Tuesday, April 26, 2011

General Announcements:

• If you ever notice something missing or wrong on the blog, comment to let me know about it - I don't always have the whole picture. -Grace
• Fridays: Hip-Hop Dance - The Prisms' next PE unit will be hip-hop dance class on Friday afternoons. Students need to wear or bring comfortable clothes and shoes for class.
• Download Ukulele Club documents (links fixed) here.
• Eighth Grade Project resource page updated 1/24, including project deadlines through the end of February and downloadable documents. Page will be updated as I get new information.

Math:

Grade 8vc
• Due Wed., 4/27:
  • Complete 5.1 on p. 54-55. Do not cut off ruler - use index card method shown in class to measure and mark ruler.

Grade 7
• Due Wed., 4/27:
  • Complete 3.2 begun in class. Then do #2, 3, 4 on p. 37. Be sure to show how your got your answers.

Language Arts:

• Due Thurs., 4/28: Read Ch, 9, 10, 11 in Nonna's.... In LA Journal, write questions and comments to be discussed on Th. Your entry should be at least one full page. Be ready for a quiz on Ch. 9-11.
• Due Wed., 4/27 (turn in at Math): Write a "friendly letter" to Reka telling her what you gained from her and her music unit on the Renaissance. Word process it if possible (double-spaced). Edit carefully.

Social Studies:

• Rien

Science:

• Due Wed., April 27: Complete Chem. Review sheet begun in class today. This will be your study sheet for the test on Friday.
• Test Friday, April 29: Covering our Chemistry unit, which includes:
  • The Periodic Table
  • atomic structure
  • pH
  • physical & chemical properties
  • the limestone cycle

Spanish:

Grade 7
• Due Tues., 4/26: Read Ch. 1 of Piratas.
Grade 8
• Due Tues., 4/26: Resumenes de Robo en la noche hasta capítulo 4 (summaries up to ch. 4).

Moment of Zen:

Uncleftish Beholding:
The All-Germanic Periodic Table

For all that English is one of the most dominant languages in the world, its history is characterized by being taken over and beaten up by other languages. The Vikings, the French, the French Vikings - each invasion changed the vocabulary a little bit. Underneath it all, English still has the core of a Germanic language. However, a significant amount of vocabulary, especially in the scientific fields, descends from Latin.

Sci-fi writer Poul Anderson took on the challenge to write a short piece about a scientific topic, elements and atomic structure, using only words of Germanic origin. This rules out such key words as proton, compound, and even atom. It also rules out most, though not all, of our names for elements. One of the most interesting pieces about the article is how Anderson's work-arounds reveal interesting information about the particles and elements they describe: consider the lightest element, waterstuff, and some of its cohorts, sunstuff and flintstuff. Others reveal interesting stories about the origin of our name for the element, as with ymirstuff.

A note about the picture, which is a sketch for the classic Ray Harryhausen creature feature 20 Million Miles to Earth. The non-elephant creature just happens to share its name, Ymir, with a notable figure from Norse mythology whose name name Anderson borrowed to rename one of the elements.