September 7, 2012

Chemistry is in full swing and we are learning so much! Students have had their first major lab and their first test over Matter and Atomic Structure. Ask your student about electron configurations. We are currently working on Mendeleev's Periodic Table and the Periodic Law. Next week we will be looking at trends in the periodic table and hopefully wrapping things up for our second test of the nine weeks. In addition, we have started Kaplan ACT Prep, which will teach students strategies for masterying the ACT. Students took a practice test and have set their own personal goal for the science section. I will do my best to help them meet those goals. Please contact me with any concerns. I have gotten several emails from parents and I want you to keep them coming. Have a great weekend!!

August 10, 2012

Chemistry has kicked off in full motion and students have finished learning how to accurately read various equipment and take appropriate measurements. They completed "Mystery Milk" and learned to write a lab report with the proper format. Next week, we will look at physical and chemical properties and changes. Have a great weekend.

November 14-18

Chemistry is finishing up Reactions and can expect a test on Friday. They will be doing a lab on Monday and Tuesday of next week. This is to keep them from having too many test right before Thanksgiving break. Thursday is club day of this week and I will be out of the classroom for a Science summit. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

November 7-11

This week chemistry is working on Reactions. They are writing skeletal equations, balancing equations and identifying reaction types. There is no school Tuesday, ACT prep in the gym on Wednesday and continuing reactions on Thursday and Friday. Hopefully they will start a lab on Friday. Progress reports go out on Wednesday. Please encourage your child to see me after school for extra help when needed! Have a great week.

October 10 - 14

Monday will consist of Molecular Shape notes and polarity. Tuesday the juniors will be taking the ASVAB. Students can expect a study guide toward the end of the week. Since club picture day is on Friday the test will not be on Friday.

Week 8

Monday students will be working in the Kaplan book again which is ACT prep. On Tuesday we will continue the chapter on chemical bonding with naming ionic compounds. I believe the juniors will be out on Wednesday for an Arts & Humanities field trip so we will start covalent bonding on Thursday. There will be a quiz on Tuesday over polyatomic ions and a quiz on Friday over covalent prefixes. The nine weeks ends on Friday and Fall Break begins.

Week 7

Students were given a study guide on Thursday, which is due tomorrow (Monday). We will go over the study guide and review for the test on The Periodic Table which will be on Tuesday. Wednesday is club day and clubs are scheduled to meet every period of the day. Thursday will begin the unit on Bonding. We will start out with Ionic Bonding and learning how to write ionic bonds on Thursday with a worksheet as homework and Friday we will incorporate transition metals and polyatomic ions into Ionic bonding.