In the first section of this page, you will write a daily summary of that day's class.  For example in  your chapter 2 blog, your first entry should be titled 9/3/10.  You should then write a one or two paragraph summary of that day's lecture, outlining the major points.  In the second section, you are required to add two items (link to a website, video, animation, student-created slide show, student-created PowerPoint presentation) and one journal article pertaining to a topic in this chapter.  A one-paragraph summary must accompany each item describing the main idea and how it applies to the lecture topic.  Please see the PBWorks help guide for assistance embedding video and other items directly in the page.  I will also produce a how-to video on using tables to wrap text around items and other useful tips.  Please see the syllabus for organization and grading details.

A.  Daily Blog

9/3/2010

The first lecture of the year began with an explanation of a text message surveying system, where we answered questions related to the the day's lecture. The lecture for that day was on basic chemistry. We discussed the composition of matter, elements and atoms. We went over the parts of the atom, the protons, neutrons, and electrons. We discussed the orbitals of the electrons. We then went on to learn about isotopes, and the use of radioactive isotopes in cancer screening. Afterwards, the lecture moved on to the different types of atomic bonds, hydrogen, ionic, and covalent. While much of the first lecture was a review for me, with only a few concepts unfamiliar, I found the applications for radioactive isotopes interesting. The phone survey system seems very fun and useful for future lectures.

9/8/2010

The second lecture began with another text survey. The lecture picked up where the last left off with atomic bonding. We learned about hydrogen bonds, the weak atomic bonds formed by the attraction of hydrogen to other electronegative atoms. This led to a discussion of water and its special properties. The large amount of hydrogen bonding present in water gives it high surface tension, leading to cohesion and adhesion, which are important in maintaining plants' vascular systems. Water is a great solvent. Substances that dissolve in water are called hydrophilic while substances that don't are hydrophobic. Substances with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic parts (such as phospholipids) form micelles in water, where the hydrophilic "heads" are exposed to the water, while the hydrophobic "tails" are kept apart in the center. Water's hydrogen bonds also give it a great heat capacity, allowing it to resist fluctuations in climate, keeping it temperate. The class ended with an introduction to dissociation of water and pH.

B.  Useful Materials