MRS. BROOKS' E-MAIL IS: llbrooks@iusd.org
(***I am still working on this page, so be patient if there are gaps...!!!)
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE:
*TURN-IT-IN.COM INFO.
*BOOK REPORT INFO.
*8TH GRADE ASTRONOMY EXTRA CREDIT IDEAS
*7TH GRADE BIOLOGY EXTRA CREDIT IDEAS
TURN-IT-IN.COM INFORMATION:
All research extra credit reports must be submitted to Turn-it-in.com and
have less than 15% copied before they will be accepted for extra credit.
PERIOD CLASS ID# CLASS PASSWORD
PER. 1 2376694 Science1
PER. 3 2376698 Science3
PER. 4 2376700 Science4
PER. 5 2376703 Science5
PER. 6 2784164 Robotics1
7th or 8th Grade SCIENCE BOOK REPORT REQUIREMENTS:
You will choose a book from one of the following categories. You will need
to have your parents and science teacher approve the book before you start
reading. You will be required to have a small 4¨x 5¨ lined, spiral
notebook to take notes in while you read (THIS IS OPTIONAL FOR AN EXTRA
CREDIT BOOKREPORT). You need to choose a book that is
age appropriate, but that challenges you to improve your reading
comprehension.
CATEGORIES:
1. SCIENCE FICTION - This type of novel can be any futuristic setting
with science and or technology emphasized throughout the book. The book
should help you learn about science concepts in a creative setting. You may
not choose a book that has been made into a movie except with special
permission and instructions from your teacher. No pure fantasy-type novels
(wizards, dragons and magic) will be allowed, as they do not have a
sufficient amount of science to write a good book report.
2. NON-FICTION SCIENCE BOOK: This type of book can be about any
science topic that you enjoy or one that has relevance to our 8th grade
science curriculum. It is not a novel, but a factual book with
scientifically valid information. You may choose a book that has
illustrations, but it cannot be a children's book or an Eyewitness type of
book with short captions and many pictures.
3. SCIENCE OR MATH BIOGRAPHY - You may read a book about a famous
scientist or mathematician. You will be asked to describe the person's
life and contributions to science or mathematics.
4. MEDICAL/SCIENCE MYSTERY OR NON-FICTION MEDICAL BOOK (8th Grade only)-
This category could include non-fiction books such as Hot Zone, or any of the
books by Robin Cook. The book should have sufficient medical or scientific
information to complete the book report. Be sure to take notes on the
medical information and vocabulary.
REQUIREMENTS:
1. The book you choose must have from 200 pages(7th) or 250 to 300 page
(8th). A book with more than 300 pages earns extra credit points. You may
read a book with fewer pages only with teacher permission.
2. You will need to fill out a Book Approval Form and have
a parent signature giving you permission to read the book.
3. You may not re-read a book previously read. This must be an
absolutely new book that you have not read before.
4. You will take notes while reading to aide you in writing your
report. Be sure to put page numbers in your notes and underline or
highlight vocabulary words. You will be required to have a small notebook
to take notes in and you must bring the notebook and the book to school the
day of the book report. Your grade will be reduced if you do not have your
notes with you at the time you are writing the report. Highlighting your
book (if you own it) is recommended but is not required.
8TH GRADE ASTRONOMY EXTRA CREDIT OPTIONS
1. Read an additional Science Fiction Novel. You must get parent approval
for any book you read. When you return you will get the question sheet to
do the book report. Notes are not required, but probably helpful, and
will earn more points.
2. Build your own telescope using the instructions on page 597.
3. Do the Lab Zone Investigation "Star Stories" on page 589.
4. Go out for at least 5 nights in a row and draw the night sky including
the moon and as many constellations and stars as you can recognize. You
can use the website: http://skyandtelescope.com to get the latest info,and
diagrams on what the sky looks like from your location.
5. If you have a real telescope, learn to use it and observe the moon or
other interesting night sky objects (not the neighbors, please). Draw your
observations on paper.
6. You can research the following topics and write a 500-700 word paper
that has a cover, title page and bibliography. You must include all
printouts and notes at the back of your report folder. All reports must
be submitted to “Turn-It-In.com”.
Topics include:
Black holes Galaxies Big Bang Theory
Constellations Star magnitudes Spectrographs and Spectroscopy
Life cycles of Stars Supernovae/Novae International Space Station
Quasars/Neutron Stars Satellites Star Magnitudes and Parallax
Radio Telescopes Nebula Gravity
Hubble Telescope Eclipsing Binaries Dark Matter and Dark Energy
Benefits of the Space Program (include space spin-offs)
Electromagnetic Radiation and the Electromagnetic Spectrum
Cosmic Background Radiation and Radio Telescopes
Space–Time and the Theory of Relativity (Einstein)
S.E.T.I. The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence
7. Write a science fiction story that includes lots of accurate scientific
facts. Reading your story to the class is optional
8. On a poster, draw diagrams of the basic types of galaxies and write easy
to read, detailed captions.
9. Pick a group of stars in the night sky that create an image for you.
Write a “constellation” star myth or folktale to describe
your “constellation”. Draw the “constellation” and research the names of
the visible stars included.
10. Honors Level: Read one of the books by Stephen Hawking: The Universe in
a Nutshell, or A Brief History of Time. Then write a summary of what you
comprehend of his theories. (Universe in a Nutshell is a little easier.)
11. Do the Lab Zone Skills Lab "How Far is that Star?" on page 606.
12. Do the Lab Zone: Build a Model of the Solar System on page 537.
13. Come up with a unique project on the Universe or stars and present it.
7TH GRADE BIOLOGY EXTRA CREDIT IDEAS:
EXTRA CREDIT / HONORS OPPORTUNITIES
You may do one or two of the following activities or projects with your
teacher’s permission. All reports must be accompanied by a proper
bibliography and be free of any plagiarism. Reports will have to be
submitted to Turn-it-in.com
1. Write a report on the history of the microscope and its significance in
scientific discoveries in cytology and medicine (pretty exciting stuff…!)
Diagrams or timelines could be added to this project.
12. Come up with your own creative idea and present it to your teacher for
approval.
