7th-8th Grade Science: Week of June 1-4

Hello,
Well, I hope you had a safe and relaxing Memorial Day weekend. We'll watch a film on the evidence for evolution tomorrow and wrap up our unit on Wednesday. Thursday will be spent moving school furniture/equipment into storage for next year. I really enjoyed being your teacher this year. I sincerely will miss all of you. See you tomorrow,

-Mr. Pfiester

Biology: June 1-4

Hello,
Well I hope you had a relaxing Memorial Day weekend. Our custodian has been instructed to hold all of Tuesday's garbage for us to study! On Wednesday, using gloves, we will analyze what the Xavier secondary community is throwing out. Tuesday we will contact local recycling agencies to find out how much recyclables are actually worth and discuss Wednesday's work. I'll be collecting your Biology textbooks all week- last day to turn them in is on Friday. Thursday will be spent moving furniture/science equipment out of the school and into the storage container. Have a great last week of school!

-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade Science: Week of May 24-28

Hello,
For those who want to work further on the Mystery Class travel brochures tonight, here are the guidelines for each panel:
Panel 1: "Welcome to [Insert Mystery Class location]"
Panel 2: Introduction to Mystery Class location, including latitude and longitude and include a simple map of the location (either regional, national, or world map).
Panel 3: Include a description of climate, vegetation, people, wildlife, foods, culture, currency, history, and/or language. You need to include 3 descriptions here. You also need to include a minitiarized Mystery Class Photoperiod Graph with a few sentences that describes that is happening.
Panel 4: Other selling points. What else is interesting about this Mystery Class location?

We are losing class time on Thursday (Spring Showcase) and Friday (substitute- I'm out that day). We will continue our discussion of the factors that are necessary for natural selection to function. There is no homework for this week,
-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade Science: Week of May 17-21

Hello,
It is hard to believe that we only have three weeks of school left; the year sure has flown by quickly. Due to the musical production of Aida this week (and requests by students and Mrs. J) there will be no homework assigned. We'll continue with our study of Charles Darwin and his observations and discoveries (in part by reading his book "The Voyage of the Beagle") that later led to the development of the theory of evolution. Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

Biology: Week of May 17-21

Hello,
We have only three weeks of school left; the year flew by so fast. Especially with the musical production this week of Aida, there is no homework assigned. Most of the week is dedicated to parlimentarian debates. See the week's schedule below:
Monday, May 17- Tuesday, May 18: Debate groups will conduct Internet-based research relevant to their topics and position (pro or con)
Wednesday, May 19- Thursday, May 20: We'll conduct two debates per day to cover the four debates.
Friday, May 21: Guest speaker(s) from the College of Southern Idaho will talk about their recycling work and discuss how we can promote recycling here at Xavier (with is at a very low rate currently). The lecture will most likely be during 5th period, so I'll request that teachers allow the 7th period class be released to attend the lecture.

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade Science: Week of May 10-14

Hello,
Sorry for missing last week in adding to the blog. We finished our History of Earth and Lifeforms unit on Monday (most of you earned an excellent grade on the unit test) and have started on the last unit, Evolution. I am of course approaching the unit respecting the conflict that some students may feel regarding the unit. I am in no way demanding that students believe in evolution, but that they carefully consider the evidence. I very much respect and care for ALL of my students. So this week, we'll research the places the Charles Darwin visited on this five-year around the world voyage (and was the basis for much of his later conclusions). Have a great week.

-Mr. Pfiester

Biology: Week of May 10-14

Hello,
We will be finishing up Ch. 3 (The Biosphere) this week so that we may begin our spring bebates. So the schedule is as follows:
Monday, May 10: Powerpoint notes on Section 3: Cycles of Matter (and finish up any Invasive Species presentations).
Tuesday, May 11: Section 3 Assessment Questions DUE (pg. 80, questions 1-5).
Wednesday, May 12: Ch. 3 Practice Test and Review. You must bring your textbook to class (will be counted as a homework grade- an easy 100% for you)
Thursday, May 13: Ch. 3 Test
Friday, May 14: Begin spring debate preparations.

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

Biology: Week of May 3- 7

Hello,
We will finish up our Invasive Species Powerpoint presentations Monday- Wednesday (I won't see 5th period on Tuesday due to ISATs) and then begin recycling projects. I need 6 projects and have three so far: cell phones, printer paper, and batteries. Let me know if you have a recycling project idea to add. This Friday the identity of the Mystery Classes will be revealed- let's see how you close your guess was to the true location. The homework and due date is as follows:

Thursday, May 6: Section 3-2 Assessment Questions (pg. 73), 1-5.

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

Biology: Week of April 26- 30

Hello,
Invasive Species papers are due today. We will dedicate the period today to completing the Powerpoint presentations. The presentations will be conducted on Tuesday-Wednesday and should be about five minutes in length. The final day to make changes to your Mystery Class guess is Thursday (as Friday is the dance-a-thon). Thursday, we'll discuss and complete in class Section 3-2: Energy Flow (pg. 67-73). Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

PS. For those who did not attend last week's homework lecture, the homework is as follows: Answer the following numbered questions (due on Wednesday):

1. What is a raptor?
2. Name three raptors that are seen in our part of the state. What does their diet consist of? How large are they? Make a handmade colored drawing of two of them.
3. What is different between the pellets expelled by most raptors and those expelled by owls? For help go to http://www.peregrinefund.org/Explore_Raptors/index.html.

7th-8th Grade Science: Week of April 26- 30

Hello,
This will be a confusing week due to ISAT testing. We will be finishing up our History of the Earth and Lifeforms this week. Great job last week with the debates- everybody earned an excellent grade! No homework is planned at this point. Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

Biology: Week of April 19- 23

Hello,
We will continue with our new Ecology unit this week. Friday will be the last class time that will be dedicated the Mystery Class Project. Final guesses are due the following Friday (April 30). Wednesday and Thursday we will conduct research on invasive species in preparation for the paper and presentations due next week. The two homeworks for the week are described below, but include attending the Wednesday night Herrett Forum lecture at CSI.




Wednesday, April 21: Section 3-1 Assessment Questions (pg. 65), 1-5.


Wednesday, April 21, 7:30 pm. Attend the Herrett Forum, Rick Allen Room, Herrett Center lecture. CSI: Secret Lives of Raptors. For those not able to attend, a short paper will be assigned.

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade Science: Week of April 19-23

Hello,
As mentioned last week, periods 1 and 3 will listen to Mr. Willsey, our guest speaker, during 1st period tomorrow. We'll continue with our debates tomorrow, and for some classes, Tuesday. As the laptops are being used next week due to ISAT testing, we are dedicating Thursday and Friday this week to the Mystery Class Project. These will be the final days for research, though final guesses (Mystery Class city/town and country) are due on Friday, April 30. We'll spend the rest of April finishing up the History of the Earth and Life Forms unit, focusing on Life Forms section. Have a great week. There is no homework scheduled at this point, but that may change,

-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade Science: Week of April 12-16

Hello,
As mentioned last week, we will be focusing on preparing for, and conducting formal debates in science this week. As such, there is no homework for the week. Much of the week will be spent with your debate group conducting research. The debates will probably start on Thursday. Have a great day,

-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade Science: Week of April 5-9

Hello,
A geology professor from CSI, Mr. Willsey, will be visiting with us April 12 and 19 to talk about fossils- more information to follow. We will having the Ch. 9 Test (composed of the 3 sections I gave out- 9.1, 9.2, and 9.3) on Wednesday and will prepare for that in the beginning of the week. There may be homework assigned for later part of the week, but will let you know.

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

Biology: Week of April 5- 9

Hello,
We will have a short test on Sections 11-1, 11-2, 12-1, and 12-2 on Thursday. Tomorrow we will finish up that "DNA and RNA" Activity and I'll provide Powerpoint notes on section 12-2. Friday we will catch up on the Mystery Class Activity. The homework for the week is as follows:

Wednesday, April 7: Complete Section 12-2 Assessment Questions (p. 299) 1-6.

Thursday, April 8: Use the study guide to study for the test on Thursday.

Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

Biology: Week of March 29- April 2

Hello,
Sorry I was out sick on Monday. Tuesday we will calculate the longitude of your Mystery Class in the Longitude Clue Activity. Wednesday we will be busy preparing the biology binders for the student-led conferences scheduled for Thursday 2 pm-6 pm and Friday 9 am-12 pm. No homework is scheduled other than the DNA worksheet that is due on Tuesday when I return.

Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade Science: Week of March 29- April 2

Hello,
Sorry I was out sick on Monday. Tuesday we will be busy with the Relative Rock Aging Quiz and, if time permits, doing the Longitude Clues Activity. Wednesday we will spend the period preparing our binders for the student-led conferences that are scheduled for Thursday 2 pm-6 pm and Friday 9 am-12 pm. No homework is scheduled.

Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade Biology: Week of March 22-26

Hello,
Time sure does fly! We are already about 3/4 finished with the school year. Student-led conferences are scheduled for Thursday, April 1 (half-day for students) and Friday, April 2 (no school for students). We will be doing a pollination activity this week with our Wisconsin Fast Plants using honey bees. The homework for the week is DUE as follows:

Thursday, March 25: Ch. 12, Section 1 Assessment Questions 1-5 (pg. 294).

Friday, March 26: Importance of Bees Report. There has been a mysterious die-off of honeybees in the United States. I will give more information about this report on Tuesday.

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade Science: Week of March 22-26

Hello,
Well I hope you had an enjoyable Spring Break. We are about 3/4 finished with the school year already. Student-led conferences will be held on Thursday, April 1 (half-day for students) and Friday, April 2 (no school for students). We are continuing with our History of the Earth and Lifeforms Unit. This week, homework will be assigned as described below:

Wednesday, March 24: Complete Section 9.2 Review Questions, 1-6 (p. 301) in the packet I am handing out on Monday.

Friday, March 26: Create a Relative Rock Age Sketch. More information to follow about this.

Have a great week,
Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade Biology: Week of March 8-12

Hello,
We will be busy studying the genetic aspects of our Wisconsin Fast Plants and learning more about genetics in general. They are growing very fast. Wednesday and Thursday will be dedicated to understanding meoisis (we'll complete the Modeling Meiosis Activity on pg. 281). The homework and DUE dates are as follows:

Wednesday, March 10: Section 11-2 Assessment Questions 1-5 (pg. 269) are due.

Friday, March 12: Section 11-4 Assessment Questions 1-5 (pg. 278) are due.

Friday we will continue with our Mystery Class Activity. Each Mystery Class group will graph 6 photoperiod data points on the large classroom Photoperiod graph. We'll discuss the relationship between location and seasonal change. Each group should be able to determine the approximate latitude of their Mystery Class.

Have a great week,
Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade Science: Week of March 8-12

Hello,
Well this will be a busy week. We will be investigating how rocks, fossils, and original remains give clues about the past. We will then discuss the characteristics of early Earth history: The Precambrian and Paleozoic Eras. Thursday, you'll have a quiz based on lecture and the reading packet. We'll finish up the week on Friday with Mystery Class and graphing all the photoperiod data they are sending us. So, the homework and DUE dates are as follows:

Tuesday, March 9: Read the six pages of the packet I distributed on Monday.

Wednesday, March 10: Answer in complete sentences, the Review questions 1-6 (pg. 293) from the packet "Earth's past is revealed in rocks and fossils"

Friday, March 12: Research what scientists learn from tree rings and how they differ. Create your own "Tree Rings" drawing (and on a separate piece of paper what somebody should be able to learn from your drawing). I'll explain this more in class,

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade Science: Week of March 1-5

Hello,
Well we are about done with our Genetics Disorders Presentations and will begin the next unit: History of the Earth and Lifeforms. I'll discuss more in detail in class about this unit. The homework for the beginning of the week is as follows:

Wednesday, March 3: Pretend that the entire history of the Earth was compacted into 24 hours. You will make a 24 inch strip of paper to represent the 24 hours. Where would you place the following?

1. Single-celled organisms, called stromatolites begin to produce oxygen.
2. First marine plants
3. Jellyfish appear.
4. Trilobites and creatures of the Burgess shale.
5. Plant life appears and the first land creatures.
6. Reign of the Dinosaurs.
7. First Humans appear.

Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade Biology: Week of March 1-5

Hello,
We will continue to observe the growth of our Wisconsin Fast Plants this week. As I mentioned previously, this unit is a hybrid of plants and genetics, since we will be doing genetics work with our plants. This week we will focus on genetics with Ch. 11: Introduction to Genetics. The homework for the week and DUE dates are as follows:

Wednesday, March 3: Ch. 11-1 (The Work of Gregor Mendel) Assessment Questions, 1-6 (pg. 266).

Friday, March 5: Feeling guilty about your purebreed dog? Position Paper. (I'll distribute the directions for this paper on Tuesday).

Thursday and Friday will be dedicated to working on the Mystery Class Activity.

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade Biology: Week of Feb. 22-26

Hello,
We will start our next unit tomorrow; a sort of hybrid unit studying both plants and genetics. We will be germinating some seeds tomorrow and study their growth over the course of the week (and then plant them in soil). A lecture on Tuesday will prepare you for the homework due the following day. The only homework scheduled for the beginning of the week is DUE as follows:

Wednesday, Feb. 24: Ch. 22 (Plant Diversity), Section 1 (Introduction to Plants), questions 1-5 (pg. 555).

Have a great week,
Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade Science: Week of Feb. 22-26

Hello,
Our schedule for the week is as follows:
Monday, Feb. 22: 3-paragraph papers are due at the BEGINNING of class. Students will spend the majority of the period preparing for their presentations. Although most of you are not doing a Powerpoint presentation, I will discuss what a good one looks like.

Tuesday, Feb. 23-Wednesday, Feb. 24: Students will present the major ideas from their papers in the form of a 3-5 minute presentation, either using a poster or Powerpoint.

Thursday, Feb. 24: Introduction to new unit: History of the Earth and Life Forms.

Friday, Feb. 25: Lecture on the History of the Earth

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade Science: Week of Feb. 16-19- Revision

Hello,
I want to make a few revisions to our culminating activity for our genetics unit.

1. I am eliminating the rough draft requirement completely. The paper is still due on Monday, Feb. 22.
2. There is no specified length to the paper. Students need to answer all the questions I specified in today's handout as related to the three paragraphs.

I'll explain these revisions tomorrow in class. Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade Biology: Week of Feb. 16-19

Hello,
We will be wrapping up our Human Body unit this week. In the first homework of the week, each student will select a human body question from the poster board on Monday. We generated these questions back in early January at the beginning of this unit. The answer to the question is due on Friday. The week's plan is as follows:
Tuesday, Feb. 16: Finish the 37-3 (The Respiratory System) Powerpoint notes.
Wednesday, Feb. 17: Chapter 37 Practice test and Review of major concepts. Section 37-3 Assessment Questions due, 1-5 (pg. 963).
Thursday, Feb. 18: Ch. 37 Test
Friday, Feb. 19: Introduction to Wisconsin Fast Plants, through which we will study both genetics and plants.

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade Science: Week of Feb. 16-19

Hello,
I hope you enjoyed your long weekend. We are wrapping up our Cell Division and Genetics Unit with a final culminating activity. Each student will select a genetic disorder, conduct research on the disorder (Wednesday-Friday), submit a 2-page paper (next Monday), and finally (next Monday-Tuesday) make a short Powerpoint presentation to the class based on knowledge gained from the research/paper. The grade for this activity is based equally between the rough draft, final draft, and presentation. I will provide all the needed information tomorrow, Monday, in class. I will also be distributing the Science Fair Certificates tomorrow for your great work over the last weeks. The only homework and the DUE date is as follows:

Friday, Feb. 19: 2-page Rough draft of paper

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade Biology: Week of Feb. 8-12

Hello,
Well this is a very short week. We will finish up the Ch. 37 with section 3: The Respiratory System. The lecture on Monday will prepare students for the homework due on Tuesday as follows:

Tuesday, Feb. 9: Complete Section 37-3 Assessment Questions, 1-5 (pg. 963).

Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade Science: Week of Feb. 8-12

Hello,
Well, we are are nearing the end of the road of our Science Fair/Invent Idaho work. Tomorrow night is our fair. Congratulations on your hard work! Tomorrow I will assign each project a unique number and review the criteria that the judges will use evaluate the projects. As we have class only Monday and Tuesday there is no homework assigned this week. Have a great week,

Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade Science: Week of Feb. 1-5

Hello,
As I mentioned last week in class, we will be dedicating most of this week to preparing for the Invent Idaho/Science Fair which is on the evening of Feb. 8. The only homework you have is whatever preparation is necessary for your project to completely done by your class period on Feb. 8. I'll be available after school most days to help students with their projects. Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade Biology: Week of Feb. 1-5

Hello,
This will be a busy week with a few lab. activities to illustrate the workings of the blood and circulatory systems. The homework and DUE dates are as follows:

Wednesday, Feb. 3: Section 37-2 Assessment Questions, 1-5 (pg. 955)

Friday, Feb. 5: Homemade model of Breathing. I'll explain this in more detail in class, but using a plastic 16 oz. or 20 oz. bottle, 2-3 balloons, and possibly clay and straws, you will build a model of the structures involved in breathing (similar to the drawing on pg. 964)

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade Biology: Week of Jan. 25-29

Hello,
Everybody did a great job last week with the debates. We will most likely conduct debates again in the last few weeks of the 2nd semester. We will go back one chapter to Ch. 37: Circulatory and Respiratory Systems, beginning on Tuesday. So the homework for the week at this point and its due date are as follows:

Thursday, Jan. 28: Section 37-1 Assessment Questions 1-5 (pg. 950), using complete sentences.

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade Science: Week of Jan. 25-29

Hello,
Well, Monday is the first day of the 2nd semester and we have exactly two weeks until the Invent Idaho/Science Fair on Monday, Feb. 8. From the return slips I have received, it appears that many of you and your parents plan on attending- which is great. We will dedicate Monday and Friday to working on the fair. The only homework for the week and its due date are as follows:

Thursday, Jan. 28Section 4: The DNA Connection Review Questions 1-5 (pg. 112) using complete sentences.

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade Science: Week of Jan. 18-22

Hello,

The last day of the 1st semester is Friday. Our Science Fair/Invent Idaho Fair is only three weeks from Monday. I'll be sending a letter home to you and your parents on Tuesday inviting your family to attend and describing the event logistics. We'll dedicate Monday and (most likely) Friday to working on the fair. The rest of the week will be dedicated to our Cell Division and Genetics Unit. The only homework for the week and its DUE date is as follows:

Thursay, Jan. 21: Section 3: The Cell and Inheritance Review Questions 1-5 (pg. 105).

Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade Biology: Week of Jan. 18-22

Hello,
Friday is the last day of the 1st semester. This week is pretty much dedicated to preparing for and conducting the debates we discussed last Friday. Debate teams will prepare for the debates on Monday and Tuesday. It is only in the middle of the period on Tuesday that I will announce whether teams are "pro" or "con". The debate schedule is as follows:
Wednesday, Jan. 20: Debate I
Thursday, Jan. 21: Debate II and III
Friday, Jan. 22: Debate IV and V

Your individual performance on the debate team will determine 10% of your semester grade (the project grade). There is no homework planned at this time,
-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade: Week of Jan. 11-15

Hello,

We will continue our Science Fair/Invent Idaho Fair work this Monday and Friday. The middle of the week will be dedicated to our Cell Division and Genetics Unit. The only homework for the week is as follows:

Thursday, Jan. 14: Complete Section 5: Cell Division Review Questions (pg. 79), 1-4.

Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade: Week of Jan. 11-15

Hello,
In an attempt to promote healthy foods, I have decided that this Thursday is going to be Hummus Day. It is something easy for us to make (using only a few ingredients and a blender) in class. More information to follow. Friday we will begin our preparation for next week's debates. We will divide into debate groups of 3, assign debate topics, and learn how formal debates are conducted.

Wednesday, Jan. 13: Complete Section 38-2 Assessment Questions 1-5 (p. 984).
Thursday, Jan. 14: Bring in 3 "Nutrition Facts" Labels from food or drink items from home. For each label answer the following on a sheet of paper:

1. Look at the Total Carbohydrates section. Is the carbohydrates in this food item more fiber or more sugar? What are the grams of each?
2. Look at the Total Fat section. What kinds of fats are provided by this food item (such as saturated fat, Trans fat)?
3. From the Nutrition Facts, is this food item healthy? Why or why not?

Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

PS. We will not be completing Section 3 of this chapter. The short chapter test next Monday will only cover Sections 1 and 2.

7th-8th Grade Science: Week of Jan. 4-8

Hello,
Welcome to the New Year! We only have a little over a month until our Invent Idaho/ Science Fair. I will be working closely with you to ensure you are successful with this Project, which is worth 10% of your total grade. The last day of the 1st semester is Jan. 22; at that time I will assess your progress on your project. So the homework and DUE dates are as follows:

Tuesday, Jan. 5: Apply the "Take a Class Survey" we did in class and use it with your family (and aunts, uncles, grandparents if possible). Make sure to complete the following:

1. Label your homework on a sheet of paper with the heading "Take a Family Survey".
2. Recreate the Data Table from today's activity and complete it using traits from your family.
3. Describe your findings of three of the traits from your family. Did you find primarily traits from recessive or dominant alleles?

Friday, Jan. 8: Complete Section 2: Probability and Genetics Review Questions, 1-5 (pg. 99).

Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade Biology: Week of Jan. 4-8

Hello,
The next few weeks should be quite interesting as we will be conducting our 1st Semester Debates (your performance on the debate will represent your "Project" grade- 10% of your total grade). As we have begun our unit on the human body, the debate topics will on some aspect of the human body. Next Friday (Jan. 15) students will be organized into debate groups of three and given the topic. Research will continue the following Monday and Tuesday (Jan. 18-19) with the five debates completed on Wednesday-Friday (Jan. 20-22). January 22 is the last day of the semester.
We have started Ch. 38: Digestive and Excretory Systems. The homework and DUE dates are as follows:

Wednesday, Jan. 6: Read Section 38-1 pages 971-977.
Thursday, Jan. 7: Complete Section 38-1 Review Questions, 1-5 (pg. 977).
Friday, Jan. 8: Designing a Brochure: Design and create a brochure (single sheet of computer paper made into a tri-fold- one section per nutrient) that explains how the body uses the six nutrients necessary for normal function. You must include at least one drawing or image per nutrient.
Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester