Personal Anecdote Essay

Write a lesson or fact of life you learned, as does Isaac Asimov in "Intelligence," p.49, and James Lincoln Collier in "Anxiety: Challenge by Another Name," p. 82. Your essay must meet the following requirements:

1. Relate to the average person.
2. State the thesis in the conclusion (though you may allude to it in the body).
3. Include at least one well-developed personal anecdote or several short ones.
4. Feature a logical and consistent order, such as chronological or at least familiar to most people.
5. Begin with an engaging title (this time it counts) and a thoughtful introduction.
6. Italicize the thesis in the conclusion.
7. 1-2 pages, double spaced.

Due Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at the end of class. If time is used well, however, the due date may be extended to Friday, October 2, 2009 at the end of class.

2-Day Lab Quiz: Galileo's Inclined Plane

All materials are at your lab station - Use 2 yard sticks to create an inclined plane and 2 more yard sticks to create a level plane.
Use a computer stopwatch as a timer.
The purpose of this activity is to determine the effect of gravity on the acceleration of a marble rolling down the incline.

There are six (6) legs on this incline from which to gather data, each measuring 12 inches in length.

Collect ten (10) trials for each leg and record your data. Once you have completed the data collection, you are no longer working in a group - the remainder of your work must be completed individually.

You are to complete the following sections:

Hypothesis - which area of the setup do you predict to have the fastest and slowest times?

Data Analysis - Create graphs of your data to illustrate your findings. Each graph should also include a written explanation.

Possible Sources of Error - as many as encountered.

Concluding Statement - Summarize your findings. Accept/reject hypothesis and explain why. How would/could you retry the experiment to remove possible sources of error?

Due Thursday, 9/24/09.

Summer Reading Poem

In a direct address or poetic apostrophe, the poet speaks to a subject that is unable to respond, as does Robert Burns in “To a Mouse,” where he uses the mouse as a symbol of the forces beyond man’s control.

In a panegyric, or ‘anthem’ if you will, the poet commemorates or celebrates something of significance, be it a national event, figure or value.

You will be composing one of the two types of poem. First, you must decide if you want to write about your philosophy of life or if you want to pay tribute to something. If you are writing about your philosophy, you will compose an apostrophe. If you are celebrating something, you will compose a panegyric. In the case of the apostrophe, you will need to carefully consider the entity to which your poem directly speaks. Make sure that the subject you are addressing works smoothly into your theme and is not forced; it may be animate or inanimate. Both poems must be thoughtful and serious.

Requirements are as follows:

1. approximately 24 lines
2. use of elevated language
3. consistent stanza form, rhythm and rhyme
4. use of sense imagery in every stanza
5. use of at least one of the following in every stanza: simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole (over-exaggeration), understatement, or onomatopoeia 
6. alliteration in every stanza

Due Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

Egg Drop Project

These sections need to be completed individually:

1. Data Analysis
• Graph showing the distance traveled in meters for everyone in your group and a group average
• Graph showing the velocity at impact in m/second for everyone in your group and a group average
• Short paragraph explaining the graphs
2. Possible Sources of Error
3. Summary of Findings

Due: Tuesday, September 22, 2009