Science Grade 7, 2013-2014

Discover Science:

Science Grade 7, 2013-2014

A Quarterly Homework Assignment

Objectives:

· Students will be able to access and process information from reading, investigating and through oral communication. (1.6.1, 1.7.1, & 1.8.1)

· Students will be able to modify ideas based on new information from developmentally appropriate reading data and the ideas of others. (1.6.16, 1.7.16, & 1.8.16)

Purpose:

In the world of science there is so much to learn and explore; the possibilities are endless. In class, we are limited by the confines of our national, state and county curricula as to the subjects and topics we are able to cover. Yet, there is so much more that is interesting and exciting for students to explore. Incredible scientific and technological advances are being made continuously. To keep pace with the discoveries and innovations of today, we will examine current events and discoveries of long ago. Once every month students will be expected to complete one of the following assignment choices to extend their knowledge in the field of science. Assignments will be due once every quarter and your teacher will specify the exact due dates.

Assignment Choices:

1. Current Science Article

2. Television program or documentary video about science

3. Field trip to science museum, nature center, aquarium, etc.

4. Interview of a scientist

5. Lab experiment (pre-approval required)

6. Website Evaluation

7. Unit of Study Extension Activity (teacher will provide students with a list of possible extension activities)

Formats and descriptions for each of these assignments are included in the next pages of this packet. Students must follow the specific format designed for each of these assignment choices. Students will receive one hard copy of this packet. The resources and formats will also be available online through the Westland website. Students are strongly encouraged to use the online resources provided. Students should identify topics in which they are interested and that are age appropriate. Please discuss their assignment with them and encourage them to research areas of personal interest.

At the end of April students will be constructing portfolios of their Discover Science work. Portfolios should include a variety of Two different types of Discover Science assignments. Individual teachers will give specific details to their classes.

The first Discover Science assignment will be due on ______.

Current Science Article:

Students will write a summary and answer a series of questions. Articles may be found in magazines, newspapers, on the Internet, or in kid magazines and periodicals. Links to science sites will be discussed in class and can be found on Westland’s website. Newspaper articles must be less than a month old and magazine articles less than a year old unless special permission is granted by the teacher.

ARTICLE FORMAT

Heading

Resource: Name of Magazine/ Newspaper/website Name: Your Name

Date of Resource: Date of article Today’s date: Date due

Science Period ____

Title: Title of Article

Author: Name of Person who wrote the article

1. Write a brief summary of the article: This should be a paragraph or approximately 5 to 6

complete sentences in your own words.

2. What interested you in choosing this particular article, or what interested you as you read the article? Why did you find this interesting? (2-3 sentences)

3. How does the information in this article connect to your life and experiences, or how does it make a difference in the world around you? (2-3 sentences)

4. To which MYP Area of Interaction does the information in this article most relate?
Explain your choice, using the summary sheet included in this packet to help you. The 5 Areas are: Human Ingenuity, Community and Service, Approaches to

Learning, Environment, & Health and Social Education. (2-3 sentences)

5. Who is the information in this article most relevant to: individuals in a particular region (like Montgomery County), residents of an entire state, citizens of an entire nation, or the population of the entire world? Identify the specific region, state, nation, etc., and explain why you think the information is relevant to that particular area. (2-3 sentences)

6. After reading this article, what is one question you have about the information you felt was left out or that you are curious about? (“I don’t have a question” is not an acceptable answer!)

A copy of the article MUST be attached to the back of your article write up!

Television program or Video documentary:

Students also may choose to view a show on TV or a video documentary. They must include a 1-page summary of the show and answer a series of questions.. Suggested channels to find related topics include: Discovery Channel, Weather Channel, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, PBS or specials on the regular network stations.

VIDEO/TV SHOW FORMAT

Heading

Resource: Record Web Address Here Name: Your Name

Date of Resource : Date of Show Today’s date: Date due

Science Period ____

Title: Title of Show: Example: Sharks and their Habitat

1. Write a one page summary about the show. This should be about 3 to 5

paragraphs long with approximately 5 to 6 complete sentences per

paragraph. There should be a beginning, middle and an end.

2. What did you find most interesting about the program? Explain why. (2-3 sentences)

3. How does the information in this article connect to your life and experiences, or how does it make a difference in the world around you? (2-3 sentences)

4. To which MYP Area of Interaction does the information in this video most relate? Explain your choice, using the summary sheet included in this packet to help you. The 5 Areas are: Human Ingenuity, Community and Service, Approaches to Learning, Environment, & Health and Social Education. (2-3 sentences)

6. After watching this video, what is one question you have about the information you felt was left out or that you are curious about? (“I don’t have a question” is not an acceptable answer!)

Field Trip to Science museum, nature center, aquarium or other science related locations or event.

Students may choose to visit a science related location or event. Parents must sign the bottom of the format sheet as verification for the trip. Students may write about some place they visited during the summer for the first Discover Science assignment. After that, all trips must be current.

In separate paragraphs, students will describe three exhibits found at this location or event and answer a series of questions.

FORMAT FOR FIELD TRIP TO MUSEUM, NATURE CENTER, OR SCIENCE RELATED EVENT

Name: ______

Due Date: ______

Science Period ______

Heading

Place or Event you visited

Date of your visit

Parent Signature

1. In separate paragraphs, describe three exhibits found at this location or event.

For each exhibit paragraph, your description should include:

· the focus of the exhibit and key information presented

· how the exhibit was set up

· what you saw as the most interesting aspect of the exhibit.

2. What made you choose to visit this site or event?

3. How did the exhibits you viewed help you learn more about science?

4. Would you recommend this site or event to other students? Why or why not?

5. Select one aspect of this event or site that relates to the MYP Areas of Interactions. Identify the area of interaction and explain your choice, using the summary sheet included in this packet to help you. The 5 Areas are: Human Ingenuity, Community and Service, Approaches to Learning, Environment, & Health and Social Education. (2-3 sentences)

Remember to have your parents sign your assignment before handing it in.

Interview of Scientist or person working in a science related field

Students may choose to interview a scientist or a person that has a science related career. A written description of the person’s job, as well as answers to a series of questions is required for this assignment. See your teacher if you do not know any scientists to interview.

FORMAT FOR INTERVIEW

Name: ______

Due Date: ______

Science Period ______

Heading

Name of person you are interviewing

Date of Interview

Type of Interview (In person, phone or e-mail)

Job Description:

1. Describe this person’s job, including place of employment, job title, responsibilities and daily activities associated with this job. This should be a paragraph or approximately 5 to 6 complete sentences.

Interview Questions: Each question should be answered in two to three sentences.

2. What kind of education is required for this job?

3. What influenced you to choose this profession?

4. What part do new scientific advancements play in your job? What new scientific

advancements are taking place at your job?

5. What contributions does your work make to the community or society?

You may also add questions of your own to your interview.

Job Interview Reflection: (These are questions that YOU must answer on your own, reflecting on your interview experience.)

6. What did you find interesting about this job?

7. Would you consider this job as a possible future career choice? Why or why not?

8. To which MYP area of interaction does this job best relate? Explain your choice, using the MYP summary sheet from this packet.

Please make sure you thank the person you interviewed for their time and expertise.

Lab Investigation

Students may choose to complete a lab investigation on a topic of interest to them or complete a lab provided by the teacher. They must get their teacher’s and parent’s approval before completing their own lab investigation. The lab report format should be used to write up the lab.

FORMAT FOR LAB INVESTIGATION

Name: ______

Due Date: ______

Science Period ______

General Questions:

1. What made you choose to complete this particular lab investigation?

2. What MYP Area of Interaction does this lab investigation most relate to and why?

Lab Report

3. Purpose: What was the purpose of conducting this experiment?

4. Background: What background information do you know that will give you a better understanding of what may occur in the experiment?

5. Hypothesis: If ______then ______because ______.

6. Materials: List all the materials, with the specific amounts needed.

7. Procedures: Be specific. Number each procedure. Start each procedure with an action verb.

8. Observations/Data: Insert any graphs and/or charts, journal entries, observations, etc.

9. Analysis and Conclusions: Use the provided format to write a conclusion explaining what you did and what occurred in the experiment. Be sure to discuss how the hypothesis was proven correct or incorrect.

Conclusion Format: This section is a summary of the entire experiment. Since it is a summary, it may be a bit repetitive of what you have already written but all parts are necessary for a complete conclusion. There is no length requirement but in order to be complete you conclusion must answer the following questions in paragraph form.

Paragraph #1:

Purpose- What was your purpose in this lab? What were you trying to do and find out?

Set-up- Write a brief summary of the procedure for the experiment. (Do not repeat the entire procedure!)

Type of Data- What type of data did you collect? (length, mass, color, shape) and how did you collect it? (tools and methods)

Paragraph #2:

Data Results- What does your data show? What did you discover? Repeat and summarize the major findings of your experiment. Be sure to include number values with units of any measurements or calculations. If there is a graph, describe what the graph shows.

Hypothesis- State whether your hypothesis was supported or contradicted by the data results. Compare it to the actual results and explain.

Final Summary- Offer any possible explanation you have for the findings, point out any conditions that may have led to “scientific uncertainty”, and provide suggestions to improve the experiment for future experimentation.

Make sure to get experiments approved before beginning!

Website Evaluation.

Students may choose to evaluate a science-related website. Students summarize the website’s content and answer questions to evaluate the site’s usefulness and reliability. Students attach a printed copy of the website’s main page to their report.

WEBSITE EVALUATION FORMAT
Student Name: ______
Date Due: ______
Science Period: ______

Title of Website: “______”

Web Address/URL: ______

SUMMARY:

1. Summarize the content of the website. Your summary should be about 1-2 paragraphs and must include:

· Who the website is created by.

· The main topics the website focuses on.

· The types of activities the website provides (text, video, games).

QUESTIONS:

2. How did you find this website? What led you to it? (at least 1-2 sentences)

3. What did you find most interesting about this website? Why did you find it interesting? (at least 2-3 sentences)

4. How do you think this website could be used in your science class or by a science teacher? What kind of scientists might use this website, and how might they use it differently? (at least 2-3 sentences)

5. How is the information in the article relevant to you or how does it make a difference to the world around you? (2-3 sentences)

6. Which one of the following 5 Areas of Interaction does the information in this article most relate to and why? Homo Faber, Community and Service, Approaches to Learning, Environment, Health and Social Education. (2-3 sentences)

7. Think about who or what group created this website. Do you think the information is biased? Why or why not? (at least 2-3 sentences).