Scientific Models: 14-15

The Supernovas took a hands-on and creative approach to learning about how physical models can be used to replicate an object on a more convenient scale. In addition to physical models, the students also learned about mathematical and conceptual models.

English 8 & Advanced English 8: "The Ransom of Red Chief" Terms

The vocabulary list for "The Ransom of Red Chief" have been posted on Quizlet.  You may access the website by clicking on the link.  The vocabulary practice assignment is due on Thursday, September 11th.

Advanced English 8: Extended Vocabulary List # 2

Extended vocabulary list # 2 has been posted on Quizlet.  You can access the list by clicking the link.  The quiz will be on Friday and worth 10 points.

Science Class: Schoology Sign-Up

1. Sign-in to: Schoology

• Note: If you do not already have a Schoology account, you will need to create one using the access code listed below and your school email/password.  You will also need to enter your first name, last name, and your birthday.

2. Click on "Courses" and select "Join"

3. Enter the following access code: 9VVJQ-Z7FFN

4. Explore the Schoology site, the Supernova Blog, and/or the Science Materials page while the rest of the class completes the sign-up process.

The "Wright" Stuff

The Scientific Method

After learning about how the American aviation pioneers, Orville and Wilbur Wright, used scientific processes while designing their aircraft, Mr. Wolf's science class took to the skies in an attempt to utilize the scientific method to improve on their own paper airplane design.

Steps of the Scientific Method:
1) Ask a question
2) Form a hypothesis
3) Test the hypothesis
4) Analyze the results
5) Draw conclusions
6) Communicate results

English 8 & Advanced English 8: Schoology Instructions

Step 1:  Go to Schoology

Note: If you already have a Schoology account, you do not need to create a new one.  You just need to log in using your username and password and click courses. Next, you will click join, add your class code from the list below, and click join. (If you created a Schoology account for another class and did not follow the directions that I have below for new users, you need to edit this in Schoology.) 

Step 2:  Click the blue sign up button in the top right-hand corner of the screen and click student.

Step 3:  Enter the access code for your class period.  The best option is to copy and paste from the list below.

Period 1:    N8F8Z-NQ2V5

Period 4/5: T6TJ2-N87WW

Period 6/7: CVX7W-QHFB3

Period 10:  FNVZJ-62GQ6

Period 11:  SP5ZW-6KQ25

Step 4: Type your first and last name

Step 5: Type your school email which is 19 your last name first initial (in most cases) @ cmsd.k12.pa.us

Step 6: Type your password which is your student I.D. number followed by cmsd.

Step 7: Select your birthday from the drop-down menu.  This is just to verify your age for access to the site. 

Step 8: Click the blue register button.  

English 8 & Advanced English 8: NO RED INK Instructions

English 8 & Advanced English 8: No Red Ink!

NoRedInkis a web-based learning platform that helps students improve their grammar and writing skills. Click the link in the title of the website to learn more about it.  If you are interested, you are to follow the directions below to create an account.  It is not mandatory that you create an account. 

Note: If you already have a No Red Ink account, you do not need to create a new one.  You just need to log in using your username and password. You will copy and paste the class code from the list below and click join class. (If you created a No Red Ink account for another class and did not follow the directions that I have below for new users, you need to edit this in No Red Ink.) 

Directions for an Account with No Red Ink

Step 1: Type the address  http://www.noredink.com/ in the search bar.

Step 2: In the center of the page, it says: "Sign up for free" and click student.

Step 3: Type in the class code for your specific class period.  Be careful and use the correct class code.  The best option is to copy and paste the code that you need from the list below.

Period 1: English 8: Class Code: 45574a52

Period 4/5: English 8: Class Code: bbf55b6a

Period 6/7: English 8: Class Code: 2e0bd751

Period 10: Advanced English 8: Class Code: fe86a87e

Period 11: English 8: Class Code: 544cb6ef

Step 4: Type in your username.  It has to be 19 your last name first initial (You are to use whatever you use to log on to the student computers or the first part of your school email address.)

Step 5: Type in your password.  It has to be your student ID number followed by cmsd

Step 6: Type your first name, last name, and select your gender.

Step 7: Click the box to agree to the privacy policy.

You are to use this site to practice grammar skills.

Science Homework and Bonus Opportunity: Designing a Controlled Experiment

Required Homework:

• Complete the following paper: Designing a Controlled Experiment
• Due: 9/12/14
• This homework assignment is worth 2 points.

Optional Bonus Opportunity (4 Bonus Points Possible): 

• Actually conduct the experiment that you designed during the homework.
• 2 Bonus Points: Provide visual proof that you conducted the experiment.  
• This can be as simple as a photograph of your experiment. 
• 2 Bonus Points: Organize the data you collected in a chart, table, graph, or written paragraph.  
• This bonus work can be turned in with the homework, or it can be emailed to Mr. Wolf.  
• Due: 9/12/14 - (Unless arrangements are made with Mr. Wolf due to your experiment requiring additional time.)

Are any of Mrs. Porter's students Interested in bonus?

You can earn 15 bonus points in English by entering The Sky's the Limit Writing Contest.  In order to receive the bonus points, you must follow all of the requirements that are specified on the contest's website. The deadline to submit the project to Mrs. Porter is October 20th so that the bonus points can be added to the first quarter's grade.  The contest's official deadline is November 1st.  

Advanced English 8: Extended Vocabulary List # 1

The first extended vocabulary list for the year has been posted on Quizlet.  You can access the list by clicking the link.  The quiz will be on Friday and worth 10 points.

Everyone's a Star on the Supernova Team!

Supernova students took part in a "getting to know you" activity in Social Studies class this week. Students were randomly placed into groups in order to get to know students from different social circles. Once in groups, the students shared their interests and activities with their partners. Next, their partners created personalized stars to be placed on their lockers.

The 1st Week: Science Class

Mission Impossible

Mr. Wolf's science class conducted an activity on the second day of school that emphasized the importance of communication in science. The students had to work together to accomplish a task that most thought was impossible.

Breaking the Stereotype

Mr. Wolf's science classes were asked to sketch a scientist. The majority of students shared certain characteristics in their sketches. A student volunteer dressed up in each class as the "stereotypical" male scientist as the students named common items in their sketches. After the activity, the students examined examples of real-life scientists in various fields of work. The students had the chance to see that women can become scientists, and that not all scientists work in a lab, have crazy hair, carry around beakers, and wear lab coats.

Welcome 2014-2015 Supernovas!

Welcome to the CMS Supernova team blog.  Please use the blog to view announcements and updates throughout the school year.  Utilize the "helpful links" on the right-hand side of the page to access commonly used team resources.  We hope you have an enjoyable 8th grade year!

Reminder:

• Handbook Forms (Yellow) - Due 8/29/14
• Return to your homebase teacher
• Emergency Cards - Due 8/29/14
• Return to your homebase teacher
• T-Shirt Orders (Optional) - Due 9/5/14
• Return to Mr. Wolf

The Giver Movie

The Giver movie will be in theaters on August 15th! Click on the embedded link to visit the movie's interactive website and to watch previews of the film.

Supernova Students of the Year: 2013-2014

The following students have been selected as the Supernova Students of the Year for the 2013-2014 school year.

Science: Jessica C.

Social Studies: Sophia K.

English: River I.

Outstanding Citizenship: Kiara W.

I Never Saw Another Butterfly Web Quest

Once you have completed the penny project research packet, narrative, and works cite page, you are to pick up the packet and start the I Never Saw Another Butterfly web quest.

There's a Penny on the Floor Project

    Have you ever wondered where your money has been before it makes it to you?  The journey could be very interesting in some cases.  You are going to imagine the first year of “life” that your penny had and write a narrative explaining its journey.  

    You are going to answer the 13 questions that you received in your project packet.  As you gather research, you are required to keep track of your sources in NoodleTools.  You are also encouraged to use Mrs. Barbarino's Ready to Research? link on the LMC website.       After you have completed your research, you will be writing a narrative that incorporates six of the facts that you gathered.  The completed penny project packet (worth 30 points), the narrative that incorporates six facts and the works cited page that follows the guidelines that are specified in the project packet (worth 100 points) are due on Wednesday, June 4th.  If you fail to complete this project by the deadline, you will not be attending 8th grade Appreciation Day. If you were absent from class, you will be given an extension to complete this project.

Severe Weather - Science Class: 5/29-5/30 and 6/2-6/4

Please complete all the steps in order when given time to use the Chromebooks during class.

1. Complete the following anonymous survey to help Mr. Wolf improve his science class.  

• Mr. Wolf's Science Class (2013-2014)

2. Complete the following guided notes: Chapter 16-3: Severe Weather  

3. Complete: Webquest: Tornadoes and Hurricanes - Due 6/4 (End of Class)

• This will be graded for accuracy.  Please take your time.

4.  Once have completed all the steps listed above, please choose from the following options.  

• Silently work on: When Disaster Strikes 
• Information is located at the bottom of this post.
• Explore: NOAA - Severe Weather 101
• Explore: Storm Surge Animation
• Explore: The National Hurricane Center
• Explore: Live Science - Tornadoes
• Explore: Inside a Tornado (Headphones Required)
• Explore: Chasing Tornadoes (Headphones Required)
• Explore: Interactives - Weather
• Complete a "Read and React" paper.

ADDITIONAL CLASS ACTIVITY: 

• When Disaster Strikes (Student Copy)
• Helpful Websites: https://www.diigo.com/user/wolfpaul/natural_disasters

Students of the Month: May

The Supernova teachers would like to congratulate the following Supernovas for earning student of the month honors for the month of May.

English: Samantha S.
Science: Mariah S.
Social Studies: Jordan S.

Outstanding Supernova Citizen: Haley F.

Volcano Research Activity (Science Class: 5/27 and 5/28)

Please remain quiet and complete the following steps in order.  

1. If you have not done so already, click on the link to complete the "Chapter 8 - Sections 1 & 2 Quia Activity (Earthquakes)" using the Quia website.  (25 Points)

• Your final attempt is due before school on 5/28/14. 

2. Complete the "Volcano Research Activity" after reading the following information/instructions.

• Helpful Websites: http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfpaul/volcanoes.  IMPORTANT: The links that state "research various volcanoes" will help you find information on specific volcanoes.  
• Google Earth is currently NOT compatible with the Chromebooks and will not work.  You may use "Google Maps" instead of "Google Earth" when you reach step #9 if you can't find the location of your volcano using the helpful websites. 
• Due - 5/30 (Optional Bonus) - 2 Points 

3. If you finish early you may choose from the following options:

• Explore more on volcanoes by visiting the helpful websites listed above.
• Explore information on earthquakes using the following link:  http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/ 
• Complete a "Read and React" paper for bonus.  

Raging Planet: Volcanoes

University of Pittsburgh: Tissue Engineering Summer Camp

Website: http://www.engineering.pitt.edu/TissueEngineeringSummerCamp/

Informational Flyer

Registration Form

Daily Schedule

"The Hitchhiker"

The vocabulary list has been posted for the radio play, "The Hitchhiker".  The quiz on these terms will be on Friday.

Science Class - 5/15, 5/16, and 5/19 (Earthquakes): Notes, Animations, Webquest, and Quia Activity

Please complete the following steps in order. Please remain silent and on-task the entire class period.

1.  Complete your paper copy of the guided notes using the link below.  Take your time and read through the PowerPoint.  See Mr. Wolf if there is something you don't understand.

• PowerPoint Notes - CH 8-1 and 8-2: Earthquakes

2. Watch the following animations from your online textbook.  If an animation contains a "thumbnail image," make sure you click each one to play all portions.  (Headphones Required)

• Elastic Deformation and Elastic Rebound 
• Plate Motion and Earthquake Characteristics
• Body Waves: S Waves and P Waves 
• Seismic Waves: Surface Waves
• Seismographs and Mapping Earth's Layers
• S-P Time Method: Finding an Epicenter
• Richter Scale

3.  Complete: "Webquest: Earthquakes."  Read the instructions listed below before starting the webquest!!!!

• Show your green certificate (4 points) to Mr. Wolf once you reach step 4.  If you complete this assignment outside of class, you must print or email your certificate to Mr. Wolf.  
• Due 5/22/14
• When working on the National Geographic website, please take your time and read through each step on the lab.  DO NOT SKIP TO TAB 7.   
• Please turn in the webquest paper once it is complete.  (4 points)
• Due 5/22/14

4.  Click on the link to complete the "Chapter 8 - Sections 1 & 2 Quia Activity (Earthquakes)" using the Quia website.  (25 Points)

• You are allowed to take the activity up to three times. 
• Only your best score will be recorded in the gradebook.  
• You may use your notes, book, and the Internet to help with the activity.
• Your final attempt is due before school on 5/28/14. 
• Your first attempt is due before school on 5/23/14.

5. If you finish early, please choose from the following options:

• Watch: Megaquake - The Hour the Shook Japan (Headphones Required)
• Explore Volcanoes (National Geographic):  (CLICK ON THE VOLCANO TAB.  DO NOT EXPLORE THE HURRICANE OR TORNADO ACTIVITIES because we will do this at a later date).  
• Explore Virtual Volcanoes:  http://kids.discovery.com/games/build-play/volcano-explorer
• Explore Additional Earthquake or Volcano Websites:
• Earthquake Websites
• Volcano Websites
• Complete a "Read and React" bonus paper

Career Research Papers

The students of Mrs. Porter's English 8 and Advanced English 8 classes are writing career research papers. The students will be completing their research in the CMS Library and are to use the career pathfinder to gather research. The students are encouraged to use the Purdue OWL website to assist them with using MLA format for the in-text citations. The students will be using NoodleBib to create their works cited pages. The papers and the questions packet are due at the end of class on Wednesday, May 14th.