Define and illustrate meniscus.

Define and illustrate displacement.

Define Acid:

Define Base:

Define Conservation of Mass:

Hypothesis:




Materials: Beaker, graduated cylinder, baking soda, vinegar

Procedure:

1. Measure 50 mL of vinegar in a graduated cylinder.
2. Draw the meniscus.
3. Measure the mass of an empty 250 mL beaker. Record.
4. Pour the vinegar into a 250 mL beaker.
5. Repeat steps 1 and 2, then pour the vinegar into the beaker.
6. Record volume and mass.
7. Draw the meniscus.
8. Obtain a teaspoon of baking soda and measure the mass. Record.
9. Gently place the baking soda in the beaker of vinegar.
10. Record the new volume of the contents of the beaker.
11. Determine the displacement of vinegar in the beaker. Record.
12. Measure the mass of the beaker containing the vinegar and baking soda. Record.
13. Measure the mass of an empty 50mL graduated cylinder. Record.
14. Measure 40 mL of vinegar in a graduated cylinder.
15. Draw the meniscus of the graduated cylinder.
16. Measure the mass of one teaspoon of baking soda. Record.
17. Gently place the baking soda in the graduated cylinder of vinegar.
18. Record the new volume.
19. Record the new mass.
20. Repeat steps 14 through 19 with 20 mL of vinegar.
21. Clean table and equipment. Return clean materials to cart.

1. How did the amount of displacement vary with the initial volume of vinegar?

2. How did the mass of the beaker, vinegar, and baking soda vary with each trial?

Conclusion:

1. Was your hypothesis supported? Why or why not?

 

2. Was the mass of the system conserved (the mass of the beaker and vinegar + the mass of the baking soda = the final mass)? Explain.

 

3. What sources of error did you have?

 

4. If the mass was not conserved, what happened to it?

 

Reflection:

1. Was your hypothesis supported? Why or why not?
2. Was the mass of the system conserved? Explain.
3. What sources of error did you have?
4. If the mass was not conserved, what happened to it?

Objective
Gain practice in solving for a variable using given numbers

Materials
Magic Square handout

Time
About an hour of direct instruction to explain the concept of magic squares. Students use the rest of the week to practice solving existing magic squares and experiment with making their own.

Activities
Students are individually presented with magic squares in which variables appear. They replace the variable with a number that creates an equal sum, whether one adds the numbers horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Students complete handouts that provide practice in finding the value for the missing variables:

Handout

"A magic square is an arrangement of numbers in a square in which the rows, columns, and diagonals each have the same sum. A magic square is shown below:
 

To find the missing values in a magic square first identify a row, column, or diagonal in which all the values appear. The sum of the completed diagonal in the magic square shown above can be represented by the numerical expression 8 + 5 + 2. A numerical expression contains only numbers and mathematical symbols.

1. What is the sum of each row, column, and diagonal of the magic square shown above? (answer: 15)
 

You can represent the missing value in each square by a variable, as shown  below. A variable is a symbol, usually a letter, that stands for a number.

2. Name the variables in the magic square. (answer: a,b,c)

The variable expression a + 7 + 2 represents the sum of the entries in the first row. A variable expression is an expression that contains at least one variable.

3. What is the value of a? (answer: 6)

(handout adapted from Prentice Hall Mathematics, 6th Grade Edition, 2000)

Closure
Discuss problems and answers.

Assessment
In having each student complete problems from the handouts, the teacher will be able to monitor whether or not students are able to apply the vocabulary to the manipulation of symbols.

Extensions
Students create their own magic square

In this unit you will learn about 21st Century Skills and how they relate to education. You will report on what you've learned by creating a document, presentation, or chart using Internet collaboration tools.

Objectives

1) Identify 21st Century Skills
2) Categorize 21st Century Skills

Readings

Access the following readings from the http://del.icio.us/virtualedworld/21stcenturyskills network (del.icio.us.com is a social bookmarking application).

1) The Intellectual and Policy Foundations of the 21st Century Skills Framework, Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2007.

2) Virtual Schools and 21st Century Skills, written by The North American Council for Online Learning And the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, November 2006.

Optional:

3) Chapter 3, pp 59-88, Online Games for 21st Century Skills of Gibson, D., Aldrich, C., and Prensky, M. (2007). Games and Simulations in Online Learning: Research and Development Frameworks, Information Science Publishing, PA. See http://del.icio.us/virtualedworld/books.

Video

Access the following videos from http://del.icio.us/virtualedworld/video and watch:

1) You Tube video, A Vision of Students Today (5 minutes).

2) Frontline video, Growing Up Online: Chapter 1: Living Their Lives Essentially Online (7:34 minutes), and Chapter 2: A Revolution in Classrooms and Social Life (9:04 minutes).

Activities

For this activity you will create a document, presentation, chart, etc. using an Internet collaboration tool such as Google Docs or Zoho.

1. Register for an account for the Internet collaboration tool you select; some suggestions are located at http://del.icio.us/virtualedworld/collaboration.

2. In the document you prepare categorize some of the 21st Century Skills from the readings, video, or any other resources you have collected.

3. Publish and share the document on http://virtualedworld.ning.com in the 21st Century Skills forum.

Note: You must register and become a member at http://virtualedworld.ning.com to post or notify me of your publication.

Learning Objectives:
 

1. Create a scale model of an object.

2.  Understand the factors that contribute to erosion.

3.  Understand that erosion effects both natural and man-made structures.  Erosion is one of the contributing factors to the destruction of archaeology sites.

4.  A greater understanding of the Maya civilization and their engineering and mathematical accomplishments.
 

Materials:

-Graphing Paper

-Pencils

-Pens

-Rulers

-Sugar Cubes (2 lbs per group of 4-6 students)

-Glue

-Cardboard

-Aluminum Foil

-Spray bottle

-Hair drier

-Lamp

-CyArk Tikal Maps (Maps can be downloaded free from http://archive.cyark.org/education-lesson-plans)

-Digital Camera (optional)

-Computer with Internet Access

Procedures:
 

Day 1
Time: 45 minutes
1. Introduce students to Tikal as an example of a Mayan site. Tikal is located in
modern day Guatemala and is one of the largest Mayan sites, with six stepped
pyramids rising from the jungle. Media from the CyArk website
(http://archive.cyark.org/tikal-intro) is available for free to educators and students and
can be used to create a slideshow introduction to the site. The CyArk website has
background on the city of Tikal and images, videos, and 3-D models of the city.
Each media item also contains a detailed description and information relating to that
media pieces.

A Power Point introduction to the site of Tikal created by CyArk can be downloaded
at SlideShare and is free to be used in classrooms.
http://www.slideshare.net/namedina/tikalthe-ancient-city-of-the-maya

2. Go to the CyArk website and view the 3-D models of Tikal Temple 1. (http://archive.cyark.org/tikal-gallery-3D)  Explain to
students that they will be re-building this pyramid as their assignment.

3. Review scale, ratios, and proportion with students if necessary.

4. Have students form groups of 4-6 and distribute copies of the Tikal Temple 1
Map(Can be downloaded free from http://archive.cyark.org/education-lesson-plans). Alternatively, you can make your own Tikal Temple 1 map using the CyArk 3-D
viewer by creating slices and measuring the temple. Explain to students that they
will be creating a scale model of a Mayan pyramid using real archaeological data and
sugar cubes to construct a physical scale model. Using the Temple 1 Map
measurements, students will apply ratios and proportions to create a scale model of
the Tikal's Temple 1.

5. Ask students to design a scale model of the temple. When constructing the
temple, 1 sugar cube will represent 3 meters. Using the laser scan cross section
image of Temple 1, students will calculate dimensions based off the actual
measurements and then design a model plan by breaking the pyramid into basic
shapes. Have students round to the nearest whole number for the construction of
their models.

Once students have completed calculations for the models, ask students compare
their calculations with another group. Have students discuss their methods of
determining the various dimensions of the model. Are there any recognizable
patterns? What can these patterns tell us about the ancient Maya and their
construction techniques?

Student should notice that each pyramid tier in a ratio is exactly one less sugar cube
in length than the tier below it. This shows the Maya's considerable skill and
precision in engineering and architecture.

6. Provide each group with a 2 lb box of sugar cubes and bottle of glue. Each group
will be construct their own scale model using the Tikal Temple 1 Map. To reduce the
number of sugar cubes used, it is recommended that students only construct a 4 tier
pyramid, consisting of the 4 top most tiers and the pyramid's temple and roof comb.
For the purposes of constructing the pyramid, students will assume that the pyramid is a square
pyramid.

Students should wrap a piece of cardboard in a sheet of aluminum foil and
then construct their pyramid on top of the foil, using glue to hold the sugar cubes
together.

Once students have completed their scale model, have each group label their
pyramid with their group name and carefully set the pyramids in safe place.

Day 2
Time 45 minutes

1. Introduce students to the concept of erosion and weathering. Ask the students to
think of examples of erosion that they have witnessed or evidence of erosion that
they have seen.

2. Explain to students that erosion can affect both natural and man-made objects,
including archaeological sites. Archaeological sites can be damaged by the process
of erosion, which can include water, wind, and heat. Tikal's temples are constructed
of stone, and can be eroded. Tell students that they will be conducting a scientific
experiment to determine the effects of erosion on archaeological sites.

3. Have students follow the procedure in next section. This procedure is also
included in the student sheets for this activity.

4. During their experiment, students should record their changes in their notebook.
If available, have students use a digital camera to assist in recording their
experiment results.

5. Once the students have completed their experiment, have each group briefly
describe to the class their procedure and results.

6. After the experiment, students should analyze their results and write a
conclusion. Each student should turn in a copy of their experiment, including their
hypothesis, materials, procedure, recorded results and conclusion. Students should
answer the following questions: How did erosion affect their sugar cube pyramid?
How do you think erosion affects archaeological sites?

Erosion Experiment
Procedure:

1. Each group will be assigned to test one aspect of erosion: water, wind, and
sunlight.

Water Group
Day 1

1. Record any observations on the sugar cube pyramid. If possible, take a picture of
the pyramid using a digital camera. When taking a picture, create a label with your
group name, date, class period and "Day 1 -0 sprays of water"
2. Fill a spray bottle with water and set the spray bottle to mist. Spray the pyramid
evenly with water. Spray the pyramid with a total of 20 sprays.
3. Record any observations in your notebook or on the worksheet. If using a digital
camera, take a picture of the pyramid and label it with your group name, date, class
period and "Day 1 -20 sprays of water"
4. Carefully move the pyramid to a safe location where it can remain undisturbed
until the next class session.

Day 2
1. Repeat Steps 2-4 of Day 1

Day 3.
1. Repeat steps 2-4 of Day 1.

Wind Group
Day 1
1. Record any observations of the sugar cube pyramid, If possible If possible, take
a picture of the pyramid using a digital camera. When taking a picture, create a
label with your group name, date, class period and "Day 1 -no wind applied"
2. Using a blow drier, blow dry the pyramid evenly for 10 minutes. If using a blow
drier with multiple settings, select the "cool" setting.
3. Record any observations in your notebook or on the worksheet. If using a digital
camera, take a picture of the pyramid and label it with your group name, date, class
period and "Day 1 -10 minutes of wind"
4. Carefully move the pyramid to a safe location where it can remain undisturbed
until the next class session.

Day 2
1. Repeat Steps 2-4 of Day 1

Day 3.
1. Repeat steps 2-4 of Day 1.

Sunlight Group
Day 1
1. Record any observations of the sugar cube pyramid, If possible If possible, take
a picture of the pyramid using a digital camera. When taking a picture, create a
label with your group name, date, class period and "Day 1 -no sunlight applied"
2. Using a lamp, shine the light on the pyramid for 10 minutes.
3. Record any observations in your notebook or on the worksheet. If using a digital
camera, take a picture of the pyramid and label it with your group name, date, class
period and "Day 1 -10 minutes of sunlight
4. Carefully move the pyramid to a safe location where it can remain undisturbed
until the next class session.

Day 2
1. Repeat Steps 2-4 of Day 1

Day 3.
1. Repeat steps 2-4 of Day 1.

Extension Activities
Have students view Temple II at the CyArk website. The eighth-century Tikal king
Jasaw Chan K`awiil commissioned Temples I and II during his reign. Temple II is
dedicated to his wife, Lady Twelve Macaw (died 704 A.D.), and she is interred within
it. Though its roofcomb is now eroded, Temple II has also been known as the Temple
of the Masks on account of its upper frieze once having been adorned with gigantic
stone and stucco masks. Roof combs were used as grand billboards for the display of
religious and political imagery.

Have students examine Temple II. How is it different than Temple I? How is it the
same? How many levels does the temple have? Does it have similar motifs to
TempleI? How tall is it compared to Temple I? Measure it in the CyArk 3-D viewer.
 

Benchmark or Standards:
 

California State Standards
This lesson plan is compliant with the following California State Standards:
Grade Five
Mathematics Content Standards.
Measurement and Geometry
1.0 Students understand and compute the volumes and areas of simple objects.

Grade Six
Science Content Standards.
Focus on Earth Science: Shaping Earth's Surface
2. Topography is reshaped by the weathering of rock and soil and by the
transportation and deposition of sediment. As a basis for understanding this concept:
1. Students know water running downhill is the dominant process in shaping
the landscape, including California's landscape.
2. Students know rivers and streams are dynamic systems that erode,
transport sediment, change course, and flood their banks in natural and recurring
patterns.
3. Students know beaches are dynamic systems in which the sand is supplied
by rivers and moved along the coast by the action of waves.
4. Students know earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and floods
change human and wildlife habitats.
Grade Six
Mathematics Content Standards
Algebra and Functions
2.0 Students analyze and use tables, graphs, and rules to solve problems involving
rates and proportions:

Grade Seven
Mathematics Content Standards.
Measurement and Geometry
1.2 Construct and read drawings and models made to scale.
Social Studies Content Standards
7.7 Compare and contrast the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social
structures of the Meso-American and Andean civilizations.

Concept / Topic To Teach: Making Choices, Graphing Data

Standards Addressed:

7.2.1     Solve addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems that use integers, fractions, decimals, and combinations of the four operations.
7.6.1     Analyze, interpret, and display data in appropriate bar, line, and circle graphs and stem-and-leaf plots* and justify the choice of display.
7.6.4     Analyze data displays, including ways that they can be misleading. Analyze ways in which the wording of questions can influence survey results.
Communication The ability to read, write, listen, ask questions, think, and communicate about math will develop and deepen students’ understanding of mathematical concepts. Students should read text, data, tables, and graphs with comprehension and understanding. Their writing should be detailed and coherent, and they should use correct mathematical vocabulary. Students should write to explain answers, justify mathematical reasoning, and describe problem-solving strategies.

General Goal(s):  Students will use math in the context of a larger problem situation to evaluate choices and support the decision they make.

Specific Objectives:  Students will make a “snap decision,” then investigate the details of the choices presented.  Using graphing to analyze those details, they will explain whether they agree or disagree with the original decision. Hopefully, students will make a connection to the decision making process outside of mathematics, and see that stopping to analyze a decision can sometimes lead to different results.

Required Materials:  Handouts for each student, calculators, colored pencils, rulers (optional).

Step-By-Step Procedures:  Ideally, the teacher will pass out page one (introduction) and talk about the two choices in a rapid-fire, no-time-to-think way.  “Hurry, hurry, pick one! Circle your choice! Let’s go!” Without time to evaluate the choices, most students will pick choice A: $1 million per month. Part I might follow in class, with children working independently or in partners to check work and discuss the value of a graph to see the results.  Part II could happen the same day, the next day, or as homework, although the nature of the results might be best handled in class where students can check their answers with one another or the teacher. Part III might be best left for the next day once students have had a chance to reflect on the results of their data analysis.

Closure (Reflect Anticipatory Set):  This lesson might be used at the beginning of the year to introduce students to decision making, following directions, working in groups, or even reviewing graphing for the ISTEP.  Call backs to this lesson can then be made throughout the year as students are faced with decisions about math, decisions about academics, and decisions about behavior.  Is it always best to weigh the facts before making a decision?  Most students will say that it is after working on this lesson.

Assessment Based On Objectives: If the lesson is used near the beginning of the year, the grading rubric should be given to students as part of the lesson so they understand how they will be assessed. It may be passed out at the beginning, or left until the end to use to check their work before submitting it.  Students should be assessed leniently based on the rubric if this is a new process.

Adaptations (For Students With Learning Disabilities):  Students may work in pairs or in groups, with an item added to the rubric to reflect group work.  The use of a calculator, spreadsheet, or even having calculations done for a student may be appropriate based on a student’s IEP.  A student could be provided with a “fill-in-the-blank” type of graph if needed.

Extensions (For Gifted Students): Students may be asked to pose a similar question with appropriate numbers when the dollar amounts don’t reset each month, or to extend the time.  Additional questions for reflection might be added to the reflection in part III.

Possible Connections To Other Subjects:  Clear connections to writing and character education are present in this lesson.

Earthquakes are more common than we hear about. This map of the world shows the locations of all the Earthquakes that have happened in the world in the last week. What do we notice about their locations. Why are there some areas that seem overloaded with Earthquakes and some areas that have none? What geological feature have we been studying that explain this map.

Group Size: Small groups

Learning Objectives:
The students will research Earthquakes using the internet.
The students will define geological terms relating to Earthquakes.
The students will answer frequently asked questions about Earthquakes.

Guiding Question:
By completing the KWL chart in small groups, students will dictate the guiding questions of this unit.

What is an Earthquake?

Why are there different magnitudes?

Why are Earthquakes concentrated in certain areas of the world?

Materials:
FAQ’s about Earthquakes http://seismo.berkeley.edu/faq/

Map of earthquakes http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/

Animated Guide to Earthquakes http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4130000/newsid_4132300/4132319.stm

USGS Earthquakes http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learning/kids/

Procedures:

1. After completing the introduction allow the class to work in small groups and complete the KWL chart attached below. The questions they come up with will dictate their research and discussions.
2. The students will then split into partners and explore the websites listed below: FAQ’s about Earthquakes
   http://seismo.berkeley.edu/faq/
   
   Map of earthquakes
   http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/
   
   Animated Guide to Earthquakes
   http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4130000/newsid_4132300/4132319.stm
   
   USGS Earthquakes
   http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learning/kids/
3. Before students can search websites they find on their own they must go through these sites to find the answers to their questions.
4. As terminology comes up add it to a large poster board about Earthquakes. This will be a bank of basic terms when referring to Earthquakes.
5. Terms that should come up are: fault, upheaval, debris, aftershock, richter scale, magnitude, seismograph, epicenter, and seismic activity.

Assessment:
Continue to use the running record.

Collect completed KWL charts and use the graphic organizer rubric.

Answer Key or Rubric:

KWL.doc

organizerrubric.doc
 

Benchmark or Standards:
Students will develop an understanding of…

• Structure of the earth system
• Earth's history
• The solid earth is layered with a lithosphere; hot, convecting mantle; and dense, metallic core.
• Land forms are the result of a combination of constructive and destructive forces.
• Major geological events, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and mountain building, result from plate motions

	KWL.doc
	organizerrubric.doc
	RunningRecordEarth.doc

During a process called photosynthesis, raw materials are used to manufacture sugar. Photosynthesis occurs in the presence of chlorophyll, a green plant pigment that helps the plant utilize the energy from sunlight to drive the process. Although the overall process involves a series of reactions, the net reaction can be represented by the following:

The sugar provides a source of energy for other plant processes and is also used for synthesizing materials necessary for plant growth and maintenance. The net effect with regard to carbon is that it is removed from the atmosphere and incorporated into the plant as organic materials.

This process occurs not only in plants, but also in humans and animals. Unlike photosynthesis, respiration can occur during both the day and night. During respiration, carbon is removed from organic materials and expelled into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.

Another process by which organic material is recycled is the decomposition of dead plants and animals. During this process, bacteria break down the complex organic compounds.

Carbon is released into the soil or water as inorganic material or into the atmosphere as gases. Decomposed plant material is sometimes buried and compressed between layers of sediments. After millions of years fossil fuels such coal and oil are formed. When fossil fuels are burned, the carbon is returned to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.

The carbon cycle is very important to the existence of life on earth. The daily maintenance of living organisms depends on the ready availability of different forms of carbon. Fossil fuels provide an important source of energy for humans, as well as the raw materials used for manufaturing plastics and other industrially important organic compounds.

The component processes of the carbon cycle have provided living things with the necessary sources of carbon for hundreds of millions of years. If not for the recycling processes, carbon might long ago have become completely sequestered in crustal rocks and sediments, and life would no longer exist.

Human activity threatens to disrupt the natural cycle of carbon. Two important ways by which humans have affected the carbon cycle, especially in recent history, are: 1) the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere during the burning of fossil fuels, and 2) the clearing of trees and other plants (deforestation) that absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis. The net effect of these actions is to increase the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It is estimated that global atmospheric carbon dioxide is increasing by about 0.4% annually. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas (i.e., it prevents infrared radiation from the earth's surface from escaping into space).

The heat is instead absorbed by the atmosphere. Many scientists believe that the increased carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere is resulting in global warming.

This global warming may in turn cause significant changes in global weather, which could negatively affect all life on earth. However, increased photosynthesis (resulting from the increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide) may somewhat counteract the effects. Unfortunately, the issues of fossil fuel burning, deforestation and global warming are intertwined with economic and political considerations. Furthermore, though much studied, the processes are still not well-understood and their ramifications cannot be predicted with confidence.

Biology is the scientific study of living organisms. That may sound simple, until we start to think about the vast number of organisms that inhabit planet Earth. When we also consider the interactions among organisms, and between an organism and its environment, it becomes clear that a lot of information can be classified as biological.

How is biological information acquired, and by whom? We'll discover the answers to these questions as we begin to explore how biologists do their work. We'll also see how the field of biology is divided into subfields that allow for specialization. ollaboration among specialists in many fields is critical for solving many of today's complex biological problems.

This Lesson will introduce the four themes we will use to organize important concepts throughout the course:

1. Science, Technology, and Society
2. Evolution
3. The Relationship Between Structure and Function
4. Science as a Process

You will need Macromedia Flash Player to view this lesson.

• identify what causes days and years
• describe the structure and reasons for time zones
• describe what causes the seasons

This system begins at the International Date Line located in the Western Pacific, just east of New Zealand. When it is noon in the first time zone (called ‘A’ in the Table 1 below), it will be 11:00 AM in the next time zone (called ‘B’) moving west towards Australia, and 10:00 AM in the next. These shifts of one hour continue moving back in time until it reaches 1:00 PM the previous day in the last time zone (called ‘X’) just west of Hawaii. So even though the first time zone and the last time zone are right beside each other on the Earth, they are one day apart in time, on either side of the International Date Line.

Table 1: Time Around the World

In position 1, the northern hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun,
receiving less sunlight. This is our winter season.

In position 3, the northern hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun, resulting in warmer weather in the summer.

Positions 2 and 4 show sunlight hitting the northern and southern
hemispheres equally. This is our spring and fall, respectively.

Student Learning Teams

See the work that students are doing to support other learners and users of the XO.

OLPC Networking Tutorials  (Animations)

Blog: the XO (Programming) Experience (Matt)

XO Bee Recording Programming Project

XO Bee Recording Programming Project Blog (Sheng)

Integrative STEM Apps for the XO: Innovative Tech Meets Sustainable Ag

Question: What do you get when you mix Sugar, honey bees, Python and talented innovative, inquisitive technologists?  Answer: A methodology for non-intrusive monitoring of the health of honey bee colonies for early detection of hive abandonment by wild and domestic bees.   Dr. Frank Linton, researcher and beekeeper, had the specific focus on early detection of bee colony problems and the higher vision that technology and education can empower learners and eliminate poverty.

The innovative tech tool evolved in the form of a Python language program app developed by high school junior Sheng to sample colony audio over specified time segments. Sheng wrote the automated audio recording software using open source free programming tools that enables sharing. Matt engineered the app into the XO's Sugar operating system.  The whole endeavor is Integrative STEM--the high level application of academics and technology to real problems.  View a Flash video of the project.  Read about more automated periodic data collection science projects, view Dr. Linton's notes (and more about the project in OLPC online news) and see his slides.

Just as it takes a village to nurture successful endeavors, this initiative in Summer 2008 was the creative output of high school students (Sheng, Matt, Mike, and Dan) fostered by their mentors (Jeff Elkin, Michael Connet, Dr. Linton) and oranizations (Nortel LearniT, the Arlington (VA) Career Center, the Governors Academy, and the Arlington Public Schools ongoing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) program).

 

Nortel LearniT Student Intern Presents at 2008 Tech Conference

Nortel LearniT student intern Matt from Arlington (VA) Yorktown High School was invited to be a guest presenter at the 2008 Nortel Technology Conference. Held in Orlando, Florida, the week-long conference featured visionary presenters and a number of break out sessions that fueled innovation and collaboration among 300 of Nortel's top engineers, researchers and scientists.

View a short slide show of Matt's week at the conference.

See a video report about Matt's experience at the Tech Conference.

Read the XO Experience Blog about the Tech Conference.

NOTE: Nortel LearniT wishes to extend a special thanks to Nortel employee Todd Spraggins for his leadership with the 2008 Technology Conference and Matt's participation. Todd is a Nortel LearniT Ambassador who is dedicated to helping all children grow through the power of 21st century technology.

Nintendo's Pokémon Goes to School: Engaging Students in Mathematics, Science, Engineering and Technology Learning 

Pre-Algebra Concepts offers instructional materials to better orient students in the mathematical concepts that are fundamental to algebraic processes.

In order to download the materials, click on the titles below. You will need to download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to view these documents.

Part I Sets of Real Numbers

Part II Operations with Fractions

Part III Operations with Decimals

Part IV Operations with Integers

To download the Glossary for the course, click here..

Lesson 1 contains information regarding Real Numbers and Algebraic Expressions. To download the lesson's example problems, click here. You will need to download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to view this .pdf document.

To begin the multi-media lesson, click here.

You will need Macromedia Flash Player to view this lesson.

To start the game, click here.

You will need Macromedia Flash Player to play this game.

A text version of the game is available here.

_________________________________________________________

Step 1:
Set up the reading and model close reading by focusing students on the context for the reading passage:

Explain to students that this is a crucial scene involving Janie and her grandmother Nanny.

Stop to ask questions and “think aloud” as you review the context with them. Model an ongoing interaction with the text, frequently stopping to check vocabulary understanding and using “I wonder why….?” questions.

Previously in Chapter 3, Janie married Logan Killicks, according to her grandmother’s wishes. She has been living with him for two months and two weeks until she comes back, in this scene, to confide in Nanny; she is restless and discontent with the marriage.

When Nanny asks Janie “whut you come in heah wid uh face long as mah arm for?” Janie responds, “’Cause you told me Ah mus gointer love him, and, and I don’t.” Janie shows that she feels betrayed by Nanny, who had convinced Janie that marrying Logan Killicks would bring her stability and gratitude.

Stop and model thinking aloud, asking students:

• Why do people expect to find love in marriage?
• Why did Janie expect it?
• Do young people expect more of marriage than older people?

• What were a black woman’s options in 1937 (year of publication of Their Eyes Were Watching God?)
• What are a black woman’s options now?
• What are any woman’s options?
• What are the benefits and/or drawbacks of arranged marriage?
• What’s the point of love in marriage?

__________________________________________________________

Step 2:
Go over the reading skills from the list that you will use with students to think aloud about the reading passage.

• Making predictions
• Visualizing
• Asking questions
• Monitoring understanding

_________________________________________________________

Step 3:
BEFORE READING. Focus on the skill(s) you will use to think aloud about the reading passage.

• Making predictions

• If Janie doesn’t care about Logan’s land, and she does expect to find love, where do you expect her to look?
• How will Nanny come to terms with the fact that she arranged Janie’s marriage to Logan based on her values, not on Janie’s?

Step 4:
DURING READING. Focus on the skill(s) you will use to think aloud about the reading passage.

• Visualizing
• Asking questions

• What is the picture your mind creates as you read Janie’s description of Logan?
  • Why does someone’s physical qualities matter so much when you live with them?
  • When you are married to them?
  • How is this a picture of despair? What does despair look like?
• The final paragraph of the chapter contains many images of nature, such as:
  • “So Janie waited a bloom time, and a green time and an orange time.”
  • “the words of the trees and the wind”
  • “She often spoke to falling seeds and said, ‘Ah hope you fall on soft ground…’”
  • “She knew the world was a stallion rolling in the blue pasture of ether.”
    • What images do these words conjure up for you?
    • What do these images of the natural world tell you about Janie’s interior mind and heart?

• What is the significance of “his toe nails look lak mule foots”?
• If Janie likens her husband to a mule, how does that support the novel’s overall representation of the mule? [In Chapter 2, Nanny told Janie, “De nigger woman is de mule uh de world so fur as Ah can see.” In Chapter 6 (if students have read that far) Matt Bonner’s yellow mule becomes the symbol of the exploitation of power]
• Janie says “Ah wants sweet things wid mah marriage lak when you sit under a pear tree and think…” Why does Janie care so much about the pear tree?
• “But when the pollen again gilded the sun and sifted down on the world she began to stand around the gate and expect things.” Why is Janie standing around the gate? Is the gate symbolically important?

• Monitor understanding and summarize

• In your opinion, does Nanny’s death change Janie’s options as a woman? How or how not?
  • What is an example of something she knows that no one told her? (hint: it is stated in this paragraph).

Overview of FORMATTING & EDITING OPTIONS

Curriki's editing tools are designed to make it easy and fast to create and edit a hierarchical collection of resources.

When you view or edit a collection on Curriki, you have a Table of Contents on the left to navigate between the different elements and levels in the collection. You also have some tabs on the top to view the Information metadata for the collection or resource being edited and for viewing the Comments on resources.

Curriki offers "Specific Displays" for editing different types of resources. For example, some resource types are:

• Wiki text blocks like this one
• HTML blocks that can contain most styles of HTML content
• Image files of web displayable format (GIF, PNG, JPEG, etc.) 
• MP3 audio files
• Zip file archives- including the ability to access individual files in an archive
• Video upload and capture with streaming playback using VIDITalk

This lesson was created using the Nortel LearniT 6E + S template for integrating technology within the curriculum.
 

Overview:
Students will learn how cultures from ancient times to the present have used the sun and other objects in the sky to mark the passage of time. They will see how archaeoastronomers use ancient observatories to predict seasons and special events. Digital imaging (or one or more of the other technologies) will be used to help document and present student observations.

NOTE: The initial part of this lesson plan helps the teacher plan and prepare to teach the lesson; the following sections (Engage through Evaluate) provide instruction for the students and may be printed/provided to students, as desired.
 

Technology Integration:
Digital imaging, PowerPoint, and web content creation
 

Prerequisite Experience:
Students should be able to use a digital camera and upload digital images to a computer. Students with more advanced skills may use these images to create a time-lapse animation. Students may also present their findings either by using PowerPoint or through a web page.
 

Teacher Prep Time:
1– 2 hours

Teachers should review the following tutorials:

imaging: www.NortelLearniT.org/technology/Imaging

PowerPoint presentations: www.NortelLearniT.org/technology/PowerPoint_Presentations

web content creation: www.NortelLearniT.org/technology/Webpage_Creation

Project:
Students view segments of the NASA CONNECT™ program, "Ancient Observatories: Timeless Knowledge": http://nortellearnit.org/LearniT/lessons/Multi-subject_Lesson_Plans/Test/ancient_flash_video

This will allow them to learn more about the sun’s role in past and present cultures as a timekeeping tool. Working in groups, they use simple tools to create a working sundial, which they then use to measure, collect and analyze data to make predictions. Students record what they observe using digital imagery.

Other resources for this lesson plan include the:

• Making a Sun Dial PowerPoint presentation attached here: Student PowerPoint
• NASA Ancient Observatories: Timeless Knowledge (Flash video) at http://nortellearnit.org/LearniT/lessons/Multi-subject_Lesson_Plans/Test/ancient_flash_video
• Smartboard Presentation file available as a compressed zip file and attached here: Smartboard Presentation

For schools and organizations with Smartboard™ access and software, the Ancient Observatories Smartboard™ Presentation file is provided as a downloadable compressed zip file. Smartboard™ Presentations require an interactive whiteboard and compatible software, such as Microsoft Word or PowerPoint. Note: If you don't have the software, this file will open as simply a character string.
 

Time Management Tips:
Students may need to gain some experience with one or more of the suggested technologies. It would be useful to have the students explore the training videos as they progress through the project

Students should work in teams. Each team should select from the technology options a single technology to use for their project, i.e., digital imaging, a PowerPoint presentation, or developing web page content.
 

Assessment:
Through answers to discussion questions, students will demonstrate their understanding of the use of the sun as a timekeeping tool.

Rubrics (assessment tools) will be used to evaluate their digital images, PowerPoint presentations and web sites, to determine the students’ subject knowledge, analytical skills and applied understanding of the material.

If students create a PowerPoint project, a presentation rubric will be used for this purpose. Similarly if a web site is created, a different rubric will be used. Refer to the Evaluate section of this document. Consult the following URL for help regarding rubrics in general: http://NortelLearniT.org/resources/Handouts/
 

Engage:
Through the centuries, people of all cultures have been curious about the sun and have wanted to better understand and explain how it affects life on earth.  Many cultures have used legends to explain their observations of the sun.  Many have built observatories, marking the position of the shadows the sun casts on specific days like the summer and winter solstices and the spring and fall equinoxes.

People throughout history have been able to use their growing knowledge of the sun to help them make choices concerning the planting of crops, keeping track of time and seasons, and the use of the sun for solar energy.  Additionally, people have learned to deal with safety issues concerning the sun and to better understand the earth’s overall relationship with the sun.

Ancestral Puebloans along the Utah-Colorado border noted the summer solstice by marking the sun’s shadows with petroglyphs.  Do you wonder what significance the sun had for the Ancestral Puebloans?  What did light and shadows mean to ancient cultures?

Do you wonder…

• What causes shadows?
• Why do shadows change throughout the day?
• What do light and shadows mean to people today?
  

Explore:
1. As a group, view segments of the NASA CONNECT™ program Ancient Observatories: Timeless Knowledge, at http://nortellearnit.org/LearniT/lessons/Multi-subject_Lesson_Plans/Test/ancient_flash_video to learn more about the sun-earth connection and timekeeping by shadows and the sun.
 
2. Split into teams of four to six students.  Make a sun-shadow plot by marking the ends of shadows made by the sun and a gnomon (a stick used to cast a shadow) every half-hour throughout the day.  You will observe and record how the length and position of shadows change throughout the day because of the earth’s spin changing its position in relation to the sun.

After you have mapped most of a day’s-worth of shadows, measure and record the shadow angles and lengths.  Directions for this activity, as well as handouts and data charts, can be downloaded from:
http://connect.larc.nasa.gov/programs/2004-2005/ancient/Ancient_Observatory.pdf  (pages 10 - 12 and 17 - 19).

3. You will want to capture the movement of the sun and changes in the gnomon’s shadow through digital imagery and animation.  For this, you will need a digital camera to take still images of the chart and gnomon. Once you have taken pictures of the movement of the shadow, you will want to assemble these images into a presentation. You can use either PowerPoint or Microsoft Word to present your findings.

TIP: Before you begin your research, you might want to review the Nortel LearniT imaging training videos at:  http://www.NortelLearniT.org/technology/Imaging/.

4. Continue your project by exploring an ancient culture that used the sun-earth relationship. Keep an accurate personal journal. Follow the steps below and include lots of details so you can share what you learn. Organize your answers using a word processor.

a. Pick an ancient civilization, e.g., ancient Rome, ancient Egypt, the Aztecs, the Mayans, or ancient Greece, that used the sun-earth relationship, for further study.

b. As you explore ancient civilization web sites, make notes on: major events, time-lines, clothing, architecture, family, traditions, food, marriage, culture, technology, religion, customs, tools and government.  Be sure to note how the sun-earth relationship influenced the society and culture of this civilization.

c. Provide background information on your topic.  Be sure to answer the 5 W's: who, what, when, where and why?
Be sure to save your work at regular intervals.   Also, be sure to document the sources of your Internet research.  This is called "making a citation" of someone else’s work. The format that is typically used is as follows:

Last Name, First Name of Author (if known). Title of work/article/page.  Title of Complete Document (if applicable). Date last modified.  URL (date visited).
 

Explain:
Organize your thoughts by discussing these questions with your class.

• What have you observed about changes in the sun's shadows throughout the day?
• How do these changes reflect the sun-earth relationship?
• Describe the sun-earth movement responsible for changes in the sun's shadow.
• What did you learn about ancient cultures and the sun's importance to these cultures?
• How would you explain the importance the sun plays in our culture?
• How would our lives change without the sun?

Summer solstice, the longest day of the year, occurs when one hemisphere is tilted towards the sun.  Winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, occurs when one hemisphere is tilted away from the sun.  The fall and spring equinoxes occur when light from the sun just reaches both the north and south poles, resulting in the length of day and night to be equal for both hemispheres.

The sun-earth relationship and apparent movement of the sun can be seen in the sun-shadow plots.  Using digital imaging and animation, these changes can be "sped up" and repeated.

Ancient cultures depended on their physical world for information and explanations. Time, seasons and traditions were based on their environment and the natural cycles.  Consider how understanding the connection between the scientific and the cultural, helped or hindered the ancient culture you are studying.  How does science affect our culture today?
 

Elaborate:
Use a gnomon of a different length than the one you used originally.  Predict the shadow plot for this gnomon.  Place small objects or marks where you predict the ends of the shadows will be cast at several times during the day.

1. Capture the new shadow plot digitally.  Could you accurately predict the location of the shadows?

2. As you are collecting images and conducting research, be sure to save backups of your digital data, to avoid losing valuable work.

Record not only your findings, but the sources of the information. Store photos of the other students working on the project, as well as photos of the gnomon.  And, of course, save facts concerning the history of the gnomon technique, e.g., the ancient Mayans.

Remember to cite references for ALL your information, including pictures.

1. Edit your notes and the data that you have collected.  Discuss the material with your team members.

2. Using a storyboard, plan how you will display your digital images, research, graphics and other information, into a “virtual museum.” This information can then be presented to your audience as either a PowerPoint presentation, or as web site content, or both.

3. Create a PowerPoint presentation focusing on past cultures and their use of the sun as a timekeeping tool.  Begin by creating a storyboard to creatively organize your slides.  Here is the storyboard handout to help you with this process: Storyboard Template
 

Evaluate:
Please see the attached: Evaluation Rubrics: PowerPoint & Imaging Project; Web Page Project
 

Extend:
Complete this Squeak activity to demonstrate an animated sundial.

Norbert has lost his watch and needs to be able to tell the time of day so he doesn't miss any important appointments. As you know, the ancients could tell time by looking at the direction of the shadow a gnomon casts.

The direction of the gnomon's shadow is simulated in the activity and a protractor is provided to help you measure angles. There are several challenges in the activity, including challenges relating to: angles, symmetry, measurement, plotting and analysis. You will see how scientists use measurements, plotting and data analysis to learn about nature's secrets.

You can find this activity at http://connect.larc.nasa.gov/programs/2004-2005/ancient/activity.html.

This activity uses a free, exciting, multimedia, programming environment called Squeak that can run on 12 different computer platforms. You can download the plug-in for Squeak at http://www.squeakland.org/. Once the downloaded icon is on your desktop, double-click on it for easy installation. (This activity uses the version of Squeak made available in September 2004. If your version of Squeak is older than that, you need to obtain an updated version—available at http://www.squeakland.org/.)
 
Caution: Although the Squeak plug-in works for Windows 95 and 98, those operating systems are older and less stable and you may experience problems when running Squeak. It is preferable to have a processor speed of 300 MHz or greater and at least 64 MB of RAM.

Resolution: Depending on the resolution of your monitor, we have prepared two different versions of the activity for you. If you have a PC you can check the resolution of your monitor in the Control Panel by clicking on the Display icon and then the Settings tab. If you are using a Macintosh computer with OS 10, click on the System Preferences icon along the bottom, then the Displays icon and finally the Display tab if you need to. The first button on the left is for resolution set to 800x600 and the second is for resolutions set to 1024x768 or higher.
 

Required Attachments:

	ancientevaluate121407rubric.doc
	storyboardtemplateblanktwopagesmsword020408.doc
	ancientobservatoriesstudentsmartboard.zip
	ancientobservatoriesstudentpowerpoint.ppt

Prior Knowledge:
 

Lesson Objective:
 

Lesson Assessment:
 

Benchmark or Standards:
 

Materials Needed:
 

Enrichment:
 

Accommodations:
 

Procedures:
 

Attached Files:
 

tonyhollowellmoleculargeneticsDNAlab.doc

Changes for Next Time:
 

What Worked Well:
 

HINT: They can use a Marker/Paint. Can you think about the solution now?

Annotations

The situation is similar to a problem of two linked lists having a common node between them. Our goal is to find the common node. So, what we do is very simple. Instead of using a linked list with data and a pointer to next node, we add a third element to it. When we traverse first linked list, we paint this element (Suppose Assign it 1). Therefore when we traverse the second list, wherever 1 is found we find the common node of the two linked lists and hence the intersection point (meeting point) of the two robots whose linear motions along a railway track is similar. Both the robots will mark the track with the marker, and the robot who finds the other marker will now justify that he was moving in the same direction.

Solution

Code tested on TC++ 3.0 Compiler

#include <stdio.h>
#include <conio.h>
#include <stdlib.h> // Contains malloc.h used for allocating memory to a pointer.
void display(struct node*);
void add(struct node**,int);
void copy(struct node**, struct node**, int);
void detect(struct node**, struct node*);
struct node
{
   int data,paint;
   struct node* link;
};
void main()
{
   struct node *p,*p1;int i;
   clrscr();
   p = NULL;p1 =NULL;
   add(&p1,1);
   add(&p1,2);add(&p1,3);
   add(&p,11);
   add(&p,21);
   add(&p,31);
   add(&p,41);
   add(&p,51);
   add(&p,61);
   display(p);display(p1);   // p contains 11,21,31,41,51,61 and p1 contains 1,2,3
   printf("\nNow Enter the location w.r.t to 1st list \nat which both lists should have a common node\n");
   scanf("%d",&i);
   copy(&p1,&p,i);   // We have entered 2 in dummy run of this code means p1's last node links to p's second node.
   printf("\nThe Linked Lists after a common node is established are\n");
   display(p);display(p1);
   detect(&p,p1);// The common mode is detected and its value is printed.
   getch();
}
void add(struct node** p,int n)
{
   struct node* temp;
   struct node* r;
   if(*p == NULL)
   {
      temp = malloc(sizeof(struct node));
      temp->data = n;
      temp->link = NULL;
      temp->paint = 0;
      *p = temp;
      return;
   }
   else
   {
      temp = *p;
      while(temp->link!=NULL)
         temp = temp->link;
      r = malloc(sizeof(struct node));
      r->data = n;
      r->link = NULL;
      r->paint = 0;
      temp->link = r;
      return;
   }
}
void display(struct node* p)
{
  struct node* temp;
  temp = p;
  printf("\n The Linked List is..(path)\n");
  while(temp->link!=NULL)
  {
     printf(" %d ",temp->data);
     temp = temp->link;
  }
  printf(" %d\n",temp->data);
}
void copy(struct node** t1, struct node** t, int n)
{
   struct node *temp,*temp1;int i;
   temp = *t;temp1 = *t1;
   for(i=1;i<=n-1;i++)
   {
      temp = temp -> link;
   }
   while(temp1->link!=NULL)
   temp1 = temp1->link;
   temp1 ->link = temp;
}
void detect(struct node**t, struct node *t1)
{
   struct node *temp;
   temp = *t;
   while(temp!=NULL)
   {
      temp->paint =1;
      temp = temp->link;
    }
    while(t1->paint!=1)
      t1 = t1->link;
    printf("\n\t\t\t\tThey meet at %d\n",t1->data);
}

Sample Output

The Linked List is..(path)
11   21   31   41   51
The Linked List is..(path)
1   2   3
Now Enter the location w.r.t. to the 1st list
at which both lists should have a common node
2
The Linked Lists after a common node is established are 
The Linked List is..(path)
11   21   31   41   51
The Linked List is..(path)
1   2   3   21   31   41   51
 
They meet at 21