Grab the Good Luck Charms

Not that I really think the Physical Science kids will need them, but any little thing for piece of mind is fine with me. Remember those calculators, remember that you've studied all the strands of the frameworks and that you've taken pretty much all the questions from previous MCAS exams. Those unit-specific MCAS review sheets I gave you? Drew the questions from the 2004-2007 tests. Some of you have gone to the DOE site and gotten the whole exams and used them for further practice and I salute you for the initiative. Tomorrow, take your time, read the questions carefully, outline/plan your open response answers before you start writing. If you don't know the answer to a question, skip it for the moment. Another question later in the exam may provide you a clue to a memory jog that will help. Don't forget to go back to the question though! And don't leave anything blank - if you are truly and completely stuck on a question, eliminate as many choices as possible then go with your gut for the answer. We'll pick up again on Monday with atoms. I put together a simple video playlist on YouTube that you can access with the widget on the left sidebar. Click on the "Play" button to watch them in order or click the "P" to view the titles in the playlist and choose specific ones to view. They'll give you a nice overview of atoms and molecules, which we'll cover in more detail in class.

Physics and Honors Physics began working on our final lab unit that puts the Vernier Dynamics Tracks through their paces. Experiments on basic motion, acceleration, momentum, elastic and inelastic collisions and force/impulse will be conducted with the new equipment. Students are also helping to clarify the lab directions, making suggestions for procedure or equipment modifications and evaluating the quality of the results. Their effort will make next year's curriculum more efficient and, for that, I thank them.