"Henrietta's cells weren't merely surviving, they were growing with mythological intensity." from The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Hello Parents & Students! Welcome back to OACP High School Science for the start of the second semester! We have a busy week for our students, so I wanted to make sure that everyone knows what they need by Thursday to be successful in my class this semester. Students will need a new composition notebook (not spiral, not a three-ring binder) and a pocket folder. Students also really need to have their own calculator (especially for physics), their own scissors, a glue stick if possible, and coloring utensils.

This week in biology, we started reading the science non-fiction trade book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. This book is incredible and promises to lead the students through genetics, cell biology, medical research, as well as medical ethics. It is a great story and I encourage you to read it along with  your son or daughter this quarter. Aside from the book, direct instruction will help students describe the connection between chromosomes and phenotype, define complex patterns of inheritance, review gene linkage and mapping, and analyze human genetics and pedigrees through direct instruction, independent practice, and lab.

For physics, students will find the direction & magnitude of normal forces & describe different types of friction through direct instruction, lecture, and lab. This will also require a review of vector addition and leads up into our bridge project!

Homework will be posted under the respective class page.

I also wanted to thank all of the parents and students who helped with my Christmas stocking this year, it was filled with a beautiful flannel shirt and a wool stocking cap, as well as all of the homemade goodies, teas, and Starbucks cards that showed up on my desk! I loved everything! I was feeling very appreciated and oh so thankful for everything! The students know me well if they said I need chocolate and Starbucks! :)