Science 90 - Sept 30

Today in class we spent time going over homework that I had assigned last week.  We also spent time talking about the exam that I scheduled for next week on Wed, Oct 8.  I gave a review today in class that students can work on and help them study for.  Students who complete the review and hand it in on the day of the exam can get an extra 5% bonus on the exam itself.  Here is the review.

•Questions pg 38

–#1-5,7,9-12,15,16,18,19,24-26,29

•Questions pg 74

–#1-3,5,6,9,12,22,23

•Questions pg 110

–#2-5,7,9-12,15,18,20,23,24

•Know all diagrams

–Plant/animal cells

–Mitosis

–Flower parts

–Male/female reproductive systems

Physical Science 20 - Sept 30

Today we had an abbreviated class due to the lockdown drill.  After the drill, we jumped into learning how to do unit conversions.  The method that I used to teach this was called dimensional analysis.  It works for any type of unit conversion, from the metric to the imperial system.  I gave a worksheet for students to work on for the remainder of the class.  I strongly urge students to use the method taught in class rather than something that they learned in earlier science classes.  This will make your understanding of stoichiometry much easier.

Physics 30 - Sept 30

Today we learned how to add non-collinear vectors together.  We did an example before where we added two vectors together but we learned that this approach (a graphical approach) is inaccurate.  Today we did an example where we added vectors together using the mathematical approach that we learned yesterday.   The vector resolution method led us to an answer that was more accurate than a scale diagram.  It involved breaking each vector into its x and y components then adding all x components together and adding all y components together.  The results from this give you the components of your resultant vector, and then we just use Pythagoras Theorem and the tan identity to figure out the resultant vector.

We did Example 5 today.  On Thursday we will do example 6 and students will then have some time to work on Assignment 2.3.  Reminder of your exam tomorrow.

Science 90 - Sept 29

Today we went to the library to do a little research on some current genetic technologies.  Students were directed to the website learn.genetics.utah.edu and needed to learn information on each of these four technologies - stem cells, cloning, genetic therapy, and transgenic mice.  They had to answer the following questions about each technology:

1.What is the technology?
2.How is being used?
3.What are 3 cool things that we might be able to do with this technology in the future?
4.What is your ethical opinion about this technology?

This is all due tomorrow.  Tomorrow we are going to go through all this homework that I have given you over the past couple of days.

Physical Science 20 - Sept 29

Today we started the new outcome on the mole.  The concept of the mole relies heavily on math so we need to spend some time looking at significant figures and scientific notation as well as metric conversion.  Today we learned how to work with measurements and round off to the correct number of significant figures.  I assigned a worksheet to practice all of this.  Students picked this up today in class.  Tomorrow we will learn about metric conversion.

I also assigned a take home assignment to conclude our section on chemical reactions.  Assignment C16 is due on Thursday, Oct 2.  Students will hand this in for marks.

Physics 30 - Sept 29

Today we learned how to break a vector into its components.  This method is called vector resolution and involves resolving a vector into a horizontal and vertical component - or what we call an x and y component.  This method involved using trig identities and Pythagoras's Theorem.  Examples 2,3, and 4 were covered.  Students were given the last 15 minutes to work on Assignment 2.2.  Tomorrow we will be moving on and looking at non-collinear vectors and how to work with them.

Science 90 - Sept 25 & 26

Yesterday I checked the homework that students worked on from Wednesday.  We also did a little activity where we extracted DNA from strawberry plants.  The activity is located in the course notes link.  Students handed in that activity today.  As well today, we had a discussion panel on ethical problems that arise from genetic technology.  Students were broken into 3 separate groups and given a list of scenarios related to genetic technologies and decided what to do in each case.  At the end of class we came together and went over our decisions and discussed the issues that came up in our groups.  I gave the students some homework to do after this and they are to complete it and have it done for Tuesday.  Students are to read pages 58-70 in the textbook and define the following terms:

• Selective Breeding
• Artificial Reproductive Technology
• Genetic Engineering

As well, they need to answer questions #3,6,7,9,10 on page 70.  On Monday, we will be heading to the library to do some a small research project on genetic technologies.

Physical Science 20 - Sept 26

Today we looked at the lab and went over our results from the lab on Tuesday.  I explained the rationale for developing one of the net ionic equations and figuring out the precipitate.  We then spent the rest of the class finishing the lab reports.  On Monday we will begin looking at the mole.  Have a great weekend everyone.

Physics 30 - Sept 25 & 26

Yesterday, we did our quiz on Lab 1.2.  After the quiz, we started our 2nd unit on vectors.  We finished the first lesson on scale diagrams and direction systems today and Assignment 2.1 was assigned.  We will take this up on Monday.  Have a great weekend everyone.

Science 90 - Sept 22

We started looking at the science of genetics today.  Students handed in their labs from Friday and I checked the homework that was assigned last Thursday.  After we went over it, we started learning about traits and heredity. This was covered on slides 81-83.  We also did Activity A8 on page 28, where looked at comes common traits in the student body, and tried to determine which were dominant and which were recessive.

We finished off the class with the assignment on slide 83.  Students are to read pages 41-45 tonight and answer questions #2,3,5,6,7 on page 45.

Physical Science 20 - Sept 22

Today in class we finished our notes on double replacement reactions.  We learned how to make the overall ionic equation and then move from there to the net ionic equation.  I assigned Assignment C15 at the end of class and students will have to have that completed for Wednesday.

This concludes our work with Outcome FC1.  Tomorrow we will do a lab that looks at double replacement reactions and forming precipitates.  We will begin looking at outcome FC2 soon.

Science 90 - Sept 18 & 19

On Thursday, we finished looking at methods for how plants sexually reproduce.  This involved looking at the flower particularly and how it has evolved to allow for multiple means of pollination.  We then watched a video on the different tricks flowers have developed to aid pollination.  The video is linked in the course videos folder.  Students then spent the rest of class working on the assignment on slide 79.  We will take this assignment up on Monday.

On Friday, we did our first lab where students had a chance to look at the parts of a flower close up.  This involved dissecting a flower and examining the key structures under a microscope.  There was a small handout that students had to do.  This is also due on Monday.  We will being to look at the science of genetics on Monday and how that has played a role in who we are today.

Physical Science 20 - Sept 18 & 19

On Thursday, we began looking at how we can use our knowledge on reaction types to predict the products of a chemical reaction.  Knowing what the reactants are, we can then identify what type of reaction will occur and use that to predict the likely products.  Sometimes however, reactions don't occur.  This only happens in specific situations with single replacement and double replacement reactions.

In a single replacement reaction, in order for a reaction to occur, the element doing the replacing has to be more active than the element that is being replaced.  Activity is determined by looking at where the element is located on an activity series.  We finished the lesson on Thursday by working on Assignments C13 and C14.

On Friday, we started looking at double replacement reactions and determining whether or not a reaction will occur.  This involved using another table called a solubility table to determine whether or not a compound was soluble in water.  We went through how to use this table and did a couple of examples to determining solubility.  We didn't quite get to assignment C15, but we will on Monday.

Physics 30 - Sept 18 & 19

On Thursday and Friday we started looking at how to solve problems that involve constant acceleration.  The kinematics equations were introduced on Thursday and we looked at a couple of examples on how to use the equations.  On Friday, we looked at a particular tricky example called a twin object problem.  This type of problem involved looking at the motion of two separate objects that are linked somehow.  We ended up developing new equations based on kinematics and would have to employ the quadratic formula to solve these new equations.  Assignments 1.5 and 1.6 were assigned but students will be given some time on Monday to work on them.

We are also approaching the end of the unit.  This means that some things will be happening.  The first In Class Assignment is set for Wed, Sept 24.  The first unit exam is set for a week after that on Wed, Oct 1.  As well, we are going to have our first lab quiz for Lab 1.2 on Thurs, Sept 25.  If you are going to be away on any of these dates, please come and talk to me.

Science 90 - Sept 17

Today we went over the assignments from yesterday. We then started to look at how plants reproduce sexually.  We looked at the structure that plants have developed to increase genetic diversity - the flower.  Slides 70-77 were covered in the powerpoint.  We started learning the difference between self-pollination and cross-pollination.  However the class ended before we got to the assignment.  This will happen tomorrow.  

Science 90 - Sept 16

Today we learned about the different methods for asexual reproduction in plants and animals.  This was covered on slides 64-69 in the powerpoint.  Students should know the different processes by which plants and animals asexually reproduce.  The end of class was spent on working on a couple of assignments.  Student are to read pages 11-14 in their textbooks and answer questions #5-7, 9 and 10 on page 15.  As well, students need to read pages 18-23 and answer questions #1,2,5,6 and 12 on page 23

Tomorrow we will begin to look at sexual reproduction in plants.

Physical Science 20 - Sept 16

Today we learned about the different types of reactions.  There were six different types of reactions: synthesis, decomposition, single replacement, double replacement, combustion and neutralization.  This was covered on slides 32-40 in the powerpoint.  As well, I went over the difference between and complete and incomplete combustion reaction.  In complete combustion, the products will always be carbon dioxide and water.  This happens when there is excess oxygen present to react with.  In incomplete combustion, the products are always carbon monoxide and water.  This happens when there is insufficient oxygen to react with.

Students spent the end of class working on Assignment C12.  Tomorrow our class will be cut short due to mass, but we are going to have a quiz tomorrow on nomenclature when we get back from mass.  Make sure you know how to name compounds and write formulas for them.  Study Assignments C1-C8, with the exception of C7.  There will not be organic nomenclature on this quiz.  Focus on Assignment C8

Physics 30 - Sept 16

Today we finished going over example 7 in the notes.  It was a rather long example where we figured out a bunch of stuff from a velocity time graph.  We also did example 8.  In this example, we learned how to translate a position time graph into a velocity time graph.  For the rest of class we worked on Assignment 1.4.  We will have more time to do this tomorrow.

Science 90 - Sept 15

Today we watched a video on mitosis from the series called Crash Course.  It is linked in the course videos link.  Make sure you watch it if you missed class today.  As well, if you didn't catch some things then watch it again.  We also started learning about what causes cancer today.  Some notes were taken.  We went over slides 55-58 on the powerpoint.  Tomorrow we are going to learn about asexual reproduction in plants and animals.  There was no homework assigned for today.

Physical Science 20 - Sept 15

In class today we talked about some homeroom things that took a little while. We then went over Assignments C9 and C10 on balancing.  As well, I reviewed the lesson from Friday that the sub taught you.  We will go over the answers to Assignment C11 tomorrow.  As well, there are 5 videos in the course link that I want you to watch in preparation for class tomorrow.  We will be learning about the types of reactions.  Those videos will help refresh your mind about types of reactions.

Physics 30 - Sept 15

We started looking at accelerated motion today in class.  The definition for acceleration was given and we also looked at a new type of graph called a velocity time graph.  We learned another way of getting information from a graph as well.  By calculating the area under a graph, we can get a whole bunch of information from a graph, most importantly the displacement of an object from a velocity time graph.  Tomorrow we will look at example 7 and example 8 and hopefully get a chance to work on Assignment 1.4.

Science 90 - Sept 11 & 12

On Thursday, I checked your homework from the previous day on parts of the cell.  We also went through the stages in the cell cycle and learned the importance of them.  On Friday, the sub played a short video on genetic diversity from a series called the Eyes of Nye.  Afterwards, students spent the rest of the class filling out a handout on the parts of the cell as well as filling out a handout on mitosis.  We will take those up on Monday.

Physics 30 - Sept 11 & 12

On Thursday, we did our first lab that looked at how accelerated motion compared to uniform motion when graphed.  It was a pretty simple lab to do.  Every student will need to write up a formal lab report for this lab which is due Monday.  If you missed class on Thursday and do not have the data for the lab, there is a class set available in the course notes link.  As well, the guide on how to write a formal lab report is there as well.  You might require that.

On Friday, the sub let students watch a video while they worked on their lab reports.  Monday we will go over the lab results and start looking at accelerated motion.

Physical Science 20 - Sept 11 &12

On Thursday, we started looking at how chemicals react and how to determine if a chemical reaction took place.  I showed some demonstrations of the signs of a chemical reaction.  We finished by reviewing how to balance chemical equations using coefficients and what changing coefficients does to an equation.  I assigned Assignment C9 at the end of the class.  On Friday, the sub should have taught you about how to change word equations into chemical equations with formulas.  This is a simple extension from nomenclature, which we spent some time learning.  The sub should have assigned Assignments C10 and C11 for students to work on this weekend.

On Monday we are going to look at the different types of chemical reactions.  If students want to get a head start on this stuff, you can watch some videos in the course videos link.  There are 6 videos in total all discussing the next concept.

Science 90 - Sept 10

Today in class we went over the types of structures found in cells and what functions they serve.  We also began looking at the process of cell division and what purpose it serves in living organisms.  Students copied down notes from slides 12-44 in the reproduction notes powerpoint.  The rest of class was spent working on questions from the textbook.  Tomorrow I will be checking the following questions:

• #4-7 on page 6
• #1-5 on page 11

Make sure to bring your textbooks for class tomorrow as we will be using them.  

Physical Science 20 - Sept 10

Today we reviewed nomenclature.  We looked at every type of compound in a mixed review fashion.  At the end of class I assigned Assignment C8.  This assignment will be due tomorrow and I am taking it in to mark.  As well we will begin chemical reactions tomorrow.  Students who wish to bring the notes for tomorrows class, please print them off.

Physics 30 - Sept 10

Today in class we went over Example 5 in your notes.  The example was all about getting information from a position time graph.  We spent a long time going through the example but you need to be able to work through a problem like that in very little time.  Practice makes perfect.  Students spent the end of the class working on Assignment 1.3, which we will go over tomorrow.

Physical Science 20 - Sept 9

Yesterday we learned how to name hydrated compounds as well as the rules for naming acids.  I assigned Assignment C5 and Assignment C6 which we went over today.  Today we got an introductory lesson into the naming conventions for organic chemistry.  There is quite a complicated set of rules that are involved with naming organic molecules.  However, similar to the other nomenclature that we have covered already, it just takes lost of practice to get used to these different rules.  We finished class with Assignment C7.  We will go over this tomorrow.

Science 90 - Sept 9

Yesterday I checked your homework on variables and the different types of observations.  We also did a little group activity where we developed a definition of science based on some common ideas that we determined in class.  Our discussion about the definition went a little long so we weren't able to go over the homework.  We did that today however and we began our biology unit on Reproduction.  Please check the Science 90 Course Notes link for the powerpoint with the notes on reproduction.

Physics 30 - Sept 9

We began looking at motion yesterday by exploring some of the concepts related to kinematics.  We looked at the definitions of distance, displacement and position as well as the difference between vector and scalar quantities.  We finished those notes today with a look at different representations of motion.  We went through an example of translating a position time graph into a motion diagram.  Assignment 1.2 was assigned and we will go over that tomorrow.

Physical Science 20 - Sept 5

Today we went over the answers to Assignment C1 and C2.  We then learned how to name and write formulas for compounds involving polyatomic ions as well as compounds involving ions with multiple charges.  We finished up by looking at Assignment C3 and C4.  These will be taken up on Monday.  Have a good weekend everyone.

Physics 30 - Sept 5

Today we finished our notes on the review of math skills for physics.  We got our textbooks and spent the end of the class working on Assignment 1.1  We will take this up on Monday.  Have a great weekend everyone.

Physical Science 20 - Sept 4

Today we reviewed the rules for naming molecular compounds and simple ionic compounds.  This was covered on slides 9-34 of the nomenclature powerpoint.  Assignments C1 and C2 were also assigned today.  We will go over these tomorrow.  Please have them completed for tomorrow.

Science 90 - Sept 4

I was mistaken today as to which day we were going to the theatre for the Grade 9 Orientation.  This will occur tomorrow during Period 4.  A reminder to students to come to class tomorrow so I can take attendance and then we will all head to the theatre together.

Today we learned about variables and what they mean in a science context and then we had a little activity that taught us about the different types of variables that we will deal with in a science experiment.  We also learned about the different types of observations that are made when performing a science experiment.  These notes are found on slides 12-15 in the Science 90 Intro Notes powerpoint.  Make sure you have a copy of these notes.

We finished class by working on two pieces of homework that allow us to apply our knowledge of variables and observations.  The first one is called the Variable Worksheet and the second one is called Observation Worksheet.  These are found in the Science 90 course notes link on the right.  These 2 worksheets along with the activity we started yesterday (scientific article summary) is now due on Monday. We will go over everything on Monday and I will be checking these things.

Physics 30 - Sept 4

Today in class we started with some review of skills that you should have learned in Physics 20.  We looked at units and measurements, unit conversion, significant figures, scientific notation and problem solving skills.  In period 1, we only reviewed up to significant figures.  Tomorrow we will finish this with a look at graphing and I will assign your first of many assignments.

Physical Science 20 - Sept 3

Today we finished looking at the course outline and we talked about classroom expectations and procedures.  After all that, we got started on some chemistry.  I reviewed some stuff that you should be able to recall from previous science classes.  How to use the periodic table, what information we can get from the periodic table, how to count protons, neutrons, and electrons, etc.  Then we got into nomenclature.  Nomenclature is a fancy word for naming compounds and elements.  This once again should be review for you from Science 10.  We didn't get too far though through this.  We stopped on slide 9 of the Nomenclature Powerpoint.  Tomorrow we will continue on with this through to the end of multiple cationic charges.  We will be going pretty fast through this stuff as it should just be a review.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

We also watched a video at the start of this section that introduces naming to you.  The video can be found in the Physical Science 20 Video link on the right hand side, but I have also embedded it here.  Enjoy.

Science 90 - Sept 3

We finished looking at the course outline today in class.  A reminder for students if they have any questions about the course outline they can ask me when they get the chance.  We also looked at classroom expectations and procedures.  These procedures and expectations were developed following policies and procedures of our school.  If you are unfamiliar with these, please read your student handbook.  We finished the class by exploring what science is.  I left you with the task of finding an article that you believed was scientific.  You needed to read the article and write a 1 paragraph summary of the article, letting me know what it was about.  As well, you need to explain why you think the article was scientific.  This task will be taken up on Friday.  I believe tomorrow we have a meeting in the theatre that will take all of the class.  Please meet in the classroom tomorrow.

As well, I want to remind students to sign up for Remind 101.  The instructions to do that were posted in yesterday blog post.  If you are unable to do that for whatever reason, please come and talk to me.  There are other ways of signing up rather than through text.

Physics 30 - Sept 3

Today we didn't do much in class but finish the course outline and talk about classroom expectations.  Most students signed up for Remind 101.  If you didn't sign up in class, please do so at home.  The instructions to do so are here.  Make sure you sign up for the correct period.  If you do not want to sign up through text, you can also sign up through email.  Once again, go to the link and the instructions are there.  In period 5, we started a simple activity to get our minds thinking about motion.  We will do this tomorrow in Period 1 and then start looking at the mathematics of physics.

Science 90 - Welcome to Holy Cross High School!!!

Welcome to Holy Cross High School.  I hope your summer went well.  As well, welcome to Science 90!!  This website is put in place as a central location for all the things that go on in the class.  Visit it to find out what you might have missed, if you are missing a handout or just to see the class notes. The links along the right hand side will take you to the files that are important in this class.  As well I will be using Remind 101 to keep you up to date with important items upcoming in our class.  Here is the link on how to sign up for Remind 101.