Good Earth Final Project

We are in the final chapters of The Good Earth and will be done by tomorrow! There will not be a written final for this book, instead students are able to choose how to represent their understanding of the book. Their project is due next Thursday, a week from tomorrow, but if they finish earlier in the week, they are welcome to present early.  This allows them plenty of time to demonstrate their understanding of the themes and content of the book.

The idea behind a book report is to demonstrate understanding of the book. This may be done in a variety of ways. Students are to choose one of the following, or create a project that demonstrates their understanding. If they choose to create a project, it must be added to the list and signed by the teacher BEFORE they begin.

Regardless of what project you choose, it must include the following elements to score a 3:

• Title
• Author
• Characters
• Setting
• Main idea
• Problem
• Solution

Ideas:

• WRITE A PARODY OF THE BOOK.
• WRITE A LETTER TO THE AUTHOR OF THE BOOK.
• MAKE A NEW BOOK JACKET.
• CONVERT A BOOK TO A RADIO DRAMA.
• CONVERT A BOOK INTO A PUPPET SHOW.
• PREPARE A TELEVISION COMMERCIAL ABOUT A BOOK.
• MAKE A SOAP OR PARAFFIN CARVING ABOUT AN EVENT OR PERSON IN A BOOK.
• MOLD PLASTER RELIEF DESIGNS.
• CREATE BATIK DESIGNS WITH WAX AND OLD SHEETS OF TIE-DYE MATERIAL.
• FASHION A MOBILE FROM ITEMS RELATED TO A STORY.
• PRINT A DESIGN FROM A STORY IN A BOOK USING A VARIETY OF MATERIALS.
• COOK A FOOD MENTIONED IN YOUR BOOK OR BAKE AND DECORATE A CAKE.
• BUILD A RELIEF MAP OF THE SETTING OF THE STORY.
• DESIGN AND MAKE YOUR OWN T-SHIRT OF AN ILLUSTRATION ABOUT A BOOK.
  CONSTRUCT A BUILDING FROM A STORY.
  MAKE SOME COSTUME DOLLS FOR A DISPLAY OF CHARACTERS IN A BOOK.
• CREATE A QUILT WITH SCENES FROM THE BOOK.
• CONVERT THE EVENTS OF A STORY INTO A BALLAD OR SONG.
• CREATE A YEARBOOK FOR THE BOOK
• DESIGN AND PRODUCE A POSTCARD OR A SERIES OF POSTCARDS.
• CREATE A SCRAPBOOK OR MEMORY BOX. 

Choosing a Science Fair Question

Mary Bagley, Live Science Blogger, has great advice for choosing a topic.

So, your science teacher has announced that you are required to do a science fair project this semester. First of all … Don’t Panic! Yes, it is going to be a lot of work, but with a little help, it will also be interesting and you may even enjoy it.

The first step in completing a long-term science project is to completely understand your teacher’s requirements or the rules for the science fair you will be entering. Read the instructions carefully and ask questions if you need clarification.

Is the project for a Biology class, so you need to consider only projects in the Life Sciences, or are you in Physics, so you need to think about engineering projects? Make sure you know what type of project is required for your class.

Five types of science projects

There are five basic types of science projects.

Descriptive: This is basically a science report that describes an existing situation — global climate change, for example — with maybe a visual aid requirement. This type of project is usually required in elementary or middle school rather than high school.

(This type of project is NOT allowed at our fair)

Collection: Collecting leaves or insects is a common project for elementary or middle school. Most high school teachers require more than a simple collection.

(This type of project is NOT allowed at our fair)

Demonstration: This type of project is a demonstration of a known science principle or phenomenon, such as floating a needle to demonstrate water tension. You aren’t really learning anything new. Check with your instructor to see if this type of project is allowed. (This type of project is NOT allowed at our fair)

Engineering: This type of project involves designing, analyzing and improving a device, material or technology. An engineering project involves building a prototype or developing a simulation to test the effectiveness of design changes or differing materials.

*(This IS allowed at our fair)

Experimentation: This is the type of project most commonly required at the high school level. Students are expected to use what they have learned about science processes to develop and carry out a “fair test” experiment and to report findings.

*(This IS allowed at our fair)

Selecting a topic

Once you are clear on the type of project required, it is time to move on to selecting the actual project. There are hundreds of books and online resources available with suggestions. How do you choose the topic that is right for you?

A mind map can help you narrow down your ideas.

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You will be spending quite a bit of time working on your project, so you want to choose a topic that truly interests you. One way to start is by making a mind web or mind map. Start with a big blank sheet of paper, draw a circle in the middle and label it with a word representing one of your interests. Draw several lines, or spokes, radiating from the central circle and free associate other words that you think of when you think about the central topic.

For example, if you choose “sports” as your central idea you might label the spokes “basketball, football, baseball, running, golf.” Next, draw several more lines from each of these spokes and write several questions for each of the topics. The best science questions usually begin with one of the following words: what, when, which, who, why, where or how. Try to write at least two questions for each of your spokes.

Eliminate irrelevant questions. Deciding what is “best” often means that you would be basing your results on your opinion instead of evidence. This is called “bias” and is not appropriate for science. Find the questions that have both an independent and a dependent variable. The independent variable is a factor that you can change in order to test the effects of the change. A dependent variable is something you can measure which shows the effect of the change that you made.

For example one of your questions might be: "When is the best time to work out?" This question has an independent variable — you can choose to work out at different times, but it lacks a way to measure which time is “best.” You need a dependent variable.  The easiest dependent variables to measure include numbers such as changes in size, time, speed, or distance. Some experimental questions have changes that cannot be measured with numbers and must be characteristics that can be easily described such as a change in color.

Running at different times of the day would be your independent variable.
Credit: Dudarev Mikhail| Shutterstock

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“Does running in the morning increase my heart rate more than running in the evening?” has both an independent variable (different workout times) and a dependent variable (heart rate — you are measuring the speed at which the heart beats.)  Notice the wording change — we have narrowed “working out” to “running.” We also have only three possible outcomes: heart rate can increase more in the morning, it can increase more in the evening, or it can be the same in the morning and evening.

Science Fair Notebooks

The first science fair assignment is to get a notebook to be used exclusively for this project by Thursday. Notebooks should be composition book style with non removable pages. It is up to each student whether they prefer grid paper or regular line paper. This will not impact their score in any way. Their notebook will be used on a daily basis throughout the next two months, so it should be brought to school every day. If you can not find one or this is a hardship, please let me know!

A quick Google search showed them available at these stores nearby: 

Staples® Composition Notebook, College Ruled, Black, 9-3/4" x 7-1/2"  - $2.29

Office Depot Brand Marble Quad Composition Book, 7 1/2in. x 9 3/4in., Quadrille Ruled, 100 Sheets, Black/White - $2.49

I've also seen them at the Dollar Store. 

Science Fair Timeline

Science Fair Student Checklist 2014-2015

Action	Due Date	Student Signature	Parent Signature	Teacher Signature
Get Science Fair Notebook	10/30/14
Get Science Question Approved	11/3/14
Conduct Background Research	11/6/14
Turn in Project Selection Form	11/6/14
Turn in Materials and Procedure	11/13/14
Conduct your experiment and test your hypothesis (don’t forget to take pictures).	12/15/14
Turn in notebook with data and results	12/15/14
Write your conclusion based on your results.	1/6/15
Complete abstract, bibliography, and title page.	1/12/15- 1/15/15
Start your Science Fair Display board	1/9/15
Compile all components into a final report.	1/20/15
Turn in display boards and reports.	1/20/15

Science Fair: Friday, January 23, 2015

Lan Su Gardens

At the Lan Su Gardens, our guides explained the history and symbolism of the gardens.

Milwaukie Academy of the Arts

Our trip today was highly information. We learned about not only the art programs available, but also the AP courses and support services. Our tour was conducted by the principal, Mr. Tim Taylor and a Cascade alumni, Savannah Lesch.

Study Stack Link

Having trouble with vocabulary? 15 minutes a night on Study Stack will help your scores dramatically.

http://www.studystack.com/flashcards-1656246

New History Unit!

Tomorrow we begin a new history unit, the decline of European Colonialism. This topic covers a wide geographic area and will take us through mid November.

The objectives for the unit are:

A. Breakup of the British Empire

• Creation of British Commonwealth, independence for colonial territories

• Troubled Ireland: Easter Rebellion, Irish Free State

• Indian nationalism and independence and Mahatma Gandhi's involvement
- Caste System
- Partition of India into Hindu and Muslim states

• Geography of India and South Asia

We will be watching the movie "Gandhi" as part of our study. It is am amazing film and I encourage families to watch it together at home. Seeing it twice and being able to discuss it with family will only aid comprehension and allow for deeper conversations based on your family beliefs.

October Field Trip

This Friday, October 24th, is field trip day!

We have a very full, very informational day.

8:00 - Arrive at school IN UNIFORM!
8:45 - Load bus and head to the Milwaukie Academy of the Arts.
9:00 - Arrive at MAA. We will be touring the school and talking to alumni.
10:30 - Load bus and head for Lan Su Chinese Garden
11:00 - Arrive at Lan Su Chinese Garden for guided tour.
12:00 - Walk from Lan Su Chinese Garden to lunch at Golden Horse Chinese Restaurant.
Lunch has been preordered with vegetarian options available. Students will be expected to eat with chopsticks, as we have been practicing in class.
1:15 - Load bus and head for Marylhurst University
2:00 - Arrive at Marylhurst for a guided tour of the university.
3:00 - Load bus and return to school.
3:30 - Car line

I have room for 2 - 3 volunteers, but they must have already completed their paperwork. Please let me know if you are available to attend!

8th Grade Social Development

I can not say enough about how pleased I am with this class and their social development. Today's science lesson is a perfect example. This week in science we are studying momentum. Students learned that momentum is mass times velocity and that the more momentum an object has, the harder it is to change the momentum. Today they were presented with an engineering design task. Partners, selected at random, were tasked with designing a device that would stop the momentum of an egg without cracking it. The only materials allowed were 10 sheets of copy paper and 1 meter of masking tape. The safety structure had to be free standing, not attached to anything, and reusable.

Every single team went right to work. No one rolled their eyes at their partner, no one tried to change partners, they just went to work. Within minutes every science notebook was out, the lab was set up in their book, and people were exchanging ideas. I heard lots of excellent ideas shared and not a single person was reacting negatively to their partner's ideas. I also saw teams sketching out multiple designs on paper before using their materials. This demonstrated excellent restraint and forethought.

Good Earth Online Availability and How to Answer Questions

We are well into our first novel of the year, Pearl Buck's The Good Earth.  We read the story together so that we may discuss the intricate language, themes, and the emotional impact. 

Students will have very little to read at home, but will often be asked to answer questions about the chapters read that day. If they happen to forget their book, they may look things up at http://ajaytao2010.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/the-good-earth-pearl-s-buck.pdf. 

All questions must be answered in complete sentences with evidence quoted from the book. For example, one of today's questions was "What is the fire wagon?" 

A quality answer might say:

 "The fire wagon is mentioned in chapter 10 and it can be inferred that it is a train. The man says "e firewagon and ride to the south. It leaves from yonder house and there are wagons for such as we for the price of less than a small silver piece" From this we learn that one can purchase fare, which could be either a coach or train since cars were not yet invented. Wang Lung states that he had  "heard men tell of these wagons, chained one to the other and drawn neither by man nor beast, but by a machine breathing forth fire and water like a dragon." The wagons chained together is the cars of the train, latched together in a long procession. The fire and water that the dragon breathes is the steam power that trains at the time were using for energy. 

Government Final Exam Study Guide

Government Study Guide

1. Which activities does the House Rules Committee control?
2. A power that the House of Representatives has that the Senate does NOT is the power to what?
3. A power that the Senate possesses that the House of Representatives does NOT is the power to what?
4. How does the president exercise a veto?
5. How would you describe the relation between the president and the Congress regarding legislation?
6. What authority does the president have?
7. The president’s official cabinet  includes which officials?
8.  In the United States Presidential chain of succession, who would follow the President and Vice President?
9. According to the Constitutional principle of checks and balances, what oversight can Congress exercise in respect to the Presidential power of appointment?
10. According to the Declaration of Independence, what is the primary purpose for creating government?
11. Describe the first 12 amendments.
12. Which acronym represents the U.S. government agency that would take the lead in preventing, or minimizing the impact of, epidemics such as bird flu?
13. Be prepared to explain the preamble to the constitution.
14. What is the term of service for a U.S. Senator and how often are Senate elections held?
15.  Who served as the first African-American Supreme Court justice?
16. What is the minimum age required for the office of President?
17. Who is considered to be the "Father of the Constitution" for his role in writing the document?
18. Which Presidential cabinet department plays the lead role in advising the President on foreign policy?
19. Under the Electoral College system established by the Constitution for electing the President, which state would have the most votes?
20. There are several different approaches to representation within a democratic political system.
1. (a) Define direct democracy.
2. (b) Define republican form of government.
3. (c) Describe one reason the framers of the United States Constitution chose a republican form of government over a direct democracy.
21. 4. The Constitution of the United States creates a government of separate institutions that share power rather than a
22. government that delegates power exclusively to a single branch. Frequently, this means that presidents and
23. Congress struggle with each other.
1. a. For each of the presidential powers below, explain one way that congressional decision making is affected
2. by that power.
3. • Veto power
4. • Power to issue executive orders
5. • Power as commander in chief
24.  For each of the congressional powers below, explain one way that presidential decision making is affected
1. by that power.
2. • Legislative oversight power
3. • Senate advice and consent power
4. • Budgetary power

Mrs. Denman's Birthday Party

Please join us October 23rd, 3:45-4:45 pm

 to celebrate our one and only Mrs. Denman's birthday!

The party will be held in the school gym.

The theme is “School Emergency Preparedness.”

The American Red Cross will give a presentation. 

 Mrs. Burn is donating her homemade cupcakes!

Mrs. Denman would like to equip each class with basic emergency kits.

 We are asking each family to donate $5 per child.

By donating $150, you could sponsor your whole class!

There is no price we can put on safety of our children, and we all need to be together on this!!!

A collection envelope is located in the office. All donations are tax deductible.

Thank you very much for helping Mrs. Denman making our school a SAFER place!

 

Harvest Festival

This Thursday is the 9th annual Cascade Heights Harvest Festival. The Harvest Festival is a free night of fun. Families are encouraged to join us for an hour or so of old time entertainment. There will be hay rides, face painting, pumpkin ring toss, and the ever popular baking contest. This year we are debuting three new things. 

1. Middle school classes will be running their own booth. Our class has voted on either the donut eating contest or the hay ride. These wonderful students signed up to work:
6:00 - 6:30 Kaleigh and Rhyle
6:30 - 6:45 Ember and Selma
6:45 - 7:00 Akina and Katherine
7:00 - End Adin and Olivia

2. We added a new category to the baking contest! This year in addition to the regular pumpkin and apple entries, we added a third category for those recipes that take into account various dietary restrictions. So if you have a great recipe that is gluten free or dairy free, you can enter it into its own category! 

3. The official end time has changed from 7:30 to dusk. We've heard from parents that they were concerned about how dark it got, so as the light fades, we'll wrap things up! 

For those of you that are new, our Harvest Festival is open to family and friends! Please feel free to bring your neighbor, etc. Our Harvest Festival is NOT a Halloween party. We ask that students do not dress up in costumes, but they also do not have to be in uniform. As usual, we will  have baked goodies available for $1 a plate, so bring your appetite and small bills. 

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone there!

Curling Pictures

Good Earth Question

For chapters 6 and 7, please answer just this one question. Include evidence from the story!

What events led Wang Lung to believe his fortunes had changed?

Jog a Thon and Field Trip Update

This Thursday we are going to be super busy. The latest information as we know it is as follows: 

7:45 - Students arrive at school with a sack lunch, long pants, warm jacket, and gloves. 

9:00 - Students will run the jog a thon. *Please note, this is a change in the published time that allows us to make our original field trip time. 

9:30 - Students change back into school uniform and eat snack. 

*Parent chaperones (Mrs. Rovang and Mrs. Grainger) arrive

10:15 - Load bus

11:00 - 12:00 - On the ice. Yes, ice. Please wear long pants, sneakers, and a jacket. 

12:15 - Load bus

1:00 - Return to school and eat lunch

Parents and friends are welcome to come and cheer us on at the jog a thon! Pledge sheets were due today, but we'll certainly take them tomorrow. 

Book Fair

The Scholastic Book Fair is at Cascade this week! This is your chance to purchase high quality books at reasonable prices. It's not too early to pick up holiday presents, birthday presents, or just Happy Friday gift. Volunteers will be on hand in mornings until 9:00 and after school until 4:00. Stop by and see what's new!

8th Grade Night

Thank you to everyone who joined us last night. We had the vast majority of families represented and had great discussions about 8th grade expectations, high school options, and our end of year trip.

As a group we decided that we would like to extend our trip to 3 days and 2 nights with all meals provided by Southern Oregon University. This means we will be working on fundraising approximately $5000. Ideas presented for fundraising included Applebee's Pancake Breakfast, concessions at school events, car wash, garage sale, and others. Several parents volunteered to take the lead on events. The first one will be the concession stand at the Sock Hop. Mrs. Rovang will be the lead on that event. If you have time to help with that, please contact her.

As many of you know, we do not have janitors to clean the classrooms. We ask that each family volunteer once or twice per year to help vacuum, wipe down the counters, and clean out the sink. With your student's help, it takes about an hour tops.

Please visit the sign up genius below to sign up to help. While the sign up genius says 3:30 - 4:30, our class is in PE/Art from 2:00 until the end of the day, so you are welcome to be in the room vacuuming anytime after 2:00. 

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0d4fa5af2ca64-chpcs

Science Questions

1. Find the weight of the air in a room with dimensions of 20 ft x 12 ft x 15 ft. The weight density of air at sea level is 0.08 pounds /ft³.
   
   
2. An iron anchor weighs 250 pounds in air and has a weight density of 480 lbs/ft³. If it is immersed in sea water that has a weight density of 64 lbs/ft³, how much force would be required to lift it while it is immersed?
   
   
3. An aluminum bar weighs 17 pounds in air. How much force is required to lift the bar while it is immersed in gasoline? The weight density of aluminum is 170 pounds /ft³ and that of gasoline is 42 pounds /ft³.
   
   
4. How much does a 20 ft x 10 ft x 8 ft swimming pool filled with water weigh? Assume the water has a weight density of 62 lbs/ft³.
   

Archimedes Principle Lab