Fast Plant blooming and Hang time ...

In Genetics today after our morning quiz on the immune system, we handed out our Friday Caption (this week on our transformation lab).  We made bee sticks to pollinate our blooming fast plants.  Students pretended to be bees and randomly pollinated our plants.  We will see if we end up with gene frequencies staying the same in the next generation.  We also started our brine shrimp lab and will continue this lab tomorrow testing eggs hatching at different concentrations of salt in water.

Fast plant's blooms below ...  http://www.fastplants.org/how_to_grow/pollinating.php

Below the best transformation lab plates ... LB/Amp and LB/Amp/Xgal from the + tubes ... from our genetis lab yesterday ... Hayden and Cameron's plates.

In Selected Topics we did a mini-lab on gravity and hangtime.  Congrats to Josh (stayed in the air for .39 seconds, best ever in Selected Topics)  We tested six students and calculated the time they were in the air by how the jumped in a standing jump.  T = square root of  (2d/g) ... where gravity is 10m per second squared.  We also continued on our Superstructure lab.  Crunch day will be on Friday.

Computer programming is working on the Josh lottery problem.  Should finish this difficult sort problem tomorrow.

Got home in time to cut two buckets of sunflowers to take to school and take a walk to Long Creek.

First freeze is predicted tonight.  

Transformation Lab results ...

Today was another cold and windy day as the storm Sandy heads north through New York.  In Selected Topics, we looked over the NOAA weather map today to seed how low the pressure was in the center of Sandy ... 960 mb and the isobars were close showing strong winds.  This was considerably lower than we observed during our weather unit earlier in the year.  In this class, we also continued our study of pollinators and student groups work on their superstructures that will be tested on Friday.

In genetics, we went over our study questions on the immune system and finished our transformation lab.  Best student group had about 500 bacterial transformation per plate ... very good!  Tomorrow, we start our brine shrimp lab for a study of animal behavior.

Tomorrow in computer programming we will start our first of two lottery analysis problems.  We are hoping to wrap up qBASIC first of next week.

I had afternoon detention to monitor after school so got home late.  I did run up to Granny's to fill her bird feeder so she watch the birds.

Super Structure start and Bacterial Transformations

Today in Genetics, it was transformation lab day (pBLU Lab from Carolina Biological)!  Students used a protocol to induce bacteria to take up a plasmid.  Results tomorrow and the immune system discussion questions.

In Selected Topics we started our super structure lab ... these structures must have less than 34 grams of wood and must be 7.5-8.5 inches tall ... last year,  we had a student structure hold over 250 pounds.  In addition to working on this structure we are preparing to start our unit on animal and plant science.

Computer programming is still working on sorting problems and making good progress ... I think we can end up qBASIC early next week.

Bumblebees and Sunflowers ... wow!

Frost predicted tonight.  Today was cool with some sunshine.  Several bumblebees were slowly moving through a sunflower plot in Holland, KY.  Ten of my best pictures of today below ...  I cannot wait until the Spring ...

Friday ... pBLU Lab on Monday!

Weather change today ... looks like fall is finally here ... high tomorrow will be about 55 so, a big cool off!

Today the seniors and sophomores missed some class time to fill out a survey.  I had a few sophomores out of computer programming fourth block.

Computer programming worked on the first sorting program and a couple moved on to the second problem of four.  The second problem is called Tobacco Cutters of America and is a payroll problem in which workers wages are calculated over a week.

Selected Topics worked on some physics problems before starting on our animal/plant science unit.  We are going to do a project on pollinators in our environment.  Also, next week, is our last physics problem-solving lab ... the super structure problem, for all our budding construction contractors, carpenters and engineers.

Students in genetics did not have their immune system questions completed but, we did prep up our lab for Monday ... pBLU Transformation Lab ...

http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEPC/SEP/pBLUteac.pdf

Listening to the Patriot football game on the radio versus Monroe County.  Our football team is scoring a lot but behind ... time for a comeback!

Immune system and more ...

In Selected Topics, we wrapped up our electromagnet lab with student designed experiments.  Below is Sean and Erica ... winners of the best electromagnet (transported over 60 paperclips).  Tomorrow will be doing some physics problems (speed, velocity and acceleration).  Structure building next week.

















In genetics today, we had our last student presentation, finished up a lab and prepped up our natural selection lab for next week by doing a little research in the Mac Computer Lab.

Students in Computer project are hard at work on their sorting problems ... a good start.  These problems should take us into next week.

Nice weather today ... took a long walk after I got home.  Still a lot of bumblebees hanging on to the few wildflowers that are remaining!

Electromagnet Lab and Parent/Teacher Conferences

We had Parent-Teacher Conferences after school today.  It is always good to put meet the parents.  We spend a lot of time with their children ... working with them and talking with them each day.  We have some great students at Allen County!  However,  the few problem students we have get most of the attention and much of our time.

Genetics today included an overview of the immune system, student presentations and some review.  Tomorrow will be  discussion questions on the immune system and and some lab work.

Selected Topics today build electromagnets and tested them in a competition ... will post pictures tomorrow.  We have an inquiry lab tomorrow using electromagnets and several types of batteries.

Computer programming are working on their sorting programs and will continue through the rest of the week.

Phet circuit Lab and qBASIC

In genetics this morning, we had two chapter presentations from Ridley's Genome book.  We went over our discussion questions in Chapter 15 ... mostly,  what effects gene frequencies of populations ... natural selection, mutations, immigration, non-random matting and small populations with random drift.   Examples of founder's effect and the bottleneck effect were discussed.  We also stopped for some review.

Selected Topics were back in the computer lab for simulations.  Today we finished the skate park simulations and a electrical circuit simulation.  Tomorrow we are in the classroom to work on some physics concepts and prep up our electromagnet lab.

http://phet.colorado.edu/

Several students were out of the computer programming for a freshman reward day.  We started our last qBASIC problems on sorting and menu building.  Hopefully, we can wrap up qBASIC and head to Microsoft Visual BASIC by the end of next week.

Tomorrow are parent and teach conferences ... hope we have a good crowd.

This evening I winterized and feed five more hives.  Took a walk just before dark.

Big Oaks, Seeps and back to school ...

Today we had a professional development day at school ... in the afternoon, I worked over an hour on the AP Biology audit which has turned out to be a lot more work than I thought it would be ...

Over the weekend and this afternoon, I went through hives, taking off supers with frames that were empty or near empty, reducing the interior volume with less bees in the hives.  I still have five hives to go.  I also feed them some sugar water in a zip-lock bags with slits cut in them.

Over the weekend, I picked up acorns from several large oak trees around Holland, KY.  Most had a circumference of over 12 feet.  One of the largest was the big Red Oak on the Rich farm near Mt. Zion.

On Saturday morning, I took a walk back of the goat field north of Holland.  Several of the Tulip Poplar trees had circumferences were over 8 feet.  The picture below is one of the smaller ones over 100 feet tall with a circumference over seven feet..

There were some beech ferns growing among hundreds of Christmas ferns.

There was some fern-like moss growing on fallen tree trunks.

Several seeps above the Chattanooga shale layer had small ferns growing from them ...

Tomorrow at school, we will pick back up some of our projects.  In Genetics, Chapter 15 questions and our fastplant lab continues.  Selected Topics in Science will be back in the computer lab to finish their Phet simulations.  Computer Programming moves on to sorting programs.

Parent-Teacher conferences will be Wednesday after school.

Friday - football and a signing ...

Today, one of our softball senior softball players, Brittany, signed to play softball at Campbellsville University.  She was the shortstop on our state championship team and one of two seniors on this year's Patriot team ... congrats Britt!  This makes the 25th player to play in college since fastpitch started in Kentucky and our seventh player to go to Campbellsville.

In first block this morning, we had a student presentation from a chapter of the Genome book.  We also went over the discussion questions on Chapter 14 and started on our Natural Selection lab for next week.

Selected Topics worked on two Phet simulation labs after a graphing problem for their comp book on amplitude and rubber bands.  The first simulation was taking data and graphing amplitude, frequency and period using springs and weights.  The second simulation was a study of gravity on earth, the moon, Jupiter and space.  We will finish this on Tuesday.

We checked our graphics problems in computer programming.  When we return, we will work on sorting programs before starting Microsoft Visual BASIC programming.

Monday is a PD day for teachers so students will have a day off.

Our football team is playing Franklin Simpson tonight.  Both teams are 2-6 on the year but I think we will win the last home regular season game.  The team that wins will have a home game to start the playoffs.

Lots to do on the farm this weekend!

PSAT and Catapult Lab ...

PSAT is over ... we had about 30 students take this test today.  Comments were varied ...  Hopefully, some of our freshmen and sophomores will gain some experience for next year.

We had four students left in Genetics and we worked on Hardy Weinberg problems the whole block.  Tomorrow ... Genome chapter reviews, Chapter 14 discussion questions and finish our population genetics lab.

In Selected Topics, we had our catapult contest ... Conner and Taylor (below) set a new classroom record with 41 out of 50 points ... Congrats!  We will finish the write up tomorrow and work on a Phet simulation.

Seven students are finished with their graphics problems and we will begin checking them tomorrow.  Sorting in on the horizon for computer programming.

After school I mowed the yard and checked a couple of hives.

Jim Perrin, Club Day and PSAT

Club Day at AC-S today ... enough said and you know how I feel about it!

Most of my students in Genetics were out of class today ... several more out tomorrow for the PSAT ... good luck to all those students ... it has been a long time since we had a National Merit Scholar ... one of the most elite and prestigious award you can earn as a high school student.

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/psat/about.html

We will get back to genetics on Thursday.

Tomorrow in Selected Topics is our mousetrap catapult for accuracy competition.  We will also be working on calculations for average speed, velocity and acceleration.

Computer programming is finishing their graphic problems which we will begin to check tomorrow.

After school, I checked a couple of beehives and walked on some grass seed.

Some bad news today was that Coach Jim Perrin, long-time teacher, coach and AD at Christian County passed away after a long battle with cancer.  He was truly one the greatest coaches and best men I met while coaching in Kentucky.  The summer we spent in travel ball with our daughters playing for the Kentucky Monarchs was a wonderful summer and I am grateful for that time and conversations I had with Jim.  He is one reason we were able to put together a program that could win a state championship.  He will be missed by many!

http://www.hughartbeard.com/obits/


kentuckynewera.com




http://www.kentuckynewera.com

Fast Plants and Flying Marshmallow picts

Our Wisconsin fast plants are up in Genetics.  We are raising the F2 generation of a cross that yields a 9:3:3:1 ration (purple stem and green/yellow leaves).  We have our inquiry experiments ready to cross when our current plants flower.

We have club schedule tomorrow and the PSAT on Wednesday.  First block genetics will meet again on Thursday.

Our physics unit is underway and we are working on our mousetrap catapults for accuracy.  These catapults must have a trigger ... delivering a projectile (marshmallow) twelve feet to a bucket.  Below are some pictures from today's construction.

In computer programming we added music to our farm scenes.  We will start checking our graphics problems on Wednesday.

Took a walk to Long Creek after school ... lots of bumblebees on wingstem ... they were barely moving.

Floracliff Nature Sanctuary and Holland Oak Trees

I attended the Kentucky Native Plant Society had their fall meeting at Floracliff Nature Sanctuary (Elk Creek Falls) south of Lexington, KY on the Kentucky River ... the palisades area.  There were hikes with plant identification and a program in the evening ... the final lecture was about Dr. Mary Wharton (former professor at Georgetown College and the founder of Floracliff).  Her connection to E. Lucy Braun and her path to teaching a Georgetown were interesting.

http://www.floracliff.org/
http://www.knps.org/

Floracliff has the oldest documented tree in Kentucky ... a chinkapin oak (Quercus muehlenbergii)... 402 years old from a core taken a couple of years ago.  It was not really that large of a tree on a south slope ... pictured below about 40 feet below the two people standing in the center of the picture

Below a picture from Elk creek.  I could not get a picture of Elk Creek Falls.

Today besides doing some school work, I collected some acorns from several large oak trees for my Holland Oak Trees project.  I plan to plant these is containers next Spring.

Friday and Bumblebees

We had Friday breakfast in first block Genetics today.  Lots of good cooks and mothers that can cook.  I brought my nearly famous "Barnyard" ... everything in the barnyard you can find fried up.  Today's version was a layer of fried potatoes and onion, a layer of scrambled eggs, a layer of fired chicken and sausage, a layer of cheese (four types) and finally many strips of bacon on top.  Once breakfast was over ... we worked on the our population genetics lab and the assigned Hardy-Weinberg problems.  The inquiry part of the lab and Chapter 14 discussion questions are on tap for Monday.

We did a simulation lab of projectile motion in Selected Topics using Phet online software in preparation for our catapult lab next week.  We collected and graphed data from running these simulations.

http://phet.colorado.edu/

In computer programming, we are starting to wrap up the Ol' McDonald farm scene with animation.  I will take some pictures of student's efforts and post them next week.

Above, the bumblebees are not moving very fast by still working the wildflowers.  I have a hard time identifying the type of bumblebees in this area but, found a good source of information today on the Kentucky Native Plant Society ...  Some great information on bumblebees and other pollinators ... link is below ...

   
Your Source for Pollinator Action and Information.

http://www.pollinator.org/

Lab Day ... Wisconsin Fast Plants

Today in Genetics, we did the revised lab for population Genetics using Wisconsin Fast Plants.  We started today with a paper lab preview and then, planted our seeds of a dihybrid cross.  Results in 7-10 days.  Tomorrow, we start the inquiry part of the lab and go over our Hardy-Weinberg problems assigned early in the week.

http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/ap/bio-manual/CB_Bio_Lab_01_WEB_1_24_12.pdf

In Selected Topics, we finished our Astronomy Lab with a test today.  Tomorrow, Physics unit begins. Our Catapult Lab is on the tab for next week.

We are still working on our farm scene with at least three animations in computer programming.

Hardy-Weinberg problems ...

At School today:

In genetics today, we introduced population genetics and worked through several Hardy-Weinberg problems, assigned Chapter 14 discussion questions which has lots of forensic examples. We start our population lab tomorrow using Wisconsin Fast Plants ... one of the new labs for AP this year.

In Selected Topics, I checked the labs from yesterday and we reviewed for our Astronomy test which is tomorrow.

In computer programming most students are finished with their first animation program is busy with the farm scene problem which has three animated objects.

When I got home, I had time to harvest slender mountain mint seed and goldenrod seed.

Typing the Astronomy Test now ...

Pink woods asters and solar system model ...

In Genetics today, we worked on some odds and ends before we head to population genetics tomorrow.  Caption Monday cartoons are due tomorrow.  Hardy-Weinberg problems tomorrow also.

We went outside to model our solar system with sun the being a softball.  It is easy to understand why space is called space after creating a model.  We also worked on HR diagrams for classifying stars.
Tomorrow is review day in astronomy.

Computer programming continued to work on animation using For/Next statements.  A lot of work!  Animations will continue tomorrow!

Stop by Johnson's Lumber for some 2X4s to build a greenhouse stand tomorrow.  Got home in time to take a walk.  Not too many honeybees out because of the cool weather ... bumblebees were sluggish but working on some of the late blooming flowers.

Below is an wood aster that I have not yet identified ... the pink centers are throwing me off. Also, a sluggish bumblebee on a wingstem flower.

Back to work after Fall Break ...

It was back to work at school today ... at least most students returned.

In Genetics to day, we went over Unit 2 Test, discussion question in Chapter 7 and assigned our caption contest for this week.  Tomorrow, Chapter 8 ... genetics and behavior disorders.

In Selected Topics, we went over 5 autumn constellations you should know and recorded the most important facts in their comp books.  We also finished our models for the solar system model outdoors tomorrow.  Space truck competition wrapped up and will be judged tomorrow morning.

Computer programming began their unit in qBASIC on medium resolution graphs ... some simple drawings today and animation tomorrow.

Got home in time for a walk down to Long Creek where they are shelling corn in the government bottoms.  Picked some turnip/mustard greens to take to an older friend and her mother in town with some honey.

The Allen County Beekeepers met tonight ... topic of the talk was "How to be a Lazy Beekeeper".

http://www.allenkybees.com/

Monarchs and Wooly Bear Caterpillars ...

This weekend, we gave our honeybees a second treatment of Apiguard (a thymol miticide) for Varroa destructor.  I don't think we have a big problem with mites and populations in our hives are good.  It seems that hive beetle problem is down also ... we will be taking several strong hives with good honey levels into the winter.

I also walked on annual rye and hairy vetch on our corn fields where there might be erosion problems in the Spring ... around a 2:1 ratio rye to vetch by weight.  I ran our of seed and will finish next week.

I collected seed from mountain mint (hoary mountain mint - Pycnanthemum incanum), maypop and common milkweed.  I am drying them now and will harvest the seed later.

On walks this week, there were many Monarch butterflies heading generally south.  It did not frost here this weekend and it is looking like a great week ahead for weather.  Our second crop buckwheat will have a chance to bloom.  Most wildflowers are about finished but iron weed, some wing stem, blue mistflower, thistle and some asters are still blooming.  Below is a monarch sharing nectar reluctantly with a bumble bee.  Also below, Maypop pods on a fence.

I saw a totally black wooly bear caterpillar this weekend.  A cold winter ahead?  This caterpillar is the larva form of the Isabella Tiger Moth ... a favorite food source is milkweed.  Wooly bears freeze in the winter ... below is from wikipedia ...


"The moth Pyrrharctia isabella is known by different common names at its two main life stages. The adult is the Isabella Tiger Moth and the larva is called the Banded Woolly Bear. The larvae of many species of Arctiid moths are called "woolly bears" because of their long, thick, furlike setae.
The insect can be found in many cold regions, including the Arctic. The banded Woolly Bear larva emerges from the egg in the fall and overwinters in its caterpillar form, when it literally freezes solid. First its heart stops beating, then its gut freezes, then its blood, followed by the rest of the body. It survives being frozen by producing a cryoprotectant in its tissues. In the spring it thaws out and emerges to pupate. Once it emerges from its pupa as a moth it has only days to find a mate before it dies."   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrharctia_isabella


Tomorrow we return to school.  Genetics will go over their last test, Selected Topics will be finish preparation for their solar system modeling lab on Tuesday and Computer Programming will start a unit on graphics and animation.  Back to work!

False blue Indigo and more!

While at Kyle and Rachel's in Champaign, I was able to go for a walk at the prairie restoration site near Mohomet, across from the Museum of the Grand Prairie.  Several plants were were just right for harvesting seed.  I was able to get a good supply of compass plant, prairie dock, rattlesnake master and false blue indigo.  All are found in parts of Kentucky.

I am drying the seed now but, I am excited about planting some in our garden next spring and at a couple of locations on our farm.  

http://www.museumofthegrandprairie.org/

I am most excited about the false blue indigo which is a legume and perennial.  It reproduces by rhizomes and seed ... likes dry rocky clay soil so, should do well here!  Historically, used as a blue dye. Not my picture below ...



hoffienursery.com

Omega-3 and DHA ... on NPR

One of the great things about a road trip is listening to NPR ... some things should not be privatized and public radio / TV are two of many ... not sorry, Mr. Romney ... big business is just that! 

On the Diane Rehm show, there was a discussion on the advantages of Omega-3 fatty acids in your diet relevant to Omega-6.  Also discussed, were the advantages of getting DHA into your diet, a particular type of omega-3.   This discussion pointed out the importance of eating lower down the food chain (biomagnification revisited) ... hence, algal DHA instead of salmon. From Wikipedia below:

Docosahexaenoic acid
IU

All this is reference to our discussions in class on fatty acids, cell/organelle membranes and although I don't show this video anymore ... Lonrenzo's Oil.  Love the polyunsaturated fatty acids!!!

From the Diane Rehm show below ... October 3, 2012

 Assessing The Health Benefits Of Omega-3

Omega-3 fish oil supplements are widely thought to help prevent a variety of ailments including heart disease, Alzheimer's and depression: Assessing the health benefits of an Omega-3 rich diet.

Guests

Dr. Majid Fotuhi -  chair of the Neurology Institute for Brain Health and Fitness, and assistant professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Paul Coates -  director of the Office of Dietary Supplements at National Institutes of Health.

Thomas Sherman  - associate professor of pharmacology at Georgetown University Medical Center.

Susan Allport  - journalist and author of "The Queen of Fats"

http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-10-03

Ann Arbor, Champaign and Marian University.

We finished up school last Friday and are now on fall break.  In Genetics we had a unit test and assigned a reading assignment for the fall break.  Selected Topics worked on their solar system modeling lab.  We checked problems on arrays in computer programming with five students remaining to be checked when we return on Monday.

On Friday afternoon, Sue Neal and I headed to Ann Arbor to see our youngest daughter at the University of Michigan where she is in graduate school.  We spent Friday night at my father's house in Ohio and drove up the next day.  We toured the campus, went to Nichols Arboretum near campus, the University of Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens (pictures below).  On Sunday, we drove out and took a hike at the Pinckney State Recreation Area.

We stopped by Albion College and Warren Dunes State Park on our way down to Champaign on Monday.  While in Champaign, I went out to the prairie restoration park, harvested some wildflower seeds.  We went to Curtis Orchard and Prairie Garden Center.

Today, we stopped by Marian University (Indianapolis, IN) to eat lunch with our nephew Jess and Colleen.

There was an orchid exhibition at the Matthaei Botanical Garden, below are two of many.  http://www.lsa.umich.edu/mbg/

There was an exhibit of carnivorous plants ... below are pitcher plant and below that, venus flytraps.

There was also a very good desert biome plant exhibit ... picts below ...

More picts from the trip tomorrow ... glad to be back in Holland!

Congrats to our golf team ... finished 12th at the state golf tournament which is non-classed.  Proud of you!