Comment Credit

Hey Environmental and Physics kids! To encourage more participation with our class blog, I'm offering a Christmas gift. Simply post your opinion, a quick message or a favorite holiday song recommendation in the comment space below. To do this, click on the "comments" link at the bottom of the post and type. If you scroll through all the old posts there is only one thing missing, YOUR COMMENTS!!!! Please feel free to comment in anyway for any posts. Happy Holidays and check back later for more holiday break extra credit opportunities.

Physics - X-MAS Break Wave Practice

Hey Physics Pros! Stay on top of your WAVE knowledge this break by completing the worksheet below and visiting the websites listed in the document. Have a great 2 weeks off. See you January 3rd 2011!

X-Mas Wave Practice

Physics - 1933 "Science of Sound" clip

Found this old clip today. Check it out...

1933 Physics of Sound Waves, Music & Acoustics Science Film
Uploaded by QualityInformation. - Videos of the latest science discoveries and tech.

Physics - Wave Quiz

Physics Students! Click on the link below to Quiz your wave knowledge.

Wave Quiz

What is a medium?

Physics - Another Fun video about waves

Physics - Wave Video from Khan Academy

Below is a great 12 min video that introduces the parts of a Wave and how to draw and label them. Enjoy!

Physics - Intro to Waves Webquest (11/29)

In today's physics lesson, you will complete a webquest that will introduce you to our next unit, WAVES!!!!!!

As you will discover, there are many different types of waves, but we will focus on two distinct types: Sound and Light.

Visit the websites (A-D) on the google document posted below and answer the questions on a separate sheet of paper. Turn in your answers at the end of class.

Intro to Waves

New Link for webquest

Physics - Waves Introduction EXTRA CREDIT

Physics Students! Check out the website below for more information of the basics of waves (both sound and light waves). There is a lot of new vocabulary for this topic, so make sure you understand the following terms:
Wavelength, Frequency, Amplitude, Nodes, Transverse Waves, and Compression Waves

General Wave Information

Answer the following questions and the 3 questions quiz at the bottom of the webpage for 10 POINTS EC

Questions
* Exactly, what is wave motion?
* What are some examples of different types of waves?
* What common characteristics do all waves have?
* What is the difference between Transverse and Compression waves?

This website and This website are helpful too! Great animations!!

Bioaccumulation of Turkey?

Happy Thanksgiving All! For a review from this week in environmental science, check out the videos below about the difference between bioaccumulation and biomagnification plus the video we watched in class about biomagnification.





Enjoy Bioaccumulating that delicious turkey today!

Environmental Science Lesson - Monday 11/22

Trophic Levels and Energy Pyramids

Food Web and Food Chain Webquest

Click on the link below to investigate Food Chains and Food Webs. Answer the questions on a separate sheet of paper and turn in at the end of the period.

Food Web and Food Chain Webquest

Physics - Roller Coaster Project Scoring Rubric

Your Roller Coaster projects will be scored using the following rubric. Projects are due on FRIDAY 11/19


Project Scoring Rubric

Environmental Science - Intro to ECOSYSTEMS

For today's activity (Monday 11/15), click the link below and visit the websites to investigate ECOSYSTEMS

Introduction to Ecosystems

Physics Q1 Study Guide

In case you missed the study guide passed out in class on Friday (11/5/10), here is is again along with a list of the student objectives (those things in the left corner of the board that start with "SWBAT" meaning "Students Will Be Able To") that will be tested on the exam.

Q1 Physics Study Guide

Student Objectives

Environmental Science - Extra Credit

The video below is an interview of James Thebaut about his new documentary, "Running Dry: Beyond the Brink". In his interview, Mr. Thebaut discusses how changing climates is effecting the amount of available water for consumption, agriculture and industry.

For 10 POINTS EXTRA CREDIT, write a 1/2 to 1 page journal entry about your response to the ideas in this movie. DO you think this is an issue you should care about? Why? How will it effect your life? What can you do about water scarcity?

Environmental Science - Biome Brochure Project

For this project you will work with a partner and research a specific biome. After completing your research, you will design a brochure or pamphlet that displays the information you've learned.

Click the link below to access the directions and outline of the project.

Biome Brochure Webquest

The document that you will be filling is as you complete your research can be accessed here in case you need to print another copy.

Research Document

Your brochure will be graded based on the criteria outlined in the following rubric.

Brochure Rubric

Environmental - Water is a Resource : Extra Credit

Enviro Students! For some extra credit, visit the website below to learn about one of every humans favorite resources....WATER!

WATER

Bring in your answers to the questions below for 10 EXTRA CREDIT POINTS (thats worth 1/2 an assignment)

Questions
1. What do humans use water for?
2. Can humans use both salt water and fresh water for all those uses you listed in #1?
3. What percent of the Earth's water is salt water? What percent is fresh water?
4. What is happening to the world's supply of clean, fresh water?
5. What are the 5 sources of fresh water listed on the website?
6. What are the 5 uses of fresh water listed on the website?
7. What use of water represents 69% of all the world's fresh water supply?
8. What areas of the world will be subject to water shortages by the year 2025?

Physics - Roller Coaster Project Midpoint Check

We are about halfway through our first unit on the Physics of roller coasters. Today you will get together with you project partners and continue to develop your plan for the most creative, exciting, unique, scream inducing, thrill providing, laugh-out-load-like-a-crazy person fun roller coaster!!! Oh, it must be safe too.

Click on the link below to access the webquest document and questions you need to answer by the end of the period.

Roller Coaster Project Midpoint Check

Physics Homework Help (10/20/10)

Homework is Due:TOMMORROW!! Here it is if you need to print out a copy again.
Force Calculations
Force Diagrams

Here is the help....

#13 on Force Calculations

Given a Force of 100N and an acceleration of 5 m/s2, what is the mass?

STEP 1: Identify Variables
F = 100N a = 5 m/s2 m = ?

STEP 2: Identify useful equations
If F = ma then with some algebra rearranging, m = F/a

STEP 3: Plug in variables
m = 100N /5 m/s2

STEP 4: Solve
m = 20 kg

Universal Gravitation Webquest

Hey Physics Pros! Today you will perform a "Webquest" by clicking the link below and following the directions on the document to answer the questions. You'll be learning about Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation. Have fun!

Universal Law of Gravitation Webquest

Physics - Newton's 3 Laws of Motion

Check out this great tutorial about Newton's 3 Laws of motion. Anyone that completes the tutorial and brings in their answers to the quiz questions will get 10 EXTRA CREDIT points.

Newton's 3 Laws of Motion

Environmental Science - Population Dynamics

Enviro Students! Here is the video we watched in class in case you want to see it again. It has great information on Population Dynamics, Carrying Capacity and Limiting Factors.

Video

Law of Conservation of Energy

Curious why you've heard Mr. Cram say, "Energy CAN NOT be created or destroyed" in physics class? Check out the video below for an explanation and practice calculations.

Conservation of Energy Video

Ch.4 Activity 1 MAKE-UP Assignment

Physics Students -
Those of you that had a "m" (m=missing) or an "i" (i=incomplete) on your grade report last week for "Ch.4 Act.1" can complete the following online assignment to make-up those points.

To get your points back for the missing Ch.4 Act.1 work, click on the following website links on the words "velocity" and "acceleration" and read the information on the website. After reading, complete the quizzes for each. When you are directed to the website, scroll down to "Lesson 1: Mechanics" and click on "2. Velocity" and "3. Acceleration"

1) Velocity - After reading the information on the website, take the Ch.2 Quiz (link at the bottom) of the page and either email me your answers or print them out and turn in.

2) Acceleration - After reading the information on the website, take the Ch.3 Quiz (link at the bottom) of the page and either email me your answers or print them out and turn in.

If you have any questions post a comment on this post.
- Mr. Cram

Physics Homework Help - Week 3

Problem #2 in this week's homework reads:

"You ride your bike 100 m West in 2 minutes. What is your average speed? What is your average velocity?"

Solution
Step 1 - Identify variables
distance (d) = 100 m
time (t) = 2 min
avg. speed = ?


Step 2 - Identify useful equations
avg. speed = Total distance/Total time or avg. s = Total d/Total t

Step 3 - Plug variables into equation
avg. speed = 100 m/2 min

Step 4 - Solve the equation
avg. speed = 50 m/s

The only difference between speed and velocity is that velocity has a direction.

So, if the avg. speed = 50 m/s, the avg. velocity = 50 m/s WEST

The WEST direction is found in the problem.

Physics Homework - Week 3

In case you did not grab a copy of the homework from the "HOMEWORK" folder duct taped to the homework board in class, you're in luck.....here it is again. Remember, homework is DUE = FRIDAY 10/1/10. Look for some help posted tomorrow.

Physics Homework - Week 3

How are Speed and Velocity different?

Check out this video by the band They Might Be Giants. Great song that explains the difference between Speed and Velocity. The video is through Youtube so you wont be able to watch it at school.

Environmental Science Graph Practice

Alright Environmental Crew! Anyone who feels like they could use some more graphing practice and some EXTRA CREDIT can use these online resources below. For each x-y line graph you make you will earn 5 Extra Credit points. Thats equal to 1 homework assignment per graph!!!! O.k. here is the info...

1) Guidelines for making graphs
This PDF document walks you step-by-step starting with the data in a table to a finished X-Y line graph.

2) Checklist for Making a Graph
This PDF document contains a checklist that you can follow while building your own X-Y line graph to make sure you don't miss any parts.

3) Sample Data for Line Graphs
This is the PDF document that contains the data in tables you need to transform into an X-Y line graph. Again, for each graph you make = 1 homework assignment.

Let the graphing begin!

Metric Conversion Help

Hey everyone! Lets go through problem #15 on the "Metric Mania" worksheet.
Problem: Conversions
5 L = _______ mL

So we need to figure out how many milliliters (mL) are in 5 Liters (L).
Step 1: Starting at Liters (the base for volume), count the number of "steps" or "jumps" to "milli".
Base --> Deci --> Centi --> Milli = 3 steps DOWN

Step 2: Since were going down the steps, we move the decimal point to the RIGHT. We move the decimal the # of "steps" or "jumps", which is 3 in this case.
5.0 L --> 50.0 DECILiters --> 500.0 CENTILiters --> 5,000 MILLILiters (mL)

Step 3: You have your answer = 5,000 mL, but double check your work. Make sure you have the correct number of "steps" or "jumps" and that you moved the decimal in the correct direction.

If you want to ask more questions, please leave a comment in the "Post a Comment" space below. Dont forget: QUIZ TOMORROW (FRIDAY 9/17)

Homework Week 2 (9/13 - 9/17)

Environmental and Physics Students -
Your homework for this week is to make sure you complete the "Metric Mania" worksheet you got today in class (9/14) and the "Are U Nuts?" worksheet you will get tomorrow in class. Homework is due FRIDAY! If you forget/lose your worksheets, here they are to download...

Metric Mania
Are U Nuts?

I'll post help/answers to some problems tomorrow, so be on the lookout..

How big is that bread box?

What comes to mind when you hear someone describe something as "bigger than a bread box"? Firstly, I suppose you have to know what a bread box is, which most homes probably don't store their bread in these devices from the 1950's anymore. Forgetting the box though, most us can image how big a loaf of bread is. So anytime we attempt to describe the size of objects using other objects as references, such as the bread here, we make an assumption that 1) everyone knows the size of a typical loaf of bread and 2) that size doesn't change very much from person to person. This technique may work great for explaining most of the day to day objects we can visibly see, but what about really, really small objects or really, really big objects? What is our reference object?

The reality is, we don't have reference objects for really small objects like red blood cells, viruses and atoms. We can't see those objects with our naked eyes so it's difficult to image just how small they truly are. The same is true for incredibly large objects like planets, stars and even other galaxies. So how can we come to a point where these usually "invisible" objects become visible? We need a SCALE...

A scale or magnitude of size allows us to discuss very small and very large objects using units of measurement that we use for measuring objects that we can see with our own eyes. For example, an average sheet of paper is about 0.1 mm thick. If you lined up 1 million (1,000,000) atoms in straight line, that would roughly equal the thickness of that piece of paper. The ability to make comparisons like this help us image just how big or small everything around us is.

Check out this site (click "PLAY" after it loads) for an amazing comparison of objects from the extremely small to the impressively large.

Welcome Students! I hope you had a good first day. Don't forget to personally sign and have your parent/guardian sign both the syllabus and safety contract and return it by Friday (9/10) for Homework. If you lose your copy, you can download and print the syllabi and safety contract below:

Physics-Chemistry Syllabus

Environmental Science Syllabus

Safety Contract

Hungry? Well grab your "Baloney Detection Kit"

Whether you're an aggressive adherent or a devote dismisser, the Scientific Method is a topic discussed at some point during most American's educational progression and you probably have an opinion about it. Where it originated and the "correct" number of steps the method entails are often the points debated. The idea that memorizing these ordered steps is the correct way to "do" science is misleading and missing the point. Many, including myself, believe its time for an update.

Introducing, the "Baloney Detection Kit"

This 10 step method originally explained by Carl Sagan, aims to provide a more sophisticated and inquiry approach toward thinking about questions. Michael Shermer describes, with great detail and examples, what this kit might contain.

We should take care with how we utilize such methods and kits to uncover the mysteries of life in the name of science. Physics professor Dr. Donald Simanek criticizes the idea of science as absolute truth with the following:

"The notion that we can find absolute and final truths is naive. If there are any underlying "truths" of nature, our models are just close approximations to them—useful descriptions which "work" by correctly predicting nature's behavior. We are not in a position to answer the philosophical question "Are there any absolute truths?"

Read the full article

How can I get a "Baloney Detection Kit" poster for my classroom?