In Biology, we finished up learning about DNA and are now moving onto the frontiers in Biotechnology. This is the really fun unit that has a direct connection to what is going on here and now in the media. We get to explore the science behind cloning, gene therapy, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), transgenic organisms, and designer babies! Science fiction has become true realities and makes for in-depth discussion with the kids. As always, we focus on the science--I want to make sure the students understand what is happening and then can forge their own decisions.
In Physics we started a unit on Work and Energy, which means we get to explore topics like potential energy, kinetic energy, the conservation of energy, etc. We started the unit with a scavenger hunt and some online simulations. Now, the kids are building roller coasters! The building is the fun part, but the roller coasters have to "work", meaning the marble must continue on its journey with only gravity acting upon it. Once they build these, the real meat and potatoes will come from the students' scale drawings and analysis to see if they can tie in those key concepts we discussed.
Our leadership class started this semester and meets on Thursdays. We have been working our way through creating our own student government constitution! It sounds like a snooze fest, I know, but in all honesty I think the students have learned a lot about government policy and practice. Sometimes it seems easier said than done. We will vote on the amendments this Thursday and hopefully have a finished constitution! This is a HUGE deal and makes for excellent project based learning.
As always, it is a pleasure to teach these students!
I just added two books to my Amazon shopping cart and I cannot wait to read them! They are: Four Fish and The Omnivore's Dilemma. Let me know if you have read them! It would be fun to start a science book club and get into some good discussions.
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