It's not like we're splitting the atom!

This is a common phrase, and many believe that an atom cannot, in fact, be split. The other day in Honors ICS a student defined an atom and mentioned that it cannot be split. But, it can. It produces quite a violent energy eruption during the process as well. Here is a video I found online that shows "How to Split an Atom at Home." Enjoy, but be careful...and wear your safety goggles! ;-)

Calendars: Weeks of 2/2/09 - 2/23/09

The calendar for Weeks 2/2/09 & 2/9/09 can be found here.

The calendar for Weeks 2/16/09 & 2/23/09 can be found here.

Important Due Dates...

Okay, so we've got a number of important things coming up, including...

- The Atomic Zoo: due either Thursday, February 12th (Period 1) or Friday, February 13th (Period 5)
- The Periodic Table Game Project: due either Thursday, February 26th (Period 1) or Friday, February 27th (Period 5)

Prizes (including a $25 gift certificate to a restaurant*) for the Atomic Zoo contest will be given for the following:
- Heaviest animal
- Longest animal name
- Most animals listed

Remember that spelling counts! Be sure to be creative with your animal names. Use scientific & common names!

* I will ask you to tell me the neighborhood in which you'd like to dine, and I will locate a few restaurants from which you can choose! *

Welcome!

Welcome to the start of the 2nd half of the 2008-2009 academic year! Hopefully by now you've learned a lot about adjusting to Uni's "different" schedule, and are well under way to developing the maturity that comes during high school. If you are a student in my class, I'm very happy to have you. And, if you're just browsing...well, then, so be it!

I hope that you're ready for some serious bum-kicking learning in this course. No Science is easy. Science at twice the pace is even less easy. You will be expected to participate in class. You will be expected to complete homework (at least give it a faithful try). You will be expected to study for quizzes & tests.

So sit back, strap yourself in, and get ready for a wild ride!

READY, SET, GO...

About your teacher...

I've taught high school Science for over 5 years...in Chicago, Los Angeles, and overseas. Last year was my first year teaching at Uni, and I had the pleasure of teaching both 9th grade ICS and 10th grade Biology. In June of 2008 I moved from LA to live in New York City for the Summer, and then continued on to live in Australia until this past December. After the holidays I returned to LA, and am happy to return to Uni as a teacher.

I am a Chicago girl at heart, having spent 18+ years of my younger years in the suburbs. I earned my bachelor's degree in Dietetics and Nutrition, Fitness & Health from Purdue University in Indiana. Go Boilers! I later went back to graduate school, and earned a Master's degree in Secondary Education from DePaul University in Chicago. My husband is a full-time MBA student at UCLA, so in 2007 we picked up to move to the west coast. I'm happy to call the sunny state of California my home now.

In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my husband and my Australian shepard dog, running on the beach (I'm training for my 2nd Half Marathon), kayaking, or traveling. Some of the more unique things I've done were conducting research at the Great Ape House at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, and researching chimpanzees who know American Sign Language (ASL) at The Chimpanzee & Human Communication Institute in Washington. Jane Goodall (chimpanzee behaviorist extraordinaire) is an idol of mine, and I had the pleasure of meeting her in 2007 when she visited Chicago on a book tour.

Some photos...

(After finishing the Sydney Half-Marathon)

(With my husband who likes to drive Indy race cars for fun)

(Kayaking in the Milford Sound, New Zealand)

(Meeting with Jane Goodall)