Hurricane Isaac Strikes Missouri! Exam Wed.

Today, we finished practicing SI conversions, took a field trip to the Gulf of Mexico  (at least to its water!) and watched a video regarding relative velocity and motion (and some previews of inertia/force/momentum studies to come)

I discussed the content of the exam on Wednesday; it will be short - probably 1/2 to 2/3 of the class period, and you will be using your understandings of density, measurement, and graphing primarily.  There will be a small amount of motion - related content on the exam.  

You will need to review how to divide by fractions, use units in problem solving, and convert using S.I. prefixes.  You will need to understand what density is and how it governs interactions between matter with different densities.  You will need to understand the metric system (S.I.) and its advantages.  You will need to understand how to measure something accurately (correctly) and precisely (using the smallest units available and not rounding unnecessarily).  You will need to understand how to set up a graph as well as how to get information from it (slope of line of best fit - and what does it mean, etc.).  

To review:

Re-try homework assigned from the textbook.  When we have gone over these answers, did you make corrections or just pitch your paper in the trash?  

Review notes we took in class - they should be on this webpage too.

Review how to divide by fractions.

Look back through this webpage to refresh your mind of activities we did to help you learn/master density.

You may use a calculator on this test.  You must supply this yourself; I only have a couple to loan and although I try to make sample problems easy to work in your head or on paper, you will have to measure a real object and working with that number may involve calculator necessity. 

Weekend homework:  Study, have a fun weekend, and finish the optional assignment (due Tuesday).

Motion& op. assign, Test Wed: Meas./Dens./Graph.

Today we started studying motion in class with some notes (see link)

I discussed problems with #5 (it was tough) on the homework; basically the person on the bus is walking one way but moving another relative to the ground.  Walking backward, moving forward in the bus's direction (as long as the bus is moving faster)... we discussed with a diagram.

Most classes (except 3rd per.) finished finding slope on yesterday's graphing WS and some people remembered units!!!!  Hooray - a slope that means something!  :)  In our case it was meters of tree growth per year on average.

I promised an optional assignment would be posted here.  It is:
You are an engineer building a new shopping center.  The local city government requires all new buildings to have temporary holding ponds for water runoff during rain to prevent flooding to existing homes and buildings downstream.  You must determine the volume of water that must be stored in this pond during a spring downpour; 6.00 centimeters (2.36 inches).  You may choose to use metric or standard units for your calculations.  Show your work (NEATLY), circle your answer and units, and write an explanation of which system of measurement is easier to use for this real-world engineering task.
Your building and parking lot measurements are:
Building:  32.9 meters long x 58.4 meters wide   OR     107 and 30/32 feet x 191 and 5/8 feet
Parking lot:  60.2 meters long x 40.3 meters wide  OR    197 and 1/2 feet x 132 and 3/16 feet.

Due Tuesday.  

Labs Due Tuesday, HMWK for Wed

Today in class:
LABS DUE TUESDAY at the beginning of class.  If labs are late/not done/not in a lab journal / not correct they will not count for or against you; they will appear as an X in the gradebook, which is totally excused.  (this does mean that your grade will be based more on tests and homework, so don't think this is a free pass)

Due Wednesday:   Read p. 70-75; p. 75#1-7

Notes for Tuesday here

We had some notes/review on applied Algebra techniques.  Main Categories were:
Fractions --> specifically dividing by a fraction:  To simplify, multiply the numerator by the reciprocal of the denominator.

1 divided by (1/2)  is an easy example.  It is the same as 1 *  (2/1)  = 2.

This can be applied with letters and units as well as numbers;
A/(A/B)  = A * (B/A) which simplifies to just B  (easier to see if you rewrite the fractions vertically - hard to do on the computer)

Next was solving for an unknown; most of you are great at 2/3 of the problems we'll encounter in class.  The other scenario - many need a push.
Example:  You have the equation   Density = mass / volume.  Solve for Volume  (get v by itself).

I typically have people trying to multiply both sides by mass, which results in mass^2,  NOT what you want.

The solution for most people is found easily by making both sides into fractions:
Density / 1   =  mass / volume     (write it out vertically) and most people instantly see that they can cross multiply, resulting in Density * volume = mass,  and just one last step to get volume by itself.  :)


Third, we practiced checking equations by plugging in units; we solved s = d/t for t  (speed, distance, and time) and then plugged in hours, miles, and miles/hours to verify that hours on the left side of the equation equaled only hours on the right side (it did!)

Class was then cut loose to work to finish density labs, check floating or sinking in water, and work on a challenge/competition to get the best layering of different densities of colored saltwater.  One group got three distinct density colors to appear, most found a way to get two layers (and then verified it was density holding them there when they inverted the straw that was holding the layers!)

Lab tomorrow! Bring Lab Journal!

Thursday and Friday we will work on a density lab; part will be for points and part for fun after you finish.  (Band students will probably miss out on the fun stuff, but will be able to get measurements recorded and finish the required work for the lab on Friday)  Homework is to finish the lab; turn in no later than next Tuesday.  
Following grading of the homework that was turned in yesterday, we will focus some on graphing and more measurement conversions Monday, then new material starting on Tuesday.
Our next book assignment is to read p. 70-75 and work p. 75#1-7.  (due Wednesday) On #5, assume the bus is moving twice as fast relative to the ground as you are walking inside the bus.

Tomorrow (Thursday) after school our Science & Discovery club also meets to explore density... of a human that is!  Bring a swimsuit and a towel if you want to get VERY wet too!  2:30-3:30, room 314.

hmwk due Thurs, Bring Lab Journal Thurs/Fri

I was out today; Charlotte had pinkeye.  :(

Sorry about the boring video; that was left just in case I had to be gone unexpectedly, which I did.

Tomorrow we'll continue with the density topic, practice problems, demonstrations, and an activity as well. 

The worksheet you received today had problems from the book on the back; those are due on Thursday (remember you always have 2 days minimum to finish any assignment from when it's assigned.) 
I will put a copy up on this page tomorrow when I'm back at school.

Measurement Fun... HMWK for Tuesday

Today in class we finished yesterday's measurement activity WS and discussed/shared answers, as well as took some measurements about measurements on some of you - records are on the board for Monday.

Books and Edline Student Access Codes were passed out today.  Parents - you can get your access codes from me directly at Open house next week so you don't have to stand in line elsewhere.

Monday we will take notes on Density and have some fun activities and demonstrations mixed in as well.

Homework Due on Tuesday will help give more background for density and wrap up some of the measurement topics we've reviewed so far:
Read p. 14-21 in the text; work p. 21 #1,2,4,5    
AND
P. 32 (chapter review) problems 1,2,4,9, 12-17 (except 15), 23,24, 27-29.
If you have any questions, share them in class on Monday!  

Welcome to Fox!

To this year's incoming Freshmen:

I am very excited to have you in my class this year!  A few notes about the class that may be helpful:
-Book assignments are intended as background; read the assigned reading and try your best on homework problems.  If you haven't done the reading, you may find yourself lost in class.
-If you need help, ask!  I am around before and after school, plus most of you probably have Facebook accounts.  Find "Mr. Freeman's Classroom" and get updates from class, links to this page, and ask questions on there.  If you don't get a homework question, ask online and I bet one of your classmates will answer it before I do.
-Homework assignments are given with 2 days' notice.  If you can't get work done by the assigned time, a 50% late penalty will be assigned and you can still turn it in one day late.  After that, there will be no credit assigned unless I am contacted by your parent to explain why you can't finish homework within 3 days.
-Have fun!  I will try to get you involved as much as possible; hands-on demonstrations and activities are a great way to learn science.
This page will be updated daily as a resource for you and your parents.  Links to additional assignments (optional assignments) that you may do to buffer your grade, copies of notes and handouts, homework listings, and all sorts of fun things will appear here.  I do try to post links to this page on my Facebook page too so you can keep informed.
-Mr.F.

This year's first stuff to know:
Lab Journals:  We will do lots of labs in this class; one official lab per unit will go into your lab journal.  You will need one by Thursday, August 23.  This should be a bound composition book-type journal, with graph paper.  I sell these for $2.15 and have 40 available.  If you continue on to Honors Chemistry next year, you can re-use your graph paper lab journal.  If you aren't going into Honors Chemistry, I am flexible on the journal you use and I can even give you graph paper to glue in when you need it.  Lab reports must be done in these journals, in pen, according to guidelines, but if not done properly, your grade will not be penalized; the lab will not be graded at all.  The same goes if you are absent and can't make up a lab activity... this does weight your test and homework grade more heavily though!
Online textbook:  please log into edline and go to our class page to see the access code for the online textbook; this is a public site and I had overseas people accessing it last year.
Digital copy of the textbook:  Bring in a flash drive to school and I will copy the textbook for you - we have lots of CD copies but they don't always work well.  (I will need a few volunteers to do this since we are short on texts)
Syllabus - sign (Parents) and return by Friday, Aug 17 please.   You must have this signed and returned to participate in labs
1st assignment: List of 10 metric measurements + Metric vs. Standard argument- Due Friday, Aug. 17:  
--> Argue for the use of either Metric or Standard units' measurements of a particular item.
-->Find ten items around the house and record the metric, or S.I. (International System) units of measurement on their labels.  Units should be based on liters, grams, or meters mostly, and many will use a prefix, like mL for milli-liters or cm for centi-meters.
Examples:
   Item                                             Measurement
1. Head & Shoulders Shampoo       400 mL
2. Canned corn                               375g
3. Aluminum Foil                             7.5 m^3
Argument example:  Yards make more sense than meters to me because there are 36 inches in a yard, which is easier to remember than 100 cm in a meter.