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Monday, July 8, 2013

UPDATED ON JULY 8

Updated and current on July 8, 2013 at 10:00 p.m.

Search the Blog Archive to the right to see the list of classes that have posted their summer work.  You should be able to find

  • AP Physics, AP Chemistry and AP Environmental Science
  • Honors Anatomy and Physiology
  • Honors Biology
  • Honors English 9 & 10
  • AP English 11 & 12
  • AP US History
  • AP Economics
  • AP Government with Jacobsma
    AP Human Geography with Jacobsma
    AP Psychology with Jacobsma


Other classes are still in progress...keep coming back to check!

AP Spanish
This is most likely the same assignment that you will find on this blog, so look for it...it's at the very end, so it was the first one posted.


AP Calculus AB/BC
AP Statistics
Mr. Nguyen typically hands out an assignment at the summer homework meeting; I'm sure you kids have it.  Get in touch with your counselors or with me if you need any more information and we will run it down for you.

When everything is posted, I will update this page letting you know that we are 100% up and accurate.

Thanks, Everybody.  You can contact your counselors Ms. Lane, Ms. Ozier and Ms. Young for more information, or email me directly -- I maintain this blog for the AP and Honors Summer Homework program at Mayfair High School; any error or confusion most likely originates with me.

Alexandra Fletcher
afletcher[at]busd.k12.ca.us

AP Human Geography

Summer Homework:  Read and outline Unit 1 in the text, Human Geography: Culture, Society and Space, 7th edition in the format explained at the mandatory meeting in the spring.

Test Day One.

AP Psychology

Read and outline Chapters 1 and 14 of Myer's Psychology for AP, and read ALL of Mindset: the New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck.

Test on Day One.

AP US Government


  • Outline chapters 1 and 14 of Government in America;  People, Politics, and Policy, Twelfth Edition
  • Read Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
  • Read 1984, George Orwell
Test on Day One.

Friday, July 5, 2013

Honors Biology


The Honors Biology summer assignment is to read all sections of Chapter 1 in Modern Biology.  Study the concepts of the scientific method, and be prepared for a test on the first full day of the fall semester.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Honors Anatomy and Physiology


Anatomy and Physiology
McCabe/Sfiligioi Bott


Summer homework for both teachers is available on the class website HERE.

AP Physics, Physics, Chemistry and all Things Ducar 2013




If you are taking any of Mr. Ducar's science classes, please go directly to Mr. Ducar's webpage for more infomation.

AP Economics with Mr. Bacay 2013

For the summer homework, check Mr. Bacay's website HERE.  Here is an alternate way to get to the same site, just in case that first link gives you trouble:  Mr. Bacay's Website.


Honors English 10 - Mr. Eastham



10th graders taking Honors English for the 2013-2014 school year are required to read three novels over the summer: 
  • Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
  • The Pearl by John Steinbeck, and 
  • Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya


There will be two tests on these books in early September which will count as a significant portion of the students’ first semester grades. One test will be an in-class essay, and the other will be a short-answer test, also done in-class. The Steinbeck and Anaya books may be checked out from Mayfair’s school library, and all books are available at most public libraries and/or book stores. If for any reason you are unable to obtain any of the books, please contact me so that accommodations can be made. If you need to, you may contact me by email at geastham[at]busd.k12.ca.us.

For Their Eyes Were Watching God, be sure to read the Foreword and the Afterword as well as the novel itself. Be prepared to discuss and write about these novels at length in September. 

Students who do not complete the summer reading and/or do not pass both summer reading test will be dropped from Honors English. There will be NO EXCEPTIONS.

AP US History 2013 with Mr. Headley



Everything you ever wanted to know about AP US History with Mr. Headley can be found RIGHT HERE.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

AP English Literature & Composition - Grade 12 - Brown 2013


Summer Homework

“The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them.”- M. Twain


Requirements
In order to take AP Senior English (Literature and Composition), you must read the following two books over the summer and complete the corresponding written work:
• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky ISBN 074348763X
• Antigone by Sophocles ISBN 0-521-01073-X

Obtaining the books

You may borrow the books from a library, a friend, or purchase them. I highly recommend you purchase them if possible so you can annotate them, and bend their pages. **To save money, you may purchase used books through both Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com

Due Dates

The exams over both books will be given the first week of school, and the written homework is due on Monday, August 19. I will be in my classroom from 2pm to 3pm. The summer homework and corresponding exam grade constitute a large portion of your first semester grade, so you will want to do well. Your enrollment in AP 12 is guaranteed based upon completion of all subsequent homework assignments.

Crime and Punishment

1. Essay on Crime and Punishment
Next you must write an essay on Crime and Punishment, choosing your focus from the list of possible topics below. Do not use outside research for this paper; I want to see what you’re capable of doing on your own. Similarly, do not work with any other student; I’ll consider this cheating. Work autonomously. This is not a timed write: take as much time as necessary to complete this essay to the best of your ability.

Your essay should be 4-5 pages typed (12 pt Times font, double-spaced).
Include evidence from the novel and be sure to follow proper MLA (Modern Language Association) format when citing the page numbers from which you take excerpts or quotations.
You can visit this site for details on MLA format or Google Citation builder from the NCSU libraries of additional help.

Choose one
• Does Raskolnikov actually desire punishment on some level? How? Why? Does he want to be caught consciously or subconsciously?
• What function do saviors play in Crime and punishment? Select one character that functions as a savior and discuss his/her efficacy and importance.

Please follow this rubric to help you with your writing:
Literary Analysis- Crime and Punishment Essay

1. Introduction hooks readers with an interesting opening /5
2. Background information (author, the work, period) /10
3. Thesis- introduction clearly states an argumentative thesis /15
4. Main Idea/Topic Sentence: Each critical main idea clearly supports thesis /10
5. Organization: Paragraphs are organized; subsequently, paper flows well and
transitional expressions are used throughout /5
6. Analysis/ Sources/Research: Relevant facts, details, examples; Textual Evidence supports main ideas /20
7. Sentence Variety: Keeps reader’s attention fixed on ideas /5
8. Conclusion: Provides reader with a final insight in an interesting way /10
9. Spelling, Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics /10
10. Formatting: MLA format is correct (including textual evidence) Works Cited is correct/10


2. Discussion Questions on Crime and Punishment

Please answer each of the following questions after you’ve finished reading the novel. The answers to these questions need to be typed. You will find the questions attached. These serve as the source for our first major literary discussion. Provide textual evidence for your answers!

1. Can you think of any movies or television shows in which you are given the
opportunity to see events from a killer’s perspective? Did those movies or shows
interest or repulse you-or both? How are modern portraits of killers like or unlike
Dostoyevsky’s portrait of Raskolnikov?

2. What is the role of romantic love in Crime and Punishment? How are Rask,
Sonia, Dounia, Svidrigailov, Luzhin, and Razumihin each affected by love?
Is Crime and Punishment a love story?

3. Which of Raskolnikov’s actions are most like those of an “extraordinary man”
as he explained it to Porfiry? Which of his actions are least like an “extraordinary
man”? Is Rask an “extraordinary man”?

4. Which of the novel’s characters are closest to Raskolnikov’s idea of an “extra-ordinary man”? What impact do those characters have on society?

5. Why did Raskolnikov kill the pawnbroker? How does he justify the murder?

6. What character traits do Sonia and Rask have in common? What traits does Rask
share with Svidrigailov? Do you think Rask has more in common with Sonia and Svidrigailov?

7. What are some of the coincidences in the novel? Which are pivotal in advancing
the plot? What do you think is Dostoyevsky’s opinion about the power of fate?

8. Tsar Peter the Great built St. Petersburg to be a modern, Western city. What does the city represent in the novel?

9. What features of Christianity appear in Crime and Punishment? How do Sonia
and Rask display their attitudes about religion?

10. What does the author convey with his characters’ illnesses?

11. What is Porfiry Petrovitch like? Why does Rask react to him as he does? How is
Porfiry like other famous detectives in movies or literature?


3. Biblical Allusions for The Book Of Job or the Parable of Lazarus
Part of the AP curriculum is an awareness and understanding of the numerous allusions throughout literature. For this assignment you need to read The Book of Job (Bible gateway is an excellent site for this if you don’t have access to a Bible) or the parable of Lazarus (John 11) and then complete an allusion note card for one of the allusions (see attached handout for allusions). These allusions are for Crime and Punishment only.

The allusion workshop is designed to examine how Biblical, Greek, and Roman histories, parables, events and figures have influenced the development of world literature. All your submissions are due on or before Friday of the given week and should be typed and handed to me on a 5X8 index card. I will not accept these in any other format. Your card should contain the following elements:

• Name of the allusion
• Source of the illusion (poem, story, novel, play, epic) and author
• A short paraphrase of the source (poem, story, novel, etc)
• A 100-150 word commentary on the function of the allusion to the work, which may include conflict, significance, analysis, and the like.

The schedule for first semester is as follows:
Week
1: The Book of Job
2: Raising of Lazarus (John 11)
3: The Fates
4: Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5: 27-30)
5: Danae
6: The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18-19)
7: The Apple of Discord
8: The Angel of Death: Egypt’s first born sons
9: The Tower of Babel
10: Samson (Judges 15 and 16)
11: Medusa
12: Diana

4. Discussion Questions on Antigone
Follow the same format as with Crime and Punishment

1. Why does Antigone feel it is her duty to bury Polyneices? Why doesn’t Ismene?

2. What does Ismene mean when she says, “We are only women; we can’t fight with men?” How does this statement relate to Antigone’s saying her crime is holy? What is the implication?

3. Ismene says, “Impossible things should not be tried at all.” If this were so, how would the world be different? (Your answer would make an excellent conclusion in an essay….)

4. Why does Creon refuse to bury Polyneices? What does his fear indicate? Creon threatens to torture the sentry before killing him if his order is disobeyed. What does this indicate about his ability to govern?

5. Why does the sentry bring Antigone to Creon despite knowing she will be executed? Is the death penalty a fitting punishment for Antigone’s crime? Explain. How does she defend herself?

6. How does gender bias affect Creon’s decision to stand by his original decree? Why does he include Ismene in the sentence?

7. What does family loyalty have to do with Creon’s insistence on carrying out the sentence? What does he hope to prove?

8. Teiresias tells Creon, “The only crime is pride.” What does he mean by this? How can pride lead to faulty judgment? Can poor decisions be rectified? How?

9. Explain the deaths of Antigone, Haemon, and Eurydice. Why did they consider suicide a viable “out”?

10. What measures could each have taken to effectively deal with their situations?

5 and 6 Novel Review Guides
Complete a Novel Review Guide for each summer book. They need to be completed with as much detail and depth as possible. Don’t forget to complete all areas on the NRGs. For section fourteen you must provide an example. The extra commentary for section seventeen is just that: extra. Did you like the novel/ play? What do you need to remember about the work? If you’d prefer an electronic version because you need more space, send me an email and I’ll send you one as an attachment.

Miscellaneous
7. AP style Multiple Choice on Prose/ Poetry
The multiple choice packet was reproduced and distributed at the summer homework meeting. It cannot be reproduced here on the blog.

8. Words to Own.
You will need this list as a reference all year long! Type this list in the following format:
1.Vocabulary Word 2. Part of Speech 3. Definition 4. Example Sentence.
In addition, you will need to compose a 150-200 word short story using at least 15 of the vocabulary words. Have fun with this assignment and show me your creative side. Topics include, but are not limited to: the end of summer, a super-hero, summer school, teenage romance, or final chapter to your
Favorite novel. Include your title (aligned center), Single Spacing throughout, bold face your vocab words, and sign your name at the bottom.

Contact Information
If you need to contact me for any reason during the summer, you can email me. I will check this address at least once a day: kbrown9[at]gmail.com

AP English Language & Composition - Grade 11 - Fletcher 2013

UPDATED FOR 2013-2014

FAST OVERVIEW - Your ticket to a seat in AP English Language and Composition is the successful and timely completion of the following summer homework assignment:



Summer Homework
AP English Language & Composition
Mayfair High School
2013-2014





Assignment created by Alexandra Fletcher
afletcher[at]busd.k12.ca.us


Notebook due week of August 19-22, 2013
Turn in at front office or by arrangement with AFletcher

Important things to know:
  •  I only accept notebooks written in longhand, and in black or blue ink only.
  •  If you finish the blog requirements early, be sure to check in from time to time, because I write to the blog all summer long and will explain, introduce, and discuss ideas with you.
  •  I answer all email quickly, and you can keep track of me by reading the blog; if I leave the blog for a brief vacation, I will let you know when I will be back. 
  •  I expect your email to feature correct, strong English sentences that observe all major conventions (capital letters, ending punctuation, good spelling, etc.); in addition, please employ your best internet etiquette.   In other words, don't be sloppy when corresponding with me.  

Reading:

  • Core Texts:
    • Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
    • Amusing Ourselves to Death, Neil Postman
  • Choose one:
    • Who Owns the Future?, Jaron Lainer
    • Alone Together, Sherry Turkle
Writing:

Traditional Notebooks:
  • Responses to Huxley
  • Chapter Analysis for Postman
  • Prereading/Reading/Postreading Tasks for Book #3
Blogging:
  • Pursue themes and questions raised by summer homework
  • Respond to Fletcher’s posts when requested to do so (SUBJECT LINE will clearly indicate which these are)

*************

Welcome to the Class of 2015, born in 1997 or 1998 — Among the Last of the 20th Century Kids

Your ticket to a seat in AP English Language and Composition is the successful and timely completion of the following summer homework assignment:

                                               I.     Create a writer’s notebook.
                                             II.     Read three books; write in response
                                            III.     Contribute to the summer homework blog:  at minimum, start four threads, comment on eight
                                           IV.     Respond to articles and questions posted on the blog by your teacher (4 or less)

That’s it!  Your notebooks are due in to me during the week of August 19-22, and your blog participation is ongoing throughout summer.  If you plan to be out of town during the week of August 19, I will gladly accept your notebook early.  I will not accept notebooks after August 22; students who do not turn in the notebooks or post to the summer homework blog are transferred to College Prep Junior English during the week of August 26.  If, during the summer, you realize that you would prefer to be in College Prep English, simply send me an email and I will see to it that you are transferred.

If your summer homework does not demonstrate the appropriate level of thought, care, or effort for successful completion of an AP class, or if it is incomplete, I reserve the right to transfer you out of the AP class, depending on available seats.

Explanation of Assignments
Part I:  Create Writer’s Notebook 

  • The writer’s notebook is an important part of our year together; it is created during the summer.
  • The requirements for the notebook are specific:
    • Three subject, college ruled, spiral bound, and sturdy; buy a high quality notebook, as it must withstand a year of heavy use.  Don’t buy a gigantic five-subject one, since you’ll be carrying it to class every day next year, or I will be carrying it home in a big bag to read/grade.  Make sure the pages don’t fall out easily.  Make sure the wire spiral won’t smash flat.
  • If decorating notebooks to personalize them makes you happy, please feel free to decorate your notebook.  It is not required; however, if you do decorate, I must insist that you avoid feathers and glitter. 
  • What is required:  write your full name in bold letters using dark Sharpie on the outside back cover.  (I have never had 100% of incoming students follow this simple requirement.  Let’s go for 100% this year.)
  • Please write in dark ink (blue or black), and write on both sides of the page.  Do not use an ink pen that “bleeds through.”  Sharpies, bad.  Ballpoint ink, good.
  • Word-processed work will not be accepted.
  • ALL SUMMER HOMEWORK goes into Section 1.

Part II:  Read three books.  Write. 

CORE TEXT #1:

Consistently listed as one of the top ten novels of the twentieth century, Brave New World is a science fiction classic; like most science fiction, it creates a world that challenges us to reconsider our own world anew.

“When Aldous Huxley wrote Brave New World in 1932, he lived in a world where there was no pervasive culture of advertising, no widespread use of antidepressants, not a hint of cloning, or a whisper of genetic manipulation. Somehow Aldous Huxley foresaw that the future of humanity would lie down the path of technology and media. His guesses proved to be chillingly accurate. What was the most outrageous science fiction in 1934 remains a compelling examination of issues that fill the pages of our news magazines…The questions of government control, media manipulation, and status remain unresolved. Do we have Alphas and Epsilons in our society? Have we found a drug like soma to help us avoid negative thinking? Have our governments figured out ways to keep us passive? Brave New World takes a bold, disturbing look at what it means to be human in a world gripped by technological change and the manipulation of the media. It is one of the most potent combinations of a good read and a disturbing, thought provoking statement that I know.” —Robert Berring, Professor of Law, UC Berkeley

KIDS:  I RECOMMEND THAT YOU READ THE WHOLE BOOK BEFORE YOU BEGIN WRITING.

You must write, in your notebook and in longhand (cursive or print), seven responses of no fewer than 400 words each.  Please use the bulleted prompts below.

NOTE:  An effective critical response generally has a few key features: rigorous attention to the text, an interpretation of the work, and a convincing argument for that interpretation.  Writers argue for their interpretation not so much to convince readers to adopt it, but rather to convince them that the idea is reasonable and based on imaginative, thoughtful analysis of the work. They must demonstrate to reader how they “read” the work, pointing out specific details and explaining what they think these details mean.  Feel free to apply the ideas of Huxley’s invented world to the one you know today.

Part 1 – Chapters 1-6 – The World State
  • Discuss the World State’s conditioning of Delta babies to be afraid of books and roses.  What do you make of this?
  • What is the role of consumption in the World State?
  • What is taught in Elementary Class Consciousness?  Do we have a similar course in our education system?
  • What is the role of women in the World State?
Part 2 – Chapters 7-9 — the Reservation
  • In your notebook, write up a description comparing life in the World State to life on the Reservation.  Then analyze what Huxley doing here.  What is he up to? Why create these two environments?  (*You may want to heed my earlier advice and wait and write this part after you have a sense of the entire book.)
Part 3 — Chapters 10-18 – The Savage in Civilization
After 9 chapters of careful set up, this is the section where Huxley explores some of his biggest themes.

The Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning has decided to get rid of Bernard, and says,
“The greater a man’s talents, the greater his power to lead astray.  It is better that one should suffer than that many should be corrupted.  Consider the matter dispassionately, Mr. Foster, and you will see that no offense is so heinous as unorthodoxy of behavior.  Murder kills only one individual — and after all, what is an individual?” With a sweeping gesture he indicated the rows of microscopes, the test tubes, the incubators.  “We can make a new one with the greatest of ease — as many as we like.  Unorthodoxy threatens more that life of a mere individual; it strikes at Society itself” (148).

  • Consider what the Director means by “unorthodoxy.”  Is this true? Do you agree?  Is Bernard guilty of unorthodox behavior?  Is Bernard an enemy of the World State? Is society more important than the individual?  As you explain your position, be sure to cite evidence for your reasoning from the text, or from your observations of contemporary life.
  • Mond says that sacrificing real feelings and emotional attachments is the price the society has to pay for stability.  Considering our volatile and violent world, do you agree that this may be a price worth paying?  As you explain your position, be sure to cite evidence for your reasoning from the text, or from your observations of contemporary life.
******
The next three texts are nonfiction, and require a different style of reading than when we read narrative fiction.  You must slow down, annotate, and notice not only WHAT is being said, but HOW ideas build upon another, and develop over time.  You must read these books — actually, all texts that you hope to understand well — actively.  That is, you should sit up in a chair, and turn off your phone and your MP3 player, and avoid your computer or any device that dings, beeps, buzzes, trills, or sings when an incoming message arrives.

CORE TEXT #2:

Academic Summary:  This book, published in 1985 (10 years before the internet browser was widely available), surveys and analyzes the effects of television on various forms of public discourse: news, religion, political discussion and campaigning, and education. Postman notes that television’s contribution to educational philosophy is the idea that teaching and entertainment are inseparable — an idea he finds lethal to students’ ability to develop critical thinking. 

My goal for you:  when reading this book, I want you to slow down, and develop the patience it requires to read, absorb, and assimilate a new idea.  Postman writes very clearly; however, his ideas are dense.  You cannot whip through this book.  You are going to have to read slowly, stop, reflect, go back, re-read.  This kind of close, reflective reading is essential for success in AP Language and in college.

In your notebooks, I want you to write three sentences for each chapter (there are eleven) that encapsulate Postman’s main point for that chapter.   What is his thesis? What kind of evidence does he use to support his claim? In other words, you need to practice writing ACADEMIC SUMMARY.  Writing academic summary is a skill to develop and practice — focus on big ideas, main points, important cause and effect relationships; write in clean, clear, well-constructed sentences. No fluffy stuff.  No "Basically, what Postman is trying to say," introductions.  Just get to it.  

*******

TEXT #3:
PICK JUST ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TEXTS (or be a maniac and read both, but you only need to write in the notebook about one):

Lanier, Jaron.  Who Owns the Future?  New York: Simon and Schuster, 2013.  (On the Nook:  403 pages)

Turkle, Sherry.  Alone Together: Why we expect more from technology andless from each other.  New York: Basic Books, 2011.  (On the Nook:  414 pages)

In your notebook, please go through the following procedure, outlining each part so I can follow your reading process.  Put together this section of your notebook carefully; following this process will assist you in navigating and following a lengthy complex text, and will enable me to evaluate your work.

PREREADING
1)     Look at the cover, title, author’s notes, blurbs and reviews – anything you can learn about the book before reading.  Look up the author online.  There are interviews and reviews of both books; Turkle has a TED talk that I like, and The Verge reviewed Lanier on May23rd.  There are plenty of resources online to help you get a feel for these books and to help you choose which one you think would be more interesting.
2)     Who wrote the Foreward, the Prelude, the Introduction?  Is there an Epilogue?  An Afterword?  Notes?  Glossaries?  Should you read these?  If so, when?
3)     Study the structure of the book.  How is it organized?  How long are the chapters? 
4)     Before reading a chapter* (31 short-ish chapters in Lanier, and 14 longer chapters in Turkle), flip through the chapter and skim the content.  Look for key words that jump out at you.  What is the typography like?  Examine the surface features of the text, including subheads, graphs, illustrations.
5)     Set up a system for keeping track of unfamiliar vocabulary.  I like to use a post-it note when I’m reading a paper copy; I highlight unfamiliar words when I’m using my Nook.
6)     Before reading, write a prediction and a question about the chapter by using the chapter title.  For example, Turkle’s chapter 2 is called “Alive Enough.” 
a)      I predict that this chapter will be about the sentient qualities of robots. 
b)     When is a machine ‘alive enough’ that we are able — even briefly — forget it is a machine?

READING
1)     As you read each chapter*, write down 2-3 questions that you’d like an answer to, or questions that you’d like to discuss with someone else later.
2)     Write down 2-3 unfamiliar vocabulary words.
3)     Write down 1-2 sentences from the chapter that strikes you in some way.  Here are some reasons a sentence may be worth copying down:
a)      It is beautiful, or true, or false, or confusing, or depressing.
b)     The sentence structure is remarkable (worth talking about).
c)      The word choices are surprising or fresh.
(I like students to copy down great sentences because I want you to start noticing what makes a sentence great.)

POSTREADING
1)     Write a brief summary of the chapter; pretend you are describing the main idea of the chapter to someone who has never read this text before.  Your summary can be no more than five clean, clear American sentences.
2)     Write a brief response to the chapter; pretend you are talking back to the author, explaining what you think of the chapter you just read.
3)     Look back at your question and your prediction from pre-reading.  Can you answer your own question?

*If you are reading Lanier, please go through this procedure for every TWO chapters,.  If you are reading Turkle, do this for every chapter. 

*********
Part IV:  Blog
You will become a blogger this summer. Writing for an authentic audience with expectations is excellent practice for writers and thinkers.  You must be clear; you must discuss things that merit discussion; you must make sense. If you cannot write clearly, no one will really be able to respond to you.  When you cannot make yourself understood, you are effectively silenced, no longer a part of the ongoing conversation and exchange in the world of ideas.

“If thought corrupts language, then language can also corrupt thought.” 
— George Orwell

(Think about that.)
The basic ground rules:
  1. You must email me first so that I can clear your participation on this semi-closed blog:  afletcher@busd.k12.ca.us.  Remember to use academic register, your best grammar, and good manners when emailing me.
  2. You will need to create a Google account.  It’s easy and free.  I suggest that you create an email address that is simple and professional; standard on most college campuses and in corporate settings is your first initial, followed by your last name: You must sign each post with your real name.  I cannot grade or respond to crzysrferchick88, flatworlder3876 or any such moniker.
  3. Absolutely, positively no flaming.  You may question one another, ask for clarification, admit that you don’t understand what somebody is talking about, add a point that you believe somebody has missed, but you mustNOT attack people.  Challenge ideas, ask for clarity, but do not bash one another.  If I have to censor you for this, expect one warning; the second time, your access to the blog will be blocked and I’ll simply enter a zero for this part of the assignment.
  4. Please do not waste our time or bandwidth with “Me too!” and “I agree with you!” responses.  Such posts are ANNOYING.  If you agree or disagree, EXPLAIN yourself.

Start Four Threads
You must start four threads — that is, you have to originate four conversations. When you start a thread, refer directly to what you are reading and the question you want to raise.  Because our book paginations may be different, cite the chapter and whether the passage you are looking at is at the beginning, middle or end of the chapter.  Give us enough information so we can orient ourselves and figure out what you are looking at.  Use your questions from Postman, or use a passage in Huxley; perhaps you will hear or read something that reminds you of what Orwell is talking about in his essay.  (Believe me, once you start paying attention, modern media provides you with plenty to critique and think about.  After you have written your thread, but before you post, write a terse, descriptive subject line.

These conversation starters should be at minimum 150 words long.  Anything shorter will not be effective.  For example, these two paragraphs explaining that you must start four threads are 199 words long.

Respond to Eight Threads
You must respond to someone else’s conversation at least eight times.  You may also respond to a response.  I expect some threads will become quite lengthy.  Your responses should also be complete thoughts, fully explained.  I don’t want to get all nit-picky on word counts; just don’t go overboard (rambling is never a good idea), and make sure you say enough to make a point.


These recommendations are on the low side.  You can definitely participate more than this.  I’d like to see you involved over a course of several weeks; all twelve responses posted in one week subverts the spirit of open discussion, so will receive half credit – the grade earned x 50%.  Anything posted after midnight on Friday, August 23 will not be considered for summer homework credit.  Take some well-deserved time off, but then get into it and use all the time we have. We have 10 weeks; don’t jam the work into one week. Good writing comes from a thoughtful place; poor writing is almost always superficial because it is rushed.

Let’s see a lively exchange of ideas!  If you are confused, go to your classmates for help.  If you see something on television or in the newspaper that relates to what we are working on, share it.  And watch for my posts — when I see something that I want to share with you, I go to the blog with it.

The only way to post is to email me first so that I can add you to the list of participants.  This is a “semi-closed” blog; anyone can read (invite your grandma!), but only invited guests can post.

*********

That’s it! :)

Feel free to email me with questions or problems; that’s what I’m here for.  I honestly don’t mind; however, I may redirect many of your questions back to the blog.  Meanwhile, have a thought provoking summer full of family, friends and extra sleep, and I’ll see you in September, ready to go. 

AP Environmental Science 2013 with Mr. Tran


This is the link to Mr. Tran's summer homework assignment for Advanced Placement Environmental Science.



AP Chemistry 2013


AP Chemistry 2013 with Mr. Falk

So… you’re itching for some more enriching??  You’ve come to the right place.  Advanced Placement Chemistry course is designed to be the equivalent of a first year university general chemistry course.  Students in this course should gain a depth of understanding of fundamentals and a reasonable competence in dealing with chemical problems.  The course should contribute to the students’ abilities to think clearly and express their ideas, orally and in writing, with clarity and logic.
The prerequisite for AP chemistry is successful completion of both regular chemistry and Algebra II, along with the recommendation of the previous science teacher.  There is a summer assignment covering Chapters 1-3 of Zumdahl Chemistry (7th edition).


Time:
Significant laboratory time may be required in this course outside of the regular school day.  If this course runs during period 5 or 6, labs may run over into lunch or after school.
Students are expected to spend at least five hours a week in individual study, and the formation of a study group is strongly recommended.  During the spring there will be practice exam sessions after school and on weekends, to be scheduled.  All students are expected to participate.

Textbook:
Zumdahl, Steven S., and Susan A. Zumdahl, Chemistry, 7th ed., 2006.

Grading System: (approximate)            
Assignments/Homework    15%                             
Tests, Quizzes, Exams      60%      
Lab Reports                     25%                      
Total                              100%

Grading Scale:
A = 90 - 100%
B = 80 - 89%
C = 70 - 79%
D = 60 - 69%
F = 59% and under                    

AP Examination:
All students who enroll in AP chemistry are expected to take the AP examination on May 5, 2014.  Feliz cinco de mayo!  The fourth quarter grade is heavily based on practice test scores.

Seminar:
Following the AP exam, there will be a fourth quarter seminar project related to areas of current research in chemistry.  You will have an exciting opportunity to teach the class for a period.

e-mail Communications:
I am making my e-mail address available to you for any school-related communications over the summer or during the school year: jfalk[at]busd.k12.ca.us.  The subject line should be clear, like “AP chem questions” not “HELP” or “IMPORTANT.”  I will be out of town in August, but generally will try to respond to most e-mail within a couple of days or so.  Please don’t add me to lists nor send junk mail.  Always identify yourself in e-mail correspondence to me.  Please check with your parents that you have permission to communicate with me by e-mail.
Meanwhile, have a great summer.  Do some traveling, some relaxing, and some reading for enjoyment.  Next year will be a challenging one!

Chemistry Course Requirements

A. Bring the following materials to class daily:

  • three-ring notebook or folder with paper, not spiral bound; pen and pencil
  • scientific calculator with 8- or 10-digit display; a programmable graphing calculator is permitted on most portions of the AP exam 

B. Homework

  • may be in pen, pencil, or typed
  • use front and back; staple if >1 page
  • show work on math problems for full credit; no points for answers only
  • due the day after your return from an excused absence

C. Laboratory work
The equivalent of one double period per week is spent on laboratory work. Experiments are done in class on the day assigned; no after-school makeups.

  • You may choose a lab partner to work with, subject to space available, enrollment, and my best judgment.  Lab reports are done individually.
  • Lab reports must include the following, in order, as needed: title, purpose, data/observations, calculations, questions, sources of error, conclusion.  (“Miscalculation” is not an acceptable source of error!)
  • Lab reports must be typed.  No messy work accepted.
  • Accuracy and honesty in laboratory work are equally important.
  • Lab reports are normally due 1 - 2 days after an experiment.
  • If you are absent on the day of a lab, the makeup lab is a 1000 word report covering assigned topic, listing sources of information, and due 1 - 2 days after you return from an excused absence.
  • Students must provide their own goggles and a binder to accommodate typed lab reports.  This will be collected and graded regularly.
  • Note that students are charged for loss and breakage in the laboratory. 

D. Tests

  • Tests will be mixed in format; mainly multiple choice, often with math problems.
  • Tests will often include AP-style free response questions.
  • Usually 30-50 questions, typically covering one chapter.
  • Rough work must be shown for math problems.
  • Graded strictly on the basis of total points possible.  No bell curve is ever used.
  • You must be present.  No absent/makeup tests.  Sorry!  But see below.
  • Exams will be cumulative, covering at least one quarter's work.  At my discretion, your exam score may replace your lowest (or an absent) test score for that quarter. 

E. Extra credit

  • There is no extra credit available in AP chemistry.  Sorry!


Some Helpful Hints:
In accordance with Mayfair’s policy on academic integrity, any form of cheating or plagiarism will not be tolerated.  The consequences will include a zero on the assignment or test in question, no makeup opportunity, a telephone call home and an office referral.  School policy calls for a suspension for plagiarism.
There may be changes in the schedule and in specific plans for the year, as the year progresses.
I’m glad you’re planning to take AP chemistry.  I hope you will all come back in September ready to participate and learn together.  Let’s look forward to creating a positive learning environment for everyone.

Course Outline:
Chapter 1-3: Chemical Foundations; Atoms, Molecules, and Ions; Stoichiometry  (summer work packet) (Mole, atomic mass, balancing equations, limiting reactants, empirical formulas, percent composition, percent yield) • 0.5 week
Experiments:           

  • Identification of Unknown Compounds
  • Hydrates 

Chapter 4: Types of Chemical Reactions and Solution Stoichiometry • 1 week
Experiments:

  • Can you determine the ratio of a chemical reaction? (NaHCO3 + HCl)
  • Stoichiometric determinations (Mg + O2)
  • Reaction of calcium nitrate with sodium oxalate 

Chapter 5: Gases (kinetic theory of gases, the gas laws, Ideal gas law, van der Waal’s equation, Avogadro’s Law, STP, Dalton’s Law, Graham’s Law, etc.) • 1 week

Chapter 6: Thermochemistry  (Enthalpy, thermochemical equations, heats of formation, bond energies, heats of reaction, etc., exothermic and endothermic reactions) • 2 weeks
Experiment:

  • Heat of reaction for magnesium and hydrochloric acid

Chapter 7: Atomic Structure and Periodicity  (Atomic spectra, Bohr atom, quantum numbers, atomic orbitals, electron configurations, periodic table, trends in the periodic table in terms of physical and chemical properties) • 2 weeks
Experiments:           

  • Periodic table (in Heath Chemistry Lab Manual)
  • Flame tests using methanol 

Chapter 8: Bonding: General Concepts  (valence electrons, Lewis dot structures, ionic bonding, lattice energy, covalent bonds, resonance structures, exceptions to the octet rule) • 2 weeks

Chapter 9: Covalent Bonding: Orbitals  (Lewis structures, ionic bonding, character of bonds, covalent model, octet rule and exceptions, resonance, VSEPR model, and hybridization) • 2 weeks
Experiment:
  • Molecular geometry (VSEPR model building) 
Chapter 10: Liquids and Solids  (Dipole–dipole interactions, hydrogen bonding, London forces, liquid state, types of solids, metallic bonding, network solids, vapor pressure, change of state, phase diagrams, specific heat) • 2 weeks
Experiments:           

  • Molar mass determination by vapor density method
  • Determining vapor pressure and enthalpy of vaporization of water
  • Triple point of dry ice

Chapter 11: Properties of Solutions  (Electrolytes and nonelectrolytes, molarity, molality, mole fraction, colligative properties, Raoult’s Law, Henry’s law, freezing point depression, boiling point elevation, and osmotic pressure) 1.5 weeks
Experiment:

  • Molar mass determination using freezing point

Chapter 12: Chemical Kinetics  (Reaction kinetics, rate law expressions, order of reactions, rate constant, half-life, activation energy, catalysts, and reaction mechanism) 2 weeks
Experiments:

  • Kinetic study of thiosulfate in acid
  • TOPS Kinetics lab 

Chapter 13: Chemical Equilibrium  (Law of mass action, equilibrium expressions, calculations of K and equilibrium concentrations, Le Châtelier's principle, and effects of temperature, concentration, etc.) • 1 week
Experiment:          

  • An equilibrium constant 

Chapter 14: Acids and Bases  (pH, Ka and Kb expressions, titration, degree of ionization, Kw expressions, indicators, equivalence points, Arrhenius, Brønsted-Lowry and Lewis acid theories, and salt hydrolysis) 1 week

Chapter 15: Applications of Aqueous Equilibria (common ion effect, buffers, Henderson-Hasselbalch equation, titration curves, solubility, Ksp, solubility calculations, precipitation reactions) • 2 weeks
Experiment:

  • TOPS Acid-base equilibrium lab: Titration curve of an unknown amino acid


Chapter 16: Spontaneity, Entropy, and Free Energy  (Gibbs free energy equation; laws of thermodynamics; enthalpy; entropy; free energy; energy and work) • 1.5 weeks

Chapter 17: Electrochemistry  (Oxidation and reduction half-cells and equations, electrochemical (voltaic) cells, standard voltages, standard voltages from a table, Nernst equation, Faraday’s laws, writing redox equations, and balancing equations in acid/base solutions) • 1.5 weeks
Experiments:

  • Titration using an oxidation-reduction reaction
  • Galvanic cells

Chapter 18: The Nucleus: A Chemist’s View  (nuclear equations, half lives, nuclear particle emissions, fission and fusion) • 0.5 week

Chapter 19-20: The Representative Elements: (overview of typical reactions of the representative elements, nomenclature and structure of common organic compounds, typical organic reactions) • 0.5 week    
Experiment: 

  • Caffeine extraction 

Chapter 21: Transition Metals and Coordination Chemistry  (overview of the characteristics of the transition elements) 0.5 week
Experiment:

  • Coordination compounds

Chapter 22: Organic and Biochemical Molecules

AP Exam Review -- 2 weeks 

AP Chemistry Summer Assignment:
To give you a sense of the pace of this class, note that the following assignment might take two or three weeks of class time, if we were to cover the material in class.  (In fact, most of this will be a review of what is covered in Chemistry.)  I do not recommend leaving it all to the last minute!  You will do well to get together in study groups before September; however the answers to questions should be your own.  Note also that the answers to most odd-numbered questions are given at the back of the text.  You can expect tests on Chapters 1-2 on Day Two and on Ch. 3 on Day Four of the school year.  Roughly speaking, the assignments will be worth 50 points (total) and the tests 100 points (total).

Please study the following:

Study and memorize names and formulas of the polyatomic ions in Table 2.5  (p. 62).
Study and memorize (again) the rules for naming ionic and molecular compounds in Section 2.8 (p. 58-64).
Study and memorize the names of common acids in Section 2.8 (Tables 2.7, 2.8, p. 67).

Due to restrictions in the master schedule, enrollment in the class will likely be limited to students with the top 35 grades based on the summer work packet and the first two chapter tests.  Any sign of cheating or plagiarism on those items will lead to an automatic drop from the class.

Due dates:
All the summer homework will be eHomework from the University of Texas Quest website.  Full instructions for accessing the Quest website are on my website, https://sites.google.com/a/busd.k12.ca.us/ap-chemistry-mayfair/.  There are three assignments, of about 100 questions each, due on the following dates:

Chapter 1              Thurs July 18, 2013; 9:59 pm Pacific time
Chapter 2              Thurs Aug 1, 2013; 9:59 pm Pacific time (See the “study and memorize” above.)
Chapter 3              Thurs Aug 15, 2013; 9:59 pm Pacific time


You should keep any papers where you have shown your work on math problems, in case there is any issue with the website, etc..  Help will be available by e-mail but not necessarily on the due dates.  I may be traveling and away from daily e-mail access. You will need to initiate a Quest account (or you may already have one), preferably by June 18, but you will also need my approval to enroll in the class, which has a course ID of 88888.  You may e-mail me to remind me to enroll you, but again, don’t leave it until the due date.  Late work will not be accepted.  Grades will not be visible in parent portal until school starts in September.