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Grade 7 Science
1:4 Project: Make a Model
Why do we need models? When you write your paragraph, be sure you think about why your model is even necessary. What's the point of a model anyway?
Why do we need models? When you write your paragraph, be sure you think about why your model is even necessary. What's the point of a model anyway?
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1:6 Observation and Questioning
Independent and dependent variables can seem kind of confusing. Sometimes the independent variable won't change the dependent variable, but a good experiment should always be designed to see what effect the independent variable has on the dependent variable, even though you might find out there is no effect. For example, If you cut the bark off of a tree, what will happen to the tree? Maybe nothing, maybe a lot of different things. The independent variable is controlled by you the experimenter and the dependent variable is what you are trying to find out. So in this case, how much bark you peel off is the independent variable and what happens to the tree is the dependent variable because it "depends on" what happens with the independent variable. So, usually the independent variable will cause changes in the dependent variable, but sometimes an experiment will show that there is no connection. |
1:14 Project: Ethics Case Study
Watch this animated video about the Edward Jenner story. Then decide if you think the way he tested his hypothesis was ethical and if he violated any parts of modern ethical codes, like this one.
Watch this animated video about the Edward Jenner story. Then decide if you think the way he tested his hypothesis was ethical and if he violated any parts of modern ethical codes, like this one.
2:3 Project: Elements
For this lab YOU are going to decide how to categorize elements. Forget old Mendeleev's periodic table. You are going to organize your own table. All you have to do is look up the elements and then decide how to group them. You could divide them anyway you choose. Perhaps divide them between metals and non-metals, or between those that are gas at room temperature and those that are solid or liquid, or between those with an atomic weight of more than 50 and those that have an atomic weight of less than 50, or between those that exist naturally by themselves and those that exist as compounds. Ultimately you should have at least four groups.
One group might contain all the elements which have no color (are clear) and are harmful to humans. Another group might contain all the elements which have color and are harmful to humans. Then a third group would contain the elements which have no color, but are not harmful to humans. Then all the rest of the elements would fit into the fourth group: colorful and not harmful to humans.
For this lab YOU are going to decide how to categorize elements. Forget old Mendeleev's periodic table. You are going to organize your own table. All you have to do is look up the elements and then decide how to group them. You could divide them anyway you choose. Perhaps divide them between metals and non-metals, or between those that are gas at room temperature and those that are solid or liquid, or between those with an atomic weight of more than 50 and those that have an atomic weight of less than 50, or between those that exist naturally by themselves and those that exist as compounds. Ultimately you should have at least four groups.
One group might contain all the elements which have no color (are clear) and are harmful to humans. Another group might contain all the elements which have color and are harmful to humans. Then a third group would contain the elements which have no color, but are not harmful to humans. Then all the rest of the elements would fit into the fourth group: colorful and not harmful to humans.
2:8 Experiment: Chromatography
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In this experiment you will learn how colors combine to produce other colors. You will do this by separating the colors using chromatography. Watch this short video to see how it is done and use food coloring if you don’t have washable markers. Pay attention to the video, because it will help you answer one of the harder lab questions too. In the picture at left you can see that chromatography can also be used to figure out what substances are made of. Some of the green plant pigment was dabbed on the paper at the bottom and it separated into the different components as the water carried it up the paper at different speeds. |
2:13 Experiment: Chemical Reactions
Antacid tablets, like Alka-Seltzer or Tums, relieve your heartburn by neutralizing extra stomach acid coming up into your esophagus. The quicker they dissolve, the quicker their ingredients can combine with (and thus neutralize) the extra hydrogen ions (H+), which are the key ingredient of any acid. If you can't do this experiment yourself, view this video and someone will perform something quite similar, which will allow you to answer the questions. For the graphing part of this experiment you can just do one of the two experiments. Depending on which one you choose to graph, put either water temperature or particle size (the independent variable) on the x (horizontal) axis. Then put reaction rate (the dependent variable) on the y (vertical) axis. The easiest way to do this might be to make an XY graph on this NCES graph-making website, save it, download it as a .pdf or .jpg file, and then email it to me. |
3:1 Grade 7 Science Unit 3 Labs
Go through Unit 3 and look at the other projects. You have to do the Heat Transfer project along with one other project of your choice. The other four choices are lesson 9 (Electric Motor), lesson 11 (Energy Efficiency), lesson 15 (Air Resistance), and lesson 18 (Newton's Laws). In the answer box for lesson 1, just write which of those four labs you would like to do.
Go through Unit 3 and look at the other projects. You have to do the Heat Transfer project along with one other project of your choice. The other four choices are lesson 9 (Electric Motor), lesson 11 (Energy Efficiency), lesson 15 (Air Resistance), and lesson 18 (Newton's Laws). In the answer box for lesson 1, just write which of those four labs you would like to do.
3:4 Experiment: Heat Transfer
Do part 1 of this experiment yourself. You may do part 2 of this experiment yourself or watch me do it.
Do part 1 of this experiment yourself. You may do part 2 of this experiment yourself or watch me do it.
3.9 Experiment: Electric Motor
This experiment can be tricky to set up. Just do your best. If you can't get the wire to spin, try to explain what you think went wrong. A good scientist is always honest about their results and tries to explain them as best they can.
This experiment can be tricky to set up. Just do your best. If you can't get the wire to spin, try to explain what you think went wrong. A good scientist is always honest about their results and tries to explain them as best they can.
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4:5 Project: Cell
For this project you will construct a model of either an animal cell or a plant cell using materials around your house. Things you might want to use would include clay, play-doh, styrofoam, beads, pipe cleaners, rubber bands, buttons, dry pasta, or string. Label the parts of the cell. When you are finished put your name on it, take a picture, and send it to me ([email protected]) or you can show it to your advisor teacher on their next visit. You don't have to write anything in the text box on OdysseyWare. |
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4:14 Project: Systems
You can pick any system. Maybe a video game system. What flows into the system to make it work? Does anything flow out? What does it do? What are its parts? What could make the system fail?
You can pick any system. Maybe a video game system. What flows into the system to make it work? Does anything flow out? What does it do? What are its parts? What could make the system fail?