In 8th grade we just finished up a unit on the solar system and are now studying star formation and the universe. Students modeled our solar system out in the courtyard and learned that it stretches much further than anticipated. Using our scale of one shoe equals 15 million km, it extended way out into the parking lot! Later, we darkened the classroom and students modeled the lunar phases as the moon circles the Earth. We will finish the year building and racing Rocket Racers!In 7th grade the students did an excellent job on their frog dissections. There was only an occasional "gross" or "eeew" heard. Mostly it was "that's VERY scientific" (code for "gross" and "eeew"). Within minutes, all students were engaged in the activity and learning about the frog's digestive system. We have now moved on to a study of the human body; learning about reproduction, the skin, the bones, and to finish strong - the muscles!
In 6th grade we finished our unit on biomes. The students formed groups and built and presented different biomes to the class. The construction took place entirely in class - and what a great job they did! We have now started studying the Earth's atmosphere and hope to get a chance to do another construction project - building anemometers!
