The following contains a list of major assignments particularly for older students. With younger students many of the assignments will be shorter and done in one or two class settings. Read assignment handouts carefully to make sure you are including all the required information. In grading your work, I am not just looking at whether you met the minimum requirements. Rather, I am also looking at your creativity, effort, and enthusiasm. In the words of the old Apple motto, "Think Different."

Demonstrate (Teach) clearly using PowerPoint how you find the surface area and volume of a rectangular prism. Use multiple drawings and screen shots from SketchUp (Windows - Shift - 4) to help you teach the concepts. You may present formulas, but also make sure you are clearly demonstrating the concepts. You may use the Internet if needed for research. Due at the end of class Wed (7th grade) or Thurs (8th grade).

We are working on finishing our introduction to bedroom design using SketchUp. The video demonstration shows everything we have done so far. Good luck!

We are finishing the Raffle Excel assignment. It is due Monday March 22, 2010. You can download the assignment sheet (in Microsoft Word). Raffle Assignment Movie is a video describing how to do the assignment.

Update: How a Camera Works (higher resolution - file size 70mb), How a Camera Works (low resolution - file size 10mb). You can view a video I made about the two basic camera controls for exposure. Exposure is how much light the film or image sensor receives. The two controls are aperture and shutter speed. Aperture relates to the size of the lens opening. The bigger the lens opening, the more light the lens lets in. The shutter speed is how long the film or image sensor is exposed to light. A short shutter speed lets in less light. A long shutter speed lets in more light. The aperture and shutter speed work together. For example, a small lens opening and a long shutter speed may let in the same amount of light as a big lens opening and a short shutter speed. The video also discusses a third factor affecting exposure - the film or image sensor speed or light sensitivity measured as the ISO. The bigger the ISO number is, the more sensitive the film or image sensor is to light. The video also shows a typical mechanical film single lens reflex camera from the 1960s, an electronic autofocus film single lens reflex camera from the 1980s, and a digital single lens reflex camera from late 2008. A single lens reflex camera has one lens. You view and focus through this lens. A mirror flies up when the shutter release is pushed. The light then goes through the open shutter to expose the film or image sensor. Single lens reflex cameras are popular because the image you see in the viewfinder is the image you get on the film or sensor. A more technical explanation of how cameras work is at Martin, Photography and Math.

History of Photography PowerPoint. I will assign you to one of six groups. Each group will therefore have 3 to 5 people depending on your class size. Your group will be assigned one of six topics on the history of photography. The topics are: 1. Beginnings to 1880s, 2. The Introduction of Film (Late 1880s to 1940), 3. The History of Color Photography, 4. Photography Comes of Age - The 1940s through 1975, 5. The Electronic Revolution - 1976 to 2000, and 6. The Digital Revolution - 1975 to Present. A much more detailed break down of each subject is given in the following Word document: Photo History Project. That document is designed to help guide you in your research and in preparation of your PowerPoint. You should include most of the sub-topics given, but you can also include other sub-topics that you think are important. Your group will actually present your PowerPoint to the rest of your class.

Your PowerPoint should be clear, concise, well developed but easy to understand, visually appealing, generally contain at least one image per slide, entertaining and highly educational! You probably will want to assign subtopics to individuals in your group. You can them merge your separate PowerPoints into one cohesive group PowerPoint. I expect each member of your group to pull their own weight. No slackers! You may be asked to explain what you did.

How many slides? As many as it takes! The history of photography is a broad, detailed and important topic. I would not be surprised if the average person does 6-8 slides, with a group having 30 to 40 slides. No sound. No weird transitions. No rotating titles. Use bullet points. Use your own words. Cite sources. Do not plagiarize. There are several PowerPoints online about the history of photography. Some of them are not very good. Don't copy from someone else. The topic can truly be interesting - make it that way. For example, if you are writing about Daguerreotypes, give us a sense of what it must of been like to develop these images over mercury fumes. Sounds pretty dangerous to me. Most of digital photography has happened during your life. Amaze us at how a digital SLR has gone from being over $20,000 to under $500 in less than twenty years with the resolution increasing ten, twenty or thirty fold!

You will be graded on both your PowerPoint and your actual presentation of it to the class. Also, there will be a test on the entire history of photography after all groups have presented. You therefore have to pay attention and take notes when other groups are presenting.

I will discuss with you due dates. My goal, however, is to have all of the presentations given and the exam done by the end of the second quarter.

Finally, some may ask what this has to do with computer/technology class. Everything! Photography has been one of the most important technologies in the past 200 years. You are now living during the most important change in that technology in its history. Namely, a fundamental change has occurred in the way the image is recorded. No longer is the image recorded and then revealed through chemical processes. Now the image is recorded electronically and digitally. This has been possible only with advancements in electronics and computers. The digitalization of the image together with computers and advanced networks revolutionizes what can be done with the image. Images can now be easily manipulated, displayed and transmitted to another person or to millions of people almost instantaneously and with little cost. With this comes great opportunities as well as great responsibilities.

Write a minimum two page, double spaced, 12 pitch Times New Roman or Arial font, essay which addresses the following:

• What is Advent?
• What is the origin of Advent?
• What is the meaning of Advent?
• What biblical stories relate directly to Advent?
• How do we celebrate Advent?
• How long does Advent last?
• When does Advent begin? End?
• What are some of the symbols of Advent? Why?
• What are some of the things people do during Advent? Why?
• What do you plan to do during Advent? (Nothing is not an acceptable response.) Why?
• How does Advent differ from a secular preparation for Christmas?
• How is Advent similar to Lent? How is it different from Lent?
• How does Advent relate to Christmas and Epiphany?
• Include anything else you feel is important about Advent.

You may use your own existing knowledge, books or the Internet to research the information for your essay. You must use your own words! Read, research and ponder first. Include your personal experiences, observations and thoughts. Do not copy, paste and then change the words! That is dishonest and not helpful to you or the reader. That's one of the main points of the assignment. Therefore, if you copy, paste and change words, you will not get a passing grade. Another significant point of the assignment is for you to prepare yourself spiritually for the coming of Jesus on Christmas. Rejoice and prepare the way of the Lord!