08.12.2026 - Wednesday - Recap

 08.12.2026 .  - Wednesday - Day One

     Science and Math was both an introduction to class procedures and a practical introduction to how those procedures look each day. The most important routines were the seating (groups), the interactive student notebooks, and today’s mini-labs meant to give a preview on what a typical day might cover.

     In science we had a few notes that began with supplies but quickly covered a “fact.” “The universe is, about, 14 billion years old.” Most students dutifully wrote this but I wanted to remind students that science is not a collection of facts. Facts are useful and our text book is replete with facts yet that is not science. I once taught a wonderful student who knew every element on the Periodic Table by symbol, name and mass. When I worked as a computer programmer with chemists, at Chevron Corporation, the chemists would, often, look up information on elements and compounds using the Periodic Table. While knowing all of the “facts” about elements is fun and useful, it is absolutely not “Science.” Science is a way of problem-solving. A way of thinking. A way to work in teams and with peers to solve problems and uncover deeper truths about the nature of reality.

      A simple Science experiment, today, was the “Golf Ball Bounce” experiment. We used it not only because I enjoy a good round of golf, but because it will introduce the students to a important concepts in science; variables and experimental error. (Along with unit conversions.) 

      In math the goal was similar; introduce students to problem-solving in a small team while addressing a question that seems simple, at first. “How many different ways can a manager, in baseball, arrange nine different players in a batting order?” The problem-solving includes drawing a diagram or picture; solving a simpler question that is similar. Finally; finding a pattern. 

     Today’s introduction, in all classes, introduced procedures and routines while giving a small taste of what a typical day might include. Science and Math are a process and way of understanding our complex universe. On to a year of discovery ….

August 11th - Tuesday - First Day preview and notes

 

August 10th, Monday - 2026 - Week #1

Science / Math - Mr. Forbes - August, 2026

Welcome Back to School! This year we’ll be teaching four science classes and one math class in room B1. We have large class sizes in seventh grade, and I wanted to introduce myself and let you know what will be needed in our class for success. I like to keep supplies and routines as straightforward as possible so students are not overwhelmed by details and can instead focus on the curriculum and on being prepared for high school.

I’ve taught math and science for two decades and have been here, at the Pacifica School District, for about half that time. Before teaching, I worked for Chevron Corporation in various capacities (mainly as a computer programmer), and my experiences with an international petroleum company informs much of my teaching in chemistry, Earth science, and the engineering design process.

Seventh-grade science standards focus on biology and evolution. The standards cover quite a bit of ground, and the focus here will be;
Earth Science and the interaction between Chemical Cycles and Biology.
The human impact on the environment and the ongoing challenge of living sustainably.
A background of how life developed on Earth and the mechanisms of evolution.
The importance of biodiversity and being environmental stewards.
The Engineering Design Process (EDP) and Scientific Method.

Math curriculum both complements and enhances the Science curriculum with particular focus on solving one and two-step equations, the Cartesian Coordinate System, solving word problems, probability and statistics, arithmetic properties, solving inequalities, proportions, percents,  and the geometry of circles, triangles, and three-dimensional solids.

 Material for all classes;
A. Spiral-bound notebook. These will be used daily. Students may use a binder with lined paper, but an eight-inch by ten-and-a-half-inch  (8” x 10.5”) spiral notebook works well for both taking the notes and having a resource to use on our exams and assignments.
B. Pencil and Pen.
C. Colored pencils. (A small pack is fine.)
D. Small hand-held pencil sharpener. (These are for the colored pencils as pencils with color tend to be tough on our mechanical sharpeners in class.)
F. Glue sticks. (For our handouts, diagrams, and notes.)

In math, there will be a text-book to take home and a class-set as well, so there’s no need to carry a book in the backpack. Science relies on the spiral notebook being in class and ready-to-go each day.

The whole class can check their Google Classroom and my website (www.pacificascience.org) for the interactive class notes and assignments.

I’m looking forward to another year of learning and discovery! We’ll be jumping in on the first day with assignments as we make every one of our 180 days together count.

Happy first week of the ’26 / ’27 school year!

Mr. Forbes- Room B1 - Science and Math

Science - Final Exam Study Guide

 Final Exam Study Guide- 

Open Note

1. The Kingdoms of Life - How many - Describe each- 
2. Plankton and the food pyramid - Producers vs Consumers - Heterotrophs and Autotrophs.
3. Similarities and differences between plant, animal, fungal, and bacteria cells.
4. Subatomic particles - The relative size and charge of protons, neutrons, and electrons.
5. The conservation of matter and energy.
6. Displaying data on a chart in science. Where do we place the independent and dependent variables?
7. Natural vs Artificial Selection.
8. Season and tide - what causes each?
9. Age of The Universe and age of Earth
10. The Law of Superposition.
11. Fossils - What are the types and variety of fossils?
12. The rock cycle. Types of rock and what drives the rock cycle.
13. Evidence for evolution.
14. Newton’s Three Laws of Motion.
15. The Engineering Design Process and Scientific Method.

Week #37 - Tuesday - May 26th - Science Final Exam Study notes (continued)

 

May 22nd - Board pics for Math and Science (more Science Final Exam review)

 

May 21st - Thursday - Board pics and pictures from Tuesday's Eye dissection.