Physics Unit Summative Assessments
The science classes have spent the past week preparing for our final assessments next week through in class reviews. Students will be taking three assessments next week on skills we have worked on developing during the unit. We encourage all students to continue their individual review in preparation for these assessments. Below is the order of the assessments:
Monday: Model Assessment
Tuesday: Procedure Writing Assessment
Wednesday: Multiple Choice Content Assessment
Review Guide for Physics Unit
Science Fair Starting After Fall Break
Now that we are wrapping up our physics unit in science, we will be starting our science fair unit once we return from fall break. Students will be participating in a variety of activities aimed at helping them understand the complexity required of the project to reach a certain proficiency, an evaluation of required materials needed to complete the project, and developing their testable question with required variables. As part of that confirmation process, students have to recognize they will be responsible for obtaining the materials to complete the experiment here at Saratoga. While we can provide some measuring equipment and support, students will need to ensure that they have the materials ready by the time we begin the experimental process. During the experimental design process, we will meet with each student to ensure that their project has the potential for success. However, we do not always know from the home front if what the student's designs will be possible for families to support or to help gather materials. Therefore, if your student shares information with you regarding their project that causes concern, such as cost or complexity, please do not hesitate to ask them to alter or change their experiment. When that time comes, if you do see the need for changes, please help your student make arrangements for collecting supplies as soon as possible for each day students miss will be more work for them to catch up on later.
Below is a projected timeline for completing the science fair:
Oct. 29th - Nov. 2: Science demonstrations, evaluating for complexity, early research strategies
Nov. 5 - 9: Complete the background information on the testable question, develop the experimental procedures, build the data table, and identify variables in the experiment.
Nov. 12 - 16: Students finish up all steps from previous week and begin experimenting.
Nov. 26 - 30: Students construct a detailed model illustrating the scientific process(es) they are investigating.
Dec. 3 - 7: Students finish up experiments and start to build their website with experimental information.
Dec. 10 - 14: Students complete website design and start practicing their presentation.
Dec. 17 - 21: Students present their results to a judge & upload respective artifacts to their portfolio.
For All Rubrics
The science team will once again be using For All Rubrics to check off the various phases of the project. As soon as a student shows us successful completion of that phase, we will mark it off. Students will need to complete each phase to move to the next. Therefore, it will be essential that students complete each part of the project in a timely manner, so they do not fall behind and create an “avalanche” of work they cannot get out from under. Please remember that any late work requires the student to show their facilitator to get it checked off.
The science classes have spent the past week preparing for our final assessments next week through in class reviews. Students will be taking three assessments next week on skills we have worked on developing during the unit. We encourage all students to continue their individual review in preparation for these assessments. Below is the order of the assessments:
Monday: Model Assessment
Tuesday: Procedure Writing Assessment
Wednesday: Multiple Choice Content Assessment
Review Guide for Physics Unit
Science Fair Starting After Fall Break
Now that we are wrapping up our physics unit in science, we will be starting our science fair unit once we return from fall break. Students will be participating in a variety of activities aimed at helping them understand the complexity required of the project to reach a certain proficiency, an evaluation of required materials needed to complete the project, and developing their testable question with required variables. As part of that confirmation process, students have to recognize they will be responsible for obtaining the materials to complete the experiment here at Saratoga. While we can provide some measuring equipment and support, students will need to ensure that they have the materials ready by the time we begin the experimental process. During the experimental design process, we will meet with each student to ensure that their project has the potential for success. However, we do not always know from the home front if what the student's designs will be possible for families to support or to help gather materials. Therefore, if your student shares information with you regarding their project that causes concern, such as cost or complexity, please do not hesitate to ask them to alter or change their experiment. When that time comes, if you do see the need for changes, please help your student make arrangements for collecting supplies as soon as possible for each day students miss will be more work for them to catch up on later.
Below is a projected timeline for completing the science fair:
Oct. 29th - Nov. 2: Science demonstrations, evaluating for complexity, early research strategies
Nov. 5 - 9: Complete the background information on the testable question, develop the experimental procedures, build the data table, and identify variables in the experiment.
Nov. 12 - 16: Students finish up all steps from previous week and begin experimenting.
Nov. 26 - 30: Students construct a detailed model illustrating the scientific process(es) they are investigating.
Dec. 3 - 7: Students finish up experiments and start to build their website with experimental information.
Dec. 10 - 14: Students complete website design and start practicing their presentation.
Dec. 17 - 21: Students present their results to a judge & upload respective artifacts to their portfolio.
For All Rubrics
The science team will once again be using For All Rubrics to check off the various phases of the project. As soon as a student shows us successful completion of that phase, we will mark it off. Students will need to complete each phase to move to the next. Therefore, it will be essential that students complete each part of the project in a timely manner, so they do not fall behind and create an “avalanche” of work they cannot get out from under. Please remember that any late work requires the student to show their facilitator to get it checked off.