Monday, August 23

It's been a great two weeks! Remember, this is an "A" week - Mon, Wed, and Thurs are "A" days and Tues and Fri are "B" days.


Our Open House is Tuesday, 6 pm. We will also be presenting an iGoogle workshop for parents at 5 pm.  Students can earn 5 extra credit points added to your first test grade if your parents attend the open house, 5 extra credit points if they joint our PTSA, and  5 if they are unable to attend but send me email and follow my blog. 

Specific information on daily lesson plans can be found on my website. Select the lesson plan link for your class.

A Day classes

Honors Biology: We are continuing to lay the foundation for skills and class rules students will need for the remainder of the school year.

• Complete "Green Bean Lab" - determining volume; review data and draw conclusions
• Review metric system, scientific method, variables
• Test Ch 1:  metric system; scientific method; variables; lab equipment
• Ch 2 - Chemistry: covalent/ionic bonds;  

Tech Essentials: Students will use teacher-designated instructions to create a Word document that includes the use of the following skills: 

• adding two columns with a justified alignment and specific formatting
•  including a header and footer with page numbers
•  inserting a table and filling in cells
• using the "help" menu to find information
• inserting a page break 

Modeling and Sim: Students will continue to learn about what is involved in this class.  Specifically, they will:

• Complete presentations on science simulation examples
• Continue to take notes: simulation purpose; input(s); output(s)
• Distinguish between systems, models, and simulations
• Use an online learning environment to upload and receive assignments
• Write an essay defining system, model, simulation and explain their connection to each other

B Day Classes

Multimedia Design: We will continue working with Fireworks, a software program that can edit photographs as well as create original ones.  Skills to be taught and used include keyboard shortcuts for tools, vector basic shapes and auto-shapes, scale tool, stroke and fill, combining shapes, and working with layers.

Specifically, we will:

• Complete 3 logos for New Century using instructions from a previous blog
• Complete an individual logo - one that represents who you are
• Make two personal "avatars"

Tech Essentials: same as A day info

Anatomy and Physiolgy:  Students will have their first test on Chapter 1 - basic terminology; anatomical positions, planes, and regions; summary of human organ systems. 

• Tuesday: Test, Chapter 1
• Chapter 2: pH; inorganic and organic molecules - characteristics, examples, functions, ID
• Lab: organic molecules (carbohydrates, proteins, lipids)

8/18: Tech Essentials

Word Review

You should have had an introduction to MS Word in middle school as well as further assignments in Computer Applications (Mr. Huggins). We will complete a couple of assignments using MS Word.

• Complete a paper on "Me and New Century"

Formatting Info:

• Font info: Arial - 12 pt
• Two columns
• Fully justified
• Headings: bold - same font and size
• Paragraphs - no indent
• Single space
• Dbl space between end of paragraphs and headings and between headings and next paragraph

Content

• Headings: 
• About Me (two short paragraphs - min 3 sentences/paragraph)
• Why I Came to New Century (one paragraph
• My Teachers - complete info in a table as provided by teacher
• My Selected Field of Study - info on what you are interested in studying and why (medical, computer science, aerospace/engineering
• Four Years From Today - info on what you will be doing after you graduate - college? If so, which one? If no college, what? Major?

• Footer: Your name on left - New Century centered - Page # on right

Title Page

• Separate from paper content
• Word Art for title
• Appropriate image that depicts your selected field of study
• Your name, date, my name
• Info should fill up most of the page

8/18: Multimedia Design

We are going to begin using Fireworks, a graphic editing and design program from Macromedia.  I describe it as a combination of Photoshop (photo editing) and Illustrator (original vector graphics).  It may not be as powerful as either of these but it provides a more than adequate substitute for our class.


Today we will:

• Set up a laptop and network folder to save work.  (The "two copy" rule is always in effect - save your work in two places.)
• Review computer use (no music, no food, no checking email unless specifically directed by me, no unauthorized use, ncths and HCS rules apply, consequences)
• Notes: Vector vs bitmap images (notebook or google doc)
• Fireworks skills:
• new image
• workspace
• basic shapes - make and edit
• square, rectangle, circle, ellipse, polygon, star, triangle
• use different stroke sizes and colors
• use different fills
• View video: basic shapes
• View video: combining shapes
• Add text
• Auto-shapes (those underneath basic)
• HW: Draw 3 logo designs for NC using text/shapes/modified shapes
• Project 1 (Friday): Create 3 New Century logos using different shapes combined with text
• One must use an autoshape
• One must combine shapes
• Size: no larger than 200 x 200 pixels (you can work with a larger shape and then scale down)
• Canvas background: one must be black; one must be white
• Use sub-selection tool to modify original shape on at least one image
• Should be aesthetically pleasing and represent NC

Monday, 8/17

Honors Biology (A1)

What a great class! We accomplished a great deal in laying a foundation for the rest of the school year.  This week we meet twice and will work on experimental procedures and data tables as well as lab safety, lab rules, and recognizing lab equipment and when each should be used.

     Monday

• Discuss/add to/correct procedure writeup from Thurs.
• Create data table for "green bean" experiment
• HW: Section Review (P 24) Answer all in notebook (Q&A)

     Thursday

• Lab: Green Bean Variation (Determine length, mass, volume of a green beans and snow peas)
• Lab write-up questions
• Review and correct HW

Multimedia Design (B1)

Lots of changes in student enrollment combined with "technology" left some students unable to complete assignments.  All students are making an iGoogle page using their ncths email as well as setting up calendars and subscribing to teacher blogs.  

     Tuesday: 

• Students should complete their iGoogle page with calendar and blog subscriptions.
• Make a google document with tech info on it
• Add school holiday, other info to their calendars
• Research how to make an iGoogle theme
• HW: storyboard/design for NCTHS iGoogle theme

     Wednesday

• iGoogle theme presentations
• Fireworks tutorial - original graphics - how to save

     Friday

• Continue designing  iGoogle theme

Tech Essentials (A3/B3)

Another great group of freshmen students!

A3: Discuss the importance of "Emotional Intelligence" and why we need to use it; Counselor Watson will be in class Thursday.

B3: Counselor Watson on Tuesday and Friday; Emotional Intelligence on Wednesday

Modeling and Simulations (A4)

We are completing our second mathematical model, Surface Area vs Volume and looking at what happens as a cell gets bigger in size.  In addition, we will review some examples of science and math simulations.

     Monday:  

• Complete spreadsheet and email to me.  
• Review online examples (get links from my webpage lesson plans) and answer questions
• Review science simulations (link on my webpage lesson plan) and be prepared to present how they work, their variables, and conclusions on Thurs.

     Thursday

• Students will present science/math simulations and discuss variables and "what you would need to know" to complete the math model used

Anatomy and Physiology (B4)

Students have been issued study guides as well as textbooks. We have reviewed correct anatomical position as well as anatomical directions. Homework was assigned from the study guide.

     Tuesday:

• HW check
• Review organ systems, organs included, ad their general function
• "Why is ___________ organ system the most important?
• HW: Study for test Friday - chapter 1

     Friday

• Test: Chapter 1
• CW: Chemistry of Organic Molecules
• HW: Study Guide Ch 2 I, III (H), IV (all), V