Week 21 in Review

Periodic Updates

Week 21 In Review

Important Dates & Assignments:

• STEM Fair:
• All students should have submitted their proposals Friday.
• We will begin to make calendars this week.
• Help your student with their calendar and planning.
• Rocket Candy:
• Students were assigned chapters 3 and 4 of "Rocket Boys" for the weekend.
• Discussion questions are on google classroom and students are expected to post comments and questions on each chapter.
• Students will be working on this project in the Chemistry lab under the my supervision of the supervision of Kendal McCarter. No student should be making this fuel at home! This fuel can be very safe but it is used as fuel for a reason. It is combustible and burns hot.
• If anyone has any contacts with a model rocket club in this area, I would love to partner with them for this project.
• Stomach Stoichiometry:
• Students worked on finishing the lab report this week.
• Most of the students turned in their reports on Friday.
• Those grades are reflected on the progress report you should have received from the school.
• Any questions, please let me know.

What happened last week?

• Review:
• We did a short review of content that will help with stoichiometry.
• We will continue to do this as we proceed.
• Stoichiometry:
• Students worked on lab analysis.
• Students worked on conversions that are used in stoichiometry and presented how to answer different scenarios.
• Gas Laws:
• Students were introduced to different gas laws in class on Friday.
• We will continue this topic more this week.

From the desk of Mr. Terry:

I introduced a new rubric to the students concerning the stomach stoichiometry lab. This rubric is more detailed than the one I used last semester and I feel will better prepare them for future science lab reports. Several of the students didn't do as well on this lab report. Students may review the rubric and resubmit the lab when they feel it is more detailed. 

As we continue looking towards building rocket candy, our study will shift to gas laws. Students will be using stoichiometry and gas laws in the making of their fuel. We haven't started making this in class yet because I want the students to have more information before we start working with the material. 

I am available to help during lunch and Flex on the "A" day schedule 4th block. Students can make arrangements to miss their 4th block class to meet with me.

terryk@claytonbradleyacademy.org

Week 20 In Review

Periodic Updates

Week 20 In Review

Important Dates & Assignments:

• STEM Fair:
• All students should submit proposals this week.
• Help your student with their calendar and planning.
• Rocket Candy:
• Hopefully you read that correctly, I did say "Rocket Candy!"
• Our big chemistry project for this 9 weeks will involve the students making rocket fuel.
• We will also be reading "Rocket Boys" as a class. This is the book that gave the idea for the movie, "October Sky."
• Students were assigned chapter 2 of "Rocket Boys" for the weekend.
• Discussion questions are on google classroom and students are expected to post comments and questions on each chapter.
• Students will be working on this project in the Chemistry lab under the my supervision of the supervision of Kendal McCarter. No student should be making this fuel at home! This fuel can be very safe but it is used as fuel for a reason. It is combustible and burns hot.
• If anyone has any contacts with a model rocket club in this area, I would love to partner with them for this project.
• Stomach Stoichiometry:
• The lab should be finished and turned in this week for review.
• We have started a new rubric to review labs that can be seen by clicking here.

What happened last week?

• Review:
• We did a short review of content that will help with stoichiometry.
• We will continue to do this as we proceed.
• Stomach Stoichiometry:
• We worked on the post-lab together this week.
• All students should be completing the rest of the lab individually and be turning it in for review.

From the desk of Mr. Terry:

Snow days! Everyone likes a snow day, but the work can get difficult when we have multiple snow days in a row. Help your students to continue reading and doing practice problems on snow days to stay fresh with the content. We will continue to work on stoichiometry problems this week and start to move on to gas laws by the end of the week. This continues to help us build content and knowledge toward our rocket candy.

I am available to help during lunch and Flex on the "A" day schedule 4th block. Students can make arrangements to miss their 4th block class to meet with me.

terryk@claytonbradleyacademy.org

Week 19 in Review

Periodic Updates

Week 19 In Review

Important Dates & Assignments:

• STEM Fair:
• All students were introduced to the idea of our first upper school STEM Fair this week.
• The date of the STEM Fair is May 5th.
• Students will be working throughout the 3rd 9 weeks to complete their project with the assistance of a Faculty Sponsor. 
• All experiments should be completed before spring break!
• We gave the students a guide to picking good STEM fair projects last week and you can see that guide by clicking here.
• More to come on this as the 9 weeks progresses.
• Rocket Candy:
• Hopefully you read that correctly, I did say "Rocket Candy!"
• Our big chemistry project for this 9 weeks will involve the students making rocket fuel.
• We will also be reading "Rocket Boys" as a class. This is the book that gave the idea for the movie, "October Sky."
• Students were assigned chapter 1 of "Rocket Boys" for the weekend.
• Students will be working on this project in the Chemistry lab under the my supervision of the supervision of Kendal McCarter. No student should be making this fuel at home! This fuel can be very safe but it is used as fuel for a reason. It is combustible and burns hot.
• If anyone has any contacts with a model rocket club in this area, I would love to partner with them for this project.
• Stomach Stoichiometry:
• The lab should be finished and turned in this week for review.
• We have started a new rubric to review labs that can be seen by clicking here.

What happened last week?

• Review:
• We took time to review some important skills from last semester.
• We have to be good at balancing chemical equations, conversions, and chemical formulas.
• We will be using these skills all through this semester.
• If you student needs more help with these, please have them let me know using our bulletin board procedure that was introduced last week as well.
• Stomach Stoichiometry:
• We did a lab investigation on the reaction yeast uses to break down sugar and produce carbon dioxide and the reaction of burning a candle to produce carbon dioxide.
• They learned some really cool facts about gas production in humans along the way.
• We are now using methods of stoichiometry to figure out how much carbon dioxide was produced in the lab.
• The conclusions should be finished this week and notebooks turned in for review.

From the desk of Mr. Terry:

This week our chemistry lab had the distinct smell of yeast converting sugar into energy. Some of you might associate this with bread making, others might have a different memory with this smell. I love see the students perform in the lab. They are so good at following safety protocols and staying on task. I want this to continue this semester as we get closer to making rocket candy! Some fun questions to ask your student about what they learned this week from the lab:

1. How many times does a healthy person gas each day?
2. What is the main chemical in flatulence?
3. What is the main cause of flatulence?

You may or may not want to go there with your 16 year old. Anyway, have a great week!

I am available to help during lunch and Flex on the "A" day schedule 4th block. Students can make arrangements to miss their 4th block class to meet with me.

terryk@claytonbradleyacademy.org

Beginning 2nd Semester

Periodic Updates

In Review

Important Dates & Assignments:

• STEM Fair:
• All students were introduced to the idea of our first upper school STEM Fair this week.
• The date of the STEM Fair is May 5th.
• Students will be working throughout the 3rd 9 weeks to complete their project with the assistance of a Faculty Sponsor. 
• All projects should be completed before spring break!
• More to come on this as the 9 weeks progresses.
• Rocket Candy:
• Hopefully you read that correctly, I did say "Rocket Candy!"
• Our big chemistry project for this 9 weeks will involve the students making rocket fuel.
• We will also be reading "Rocket Boys" as a class. This is the book that gave the idea for the movie, "October Sky."
• Students will be working on this project in the Chemistry lab under the my supervision of the supervision of Kendal McCarter. No student should be making this fuel at home! This fuel can be very safe but it is used as fuel for a reason. It is combustible and burns hot.
• If anyone has any contacts with a model rocket club in this area, I would love to partner with them for this project.

From the desk of Mr. Terry:

I am so excited about the two projects discussed above. The STEM Fair will help our students begin to take on a new side of research and project building. This can be done in groups up to 3 or individually. Our faculty will be helping advise this process and helping bring a level of personal best to their projects. If you would like more information, please email me. The other project we are starting fits perfectly with our standards. We are getting ready to start stoichiometry and this project will be a real world situation in which stoichiometry is so important to get right. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me.

As you see your student's report card later this week, remember that students can go back and work on any standard they would like to improve. Have a great week!

I am available to help during Flex on the "A" day schedule 4th block. Students can make arrangements to miss their 4th block class to meet with me.

terryk@claytonbradleyacademy.org

Week 17 in Review

Periodic Updates

Week 17 In Review

Important Dates & Assignments:

• Lab Write-Ups:
• Every lab that we do in chemistry has a lab notebook component.
• I have been giving students time to get all the questions and summaries finished.
• I will be reviewing them over Thanksgiving break.
• Chemical Naming and Balancing Equations:
• We have started our last unit before Winter Break.
• Part of this will involve practice to get the process down.
• Please help remind students to do their practice problems.
• Midterm Exam:
• We will be having a midterm exam at the end of this quarter.
• This exam will cover anything and everything from the beginning of the school year.
• Please encourage your student to come to tutoring for help and review.

What happened last week?

• Chemical Naming:
• Students practiced correct ways to name chemicals.
• We played a "Name Game" that many of the students enjoyed and realized they did have the ability to name and correctly write the formula for many molecules.
• Chemical Equations:
• Students began to think about chemical equations this week.
• We will be continuing our understanding of these this week.
• Standards:
• This is all part of our study of the Next Generation Science Standards PS1-3, 1-4, and 1-7. 

From the desk of Mr. Terry:

Practice! Students will be practicing correct naming and balancing chemical equations this week. This is a skill that truly practice will make perfect. The language of chemistry can seem scary to many students until they get comfortable with how it is done. Once the students get over that fear, they will show the confidence they need to name molecules and balance equations. I heard a very respected individual say, "Dreams have to go from inspiration to participation." I really feel like this is where many of our 10th graders find themselves right now. Their futures are becoming more of a reality everyday. This is the point that those dreams have to really become something they participate in right now. I want their understanding of Chemistry to be such that they are able to use it to get where they want to be as an adult. Have a great week!

I am available to help any morning between 7:45-8:15 and during Flex on the "A" day schedule 4th block. Students can make arrangements to miss their 4th block class to meet with me.

terryk@claytonbradleyacademy.org

Week 15 in Review

Periodic Updates

Week 15 In Review

Important Dates & Assignments:

• Lab Write-Ups:
• Every lab that we do in chemistry has a lab notebook component.
• I have been giving students time to get all the questions and summaries finished.
• I will be reviewing them over Thanksgiving break.
• Chemical Naming and Balancing Equations:
• We have started our last unit before Winter Break.
• Part of this will involve practice to get the process down.
• Please help remind students to do their practice problems.
• Midterm Exam:
• We will be having a midterm exam at the end of this quarter.
• This exam will cover anything and everything from the beginning of the school year.
• Please encourage your student to come to tutoring for help and review.

What happened last week?

• Celebration of Learning:
• The students did an excellent job with the celebration of learning.
• It was great listening to them explain the chemical processes and see them interacting with the lower school volunteers.
• Make sure you let them know how great they did with this presentation.
• Assessment:
• All assessments have been scored. 
• We will have some time on Tuesday to discuss the assessment.
• There is always the ability to go back and learn more about a standard. If your student would like to put the time in reviewing and practicing, I would love to see them show mastery in the standards.
• The scores should be reflected on the progress report card.
• Standards:
• This is all part of our study of the Next Generation Science Standards PS1-3, 1-4, and 1-7. 

From the desk of Mr. Terry:

This week brought a lot of excitement as students were able to showcase their learning Wednesday morning. See the students talk about chemical equations, photography, and the vertebrate survey was very exciting for me as their teacher. The students have been working so hard this year, and I believe they deserved the chance to show others what they have accomplished. With excitement, came some anxiety over the assessment. I know many students were very nervous about how they think they did on the assessment. Overall, I think the assessment helped students realize what they have learned and what they need to spend more time trying to understand. In reality, Chemistry is not getting easier. The content will continue to increase in challenge as we build on the learning that has taken place. If your student didn't do so well on the assessment, please encourage them to come to tutoring or flex during 4th block of "A" days so we can get back on pace. Have a great week!

I am available to help any morning between 7:45-8:15 and during Flex on the "A" day schedule 4th block. Students can make arrangements to miss their 4th block class to meet with me.

terryk@claytonbradleyacademy.org

Week 14 in Review

Periodic Updates

Week 14 In Review

Important Dates & Assignments:

• Celebration of Learning:
• This week we will be highlighting 10th grade science program in the Celebration of Learning. We hope to see you Wednesday morning.
• Chemistry Assessment:
• There will be an assessment over material covered since fall break on Monday November 16th.

What happened last week?

• Chemical Bonding:
• Students gave great presentations concerning the different types of chemical bonding.
• Mr. McCarter gave a short presentation on metallic bonding.
• Photography Lab:
• Students had a great time doing this lab.
• To see results, come to the Celebration of Learning Wednesday!
• Standards:
• This is all part of our study of the Next Generation Science Standards PS1-1, 1-2, and 1-7. 

From the desk of Mr. Terry:

We began this week with excitement of trying a new lab on photography. This lab bridged the gap between the reactivity of the periodic table and chemical bonding. Students were able to see real world processes in the lab and the results for some of the students is quite impressive. We will start this next week with an assessment to see our learning. Then we will celebrate all the exciting things from this year in science. Please join us on Wednesday to help the students celebrate their learning. Have a great day!

I am available to help any morning between 7:45-8:15 and during Flex on the "A" day schedule 4th block. Students can make arrangements to miss their 4th block class to meet with me.

terryk@claytonbradleyacademy.org