MS 821 6th Grade Science

Okay, here it is, the final word on the exit projects.

1.         I’m going to skip the background information as a necessary part. It may be used for up
to 30 points of extra credit, though.

2.         The Lab Report (outlined below) is worth a test grade, and the Board about half a test
grade.

3.         “When are they all due?” you might ask... Well, the Lab Report will be due no later than
Wednesday, June 2. The poster boards will be due probably Monday June 14^th, and we
will presents projects that week.

4.         I would like to have a quick Science Fair during the last week of school. More about that
later.

The lab report is all of your information together, from the Question to the Conclusion. We
worked out many of these sections previously. Remember, you should write the Lab Report so
that anyone who reads it could repeat your investigation.

Question. All investigations start with a question. It is simple and to the point. It is also the title
of your investigation.

Materials. What was everything you needed?

Hypothesis. What did you think would happen? Why?

Procedure. Every step that was needed for your investigation. (NOTE: You do not need to
include “I went to the flower shop on 5^th and 23^rd to get the soil,” but you should include what
type of soil that you used.) The procedure should be detailed. The procedure should not include

“what happened” (which is the “data collection” part). The procedure can include sketches as
well as descriptions.

Data Collection. This part can be tricky. When doing the investigation, you take data. This data
can be in two different forms:

            A log book. This would be for people who are doing long experiments (like with plants or
mold). Every day, or every few days, there should be measurements and perhaps a sketch or
picture. Every time there is information written down it should be on a new page. (NOTE: You
don’t have to have an actual “book,” you could staple pages together, or something similar.)

            Data tables. This is for people who are measuring something several times, possibly
comparing two things. For instance, if I want to measure how many times I hit a ball, the table
might look something like this:

If I were measuring how many times my sister and I hit a ball with different bats, it would look
like:

# of Balls Hit

Analysis. This is the hardest part of your report. Now you have your data, but data by itself
doesn’t tell us much. What can you do to the data? Here are some ideas:

            Mean, Median, Mode, Range. Use the “statistics” you have done in math class. For
example, in the case where my Sister and I were using a Wood and Aluminum bat above, you
could find the mean, median, mode, and range of each: Mr. Levine with the Wood Bat, Mr.
Levine with the Aluminum Bat, Mr. Levine’s Sister with the... etc.

            Rate of Change. If you measured a plant growing, it hopefully always got bigger. So you
might have data like this:

You can subtract to find how much the plant grew every two days. From Day 5 to 7, Plant A
grew 2 inches, and Plant B grew 2 inches. But from Day 7 to Day 9, Plant A grew 3 inches, while
Plant B grew 2 inches. You could then find the average growth. (You could also subtract Day 9
- Day 1, and divide by 9 Days - 1 Day = 8 Days... Plant A: 8 inches ÷ 8 Days = 1 inch per day.
Plant B: 5 inches ÷ 8 Days = 0.625 inches per day.)

            Another easy way to see how fast something grew is to make a graph.

            NOTE: See Mr. Levine about your specific project so he can help you on this! Even if it’s
just quickly in the morning (if he’s not busy), or at lunch, or if you have a substitute (and Mr.
Levine’s not busy), or email me (Levine821@yahoo.com) or... um, running out of ideas, ... on
the Shea Stadium trip (not on the Hershey Park trip, that would be too late...), or especially at the
After School!!!

Results. What did your analysis tell you? My analysis told me that... (A) I can hit better than my
sister, and (B) I can hit much better with an aluminum bat. Or, ... My investigation showed that
Plant A grew faster than Plant B. It also showed that Plant A was much greener. Both started at
the same height, but Plant B did not grow right away...

Conclusions. Why do you think it happened? For example...

            I hit the ball better than my sister because I have been playing baseball longer. Also, the
aluminum bat is lighter so it is moves quicker. But, the aluminum bat hurts my hands more, so I
can’t really decide which is better...

            OR ... Plant A, which was given spring water, grew better because the spring water has
extra minerals in it. A plant must need these minerals. Plant B, which got tap water, didn’t grow
as fast, maybe because there are few minerals in the water. Or maybe there is something else in
the tap water that stops the plant from growing. I hope not, I wouldn’t want to drink that...

Then comes the poster, which we’ll do later.

Hello from Florida!

I'm visiting family down here in West Palm Beach (ask Ms. Cozo where that is...), and went to two wonderful places. I thought you might enjoy them too. I will be adding pictures as soon as I figure out how.

Butterfly World is a place where they have a huge cage with thousands of butterflies flying around in it. You get to walk through them! There are other parts of the park with different types of birds as well.
Butterfly World

And, we went to a wetland preserve called The Wakodahatchee Wetlands. There were many types of wild birds (no cages, just a half mile boardwalk through it), turtles, and even an alligator! Very nice walk, and my aunt is a birding expert, so she knew what each type was, as well as how old it was. There were some baby birds that hadn't left their nests yet. This wetlands is actually a place where many of these birds nest this time of year.
The Wakodahatchee Wetlands

Hope you enjoyed your break as much as I did!

Oh, and to all of you in 601 who screamed "Happy Birthday" to me at the end of class, I think I can finally hear again. :-) Thanks!

-Mr. Levine

Hi everyone,

I am very sorry. I did not create the links to the sites correctly below. The sites that could help with your pamphlet are:

• Basic Anatomy: Tissues and Organs
  
• A look inside the human body
  
• Thinkquest This is a little childish, but probably useful.
  
• Biology Topics
  
• BBC Online These are games, but you can learn something from them too.
  

We have just started “Human Biology,” so part of the homework is related to that. The other part of the homework is about your exit project.

First, the exit projects: If you have not started your project, this break is a real good time to do so. If you are doing something like a plant, then I really hope you have started already. Make sure that you have all your materials and your procedure, and that you record all of your data. Keep a log book for every day (if it’s a long-term project), or for every trial (for short-term projects).
Put your data in tables. Many people are doing an experiment, most of which have one test variable; some are doing an experiment with two test variables. See examples below of each.

One Variable
Test Variable (ex: Time)	Outcome Variable (ex: Distance)
...	...
...	...
...	...

Two Variables
	Test Variable 1 (ex: Person)
		Tim	Mary
Test Variable 2 (ex: number of seconds)	0 sec.	...	...
	30 sec.	...	...
	60 sec.	...	...
	90 sec.	...	...

If you can, take pictures of what you do. This does two things: (a) prove that you did it, and (b) provides an easy way to collect data. (If you have access to one, a digital camera can take almost unlimited pictures; take as many as possible, and then just use the best ones.)
When you get back, I will try to hold an afterschool where I can talk to you for several minutes about your project (instead of several seconds in a noisy classroom during class).
These projects will be due the first or second week in May.

Now for the pamphlet. You are going to do a pamphlet about a particular human organ system. Your main reference should be your “Human Biology and Health” text book (HBH). Some websites that may help are:

• Basic Anatomy: Tissues and Organs
  
• A look inside the human body
  
• Thinkquest This is a little childish, but probably useful.
  
• Biology Topics
  
• BBC Online These are games, but you can learn something from them too.
  

In class, you were assigned an organ system.
Below is the general assignment. On the back of the page is your specific assignment. I will list the section(s) that will help you in HBH, and two assigned sections (reading and questions). Keep this in mind: when you get back, you will be presenting (and handing out) the important facts about your organ system (along with the other people who did the same system). At the end, everyone will have the important facts of each organ system.
The assignment : This brochure has a lot of information. I suggest at least using the long paper for it (8.5" by 14"). Your brochure must include the following:

• Title Page - This has your organ system’s name, your name, your class on it.
  
• Sketch - A sketch of the organ system, labeled with all the important parts (Optional - you can put this on the Title Page.) 20 points.
  
• Functions and Structures
  
  
  
  • What are the major functions of this system? Why is it important? 10 points.
    
  • What are the organs involved? What does each do? 10 points.
    
  • What different tissues are involved? 5 points.
    
  • What does the whole system do? What steps are involved? How does it accomplish its job? 10 points.
    
  • What other system(s) does it work with? 10 points.
    
  
  
• Possible problems - Sometimes things can go wrong, and a system will have a problem.
  
  
  
  • Describe two major problems that the system can have. 10 points.
    
  • What can be done to help Is there a cure or a treatment? 5 points.
    
  • What can be done to prevent these problems? 5 points.
    
  • What type of problem is it? Is it a problem from within (for example: someone’s blood won’t clot; or an allergy to pollen), or something that wasn’t naturally caused by your body (for example: a scrape; damaging your lungs by smoking). 5 points.
    
  
  
• Glossary - at least five words related to your system, plus their definitions. 10 points.
  

You can fold the paper however you like it, but please keep the final dimensions smaller than 8.5 inches by 11 inches (short paper). You can fold up long paper, or short paper; it can be folded and have more pages; you can attach together two or more unfolded short papers; etc.
As always, make it appear nice. Color is always appreciated, but not necessary. The brochure is due the day we get back to school, March 14th. Lastly, this is a job for you alone. One or two other people also have your topic, but I want you to work alone. You will collaborate when you return
See the example below.

Other important things to remember!
The day you get back, we are going to have the Movable Museum! (Yes, I will still collect your homework.) Please try to be here, there is no re-doing this. We were chosen specially for this, and I promise it will be fun!
The Liberty Science Center trip is on Friday, April 30th. We are leaving here at 9AM, and returning at 4PM. DO NOT be late that day! The trip will cost $11, and all money must be in by Thursday, April 15th along with the permission slip you received in class. We need chaperones for this trip also (see the handout).

As always, if you have any problems, please email me at Levine821@yahoo.com

Enjoy the break!

• Skeletal
  
  
  
  • Reference: HBH Pages 16 - 21, 38 - 49.
    
  • HW: Read 38 - 45. On p. 45, do Q 1 - 5. Read 46 - 49. On p. 49, do Q 1 - 5.
    
    
    
  
  
• Muscular
  
  
  
  • Reference: HBH Pages 16 - 21, 50 - 54, 42 - 44.
    
  • HW: Read 50 - 54. On p. 54, do Q 1 - 4. Read 38 - 49. On p. 49, do Q 1 - 5.
    
  
  
• Skin
  
  
  
  • Reference: HBH Pages 16 - 21, 56 - 62, 162
    
  • HW: Read 56 - 62. On p. 62, do Q 1 - 4. Read 50 - 54. On p. 54, do Q 1 - 4.
    
  
  
• Circulatory
  
  
  
  • Reference: HBH Pages 16 - 21, 100 - 111, 120 - 124, 143. (113 - 118 optional)
    
  • HW: Read 100 - 106. On p. 106, do Q 1 - 5. Read 107 - 111. On p. 111, do Q 1 - 4.
    
  
  
• Respiratory
  
  
  
  • Reference: HBH Pages 16 - 21, 130 - 138, 140 - 144.
    
  • HW: Read 130 - 138. On p. 138, do Q 1 - 5. Read 140 - 144. On p. 144, do Q 1 - 5.
    
  
  
• Excretory
  
  
  
  • Reference: HBH Pages 16 - 21, 145 - 150, 140 - 144.
    
    
  • HW: Read 145 - 150. On p. 150, do Q 1 - 5. Read 130 - 138. On p. 138, do Q 1 - 5.
    
  
  
• Immune
  
  
  
  • Reference: HBH Pages 16 - 21, 161 - 167, 156 - 160. (170 - 179 optional)
    
  • HW: Read 161 - 167. On p. 167, do Q 1 - 5. Read 156 - 160. On p. 160, do Q 1 - 4.
    
  
  
• Nervous
  
  
  
  • Reference: HBH Pages 16 - 21, 190 - 203.
    
  • HW: Read 190 - 194. On p. 194, do Q 1 - 4. Read 196 - 202. On p. 202, do Q 1 - 4.
    
  
  
• Endocrine
  
  
  
  • Reference: HBH Pages 16 - 21, 226 - 230.
    
  • HW: Read 226 - 230. On p. 230, do Q 1 - 4. Read 190 - 194. On p. 194, do Q 1 - 4.
    
  
  

• Classification
  
  
  
  1. An organism is any living thing
     
  2. Characteristics of Living Things
     
     
     
     1. All organisms are made of cells.
        
        
        
        1. Unicellular organisms have one cell.
           
        2. Multicellular organisms have more than one cell.
           
        
        
     2. All living things are composed of water, carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids.
        
     3. All organisms use energy.
        
     4. All living things grow and develop into more complicated organisms.
        
     5. All living things respond to their surroundings
        
     6. All living things reproduce
        
     
     
  3. The Needs of Living Things
     
     
     
     1. All living things need a source of energy
        
     2. All living things need a source of water.
        
     3. All living things need a living space, a place that has their food and water and shelter.
        
     4. All living things need to keep conditions inside their body constant.
        
     
     
  4. Biologists classify living things into groups so that the organisms are easier to study. You can compare and contrast those in the same group.
     
  5. Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species
     
     
     
     1. Kingdom - The number of organisms is huge; organisms within one kingdom have only a few things in common.
        
     2. As you go down the line, the similarities increase, and the number of organisms that fit those categories decreases.
        
     3. A species is just one type of organism. It is the most specific category.
        
     
     
  6. An organism’s scientific name is made of the last two categories: the Genus and Species.
     
  7. There are 5 or 6 Kingdoms (depends who you ask). Plants, Animals, Fungi, Protist, and Monera (sometimes people break up Monera into two).
     
     
     
     1. Organisms in the plant kingdom use the energy from the sun, and combine it with water and carbon dioxide to make sugar (food). They also have cell walls around their cells, and are multicellular.
        
     2. Organisms in the animal kingdom must find food; they cannot internally make their own. They have no cell wall, and are multicellular.
        
     
     
  
  
  
• Microscopes
  
  
  
  1. Using a microscope
     
     
     
     1. Make sure the diaphragm is open all the way.
        
     2. Make sure you are using the low power lens.
        
     3. Move the mirror so that you have a bright light source. But, use a room light; NEVER USE THE SUN!
        
     4. Place the specimen over the light hole in the stage.
        
     5. Focus using the coarse focusing knob.
        
     6. Switch to medium power, and refocus using only the fine adjustment knob.
        
     7. If you can, switch to high power and use only the fine adjustment knob.
        
     
     
  2. Magnification vs. Resolution
     
     
     
     1. Magnification is how much bigger the microscope makes the specimen look.
        
     2. Resolution is how much detail the image has.
        
     3. Better microscopes increase both of these.
        
     
     
  3. Using a slide
     
     
     
     1. Hold the slide only by the edges or by the label.
        
     2. Never touch the specimen in the middle.
        
     3. Use the stage clips to hold the slide on the stage so you can tilt the microscope back
        
     
     
  4. Making a wet-mount slide
     
     
     
     1. Use a thin layer of specimen so that light can get through it.
        
     2. Place the specimen in the center of the slide.
        
     3. Put some stain on it. Stain helps bring out details that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to see
        
     4. Hold the coverslip at an angle and let it drop onto the slide, over the specimen.
        
     5. Carefully place it on the microscope so as not to let any liquid drip out. Clean up any spills immediately.
        
     6. DO NOT use high power – it will squish out the stain onto the microscope.
        
     
     
  
  
  
• Cells
  
  
  
  1. Parts and functions
     
     
     
     1. The nucleus is the control center, directing the activities inside the cell. The DNA is stored inside (the instructions for the whole organism). It is surrounded by a nuclear membrane to keep it separate from the rest of the cell.
        
     2. The cell membrane protects the cell, and provides a “gate” that only lets certain things in and out.
        
     3. The cytoplasm is a gel-like substance between the cell membrane and the nucleus. All the organelles are in the cytoplasm.
        
     4. Organelles are parts in the cell that perform specific functions.
        
        
        
        1. Mitochondria convert food into energy.
           
        2. Vacuoles are storage areas for extra food, water, wastes.
           
        3. Endoplasmic Reticulum, Golgi Bodies, Ribosomes.
           
        
        
     5. Animal vs. Plant
        
        
        
        1. Animal cells often have an extra “recycling” organelle called Lysosome.
           
        2. Plant cells have an extra boundary, the cell wall. It keeps the cells “box-like” shape, and protects the cell.
           
        3. Plant cells make their own food in a special organelle called Chloroplast. They convert sunlight, water, and CO2 into food.
           
        4. Animals cells often have several small vacuoles. Plant cells usually have one big vacuole.
           
        
        
     6. Mitosis
        
        
        
        1. For an organism to grow and develop, usually it needs more cells. Cells split, or divide, but first make a copy of their DNA. This process is called Mitosis.
           
        2. A cell spends most of its time in Interphase. All the normal activities of a cell’s life are going on. Right near the end, it makes a copy of its DNA.
           
        3. Then the nuclear membrane breaks up to let the copies of DNA come out. Spindle fibers hold the chromosomes (the DNA carriers) in a line across the cell, and pull them towards opposite ends. The cell pinches closed and forms nuclear membranes at each side of the cell, and you get two daughter cells with identical (the same) DNA as the parent cell had. In humans, on average cells divide about once a day.
           
        
        
     
     

This week's science article is about diamonds. Not just ordinary diamonds, but diamonds that have been made in a laboratory. However, they are chemically identical to real diamonds, and some are even better!

It is due on Monday, March 8.

Man Made Gems

There are many other articles on this too. I'll put up some more later if you want to read them.

This post only comes along every four years... why is that? Today is Leap Day! That funny extra day that is added every four years, except if it is a century year that is not divisible by 400 (in other words, 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not leap years, but 1600 and 2000 were). Why bother with this? This site has some answers to that... Leap Year. Another site with some info is: Why are leap years used?

Happy Leap Day! Some suggestions for the day:

1. Watch Superman (...able to leap tall buildings in a single bound)
   
2. Find someone who's birthday it is today! How old is this person? Remember, his or her birthday only comes once every four years!
   
3. Play leap frog! The Official Rules according to Zoom
   
4. Or, look at this website which took all of the ideas that I was gonna put here, and put them together before I did! Okay, so I found this site after I started writing this, and I'm jealous. Leap Year
   

Also, the calendar that we follow is only one system of calendars. We use a solar calendar, it is based on our movement around the sun. Some other calendars, notably the Jewish and Chinese calendars, use a lunar calendar, based on the moon's movement around the earth. They have to add leap months every so often so that the seasons stay near the same months. This site is about Chinese Lunar Leap Months: Chinese Calendar. And, here is one about the Jewish Leap Months: Jewish Calendar.