Links for use in class on Friday, Feb. 8:
Link for use in class -- sophomores only, please: 11/12 core interest
Debate Surveys -- pre and post (1A)
- PED's
- lower the voting age
- physician assisted suicide
- death penalty
- video games
- bottled water ban
- daylight savings time
Debate Surveys -- pre and post (2A)
- homework
- video games
- is golf a sport
- teacher tenure
- drinking age
- animal testing
- death penalty
- college education worth it?
- lower the voting age
- prostitution
- path to citizenship
Link for use in class on Thursday, Nov. 1: VOTE HERE
The best Rube Goldberg device ever? Top 10 for sure! Click it!
Click the "YourMorals.Org" link to find the survey titled "Moral Foundations Questionnaire."
Choose your preferred voting system here!
Link for use in class: game evaluation.
After our circle today, I came across this article. Of course, this doesn't count the black markets all over the world, but it's surprising how difficult it is in many other countries to buy a gun legitimately. Click that title to see the article.
Want to remember more? Click the thumbnail and read on.
Click here for the California Healthy Kids Survey.
Smart homes are on the way! I thought you might find this interesting. Click the image for a full infographic.
The axis STEM summer assignment for 2017 can be found here.
To see a brilliant example of musical instruments made from non-musical materials, click the image at right. They made a whole philharmonic orchestra out of re-purposed and reused materials!
To see a brilliant example of musical instruments made from non-musical materials, click the image at right. They made a whole philharmonic orchestra out of re-purposed and reused materials!
"The Persuaders" discussion questions.
"Hurricane" by Bob Dylan.
This is a college that most of you have never heard of, but it has great news for some of you who want to pursue science-oriented college level study. Click the image above to find out. Applications should be done through the Common App. They are due Jan. 15. Go for it!
Who doesn't know how to correctly cite sources? Many of you, apparently, and you've lost credit on the previous homework assignment because of it. Click the button below to see a video I created for my 9/10 classes a few years ago. It'll show how to cite sources completely and correctly.
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Their Eyes Were Watching God mannequin challenge - what a smash hit! My family loved seeing the videos, and now you can, too. Click the image at right. (Big thanks to Katherine, Carsen, Claudia, and [who am I forgetting?] for giving me the idea for this!)
Now that's a cool design - and what maker engineering is all about! Click the image at left for more info.
Excellent college admissions essays:
- Untitled (Prompt: tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?)
- Untitled #2 (Prompt: Describe the world you come from — for example, your family, community or school — and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.)
- Untitled #3 (Prompt: reflect on an idea or experience that has been important to your intellectual development.)
- Interest in math, science, or engineering (Prompt: Interest in math, science, or engineering manifests itself in many forms...[in] a page, more or less, tell the Admissions Committee how you express your interest, curiosity, or excitement about math, science or engineering.)
- The Colour of Passion (Prompt: personal choice essay)
- Alcohol's Daughter (Prompt: Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.)
Still in need of a junior/senior project? The Eco2School Challenge has taken place at WHS each of the last five years. It encourages students to find non- or low-polluting ways of commuting to school. It's a program that is already established and easy to run. A team of 2-4 students is needed to organize it this year. Click the image at left to read a bit more, and click here to find the contact info. Do it today!
NOTE: if you missed the summer assignment, you can find it here.
Click to read the syllabus for my class.
Click to read the syllabus for my class.
Why take the PSAT? This chart shows why you should - and why you should take it more than once!
Sign up for the PSAT with the secretary in the counseling office. Signup priority:
The test is on Wednesday, Oct. 19, from 8:00-11:30am in the gym. The cost is $18.
Learn more about the test here.
Sign up for the PSAT with the secretary in the counseling office. Signup priority:
- Sophs & Juniors: Sep. 26 - Oct. 6
- Frosh: Oct. 10 - 14
The test is on Wednesday, Oct. 19, from 8:00-11:30am in the gym. The cost is $18.
Learn more about the test here.
Our second annual UC, CSU & Common App night is Friday, Sep. 30, at 4:00 in the C quad. Come get a big chunk of this essential college application completed amid the camaraderie of your Axis colleagues! Bring $5-$10 for pizza and drinks. We'll have laptops available or you can bring your own. See you on Friday.
Download the format for current events reports by clicking the image at left!
Just to show that I really made a Rube Goldberg machine, here is the (brief) video from two years ago. Click the image at right.
I love what BioLite has been doing for years. At the heart of their work to revolutionize off-grid cooking and power generation is this unit. Check it out...then find out more at Biolite's website.
A trove of roots for your vocabulary - click the image and bookmark the page!
Want to see more of how this was created? Click here and scroll to the bottom of the page.
Links, downloads, and videos which used to be at the top of my axis STEM & Discovery Honors class pages can be found here, with the most recent at the top.
TLT is an excellent program to give high school juniors exposure to a variety of professional fields in Sonoma County. It is also a great extracurricular activity to put on college & job applications. Click the image at left to learn more. There will be an informational meeting in Ms. Taddei's office on Thursday at lunch (pizza provided!!). Check in with her first so she can send you a call slip.
Well, it's usually pizza...except when the answer is this: the last day to turn in any late/missing assignments for this grading period was Friday, Dec. 11.
Friday was my birthday. You all were so thoughtful and generous - it really made for a great birthday at school. Thanks!
Excellent work with the Beat the Author endings to Of Mice & Men. Chapeau! especially to Brian, Brenda, Audrey, Chase, Elliot, Sophia, Rowan, Cameron, Lucas, and Kayla; you each received multiple appreciations. Click through the images below to see all of the comments which were left to those writers and others.
Extra Credit: send me a note explaining why Theodore Roosevelt would be proud of what President Obama has just done. Extra extra credit: recommend a better soundtrack. Please. (You can read more about it & see maps here.)
It's back! P.G. & E.'s STEM scholarship deadline has been extended to Feb. 29! Click the image at left for more information. As always, if you apply and need a recommendation, I'd be happy to provide one.
This is Mt. Baker in the northern Cascades of Washington state. It's an ice-covered volcano and the site of several studies of glaciers. Talk about cool! Girls only: there is a wilderness education program in June run by the University of Alaska (Fairbanks) which teaches about glaciers and the alpine environment..and it's free. All you have to do is apply, get accepted, and get there. Click the image at left to find out more. (I'll be happy to write one of the letters of recommendation for any of you who want to apply!). Applications are due this Friday, Jan. 29, so get on it if you're interested. The fact that they are still seeking applicants suggests that your chances are good if you apply.
This is what he did when he found out that the last day to turn in any late/missing assignments for this grading period was Friday, Dec. 11.
We'll get to this tomorrow.
This is Elon Musk. He's totally cool, smart, visionary...but I like what he had to say about engineering. Click his mug to find out.
What happened on this day in history? Click the image each day to find out!
I loved The Martian. And I love Tesla Motors. Which means I should click the link at left to find out why the most disruptive technological innovator of this decade (Elon Musk) thinks that colonizing Mars is perhaps the most important thing we can do. Click the image if you dare. Read the blog post (if you dare - it's HUGE) (but it's really well researched and well written). Tell me what you think about it afterward, because I am still trying to wrap my head around it...
GRRRR! I want to win the Budget Challenge teacher competition, but I'm only in 34th place. I found out one reason why. It has to do with this screenshot of my credit account. Something happened on Oct. 2 that cost me a 5 point penalty...and the same will be true for you. Can you figure out what it is? Click the image to see a larger version. (Hint: the last column is the only one that matters!)
So how much does college actually cost? This story will give you some more information about the cost of over 1500 colleges. Click the image!
Well, THAT's a cool design!
This was a pretty cool engineering project. How would you modify it to make it better? (Click the image at left to read the story & see the video.)
BTW, that website (interestingengineering.com) is full of cool stories. Check 'em out!
BTW, that website (interestingengineering.com) is full of cool stories. Check 'em out!
Look what rode past while I was on a walk last night! (click for the short video)
You think you're obsessed? Not as obsessed as the Donald. Just click his photo to find out...
...that he is obsessing over the wrong things. Click this photo to find out what I mean.
So this is cool - it's a graphic simulation of the Curiosity rover which is on Mars right now. What's even more amazing is how engineers figured out how to get it onto Mars safely - the famous "Seven Minutes of Terror". Click the image to see the video.
Click the image at left to access the course evaluation for Discovery Honors English. Thanks for taking the time to complete this important & helpful task!
Click the image at left to access the course evaluation for Axis US History. Thanks for taking the time to complete this important & helpful task!
Click the image to see a panel of an original Rube Goldberg machine - the sort of thing that the Axis Summer Assignment asks you to create.