Mr. Pfiester

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

2010-05-31T21:22:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-31T20:50:00.001-07:00

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

2010-05-24T14:01:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-17T08:20:00.001-07:00

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

2010-05-16T21:34:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-12T08:17:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-10T08:28:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-02T20:47:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-26T07:36:00.000-07:00

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):

What is a raptor?
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.
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

2010-04-26T07:31:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-18T21:17:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-18T20:45:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-11T21:06:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-05T06:33:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-04T21:42:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-29T20:50:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-29T20:29:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-21T21:16:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-21T21:05:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-07T21:56:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-07T14:20:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-28T21:59:00.000-08:00

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?

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

Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade Biology: Week of March 1-5

2010-02-28T21:47:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-21T20:40:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-21T19:13:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-16T20:25:00.000-08:00

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

I am eliminating the rough draft requirement completely. The paper is still due on Monday, Feb. 22.
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

2010-02-15T18:02:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-15T16:52:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-07T20:46:00.001-08:00

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

2010-02-07T17:44:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-31T07:00:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-31T06:49:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-24T21:02:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-24T20:27:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-17T18:34:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-17T18:06:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-10T21:18:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-10T19:17:00.000-08:00

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:

Look at the Total Carbohydrates section. Is the carbohydrates in this food item more fiber or more sugar? What are the grams of each?
Look at the Total Fat section. What kinds of fats are provided by this food item (such as saturated fat, Trans fat)?
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

2010-01-03T18:25:00.000-08:00

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:

Label your homework on a sheet of paper with the heading "Take a Family Survey".
Recreate the Data Table from today's activity and complete it using traits from your family.
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

2010-01-03T17:52:00.000-08:00

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

9th Grade Biology: Week of Dec. 14-18

2009-12-13T13:39:00.000-08:00

Hello,
It is hard to believe that Christmas is in just a few weeks. We will be finishing up Ch. 8: Photosynthesis this week. Most of you did very well on the quiz last week- great job! I will be out of school on Wednesday and Mrs. Clarke will be your substitute. She will be administering the Chapter test. Tuesday we will complete the practice test. So the homework and DUE dates are as follows:

Tuesday, Dec. 15: Section 8-3 Assessment questions, 1-5 (pg. 214).

Friday, Dec. 18: To Be Determined

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade Science: Week of Dec. 14-18

2009-12-13T13:28:00.000-08:00

Hello,
It is hard to believe that Christmas is just around the corner. As I mentioned last week, I will be out on Wednesday and Mrs. Clarke will be your substitute. We will dedicate Monday, Thursday, and Friday to working on the invention/science fair. It is very important to remember that after this week, almost all of your work on this will be conducted at home. Tuesday and Wednesday will be dedicated to beginning our new unit: Cell Division and Genetics. So the homework and DUE dates are as follows:

Tuesday, Dec. 15: Submit your Invention/Science Fair Plan. I'll give you the handout for this homework on Monday.

Thursday, Dec. 16. Mrs. Clarke will give out the genetics section assessment questions to be due.

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

7th/8th Grade Science: Week of Dec. 7-11

2009-12-06T14:11:00.000-08:00

Hello,
Tomorrow of course is our Chemical Bonds and Reactions unit test. We will dedicate Tuesday and Wednesday to working on the Invent Idaho/Science Fair (as well as a few days next week) to get you started. Our new unit is Cell Division and Genetics. I'll introduce the new unit on Thursday and Friday. The last day before Christmas break is Friday, Dec. 18 (next Friday!) Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade Biology: Week of Dec. 7-11

2009-12-06T13:40:00.000-08:00

Hello,
We will continue our study of chapter 8 (Photosynthesis) this week. Hopefully I will be able to get some aquatic plants (such as Elodea) for our study of photosynthesis. Can you think of the advantage of aquatic plants vs land plants? What would aquatic plants visually illustrate to us that land plants could not? Using complete sentences, the homework and the date DUE are as follows:

Wednesday, Dec. 9: Section 8-2 Assessment Questions (pg. 207), 1-5.

Friday, Dec. 11: Section 8-3 Assessment Questions (pg. 214), 1-5.

The last day of school before Christmas break is next Friday, Dec. 18th. Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade Biology: Week of Nov. 30- Dec. 4

2009-11-29T08:36:00.000-08:00

Hello,
I'll be returning your Cellular Respiration tests this week. We will be moving on to Photosynthesis (Ch. 8) this week. Many aspects of cellular respiration are seen in photosynthesis such as high energy electrons, electron transport chain, and ATP so this chapter should be easier to grasp. so the homework and DUE dates are as follows:

Wednesday, Dec. 2: Section 8-1 Assessment Questions 1-5 (pg. 203).

Friday, Dec. 4: Your homework is as follows. Using complete sentences answer the following:

Describe two ways that cellular respiration and photosynthesis are the same.
Describe two ways that cellular respiration and photosyntheisis are different.

We only have 3 weeks of classes in December and then Christmas Break! The year is sure passing quickly. Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade Science: Week of Nov. 30- Dec. 4

2009-11-29T08:26:00.000-08:00

Hello,
As mentioned in the previous posting, we will be finishing up our Chemical Bonds and Reactions Unit this Thursday with the unit test. I'll distribute a study guide tomorrow, Monday. There is no formal homework this week as I would like you to focus on studying for the test. The following Fridays will be dedicated to our Invent Idaho/Science Fair work: Dec. 4, 11, and 18. The year sure is flying by; we only have 3 weeks of classes in December and then begin Christmas Break! Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade Science: Week of Nov. 16-20

2009-11-15T14:30:00.000-08:00

Hello,
A couple of important dates are as follows:
Thursday, Dec. 3 Complete the Chemical Bonds and Reactions Unit with the unit test.
Dec. 4,11,18 Each of these Fridays will be dedicated to the Invent Idaho/Science Fair.
Students working individually or in pairs will develop a plan for an
invention or science fair project and carry it out in preparation for our fair in early February.

I will discuss these dates (along with any homeowork) more in class this week. Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade Biology: Week of Nov. 9-13

2009-11-08T17:08:00.000-08:00

Hello,
We will finish up our study of Cellular Respiration this week. While many students have excellent classwork grades, many are doing poorly on our chapter tests. With that mind, the Ch. 9 practice test will be on Thursday with the chapter test on Monday, Nov. 16. That will allow students plenty of time to analyze their mistakes and see the concepts/questions that will likely appear on the test. So the homework and DUE dates are as follows:

Wednesday, Nov. 11: 9-2 Section Assessment Questions 1-6 (pg. 232).

Friday, Nov. 13: Complete the multiple choice Ch. 9 Assessment questions 1-10 (on pg. 237) and the multiple choice Standardized Test Prep. questions 1-10 (on pg. 239). You only need to write the letter answers, not the entire question. Example 1) A. 2) C.

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade Science: Week of Nov. 9-13

2009-11-08T16:35:00.000-08:00

Hello,
We only have two weeks of school and then Thanksgiving Break! This week, we'll finish our study comparing covalent and ionic bonding and then study chemical reactions. We should finish the Chemical Bonds and Reactions unit by Dec. 4th or so. We will have a Covalent and Ionic Bonding Quiz on Friday. The homework and DUE dates for this week are as follows:

Monday, Nov. 9: Section 2: Ionic Bonds, questions 1-3, all parts due.

Wednesday, Nov. 11: Section 3: Covalent Bonds, all questions, all parts due.

Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade Science: Homework over Long Weekend

2009-11-04T09:23:00.000-08:00

Hello,
There is an assigned homework over the long weekend coming up. I will be distributing Section 2: Ionic Bonds today. Your homework and the DUE date are as follows:

Monday, Nov. 9: Read Section 2 and complete the assessment questions (p. 163) 1-3, all parts.

Have a good weekend,

-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade Biology: Week of Nov. 2-6

2009-11-01T20:46:00.000-08:00

Hello,
We have now started the 2nd Quarter. Due to parent-teacher conferences, Thursday will be a half-day with school letting out at the end of 4th period and there will be no school on Friday. We will be making yogurt on Tuesday so please bring in the following to school on that day: medium sized sauce pan, a whisk, 1 cup, 1/2 cup, and Tablespoon measuring spoons. The only homework and the due date are as follows:

Wednesday, Nov. 4: Read over the "Problem Solving" section on pg. 224. Using complete sentences, label the homework and complete the following: Defining the Problem, Organizing Information, and Creating a Solution.

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade Science: Week of Nov. 2-6

2009-11-01T10:47:00.000-08:00

Hello,
We have now started the 2nd Quarter. Due to parent-teacher conferences, Thursday will be a half-day with school letting out at the end of 4th period and there will be no school on Friday. Last Friday, we conducted an experiment to determine whether the following would conduct electricity: tap water, salt, saltwater, sugar, and sugar water. The only one to conduct was saltwater (an ionic solution). Your only homework for the week and the due date are as follows:

Wednesday, Nov. 4: Your assignment is to pick a nontoxic liquid from home (such as orange juice, milk, pickle juice) to test whether it is a conductor of electricity. Monday I will give you a film cannister so that you can transport the liquid from home. Bring in the liquid from home on Wednesday and answer the following questions:

Is your liquid composed mostly of ionic or covalent bonds?
Remember, ionic solutions usually conduct electricity, while covalent solutions do not. Based on this information, do you predict that your liquid will conduct electricity?

Wednesday afternoon each student will have the opportunity to test their liquid for conductivity.

Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade Biology: Week of Oct. 26-30

2009-10-25T21:13:00.000-07:00

Hello,
The year is passing so quickly. The last day of the 1st Quarter is this Friday. Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled for next Thursday and Friday (Nov. 5-6). For the next day or two, students will conduct short presentations on their cell model. We will then begin Chapter 9: Cellular Respiration. We will make bread and yogurt as they are products of cellular respiration. Due to the presentations and difficult material related to cellular respiration, the only homework for the week is as follows:

DUE Friday, Oct. 30: Section 9-1 Assessment Questions (p. 225) 1-6, using complete sentences.

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade Science: Week of Oct. 26-30

2009-10-25T19:04:00.000-07:00

Hello,
This year sure is passing quickly. This Friday will mark the last day of the 1st Quarter- our year is already 1/4 finished! Next Thursday and Friday will be parent-teacher conferences. We will be jumping into our next unit: Chemical Bonds and Reactions. This week's homework and DUE dates are as follows:

Wednesday, Oct. 28: Complete all the assessment questions at the end of the packet I gave to you last week (titled Atoms, Periodic Table, and Bonding).

Friday, Oct. 30: To be announced,

Have a great week and a fun and safe Halloween,
-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade Biology: Week of Oct. 19-23

2009-10-18T21:11:00.000-07:00

Hello,
Mr. Biggers (the other science teacher) and I are excited to announce our spring Xavier Charter School Science Fair. Each student, using the scientific method, will create a science fair project for our fair in the second week of February. We will dedicate each Friday this winter to preparing for the fair. More information to follow. We will be finishing up Ch. 7 (Cell Structure and Function) this week, with the chapter test on Friday. As an extended homework, each student will create a model of either an animal or plant. So the homework and DUE dates are as follows:

Tuesday, Oct. 20: Section 7-4 Assessment Questions (pg. 193) 1-4.

Monday, Oct. 26: Cell Models with short presentation.

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade Science: Week of Oct. 19-23

2009-10-18T15:09:00.000-07:00

Hello,
We had a great start to our Atomic Model presentations last week. We will finish our presentations on Monday and discuss the Atomic Structure test for Tuesday. On Wednesday we will begin our next unit, Chemical Bonds and Reactions. Mr. Biggers (the other science teacher) and I are excited to announce our participation in the Invent Idaho/Science Fair Project. Students will have a choice between creating an Invent Idaho project or conventional science fair project. We will devoting each Friday this winter to this project to prepare for our school Invent Idaho/Science Fair which is scheduled for the 2nd week of February. The top Invent Idaho entries will then proceed for an overnight trip to Boise for Southwest Idaho Regional competition on February 19-20. I'll discuss this in detail in class. So the homework for this week consists of the following:

Thursday, Oct. 22: Recall the atomic model you built last week. Using complete sentences answer the following:

Make a drawing of your atom. Is your atom a metal, transition metal, (both of which are conductors of electricity), semi-metal (also called semiconductors), non-metal (also called nonconductors), halogen, or noble gas?
Looking at the valence electrons, does your atom tend to lose or gain electrons? Is it highly reactive, somewhat reactive, or nonreactice?
Name at least 2 compounds that can be formed by this atom (unless you have a noble gas),

-Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade Biology: Week of Oct. 12-16

2009-10-11T19:42:00.000-07:00

Hello,
Most of you did very well on the Cell Size on Friday- Great Job! I'll be returning the quizzes tomorrow. We'll be preparing for and conducting a diffusion/osmosis lab. in the first part of the week. In the later part we'll observe some organisms/cells under the microscope as related to section 4: The Diversity of Cellular Life. So, the homework and DUE dates are as follows:

Wednesday, Oct. 14: Section 7-3 Assessment Questions, 1-6 (pg. 189), using complete sentences.

Friday, Oct. 16: Section 7-4 Assessment Questions, 1-4, (pg. 193), using complete sentences.

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade Science: Week of Oct. 12-16

2009-10-11T14:52:00.000-07:00

Hello,
We are finishing up our Atomic Structure unit this week with the culminating project. Our next unit is Chemical Bonds and Reactions. Each student was assigned a particular atom last week to build a 3-dimensional model as an extended homework. Since this extended homework requires so much resources it is the only homework this week. Those models are due this Thursday and each student will give a short presentation on their atom either Thursday or Friday. We will have further discussion and activities related to atomic structure and the periodic table, Have a great week and see you at the Open House,

-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade Science: Week of Oct. 5-9

2009-10-05T21:38:00.000-07:00

Hello,
We will continue with our study of the development of the atomic theory. To assist students in really understanding the structure of the atom, I am assigning each student to build a 3-dimensional model of the atom as an extended homework. I will give students sufficient time and information so that this activity is a success for them. Here is the timeline:

Wednesday, Oct. 7: Each student will be assigned an atom for which a 3-dimensional model will be built.

Homework for Friday, Oct. 9: Students are to submit at the beginning of class a Atomic Model construction plan including the materials and step-by-step procedure to construct the model. Once approved, students will have five nights to complete the model.

Homework for Wednesday, Oct. 14. Complete the Atomic Model according to your construction plan. Students will give a short presentation of their atom to the class. Have a great week and email me or contact me in class if you have any questions,
-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade: Week of Oct. 5-9

2009-10-05T21:26:00.000-07:00

Hello,
We will be busy with our study of cell structure and function in Ch. 7 this week. The homework and DUE dates are as follows:

Tuesday, Oct. 6: Using complete sentences, complete section 7-1 Assessment Questions, 1-5, on pg. 173.

Friday, Oct. 9: Using complete sentences, complete section 7-2 Assessment Questions 1-5, on pg. 181.

Thursday, Oct. 15: Students will have approximately one week to create a 3-dimensional model of either a plant or animal cell, including all important organelles. I'll explain this assignment in detail in class. Each student will complete a 2 minute presentation on their cell model either Thursday, Oct. 15 or Friday, Oct. 16.

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade Science: Week of Sept. 28-Oct. 2

2009-09-27T12:45:00.000-07:00

Hello,
This week we finally finish the cube density lab. on Monday and start on Atomic Structure unit on Tuesday. There is no assigned homework in part due to the shortened week. Don't forget that there is no school on Thursday and Friday due to teacher professional development activities. Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade: Week of Sept. 28- Oct. 2

2009-09-27T12:08:00.000-07:00

Hello,
You should have studied this weekend for tomorrow's Ch. 34 test on animal behavior. Tuesday we will begin Unit 3: Cells, which includes Ch. 7 (Cell Structure and Function), Ch. 8 (Photosynthesis), Ch. 9 (Cellular Respiration), and Ch. 10 (Cell Growth and Division). We will conduct several interesting activities related to cells and use of the microscope. Your only homework for the week is DUE as follows:

Wednesday, Sept. 30: Using complete sentences, complete section 7-1 Assessment Questions, 1-5 on pg. 173.

Don't forget that there is no school for students on Thursday and Friday due to teacher professional development activities. Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade: Update to Week of Sept. 21-25

2009-09-24T09:20:00.000-07:00

Hello,
As mentioned in class, Tuesday's homework (Section 34-2 Assessment Questions, pg. 882) is now due tomorrow. Tomorrow we will also be completing the pre-test for Ch. 34 and the chapter test will be next Monday,

-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade Science: Change to Week of Sept. 21-25

2009-09-24T09:17:00.001-07:00

Hello,
As mentioned, your home density homework is now due tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 25. Also we are having a quiz on measurement so review your "Standards of Measurement" worksheet.

-Mr. Pfiester

7th/8th Grade: Week of September 21-25

2009-09-20T13:49:00.000-07:00

Hello,
We will finish up our scientific measurement work this week and begin the first unit on Atomic Structure (most likely Friday). I will be out on Tuesday (which is the fall equinox and the first day of fall) and you will have a substitute to begin the two-day Cube Density Lab. As an introduction to density, the homework and its DUE date are as follows:

Wednesday, September 23: The formula for density is Density = Mass / Volume and the density of water is 1.0 Your homework is to generate a hypothesis for yourself and two other people (one younger than 8 and the other older than 40- if possible) on whether a list of objects will float or sink in water. I will give you a handout on Monday for Wednesday's homework.

Person (hypothetical: sink or float?)
Object Self Young Person Older Person Actual results (sink or float)
Apple
Potato
Regular soda can
Diet soda can
plastic fork
Pencil
Pillbug
Butter
Honey
Vegetable oil

Once you have collected all the hypothesis, conduct an experiment and actually place the objects in a bath of water and record the results.

When you come to class with your homework on Wednesday, be prepared to answer the following question "does it appear there is any relationship between age and predicting density?" Did your older volunteer do a better job of predicting than your younger volunteer?

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade: Week of September 21-25

2009-09-20T13:14:00.000-07:00

Hello,
This week we will finish up Ch. 34 on animal behavior. Tuesday I will be out for the day and you will watch an interesting film on animal behavior titled "The Incredible Journey of the Butterfly" (Tuesday is also the fall equinox). Thursday we will take a practice test and otherwise review for the chapter test on Friday. So the homework and DUE dates are as follows:

Tuesday, September 22: Complete 34-2 Section Assessment Questions 1-5 (p. 882) using complete sentences.

Thursday, September 24: Complete the multiple choice questions on pg. 885 (1-10) and 887 (1-10). You only have to write down the question number and letter answer, such as #5. A.

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

7th/8th Grade Science: Week of Sept. 14-18

2009-09-13T13:12:00.000-07:00

Hello,
We will continue our discussion about the scientific method this week and conduct some related investigations into measurement (metric system, measuring equipment). The homework for Wednesday is as follows:

DUE Wednesday, Sept. 16: Using complete sentences answer the following:

How many countries are there in the world? How many primarily use the metric system and how many primarily use the English system of measurement?
Name one significant way in which the two systems of measurement differ Are they both based on multiples of 10?
Name at least two advantages of using the metric system in science (as opposed to using the English system of measurement).

Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade Biology: Week of Sept. 14-18

2009-09-13T12:56:00.000-07:00

Hello,
I will distribute biology textbooks this week to students. We will explore animal behavior (Chapter 34) by creating choice chambers (using shoeboxes) for pillbugs. So your homework and DUE dates are as follows:

DUE Wednesday, Sept. 16: I will give each of you a film cannister on Monday to collect 5 pillbugs to bring to school on Wednesday. You are also to conduct some basic research about pillbugs. Answer the following questions:

What is their Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species name?
What types of environments do they prefer? What does their diet consist of?

DUE Friday, Sept. 18: Section 34-1 Assessment Questions (p. 876). Using complete sentences, complete questions 1-6.

Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

7th/8th Grade Science: Week of Sept. 8-11

2009-09-08T20:50:00.000-07:00

Dear 7th and 8th Graders,
We are off to a good start this week. I am excited for our school year as we explore together ideas in science. We will focus on class procedures, introduction to the scientific method, and note-taking strategies this week. The only homework for the week consists of the following:

DUE Friday, Sept. 11: Return course syllabus with student and parent signature.

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade Biology: Week of Sept.8-11

2009-09-08T20:36:00.000-07:00

Hello,
Well, we are off to a good start this year. This week will be occupied by class procedures, note-taking strategies, and a review of the scientific method. Please check your grades on Powerschool regularly. The only homework for the week consists of the following:

DUE on Friday, Sept. 11: Return course syllabus with student and parent signature.

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade: Week of May 18-22

2009-05-17T20:20:00.000-07:00

Hello,
This is our last full week of school. After tomorrow's debate, we will be finishing up Chapter 3, with the chapter test being on Wednesday. Other than studying for the test, there will likely be no homework for the week,

-Mr. Pfiester

7th and 8th Grade: Week of May 18-22

2009-05-17T14:09:00.000-07:00

Hello,

This is our last full week of school. We will continue with our study of motion and Newton's Three Laws of Motion. Homework is assigned only once this week. It is as follows:

DUE Wednesday, May 20: In complete sentences, answer the following:

There is a legend that Isaac Newton made a significant discovery about gravity after being hit on the head by an apple while sitting under an apple tree. Conduct Internet research and find out whether there is any truth to this legend.
Refer to your Section 3 packet. How is mass related to inertia?
You are pushing a loaded shopping cart at the store and want to accelerate. What the two ways to increase the acceleration of the cart?

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade: Week of May 11-15

2009-05-10T19:37:00.000-07:00

Hello,
As mentioned last week, I will be absent this Wednesday and Thursday (Mr. Westermann will be your substitute teacher). We will continue with our study of motion this week. The homework and DUE dates are as follows:

Tuesday, May 12: Explain the following in complete sentences:

Explain the difference between dependent and independent variables in an experiment.
Why should an experiment only change one independent variable at a time from trial to trial?
Describe an imaginary experiment conducted in a good way and in a bad way.

Also, the Xavier Bicycle Safety Day is on Saturday, May 16 from 9 am -11:40 am at school. See me if you are interested in participating.

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade: Week of May 11-15

2009-05-10T19:31:00.000-07:00

Hello,
As mentioned last week, I will be absent this Wednesday and Thursday (Mr. Westermann will be your substitute teacher). We will conduct one debate a day, Monday through Wednesday. The homework and DUE dates are as follows.

Thursday, May 14: Section Assessment 3-3 Questions 1-6 (p. 80).

Also, the Xavier Bicycle Safety Day is on Saturday, May 16 from 9 am -11:40 am at school. See me if you are interested in participating.

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade: Week of May 4-8

2009-05-03T18:26:00.000-07:00

Hello,
I hope you had a good weekend. As mentioned previously, on Friday the Mystery Classes will finally reveal their locations. Everybody did a great job on this project. While I will be in the building, I will be busy with administrative responsibilities on Monday. Mrs. Corpron will substitute. This week will be dedicated to preparing for the spring debates. Unlike the fall debates, ALL students will speak. There will actually be three debates (each composed of six students). So, the debate schedule is as follows:
Groups and debate topics will be determined on Monday.
Debate format and viewing of a sample debate will be on Tuesday.
Research will be conducted on Wednesday-Friday.
Actual debates will be next week (Monday-Wednesday).

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

7th and 8th Grade: Week of May 4-8

2009-05-03T14:28:00.000-07:00

Hello,
I hope you had a good weekend. As mentioned previously, on Friday the Mystery Classes will finally reveal their locations. Everybody did a great job on this project. While I will be in the building, I will be busy with administrative responsibilities on Monday for periods 2-3. Mr. Krause will substitute. We will spend several days this week experimenting with the motion of pendulums and the variables that affect their periods. At this point, there is only one homework assigned for this week as seen below:

DUE Thursday, May 7: As you've probably studied before, gravity varies from planet to planet. Answer these questions in complete sentences:

Here is a question: What effect does gravity have on the period of a pendulum? In other words, does increasing gravity speed up or slow down a pendulum?
Let's assume you transport the same pendulum from planet to planet. Make a list of all nine planets (yes, Pluto we are including you) in order by fastest period (=#1) to slowest period (=#9).
On which planet would a playground swing the fastest? The slowest?

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade- Speed Homework

2009-04-29T06:48:00.000-07:00

Hello,
For those of you who didn't find a convenient car trip for this week's homework, use the following:

Distance from school to home: 8.5 miles Time from school to home: 20 minutes Average speed:
Slowest instantaneous speed: 0 mph Fastest instantaneous speed: 60 mph
Write a sentence or two comparing the average speed to the instantaneous speeds. Were all three about the same? Why or why not?

9th Grade: Week of April 27-May 1

2009-04-26T13:31:00.000-07:00

Hello,
Our Invasive Species presentations are Monday and Tuesday as you know. Your paper is due one day after your presentation. The field trip permission slips are due on Thursday, the day of the trip. Final Guesses for the Mystery Class project are also due on Thursday and on Friday, May 8 the Mystery Classes will reveal themselves. The homework and DUE dates are as follows:

Tuesday, 28: Complete the Invasive Species paper (and Powerpoint presentation if necessary).

Friday, May 1: Write a 5+ sentence paragraph about what you learned from the Mystery Class project.

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade: April 27- May 1

2009-04-26T12:44:00.000-07:00

Hello,
Tomorrow will be the last in-class day for our Mystery Class work (though Final Guesses are due on Thursday). Mystery Class groups will conduct web-based research using either laptop or desktop computers. I congratulate you on a great job for this project. The 10 Mystery Classes will reveal themselves on Friday, May 8. The homework and DUE dates for this week are as follows:

Tuesday, April 28: For your ride home today (or back to school tomorrow morning) in the car , I want you to record and calculate a few things related to our study of motion and speed:

Record the total distance of the trip. This is easiest by having your parents zero the trip odometer at the beginning of the trip. Record the total time with your watch or cellphone. Calculate the average speed of your trip. On your homework it should appear like this: Distance from school to home: Time from school to home: Average speed:
Record the slowest and fastest instantaneous speeds of the car. Did your parents ever go over the speed limit during the drive? Your homework should appear at this: Slowest instantaneous speed: Fastest instantaneous speed:
Write a sentence or two comparing the average speed to the instantaneous speeds. Were all three about the same? Why or why not?

Friday, May 1: Write a 5+ sentence paragraph about what you learned from the Mystery Class project.

Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade: Week of April 20-24

2009-04-19T20:11:00.000-07:00

Hello,
We are continuing our Ecology unit this week. As a reminder, we are scheduled to pair up with an Ecology class on a field trip from CSI on Thursay, April 30. More information to follow. An important aspect of ecology in the modern world is invasive species. Each student will select a different invasive species, write a short paper, and conduct a 10 minute Powerpoint presentation. The paper and presentation are due on Friday (April 24). So, the homework this week is to conduct research and prepare for the paper and presentation. Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade: Week of April 20-24

2009-04-19T19:45:00.000-07:00

Hello,
Spring certainly is here. Check out our beautiful tulips growing near the school entrance. We are now moving on to the study of motion as related to our physics unit. As the Xavier secondary students are so amazing, the deadline for the Mystery Class guesses (city/town, country, latitude, longitude) is THIS Friday. We will spend Friday using the laptops to conduct the final research. The homework and DUE dates are as follows:

Wednesday, April 22: Answer the following questions

What is the difference between speed and velocity?
What is the takeoff speed of a Boeing 737 airplane? A Boeing 747 airplane? What is the top speed of the fastest Ferrari car? Why does an airplane go up into the air when at the same speed a Ferrari stays on the ground?

Friday, April 24: Conduct Internet research related to your Mystery Class. Go to http://www.learner.org/jnorth/mclass/ for any clues that you may need.

-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade: Week of April 13- 17

2009-04-10T13:18:00.000-07:00

Hello,
A few exciting activities are planned for this week related to our Mystery Class project, which is drawing to a close. As the last few Fridays have been disrupted we will catch up on our work this Monday (April 13). On Friday we will receive the last of our clues and will spend the period using the Internet (please bring in book atlases from home if you have them) and our clues to determine the city and country of your assigned Mystery Class. Here are some important dates:
May 1 Deadline for your Answers! By popular request, you have TWO weeks to prepare your answers. No late entries will be accepted.
May 8 Locations of the Mystery Sites revealed!

We will continue our ecology unit this week. Tuesday we'll finish up the owl pellet dissection. The homework and DUE dates are as follows:

Thursday, April 16: Complete Section 3-2 Assessment Questions, 1-5 (p. 73).

Friday, April 17: Let's pretend you are a Mystery Class. Create four separate written interdisciplinary (history, geography, or cultural) clues for Twin Falls with the first clue being national/regional and the last three about Idaho/Twin Falls.

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

PS. I am inviting you to the event below:
Bill Akersten, Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at the Idaho Museum of Natural History in Pocatello, will talk about "Idaho's Ice-Age Saber-Tooths: A Tale of Two Kitties" at the next Herrett Forum. The free event will be at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 15 at the Herrett Center.

7th- 8th Grade: Week of April 13-17

2009-04-10T11:01:00.000-07:00

Hello,
A few exciting activities are planned for this week related to our Mystery Class project, which is drawing to a close. As the last few Fridays have been disrupted we will catch up on our work this Monday (May 13). On Friday we will receive the last of our clues and will spend the period using the Internet (please bring in book atlases from home if you have them) and our clues to determine the city and country of your assigned Mystery Class. Here are some important dates:
May 1 Deadline for your Answers! By popular request, you have TWO weeks to prepare your answers. No late entries will be accepted.
May 8 Locations of the Mystery Sites revealed!

We will be finishing up simple machines this week with a pre-test on Wednesday and short test on Thursday. So the homework and DUE date for this week are:

Thursday, April 16: Study for Simple Machines test.

Friday, April 17: Let's pretend you are a Mystery Class. Create four separate written interdisciplinary (history, geography, or cultural) clues for Twin Falls with the first clue being national/regional and the last three about Idaho/Twin Falls.

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

PS. I am inviting you to the event below:
Bill Akersten, Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at the Idaho Museum of Natural History in Pocatello, will talk about "Idaho's Ice-Age Saber-Tooths: A Tale of Two Kitties" at the next Herrett Forum. The free event will be at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 15 at the Herrett Center.

9th Grade: Week of April 6-10

2009-04-05T19:28:00.000-07:00

Hello,
Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled for the half-day on Thursday (2 pm-6 pm) and Friday morning 9 am- 12 pm. We are having a guest speaker on Thursday for 3rd (starting of course in Mr. Loosli's room) and 4th period to talk to your class about credit scores, credit cards and other personal finance topics. As instruction was canceled last Friday due to the Dance-a-thon, that homework is due Tuesday morning (April 7). So the homework and DUE dates for this week are:

Tuesday, April 7: Ecology involves the study of the environment. The movie "Wall*E shows a possible future for us. In a single 5+ sentence paragraph, select one of the Native American quotes below and write about how we can use it to prevent such a future.

Ancient Indian Proverb:
"Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children."

Qwatsinas (Hereditary Chief Edward Moody), Nuxalk Nation:
"We must protect the forests for our children, grandchildren and children yet to be born. We must protect the forests for those who can't speak for themselves such as the birds, animals, fish and trees."

Have a great week,
Mr. Pfiester

PS. I am inviting you to the event below:

Bill Akersten, Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at the Idaho Museum of Natural History in Pocatello, will talk about "Idaho's Ice-Age Saber-Tooths: A Tale of Two Kitties" at the next Herrett Forum. The free event will be at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 15

7th-8th Grade: Week of April 6-10

2009-04-05T19:11:00.000-07:00

Hello,
Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled for the half-day on Thursday (2 pm-6 pm) and Friday morning 9 am- 12 pm. As instruction was canceled last Friday due to the Dance-a-thon, that homework is due Monday morning. So the homework and DUE dates for this week are

Monday, April 6: The ancients made great use of simple machines. This will be a short research homework that we will begin in class on Thursday, April 3 using laptops. Your assignment is to pick one of the following ancient structures: Great Pyramid of Giza (the only surviving member of seven ancient wonders of the world), Stonehenge, or the Theater at Epidaurus, Greece and research the likely simple machines that went into their construction. Details:

Paragraph 1: Desribe the physical characteristics of the ancient structure. What culture built it? What was its purpose? How many people worked on it and for how long?
Paragraph 2: What simple machines were used in its construction? Include at least 2 color hand-made drawings of the structure and involved simple machines.

Thursday, April 9: Locate the Section 3: Simple Machines packet I gave you. Complete all the assessment questions 1-3 using complete sentences.

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester
PS. I am inviting you to the event below:

9th Grade: Week of March 30- April 3

2009-03-29T12:01:00.000-07:00

Hello,
We are now in the 4th Quarter. It looks like our first tulip has bloomed (near the front entrance towards Blue Lakes Blvd). We will be finishing up Chapter 7 (Cell Structure and Function) this week and begin our Ecology unit. The test will be on Tuesday. The homework and DUE dates are as follows:

Tuesday, March 31: Go to http://www.phschool.com/atschool/txtbk_res_sci.html and follow directions to Chapter 7. Go over the chapter materials for the test.

Friday, April 3: Ecology involves the study of the environment. The movie "Wall*E shows a possible future for us. In a single 5+ sentence paragraph, select one of the Native American quotes below and write about how we can use it to prevent such a future.

Ancient Indian Proverb:
"Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children."

Qwatsinas (Hereditary Chief Edward Moody), Nuxalk Nation:
"We must protect the forests for our children, grandchildren and children yet to be born. We must protect the forests for those who can't speak for themselves such as the birds, animals, fish and trees."

7th and 8th Grade: Week of March 31- April 3

2009-03-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

Hello,
We will continue with experimenting with pulleys and other simple machines this week. We are now in the 4th Quarter. It looks like our first tulip has bloomed (near the front entrance towards Blue Lakes Blvd). The homework and DUE dates are as follows:

Wednesday, April 1: Based on our reading of Section 3: Simple Machines, make a 3-column, 9-row chart with the headings "simple machine", "type of simple machine" and "how they help us do work". Your challenge is to complete the chart. First list eight simple machines around your house and then determine the type of simple machine they are and how they help us do work.

Friday, April 3: The ancients made great use of simple machines. This will be a short research homework that we will begin in class on Thursday, April 3 using laptops. Your assignment is to pick one of the following ancient structures: Great Pyramid of Giza (the only surviving member of seven ancient wonders of the world), Stonehenge, or the Theater at Epidaurus, Greece and research the likely simple machines that went into their construction. Details:

Paragraph 1: Desribe the physical characteristics of the ancient structure. What culture built it? What was its purpose? How many people worked on it and for how long?
Paragraph 2: What simple machines were used in its construction? Include at least 2 color hand-made drawings of the structure and involved simple machines.

9th Grade: Week of March 23-27

2009-03-22T12:38:00.000-07:00

Hello,
I hope you had a relaxing and enjoyable Spring Break (and attempted to see if balancing an egg was easier on Friday- the Spring Equinox). There are a lot of events happening this week. Groundbreaking for our new school is scheduled for this week and Friday (3/27) is the last day of the 3rd Quarter. The homework and DUE dates are as follows:

Tuesday, March 24: Bring in a piece of fruit or vegetable to conduct your self-directed osmosis lab. I'll explain more on Monday.

Thursday, March 26: Complete Section 7-4 Assessment Questions (p. 193), questions 1-4.

Friday will be our practice test for Chapter 7 and the test will most likely be on Monday, March 30. Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade: Week of March 23-27

2009-03-22T06:20:00.000-07:00

Hello,
I hope you had a relaxing and enjoyable Spring Break (and attempted to see if balancing an egg was easier on Friday- the Spring Equinox). There are a lot of events happening this week. Groundbreaking for our new school is scheduled for this week and Friday (3/27) is the last day of the 3rd Quarter. We will begin our last unit (physics) and have some great activities planned. The homework and DUE dates are as follows:

Tuesday, March 24: A version of Mythbusters. The rotation of hurricanes either clockwise or counterclockwise is greatly affected by the Coriolis effect. Hurricanes in the northern hemisphere tend to turn counterclockwise. Your homework tonight has two parts:

Ask 4 people over the age of 12 (no other Xavier students allowed) this question "Is the direction that water drains down sinks and bathtubs controlled by which hemisphere one is in?". Organize the data into a bar graph form of "yes" and "no" responses.
Test three different places in your house (toilet, kitchen sink, bathroom sink, or bathtub) and see which way the water drains. For the sinks either just turn on the water and see what happens or plug the drain, fill with water, and then remove the plug.

A homework for later in the week will be posted in a few days,

Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

-Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade: Week of March 9-13

2009-03-08T12:59:00.000-07:00

Hello,
Last week's Osmosis and Dialysis Tubing Lab. went well- good job everybody! This week, we'll complete Section 3: Cell Boundaries. We will finish the film Longitude in the later part of the week as related to our Mystery Class work. The homework and DUE dates are as follows:

Wednesday, March 11: Complete Section 7-3 Assessment Questions 1-5 (p. 189) in complete sentences

Friday, March 13: Go to the Solar Folklore page at http://solar-center.stanford.edu/folklore/#mesopotamia. Various cultures explained the sun and seasons in (what appeared to them) logical ways. Pick one of the these cultures (Indigenous American · Indigenous Australian · Mesopotamia · Judeo-Christian · Other Cultures) and read about how they explained the sun. Summarize your reading into a 5+ sentence paragraph.

Have a great week and Spring Break! Don't forget to balance a raw egg on the Equinox (March 20),
-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade: Week of March 9-13

2009-03-08T12:48:00.000-07:00

Hello,
We will spend a few days experimenting with magnets as part of our Electricity and Magnetism Unit. I am anxious to finish up this unit so we can start the Physics Unit. We will spend the remainder of this week finishing up the film Longitude and adding to our Mystery Class graphs. So the homework schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, March 11: Go to the website http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth's_magnetic_field and find the section titled "Magnetic field reversals". Read the section and answer the following questions:

How often, on average, do the Earth's magnetic poles reverse? When was the last time this happened?
Although nobody know for sure, what is a leading theory as to why the poles reverse?
If the Earth's magnetic poles reversed tomorrow, what would the effect be upon a compass?

Friday, March 13: Go to the Solar Folklore page at http://solar-center.stanford.edu/folklore/#mesopotamia. Various cultures explained the sun and seasons in (what appeared to them) logical ways. Pick one of the these cultures (Indigenous American · Indigenous Australian · Mesopotamia · Judeo-Christian · Other Cultures) and read about how they explained the sun. Summarize your reading into a 5+ sentence paragraph.

Have a great week and Spring Break! Don't forget to balance a raw egg on the Equinox (March 20),
-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade: Week of March 2-6: Change in Homework

2009-03-05T12:54:00.000-08:00

Hello,
In case you didn't hear me, the Friday (March 6) homework has been cancelled. I want you to focus on preparing for tomorrow's Electricity test. So your homework is to study. Use the practice tests and electricity sections I copied for you. I'm sure you will do well tomorrow.
-Mr. Pfiester

PS. We will graph our Mystery Class data tomorrow if time allows.

9th Grade: Week of March 2-6

2009-03-01T20:45:00.000-08:00

Hello,
Our Mystery Class unit will get much more interesting on Friday, March 27 when each mystery class will begin sending us cultural, historical, or geographical clues (in addition to the sunrise/sunset data). We will be continuing with Chapter 7 this week. Tuesday and Wednesday, you will work with your table group and making the analogy of Twin Falls to a cell, determine what cell organelles match what structures in Twin Falls in terms of function. So please review the cell organelles in section 7-2. The homework and DUE dates are as follows:

Tuesday, March 3: Complete Section 7-1 Assessment Questions 1-3 and 5 in complete sentences (p. 173).

Friday, March 6: Go to the Solar Folklore page at http://solar-center.stanford.edu/folklore/#mesopotamia. Various cultures explained the sun and seasons in (what appeared to them) logical ways. Pick one of the these cultures (Indigenous American · Indigenous Australian · Mesopotamia · Judeo-Christian · Other Cultures) and read about how they explained the sun. Summarize your reading into a 5+ sentence paragraph.

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade: Week of March 2-6

2009-03-01T14:38:00.000-08:00

Hello,
My apologies for causing the snow last week. I said spring is here on Thursday and Mother Nature reminded me that spring is a time of unpredictable weather. Our Mystery Class unit will get much more interesting on Friday, March 27 when each mystery class will begin sending us cultural, historical, or geographical clues (in addition to the sunrise/sunset data). We will be finishing up electricity this week (and starting magnetism). The homework and DUE dates are as follows:

Tuesday, March 3: Complete the Section 5 Assessment Questions 1a, 1b, and 1c in complete sentences.

Friday, March 6: Go to the Solar Folklore page at http://solar-center.stanford.edu/folklore/#mesopotamia. Various cultures explained the sun and seasons in (what appeared to them) logical ways. Pick one of the these cultures (Indigenous American · Indigenous Australian · Mesopotamia · Judeo-Christian · Other Cultures) and read about how they explained the sun. Summarize your reading into a 5+ sentence paragraph.

9th Grade: Week of February 23-27

2009-02-22T20:29:00.000-08:00

Howdy,

This week, we will begin a new unit: Unit 3: Cells. We will begin with Chapter 7: Cell Structure and Function. The homework and DUE dates are as follows:

Tuesday, Feb. 24: Isaac Newton, the famous physicist, once said "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants". In a full paragraph, research what Newton meant by this statement. Who were the "giants" whose shoulders Newton stood on?

Friday, Feb. 27: This homework relates to our Mystery Class work. Ancient cultures of course had (what appeared to them) reasonable explanations for the causes of the seasons. In a short paragraph conduct research on this subject: how did they explain the seasons? Some cultures include Chinese, Incan, Mayan, Roman, Greek, Eskimo.

Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade: Week of February 23-27

2009-02-22T12:54:00.001-08:00

Hello,
We will be working on our "Designing and Electrically Wiring Your Dream House" on Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday and Thursday will be a review of the five sections on electricity for our test on the following Monday (March 2). Friday we will continue with the Mystery Class and going outside to start an ongoing study of shadows as related to the movement of the sun across the sky. So the homework and DUE dates are as follows:

Tuesday, Feb. 24: Along with an adult member of your family, find out the following:

Is the circuits in your home protected by fuses or circuit breakers?
Opening up your fuse box or circuit breaker box, how many circuits do you see?
Explain the purpose of fuses or circuit breakers in your home.

Friday, Feb. 27: Ancient cultures of course had (what appeared to them) reasonable explanations for the causes of the seasons. In a short paragraph conduct research on this subject: how did they explain the seasons? Some cultures include Chinese, Incan, Mayan, Roman, Greek, Eskimo.

Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester

7th and 8th Grade: Week of February 16-20

2009-02-16T14:33:00.000-08:00

Hello,
We will be continuing our electricity and magnetism unit. On Friday will continue with the Mystery Class activity with the graphing of two more data points. At that point you should be able to figure out whether your mystery class is in the northern or southern hemisphere. So, the homework and DUE dates (in complete sentences) for this week are as follows:

Wednesday, Feb. 18: A few weeks ago, you were assigned research the volts and amps in lightning. This week I want you to research the following about electric eels:

The number of volts and amps in electric eels. Is the electricity enough to just injure, or even kill, a human?
In what countries are they found?
Is the electricity produced mostly as a defense (to not be eaten) or predation (electrocute prey animals to eat)?

Friday, Feb. 20: Most people misunderstand the cause of the seasons. Your homework is to ask five people over the age of 10 this question "what is the cause of the seasons?" The submitted homework should list the person's age and their response (in complete sentences).

Have a great week,
-Mr. Pfiester

9th Grade: Week of February 16-20

2009-02-16T14:16:00.000-08:00

Hello,
We will be finishing up Chapter 20 (Protists) this week. Tuesday will be our practice test in preparation for Wednesday's chapter test. Thursday we will discuss what unit we should study next (I want to get your input). On Friday will continue with the Mystery Class activity with the graphing of two points. At that point you should be able to figure out whether your mystery class is in the northern or southern hemisphere. So, the homework and DUE dates for this week are as follows:

Tuesday, Feb. 17: Study for Chapter 20 Test.
Friday, Feb. 20: Most people misunderstand the cause of the seasons. Your homework is to ask five people over the age of 10 this question "what is the cause of the seasons?" The submitted homework should list the person's age and their response (in complete sentences).

9th Grade: Week of February 9-13

2009-02-06T12:37:00.000-08:00

Hello,
This will be an unusual week as you know. Monday we will have our field trip to the Sushi Tokyo Restaurant from approximately 11 am to 11:45 am. Bring a small lunch with you in case you don't find anything appetizing. Tuesday we will watch a fascinating video titled Longitude, based on the book of the same title. This is related to our Mystery Class activity. Wednesday is of course the school-wide ski trip to Magic Mountain. Thursday and Friday is reserved for teacher inservice days. The following Monday (February 16) is the Presidents Day holiday. There is no homework for this week.

Have a great week,

Mr. Pfiester

7th-8th Grade: Week of February 9-13

2009-02-05T12:19:00.000-08:00

Hello,
This will be an unusual week as you know. Monday and Tuesday we will watch a fascinating video titled Longitude, based on the book of the same title. This is related to our Mystery Class activity. Wednesday is of course the school-wide ski trip to Magic Mountain. Thursday and Friday is reserved for teacher inservice days. The following Monday (February 16) is the Presidents Day holiday. The only homework for the week is due as follows:

Tuesday, February 10: In a 5+ sentence paragraph answer the following questions:

One important aspect of modern society is everybody working from the exact same time. Why is that? All the teachers here at Xavier have radio controlled clocks that have the exact time. What if Mr. Loosli had no clock at all? What if Mr. Krause had a clock 20 minutes different than everybody else? Getting a little philosophical, what is time?

Have a great week,

-Mr. Pfiester