Computer Programming II - Project Rotations begin ..

After a month of planning, we started our project rotations in Computer Programming II.  Our rotation has four stations ... arduinos, raspberry pi computers, Finch robots and AppInventor.

At our arduino stations, students are writing programs in C and then wired circuits to complete a project ... LED light displays, motors, piezo elements, pushbuttons, potentiometers, photo resistors, temperature sensors, and more.

Tomorrow, we will be working on our finch obstacle courses and tasks (the FINCH dance).  Students will be writing programs using SNAP (similar to Scratch) to help their Finches through an obstable course.

We have one of our Raspberry Pi computers working and today downloaded the OS (NOOBS) onto SD cards.  Tomorrow, we will test the new SD cards and begin on our first Raspberry Pi problem.

We are still trying to get AppInventor working on our network and Dell Computers.  Once we get the bugs resolved, we will try out one of the first three beginning sample apps.

AppInventor, Gunpowder and Visual BASIC

In Computer Programming II today we finished checking our second round of python programs ... lists and list of lists.  Tomorrow is a "B" day and we will continue our project rotation.

AP Biology is in the middle of their BLAST lab and will wrap this lab (Investigation 3) on Monday.  We will stop for a test after finishing our unit on evolution.

Today in Selected Topics, we had our Best of Kentucky Daniel Boone Gunpowder Lab (how to balance an equation).  Student groups were given 10g of saltpetre (potassium nitrate) and then mixed up their custom recipe from research they did last week.  Mr Vernon judged the results by the duration and size of the flash.  We had good results will several ignitions only lasting a second or two.  Congrats to all and picts from the manufacturing below ...

Computer Programming I begins their study of Microsoft Visual BASIC.  Today we finished a quick overview on forms, objects, and properties of objects.  We will work on our first program tomorrow.

50 days until Spring!

Scratch programming on Saturday morning ...

A few students from my Computer Programming II class helped with the Winter WONDER Land enrichment program at the Allen County Intermediate Center this weekend.  Our sessions were introducing Scratch programming to students groups from grade 2 through middle school.  We were able to help students generate three programs.  Two drawing programs and a pong game.  

Scratch is a programming language developed by MIT.  It is a scripted language that uses a "drag and drop" method of building a program.  

scratch.mit.edu/

 About Scratch

With Scratch, you can program your own interactive stories, games, and animations — and share your creations with others in the online community.

Scratch helps young people learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively — essential skills for life in the 21st century.

Scratch is a project of the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab. It is provided free of charge.

BLAST Lab, Gunpowder and Python continues ...

AP Biology - In AP Bio, our restriction enzyme / electrophoresis lab write-up is due.  Tomorrow we will have some students out to the state BETA conference.  We will be doing a review of labs we have done so far this year, prep up our lab using the BLAST website, and discuss Chapter 23 / Phylogeny. Colton pipetting above in our last lab.



Computer Programming II will meet three days next week, including Friday.  On Thursday we will start our project rotation using Arduinos, Raspberry Pi computers, AppInventor and Finch Robots.  We will also be working on python programming at the same time.  An arduino project from last week below:

Computer Programming I classes are transitioning to Microsoft Visual BASIC.  Some simple problems to start as we get use to working with a GUI (Graphical User Interface).

Selected Topics in Science is in the middle of their chemistry unit.  This week as part of balancing equations, student groups will make a small amount of gunpowder using their personal Daniel Boone recipe. I will ignite it (outside) ... carefully.  Luckily, most efforts end up being fire retardant!

Arduinos and an Electrophoresis Lab

In Computer Programming II we are checking our second set of python problems ... problems with lists and some sorting. Next week, we are going to start rotations between arduinos, raspberry pi computers, finch robots and AppInventor.  Pictures from today below...

AP Biology is working on their restriction enzyme / electrophoresis lab.  In this lab, students will analyze DNA fingeprints from their gels and calculate the size of DNA fragments.  This lab will wrap up tomorrow.

Computer Programming I classes are finishing their last qB64 programs.  Visual BASIC starts next week.

Last day of physics unit was today in Selected Topics in Science.  We wrapped up our Electromagnet and Magnetism Lab.  Next week, we will begin our chemistry unit ... chemistry bingo and the Daniel Boone Best of Kentucky Gunpowder Contest.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday ... not school.

Restriction Lab, Electromagnet Lab and qBASIC ending ...

One full week in on second semester with some very cold temperatures for Kentucky ... below 0 degrees here one morning ... tough on honeybees!

Club Schedule tomorrow and MLK Day / No School next Monday.

In AP Biology, we did a bacterial transformation lab last week (using plasmid BLU / Carolina Biology) and we will look at the results tomorrow in class.  This week will wrap up our study of biotechnology ... two labs and a demo on PCR.  Our restriction enzyme / electrophoresis lab is scheduled for Wednesday.

In Computer Programming I, we are working on our last programming problem in qBASIC ... 2-D arrays and sorting.  Our last lab is an analysis of the Powerball Lottery numbers ... a good practice problem for sorting.

Tuesday in Computer Programming II we will continue to work on Python problems ... lists and list that contain lists with several sorts.  We have a project rotation starting after MLK Day ... arduinos, raspberry pi computers, app inventor and SNAP ... lots of new material to develop ... frustrating and fun.  We will continue to work on Python during this time by introducing the use of classes.

Also on Tuesday, we will work on a pHET simulation electrical currents in Selected Topics in Science.  We plan to wrap up our physics unit on electricity next week.  Congrats to Haden and Timmy for building the best electromagnet last week ... 89 paperclips with one "D" battery ... almost a world record.

Will try and get some lab pictures posted this week!

Second Semester starts on Monday!

After a long Christmas break, we are ready to get started on the second semester of our school year.

AP Biology classes will return to computer lab to finish their Excel spreadsheet modeling of population genetics / Hardy - Weinberg.  Student have made one model without selection and will adjust their model to explore one of the five conditions of the Hardy - Weinberg Equilibrium.  We review next week and then get started on our biotechnology labs ... DNA Electrophoresis and Bacterial Transformation Lab (pBLU).

Selected Topics is still working on their physics unit.  We will working on a pHET electricity siumation lab.

Computer Programming I will we wrapping up their study of qBASIC in January before moving on to Microsoft Visual BASIC.  We are working on single dimension, two-dimensional arrays and sorting.

Computer Programming II will continue our work in Python programming.  We are currently working on problems that involve lists.  Later in the month, we will start our project rotation which include raspberry pi computers, arduinos (open-source electronics platform), finch robots (Carneige Mellon University), snap programming (UC Berkley) and App Inventor by MIT.  This project rotation will lead to a student invention by the end of the second semester.

Good luck to all seniors ... less than 90 days to go ... get those applications and FAFSA forms completed ... NOW!

Winter is a good time to study ferns, mosses and lichens ... take a break from Facebook and gaming ... get outside and take a walk!  Below, walking ferns (Asplenium rihizophyllum) is a small fern found in Allen County on limestone outcroppings.