So, another snow day! I hope you had a really productive class yesterday working on your chemical reactions that changed the world project.
You WILL need to continue to work on your project from home today and this weekend. I had booked the computer lab for today so that you could continue to work on it. You should contact your partner and discuss a plan for progressing far in your work on this project. There won't be much time to work on it next week before it is due on Thursday.
Have a great long weekend!

Hello SNC2D students. I hope you enjoyed your first snow of the season! Watch the skies tomorrow morning - looks like snow squalls overnight......
Remember that you should be doing research on your chemistry project while at home.

When you work on researching your chemistry topic, try a search on Ebsco Host. The link to it is on the CHSS website (left side of page). To login the username is chss and the password is ebsco. There are lots of great publications that you can link to from here. Try to find listings that say "Full Text". These will give you the full text article rather than just the abstract, which is a summary.

Good morning! Today you will choose your topic for the Chemical Reactions That Changed the World project. Do some research on the reactions (or set of reactions) that you have chosen. Read the post below this for more details. Here are some possible other topics you might want to consider doing.

Acetylene gas in welding torches
Chlorinating swimming pools
Making plastics
Extraction of iron from iron ore in a blast furnace
Using phosphoric acids in.....(there are many uses)
Using lime to restore acidified lakes
Hydrogen fuel cell reaction (in car engines)
The reactions in an air bag
Perming hair
Making cosmetics
Discovery of gunpowder

Today, we began to study acids and bases. This will continue throughout this short week.

For those of you who will be away on Tuesday, here's what you need to know for the chemistry unit project. Please contact someone in the class to be your partner and decide together what chemical reaction you want to research. Also discuss what method of presentation you would like to communicate your knowledge in. Please read what follows here.....

GOAL
Your assignment is to profile a chemical reaction that has had an impact—positive or
negative—on people’s lives. Your profile can take on any form that can be presented on the Internet: words, photos, slide show, video, audio–visual presentation, animation—or a combination of these forms that includes music, dance, demonstrations, or anything else that you think is appropriate. Your presentation must clearly provide:
• the chemistry of the reaction, including balanced equations and the necessary conditions
• the history and development of the reaction
• applications of the reaction: who uses it and how
• a description of the reaction’s impacts on people’s lives: whom does it help (or hurt)?
• a decision about the final overall impact of the reaction—is it good or bad for the world?

GATHER INFORMATION
1. Your team should start by identifying chemical reactions that have had impacts on
people’s lives. Examples include the following:
• an industrial process such as the production of nitric acid for making fertilizers from ammonia and oxygen
• a reaction that helps create a medicine that is important to people’s health
• a reaction in nature that is important to living things, or one that humans are trying to mimic for a particular purpose (humans trying to emulate natural fibres such as silk)
• a reaction that is important to the environment, such as the formation of nitrogen
dioxide in car engines
• a reaction that has been important in the history of art, such as the silver nitrate reaction on light-sensitive photographic film, or the development of pigments by oil painters
• a reaction that changed the course of history, such as the development of dynamite
• a reaction that is important to our everyday lives, such as the hydrogenation of
vegetable oils
• a reaction that helps us deal with environmental challenges, such as developing
electric cars, providing renewable energy, or creating new “high-tech” materials

2. As a team, decide on the chemical reaction that you will profi le. Then assign the
following tasks to team members.
• Research the origin of the reaction. Who discovered it and how?
• Research the chemistry of the reaction: How is the reaction classifi ed? What are the steps involved in the reaction?
• Research the development of the reaction. How was it used to impact the world?
What particular career, if any, is it associated with? What are the applications of the reaction that changed people’s lives in big or small ways?
• Research the impacts of the reaction (a) on its discoverer and (b) on the people who were affected by it.

3. Gather your information. Create some or all of the following elements:
• print: description, explanation, background, captions
• visuals: balanced chemical equations, photos, charts, graphs, data, diagrams, drawings
• video, music, sound

IDENTIFY SOLUTIONS
Consider any negative effects your chosen reaction has had. These could be effects on
individuals, on groups of people, or on the environment. Conduct further research to lookinto possible solutions to these negative effects.

MAKE A DECISION
Decide whether this reaction has had, on the whole, a positive effect or a negative effect.
Consider what criteria you will use to make this decision.

COMMUNICATE
Work together to develop your presentation. It should cover all the aspects of your research and decision making.
Remember, your presentation will be shown online so it can include music, sound, video,graphics, animation, or any other feature that the Internet can display.
Invite classmates to view your presentation. Have a discussion after the presentation toallow your audience to respond to your presentation.

On Monday, students learned about complete and incomplete combustion reactions.

On Tuesday, students practiced writing balanced chemical equations and classifying them by type. They work collaboratively on this activity. It was nice to see some of you come out for help at lunch on Tuesday!

On Wednesday, students wrote a quiz on writing balanced chemical equations and then began to prep for two labs that we'll be working on over the next two days.

This past week, students wrote a quiz on balancing chemical equations and began to learn about the 5 types of chemical reactions: synthesis, decomposition, single displacement, double displacement, and combustion. They attended Challenge Day on either Wednesday or Thursday. We finished off the week by practising identifying types of reactions, predicting products and writing balanced chemical equations. There will be a quiz on types of reactions and writing equations on Wednesday. Extra help is available on Tuesday this week.

For extra help with chemistry, check out chem4kids.com!

This past week students wrote a test on chemical compounds and performed a lab that illustrated the Law of Conservation of Mass. They analysed the results of this lab and answered some textbook questions related to mass in reactions. Students also performed a "Gizmo" on Balancing Chemical Equations and practiced balancing equations. There will be a short quiz on balancing on Tuesday next week.
Have a great long weekend!

Please complete the following two surveys ASAP. We need to gather data from our students about technology in the classroom for the HP grant.

Please go to the following link and complete the survey on this site.

https://www.surveymk.com/s.aspx?sm=4iG3bgXP1aOrAaJhCiyhig_3d_3d

Here is the link to the Google survey I'd like you to do for the HP project. The password is our class code SNC2Db.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dHVndTFwQ0VBb3V6RzVtZG9nZkxLWlE6MA

Today, we peer marked the covalent/molecular quiz. Students were then given a handout note on acids. We practiced this form of nomenclature. We then began to review for tomorrow's test. Students helped each other to practice the different forms of nomenclature. There was extra help offered at lunch today. Be sure to review your chemistry notes for tomorrow's test.

On Tuesday, we discussed the polyatomic ion questions from Monday and students completed a formative quiz on ionic compound nomenclature. We peer marked in class. We also began looking at covalent bonding/compounds.

On Wednesday, we finished learning about covalent bonding and molecular compounds. Students practiced writing these names and formulas and then wrote a formative quiz on it.

Today we took up the ionic compound homework from last week. Students then copied a note on polyatomic ions and we practised writing names and formulas for ionic compounds involving polyatomic ions. There are some textbook questions for you to do for homework.

Today we discussed the contents of the note "Naming Ionic Compounds". It is posted under class notes if you were absent today. Students worked on answering the homework problems. These are due for Monday if not finished.
Have a great weekend, enjoy your extra hour of sleep, and Happy Halloween!

I've posted the note for tomorrow's class (which we didn't have time to do today) under class notes. It's called Naming Ionic Compounds. Feel free to print it off for Friday's class.

Today students copied a short note on the formation of ions. They then worked on a Gizmo on ionic bonds. We will finish this activity tomorrow.

On Monday, we spent a lot of time taking up textbook questions from last week.

On Friday, students read a section in the textbook about atomic structure and answered a series of questions on this.

Today I demonstrated a series of chemical reactions and we created a list of evidence of chemical reactions and how to test for gases produced in chemical reactions. Students then read a section of the new textbook on chemical and physical changes and answered some questions.

Students may want to print off the chemistry unit outline and keep it at the front of this unit in their notebooks.

Today students completed an activity on the periodic table of elements.
They then examined the new textbooks! There was a note on chemical and physical properties and changes.

Today we began the new chemistry unit. We reviewed most of the main concepts and skills from grade 9 chemistry. We also spent some time discussing the characteristics of the Periodic Table of Elements and atomic structure.

On Monday the students wrote the ecology issues test.

Today we will take up the acid precipitation questions and review for the issues based test, which is on Monday.
Have a great weekend!

On Thursday we discussed the problem of acid precipitation. Students viewed tutorials on the process and then answered 4 questions related to the topic. We discussed what should be studied for Monday's issue based test.

Today the students who were present (only half the class!). Read about logging forests and answered the following 4 questions. Absent students are expected to do this for homework.
Logging Forests

Read pp. 114-115

1. What role(s) do forests play in the local water cycle?
2. Contrast clear-cutting and selective-cutting.
3. What are the drawbacks of clear-cutting?
4. What is a monoculture and what are the drawbacks of this type of replanting?

The photos from Wawanosh can be found in a Picasa web album at the following address:
http://picasaweb.google.com/jennross11/Wawanosh09?feat=directlink

Today students worked on learning about 2 important ecological issues: the effects of agriculture on ecosystems and the effects of deforestation on nutrient cycles. Reminder: students receiving awards should go directly to the cafeteria tomorrow morning. We will be taking attendance after the assembly.

Today students continued to work on their Belgrave Creek Study Report.

Today, students began to do some preliminary research on their creek study report. Students are asked to continue working on this report over the weekend.

On Thursday, students collated all their data from Wawanosh and the creek study report was introduced.

Today we tried out the new laptops and learned how to log on properly. We then went through the worksheets for tomorrow's trip to Wawanosh. Please remember to dress properly, bring a lunch, your worksheets and be in the lobby by 8:55. It will be cool and likely raining tomorrow...

Today, students examined the case study of the zebra mussel.

Students wrote the ecology test today. Absent students are reminded that they will write the test on Monday.
Have a great long weekend!

Today students learned about how soil is formed, it's role in the water cycle, and soil pH. They drew a labelled soil profile as well. Finally, we reviewed for tomorrow's ecology test. Please remember to bring in your Wawanosh form and fee if you haven't already done so.

Today, students worked through a "Gizmo" on food chains and populations. Please remember to bring in your Wawanosh permission forms and $9 tomorrow, if you haven't already

Today students completed an assignment on populations. This was handed in and will be marked.

On Thursday and Friday, students worked through the note on populations. We also played the "Oh Dear" game outside....which was fun!

On Wednesday, students discussed homework questions and then copied the note on the nitrogen cycle. They were then given an article by David Suzuki called "Too Much of a Good Thing" and answered 5 questions related to it. This was homework if not finished.

Today, groups presented their answers to their assigned "question to ponder". We collated the class's answers. These are attached under class notes. We then examined the Carbon cycle. There is some homework related to this topic.

On Monday, students went through the note on energy in ecosystems. They learned about energy pyramids and how to label a food chain. They were then broken into groups and given a "question to ponder".

On Friday, students continued the note on extinction. They then viewed part of an episode from Planet Earth about saving species.

Today, we reviewed the species at risk classification system. We then discussed the note on Extinction in the Modern World. Students then viewed several videos on biodiversity.

On Wednesday, we discussed the concept maps students had created on the disappearance of frogs. Students then answered #1-5 on p. 13. We then discussed the species at risk classification system and students copied this table into their notebooks. For homework, they answered #2 on p. 15.

Today we took up the ecology diagnostic quiz from last Thursday. We then examined two important species: the monarch butterfly and frogs. For homework, students are to read The Silence of the Frogs and create a concept map on why frogs are disappearing.

On Thursday, we discussed learning styles for a few minutes, and then we got started into the first unit of the course....ecosystems.
We discussed the "big idea" of the unit - Why is it important that freshwater ecosystems be sustained? The class brainstormed a list of points relating this big idea to S.T.S.E. (Science, Technology, Society, and the Environment).
Students then worked on completing a review of ecology terms and concepts from earlier science courses. This sheet will be taken up on Tuesday. Students are asked to not look up the correct answers anywhere - I want to know what you know now, and what we need to review.
If you haven't brought in your emergency contact form, your student fee, or your signed policy letter for incomplete assessments, please do so on Tuesday.
Have a great long weekend!

Today students completed Felder's Learning Styles Questionnaire. They then used their learning style profile to compile a list of learning and studying strategies that should help them be more successful in school.
Absent students are asked to complete this activity for homework. The questionnaire and the description of the learning styles can be linked to from this blog (look at the side under Useful Web Sites).
If you haven't already brought in signed forms (emergency contact form, science policy on incomplete assessments, course newsletter) and your student fee, please remember to do this on Thursday.

Welcome to the SNC2D course blog! Here you will find daily updates on what was done in class, important dates, homework, as well as many useful links and videos. The purpose of this blog is to keep you and your parents/guardians informed about what is happening in class. If you are absent from class you can check the blog to find out what you missed, no need to ask me what you missed!
On the first day of class, we will be reviewing the contents of the student planner and then discussing the SNC2D course. Here is a link to my classroom expectations, please review them with your parent/guardian.
Also, please remember to show the course newsletter and summative assessment policy letter to a parent and have them sign both sheets. You will return these signed sheets to me the next day.