To wrap up the year I will teach the Anatomy and Physiology involved in Human Reproduction. There will be little homework from this point onward and no research projects assigned. No book was assigned for this unit. Students were asked to be responsible with their paperwork.
Human Reproduction
May 20th, 2010 by kbrandt
We are discussing one of the last major units of the school year, Heredity, or Genetics as it is often referred to. This unit should last about 6 weeks in total. We will be discussing the science behind how genes are passed to offspring, what DNA is, and eventually topics such as cloning and genetic engineering. Please encourage your child to discuss these topics with you. There are new things being discovered in the field of genetics almost every week!
The 8th graders have been searching the skies for several weeks now, looking for a glimpse of a universe beyond what they already knew. We will wrap up our astronomy unit with an oral report and project. We will begin the research for the project upon our return from break (the last week of February) and present to the class around the second week of March.
In the interim we will be working on a special interdisciplinary unit on Africa during the first week of March. This special Africa project coincides with the CMT testing week.
Forces and Motion
Nov 23rd, 2009 by kbrandt
We are studing forces and motion right now. This unit includes activities and discussions on Newton’s laws of motion and how they apply to our lives. Amusement rides are a great way to experience these laws! We will also be conducting several labs including a skateboarding lab and friction lab called Shipping and Sliding. We hope to round off this very active unit with a combined math/science project on rollercoasters.
Bridge Building Unit
Oct 28th, 2009 by kbrandt
Well, our bridges are almost built and they are very diverse! We have many kinds of truss bridges and even a few suspension varieties. We will be completing the bridge construction phase within a few school days. The date for the strength testing, aka demolition, will be announced soon. In the meantime we will be starting a unit on forces and motion.
Welcome to the 2009 – 2010 School Year!
Aug 13th, 2009 by kbrandt
Welcome, eighth graders, to a new school year! I am pleased to meet you and excited to tell you about all the topics we will be covering this year. We will start the year by studying the strength of bridge structures, and we will build models of truss bridges in class. (There is no book for the bridge unit!) We will also study forces and motion, astronomy, heredity, and human reproduction as the year progresses.
I am looking forward to seeing both, students and their parents on Back to School Night this Thursday, September 3rd, from 7 – 8 pm. The eighth grade teachers will be giving a short presentation starting at seven, and will be available to meet parents afterward.
The supply list is included below for your convenience.
Supplies:
- pencil
- pen
- highlighter
- spiral notebook OR section of binder (for Science only)
- folder for handouts
- book cover (not the sticky ones, please!)
If you ever need to contact me please e-mail me at
kbrandt@stoningtonschools.org. I can also be reached by phone during the school day at 536-9613.