DEBATE & DISCOVERY

Hello everyone,

I hope you're all doing well! We’re heading into the final stretch of the school year, and I’m happy to share that things are going great in science class.

WHERE WE WERE

We recently finished PSSA testing! It went smoothly, and I'm sure students enjoyed having some special schedules throughout testing days. The weather was absolutely great during testing, and we were able to enjoy the fresh air! I’m proud of the students' focus and positivity throughout the testing period. We also just wrapped up our Weather & Climate unit, and I’m excited to report that students did very well on their unit test—the last major test of the year in science.

WHERE WE ARE

We’ve just finished the David Attenborough Netflix documentary A Life on Our Planet. The documentary connects directly to our next focus on human environmental impacts. It also relates to topics we covered in the Weather & Climate unit. Tomorrow (5/8), we will start work on our structured classroom debate. Each class will be split into four groups and tackle two essential questions raised in the film. Students will spend time researching, preparing arguments, and presenting their positions in what promises to be a thoughtful and engaging discussion. The debate is a great starting point for the unit!

WHERE WE ARE GOING

Following the debate, we’ll dive deeper into Earth's Resources and Human Impacts on the environment. The unit is heavily discussion and project-based. Many opportunities to learn more by studying and analyzing data, etc. We'll make connections to Pennsylvania—examining geology, natural resources, population, and more—to better understand how human activity shapes the environment at both local and state levels. This unit helps sum up a lot of key points discussed earlier in the year and takes it to another level.

Thank you for your continued support and engagement with our science classroom! If you have any questions or want to connect further, please don’t hesitate to contact me at curtis_catwood@conestogavalley.org. You can also follow our journey on Instagram at @classwithcatwood, where I share updates and snapshots of our exciting classroom activities.

Thank you,

Mr. Catwood

BEYOND THE WEATHER

Hello everyone,

As we began April, we have continued our exploration of weather, climate, and the world around us! As always, I’m so proud of the creativity and thoughtfulness your students bring to our classroom. Here's a look at what we’ve been up to and what’s coming next in science!

Where We Were

Over the past two weeks, we wrapped up our focus on severe weather. Students learned about hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, droughts, and floods, focusing on how these natural events can impact communities. Students completed their Weather Preparedness PSA projects to bring their learning to life. From engaging video presentations and thoughtful podcasts to vibrant digital flyers and informational slide decks, each student chose their medium to raise awareness and share safety tips for different types of severe weather. Their work was impressive and showed both scientific understanding and creativity!

Below are some video projects:

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/b04799_f7f14dddb7df43e99593423d41e8776b/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/b04799_44e7ff708fe14a1e8e43f92b77c366a2/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/b04799_87528953efdb40c7ba39023abaf8f063/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Where We Are

This week, we shifted gears from weather to climate. We’ve been exploring what climate really means—how it refers to average weather patterns over a long period of time, not just daily conditions. Students have compared the five major climate zones:

• Tropical

• Dry

• Mild (Temperate)

• Cool (Continental)

• Polar (or Alpine)

  
  

We’ve started to analyze how climate affects different regions, ecosystems, and human activity across the globe, but will be exploring this more. Students are beginning to see the connections between their local weather and larger climate patterns.

Where We’re Going

Next week, we’ll begin learning about climate change and the greenhouse effect, just in time for Earth Day! This will lead into a review of everything we’ve learned about weather and climate as we prepare for our upcoming unit test, which will be held after ELA, Math, and Science PSSA testing is complete. During PSSA testing, we’ll keep things light and focus on reinforcing key concepts from the unit.

Looking ahead, we’ll close out the year with Earth’s Resources and Human Impacts on the Environment. This final unit will give students a chance to think critically about sustainability, conservation, and how science can be used to protect our planet.

Thank you for your continued support and engagement with our science classroom! If you have any questions or want to connect further, please don’t hesitate to contact me at curtis_silverwood@conestogavalley.org. You can also follow our journey on Instagram at @classwithcatwood, where I share updates and snapshots of our exciting classroom activities.

Thank you,

Mr. Catwood

THE WONDER OF WEATHER

Hello all,

It's hard to believe how much we’ve covered already in our Weather & Climate Unit. We’ve been having a great time, and I’m excited to share what we’ve been working on and what’s coming up next. Here’s a quick update on our recent and upcoming activities!

Where We Were

We just wrapped up several demonstrations and discussions centered around air pressure & density, global & local winds, and air masses & fronts. Students explored how these elements affect weather patterns and the environment. We also incorporated live data from Earth Nullschool, which allowed students to observe how winds move different pollutants around the globe. This real-time data gave us a hands-on look at how wind currents influence the distribution of materials and how they impact local and global climates (a topic we'll explore in more depth in the coming weeks). These discussions helped students connect the theoretical concepts of atmospheric science with real-world phenomena.

Below is a photo of one of the demos showing the differences in pressure during our Air Pressure & Density station rotations:

Where We Are

Currently, we are diving into weather maps and symbols. We’re learning how meteorologists use forecast maps to predict future weather patterns and how observations of the atmosphere are key to understanding our weather. Students are getting familiar with interpreting weather symbols and learning how to identify different features on a weather map. Additionally, we’re about to wrap up our Watching the Weather project. Students have made weather observations over the past three weeks using their senses and applied everything we've discussed, from clouds and air pressure to fronts. In the final reflection and discussion, we will analyze what patterns we can see in our local weather based on what we've learned.

Note: The Watching the Weather Project and the work from this week will be on Marking Period 4 since Marking Period 3 ends this Friday.

Where We Are Going

Looking ahead, we'll continue to explore severe weather (which we started this week), and next week, students will start working on a Public Service Announcement (PSA) project. The focus will be on tornadoes, hurricanes, droughts, floods, or blizzards. Students will choose one of these events and create a video, podcast, or slide presentation to inform their classmates about their event and the dangers it presents. They'll research the event, learn about trends, and explore how these phenomena impact the areas where they occur. This project will give them a deeper understanding of severe weather events while allowing creative expression. After completing this project, we will move into the final section of our Weather & Climate Unit.

Thank you for your continued support and engagement with our science classroom! If you have any questions or want to connect further, please don’t hesitate to contact me at curtis_silverwood@conestogavalley.org. You can also follow our journey on Instagram at @classwithcatwood, where I share updates and snapshots of our exciting classroom activities.

Thank you,

Mr. Catwood