Winter Storm!

WOW!
They weren't kidding about this storm! It looks like we might have a white Christmas for the first time in quite a long while.
I hope everyone is tucked in their homes with some good food, a great book and their family. I just made a lasagna yesterday, finished a really great book series (the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathon Stroud) and enjoyed a movie with my family.
Hopefully I can dig out today and go out to see the rest of Caroline County.
After you read this, post a comment and let us know what you are up to over the break. Don't forget to tell your friends to check in as well.

Astronomy

Hey there Space Cadets!
We are just starting our new unit on Astronomy - that is the study of space. It is something that I have been interested in for a long time. I had some great science teachers along the way that started me on my quest to learn all I could about space!
Here is my question for the week:
How are objects in space related to each other? How do they affect each other? Post your answer as soon as you can and don't forget to look up!

NorthBay Visit

Thanks so much to Meghan, Naema, Brandi, Steve, Kristen, Andy, and Raser for making the long journey down to Caroline County to help us bring the NorthBay experience home. I know that everybody had a great time and also learned a thing or two about our place in the environment.
What was your favorite part of the day? I really enjoyed the nature trail walk with my homeroom and using the high-tech equipment in the water quality studies. I know that my least favorite was when I couldn't get the projector to work in the cafeteria! That was a little embarrassing! by the way, I will upload that video to my website (http://honerscience.wikispaces.com) as soon as I get the chance.
Thanks to everyone who made the day a success!
Post a comment when you get the chance!

Back From North Bay

WOW! What a great trip! I really enjoyed my time this year getting to know all of my students in a new setting and learning to face my fears and challenge my self in new ways. I also really like the opportunity each year to meet the educators and other staff at NorthBay. The lessons were great (as always) and the NorthBay message of being a filter and getting rid of invasives in your life is so important. I hope that this is a message that we can carry through the rest of our lives.
What was your favorite moment during the NorthBay week? What will you remember and talk about for years to come? How did NorthBay affect you? Post your response this week.

Community Issue

What is an issue that people in your community care about? What is a possible solution to the problem? Post your answer this week!

Oyster Management Plan

The number of Oysters in the Chesapeake Bay is dangerously low compared to historic standards. At one time the Bay was practically filled with oysters, some the size of footballs! Now, diseases such as MSX and Dermo are killing oysters. The oyster’s ability to filter the water is reduced, making for a more polluted bay. Also, fewer oysters mean that Oystermen are having trouble keeping up with the demand placed on them by consumers.
Based on your research about oyster breeding programs, what do you think is the best plan for increasing the population of oysters in Chesapeake bay?

NorthBay

I wanted to provide a place for students and parents to ask questions about the upcoming NorthBay trip (November 2-6.) Please post your questions and I will try to answer them as they come up. Please read through the responses before you post a question to see if that question was already asked and answered. After you type your response please identify yourself by choosing "name/url" and then putting in your first name and last initial. Thanks a lot!

Krusty Krabs Breath Mints

Mr. Krabs created a secret ingredient for a breath mint that he thinks will “cure” the bad breath people get from eating crabby patties at the Krusty Krab. He asked 100 customers with a history of bad breath to try his new breath mint. He had fifty customers (Group A) eat a breath mint after they finished eating a Krabby Patty.
The other fifty (Group B) also received a breath mint after they finished the sandwich, however, it was just a regular breath mint and did not have the secret ingredient. Both groups were told that they were getting the breath mint that would cure their bad breath. Two hours after eating the crabby patties, thirty customers in Group A and ten customers in Group B reported having better breath than they normally had after eating crabby patties.

1. What is the independent variable?
2. What is the dependent variable?

Egg Lab

Have you ever observed something and then had a question about why it happened? Perhaps you even had a guess as to why something happened. Once you start asking questions and making predictions, SCIENCE is happening!
In the Egg Lab, students made observations of a hard boiled egg when they placed it in two different liquids. They made a prediction and then made observations.
What do you think was in the two beakers? Why? Could you create a test to figure out if your guess was correct?

New Year!

Greetings New 6th Graders!
Welcome to your first week at Colonel Richardson Middle School!
This year in science we will be going on the coolest field trip on the Planet (NorthBay) as well as learning about Geology, Physics, The Environment, and Ecology. My question for you is "What are you most excited about this year?" Please respond to this post during this first week.

Summers Off At Summerfest

Denton's Summerfest is next weekend. My band, Summers Off, will be playing at the Crouse Park Family Stage at 5:45 pm on Saturday, August 15th. For those of you that don't know us, Summers Off is a Jazz group that is made up of 5 Caroline County teachers and 1 C.C. Student. They are:
• Rob Honer
• Alex Honer (Student at LMS)
• Chris Canfield
• Andy Woodard
• Tom Cheezum
• EJ Oesterle

Please come out and support the band. This is a free show and Summerfest is always a good time.
For more about Summerfest go to the website

Here is a great video of the launch on May 19, 2009 from Wallops Island.



For more information go to The NASA Wallops Island Website

New Survey

Could you please take a minute to complete the new survey I have just added. I am really interested in how you use technology. Feel free to post any other thoughts or questions that you might have about technology as well.
On the first survey you can check as many boxes as are appropriate.
Thanks a lot!
Mr. Honer

Magnetic Fields

We have learned about some of the different ways that electricity is produced; nuclear, fossil fuels, wind, hydroelectric and solar. Most of these ways would not be possible without an understanding of the relationship between electricity and magnetism.

Go to the following active art site to learn more about magnetic fields. Don't forget to complete the quiz.

When you are done with the Active Art site, get two bar magnets from Mr. Honer and complete the same investigation with the real thing.

When you are done, return to this blog and post a response (as a group) to the following question:

Why do you think an understanding of magnetic fields might be important to creating electricity?

Energy Facts Website

Here is a website that will help us with our investigation of the different types of energy production methods in the United States. EIA Kids Page - Energy Facts

Waves Slideshow

Hey there folks,
I wanted to share a slideshow that was created by a student as part of the waves project.
Check it out:

Musical Instruments (for 9th period)

Go to the following site and research your instrument type. Make a comment on the blog telling about an instrument that you learned about.


History of Musical instruments website

Waves Quiz

The Asteroid Belt

A lot of students ask me questions about the asteroid belt that is between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. The one question that keeps popping up is "how do we fly a spaceship through the field without it getting messed up?"
I found a great site called How Stuff Works that explains that question and many more. Check it out!

Sun Video

Here's a great science video by a cool band; They Might Be Giants:



Why Does the Sun Shine
By
They Might Be Giants

The sun is a mass of incandescent gas
A gigantic nuclear furnace
Where hydrogen is built into helium
At a temperature of millions of degrees

Yo ho, it's hot, the sun is not
A place where we could live
But here on Earth there'd be no life
Without the light it gives

We need its light
We need its heat
We need its energy
Without the sun, without a doubt
There'd be no you and me

The sun is hot
It is so hot that everything on it is a gas: iron, copper, aluminum, and many others.

The sun is large
If the sun were hollow, a million Earths could fit inside. And yet, the sun is only a middle-sized star.

The sun is far away
About 93 million miles away, and that's why it looks so small.

And even when it's out of sight
The sun shines night and day

The sun gives heat
The sun gives light
The sunlight that we see
The sunlight comes from our own sun's
Atomic energy

The Life and Death of a Star

In Science class this year we have learned about a few cycles, like the water cycle and the rock cycle. The stars that we see in the sky at night along with our own sun (a star as well) also goes through a "life" cycle. Of course, a star is not alive but it is helpful to compare the stages that they go through to our stages of life.
To learn more about the Star Cycle, check out the following Active Art link, complete the activity and then complete the quiz.

Astronomy

Hey there Space Cadets!
We just started our new unit on Astronomy - that is the study of space. It is something that I have been interested in for a long time. I had some great science teachers along the way that started me on my quest to learn all I could about space!
Here is my question for the week:
How are objects in space related to each other? How do they affect each other? Post your answer as soon as you can and don't forget to look up!

Moving Classmates

We've had a few students who have moved away; Zach, Abigail, Tyler, Aubrey, did I miss anyone? I just wanted to take the time to give a shout out to them, just in case they are getting on the site. I've heard from a few of you. How is everything going? Make a comment when you get the chance. And, to the kids still at Colonel, this is the place to send a message to someone you are missing.

Identifying Rocks

We will be learning about the three types of rocks - igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary. In the following activity you will learn about their characteristics. During the online portion be sure to make observations about the real rocks at your station and try to match them up with what you see on the computer.

When you are ready to start click on the following link - Internet Activity
Rock Identification

Missing Assignment

Many students have neglected to respond to this blog posting (originally posted 12/4/08). Therefore, I am posting it again in the hopes that you will answer it. If you already did this you do not have to do it again.

My question for the week is; How is Earth Science (Geology) in the news? Do a little searching around and report back on the blog. You can use what you find in newspapers, magazines, television, or the internet. Just read, watch, or listen to a report that has to do with Earth Science and post a comment about it.

Here are a few sites to start with:
http://geology.com/ - click on the NEWS link.

Volcano World

Tsunamis

Check out this slide show about tsunamis and then answer the question posted below.

Explain how a tsunami is related to the movements of Earth's crustal plates?

Plate Tectonics Project

The Plate Tectonics Project is due on January 23rd. I can't wait to see all of the great models, posters, and other displays of your knowledge.

Here are some helpful sites I have found:

Earthquakes for Kids

Volcano World

If you find any other sites that you found to be helpful be sure to post them in the comments section.

Convection in the Mantle

To learn more about convection currents, we will be using the Prentice Hall School Website.
Read the information as a group and then try to put the steps in order. After you have successfully completed that task, hit the back button and then complete the short answer questions. Make sure that you discuss the answers as a group. Put your period and group number as the name and rob_honer@mail.cl.k12.md.us as the e-mail address. (You might want to copy this now so you can just paste it later!)

When you are ready to start go to the following PHSchool Website.