Cell Survivor

"In Cell Survivor we were given a organelle to learn about and to present to the class about the organelle. During the competition you had to vote out groups that you thought wasn't important to the cell and couldn't live by itself. During this you were given an immunity challenge which would make it to where your group couldn't be voted out. On the last presentation you say we should win instead of you shouldn't kick us out. Then the other groups voted and then you would get a winner."
- Marissa M.

"The Cell Survivor is a big project that combines the TV show “Survivor” and science to make an awesome competition. You first are assigned a organelle and you use facts to make your’s stand out. The first day, you make a model of your organelle and you make a quick presentation. The better the presentation, the better the chance of your “survival”. Everyday people get out based on what other organelle’s think. You can also get immune which means no one can vote you out. Everyday, you take a small quiz. The group that gets the most right and turned it in the quickest, they would get immune. The Cell Survivor is a project that I loved and I will never forget it!"
- Shreya R.

Cell organelles created out of recycled and repurposed items and then photographed and edited using the app Prisma.

Cells Lab

"Cells are magnificent parts of every living thing. Studying them helps us learn more about the world around us. To go more in depth, we had done a lab to teach us about differences between animal in plant cells. We took and Elodea leaf and human cheek cells and examined them under a microscope. This helps us realize where the different organelles of the cells were. All in all, the cell lab was an essential part to our science adventures."
- Shrayas and Roma

"The cell lab is where we explored prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells to find and identify different parts of a cell. We found out that most parts of a cell were present in both plant and animal cells, but none were only unique for animal cells. We also learned that every part of the cell plays an important part that helps the cell function properly. We explored different cells and how the parts of a cell can be identified. This lab is also a proof that living things have cells in them. What we finally had to take away from this lab is that cells play an important role and they have cell parts that help the cell function, we also learned the difference and similarities between plant and animal cells."
- Sai Y.

"This week we have been learning about prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, as well as their functions. We did a lab about the cells and how Animal and Plant cells differ and relate to each other. For example we learned that plant cells can only have cell walls, and most living cells have an nucleus, which manipulates the cell. We also further expanded our knowledge of the use of microscopes. The was a extremely memorable learning experience!"
- Payton H and Josephine

"In the cell lab we got to use a microscope to magnify different organisms to up to 400x. We got to see the different types of cells up close and we even got to see the cell wall and chloroplasts up close and also got to see the nuclei. We also got to see our cheek cells up close. We got to see the nuclei of each cell in our cheek."
- George P.

Microscope Lab

"We did the Microscope Lab. First we learned the scientists who made the microscope and helped develop the microscope. We learn that the magnification is objective times 10. We also learn parts of the microscope such as the arm/neck, base, diaphragm, ocular, and some more. We also looked into various substances such as bird blood, heart muscle, tissue and much more."
- Harsha and Shriram

"During the microscope lab I viewed monkey's tounge and heart muscle which looked very cool under the microscope. I also learned that the eyepiece is actually called the ocular."
- Richa
Look at these amazing images that students captured on their phones or iPads through the ocular of the microscope!

Stomach vs Soda

"We are doing an experiment called Stomach vs Soda. This experiment is about how sodas affect the human body, so we are using a cow tissue as our model. Our goal is to figure out how effective sodas can be on cow tissue to see it kids should decrease their intake of sodas and energy drinks. This experiment has a true meaning behind it and it shows us that sugar is not good for our body."
- Sansu, Shreyas, Abhiram

"We are learning about how sugar affects the body tissue. So far, we learned that the sugar in sodas can cause several health issues. Over the course of the lab, we'll be able to find out how the tissue is affected by sugary drinks."
- Yuna, Meghna, Neha, Nicki

Video created by Harish

Epic Fails

"In Science we did a fun project called Epic Fails. We had to use a app called FlipGrid that we would video ourselves talking about a fail. I learned that not everyone is perfect and that even grown ups can make huge mistakes. Also, most fails are hilarious.
- Bella M.

"Can you imagine that your mistakes and fails are celebrated instead of punished? Well this assignment made our fails great achievements. This week we filmed and posted a video of ourselves admitting one of our epic fails. Now every time you ,or your friend, or your family makes a mistake learn from it, celebrate it, and don't do it again."

- Megan P.

Check our our Epic Fail Videos by clicking HERE or watching below!

Sphero Challenge

"The beginning of the year started of with a great project. We started of by coding a Sphero robot. A Sphero is a ball-like robot that rolls around. How it moves is decided by the code. We used a block code and used an app called Sphero edu. This project was group project in which all the groups would compete to be the first to code the Sphero to roll into a marked area. Our group was actually the first to win and we had a lot of fun in doing so. This activity taught us about trial and error, and going around obstacles. This was a lot of fun and led us to think that this would be a great and fun filled year in science."
- Zach, Gavin, Cooper, and Ruchir

"The Sphero was very challenging because we had a very hard track with a lot of twists and turns. The distance between the starting point and the ending point was very long. There were also some difficulties in the challenge, such as binders and feet in he way. We had to use many different codes and blocks to get us in the box. It took us many tries to complete the challenge, and every time we tried we got closer. When we finally completed the challenge, we felt relief because we succeeded. This taught us about trial and error and how we would have to make changes to our code. With each new piece of code came a new challenge and it was really fun to try and get around our obstacles."
- George, Rushil, Akanksh, Mac

Sketchnoting Genetics

Students created sketchnotes and thinking maps to show their understanding of genetic terminology. Check out some of their awesome work!

Created by Landry

Created by Tia

Created by Harika 

Created by Kinley

Mutant Squirrels

"Yesterday we did a lab about genetically mutated species. Each table had a different mutation, and we all tried to get candy. The Candy represented Food in the Wild. Some mutations helped like having an extra hand, but some mutations killed, like fork fingers. I learned that mutations can help and hurt the animals in an environment. If we do not take care of the wild, bad mutations can develop. In the end, most survive, but future mutations might end up driving some species extinct."
- Emily H. and Lindy C.

"We did a squirrel mutation lab on April 5, 2017. In this lab, we gave squirrels "mutations" such as fork fingers, three hands, and no thumbs. The worst one was the fork fingers because it was very hard for the "squirrel" to get food. The best one was the three hands because it was already easy with two hands, and it got even easier with three. We learned that mutations may be beneficial for the animal or bad for the squirrel."
- Sownthar P. and Mihir C.

"Yesterday, we did a simulation relating to mutations. Each group was a squirrel that was mutated differently, and we had to collect and open candy (food) from a common food source. I learned that mutations are different form adaptations because mutations are when DNA gets changed in good or bad ways. Organisms that had helpful mutations actually survived and the organisms that had mutations that were a hindrance to their food-eating ability died out. Also, food that was easier to consume usually ran out more."
- Prerana

*Special thanks to all the parents that donated candy for this lab. We really appreciate it!

World Water Day

In honor of World Water Day, CMSE students worked with 23 different schools around the world to test and compare water quality.  We developed "I can" statements to share how we would conserve water and stop water pollution.  Here are some of their thoughts.

"Our World Water Day Project was so much FUN! We went through some really cool stations with some really cool technology, thanks parents for donating money! We got to look at lake water near us, and we actually found a Protist, which is a one cell organism. It was so cool to see microscopic bugs, and organisms in the water, but it was also kind of gross! Whenever you accidentally drink some of the lake water, that is going in your mouth!"
- Emily H.

"Our world is in danger of losing our fresh supply of clean water. It is projected that we will lose all our water in the next decade. We have to stop and take action. Coppell Middle School 7th grade science students are interacting with many other schools across the earth to help save our water for future generations. We have been testing lake water and also learning new and exciting ways to preserve and purify our water."
- Shriya D. and Adrianna B.

We shared our learning with others using an app called FlipGrid. See everyone's responses here!

Saving Earth

Guiding Question: How can we make the world a better place?

Project Idea #2: Write a Book for Kids on Saving Earth

"Our next project is writing a book and saving the Earth. We are most excited about it because we could be published in a real book in iTunes! This book will inform kids about how our actions can effect the earth, and how we can change our lifestyle to change the earth for the better."
- Cat and Katy

"Millions of years ago, humans were nothing but uncivilized creatures as good as animals, living ruggedly. As we look through time and see evolution, we see that humans have became something more and discovered so much about the world. However, humans completely overpopulating and taking over the world with their cities, homes, and yards hasn't necessarily been the best thing. In our science class, we are writing a Save The Earth book for kids. It revolves around the concept of how we have to take back our planet, and nurse it back to health. It also teaches kids that no matter what their age or home, they can help the world. The best part about the book is that it teaches simple, understandable methods of sprucing up your daily life to benefit the Earth. With hard work, an undeniable amount of resilience and effort, there is no doubt this book will turn out to be a success, because of how it reaches out to kids, and instead of speaking to their heads, it speaks to their heart."
- Veda and Jillian

Current book cover and title

Current chapter ideas

Environmental Pollutants

Guiding Question: How do environmental stimuli, such a pollution alter plant growth?

In class, we decided to figure how different pollutants affected onions. Our groups each got a different chemical to work with. (My group specifically has Ant Killer) Each day we recorded the average of the root growth of the onion. And on the third day, we added the pollutant. It didn't really do much at first but then it stopped growing and it started to break apart at the bottom.
- Najwa and Abbey

In class, we are doing a project on the ways onions respond to different kinds of chemicals we feed it. The purpose of this is to see how different things affect the environment when something contaminates water. This is because we are seeing what would happen if it happened to our water. I have learned that onions grow roots when you put it in water and that some different chemicals destroy the roots and make the onion deteriorate.
- Lindy

These images show the difference in root growth in an onion placed in water compared to an onion placed in acid rain.

Heart Smart Lab

Guiding Question:
How does the environment alter heart rate?

We just learned about the heart and how it works. We conducted an experiment to see how the heart would work when we were scared or nervous. We decided to watch a horror movie trailer and then we recorded our heart rates before and after. We learned that our heart rate increases because of a process called fight or flight. The process increases your breathing and heart rate to help your muscles move faster so you can either fight fear or run away.
- Lindy and Maria

In the Heart Smart ADI Lab, we compared how different levels of stress effects the heart rate. To do this, we solved math worksheets on different time limits. For the first trial, we had 30 seconds; for the second trial, we had 60 seconds; and for the third trial, we had 90 seconds. Once we complete down the experiment, we found that the heart rate for the first trial was much higher than the second and third trials. We learned that this was because stress triggers the body's "fight-or-flight" response. This results in an increased production of adrenaline, which releases sugar into the body. This sugar makes a person more energetic, and have a higher heart rate.
- Joanne

McMush Lab

"During the McMush certain things have been exposed through the power of science. Such as the fact McDonald's meat doesn't have enough protein to be detected by Biuret, which turns food purple if it has enough protein. We also learned about how starch turns into glucose through enzymes in a persons body. Another lesson we learned was the functions of organs in the digestive system, such as how the pancreas produces insulin and the stomach churns."
- Aakash A.

"In the McMush lab, we realized that eating homemade, fresh and organic food is way better than eating fast food. For example a typical cheeseburger, Sprite and fries don't contain any protein or anything healthy. They are loaded with sugar and bad lipids and carbohydrates. In conclusion, we learned that what's in the food matters the most."

- Shriya and Sandi