Blog Archives - Button's Place

Day 154

4/30/2018

Well, this weekend was a bust. It was Opening Day for fishing on Hat Creek and I go every year but, somehow, I got sick so I only stayed for a couple of hours. I caught one though. When I got home I slept all Saturday and Sunday. I stayed home today because I felt sooo crappy.
The Chemistry students finished up Part 3 of the Alkane Lab.
The AP Biology students worked on those brain illustrations which are both fun and educational.

Day 153

4/27/2018

In honor of Friday, I will refrain from insulting remarks directed toward freshmen with 1.7 GPA's.
The AP Biology students began a discussion of the nervous system which is really fascinating especially when one discusses the brain and its amazing capabilities. Wait 'til you see the weird stuff that can happen when the brain suffers an injury and tries to figure stuff out.
The Chemistry students had an easy quiz today on naming alkane structural formulas and writing structural formulas given the name of the alkane. Pretty easy.

Day 152

4/26/2018

Today is Thursday which I think is good. Especially when Friday is tomorrow. Not that I want the wonder of education to have a break or anything.
The AP Biology students finished watching the miracle of childbirth and the unrelenting obnoxiousness of future helicopter parents. I should teach a parenting class. I was a great parent of teenagers and I should pass that wisdom onto others. Anywho, we also worked on a cyber assignment that is due midnight tomorrow.
The Chemistry students had a big review of naming structures of alkanes and determining molecular formula of those same structures. We also talked, however briefly, about alkenes which will be hit upon next week.

Day 151

4/25/2018

I wonder how many Wednesdays are left in the school year? I could look at a calendar but that would take like 15 seconds and that's way too long.
The AP Biology students (what there was of them) watched the beginnings of a human life. On video, you sickos! We saw actual footage of the zygote within the fallopian tube which is quite amazing. You can look up those words in a dictionary which is a thick book made with thin paper.
The Chemistry students began Part 2 of the Modeling Alkanes which involves the phenom of structural isomers - molecules with the same formula but have different structural formulas. I think a lot of students are really getting the naming and structure thing.

Day 150

4/24/2018

Day 150? That means that the school year is 5/6ths of the way complete. Only 1/6th left to go!
The Chemistry students continued their first looks at alkanes, that bastion of organic chemistry. The students got to play with some molecular models which should really help when naming the structures. I think.
The AP Biology students also continued something and that was a discussion on pregnancy and childbirth. Why this subject you ask? Why not, I respond. Actually, pregnancy, childbirth and the female reproductive system illustrate the interplay of hormones and physical interactions.

Day 149

4/23/2018

And so the last full week of April begins..... and, you know, if you really sit down and think about it, there is only about 20 solid days left of school.
The Chemistry students began the Organic Chemistry Unit today by working through a bunch of stuff. Hopefully, most students can draw the structural formula of
2,3 dimethyloctane. Can you?
The AP Biology students began a cool discussion of the hormone interactions of the female reproductive system and the miracle of pregnancy. Actually, pregnancy is not a miracle. There is no such things as miracles. No way!

Day 148

4/20/2018

I think normal people should reclaim 4/20 from the not normal people. Not that I'm judging, mind you.
All of my classes were decimated by various school activities today. Track, baseball, softball and completing the personal information section on the upcoming AP exams really slammed my classes. For example, I was missing 14 students from my 6th period class. 14!
We didn't do much of anything today as a result.

Day 147

4/19/2018

You know what's great? Standardized testing that has no incentives for student achievement. Look it up.
The Chemistry students took the Gas Exam Part 2 today which puts the wraps which I think means wraps it up but the whole idea is that the Gas Unit is finally over.
The AP Biology students finished a brief discussion on a free response question from last year's AP Biology Exam. We talked about the effect of insulin on blood glucose levels when some crazy experimental stuff is done on mice. It was pretty interesting.

Day 146

4/18/2018

OK, Chemistry students, get off your phones and check out these links:

Ideal Gas Law Simulation
Click on the Introduction and Read it!!!
Next, read the 'How To' section
After that, play with the 'Interactive' part a bit
To finish up, do the 4 simple exercises by clicking 'Exercises'. Check your answers by clicking 'Solutions'
Watch how the calculation changes in the lower left corner of the Interactive section as you change the gas conditions

Gas Properties

More Gas Properties

https://quizlet.com/_4r3qlg

Day 145

4/17/2018

Wow, only 35 more days to go. That's 7 school weeks. It's almost over.
The AP Biology students continued with the Physiology lab today even though the seniors missed the first part of the class because they were getting their picture taken. But that's OK, we still worked on it.
The Chemistry students went over the 7 objectives that remain to be evaluated on the next exam which is called the Gas Law Exam Part 2. Oh, that happens on Thursday of this week.