The 8th graders have been exploring the history and organization of the periodic table and are currently focusing on polymers and alloys. Thursday and Friday the students created polymers (similar to silly putty and slime) using white glue with either boax or laundry starch as the cross-linking ingredient. Most students are doing well with lab work and are doing a good job of following directions and showing detail in their work. Some students are still having difficulty independently following written lab directions and we will continue to work on this area.
Please remind your students to prepare well in advance for tests. Many students did not score as well as usual on the most recent test (Chapter 3, Elements and Periodic Table) and missed easy questions, such as vocabulary terms. We are also working on taking notes on their reading assignments and I am discussing some notetaking techniques with them. I have given the students the option of using a study guide type of outline (I provide the basic outline, which they add to) or creating their own notes. The 8th graders are working well together in their lab groups and it has been a great year so far!
No comments:
Post a Comment