home

=Welcome to Mrs. Mortenson's Classroom Wiki =

High School Science Teacher
Email: pmortenson@isd500.k12.mn.us Phone: 507-582-3568  begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 507-582-3568  end_of_the_skype_highlighting

To view Rube Goldberg 2012 Information, please scroll down to Physics section!! ENJOY!!

Classes Taught
9th grade Physical Science (Intro to Chemistry/Physics) Chemistry (College Prep) prerequisite of Alg II or consent of teacher Physics (College Prep) prerequisite of Pre-Calc or consent of teacher

<span style="color: red; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Extracurricular Activities
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Prom Advisor <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Co-Yearbook Advisor

<span style="color: red; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Education
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">1993 from Bemidji State University: B.S. in Chemistry, emphasis in Biology <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">2004 from Bemidji State University: B.S. in Secondary Education (plus graduate level Physics courses) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">2007 from Saint Mary's University: Master of Arts in Education
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Licenses held in Chemistry, Physics, 5-8 General Science.

<span style="color: red; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Experience
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Substitute taught in the area <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Held a long term substitute position in Grand Meadow (2002) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Taught one year at Triton High School (Dodge Center) (2004-5) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Currently enjoys teaching in her eighth year at Southland.

Physical Science
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">9th grade textbook: //Physical Science with Earth Science//- Glencoe- McGraw Hill <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">There are textbooks and CD-Rom versions of the textbook available for daily check out.

<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">[|Atomic Model Examples] <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">[|How to Make an Atomic Model] <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">[|Syngenta Periodic Table] <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">[|The Periodic Table- Interactive] <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">[|About The Periodic Table of Videos]

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">We work on many smaller projects and hands on lab activities throughout the year, of which the larger atomic model project and the mousetrap car project are favorites. The students learn by doing and applying the concepts that they are introduced to throughout the year.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Chemistry
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Chemistry Textbook: //Chemistry- Visualizing Matter// (Technology Edition)- Holt, Rinehart, & Winston

<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> <span style="color: red; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">[|The Periodic Table-Interactive][|Atomic Model History] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The major focus throughout the year is to help the students form a solid foundation of Chemistry concepts and incorporate critical thinking skills to solve scientific and mathematical dimensional analysis problems. The students learn about atomic theory, the periodic table trends, ionic/covalent bonding and naming, organic chemistry (structural and naming), stoichiometry, reactivity, acids/bases, and nuclear chemistry. The students also learn to incorporate scientific writing into their understanding by keeping lab books and writing formal lab write-ups.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Physics
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Physics Textbook: //Conceptual Physics// (3rd Ed.)- Paul G. Hewitt <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">supplemental materials are used: //Problem-Solving Exercises in Physics// -Foresman-Wesley <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">//Holt Physics// -Holt, Rinehart, & Winston

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The students work hard incorporating the conceptual views of Physics and applying the mathematics and science together to better understand the world around us through microscopic and macroscopic viewpoints. The year will start with basic mechanics (and a quick, strong math review through trigonometry) and will be using dimensional analysis throughout the year. We will explore areas such as linear/projectile motion, Newton's Laws, Momentum/Energy, Gravitation, Special Relativity. We will then launch into a quick review of the properties of matter which will lead into Thermodynamics. The final portion of our year will take us through Sound, Optics/Light, Electricity, and Magnetism. There are several invention labs, including the Rube Goldberg Competition, that the students will participate in which will simulate real life experiences that engineers face on a daily basis. In these labs the students will demonstrate their understanding of various scientific concepts through the process of application.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">In 2012, the Physics program was awarded a grant from the IBM Corporation that allowed the Southland school to purchase Slates for each Physics student to check out for the year. This enabled the classroom to be 'flipped', in which the students view the lesson outside of class and attend class time for help with their homework. All of this is done via the interactive screened slate, and it has evolved into a completely digital (paperless) classroom environment.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">[|The Physics Classroom Tutorial] <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">

<span style="color: #111212; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">** The Rube Goldberg Contest ** takes place at Minnesota State University- Mankato each year. The theme for 2012 was to ‘Blow Up a Balloon and Pop it'. The teams utilize 5 different scoring criteria to build their machine for judging, with a minimum of 20 steps (energy transfers) being required. Southland always does well at the competition and the teams experience what it may be like for an engineer to implement something from design to product. This year, Team Birthday Bashers earned a 2nd place finish in the competition and also earned the Spirit of Rube Award and will host the Traveling Trophy designed by Mankato engineering students until next year’s competition.

<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Southland Public Schools - 203 2nd Street NW - Adams MN 55909 © Copyright Southland School District. All Rights Reserved. For questions or comments about the district website, please contact Janet Stephenson, webmaster. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">This page was updated on March 27, 2012