Rock Lab, Genetics tomorrow and rain ...

Tomorrow is Halloween ... as we checked the weather this morning on NOAA for our 7 Days of Weather assignment in Selected Topics we recorded that tomorrow's forecast is 100% chance of rain with winds at the 25-35 mph range.  We talked about driving in those conditions in class today ... a caution for young drivers.

Also in Selected Topics, we started our Rock Lab which includes density testing, the rock cycle and local geology.  We will finish on Friday.  Below, two budding geologists.

In AP Bio tomorrow we will prep up our Enzyme Lab for next week, continue our study of Mendelian genetics and go over some questions from previous AP tests.

After school, I went up to Uncle Glenn's to level our a couple of places in his yard with my tractor and loader.  Had to fight off yellow jackets after hitting a nest.  It was warm today, temperature over 70 degrees F.

Grading papers tonight after writing college recommendations last night.

AP Day - Photosynthesis Lab finished ...

In our two AP Biology classes today we finished a photosynthesis lab.  In this lab, we used five cuvettes using DPIP and a cell solution to test boiled vs. unboiled chloroplasts and chloroplasts in light compared to dark conditions.  There was some technique using the spectrophotometers and our results varied.  This write-up will be due on Monday.  On Thursday, we are back to genetics and should be able to finish Chapters 14-15.

Tomorrow, in Selected Topics, we will be doing our Rock Lab which includes density testing and a study of crinoid fossils.

I finished a couple of student recommendations for college today and signed up for insurance.

When I got home, I had time to walk on some rye in a couple of places on our farm that might erode.

Eight period Monday ... Oil and Honey

Today, we had our eight period day in which we meet with all of our classes.  It was a rainy gray day today but, much warmer than this weekend.

In AP Biology, we did the first part of our photosynthesis lab ... paper chromatography to separate plant pigments using acetone/ether as our solvent.  The results were good.  Tomorrow, we will finish this lab using our spectrophotometers and a chloroplast solution made from turnips or mustard.  This is the old version of this lab.  We will do another version using syringes just before our AP test in the spring.  Between lab components, we are working on Mendelian genetics.

In Selected Topics in Science we continued our study of weather (7 Days of Weather) and finished up our map reading assignment.  Wednesday will be our Rock Lab ... determining density, crinoid fossils, Chattanooga shale, geodes from Allen County and more.

In Computer Programming, we are working on problems that use FOR/NEXT, READ/DATA, SPC(), TAB() and counters.  Most students are on the baseball stat program.

This is the last week of regular season football, cross country regionals and volleyball regionals.  Our band was ninth in 3A state.  Basketball is just around the corner.  Lots of things going on at school.

Bill McKibben (350.org) has a new book out titled Oil and Honey.  I have read a few reviews and his interest in beekeeping is one of themes of the book.  Maybe a winter read ...

Buckwheat gone ... first freeze ...

We ended up this week unable to access our documents and therefore not able to program.  We treaded water in computer programming and hopefully we will be able to resume our study of READ/DATA statements on Monday.

In Selected topics, we recorded the weather for the day and analyzed the weather maps on NOAA.  Afterwards, we studied the geology of Allen County (Chattanooga shale, Fort Payne Limestone, crinoid fossils and the oil boon of 1915-1920).  We finished the class wrapping up our map reading of Kentucky.  Next week is our rock lab and plate tectonics.

AP Biology on Monday will be starting their photosynthesis lab.  Paper chromatography to separate plant pigments and practice using the spectrophotometers on Monday and analysis of chloroplasts on Tuesday.  In between, we have genetic problems assigned.

I got home in time to take a walk this afternoon.  My buckwheat plots were in bloom but a freeze last night killed them all.  The sunflowers and winter peas survived the 28 degree temperature.  On my walk I saw a few deer and hear the turkeys moving around on the ridge.  Another freeze tonight before a warm up begins.

No Monarchs since Monday and I think the migration is over.  Tonight, I checked our coneflowers that are still blooming.  There were several bumblebees hiding out below the petals trying to survive until it warms up.

Checking bees tomorrow if it warms up in the afternoon.

Kentucky map reading and more ...

Today, as we began our unit on earth science, we started our 7 Days of Weather observations.  Each day we use NOAA to record the weather and make predictions.  We also spent part of the block with our maps of Kentucky exploring.  It was an old school day but our students do not know much about their own state ... in citizenship science we will try to fix this deficiency.

Students searched for the town with the weirdest name ... Monkeys Eyebrow got a lot of votes!  Also, Black Mountain is still the highest point of elevation in Kentucky ... Stopover is the town furthest east and there are 26 state parks in Kentucky ... it was fun!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkeys_Eyebrow,_Kentucky

Tomorrow in AP Biology we start genetics, prep up our lab on photosynthesis (Monday) and will go over our assigned questions on meiosis.

Journey North reports on the Monarch migration each week.  Monarchs are arriving in Mexico ... hoping for the best and some our visitors from Holland make it.

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/monarch/fall2013/update102413.html

Earth Science, Weather and Map Reading

Tomorrow is Selected Topics in Science day.  We have started our unit on Earth Science and Geography.  We are going to record weather conditions over the next seven class periods using NOAA and weather.com.  NOAA has great forecast maps and now that the government shutdown/setback is over, NOAA is back in business ... it is a great website!

www.noaa.org

We will also do some map reading of Kentucky.  I was able to pickup 30 Kentucky maps on our way back from Michigan.  Most high school students have little knowledge of Kentucky geography and geology.  Even in these days of electronic maps ... some map reading skills and a knowledge of Kentucky geography is valuable.

Also, we have a few students making up tests tomorrow.

Computer programming students are working on SPC and TAB commands, as well as, READ/DATA statements.  The problems include a simple baseball stats program and developing a Countries/Capitals program using READ/DATA.

Michigan Central Station, Detroit and Back to Work Tomorrow!

This weekend, we went to the Detroit Free Press Marathon to watch our youngest daughter run her first marathon.  Hannah finished in under 4 hours.  YEAH!  Rachel and Kyle were there also and we all had a great time cheering Hannah on during the race and being together.  The men's winner was Zachary Ornelas, a U of Michigan distance runner, in the time of 2:20.13 ... a local Ann Arbor runner!  It was a good story about a 22 year old that had to get up on Monday because he is doing his student teaching in the Detroit Public School system.

http://www.freep.com/article/20131020/SPORTS23/310200128/Detroit-Free-Press-Talmer-Marathon-men-winner

While in Detroit we saw the often reported urban decay.  It is hard to see how Detroit will ever recover from being thrown under the bus by the car industry and the exodus to the suburbs.  Often sited as the example of urban decay is the 18-story Michigan Central Train Station, the tallest train station in the world, built in 1913 and shut down in 1988.  Owned by local billionaire Matty Moroun.  ... a beautiful building!

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

Sue Neal and I stopped by in Ohio to check on my Dad.

Tomorrow is AP Biology day.  We will wrap up our Mitosis and Meiosis Lab,  go over our Chapter Questions and start on our Genetic problems.  Computer programming will be checking their EZ problems and solutions before starting on some challenging programming problems.

I saw two Monarchs this evening ... they better be on the move south ... first frost later this week.

Mitosis / Meiosis Lab continues ... wooly bears

Tomorrow is AP Biology day and we will wrap up the mitosis and meiosis lab.  The write up will be due Tuesday because we do not have school on Monday.  Our questions for Chapter 11-12 is due tomorrow also.

Today in Selected Topics, we reviewed for a genetics test on Friday.

In Computer programming, we are checking our first qBASIC problems 1-7 ... then on to some more difficult and challenging problems.  Animation on the horizon.

It rained most of the day ... would have been a good day to be home reading a book.

Last week, I saw several wooly worms (or wooly bears / tiger moth larva) on wild ageratums / blue mistflowers.

AP - Mitosis/Meiosis Lab today ...

Today was AP Biology classes in a block schedule.  We started our Mitosis / Meiosis Lab.  We simulated the stages of mitosis using pop beads and small white boards, did a cell count of the phases of mitosis using onion tip slides, and used Sordaria plates to calculate crossing-over in meiosis.  We did not finish and will have to wrap up a few things on Thursday.

PSAT tomorrow ... it as been ten years since we had a National Merit Semi-Finalist ... only 11 over the last 26 years at our school ... it has been a long dry spell but truthfully, the test is not a priority at our school.  Good luck to those students that did sign up to take the test.

Tomorrow is Selected Topics day and we will be wrapping up genetics, cell division and cancer before our test on Friday.

Parent - Teacher meetings are after school on Thursday!

After school I walked on annual rye grass on waterways where Rex harvested corn.  It was good exercise.  I saw one Monarch this afternoon ... it will have to hurry to make Mexico!

Every morning this last week it has been cool with a heavy dew ... lots of bumblebees spend the night on our purple coneflowers ... they are slow to warm up.  Some of the flowers and weeds have been beautiful in the heavy dew.

Monarch, one more ... A Painted Lady

Tomorrow will we our first day back to school from Fall Break ... an 8 period day and club schedule tomorrow.  In AP Biology, Respiration Lab is due and Mitosis / Meiosis lab starts on Tuesday.  In Selected Topics, we will finish up genetics this week and Computer programming will be working on READ/DATA statements by the end of the week.

I have ended the week in Holland working on fall projects ... planting daffodil bulbs, cleaned the garage, prepared our flower beds for winter, bush-hogged my walking path and around our buildings.  Our Big Burl's Turnip patch has had several visitors for free turnip/mustard/creasy greens.  John, Claire and their dog Chloe were over yesterday and they went canoeing.

Still a lot of butterflies out ... lots of sulphurs and skippers, gulf fritillary, painted lady and a few Monarchs.  I saw a Monarch at the East Allen Fire Hall on Thursday and our last chrysalis eclosed on Friday.  Below, Sue Neal in action as protector of the Monarchs!

Below, some of our other visitors to our butterfly plants ... a Painted Lady, Gulf Fritillary and Clouded Sulfur.

The Big Apple, Berea and No Place Like Home ...

Last weekend, Sue Neal and I flew to New York City to meet our children and their spouses to celebrate Sue Neal's retirement and new beginning after serving public education for over 30 years.  It was a surprise for Sue Neal and we all had a good time.  Most of Friday we were there with John and Claire ... WTC Memorial, Staten Island Ferry (Statue of Liberty was closed to visitors because of our esteemed (lack of) leadership in Washington DC), subway to Chinatown (Mott Street) with shopping and eating at Big Wong King and more.  Hannah, Rachel and Kyle got in late on Friday.

Saturday we were off to the American Museum of Natural History (Hayden Planetarium, IMAX, Frog Exhibit, Whale Exhibit and more), a stroll through Central Park, Fifth Avenue to pick up a necklace, Top of the Rock, Times Square and "Once" on Broadway ... a big day!

Sunday we went to St. Patrick's Cathedral after breakfast on the pier near our hotel in Jersey City, the Metropolitan Art Museum and then John and Claire left for the airport ... Carnegie Deli was fun.  The Weeders (Jules Breton) below ... one of my favorite paintings.

Rachel and Kyle left early on Monday and Hannah took off to the airport after breakfast.  Sue Neal and I went to the Museum of Modern Art, main New York City Library (Stephen A. Schwarzman Building), ate at a Brasilian restaurant and shopped at the Rockefeller Center before heading to the airport.  Flight was delayed and we got home after 2AM on Tuesday.

On Wednesday ... Cameron, Spencer and I went on a road trip to visit Georgetown College (saw former student/softball player Sandy and her family there ... they were picking her up to see a surgeon, broken jaw from catching a pitcher).  Then, off to Berea College for interviews and a tour ... saw two former students there (Ernesto and Rachel).  We got home before dark.

Worked at home today ... planting bulbs and bush-hogging ... it was a beautiful fall day.

"All in the Family" Simulation and Nice Snake!

Today was Selected Topics in Science day.  We did a genetics simulation using dice and gamete cards to generate three generations of a family while following a genetic trait.  We grouped up randomly using the eHarmony method.  Toward the end of class we generated a pedigree of each family.  Friday, we will be studying migrations of animals.  Fall break is next week.

Tomorrow is AP Biology day and we will be working on mitosis and meiosis.  We have a lab over this material when we return so, will hand out the lab instructions tomorrow and prep up the lab.  Below students this week working on the respiration lab.

Most computer programming students are working on problem number five ... writing a program that will allow the user to guess a number between 1-100.

Yesterday, there was a snake in the driveway ... I must be overcoming my fear of snakes because I stopped to take a picture.

AP Day and Monarch Migration continues ...

Today was AP Bio day.  We finished up the inquiry portion of the respiration lab today.  Students selected different types of seeds under different temperatures and designed their own lab using respirometers.  We will analyze their results on Thursday.  Also Thursday, we will discuss mitosis and cell division checkpoints ... students have sample questions for this chapter (Chapter 11).

Tomorrow is Selected Topics in Science day.  We will doing a simulation tracking a genetics disease or condition through three generations.  Students will generate a pedigree of their results.  We will be studying modes of inheritance and probability.

In Computer programming, we are working through the first of our qBASIC problems and we are making good progress.  We worked on the guessing game problem today.

When I got home today, I counted eight Monarchs on one of our butterfly plants ... I thought the migration was slowing down but maybe not.  I was hoping for a small roosting of Monarchs but could not find them when I returned at dark after a middle school football game.  Sue Neal said she would check them in the morning.  Sue Neal found another chrysalis today ... a total of three.