Back to School 8th Grade

You do not need to take notes- unless you want to I have a handout with contact information. Also everything you see and hear tonight is posted on my teacher website and will be accessible throughout the entire school year.

What is 8th grade science?

Main Concepts Curriculum Nature of Science (Understanding Scientific Method) Air quality (Physical Science) Ever Changing Earth (Earth/Space Science) Weather Watch (Earth/Space Science)

Project Based Inquiry Science (PBIS) Engaging Boring Versus Student-centered classroom versus teacher-centered classroom. Constructivist-based, higher-ordered thinking encouraged, where students think outside the box. Encourages students to learn in the way scientists do science.

PBIS Group Work: Students will be working in small groups, and they will need to have heir desks arranged so that they can easily work together. Posters: Students put posters on the wall for everyone to examine, and then the class discusses the similarities and differences across groups’ results. Presentations: a small group of students will hold their poster and perhaps a physical artifact they have built, show it to the class, and discuss it. The Project Board: The Project Board is an important piece of equipment used in each unit. Each student keeps a copy in science journal and updates it daily. Physical Artifacts: In many of the units, groups are creating physical artifacts that they need to store between classes. Student Notebooks: In all of the units, students are keeping a variety of records of what they are doing. They collect data, they each record the Project Board on their own personal Project Board page, they create explanations on a standard Create an Explanation page, and so on.

Example of daily agenda

What is in a grade? Science Journal Lab Reports Homework Classwork Quizzes Tests

Thank you For being here tonight For getting your kids organized and out the door with their supplies For helping me to keep your kids on track via the HAC site. For everything you do!