Semester Ends, Scratch Projects and Labs

As we prepare to wrap up the first semester, lots of projects due and semester exams.

In Computer Programming II, we wrapped up our Scratch projects.  These projects had to be a science simlations that generated data for the user to graph.  Below are pictures of a mitosis simulation and a project on diffusion/osmosis showing some of the coding on the right.  After we return from Christmas break, python programming continues and projects with raspberry pi computers, arduinos and Finch robots.

We had semester tests today in computer programming II, computer programming I (qBASIC) and Selected Topics in Science.  Tomorrow in AP Biology,  we will continue our Excel modeling lab over population genetics (Hardy - Weinberg).  Students model no selection and then generate a project/model of their own to add some student inquiry.  We will have a semester exam in my "A schedule" computer programming I class.  

AP Biology will have a Christmas break assignment over concepts in biotechnology.

Below, my Flex homeroom / Pride Time students celebrated Christmas (with snacks and drinks) and exchanged gifts.  They are all seniors and have been in my homeroom for three years.  Some are starting to fully realize their education at AC-S HS is soon nearing an end.   Friends will drift apart but, new friends will be made.

Excel Models and Python continues ...

AP Biology will be developing an Excel spreadsheet model for a population genetics (using the Hardy-Weinberg) simulation.  After Christmas, we will working in biotechnology ... transformation lab and restriction enzymes / electrophoresis.

Select Topics finished their super structures and tested them last Friday.  This week we will finishing our Jesse Stuart book.  Physics continues after Christmas break ... electricity.

Computer Programming I classes are working on single dimension array problems and sorting ... This week are the Little League Stat program and a program to store, sort and print addresses.  Visual Basic starts after Christmas break.

Computer Programming II groups are presenting Scratch projects this week ... science simulations to be used by science students in our school.  These projects are published on the Scratch website.  We are also working on generating and sorting lists in Python.  After Christmas, we will be working on more advanced Python programs and projects with raspberry pi computers, arduino kits and Finch robots.

My senior Pride group will be exchanging gifts on Thursday during Pride Time.  They have been with me for two and a half years ... a semester to go then the real world!

Hour of Code, Structure Building and Arrays

This week in Computer Programming II, we have been preparing our final projects for presentation on Friday and next week.  These projects are small group science simulations made in Scratch.  We are also working on several python problems that use lists.  Tomorrow we will be participating in the "Hour of Code" project (... we actually code every class period).  We will be trying out several of the twenty hour-long coding projects from code.org in this class and in both my Computer Programming I classes.

In Computer Programming I, we are participating in Hour of Code.  In addition, we have started working on single dimension arrays and sorting with arrays.  Next week,  I will be checking their solutions before heading our for Christmas vacation.



In AP Biology, we have worked on Population Genetics, Evolution and Hardy-Weinberg calculations. Today we took out and hour of our block to do some coding in the "Hour of Code".  It was an eye-opener for some students.  Next week, we continue of study of evolution and natural selection.  We have a lab next week ... the Hardy Weinberg modeling lab using Excel spreadsheets.

In Selected Topics in Science we will finish our structures (34 grams and 8" tall ... using wood glue only) and will crush them on Friday (in the history of this lab we have only had one group hold over 200 pounds).  We are doing a classroom reading of "The Beatinest Boy" by Jesse Stuart this week and next week.

Osmosis/Diffusion Lab, Jesse Stuart and Computer Graphics

In Computer Programming I, we finished our Ol' McDonald Farm scenes ... barn, picket fence, apple tree (one apple falls), sun rises, horizon and one addition animated object.  This is art via computer code using For/Next statements (a little of the code is peaking around the picture in the scene below).  Music could be added for bonus. We peer reviewed each student's work last class period and had alot of fun!  Below, are a couple of examples without animation of course ... we will be working with single dimension arrays and sorting until Christmas.

Final projects in SCRATCH for Computer Programming II are on the horizon before Christmas.  These projects are science oriented and must be programmed so the user can collect data.  Presentation of programs will start next week.  We continue to work on Python ... "lists" this week.

In AP Biology this week, we are doing our Diffusion Osmosis lab (actually five labs in one! ... dialysis tubing, potato cores, and agar cells of different sizes).  We finished today and will work on the write-up on Friday.  Also on Friday is gene regulation for prokaryotes and eukaryotes.  Picts below for this lab.

In Selected Topics in Science, we continue to work on on our Tower Building competition ... testing set for next week.  We are also reading "The Beatinest Boy" by Jesse Stuart ... lots of references to nature, farming and life in the mountains of Kentucky.

Gene Expression, Super Structures and a Farm Scene ...

In our Selected Topics in Science, we are continuing our physics unit with our Super Structure Lab.  We are studying buildings and building techniques/material with respect to the force of gravity.  Below are some of the groups working on their structures.  Student groups of 2-3 are building a structure made of popsicle sticks ... 8" tall weighing only 34 grams (about 24 sticks), with a 2" or larger center to allow a 2" pipe to pass through.  There are some rules for laminations and only wood glue is used to attach the pieces together.

 

 



In Computer Programming I, both classes are have finished their farm scenes with programmed animation.  Their farm scenes must include a two-dimensional barn, apple tree, horizon, picketed fence and more.  The animations must include a falling apple, a rising sun and another animation of choice.  We will do our peer reviews this week before Thanksgiving vacation.

In Computer Programming II, students are working on their final project, a science simulation in which the user can collect and analyze data.  Students are also working on their assigned Python problems.

In AP Biology, classes have finished their study of replication, transcription and translation.  Tomorrow we will be working on gene expression ... lac and trp operons, as well as, eukaryotic gene expression and homeotic genes.  On return from Thanksgiving vacation, we will be have our Diffusion/Osmosis Lab ... students have the lab information to study in advance.

Thanksgiving vacation starts Wednesday ... Happy Thanksgiving to all!

No School Monday and Frost Flowers

No school for students Monday because of a teacher PD.  We will pick back up on Tuesday with the "B" schedule classes.  It was very cold this week and there were frost flowers in several fields ... pictures above.

http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/common-plants-and-animals/wildflowers-and-grasses/frost-flowers

Computer Programming II have their first set of Python problems due on Tuesday.  These problems include some basic coding instructions ... print, for, input and counters.  We are still working on the last of our SCRATCH programs and the SCRATCH team project which is a science simulation that generates data.

AP Biology had their first test last week.  It was moderately difficult with many of the actual questions from AP Exams and AP Practice Exams.  We are now working on Chapters 14-15 ... Crick's Central Dogma ... Replication, Transcription and Translation (Protein Synthesis).  This will take us to Thanksgiving Vacation.  After Thanksgiving, we will have our Diffusion/Osmosis Lab.

After our Mousetrap Catapult for accuracy last week (picts below) in Selected Topics in Science, we will finish our lab report for this contest and continue our physics unit.  We had some great entries ... congrats to all!

In Computer Programming I, we are wrapping our our programmed farm science with three animated objects.  I will take some pictures and post them.  We will be in graphics until after Thanksgiving before moving on to single and two-dimensional arrays.

Genetics, Animation and a Catapult Contest

We will have our first test of the year in AP Biology test this Wednesday ... first 13 chapters of Raven and four labs.  We reviewed today (and last week) although some students were out of class for club schedule as they were out last week for the APES program where a few earned a few dollars (for three days of missed classes ... figure).  After Wednesday we will start our study of Crick's Central Dogma ... Replication, Transcription and Translation.  Our Diffusion / Osmosis lab is scheduled for next week.

The Selected Topics of Science class has started their physics unit.  Last week, we used pHET (University of Colorado) software to study projectile motion and wave analysis.  We started building mousetraps catapults for accuracy.  Students will shoot ten marshmellows in five minutes a distance of 12 feet into a 2 gallon bucket.  The mousetrap catapults must be triggered and cannot be held or pulled back by hand for release.  Students working on their catapults below.

 

 



In Computer Programming I, we are programming graphics and animation of objects using FOR/NEXT, LINE and CIRCLE commands.  Students are using colors in their farm scene presentations.  We will work all week on this project.

Computer Programming II have several projects going on at the same time.  We are finishing a couple of SCRATCH projects and working on some simple Python programs.  We will check our first Python programs starting tomorrow.  Computer Programming II students working below ...

The rest of the week appears nearly free of classroom interruptions.  We will have Student Voice surveys this week during out Pride Time .... which will shorten the first two blocks of each day.  Tomorrow is the Veteran's Day program ... taking some instruction time from second block.

Cold spell on the way at the end of this week which means the few blooming plants we have left will be finished for the year.  Still seeing a few butterflies but  no Monarchs ... season ends.

Enzyme Catalysis Lab, Astronomy and Python ...

Above ... sunrise before school one day last week ...

AP Biology will meet this week Monday and Wednesday.  The Ezyme Catalysis lab, which included a titration to measure the amount of hydrogen peroxide remaining after time trials using catalase, was last week (see picts below).  This lab writeup is due tomorrow except for those that were not in class Wednesday.  We will wrap up our study of genetics this week before having a test next Monday.  Our discussion questions tomorrow are over Chapters 12-13.

 

 

Selected Topics moves on to a Physics Unit on Thursday.  We will start with speed and acceleration.  We have several labs in this unit including our catapult for accuracy lab, electromagnetic lab and Super Structure lab.  We will be studying physics until Chrismas.

Computer Programming I is working on programmed graphics and animation.  We are working this week on our Ol' MacDonald had a farm problem in which students program a farm scene with three animated objects ... sun rises, apple falls from a tree and their choice.

Computer Programming II has several projects going on.  We will not meet this week until Thursday and Friday.  We are still wrapping up SCRATCH programs and have several python programs assigned for next week.  Students in Computer II working below on the Raspberry Pi, SCRATCH and python.

Fall Colors, Enzyme Catalysis Lab and Betelgeuse ...

Tomorrow in AP Biology we will doing our enzyme lab ... using catalase to breakdown hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen.  We will graph our results over different time periods and calculate the rate of reaction.  This is our fourth of 13 required labs to be conducted over the school year.  I will post some pictures later in the week.

A good summary of this lab can be seen on Bozeman Science:
http://www.bozemanscience.com/ap-bio-lab-3-enzyme-catalysis/

In Computer Programming I we will start our study of graphics and animation (in qBASIC) this week.

Computer Programming II on Tuesday will be working on new python problems using looping statements and decision statements.

Selected Topics continues their study of Astronomy this week with star developement (Betelguese and more) and designing a Space Truck for deep space travel ... a contest lab.

A great weekend to be outside and see the accessory photosynthetic pigments ... aka fall colors.  Trees behind our house above and below, fog this morning and our "pick your own free" Burl's Big Turnip Patch in Holland, KY.

Astronomy begins and jellyfish ...

We had a Teacher PD today and students were out of school.

Tomorrow is a "B" day ...

Tomorrow in Computer Programming II, we will be working on our final SCRATCH programs.  Our group SCRATCH projects have been assigned and are due the week before Christmas break.  We are checking our Chapter 7 programs tomorrow.

In Selected Topics in Science students will be building their planet models.  We will be going outside to build our solar system model on Thursday.

I still have a few students to program check in Computer Programming I.  Most students are finishing their multiple choice Countries and Capitals problem.  We have been working the SPC() and TAB() commands, as well as, FOR/NEXT statements using the STEP command.

On Wednesday, in AP Biology, we will be handing in the Mitosis/Meiosis Lab and Photosynthesis Lab writeups.  We will continue on genetics ... modes of inheritance, pedigree building and some genetics stories to solve. Next week on Monday, we have our Enzyme Catalysis Lab using catalase.

This weekend Sue Neal and I flew to Baltimore to see our youngest daughter run in the Baltimore Marathon ... we had a great time.  We stopped by the National Aquarium.  I thought the jellyfish exhibit was great!

http://www.aqua.org/explore/baltimore/exhibits-experiences/jellies-invasion

Fall Break Ends ... Monarch Migration continues!

It rained every day of fall break except for Wednesday!  We have a full week ahead but there will be a Teacher Workday a week from tomorrow.  The Monarch migration continues and we have had dozens visiting the flowers around our yard.  I drove over to Bowling Green today and saw several Monarchs crossing 231 with a few dead along the road.  Pictures of Monarachs below ...

AP Biology - Tomorrow in AP Biology, we will finish the paperwork for the two labs we did before the break.  These lab writeups are due on Wednesday.  We will starting our study of genetics this week.

Computer Programming I - We started qBASIC before fall break.  We will continue to work on READ/DATA statements.  We will also be checking problems we completed before break.

Computer Programming II - We will be wrapping up SCRATCH programming over the next few weeks with our group project due before Christmas.  We are starting to work on python problems and we are about ready to break out the raspberry pi computers.

Selected Topics in Science -  In this class, we are finishing our earth science / weather unit before spending a few weeks studying astronomy ... solar system, stars and the universe.

Lots to do before we head out for Thanksgiving break ...

Photosynthesis Lab and Fall Break!

Selected Topics in Science - We will continue our Earth Science unit after Fall Break ... plate tectonics and weather continues.  Our astronomy unit is next ... solar system, galaxies and the universe.

Computer Programming I - Several students are finished with our first seven easy qBASIC programming problems.  We have started on more difficult problems using READ/DATA, FOR/NEXT and single dimension arrays.  Lots of sorting problems.

Computer Programming II - We will finish up on SCRATCH programming after break and assign final projects which are due before Christmas.  We are in Python programming full-time after fall break.  Also, we will break out the raspberry pi computers before Thanksgiving break.

AP Biology - We did a redo (very rare) on the photosynthesis lab using spectrophotometers on Friday.  Students used much better lab technique and the results were better.  Students in action below ...

I hope you all have a great break and our seniors make some time for college visits!

 

 

Light frost last night but Monarchs still migrating ... sunset this weekend.

One day, then Fall Break ... Monarchs

We have one more day before Fall Break.  Hopefully, some of seniors will be visiting schools over fall break.

AP Biology - Tomorrow will be an "A" day.  In AP Bio, we will be redoing the photosynthesis lab we did on Wednesday when only a few people had read their lab.  In twenty years of teaching AP Biology, this is the first time we have had to redo a lab because most students could not complete it in a block period.  Not good!

Selected Topics - We are still working in our Earth Science unit.  We analyze the weather report each day and today, we worked on reading weather maps and drawing in isotherms and isobars.  We have one more week in earth science before moving on to astronomy.

Computer Science I - This class has started writing programs in qBASIC.  Tomorrow, we will work on READ/DATA statements.

Computer Science II - We are still writing programs in Scratch and have started Python.  Today, we looked at some LOGAL and pHET science simulations in preparation for our final group projects.  We have made good progress in this new class over the first nine-week period ...

While working outside after school, I saw a dozen Monarchs.  Six were on one butterfly bush.

Monarchs, Mitosis Lab, Rock Lab and qBASIC begins ...

In AP Biology this week, we did some practice Chi Square calculation of sample data before starting our Mitosis/Meiosis Lab.  This lab will continue on Monday and on Wednesday, we will start our photosynthesis lab using our spectrophotometers.

In Selected Topics in Science, we started our Earth Science unit with a project called 7 Days of Weather.  We are using NOAA and weather.com to record and analyze the weather each day (continental USA).  Today we worked on our Rock Lab ... lots of sample and analysis, including density tests.  This lab will continue on Tuesday.

Computer Programming II is still working in Scratch.  We have about 3-4 weeks of Scratch programming before moving into python full-time.  However, we are trying out a few simple python programs each week.  So far, so good.

Computer Programming I has started qBASIC.  This year, we are using qB64 a newer version.  We started our study of READ/DATA statements today.

Next week is the last week before fall break.  We will have 3 "A" schedule days.  Lots of work to do before taking a breather.

Tonight is Homecoming at the football game.  We had a Pep Rally today during Pride Time / Flex.

Continuing to see a few monachs each day ... check out the following websites for updates on the migration.

Journey North - http://www.learner.org/jnorth/monarch/
Monarch Watch - http://www.monarchwatch.org/
The Kentucky Wildflower Farm - http://kywildflowerfarm.blogspot.com/

Mitosis / Meiosis and Monarch caterpillars ...

Full week ahead and two weeks of work until fall break.  PSAT is schedule for October 15th.

Tomorrow on the "A" schedule we will have AP Biology.  Diffusion lab supplies from Carolina Biological are back ordered so we will go on to mitosis and meiosis.  We will have our Mitosis/Meiosis Lab on Wednesday.  Respiration Lab writeup due on Wednesday.

In Computer Science I tomorrow, we will continue our first five programming problems in qBASIC.  I have nine students to check off in Karel.

Tuesday is a "B" day.  In Computer Programming II we will do a sample problem in Python and work on our Scratch problems in Chapter 7.

Best pictures from this weekend below ... a Common Buckeye butterfly and some Monarch caterpillars ... they better hurry if they are going to make it to Mexico.

Respiration Lab ... peas, buckwheat and winter oats!

Today, fall testing began ...  Classes filled out testing forms and did ILP's.

We were able to have full AP Biology classes today and complete the cellular respiration lab.  Students used respirometers to test germinating pea seeds and non-germinating pea seeds.  In addition, students completed an inquiry extension.  Available were germinating winter oats, barley, buckwheat, mung beans and sunflower seeds.  We will generate classroom data on Friday and finish the paperwork for this lab. Student above and below working and the experimental setup which was conducted under water in water baths.

http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/ap/bio-manual/Bio_Lab6-CellularRespiration.pdf

Today, my third block computer programming class worked to complete the mission impossible problem.  We will check this problem on Friday and start Microsoft qBASIC.

Tomorrow is a testing day ... PLAN test for sophomores and ASVAB for seniors.  Juniors and freshmen will take practice ACT tests.