home

Welcome to Big Horn Middle School 8th Grade Science Journals
This Wiki is for posting weekly science journals

To go to Mr. Burtis' Science Wiki - click here: http://mrburtisscience.wikispaces.com/ 

Customizing pages

 * Cyber security is important; others can read these journals. Keep everything posted related to weekly science topics
 * No socializing on this wiki!
 * No personal information posted: last names, phone numbers, email or addresses
 * Photos of students must be of 2 or more students with no names or ways to identify students
 * Personal profile can not be a picture of you

Posting teacher response

 * I may periodically ask you a question about your journal entry using the discussion tab
 * You are expected to provide a reply

Scoring Rubric

 * **Exceptional (A)** || **Very Good (B)** || **Passing (C)** || **Needs Improvement (I)** ||
 * Title, date, 3 entries of at least 3 lines each, correct grammar & spelling || Title, date, 3 entries of at least 3 lines each, few grammar or spelling errors || Title, date, 3 entries of at least 2 lines each, numerous grammar or spelling errors || Less than 3 entries or only 1 line, writing doesn't make sense due to errors ||
 * All ideas & thoughts related to science, class discussion, or labs; uses wide variety of science words || Most ideas & thoughts related to science, class discussion, or labs; uses many science words || At least one idea or thought related to science, class discussion, or labs; some science terms used || Ideas or thoughts are not related to science or are off topic; no science terms used ||
 * Response to teacher comments is detailed, shows additional thought, curiosity, or ideas || Response to teacher comments is detailed, shows some additional thought, curiosity, or ideas || Response to teacher comments is general, shows limited additional thought, curiosity, or ideas || Response to teacher comments is missing or very limited, shows very little or no additional thought, curiosity, or ideas ||

Journal Requirements

 * Date and title for each entry
 * At least 3 lines of text for each prompt using the normal, default text size.
 * Two entries for prompt #1: //In science class this week, I learned . . .// Use science words and vocabulary used in class.
 * One entry for prompt #2: //What I am curious about in science is// . . ..
 * Written response to a teacher question

Sample sentence starters

 * Today I learned that . ..
 * In lab or class this week, I thought [. . . .] was interesting because . ..
 * What we did in science today reminds me of . ..
 * I am confused about . ..
 * I previously thought [. . . .], but now I think [. . . .].
 * I was wondering about . ..
 * I would like to explore [. . . .] because . ..
 * I really understood . . . (give details)
 * I am trying to find the answer to . . ..
 * When I visited [. . . .], I observed [. . . .].
 * While watching [. . . .], I noticed that . ..
 * In [math, social studies, shop, etc] we talked about [. . . .], which related to science because . ..

**Week 1 April 3** 1. This week in science I learned. . . . 2. Another interesting thing I discovered this week was. . . . 3. Something that's on my mind because I don't quite get it is. . . ..

**Practice Week March 2, 2009** PROMPT #1. I am confused about this whole idea of variables. I get the idea that variables are like variables in math - unknown quantities that can change. But I'm not sure about the independent and dependent variables. To me independent means not having to rely on anybody else to take care of you. So maybe an independent variable doesn't need anybody to help it along. If that's the case, does that mean the dependent variable can't get anything done by itself. I also don't understand what it means to control the variables. I hope we can do some more practice with this. Maybe I should study my notes some more. I'm excited to be working on testing popcorn because I hope that will help me better understand variables.

One thing I learned this week when we did the lab on yeast was how the yeast consumes the sugar to live. Since yeast is in the fungi kingdom that means they can't produce their own food and must break down other substances to get their energy. Yeast is a type of decomposer I guess. In the lab, the yeast got their energy by breaking down the sugar. Flask B had the most sugar in it, so the yeast in that flask had the biggest food supply and were able to grow the most. That's why the balloon over flask B inflated more than the other 4 flasks. I also learned that there is a stinky odor produced by yeast growth besides the carbon dioxide. The odor reminds me of uncooked bread dough or the stale beer smell.

PROMPT #2. What I'm curious about in science is global warming. While I was watching the History Channel the other night, I saw this program about how the polar ice caps are melting faster than usual. The ice is getting so much smaller that pretty soon there won't be any place for polar bears to live. They could go extinct within the next 50 years. Another interesting thing was that if all the polar ice melts, the ocean levels will go up from 3-5 feet. That doesn't sound like too much, but the program showed how it would completely flood Venice, Italy where the gondola boats go between the buildings like in the James Bond movie "Casino Royale." All cities near the sea would be in danger even if they aren't immediately flooded. Anytime there is a storm surge from a hurricane or big wind, many sea walls would be breached and lots of property destroyed. All in all, the show really opened my eyes to the effects of melting ice caps from global warming.