Scientific reading articles

Assalamu alaikum!

Here are your scientific articles that you must read over the weekend.

Je vous suggère de prendre le soin de lire ces articles attentivement! Vous pouvez les imprimer. La lecture sera encore plus facile ainsi.

Tenth grade

Health and Ecosystem Issues Found With Popular Pavement Sealcoat

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120314124209.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fearth_climate+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Earth+%26+Climate+News%29

Eighth/Ninth grade

Millions of Americans at Risk of Flooding as Sea Levels Rise

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120314111738.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fearth_climate+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Earth+%26+Climate+News%29 

Seventh grade

Hiding in Plain Sight, a New Frog Species With a 'Weird' Croak Is Identified in New York City

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120314124016.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fearth_climate+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Earth+%26+Climate+News%29 

Sixth grade

Some Mammals Used Highly Complex Teeth to Compete With Dinosaurs

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120314142044.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fearth_climate+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Earth+%26+Climate+News%29 

Please answer the following questions.

Who is/are the author(s) of the article?

When and where was this article published?

What are the main ideas of the articles?

Did you enjoy reading this article? Why or why not?

Due date: Friday March 23rd.

The Showcase

Some pictures from The Showcase, Saturday 3 March.

Science connecting classrooms project

Assalamu alaikum,

We have been celebrating Health and Hygiene Awareness Days from since February 27. These activities and competitions will end March 17 inshaAllah.

Our activities are linked with the iEARN initiated project of Mrs Afshan Rupsi, Beaconhouse School Systems, Middle PECHS, Karachi, Pakistan.

The 6th graders exchange ideas and communicate with Mrs Rupsi 7th and 8th grade classes via blogs and Skype.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds55hHAs86Q

Take a look at what we have done so far in this slideshow!

We are doing surveys, posters, films, various competitions (The Cleanest Class competition, The Best Hygiene Slogan, The best Health or Hygiene Poem) on the chosen theme "How to maintain hygiene around us".

School restarts Tuesday 13th March!

On Wednesday March 14th, afternoon, we will have a Health March. Everyone should come with appropriate clothing for a walk on the Corniche. Reminder, headscarves will stay on the heads!

Thursday March 15th inshaAllah, we will be doing a litter pick up in the area.

On Friday March 16th, all winners will be announced. Do not forget that the winners of The Cleanest Class competition will be awarded a pizza party!

A huge thank you to Grade 6 and Grade 10 for their efforts!

Progress reports

Assalamu alaikum!

Progress reports have started to go home. We apologize profusely for the lateness. All reports should be out by tomorrow evening inshaAllah!

Science news corner


Third graders learnt the butterfly life cycle last week.


We made our own playdough using flour, vegetable oil, salt, colouring and cream of tartar. 
The students then shaped each stage of the butterfly's life.


Take a look!

Connecting classrooms in Science

Assalamu alaikum!

Abu Ubaydah Grade 6 has teamed up with Mrs Afshan Rupsi and her 7th and 8th grade classes in Pakistan Karachi.

Their school is called Beaconhouse School System and it has branches and networks all over the world. This classroom is found in Karachi D/E, 42 Dr Mehmood Road, Block 6 PECHS.

We will be working on the theme "How to maintain hygiene around us." Both classes will be involved in creating and showcasing activities, doing surveys and sketches, posters and many other activities together.

We will be connected on iearn, and we will be using Skype to communicate as well.

Our first Skype session will be this week inshaAllah. 

We will be involving parents! Please help this project to be successful.

More news later!

The incredible edible cell

أسلم عليكم !

Last Thursday the sixth grade Science class attempted to construct an edible cell.

The class was divided into 3 groups. Each group was asked to choose a cell (plant or animal), and construct the cell parts with foods that were similiar structurally.

Well, we had amazing to ...interesting food choices.

The red jello represents an animal cell.

The orange jello represents a plant cell.

The best part about this lab work, is that the student got to eat their cells afterwards! They were so eager to eat their cells, that some of them started eating the cell parts before the cell was finished! (As a result, I took off a point off of their scores).

Take a look!

And if I did my homework...

أسلم عليكم!

Nous voulons le meilleur pour vous! Croyez nous! 

Il faut que vous fassiez des efforts nécessaires également pour parvenir a vos objectives dans la vie. 

Et le plus grand de nos objectives c'est de réussir la vie ici bas et l'au delà. 

Comment faire?

Il faut réfléchir. En tous cas, nous sommes la pour vos aider...

For those of you who did not do the homework sent by mail, you can find it here:

Read, read, read a book
Read it every day.
Reading and writing are very exciting
Reading is OK!

To improve your reading and writing skills in Science, you must...
start reading and writing!

Click on the below links (or copy and paste)  to find very interesting
articles.

Please answer the following questions after reading the article

1. Who is the author of the article?
2. When and where was the article first published?
3. What is (are) the main idea(s) of the article?
4. Did you enjoy reading it? Why or why not?

For extra credit, you may read the other articles in this list and
answer the questions.

I will alternate reading and writing weeks. Therefore, next Friday
inshaAllah, I will be giving you all a writing assignment.

Here are the articles!

Sixth grade

Have aliens left the universe?
http://www.robertlanzabiocentrism.com/have-aliens-left-the-universe/

Seventh grade

Feathered dinosaurs
http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/f/feathered_dinosaurs.htm

Eighth grade

First ever direct measurements of Earth's rotation
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111222103114.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fearth_climate+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Earth+%26+Climate+News%29

Tenth grade

Fantastic voyage through the body with precision control
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111215135851.htm

Assalamu alaikum!

Please read the following articles and answer the following questions.

1. Who is/are the author(s) of the article?

2. When was the article first published and where?

3. What are the main ideas of the article?

4. Did you enjoy the article? Why or why not?

Please write your answers in complete sentences! Make your answers as
thorough as possible. Please include the title of the article and the
link. (Include the link if you are replying by email).

Sixth grade

How male spiders use eaves dropping to one up on their rivals.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120104115055.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fearth_climate+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Earth+%26+Climate+News%29

Seventh grade

Fish mimics octopus that mimics fish
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120104153747.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fearth_climate+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Earth+%26+Climate+News%29

Eight/Ninth grades

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120104133151.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fearth_climate+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Earth+%26+Climate+News%29

Flipped from head to toe: 100 years of continental drift theory

Tenth grade (my beloved 10)
Smart way of saving lives in natural disasters
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120104111910.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fearth_climate+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Earth+%26+Climate+News%29

Assalamu alaikum!

I hope that you all are well rested and preparing for school this Monday. 

Like I mentioned, you will be receiving a reading or writing exercise every Friday. This Scientific Journaling will count towards 10% of your final grade. It is important that you build good communication skills. By being able to communicate and clearly express your thoughts, reading and understanding Science will be much, much easier.

Today, you have a writing exercise to prepare. You have one week to complete this exercise.

Sixth grade

Pick a scientific discovery or technological advancement and describe how it has affected mankind.

Seventh grade

Choose a scientist (African) and comment on his/contribution to Science. (You can consider any scientific field).

Eighth grade

Do you believe that life exists on other planets? Explain why or why not.

Tenth grade

Many scientific phenomena has been mentionned in the Quran, some of which has been validated, some have not. Discuss three of them.

You can develop your writing in which ever way you wish. 

Plagiarism is strictly forbidden!

The best entries will be showcased.

Your exercises will be graded on sentence fluency, organisation of ideas, presentationm grammar/spelling, voice etc. I will give each of you a hand out of the rubrics that you will stick in your books.