Monday – We will overview the results of round 1 from the March Mammal Madness Tournament, and begin updating our brackets for round 2.

Tuesday – We will be diving into prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Students will be learning how these two different types of cells are structured, their defining characteristics, and why they are important to life on Earth. Below is the notes we will be referring to as we go.

Wednesday – Students will review the final results of round 1 from March Mammal Madness, and complete our round 2 entries.

Thursday & Friday -vWe will describe in more detail the composition of a cell, its cellular functions and division, and ways cells come together to form tissue and organs.

Monday – Students will look at the different symbiotic relationships between organisms, and how they depend on the other. We will learn how to classify whether the relationship is parasitic, mutualistic, or commensal.

Tuesday & Wednesday – We will look at food webs in an ecosystem, and how one small change can have a big effect. Students will learn the difference between producers, consumers, and decomposers, and how to interpret the nutrient flow between living things.

Thursday & Friday – Students will learn about the significance of keystone species, and how they can be assessed by studying populations of grey wolves. A fixture in population science, keystone species can provide great insight into ecosystems and communities.

Monday thru Thursday: We will begin working on our wind turbine project. Students will assemble a turbine out of the materials listed below. The specifications of the turbine must be over a foot tall in order to lift a cup of 10 pennies 1 foot off the ground when the box fan blows the turbine blades.

Material for Wind Turbine Project

• popsicle sticks
• rubber bands
• straws
• string
• skewers
• dixie cups
• tape
• toilet paper rolls
• paper towel rolls
• small plastic cups
• shoe box
• toothpicks

If you have an idea for other materials you’ll have to verify with me first.

Friday – We will test out our projects

Tuesday & Wednesday – We will begin discussing Unit 4 Earth’s Energy Resources.  We will look at fossil fuels, how they came to be, and the different types and uses.

Thursday & Friday – We will begin looking at Earth’s natural resources. Students will learn to differentiate between renewable and nonrenewable energy resources.  We will also look at the effects these resources have on the environment.

Monday & Tuesday – We will review for our semester exam.

Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday Schedule:

Monday – Students will complete Earth’s 4 Spheres assignment.

Tuesday & Wednesday – We will begin looking at the Earth’s interior layers including the temperature, pressure, and depth.

Thursday & Friday – Students will learn about geoscientists and how they study the physical characteristics of Earth, including its composition and geologic past.

Monday & Tuesday – We will begin our new unit on Earth’s structures looking at its four spheres: geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. Students will learn how the materials cycle through these spheres at varying speeds.

Wednesday – Students will make a 4-tab foldable handbook to label the spheres and describe the different processes that relate to each.

Thursday & Friday – We will look more in depth at the geosphere, learning about the layers, changes in temperature and pressure with depth, and how these changes cause rocks to transform.