BACK	Grade 8 1999-2000 Michael Desautel Web Portfolio	Science Social Studies   Reading Writing
	top	The Project: Science experiment   Subject Learning I used to wonder about metals and their detection, but now I know that metals with less electrons in their outer energy shell are less detected. The biggest obstacle was to find metals around our area that would be common and easy to find. Two things I learned are metals with less electrons in their outer energy level are less detected and how the coils in a metal detector detects the metals. The detector sends signals from the transmit coil and then receives signals in the receive coil. When the transmit sends out a magetic field of electrons, it pushes the electrons in the coin or metal and attracts the protons, creating the eddy current (magnetic field). The receive coil picks up the magnetic field from the item. (see my notes) Next time, I would find harder metals that are uncommon to find. Technology Learning What did you learn about technology? I learned how a metal detector works and the different mechanisms like the coils and knobs. Sample Student Work My Abstract
	top	The Project:Social studies/ Hammurabi   Subject Learning I used to struggle putting music on the computer, but now I can just put in a CD and get what piece of music I want, finding appropriate music that fits in that slide. The biggest obstacle was finding a way to keep our music on the computer because it would not work with the CD out of the computer. Now, I know to put a CD in, go to the slide, and insert a sound by recording it, not hyperlinking it. Two things I learned are how to put music on a slide and keeping it that way. Also I learned how to make a slide show with music. Next time, I would make the slide show longer and with a little more interesting. Technology Learning What did you learn about technology? How to make music run on a slide show. Sample Student Work The sound on my file is not HTML ready. Please email my teacher for a copy (7 MB). (sedwards@nsd.wednet.edu)
	top	The Project: Wonder Notes (reading) I needed to find research and to take notes about the things we wondered about. Subject Learning I used to not be able to figure out what questions I could use to wonder, to start my research, but now I could use my variables to figure that out. I used metal detector and metals and magnetic field. The biggest obstacle was to figure out how to get notes and from where to get them. Two things I learned are to read to get notes and how a metal detector works with finding metals. Next time, I would take more notes and create a better application for the ideas too. Sample Student Work Sample Notes
	top	The Project: Abstract research writing    We had to complete a paper called an abstract about what happened when we did our experiment. Subject Learning I used to struggle with what I was going to write on the abstract, but now I can look at the topics and figure it out. The biggest obstacle was to figure out which information would fit each paragraph. Two things I learned are that you can make a good application (what the experiment means to the rest of the world) and what information to put in the application--a connection between the experiment and the real world. Next time, I would input and information in each paragraph. Technology Learning What did you learn about technology? I learned to type in the abstract requirements (title, researcher, address, grade, statement of purpose and hypothesis, methodology, analysis of data, summary and conclusion, application. Sample Student Work My Abstract
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