Weathering and Erosion Lab

We recently had a 2 day weathering and erosion lab that consisted of 9 stations, buckets of water, several pounds of sand, hydrochloric acid, and of course many rocks! It was quite the mess, but we all know that in science, mess = learning! :) Students used hands-on activities to simulate an eroding beach, chemical weathering of limestone, physical weathering and abrasion on all types of rocks, wind in a dessert, floods, the chemical weathering of regular water, and how vegetation prevents landslides and erosion. Here are some pictures from our big adventure!

Prezi/Foldable Activity for Tuesday, Nov 9

Students: Use the prezi below to create your vocab foldable. For the foldable, you want to fold it hot dog style, then cut along the dashed lines so that you have FIVE tabs for your vocab. For each of those terms, you will find the definition and photos that illustrate this definition. Your job is to write the definition and create a photo like mine, or similar, so that you will have a visual cue to assist you when practicing vocabulary.

Copy and paste this web address into your browser:

http://prezi.com/f0oy6lw1l8di/edit/#97_4369257

Technology Projects

Students must turn in their technology projects by the end of this week... remember, this is worth the same as a test grade! Below is the information you have had access to for the last week and a half, in case you have lost any of it or need reminders!

One Day On Earth:
https://sites.google.com/site/technologywithmrsp
http://www.onedayonearth.org

If you are participating in the One Day On Earth Project, you must:
-Upload your photos/videos to the One Day On Earth website.
-Use those photos/videos to create a Prezi, photo slide show, or a Quicktime video to share with class. (Please avoid PowerPoints; you should be using Prezi and Windows Movie Maker on these projects!)
-Type a half page reflection on what this global technology project meant to you. Think about how you chose what to share and why. The heading for the reflection should appear as follows:

Student name
Science, period____
Technology Project
Reflection


Thoughtful Consumers:
https://sites.google.com/site/consumerismproject/

If you are participating in the Thoughtful Consumers Making the Earth Better Project, you must:
Turn in the following:
-Bubble map from brainstorming session.
-Notes that were taken during “The Story of Stuff” video.
-A presentation titled “Top Ten Ways Your Money Can Make the World Better”. The presentation must be made with Prezi or Windows Movie Maker. Do not use PowerPoint, please.
-Type a half page reflection on what this global technology project meant to you. Think about why you chose the items on your top ten list. The heading for the reflection should appear as follows:

Student name
Science, period____
Technology Project
Reflection

10,10.10 One Day On Earth Video by Samantha S.

Check out this student work for the One Day On Earth/10.10.10 by Samantha S. Way to go, Sam!!! :) Proud of you!

Technology Project for Week of October 18th

Students, here are the links to the technology project sites:

One Day on Earth:
https://sites.google.com/site/technologywithmrsp/

Thoughtful Consumers Making the World Better:
https://sites.google.com/site/consumerismproject/

10.10.10 One Day on Earth Project

Students! Don't forget about the 10.10.10 project this weekend! Remember, you MUST do the project on THIS SUNDAY, October 10th. You may do ANY of the projects in the packet I gave you today, but the ones with the stars next to them might be best suited for you. Use a photo camera or video camera to document your project/activities. Students going to the Race for the Cure on Sunday, be sure your electronic devices are CHARGED and ready to rock by tomorrow night.

I am so excited to see what you all create and have a feeling that I will be very proud of how enthusiastically you all embrace this amazing global project!

Off to the Biosphere 2... science is calling! Have a fun and safe weekend and DON'T FORGET ABOUT 10.10.10!!! :)

More dance photos!!

Lauren the Turtle Likes Pizza

Oh and how could I forget Lauren the Turtle, who wins a special place in the heart of Paseo Hills for eating an ENTIRE pizza during the SAME school dance. Go Lauren!!! (and hey, get that stomach tapeworm checked out, k?) :) You rock!!!

First Dance of the Year!

Paseo Hills 7th and 8th graders enjoyed their first dance of the school year last Friday and I was on hand to help out and take some photos and video... enjoy!

Volcano Webcams

This week, while learning about igneous rocks, we naturally got onto the topic of volcanoes. Here is the link that I mentioned where you can go online and view volcanoes LIVE from government webcams... post comments if you see anything cool!
http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/VAAC/cams.html

Rock Cycle Animation

Check this out!
http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/investigations/es0602/es0602page02.cfm?chapter_no=investigation

P.E. Dances/Basketball Routines

Our AWESOME 7th graders recently had a chance to show off their moves in P.E. Check out the videos below! Super impressive!!!

Let's educate ourselves on Voldermort and Mufassa!

Is anyone interested in doing a little research on our animals? I would like a solid paragraph on each animal to put near their habitats. Email me the paragraph (after checking spelling and grammar) to mindy.pallagi@dvusd.org. First student to send one (and I need one for each animal) will receive one of my SPECIAL and IN VERY HIGH DEMAND pencils that reads: Mrs. Pallagi thinks I rock!!!!

Before you get started, you need to know the exact species of these lovely animals. Here you go:

Voldermort: Corn snake (albino)
Mufassa: Leopard gecko

Test Retakes This Week!

Here are the retake times (this week only) for the most recent test that was handed back today:
If you qualify for a retake, please come to my classroom during the following times: Tues: 8:00-8:40 & 3:45-4:30. Wed & Thurs: 3:45-4:30. Fri: 8:00-8:45. If you are redoing your essay section, please submit by 3:30 on Friday, September 24th.

Character Counts Assembly

As we kick off our school-wide Character Counts program, students had a blast coming together for a really neat assembly put on by Big Mouth Presentations. BMP has a vision of "inspiring a culture of character" and the students loved the message. You can check them out here: http://www.bigmouthpresentations.com/.

At the end of the assembly, students were invited to dance and of course I had my camera ready to rock! Have fun watching!

Writing Goals in Science

Last week we discussed some goals for this school year and we will be continuing this discussion as a class next week. Below is a picture of a giant sign that was recently put up in the science classroom about specific goals and objectives we will have with writing. As Paseo Hills, writing is to take place in every subject everyday and in 7th grade science, the same applies! I will be adding more to this giant sign in the next few days, but for now, please look at our goals and objectives and start considering how these goals can be implemented in the weeks to come! I'm very proud of my students and love seeing you all succeed!!

Pictures of Scientific Method Foldable

Students! Here are the pictures I promised you to help you with your foldable!

Goal Setting!

Today we discussed and practiced some goal setting. It is important to set goals every year that are specific and measurable (just like how we conduct experiments)! Instead of saying "I want to get good grades", be specific and say "I want to get at least nothing lower than a B". Having specific and clear goals helps students through the reflection process and in evaluating whether or not they are trying hard enough to reach their goals. All students wrote these goals in their Interactive Notebooks and we will be revisiting them on a frequent basis. Students and parents: please discuss the goals the students set today! They will love to share them with you :)

Have a great weekend, everyone! Thank you for a wonderful first week of school. I can tell this is going to be an extraordinary year!

What shall we name these animals?

Next week we will be choosing names for our classroom pets! Right now we have an albino corn snake and a leopard gecko... and more animals may be on their way! Please comment on this post with your first name only and what you would like to suggest for a name for each pet. The winner will receive a special "Mrs. Pallagi Prize"!!!

Here's an exmaple of how to reply to this post:
Sally: Snake- Sliver Gecko- Spot

Ready, set, post!!!!

T.E.A.M.=Together Everyone Achieves More!!

Today we discussed teamwork and "The 6 "C"s of the Bees"... bees and ants are excellent examples of teamwork in motion, so that was our real-world connection as we applied the techniques of these insects to what we do in the classroom. The six "C"s that we learned about today are: Common goal, Commitment, Confidence, Collaboration, Contribution, and Communication. We discussed how each of these are so essential for a positive teamwork experience, then, students were given a difficult challenge that required a HUGE amount of teamwork... some excelled and some had stumbling blocks, BUT, we all experienced the ways that teamwork does and does not work! After our end-of-class reflection, I think students felt that they knew their own strengths and weaknesses in teamwork; it was a very engaging learning experience! Here are some pictures of the students at work with their task... can't tell what they had to do? Ask them! They will LOVE talking about it!!! (I gave them many rules!) :)