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.

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.