HAPPY HOLIDAYS GRADE NINES!

Students and families, I hope that each and every one of you has a happy holiday! We will continue our learning after the winter break. Also, congratulations on being done Mater and Chemical Change (at least until the Provincial Achievement Test in Spring)!

Sincerely,
Mr. Mang

NOTE: I WILL NOT BE RESPONDING TO EMAIL UNTIL JANUARY 8TH

For your interest, the day I'm posting this message is the shortest day of the year (December 21st) a day called the winter solstice. What does this mean scientifically? It means because of the earths tilt (23.5) degrees and where the earth is in its orbit around the sun, the suns' rays actually hit earth most directly at 23.5 degrees South Latitude on this day; that is why we have summer in the Southern Hemisphere right now and winter in the Northern Hemisphere. As the winter progresses, the day will actually lengthen (in terms of hours of light vs hours of dark) and the suns rays will gradually hit the norther hemisphere more directly. On March 21, the suns rays will hit the equator most directly and humans will experience 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness in almost every habitable place on our planet; that is why we call this day the equinox (more specifically the vernal equinox). The day keeps getting longer until the first official day of summer (June 21) when the suns rays hit 23.5 degrees North latitude most directly (the tropic of Cancer). If you read this paragraph and understood it... well done!

As the snow falls and the days continue to get shorter (until Dec. 21), we rapidly approach our Unit Final which will be on Tuesday, December 15th. Please begin to prepare for this important evaluation of your learning! Just a quick learning moment: on Dec. 21 our winter will officially begin (yes its actually still fall or autumn) and from that day onwards to June 21, the day length will be increasing gradually. After June 21 the day length gradually decreases again...

This week:

1. Finished our unit (read it again if you already have done so)
2. Began our Unit Review booklet; reminder if you do the section review and 1 check and reflect you can earn bonus marks; all review work is due on Tuesday, December 15th
3. Learned more about Climate Change and the Copenhagen Climate Conference
4. Wrote two quizzes: one on periodic table skills and one on basic chemistry knowledge

STUDY TIPS:

1. Re read the textbook
2. Complete all assigned review work...and more if you want a bonus mark
3. Try www.edquest.ca for practice quizzes, notes and more!
4. Review the "naming/formula writing" cheat sheet and other work we have completed
5. Work with a partner and test each other on basic chemistry knowledge
6. Ensure you know how to calculate the number of neutrons from the mass number and atomic number

COMPOUNDS...A COMBINATION OF ELEMENTS BONDED TOGHETHER THROUGH CHEMICAL BONDS

The diagram above shows Sodium Chloride being formed by the exchange of one electron. Notice that once the chlorine and sodium ions bond, the net charge becomes 0. What is a chemical bond? It is the bond formed between different elements share or exhange electrons which essentially "bonds" them together!

* This week we learned the important concept that compounds are formed when chemical reactions occur. We also learned that when chemical reactions occur, electrons are exchanged (ionic compound) or are shared (molecular compounds) between the elements in a compound. We also reviewed the idea that in a mixture, there is no chemical bonds between the different substances.

WORK THIS WEEK:

Reading: Be sure you have read up to the end of section 3.0!

Questions: Complete check and reflect questions on page 149 and 153 (all questions) and also the Assess your Learning (section review) questions, 1-12 only

Vocab: Complete the new vocabulary #8

WORK DUE THURSDAY: All check and reflect questions (pg 149/153) and Assess your Learning #1-12 page 154/155.

ALMOST DONE SECTION 2.0!

We are almost done learning about the material in Section 2.0. You should have read up to page 129 in your textbook by now; if not you are behind!

THIS WEEK:

• Continue to learn about the structure of the atom
• Completed work relating to chemical properties, the periodic table, etc.
• Review assigned work, going over answers
• Learning how to calculate how many neutrons are in an element using atomic number and mass number (see example below)

Example: How many neutrons does Carbon -14 have? Carbon -14 has a mass number of 14. You can determine how many neutrons Carbon 14 has because the mass number is the total of protons and neutrons and the atomic number is the amount of protons. So what we do is take the mass number (14) and subtract the atomic number (6) which leaves us with 8, the number of neutrons in carbon 14. This is a skill you need to have!

ASSIGNED WORK:

• Reading the rest of secti0n 2.0
• Complete new vocabulary (Vocabulary #7)
• Review questions to ensure we have learned the contents of section 2.0: check and reflect page 121 (1-11), page 125 (1-7), page 134 (1-8) and Assess your learning (1-6 only) are Due Monday, November 23th.

WELCOME BACK

I hope that the break from school was replenishing! With no Science homework over the break, you will be ready to again focus on learning more about Science. Done Biological Diversity (although we need to continue reviewing and understanding the material for the PAT) we are now starting the unit "Matter and Chemical Change" which is basically a unit on Chemistry. Remember if you have not handed in your SAR project, it is very late at this point.

WORK FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE WEEK:

1. Reading to the end of section 1 (up to page 111)
2. new vocabulary (#6)
3. Work sheet on matter, physical properties, etc
4. Reviewing your Biological Diversity unit finals

UNIT TEST - WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7

STUDY TIPS:

1. Review the textbook; re-read any sections you do not understand
2. Complete all assigned vocabulary and assigned questions from your textbook
3. Review notes for each section of the unit on www.edquest.ca
4. Visit www.edquest.ca and practice quizzes/tests for the unit
5. Working with a partner/parent/guardian/brother/sister, test each other on main concepts
6. Need a video to remind you of a concept? Look up the topic on www.howstuffworks.com

* The test is approximately 35 questions long, mainly multiple choice

HAND IN YOUR PROJECT YET? You are losing marks each day that you fail to hand in this important project! Better late than never...

SAR PROJECTS DUE MONDAY - PLEASE READ THIS POST!

Tips:

1. follow the directions closely...if you include ALL REQUIRED information you will likely learn a lot about your SAR and will also earn a fine mark relfecting your learning.
2. Short and sweet is better than long and boring...remember you really only need the required information.
3. Ensure you do a great job of your references/bibliography. If you want to practice for University/College/High School you should reference pictures/maps/diagrams you use on each slide or page of your report. I won't dock marks for not doing this but like I say, it is awesome to be prepared for the future, now!
4. Action projects: this is an important componant to your project. The idea is to take some form of action that may help promote saving your species from exctinction. Some people are simply gluing their written report to an informational poster - that's fine. Others are making brochures in publisher. There are a few of you that are working on radio broadcasts (simply record an message about your SAR and how to help save it using a computer and microphone - this can be done using various programs). and TV commercials. Letters to government officials, newspapers, or magazines are also a great idea.

Here are some places you could send a letter:

• Alberta sustainable resource and development: http://www.srd.gov.ab.ca/
• Canadian Geographic magazine: http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/
• Calgary Herald or another paper in the area that your SAR inhabits (you must have your parents give permission for your letter to be printed in the newspaper): http://www.calgaryherald.com/opinion/letters/submit.html

There are many many places you can send a letter! Be sure to make a copy of your letter (especially if you submit it electronically) so you can get your mark for your action!

Want to save paper? Hand in your project digitally! By saving paper we might actually help save some of our species indirectly...nice! Save your project like this:

class_yourfirstinitialandlastname_nameofproject

Example: 9c_tmang_sar

Open up the "assignments folder"and also open up your H or Home folder. Drag the file you are handing in, into the submissions folder. Mr. Mang will test and ensure this is working properly on Monday.

GOOD WORK SO FAR ON YOUR PROJECTS! REMEMBER NO HOMEWORK OVER THE BREAK SO WORK HARD!!!