The W section wrapped up Unit 5.1 today and got ready for their test tomorrow. They seemed to pick up combining atoms pretty well, understanding why it is done (so that the oxidation numbers negate each other) as well as learning the simple criss-crossing of oxidation numbers.
The S section had a fantastic performance in the hydrogen bark lab. Things went very smoothly and safely, and I was proud to see the clean up especially at the end. Ask your son or daughter about this lab--I told them they were real scientists now, and they certainly looked and acted it.
The O and L sections did not perform well on their unit 5.1 test. The average in both classes was an F. I warned everyone at the beginning of the unit that it was a very hard test, and though a couple of people studied, for the most part no one did anything except come to class. That is simply not enough at this stage of the study of science. These concepts are so new and so different, they just don't fit into student's mindsets without a lot of work. I am most disappointed because the online test was taken by only a handful, and this test was very similar to the one we took in class. The only glimmer of sunshine here is that it was only a 25 point test, and our other grades will more than make up for a poor score here.
Next up for us is unit 5.2 on chemical reactions. I think this one is even harder than 5.1; I hope I can convince the students of that. Have a good weekend!
Sweet justice.
