Science

The Genetic Algorithm Game - Solving a Complex Pathway Problem with Evolution:

You start with a complex map (attached here as a pdf file, or see the picture above or create your own map). There is a way of getting from point A to area B in very many different combinations. Figuring out the fastest way to get there is the object of the game.

There are five sections (decisions) to the path. Starting at point A, once could go left (L), straight (S), or right (R). Each time you reach the next point (crossroads) you can choose to go left, straigt, or right. Since the path has five such points, the "genetic code" will consist of five such decisions.

For example, one student in the class can go first left, then right, then left, then straight, and finally straight to reach the final destination of B. For this student, the genetic code would be: LRLSS.

This is a test designed for one class period for grade 9 - chemistry unit.

Topics tested include:

classification of matter,
chemical vs. physical change,
periodic table (periods, groups, names of some of the families, metals and non-metals, etc.), including memorizing a few of the basic elements,
compounds - naming and classifying into ionic and molecular,
endothermic vs. exothermic reactions,
structure of the atom,
catalysts vs. inhibitors.

SOLUTIONS TO THE TEST ATTACHED

This lab is designed to investigate the motion of a pendulum, specifically its period. From some initial observations, the students are to collect reasonable data to determine the acceleration due to gravity.

Note: You will need a pendulum setup: a light string connected to a heavy weight on one side and a stationary object high above the floor on the other (like the ceiling), letting the pendulum swing back and forth. The string length should be adjustable.

This quiz is designed for grade 8 students testing them on fluids - specifically on Viscosity, Density and Buoyancy of fluids. The quiz should take 30 - 40 minutes and has great questions on those three topics, including Archimedes principle and some thinking problems using density and viscosity and buoyancy.

This is a great quiz about the microscope. It should take about half a period. It's meant for grade 8, but I can see it being useful in grade 6 to grade 9 (any time you teach the microscope). There are some questions on independent, dependent and controlled variables also, and the scientific method.

Note: Microscope diagram not included for the first question - you must get one of your own.

In order to explain photosynthesis to my 6-9 year olds at my weekly workshop, I first thought of the picture idea - making each reactant and product of photosynthesis a picture. For instance the leaf is a food factory, then there's water (raindrop), light (sun) and carbon dioxide (which comes from people breathing or car exhausts) - easy pictures to draw, and the products being glucose (a form of sugar - therefore picture is sugar cube) and oxygen (again humans need this to breath).

This project was introduced after teaching the class about simple machines. It was a great and fun way to summarize the whole unit: to build a Rube Goldberg Machine.

Have fun.

For the optics unit project, I decided to have the students create a picture book with Optics as the title. Each student is doing a page spread on a different sub-topic and then we'll combine all the pages and print them as a whole book. All the page-spreads need to be done on computer with the same layout, then handed in to me as a .pdf. At the end, the students will get a book of all these topics, one of the pages being theirs., the rest will come from their peers.