Identify this bird!

A few new birds entertained today.


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First bird photographs of the winter

There are several wildlife photographers at work during study hall. Here are some of the visitors to the feeders. If you can identify them just leave your answer and picture number in the comments section for extra credit. There are bird guides in the class room, or look them up online.

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Review for Fiday's Test!

Here is a review that will help you study for the upcoming test. It is powerpoint by another teacher that covers most of the material we did. Don't worry about colloids though!

http://portal.norwalkps.org/schools/rms/8Blue/Documents/Grade_8_chemistry_CM_review.pdf

Chemical Changes

Learning the difference between physical and chemical changes means making them happen.

 Goggles are a must when working with chemicals.

Models of molecules:

A glucose molecule!

A pink foamy reaction

A green foamy reaction too!

Investigating Boyle's Law

Students learning about the inverse relationship between gas volume and pressure - Boyle's Law.

Geology Field Trip

 Field trip to view the rock formations

The big picture - tilted rock beds

Sedimentary or Metamorphic? Or both?

Collecting samples

Rock layers

Into the lab for a closer look

Under the microscope for grain size estimates.

Clay beds under soil horizon

Earth Science on site field trip

Excellent stratigraphy of clay beds under soil - right here at Maple Hill.

Field trip summary: collected clay samples, silt samples, trash picked up from trails, observed erosion, deposition, and a bit of archaeology too! (old bottles)

This week in science

Measuring volume and mass, calculating density.

Transforming kinetic energy into heat energy - burned holes in paper as evidence!

Checking out the geology of NYS on the weekend.

Contour Maps in Earth Science

It was nice to meet so many parents on Back To School Night! 

Contour mapping of a volcano in progress.

Welcome Back!

The students are jumping right in by practicing their lab skills. They reviewed measuring mass and volume and are now set to learn how to calculate density later this week. Hint to parents: Underlined terms are vocabulary words your child should be able to define. Feel free to quiz them!

Moon shot

This moon phase is a waning gibbous - it is about 1 day after the full moon. July 23

The dark parts are called mare - they are lava flows from long ago when the moon was quite hot.

Catbirds

I've seen catbirds around my yard for years, but it wasn't until I took this shot that I learned they have red undertail coverts!

Cumulonimbus cloud

I watched this thunderhead develop a few evenings ago during the heat wave. The classic anvil head was forming at the top of this super tall cloud. 

Summer Fun

10 days in Iceland is a science teachers dream! Volcanoes, columnar basalt, waterfalls, glaciers, and puffins! 

This photo shows a waterfall on the way to the Fimmvorduhaal pass. Eyjafjatlajokull volcano is still smoking a bit in the left background. A glacier is seen in the distance.

I travelled 120 meters underground into this cathedral sized magma chamber. The colors were unworldly; the entrance a 12 m chimney down which we were lowered by a crane.

Here is aweb address to a video describing the trip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cadBRoRKAdE&feature=player_embedded

From the top of Skogarfoss (waterfall).

My favorite bird in Iceland - the charming puffins. They are so unafraid of humans that they willingly pose for me.

Spring Weather!

We've been having some wild weather this spring! This hail was from the 5/21 storm, the rainbow with lightning was a week later. 

I was wrapping up a long work week grading some papers when a loud "thunk" startled me. This poor little cedar waxwing was sitting in the snow - dazed and confused. I did my usual rescue drill and photo op, and off it flew with no apparent damage.

Bird Identification Lesson

The sixth graders are learning about the importance of field marks in identifying the local birds that visit the feeders outside the classroom. I was able to borrow a teaching collection of preserved birds from the NYS Museum so the students could get a closer look at wing bars, crowns, and eyebrow stripes, etc...

More pictures to come!