Space Review

Space Unit Review has been added to D2L under news.

Ma/Science

Great work on your research stations...we will look at Triangulation tomorrow.

Keep pushing forward with your Space review.  Format is multiple choice & PBA/numerical response...assessment is Thursday for the double.

Math:  today we covered similar triangles (corresponding angles & corresponding proportional sides)

Please complete worksheet 4.3 ****pay close attention to the last 2 questions.  For the last question, use Pythag to solve for the hypotenuse of the large triangle...this is a 4 level question.

Please complete p.151-152 textbook #12-20 choose 5...if you are focused on Hum tonight...pick up the Math tomorrow night & hit the books hard.

Humanities at a Glance

Monday-Review for Test/Spirit Bear 16,17,18
Tuesday- Write Test/Spirit Bear 19,20,21
Wednesday- Finish Spirit Bear
Thursday- Spirit Bear SURPRISE Quiz (It pays to read the blog!)
Friday- Discuss Holiday Plans and Catch up with any late Assignments

Math textbook

Scale & Similarity files have been successfully loaded to D2L under news.

Math & Science Updates

Science Space Exploration Unit Assessment is on Thursday next week for the double period.  Multiple choice & PBA format...

Please have your Space activities complete for Monday and ensure that you are reviewing this weekend.  We have research time booked on Monday in the library with technology.

I have posted a link to the online textbooks via Learn Alberta on the side of our blog.  Remember Science in Action is needed for Life Cycle of a Star.  User name is LA06 and the password is 4105 (both are zeroes).

Math...please have your scale diagram & scale factor worksheets & textbook questions (6 word problems of your choice) completed for Monday.  We will move into Similar Polygons and have an assessment on Wednesday.

Helping Bag campaign wraps up on Monday.  

Test Tuesday and Justice Conclusion

Thanks for participating in our Justice Convention today!  It was great to have experts to come in to talk to us about all the concepts we have been learning.

Think about this:

1. You have a review sheet to look at over the weekend in preparation for your Test Tuesday!

2.You may keep your brochure till Monday to study from.  MUST hand in on MONDAY! You keep the rough copy notes.

3.If you forgot please hand in your revised YCJA persuasive paragraph.

Woo hoo...great negotiation.  Get your worksheets done & your textbook work (choose 6).

Please keep the Science rolling...you should be almost done your activities.

Dec 7th-11th Snap Shot

This week we will have accomplished quite our share.
Our Goals are:
1. Self Correct our YCJA paragraph and prepare for a 1 minute interview using the mind set of the opposite opinion.  Starting interviews on Thursday, Dec 9, 2015
2. Continue Reading Spirit Bear
3. Discuss Topic vs Theme
4. Hand In our Justice System Brochure- Juries and Advocacy Groups on Friday, Dec 11, 2015.
5. Look at Source Analysis Questions
6. Begin to think about our Chapter 2 Exam Next Week.

Math & Science Updates

Wow...lots on the go.  Can't believe it is December already!!

Math Rational Number Exam will take place on Monday, Dec 7th for the double period.
Multiple choice & written format.  Please ensure that you have a calculator for this assessment.  You will not be able to use a cell phone as a calculator.  Thanks.

Space Science Final Assessment will take place on Dec 17th unless there is a conflict with the talent show etc.  If there is a conflict, we will need to write on Dec 16th.  Please mark your calendars.

Great Math review today for the double period.  We were so lucky to have Ms. Wensley to support us for both periods.  Please work through the review questions from the board today as well as the  Chapter 2 review and the Practice Chapter 2 test in the textbook (posted on D2L under news on Oct 21).

Space Exploration activities are on-going...please keep moving forward with this work especially if Hum is light.  You should be through helio/geo-centric, azimuth/altitude, telescopes & most of spectroscopy at the minimum.  You might need a couple minutes in class to finish with the astrolabes & you will need some support on the Investigation on p. 381.  This activity booklet is the vast majority of this shorter unit.

If you have not brought in the $5 for your journal, please bring it in asap.  Thank you.

Rolling Along

Remember that you need to complete the following for Monday:

1.Chapter 3 Journal Response- Garvey provides Cole with ingredients to make a cake.  What do you think the significance of this is? (Use The Art of Thinking)

2.Character Analysis- Edwin, Cole, Garvey, Mom/Dad

3.Chapter 2 -Justice System

4.Ponder about 'Justice'

Math & Science Updates

Thanks for being so amazing while I was away this week.  It really means a lot to me.

Math:  finished up our Fraction Check In today as you were a bit tight on time yesterday
           we will move into Square Roots tomorrow...this Unit will be coming to an end shortly so perhaps you should start some exam prep this weekend

Science:  Space Exploration Unit...today we watched a super cool nuclear physicist :) TED talk Brian Cox Why we need Explorers?

We also reviewed the Biodiversity Unit Exam today in class.

Please think of 5 questions that pertain to Space...be ready to share tomorrow.

I will post a digital copy of our first Space assignment in D2L if you want to work ahead tonight.

Working Hard is a Learned Process

Accomplishment was high today! Congratulations 9-04! For homework tonight we have our Justice Organizer to complete for tomorrows class. The challenge is to beat the teacher. Can we do it?

Men of Stone due Monday

Just reading some of your Gattaca Assignments.  Great Work!
Please do not forget that you open-mind portrait and first person Narrative are due on Monday.
Have an AWESOME WEEKEND!

Practice Question Links & Brothers of Bogota NY Times article

http://www.edquest.ca/

https://questaplus.alberta.ca

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/12/magazine/the-mixed-up-brothers-of-bogota.html?_r=1

Check out the following links if you are looking for some practice questions & a cool article to read through!

Ma/Sci

Great review today for the Biodiversity Exam!

I have attached the SMART file in D2L.  Ensure that you go into the Cougar Community shell and scroll down to March 2012 to get the instructions on how to open a SMART file at home.

Biodiv exam is Monday 2 parts.  40 M/C and PBA

Double Math on Tuesday next week (fraction operations)

Wednesday next week:  Fraction operation check in

Gattaca Due November 19th

Please have your excellent work ready to hand in tomorrow.
You will be responsible to hand in the Essay, 2 journal responses, 2 completed peer assessments and 1 self assessment with reflection questions.
Stapled and in the Hand In basket.
Great Work this was a hard assignment!

Ma/Sci

Wow...amazing work with GATTACA and GMOs.  We are officially finished our Biodiv Unit and will review for Monday's exam tomorrow.

Today we went over the topics 3-5 Science quiz and added them to student portfolios.

Biodiv Exam is Monday Nov 23rd.  2 parts:  40 multiple choice & 1 PBA

I have posted review questions (PDF) on D2L for you to look over.

I will have outlines for you tomorrow for our review.

Please complete the following Math questions...I will post the answers on D2L as a jpeg.

-5  3/8 divided by 6  2/9

7  2/11 - (-3  1/2)

4  4/7 x -1/3

Pair Share Our Gattaca Assignment

You must have your GATTACA ASSIGNMENT completed for tomorrow so that we can complete our pair share and peer assessment in class. After we have had a feedback session we will make finishing touches to our assignment and take it home.  Make it your absolute best piece of persuasive writing and hand it in on Thursday.

High School Open House Information

Central Memorial Open House Thursday, Nov 19th 7:00-8:30 pm

James Fowler -  November 25, 2015 from 6:00-8:00pm

Ernest Manning – November 26, 2015 from 6:30-9:30pm

Queen Elizabeth – December 7, 2015 from 6:00-8:00pm

Thirsk, Bowness, Churchill open houses are in January...stay tuned.

Math & Science Checking In

Lots on the go...

Please review continuous vs discrete variation & nature vs nurture.  I will post the link to the Brothers of Bogota article from The New York Times...so awesome!!

Please ensure that you are working through your Pot Pourri assignment.  You have a paper copy of these tasks & it was posted on the blog on Friday.  We will be reviewing on Thursday so Pot Pourri should be pretty much done for tomorrow.

You need to be preparing for your Biodiversity Unit Exam which will take place on Monday Nov 23rd.  We have already covered the course material for the PBA.

Please complete these fraction operations using your cheat sheets from last week:

-1/2 x -3/8             -5 3/4 +  -3 1/9             -8/3 divided by 5/2         -6 1/2 - 4/9

GATTACA UPDATE

Our week at a glance:

Please share your completed assignment on Thursday, November 19th. 

We will have 3 periods to write on Monday, 11/2 periods to write on Tuesday.

Wednesday you will be completing your pair-share, peer assessment and self assessment.

Your homework Wednesday night will be to make any last revisions to the greatest essay and journal responses ever.

Thursday we will finish Men of Stone and begin Chapter 2.

HUMANITIES JOURNALS & GATTACA

Students you will need to hand in you visual journal if you would like to have your Creed project marked.  Without it you are missing a large portion of the assignment.

Your homework is to find your passion to write for Gattaca. We discussed the overall encompassing question of: 

To what extent should society be allowed to manipulate DNA in the form of genetic engineering?

After looking at the two sides of the coin and using the 'Art of Thinking' you are ready to write your THESIS. In order to get charged up, starting thinking about your ARGUMENTS and the EVIDENCE you will use to prove them.

Math & Science Update

Biodiversity Unit Exam:  multiple choice & performance based assessment will be on Nov 23rd...start your prep work now while you have some breathing room from GATTACA.

Please start working through the following items in your Science journals:

I would try to complete #1-5 this weekend as the next week is heavy with GATTACA & finishing the unit.

You are responsible for researching the following topics & summarizing the information you find in your Journals.  Be sure to try and find examples/diagrams that will help you develop your understanding of each topic.

Technology & Variation (Topic 5)

1. What is genetic engineering?  What are genetically modified (GM) organisms?
2. What are some examples of its use in medicine & agriculture?
3. Why are GM foods produced?  What are some examples of GM products on the market?
4. What are some issues or concerns about GM foods?

Technologies & Breeding (Topic 6)
5. What is artificial selection/selective breeding and how have people used this technology in the past?
6. Complete the Find Out Activity on p. 59.  Complete questions #1-4 with a partner.

Human Impacts on Biodiversity (Topic 7)
7. Use the information in Investigation 1-K to compare extirpation & extinction.
8.  Use the information in Topic 7 to summarize 5 ways that humans have impacted biodiversity.

Human Actions to Protect Biodiversity (Topic 8)
Use the information in Topic 8 to summarize 4 strategies that humans have used to protect biodiversity.

Math:
ensure that you are keeping up with a few examples of multiplying, dividing, adding, & subtracting fractions...negative/positive/mixed/improper

GATTACA

Gattaca

Today we watched Gattaca in periods 2, 3, and 4.

Everyone received the written task and assessment (blue booklet). Also, students were provided with graphic organizers to support their essay (question 1).

Homework for tonight: work on question #1 (choose a position/argument, brainstorm ideas, build your evidence to support your thesis, start working on a rough copy... all in Google Docs)

Students will have 2 periods tomorrow to work on their written responses and the expectation is that all writing will be completed in a rough copy for Monday. On Monday we will edit and revise as well as self and peer assess. The due date for the final copies of the Gattaca Written tasks is on Tuesday, November 17.

Homework for Friday &weekend: have all rough copies of written tasks completed in google docs 

Gattaca Journal Questions

In Google Docs answer the following question. Your answer should be in complete sentences and paragraphs. Please typeyour answers, double space, and use 12 pt font.

1)   The technology to manipulate DNA in the way portrayed in the movie GATTACA is not yet available, but might be one day.  Write an essay describing whether or not you think that the technology portrayed in the movie should be used the way it was in the movie.  Doyou think scientists should manipulate the DNA so parents could choose their children’s traits?  Should they be able to choose all thetraits or only those that may shorten the life of the child?  Who should decide?  Should there be laws to enforce when and how genetic engineering should be used?

In the same Google Doc, that you answered the previous question, answer one of the following five discussion questions.  Make sure you indicate which questions you are answering.  Your answer should be in complete sentences and paragraphs. Please type your answers, double space, and use 12 pt font.

2)   During a scene in GATTACA, Vincent’s parents visited a doctor who specialized in child conception to select the best traits for hisfuture brother.  They hoped that his brother would have the best possible chances for a successful life.  Some of the traits selected seemlike a good decision, while others seem to cross „the line‟. List some of the traits that were manipulated for Anton, Vincent’s brotherand identify if you think each one is a trait that should be pre-selected before birth or is a trait that should be left to chance.  What criteria did you use to decide which traits were acceptable to change and which ones were not?  Whose decision should this be?  Should there belaws about which traits could be manipulated and which should be left alone?  Where should those laws draw the line?

3)   One of the first questions asked by the geneticist to Vincent’s parents was to choose the sex of their baby.  Molecular biologists have developed a technique that enables parents to select the sex of their future child.  This technique simply separates the X carryingsperm from the Y carrying sperm and inseminating females with the preferred sex chromosomes.  This procedure is currently banned except for medical reasons (potential parents with sex-linked diseases may choose to have a girl, avoiding the possibility of having a boy with hemophilia, for example).  Should sex selection for medical and non-medical reasons be available?  What do you think aresome of the implications of this technique?

4)   During the gala party scene in GATTACA, a woman submits a saliva sample from a recent kiss to screen her potentialboyfriend/husband’s DNA.  Is she violating his rights by doing this without his knowledge?  Is this in any way similar to performing a background check?  How much would a DNA screen reveal about someone’s personality and intelligence.

5)   How does the discrimination (called genoism) Vincent faces in the film GATTACA similar to contemporary racism orclassism?  Were their laws against genoism in the film?  Did they keep discrimination on the basis of genetics from happening?  How does that compare to current laws against racism?

6)   In the film GATTACA, Vincent fails to meet the genetic requirements for being a successful pilot at GATTACA. When Vincent is born, his genetic profile is lifted from his foot. He will die at 30, has poor eyesight and a weak heart. As an "Invalid," Vincent iseligible only for manual labor. Why waste education on an early death? So Vincent cleans the floors at the Gattaca Corporation with no hope of realizing his dream of riding corporate rockets to distant planets.   Yet, later in the movie, the program director describes“Jerome” as “one of our best”.  Likewise, the real Jerome has an excellent genetic profile yet fails to lead a successful life.  Does thissupport the idea that genetically determining an individual’s traits means that you can insure success?  Why or why not?

In the same Google Doc, answer one of the following choices related to question 7 discussion questions.  Make sure you indicatewhich questions you are answering.  Your answer should be in complete sentences and paragraphs. Please type your answers, double space, and use 12 pt font.

7)   In the film GATTACA Vincent’s parents are told that he will not be allowed to go to school with other children because the schoolcannot afford the insurance rates to cover an invalid child. Knowledge of one’s genetic profile could profoundly affect the price ofinsurance.  Insurance companies work on a risk assessment basis, where individuals with a greater potential for developing health complications are charged more than individuals who are deemed healthy.  For example, if you smoke you are charged more). Actuarialists look at statistics to determine how much their clients should be charged.  With current advancements in genetic testing,there is much potential to discriminate those with “bad genes”.  It is quite possible that individuals classified as high risk individualsmay be denied the opportunity to purchase insurance.  However, insurance companies must operate as a business, looking out forthemselves and their client’s best interests.

A)                You are representing an individual who has obtained a genetic screen and would like to purchase some insurance.  Results show that you are at an extremely high risk for developing cancer and hypertension.  However, you are currently a healthy individual who does not smoke and exercises on a regular basis.  Explain why you should begiven the opportunity to purchase insurance at a reasonable price.

B)                 You are representing an insurance company.  A potential client approached your company about the possibilityof purchasing insurance.  After reviewing her file, including a gene scan, you realize that she falls into a high-riskcategory.  Explain to her why you need to charge her considerably more for insurance.

C)                 Do you think insurance companies should have the right to genetically screen their clients and use thatinformation to decide upon their insurance rates?  Why or why not?