These are the links that we looked at today in class
feather and hammer on the moon
orbit simulation
terminal velocity
Tomorrow I'll try to post details about all the extra credit opportunities that are currently available.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
A very overdue update!
Hope everyone is doing well, I finished my LTS assignment at Park Hill South a couple of weeks ago and now I am teaching Physical Science at Park Hill. It is really neat to get to teach something other than biology for a change!Other than that there has been very little going on lately - just anxiously waiting for Sera to arrive! Should be just about any day now.
Oh - There was a great bit on NPR this morning about the oldest object recorded in the universe - very very cool Gamma Ray burst 13 billion light years away
Oh - There was a great bit on NPR this morning about the oldest object recorded in the universe - very very cool Gamma Ray burst 13 billion light years away
Friday, September 18, 2009
Great whites, magnetized gas and a T. Rex (naturally)
Ok, as promised here is a list of good places to find good science articles. Remember that they need to be of a reasonable length (the short science news blurbs don't qualify) and that you need to print me a copy or supply me with the link. I've given some examples of what I think good articles look like for each site, feel free to use those or any others that you are interested in. If you aren't sure if the article is a good one either post it here in the comments (probably best over the weekend b/c I don't usually check my school email on Saturday or Sunday) or email me the link and I'll take a look. If you find one that you like but you think is too short check to see if there are any refrence links -chances are that one of those articles will be just right. Don't be afraid of articles with big unfamiliar words in them you can always look them up or ask me. So quit sitting there and go out there and do some science!
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/
cool article - Unseen Sahara about the history of Libya's deserts
http://www.naturalhistorymag.com/
cool article - Sociable Killers under the Special Collection header
http://discovermagazine.com/
cool article - Forget Lightning. How Do We Catch Sunshine in a Bottle? under the Environment header
http://www.popsci.com/
check out the movie physics section under entertainment and games - be sure to read the full article!
http://www.sciencemag.org/
cool article - Magnetized Gas Leads to New Physics, the T. Rex article is also pretty cool.
http://www.nature.com/
cool article - Colorblindness corrected by gene therapy, also the Volcanoes stirred by climate change looks pretty good
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/
cool article - Unseen Sahara about the history of Libya's deserts
http://www.naturalhistorymag.com/
cool article - Sociable Killers under the Special Collection header
http://discovermagazine.com/
cool article - Forget Lightning. How Do We Catch Sunshine in a Bottle? under the Environment header
http://www.popsci.com/
check out the movie physics section under entertainment and games - be sure to read the full article!
http://www.sciencemag.org/
cool article - Magnetized Gas Leads to New Physics, the T. Rex article is also pretty cool.
http://www.nature.com/
cool article - Colorblindness corrected by gene therapy, also the Volcanoes stirred by climate change looks pretty good
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Grades in Powerschool
Hello Parents,
As of today the grades in PowerSchool should be updated. If your student has grades missing or has zeros that they believe are in error all they need to to is bring their notebook to me in class and show me the assignments in question. Unfortunately with the difficulties that we had setting up PS for our classes this has much more frequently than I would like, fortunately though it is a very quick fix as they keep all their assignments in a notebook. I look forward to seeing you all at conferences next week.
As of today the grades in PowerSchool should be updated. If your student has grades missing or has zeros that they believe are in error all they need to to is bring their notebook to me in class and show me the assignments in question. Unfortunately with the difficulties that we had setting up PS for our classes this has much more frequently than I would like, fortunately though it is a very quick fix as they keep all their assignments in a notebook. I look forward to seeing you all at conferences next week.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Reminder - Parent/Teacher Conferences
Just a reminder - P/T conferences are next week - I'll be sending specific reminder emails next Monday. I do still have a few slots open if you didn't sign up and would like to schedule a time.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Defying Gravity
I am a big believer that too much tv totally rots your brain. That said - I am in love with this new show on ABC. Defying Gravity.
It is about a group of astronauts that have been selected to complete a mission to Venus. Some of the science is a bit iffy but a lot of the explanations are fantastic - I particularly liked the way they worked Schrödinger's cat and fractals into the episode that played tonight (considering those are two of my favorite scientific principles). I really like the complex relationships that we see evolving through flashbacks of when the astronauts were together in training. They seem a lot more realistic than a lot of shows that are out there today, relationships are hard, they don't always work out, they almost never work out the way we think they should and the dynamics between people can change dramatically over time.
That's something I've been thinking a lot about lately as I evaluate the relationships I have with those around me. I am a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a teacher, a colleague and sometimes I am just a random stranger. I can choose how I let these interactions shape me and how I choose to shape others. Just like the relationships on the Antares and those of the crew with those left behind on Earth, the relationships in my life are in some cases complicated, sometimes superficial and sometimes life-changing. The conclusion I am coming to is that no matter how hard or how convoluted the relationships we have are an integral part of who we are and more importantly they help shape who we become. The ones that end in tears and heartbreak have as much value as the ones that lead to happily ever after. In the end who I am is the result of the sum of all these relationships regardless of how they turned out, knowing that and knowing I have choice in how I let relationships affect me is one of the most profound lessons that I have learned so far.
It is about a group of astronauts that have been selected to complete a mission to Venus. Some of the science is a bit iffy but a lot of the explanations are fantastic - I particularly liked the way they worked Schrödinger's cat and fractals into the episode that played tonight (considering those are two of my favorite scientific principles). I really like the complex relationships that we see evolving through flashbacks of when the astronauts were together in training. They seem a lot more realistic than a lot of shows that are out there today, relationships are hard, they don't always work out, they almost never work out the way we think they should and the dynamics between people can change dramatically over time.
That's something I've been thinking a lot about lately as I evaluate the relationships I have with those around me. I am a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a teacher, a colleague and sometimes I am just a random stranger. I can choose how I let these interactions shape me and how I choose to shape others. Just like the relationships on the Antares and those of the crew with those left behind on Earth, the relationships in my life are in some cases complicated, sometimes superficial and sometimes life-changing. The conclusion I am coming to is that no matter how hard or how convoluted the relationships we have are an integral part of who we are and more importantly they help shape who we become. The ones that end in tears and heartbreak have as much value as the ones that lead to happily ever after. In the end who I am is the result of the sum of all these relationships regardless of how they turned out, knowing that and knowing I have choice in how I let relationships affect me is one of the most profound lessons that I have learned so far.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Wow - That was fun!
The last week has been a real doozie for us here in biology land. We finally finished up our chapter on chemistry ending the section with a lab that explores the qualities of amylase - an enzyme found in your spit. Most of the students really enjoyed it although we did have a few who were hesitant because of the "eww" factor that goes with saliva.
As for the technology issues that I'd been having - they seemed to be fixed. For now. PowerSchool has been updated and grades should be pretty accurate. I'll be entering scores from Thursday's notebook check over the weekend so there may be some minor changes. I check the notebooks to make sure that students are keeping up with taking notes, completing our daily bellringers and holding onto assignments that will serve as study guides not only for our chapter tests but for the end-of course(EOC) exam that they will take at the end of the semester.
Remember - you are welcome to contact me anytime at coopere@parkhill.k12.mo.us I hope everyone has been having a great week and that your weekend will be awesome!
See you in Biology!
As for the technology issues that I'd been having - they seemed to be fixed. For now. PowerSchool has been updated and grades should be pretty accurate. I'll be entering scores from Thursday's notebook check over the weekend so there may be some minor changes. I check the notebooks to make sure that students are keeping up with taking notes, completing our daily bellringers and holding onto assignments that will serve as study guides not only for our chapter tests but for the end-of course(EOC) exam that they will take at the end of the semester.
Remember - you are welcome to contact me anytime at coopere@parkhill.k12.mo.us I hope everyone has been having a great week and that your weekend will be awesome!
See you in Biology!
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