Hello everyone!
This is the first blog post of the year! I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know all the new students this year! We have a great bunch, and we have been diving into thinking like scientists already! đ
8th grade has converted to ALL Earth Science as we undergo curriculum changes, which happens to be my area of expertise and my favorite type of science!
Our units include:
Astronomy
Earth's History
Earth's Processes
Earth's Waters
Weather & Climate
Earth's Resources
You can learn more about the course here in my Syllabus.
Students have been doing activities in our Pre-Unit to Astronomy, Intro to Earth Sciences. This is to build some excitement and introduce topics we'll explore throughout the year. When we move into Astronomy next week, we'll start by learning how scientists study space and the universe!
Each year, I try to reduce printing, and this year, we will be using Digital Notebooks. They are guided notebooks, but they help reduce paper, and best of all... STUDENTS DON'T LOSE THEIR NOTES! It is so helpful to have notes this way. I've researched the effectiveness, which it is more effective than traditional handwritten notes. This is because digital notebooks allow for some customization by adding slides, images, gifs, and notes that help students understand a topic better. There will be a learning curve for some at the start of the year, but students quickly get the hang of it and enjoy using them.
Some non-science-related notes! I run the On Wednesdays We Wear... Campaign at school. Here is a calendar of the organizations we will raise money for throughout the year. Students do not need to donate but can during school lunches on Wednesdays. This month, we are wearing Blue on Wednesdays and raising money for the Boys & Girls Club of Lancaster.
If you ever have any questions, feel free to reach out to curtis_silverwood@conestogavalley.orgÂ
Families, please note that I got married this summer. We are combining our last names, and the legal process for the change is definitely going to take some time. In class, I've been going by what my name will be, Mr. Catwood, but my contact info at the school still has my former last name. Eventually, this will change, but for now, it is still curtis_silverwood@conestogavalley.org.
You can follow @ClassWithCatwood on Instagram to see pictures of the classroom and photos of our class activities.
Below are images of a post-it note activity we did at the start of last week to discuss "What is Science?"
Thank you,
Mr. Catwood
(formerly Silverwood)
This is really cool - I appreciate knowing about the Wednesday colors and seeing the activity! đ