Glacial Feature Project - Environmental Science

Details for your Glacial Feature Project can be found on the Environmental Science Page along with a link to a great resource for understanding the glacial past of this area.  Note, you will need exact coordinates of your feature, so if you need to borrow a GPS, see me.

Genetic Engineering

Students in the AP Biology class successfully transformed E. coli cells with the ampicillin resistance gene (pUC8) in a lab this week.  The petri dish on the top left contains colonies of bacteria living on a growth medium containing ampicillin - an antibiotic that kills E. coli.  The only reason those colonies exist is because students gave them the ampicillin-resistance gene in the form of a plasmid and the cells are now expressing that gene.

Periodic Table Challenge!

To any chemistry student looking for 15 extra credit points:
I challenge you to fill in the symbol for each element on this blank table from memory for elements 1-86 (H-Rn).  If you can get more correct than I do (or equal), you get 15 points added to your second quarter grade.  The challenge takes place on 11/21/13.  Good luck! And happy studying!

Physics at the Marsh Tower

Last Friday our physics class took a field trip to the marsh tower to take measurements and make calculations dealing with free fall acceleration.  It turns out that Galileo was right...go figure.

Next Generation Science Standards

On Thursday 10/3, I will be attending an all-day workshop on the Next Generation Science Standards.  These are a new set of curricular benchmarks that will shape how science is taught at all levels, and in all districts, in the future. 

Congratulations Class of 2013

Thank you for asking me to speak at your graduation, and thank you for all the memories over these past 4 years.  Good luck to the Class of 2013!

Chemistry Nomenclature Practice

For any chemistry students looking for some extra practice with naming organic structures, I've found the following online quizzes that can be great practice.  The links are also on the chemistry page of this website.  Happy naming!

Name molecules sorted by functional Group:
http://mhhe.com/physsci/chemistry/carey5e/nomenclature/tutorials-new.html

Try Quiz 1 and Quiz 3:
http://www.chembio.uoguelph.ca/educmat/chm19104/organic_nomenclature_quizzes.htm

Choose from the type of functional group you want to name:
http://www.chem.ucalgary.ca/courses/351/orgnom/javanom/nomenclature2StartPage.htm