Mr. Sames - Science
email: samesf at portlandschools.org
I have been neglecting this page since starting a Gold 8 Science Blog which can be found at http://blogs.portlandschools.org/samesf/ .
Welcome to the Gold 8 Science page. This is a window into our classroom. I’ll be updating the page periodically with class information about what we are working on. And, I will be trying to upload any pictures or videos I manage to capture of what’s happening.
The Syllabus and Homework policy has been uploaded below for anyone who has not seen it.
1/7
Winter Break is over and we are back in the thick of it. The room is full of 3-D Bohr models and the wall outside of the room is starting to look like a Periodic Table. Before we know it we’ll be knee deep in the Kinetic Theory of Matter and examining the forms that Energy takes.
Check back for photos.
12/3
It’s a new trimester and we are starting it with study of Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table. This unit is another integral part for our upcoming studies of the Kinetic Theory of Matter, Forms of Energy and Energy Sources.
There are a few new policies in place to improve the learning environment:
- Any quiz grade below an 80% will be required to be improved for homework. Students may use notes to revise their answers or speak with me after school, during academic support, or before school.
- Students will also have the opportunity, once a trimester, to revise one quiz grade that is already above an 80%. Students can recieve half-credit for each correctly revised answer.
- Missed assignments will be expected to be turned in within 24hrs of due date or students will be required to stay after school to complete the missing work (only on days with late bus).
- Finally, we will be trying out the PAT made famous by Mr. Stankiewicz. Each class receives ten minutes of PAT time which can be increased by efficient classroom participation (or decreased for less than stellar performance). Every two weeks the accumulated time can be used for a review game, the odd experiment, or an appropriate student suggestion.
As a side note, Gold 8 and Blue 8 are collecting compostable materials from lunch to determine the mass usable for Lincoln’s soon-to-be-acquired composters.
10/29
We are reviewing metric measurement these days. A little length, a little volume, and a little mass, all for a greater understanding of the student’s Trebuchet project in Engineering Technology. The measurement unit also enables our class to communicate with each other effectively. The unit establishes a common language for presenting data/information that students will continue to use in high school science courses. We are answering the question:
How do scientists collect, communicate, and compare discoveries?
