Christmas was great!

We had a great Christmas ... our children were in for Christmas for the first time in three years.  They are headed out this week and we will miss them ... again!  We all went out to eat yesterday and to a movie, Sherlock Holmes - A Game of Shadows (my family reluctantly but I was enthusiastic).  I got some great gifts ... two Sherman live traps to hunt for elusive golden mice of Kentucky this summer.

http://www.shermantraps.com/

I also got a new 10" smoker for beekeeping, some new Merrill shoes, a new tractor seat and some books ...  a great haul ... must have been good this year!

Starting Saturday we will be back to posting AP Biology updates and get down to work.  We will have less than a semester to cover a lot of material the 12 required labs!  I hope your ecology reading is coming along!  Softball starts back next week ... I will send out a practice schedule on our email list on Sunday.  I updated what I could on the KHSAA seasonal schedule today although some coaches have not listed their tournaments for scheduling yet. We will be playing in some tournaments this year without playing pool play ... lose one and go home ... great pressure!

Still taking lots of walks and seeing lots of deer.  Hannah and Rachel went with me today. Rained most of the day today!

Coyote Christmas ...

Early this morning after the deer moved on a single coyote visited our back yard.  In the last picture the coyote was in a hunting mode spying a cat close to our bird feeders.  Sue Neal intervened with a shout and some clapping ... sending the coyote running into the woods.

2011 Merry Christmas - no snow

No snow for Christmas .. but, that is okay.

John came over Friday night and Hannah flew in from San Francisco on Saturday morning.  Rachel and Kyle are expected in from Carlisle later this evening.

We had Christmas Eve dinner (as Conner family tradition) at Uncle Glen's house this year.  He gives good books for Christmas ... for me it was Earth - The Operators' Manual by Richard B. Alley ... a PBS Companion book ... We had a good evening and a great meal.

As I watch a total of 12 deer just behind our house eat the annual rye and clover I planted last fall ... wishing everyone a great holiday season and the best new year.

AP Bio ... take the day off ... NOT!

rr

Brass Caroling, Wrapping Presents and AP Bio ...

Sam Kent's brass caroling tonight in town.  Sam had about 15 brass players ... we went uptown and played at some several locations then to all the rest homes in town, the YMCA and hospital.  He has organized this for years ... I played the sousaphone, but not well since, I only play once a year.  I did play better this year for some reason or I am getting older and only think I am playing better ... one or the other.  We had chili at the Foster's house afterwards ... several former students played this evening and it was good to update with them.

Sue Neal and I have been preparing for our children to get home for Christmas.  I am pitiful at wrapping presents!  I have tried to take a walk each day during break since when we get back, softball will take up a lot of time.  Lots of birds, squirrels and deer ... ferns, moss and fungus.  I am already looking forward to spring!  I got rained on during my walk this morning but the rain sounds in the woods were wonderful.  Pictured below is a small brown toadstool from a walk this week ... a little larger than a quarter.

A little encouragement to my AP students to work on the Christmas reading assignment.  Also I would encourage you to watch the Anderson youtube video on Lab 12 before you return ... We will be using LaMotte kits which are different but, the procedure is the same ... a good pre-lab look!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEcBQurjUQ4

While reading the ecology material pay close attention to energy flow (food chains cannot be long!), the biogeochemical cycles (especially carbon-oxygen and nitrogen), population growth curves (J and S), symbiotic relationships (nitrogen fixation / legumes and bacteria or ... lichens are my favorites) and competition.  We will hit the ground running on the first day.  Be ready!

Christmas Break and rain today ... picts

We are in Christmas Break ... still grading papers though.

This weekend, we had Claire's parents down for lunch ... we had a great visit.

On Monday, I made up some bee candy to put in some of our weaker hives (15 lbs. of sugar, 4 cups of water, 1 quart of fructose syrup, 1/2 teaspoon of creme of tarter and 1 teaspoon of apple vinegar).  After cooking I put in aluminum pie pans the put a pie in each weak hive using the new shims I have made ... see picture below ... I painted the shims some bright colors for a change.  I checked all 18 hives and the bees were moving around some since it was near 50 degrees.

Today, I went for a walk early and the bees were out ... probably a few cleansing flights ... bathroom time! Lots of birds and squirrels out this morning when the sun was out.  Rain started at about 11:00.  I have been taking different routes each day on the walks to Long Creek and back.  Only thing green in the woods in late December are masses of moss and Christmas ferns.  (see below)  Some of the mosses are bright, almost florescent green.  Also saw some old logs with bracket or shelf fungus today ...  some pictures below ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bracket_fungus

Last day of school this semester and Christmas Break begins!

We finished up finals and final projects the last two days.  I handed out the AP Biology books this week with a Christmas reading assignment (Chapters on Ecology) and our first lab (AP Lab 12 - Dissolved Labs and Primary Productivity Lab) which will be the third day upon return in January.

It was farewell today for the students in Genetics (many are going on to AP), Selected Topics in Science and Introduction to Computer Programming (freshmen programmers ... we were the best ever!).  Below are students (some took off for Christmas Break early) in those three classes ... Merry Christmas to all and I hope you have a great and safe New Year with lots of 3s, 4, and 5s!

Got home about dark and John was here.  I took some groceries up to Granny and Uncle Glen was visiting so I stayed and talked for awhile.  Claire's parents are coming for lunch tomorrow.

Home late ... raining ...

Sue Neal and I got home late tonight ... I supervised after school detention then went to the end of softball practice.  Got home and went back to town for our faculty dinner ... getting home late.

Today in Genetics we had our final which was not comprehensive but over the last 7 chapters of our Ricki Lewis textbook.  Tomorrow, we will wrap out some paperwork and we are having breakfast in 509 to celebrate our semester of genetics.  I am making my nearly famous barnyard ... everything in the barnyard thrown into a skillet.

We finished our exit project presentations in Selected topics today.  Again some good thoughtful presentations with good support posters.

Tomorrow in computer science we will peer evaluate our final projects in Visual BASIC.

Half the school year is over tomorrow ... after Christmas, two sections of AP Biology and one section of Selected Topics in Science.  Looking forward to AP Bio ... I have some great students and we should get some serious work down before the AP Exam on May 14th 2012 ... a Monday morning.

Taking some pictures in class tomorrow and will post!

Finals start tomorrow and news from college!

Got home in time for a walk to Long Creek.  Lots of deer on the move ... I saw over a dozen.  Squirrels, a red-tail hawk, barred owls and a few frogs barely croaking in the wetlands near the creek.  I don't know what they were thinking, but it was over 60 degrees here today with sun.  Did not feel much like winter!  I have yet to see a coyote this fall but hear them often and since we have lived here, I only seen one bobcat.  They probably see me or more likely hear me coming.

Checked several bee hives on the walk ... all buzzed up on a tap to the side of the hive ... during the break I will check and feed some of them ... it is a long time to February and those first blooming plants.

I was at Berea College on Monday.  We currently have five former students there and they all seem to be doing well ... saw four of them while on campus, they were getting ready for finals and I hope finals went well ... Raissa, Allison, Kelly and Caleb.  I really like Berea ... it is the best deal in Kentucky for a great college education!

http://www.berea.edu/

It is that time of year when you hear from a few freshmen and how they have toughed out that first semester.  Erika reported in from Emory and Krisston from WKU ... both said they had good semesters.  I am happy for them.  I know that regardless of how it goes, it is so good to get home for that first Christmas!

At school today, in Genetics, we finished handing out AP books and Christmas assignments.  We went over our last discussion questions and some information about our final tomorrow.  I just finished typing it and it is a little heavy on the immune system, Hardy Weinberg and fertility.  Good luck tomorrow and then on to AP.  We are planning breakfast in 509 to celebrate the end our Genetics course on Friday as we hand in books.

In Selected Topics, we started our exit project presentations ... some good ones ... Pandas, serial killers, diabetes, the science of love and more.  It is important to learn how to gather and organize material.  We will finish these presentations tomorrow.

We start the peer review of our exit projects tomorrow in Computer Programming ... it will take part of tomorrow and all Friday to finish.  They look great!

Two days until finals ...

In Genetics today, we finished our last reading assignments of the semester.  Tomorrow will be review for the finals and some final discussion questions from the last two chapters.  We are also handing out the AP books for second semester.  AP students have a reading assignment over Ecology during Christmas break.  I am also handing out our first lab ... Dissolved Oxygen and Primary Productivity Lab (AP Lab #12).  We will do this lab the first Thursday upon return to school.  We will have two sections of AP Biology in the spring ... about 45 students.

In Selected Topics we wrapped up the preparation for exit projects.  Students will give their presentations starting tomorrow.

In Computer Science, we have several good exit projects started using some great programming (for beginners) ... string variables for passwords, invisible buttons and multiple forms.

Our softball team had weight-lifting after school but I had to supervise detention until 4:00 ... Coach Bunton and Coach Carter took conditioning.

Stayed after practice to write a recommendation for a student and got home after dark.

Talked to John and Hannah this evening on the phone ... it will be good to get our children home for a visit during Christmas break!  I need to update several parts of my website during Christmas ... too busy to do much during the semester.

Finals looming on the horizon ...

Students in genetics worked in reading groups on selected chapters of Napoleon's Buttons ...  we are reviewing the chapters on glucose, cellulose, molecules of witchcraft and caffeine.  One group is reading a chapter in Hot, Flat and Crowded by Thomas Friedman. We are working toward of final on Thursday with reviewing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_flat_and_crowded

ttp://www.amazon.com/Napoleons-Buttons-Molecules-Changed-History/dp/1585422207

Selected Topics spent the day in the computer lab working on their final projects due starting on Wednesday.

Computer Programming end of class projects are due on Friday.

Sunny weekend, back to work!

I was able to get two long walks in this weekend between projects.  Jeremy and Austin came out on Saturday morning and we took a long walk down to Long Creek. We were trying to find the trail mentioned in last week's newspaper article to the Long Creek wetland project downstream near Calvert springs.  The only trail we found crossed the creek which would not be easy.  We saw some beaver activity on the trees along the creek.

I took another long walk at noon today.  Below is the best waterfall I saw this weekend.  Water was falling over a thick slab of limestone on to the top of shale where I was standing to take the picture.  It is not on our property, but just across the fence at the back of Aunt Nell's farm.  Also below, we have a lot of birds now coming to our feeders ... goldfinches, red-bellied woodpeckers, nuthatches, cardinals, bluejays and many more.  Today, I looked off the porch and it appeared that the mourning doves were keeping watch on the feeders, branch at the top of the picture.

This is the last week of school this semester.  We are finishing up several projects and reviewing for finals this week!

Friday ... partial lunar eclipse tonight late!

We had our last reading groups' reports this morning on the Ridley / Genome book, selected chapters.  We took up the books and was able to get in some our discussion questions in Chapter 19 ... we will try to wrap up the text book on Tuesday.  We are still using Human Genetics textbook by Ricki Lewis.  I really like this book but, who knows in this time of austerity when we will update books.   Monday we will have a reading from Napoleon's Buttons book and will begin our review for the final.

We finished our study of animals and taxonomy today with a test.  We will start our final push on our student generated final projects on Monday ... wrapping up their research and working on their posters.

Checked Problem 7 (a tutorial with MC questions in Visual BASIC / multiple form project) today during class.  Everyone will wrap up their final projects next week.  Lots of interesting projects!

Got home in time to take a walk this evening but returned in the dark ... full moon ...  partial lunar eclipse in the early morning!  blood moon!

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/02dec_lunareclipse/

http://shadowandsubstance.com/

Big Bird Test, Club Schedule and Softball practice

We had club schedule today with several students out of Genetics ... tomorrow we have our reading groups and selected discussion questions from Chapters 19-21.  Today was Haiku Thursday, the topic was the immune system ... we had some great entries ... voted best by the class were entries from Alex B., Morgan and Aaron ... congrats!

 My favorite ... from Alex ...

No pathogens live
Against a powerful force -
Antibodies rule!

We had no one out of class for Selected Topics on Club Day Schedule.  We took our Bird ID test - The Big Bird test.  We also graphed data in our ACT practice time and started are short survey of human organ systems starting with the digestive system.  Tomorrow is our Animal Taxonomy test.

Several students were out of Computer programming last block but, a few students started their final project, due on the last day of the first semester.

Softball practice after school with some of seniors and juniors hitting after lifting.  I am so glad we are getting back to the cages and working on our hitting.

WInter finally reaches Kentucky?

We have enjoyed mild weather up to this point but, it appears we are in for some cooler weather (by Kentucky standards).  Snowed south and west of us today but all we saw was a few flakes.  We did not have softball practice today so got home in time for a walk to Long Creek and back.  It was dark by the time I got back to the house.  Stopped by some beehives and tapped the side ... each one gave a good buzz.  Each has a few thousand bees hanging out in a cluster with the Queen in each hive.  Some hives appear short on honey and I will have to feed them later in the winter.

At School ...

We have club schedule tomorrow so several students will be in and out of class.  In Genetics tomorrow it is Haiku Thursday ... topic is the immune system.  I will post a few tomorrow.  We finished our chapters on the immune system and cancer today.  We tried out some high end questions on the immune system from our Campbell Biology test bank.  On Friday, we will have our second reading group session on Ridley's Genome book.  We may try to get in some of the discussion questions on our last chapters tomorrow if, we have enough students remaining in class.

In Selected Topics, we finished our student of Animals and taxonomy.  We have the Big Bird test tomorrow (Bird Identification).  On Friday we will have our Animal and Taxonomy Test.   One more week to go and we will spend it on organ systems.

Our Computer Programming class is working hard to finish up their problem 7 and start their final projects which is their Final.

PSAT, Ridley, Chordata and Transparent Labels

Today in Genetics, we met in our reading groups and reported on Chapter 6 - Intelligence of the Genome book by Matt Ridley.  This paperback a little dated but still good.  We has second reading for Friday. We also spent some time on the immune system and HIV infections.  Tomorrow we will finish our study of the immune system, we have some Campbell test bank questions on immunity and Chapter 18 - The Biology of Cancer discussion questions.

We continued our study of vertebrates in Selected Topics ... Amphibians, Reptiles and Birds.  We discussed the advantages of a four chambered heart and the characteristics of each group.  We spent some time reviewing for our bird test on Thursday.

I had a student drop out of school from this junior class this week.  He was 18 and generally just gave up on school.  He was passing his classes and seemed to like school.  When he came by to have me sign off on his grade he seemed nearly ready to cry ... he said he would get busy on his GED ... he said he had a plan, working for a family member ... it breaks my heart.

Computer Science - We have solved the problem of invisible buttons using transparent labels.  I am still working on embedding videos in our visual BASIC programs.  Most students are starting their final projects.

We got our PSAT/NMSQT scores back today.  I did not see all scores but some our best students were in the 170's, not very close to the 212/240 you would need for National Merit Semi-Finalist.  I had five freshmen in my computer class that I encouraged to take the PSAT.  They made a good showing so maybe by the time they are juniors they might make run to that level.  Usually a million and a half juniors across the nation take this important exam.  There is nothing more important you can put on your resume that being a National Merit Semi-Finalist.

We had softball conditioning after school ... circuit lifting and some agility drills.  We had 23 players participating today.

Got home late.

Hitting starts in Softball and reading groups tomorrow!

This evening we finally got in our new sports center at the high school to hit.  We hit in flights with seniors coming in at 5:00 followed by juniors and on to middle schoolers ... finishing up about 6:30.  Forgot to take any pictures but will next time ... three full baseball cages and lots of room.  Our older players hit well and it was good to get back to work. We lift weighs tomorrow after school.

In Genetics today, more work on the immune system before organizing reading groups for tomorrow.  We are reading selected chapters in Matt Ridley's Genome book.  Tomorrow reading groups will report on Chapter 6 - Intelligence and we will wrap up the immune system.

Selected Topics in Science ... today we continued our study of animals ... starting our study of vertebrates with fish.  We took a practice animal taxonomy test and read a couple of articles in class ... Current Science.

Most students in Computer programming are finishing their last VB problem ... #7 ... a multi-form tutorial and quiz program.  We will start their final projects due at the end of the week next week when we finish Prob7.

Rained all day ... we got between 1-2 inches but northwest of here ... Paducah to Owensboro got over 5 inches.  The ground must have been pretty dry because not a lot ran off ...

Sunday - Rain and more ... some picts

It appears to be going to rain for a few days.  Yesterday was beautiful with sun and high of 65.  I was able to work on our driveway, put machinery away for the winter, and move some fallen tree limbs before heading to the Christmas Parade in town.

Our softball team had a float in the parade (thanks to Joe and Lynn!) and we had about a dozen players able to ride the float with a state championship banner on each side.  There we several hundred people along the route and we ran out of candy to throw out to small children.  It was fun and I espeically appreciated Allison stopping by from Berea to ride with us.  I enjoyed hearing about her first semester in college and all her stories.

On my way home, just out of Scottsville, I saw a fireball (meteor) in the sky toward the southeast.  It lasted for a few seconds and split into two parts before disappearing behind the tree line.  It was really bright and I thought it was a plane going down at first.

Today at noon, I took a long walk from the house, back of the goat field, down to Long Creek and back along Highway 100 to the house.  It was sunny when I started but, cloudy and windy by the time I got back.  The bees were flying at the goat field hives.  Took some pictures of the spring fed stream back of the goat field.  There are three small waterfalls each of about 3 feet along its half mile path. It runs above then on a layer of Chattanooga shale for most of the route before disappearing underground.  Even in the driest portions of the year, it has a good flow of water.  Lots of squirrels out today, as well as many birds.
Some picts from the walk below!

Saturday - Christmas Parade and some sun!

Yesterday at school we had several students out.  Attendance remains one of the most serious problems at our school ...

In Genetics, we worked on the immune system and some vocabulary.  Selected topics learned how to create a taxonomic key, then graphed, analyzed data and recorded data in their comp books and worked on bird identification and quizzed on bird ID.
Computer programming started their final projects.

After school I went of to BSA and got our pitching machines for hitting at the HS next week.  I had just enough time before dark to take a walk.

Other ...

Glasgow football loses in the bid for a state title and Franklin Simpson will be out later today ... six classes ... KHSAA loves the money.  With six classes, that means there is only about 35 high schools per class ... you are in the top 35 teams in state when you step on the field in July!  For basketball, softball and baseball, still non-classed ... which means you have to beat 275 teams, which is okay but not fair ...  Now we have next to no limitations on seasons thanks to the KHSAA, a hardship for teachers that coach, students that play more than one sport and hurts small rural schools.  I have always been a little disappointed with effort and foresight the KHSAA puts forth.  Now with the great Julian Tackett as commission, it has taken a turn for the worse!  I believe the classes should be the same for all sports ... not 6 in football and 3 in track and CC, and no classes on above.  Set a number for all sports!   Limiting seasons is NOT good for students ... period!

Finally ...
Again ... many of our "athletes" will be coming home for Christmas from college and not going back or transferring.   We have a responsibility as educators to fix this problem for the sake of students and their parents/grandparents.  Never choose a school on the basis of playing a sport ... nearly every time, it is the wrong decision!

 

Immunity, animal science and last VB problem

Yesterday we finished up our review game tournament of frequently asked AP Questions.  Congrats to Josh, Alex, Sandy and Aaron for their most wins in the class!

In Genetics today, we have our immunity chapter on the agenda for Friday.  One of the most important topics later in AP, we will spend some serious time tomorrow studying the cell-mediated and humoral responses.  Students have the chapter on intelligence to read for Monday in Matt Ridley's Genome book.

Selected topics finished up our study of invertebrates today ... protostomes vs. deuterostomes ... acoelomates vs coelomates ... and more.  We reviewed our bird ID cards and looked at a small video on elephantitis to go along with our study of parasitic worms.  Tomorrow, a bird quiz, ACT practice, our reading time and a practice test on invertebrates.

We assigned our last VB Problem before starting to work on final projects (student generated for their final).  This problem is a multiform problem.

We had softball practice after school.  Picture below is from our new weight room.  Next practice is on Monday.