Yep, you got it right, you smarty-pants! Density equals Mass divided by Volume. My 7th graders are currently learning about Density, and we are having a blast. They love all the labs, and I can really see the impact of hands-on learning through experiments.
It has been a month since my last post--Yowza! Time has been flying for me, and I didn't realize it had been that long until I logged on and started writing this. But....my excuse is that I have been totally swamped with planning for science and MSP prep for my 8th grade math classes. It is a mad dash till the mathematics MSP (they happen in early May), and my grade-level math team and I are timing everything so the students are prepared and will do well on their standardized test. I feel like I am doing a good job teaching math and it's too bad I won't see my students' scores on the test until they are already in high school!
As for my science kiddos, density is such a hard concept to understand. Many of my students still think that density is "how much an object weighs." Hopefully, after doing a couple readings and class discussions, I can attempt to erase that misconception, and redirect their thinking. So far, we have calculated the density for regular objects (rectangles specifically). They also know that density is a property of matter. This week we will be calculating the density of irregular objects (bolts, nails, rubber stoppers, pretty much anything from the "kit room" in which the length, width and height cannot be measured accurately with a ruler), and thinking about the density of liquids.
My boyfriend and I also moved this month! We were living in a family-friend's home; he remodeled the basement (mostly below-ground) and we shared the kitchen and laundry room. It was quite dark, with only a couple windows, low ceilings, and poor internet connection which was frustrating. Now, we live not far from my parent's house, close to grocery shopping and eateries, and have plenty of natural light. The one-bedroom apartment is very spacious compared to what we are both used to and the apartment building has a secured-entry so we feel very safe as well. We have a small view of the Puget Sound off our deck, which is covered. The community shares an outdoor poor open in the summer, and we are looking forward to furnishing the deck with a small table and a couple chairs to dine at as the weather gets warmer. We have already hosted a dinner and it was so nice to have company over. It has been a long time since I have been able to cook for other people, and it was nice to share our space with loved ones!
Zach and I are growing increasingly more comfortable in our new place, and it has been a very relaxing weekend. I hope it is a good week for my students and I, as it is Spirit Week! I'm loving the idea of spirit week mostly because my school outfits are already planned out for me :-) Monday is College Day, so I get to wear my oh-so-comfy hoodie from Western Washington University along with a pair of jeans and tennis shoes instead of my black slacks and a sweater. I also think it will be cool to be dressed in unison with the kids, as we are all showing camaraderie for our school. Go Tomcats!
I hope you also have a good week! As Spring Break gets closer and closer, and the kids get restless, I am relying on all the awesome labs we will be doing to keep their minds off the week-long break and into learning about density. Happy Spring (finally)!
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