Hi Parents and teachers,

Here is an update on how to access online textbook

Below are the details:

1. Click on the following link or copy the URL into your browser: http://connected.mcgraw-hill.com
2. If a student's PGCPS student number is '000123456', then the student's ConnectED credential is:

             login name -  000123456pgcps

             password - 000123456pgcps

NF

Dear PArents and Students,

Welcome to the 2015-2016 school year and I forward with excitement towards having another great year.

Just a few things to note:

A letter was sent home explaining some key things that will help students have a successful year as follows:

1. As an AVID school, students will keep an interactive note book that will help students study for tests/quizzes and keep work in one place. The expectation is that if students lose their thier note book, they will have to arrange to stay after school and redo it as this book will be graded at least 4x a year.
2. There a new science texxtbook iscience by McGraw Hill. The book is acessible online. Much of the homework  will be completed at home online, and submitted online, graded online and grades sent to teacher.

Please let me know if you do not internet at home so that alternative arrangements could be made for your child's homework. Also, the textbook sstudent edition cost$ 94.00 and the work book $ 85.00. If either book is lost they will be paid for.( The workbook is consumable and students will only pay for it if they lose their book before the end of the school year and needs a replacement. ) Also there is a sticker on the back of the book with the number for the book. If students return the book without a sticker, they will have to pay for it because there is no way to proof that the book belongs to them. Please provide a book cover to protect the stickers to your students.

3. Science fair will be held on October 28,2015.

There is a timeline below:

9/8- Topic and Question are due

9/25- Research paper , title page, acknowledgement, body of paper bibliography, material list,variables, procedures

10/19- projects Due

10/20-10/23 Classroom presentations

10/27 Judging of projects in the morning/open house aftyer school

Topics dealing with which liquid will freeze, meltor evaporate the fastest/mentos and soda or candle burns the fastest WILL NOT BE ALLOWED.

As a middle school student, you cannot also experiment with or on any animals/animal parts, such as chicken bones.Invertebrates will be allowed if they are being studied but not harmed in any way. The germination of of seeds will not be allowed because of time contraints.

I will provide more information in the days and weeks ahead!

Once again I look forward to an exciting year!

Sincerely,

Nelson Fuamenya

Hi All.

The end is almost here! Please find below the final exam study guide.

Students have been given a hard copy.

 Best of luck!

NF

7^th Grade science Final Exam Study Guide

Human Biology and Health

Know the ;

Distinguishing characteristics of plants and animals

The endocrine system prepares the body for stressful situations.

Muscle tissue looks different because it performs different functions.

Sick1e cell anemia affects red blood cells.

Genetic material isn offspring is a blend of the parents' genetic material.

Know the structure of muscles for example: Muscles work like rubber band or spring.

Know the functions of the mature systems in the human body for example: The excretory system ensures that the body is free of harmful chemicals, the immune system is responsible for protecting the body and killing pathogens.

Know the levels organization of human body. for example the human body is organized by cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, and organism.

The mouth, stomach, pancreas, capillaries, and blood are involved in digestion and absorption.

Earth's Changing Surface

Differences in the structure of fossils indicate changes over time.

Fossils found at the site of the Gulf of Mexico oil site will have a layer of oil around

them and in a layer of rock with more oil than the layer above it.

Rocks that date 390 million years ago are from the Devonian Period.

Ice wedging is the repeated freezing and thawing of water'

Chemical Building Block

Know the differences and examples of physical vs chemical changes .For example burning a marshmallow is a chemical change because a new substance is formed and it can not be easily reversed, freezing water is a physical change because no new substance is formed and it is reversible.

Know what a compound is for example Iron oxide is a compound because it forms when two elements combine chemically. When elements combine chemically, the final product has different properties than the original elements.

A new element can not be named immediately because the investigation must be repeated to be accurately sure of the characteristics and group to which it belongs on the periodic table

Know that and element is the simplest form of matter .For example Copper is an example of the simplest form of matter.

Know that if salt and sand are mixed with water, evaporation and filtration can separate them.

Know the processes through by which matter changes from one state into another, for example a liquid becomes a gas during evaporation. Ice becomes a liquid through melting.

Know that:

Nonmetals are usually gases.

Iron is magnetic.

When molecules cool their movement decreases.

Nonmetals make up the greatest percentage of the human body.

Air combing with water or metal causes oxidation.

Chlorine changes from a liquid to a gas at  -34 C.

Stable elements do not combine with other elements.

Chlorine, bromine, and fluorine are highly reactive non-metals.

The mass of reactants equals the mass of the product in a chemical reaction.

Motion, Forces, and Energy

Know the 3 ways an object can accelerate: speeding up, slowing down,  or changing direction.

Acceleration is speed divided by time

Know that as a ball rolls down a ramp, kinetic energy increases while potential energy decreases. Acceleration decreases when mass increases.

Know that:

the Earth gets energy from the Sun  by radiation.

Gravity and inertia affect the motion of a satellite.

A flat line on a graptr*indicates no change in  motion.

When force remains unchanged, less mass results in greater acceleration.

Holding an ice cube results in melting due to  conduction.

Batteries change chemical energy to electrical energy.

Heat energy increases as exercise increases.

Bacteria to Plants

Know the characteristics of animals and plants .For example Animals are multicellular and  mobile.

Know examples of protists: For example Euglena and amoeba are a protists.

Know that Bacteria can reproduce in favorable conditions and unfavorable conditions through a spore.

Know that plants are autotrophs and Chloroplasts help plants  produce food.

Hi All!

Chaps 4 & 5 exams will be on Thursday 6/4.

The FInal Year exam will be on 6/17

A Final study guide will be given later

Below is the Chap 4 & 5 Test study guide and extra credit (15 pts) Please take adavntage of this

Chap 4&5 Test Study guide

Key Terms

Key Concepts

• Nearly all plants are autotrophs, organisms that produce their own food. All plants are eukaryotes that contain many cells. In addition, all plant cells are surrounded by cell walls.
• For plants to survive on land, they must have ways to obtain water and other nutrients from their surroundings, retain water, transport materials in their bodies, support their bodies, and reproduce.
• Scientists informally group plants into two major groups—nonvascular plants and vascular plants.
• Plants have complex life cycles that include two different stages, the sporophyte stage and the gametophyte stage.

Key Terms

• photosynthesis, tissue, chloroplast, vacuole, cuticle, vascular tissue, fertilization. zygote nonvascular, plant, vascular plant. chlorophyll. sporophyte, gametophyte

Photosynthesis and Light

Key Concepts

• When light strikes the green leaves of a plant, most of the green part of the spectrum is reflected. Most of the other colors of light are absorbed.
• The many chemical reactions of photosynthesis can be summarized by this equation:

Carbon dioxide and water combine in the presence of light to produce sugar and oxygen.

Key Terms transmission reflection absorption accessory pigment

Key Concept

• The three major groups of nonvascular plants are mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. These low-growing plants live in moist environments where they can absorb water and other nutrients directly from their environment.

Key Terms rhizoid

Key Concept

• Ferns, club mosses, and horsetails share two characteristics. They have true vascular tissue and they do not produce seeds. Instead of seeds, these plants reproduce by releasing spores.

Key Term frond

Key Concepts

• Seed plants have vascular tissue and use pollen and seeds to reproduce.
• Inside a seed is a partially developed plant. If a seed lands in an area where conditions are favorable, it can begin to develop into a plant.
• Roots anchor a plant in the ground and absorb water and minerals. Stems carry substances between roots and leaves, provide support, and hold up the leaves. Leaves capture the sun’s energy for photosynthesis.

Key Terms

• phloem seed germination cambium transpiration xylem embryo root cap stomata pollen cotyledon

Gymnosperms

Key Concepts

• Every gymnosperm produces naked seeds. In addition, many gymnosperms have needle-like or scalelike leaves, and deep-growing roots.
• During reproduction, pollen falls from a male cone onto a female cone. In time, sperm and egg cells join in an ovule on the female cone.
• Paper and other products, such as the lumber used to build homes, come from conifers.

Key Terms

• gymnosperm cone ovule pollination

Angiosperms

Key Concepts

• All angiosperms produce flowers and fruits.
• All flowers function in reproduction.
• During reproduction, pollen falls on a flower’s stigma. In time, sperm and egg cells join in the flower’s ovule. The zygote develops into the embryo part of the seed.
• Angiosperms are divided into two major groups: monocots and dicots.

Key Terms

• angiosperm petal ovary dicot flower stamen fruit sepal pistil

Extra Credit!!

Page 131 #s 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

page 171#s 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

Good luck!!

Dear students and Parents!

We are on the final stretch to the end of a busy school year. Our next Unit text will cover chaps 1 Living things

and chapter 2 Viruses and Bacteria

Encourage students to study every night and this week end.

I have also included a 15 point EXTRA credit

We are currently on From Bacteria to Plants.

for online access to the textbook

www.phschool.com 

codes cae 0612

Good LUCK

Study Guide below.

A hard copy will be handed in class

Test Study Guide

Chap 1 Living things

Chap 2 : Viruses and Bacteria

Key Concepts

• Biologists use classification to organize living things into groups so that the organisms are easier to study.
• The more classification levels that two organisms share, the more characteristics they have in common.
• Taxonomic keys are useful tools for determining the identity of organisms.
• Species with similar evolutionary histories are classified more closely together.

Key Terms classification taxonomy binomial nomenclature genus species

• evolution

Domains and Kingdoms

Key Concepts

• Organisms are placed into domains and kingdoms based on their cell type, their ability to make food, and the number of cells in their bodies.
• Although bacteria and archaea are similar in some ways, there are important differences in the structure and chemical makeup of their cells.
• Scientists classify organisms in the domain Eukarya into one of four kingdoms: protists, fungi, plants, or animals.

Key Terms

• prokaryote nucleus eukaryote

Key Term

Vruses  Key Terms

Key Concepts

• Although viruses can multiply, they do so differently than organisms. Viruses can multiply only when they are inside a living cell.
• All viruses have two basic parts: an outer coat that protects the virus and an inner core made of genetic material.
• Once inside a cell, a virus’s genetic material takes over many of the cell’s functions. The genetic material instructs the cell to produce the virus’s proteins and genetic material. These proteins and genetic material then assemble into new viruses.

Key Terms

• virus host parasite bacteriophage

Bacteria

Key Concepts

• Bacteria are prokaryotes. The genetic material in their cells is not contained in a nucleus.
• Bacteria must have a source of food and a way of breaking down the food to release its energy.
• When bacteria have plenty of food, the right temperature, and other suitable conditions, they thrive and reproduce frequently.
• Bacteria are involved in oxygen and food production, environmental recycling and cleanup, and in health maintenance and medicine production.

Key Terms

• bacteria cytoplasm ribosome flagellum respiration
• binary fission asexual reproduction sexual reproduction conjugation
• endospore pasteurization decomposer

Viruses, Bacteria, and Your Health

Key Concepts

• Infectious diseases can spread through contact with an infected person, a contaminated object, an infected animal, or an environmental source.
• Fortunately, many bacterial diseases can be cured with medications known as antibiotics.
• Unlike with bacterial diseases, there are currently no medications that can cure viral infections.
• Vaccines are important tools that help prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

Key Terms

• infectious disease toxin antibiotic antibiotic resistance vaccine

Extra credit Questions(15points) Answer on a separate piece of paper and turn in

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