Math is pretty awesome

Is PI wrong?

All of the fun math in this video made my day!

7th grade Ch 19 Conserving resources

Standardized test practice

Chapter review quiz

How does an electric motor work?

Here is a discussion from a community college in Kankakee.  This discussion mainly focuses on electricity (how electric generators and electric motors work), but the point of the discussion is to prep the students about renewable energy (wind power).  This shows some physical attributes of electrical energy, circuits, resistance (ohms law), the principle behind a generator, the movement of electrons, etc.


Here is the link to the Grand Coulee Dam video... produced by PBS

8th grade Chapter 22 Electricity

Section 1: Electric Charge    self-check quiz

Section 2: Electric Current   self-check quiz

Section 3: Electric Circuits   self-check quiz 

Standardized Test Practice

Alternative Energy Poster Project

Chapter 19 is titled Conserving Resources

Section 1: Resources
Discusses renewable and non-renewable resources that are used in our lives.

We will be identifying alternative ways to provide resources for our energy needs.

You will be required to create a poster project in Ch 19 and you will need to focus on...one of these renewable resources
Water power
Wind power
Nuclear power
Geothermal energy
Solar energy/solar cells

Here is a link to the poster project directions...

7th grade: Chapter 18: Interactions of Living Things

Section 1: The Environment - Practice quiz

Section 2: Interactions Among Living Organisms - Practice quiz

Section 3: Matter and Energy - Practice quiz

Standardized test practice

Section 1 is broken down into Abiotic and Biotic factors.  You should know what each of these mean.  In the Section 1 review, you were asked to name 5 examples of each that are in your ecosystem.  Biotic factors are the living things... different types of living things are Plants, Animals, Bacteria, Fungi, and Protists.  I expect you to identify 3 of these.

You should be able to identify the levels of organization (and what each contains)...that the living world is categorized into.

From an organism to the biosphere

Highlight the block of space after the question to find the answer... it will change from looking like this...

To this

Question: What happens to vegetation when rainfall amounts gradually decrease over centuries (a long period of time)?

Answer: Plant species either adapt or die out.  New plant species may enter the area. The ecosystem may change from forest to grassland to desert over time.

There are 2 major kinds of ecosystems.  Terrestrial ecosystems are located on land.  Aquatic ecosystems include freshwater and salt water.  Saltwater ecosystems make up approximately 75% of Earth's surface.

What are some factors that distinguish one biome from another?

Answer: precipitation, temperature, plant life, and animal life.

Air pollution can come from many different sources.  Can you name one source of air pollution specifically mentioned in the book?

Why is topsoil fertile?

Answer: It contains decayed remains of organisms... it also contains different amounts of nutrients, minerals, and moisture.

Do you know the technical name of the scientist who studies the interactions of organisms and their environment?

Of the major biomes in the world, which one do you live in?

The needs of living things - Knowing what living things need to grow and reproduce will be helpful in understanding population size, density, spacing, and limiting factors.

A mob of kangaroos

Animal groups have interesting names.  For example a group of crows is called a murder. You wouldn't want to run into a crash of rhinos or a prickle of porcupines, and beware of a mob of kangaroos.

 Can you name a limiting factor of a population?

Answer: food, water, living space (limiting factors can be biotic or abiotic)

READ ABOUT BIOTIC POTENTIAL.  What does it mean?

Do you know the 3 forms of symbiosis?  Mutualism, commensalism, parasitism

What is the difference between the niche of an animal and the animal's habitat?

What advantages does a population that feeds on several kinds of organisms have?

Answer: This ensures a food supply for the population if one food source becomes unavailable.