blogs.  I’m so happy to see them providing feedback that is supportive and constructive.   This week they will try to answer their scientific question by collecting and analyzing their data.  Stay tuned…

Using Pedigrees To Analyze Inheritance Patterns

Dominant, recessive, Punnett square, homozygous, heterozygous, alleles, genes, genotype and phenotype…these are the words swimming around in the minds of the eighth graders.   Last week students discovered that traits are passed from one generation to the next through different inheritance patterns.  This week they are looking more closely at how these inheritance patterns affect families by creating and analyzing pedigrees.  They were presented with a case study and challenged to counsel “Greg and Olga” on their chances of having children with certain diseases.  This work is requiring some careful digging through information and I love hearing students challenge each other as they do so.

How do scientists make sense of the world?

Young people seem to notice everything?  They make observations all of the time and  and ask lots of questions.  They are scientists at heart.  That being said, science is much more than making observations and asking questions.  What takes scientific inquiry to the next level?  How does “doing” science work?  How do scientists make sense of the world?

The 7th graders have begun the year pondering these questions.  They have been taking a closer look at how scientists “do” science by designing their own experiments using paper airplanes.  The design process involves students making observations and inferences, identifying variables, developing hypotheses, writing a procedure, collecting data and drawing conclusions.  This process has been intentionally slowed down to really dig deeper into how aspects of scientific inquiry work and why they are important.

Why do I look the way I do?

 

That is the driving question 8th graders are trying to answer in their study of genetics.  Students began their study of heredity by considering variation in human traits.  This lead students to ask a multitude of questions–Why do I have blue eyes when my parents don’t?  How are traits passed from my parents to me?  Why does my sister have different traits than me?

Next, students analyzed data in small groups to determine if variation in traits existed within and across three species of beetles.  They developed a scientific argument to support their ideas by stating a claim, providing relevant and effective evidence and explaining how their evidence supports their claim using thorough reasoning.  From here students will be exploring how and why these traits vary.

And…we’re off!

Welcome back everyone!  It’s hard to believe that summer is over and we are back at school.  Science class began with a flurry of activity.  Seventh and eighth graders explored the engineering process through a design challenge.  Students were challenged to design and construct a prototype of a dome that could hold 120 grams.  Each group diligently collaborated, sketched and tinkered in order to create their final designs.  The final products were a collection of unique prototypes that were successful in supporting the required weight.