shscatchem: Rainbow Flame

shscatchem: Rainbow Flame: Take Chemistry! This neat looking rainbow flame was produced by some students after the completing Flame Test test lab.

The Underground Map of the Elements

Mark Lorch, a blogger form the Chemistry Blog, put together the most incredible arrangement of the elements I have seen.  Each element is a station on the railroad line and has shared properties with other elements on the line.

I think a great activity for my students will be to have them critique this representation and some of the other odd periodic tables out there...

For a better version the the map, use the following link: Map

Fun with the FunScope

We purchased a FunScope made by Orion Telescopes for my son's birthday and had our first astronomy night.  Although the scope is small (76 mm mirror), it very maneuverable especially for a nine year old.  Nice views of Denub, Vega, and Altair.

 

Not all white light is the same!

In a recent post on the Chemistry Blog, Kenneth Hanson uses Alexandrite (BeAl2O4), a gem quality form of the mineral Chrysoberyl, to explain how different types of 'white light' make objects appear different colors. 

Alexandrite Effect: Not All White Light is Created Equal

by Kenneth Hanson | fun, general chemistry, materials chemistry  

Link: Chemistry Blog

Recent Night Views

Although I saw only one meteor during the last couple of nights (clouds rolled in at prime meteor viewing), there were pleasant night scenes...

Crescent moon with Spica (closest to moon) and Saturn.

Crescent moon with Spica (closest to moon) and Saturn.

Crescent moon

Cygnus (constellation at the top)

Cygnus (constellation at the top) with the Milky Way

Tree House (or Fort) Construction

The following is a list of step I used in building a tree house or fort at least for this summer.  I took upon this endeavor because my son saw tree houses in some of his favorite cartoons.  I used the following sources for design and information:
1) Mike Swenson - friend who works with my wife
2) Makendo
3) Eztreehousplanse
4) Tree Houses and Play Houses

Step 1

Install and secure 4x4 post, clamp 2x6 support beam, mount to tree, add quick dry cement to post, mount beam to post.

Select an appropriate location

Mount 2x6 PT Beam to tree.  Use 8 in long 3/4 in diameter galvanized lag screw (thanks Nutty Co. in Derby, CT) and secure to tree.  Notice the oval cut in the wood.  This was done in order to allow for tree movement.    

Install 4x4 post.  Not surprisingly, I hit roots about 18 in, but I installed it in Quickcrete anyway.

Step 2

Install and secure 4x4 posts, clamp 2x6 support beams, add quick dry cement to posts, mount beams to post (level with step 1 beam).

Install two additional 4x4 posts for front support.  

Use two 6 in  long 1/2 in diameter lag bolts

Step 3

Install and secure 4x4 post, clamp 2x6 support beam, mount to tree, add quick dry cement to post, mount beam to post (level with step 1 and 2).

Level support beam to the first support beam connected to the tree.  Add second support beam.

My helper is installing a pilot to go through both support beams and 4x4.

Step 4

Install 2x6 outer perimeter joists, square off, install 4 inner 2x6 joists.

Set ten foot 2x6 joists spaced 18 in apart on top of support beams.  Use 3 in deck screws and mount front and rear floor joists to the cross joists. 

Connect floor joists to beams using rafter ties and galvanized nails.

Add another support beam and connect to the front side of the tree and a forth 4x4 post set in Quickcrete.  Because I was not able to dig very deep on any post (below 18 in), I installed a 4x4 brace to the front 4x4 posts.  

All joists were secured with joist hangers.

Step 5

Add more supports and build stairs.

Mounted a 2x4 brace with a 6 in 1/2 lag screw.

Constructed the stairs using 2x6 stringers (rails) and treads (steps) and 3 in deck screws. Used 1x4 support cleats nailed to the rails for additional support.

Step 6

Add the floor.

Have helper inspect the floor.

Used standard 5/4 deck boards connected to the floor with 2 1/2 in deck screws.

Step 6
Add the railing.

Added the guard rails using 3/8 in bolts mounted to the floor joists.  The balusters were mounted to the 2x4 rails using 2 in galvanized deck screws.  The 2x4 rails were mounted guard rail beams and to the each other with 3 in deck screws.

It's done for now.  At a later date I plan to install a 1x4 rail cap to the guard rail.

Addendum: Guard rail cap and more bracing...

Good luck for your own project. Below is list of tools used during the construction.

Tool List
Hammer
Circular saw
Table saw
Compound saw
Clamps
Two cordless drills/screw drivers
Level
Jig saw

Google Sites vs. Wikispaces

I currently use both of these applications as a supplemental webpage to the Edline webpage that Seymour provides for us.  I started using Wikispaces several years ago added numerous pages with links and such to the main page as a way to house all of my online materials in one place.  Not to mention that prior to Edline our school kept switching our web provider (remember FinalSite) and I got sick and tired of re-creating websites for the latest and greatest.  My Wiki homepage was exactly what I needed and I slowly added content for myself to use but more importantly for the students to use.

Last year, however, I started using Google Sites and created a new Google homepage because I kept on having formatting issues with my Wikispace pages, in particular with font sizes.  It was really becoming quite annoying and wasteful as I would have to go into the HTML code and to fix it (or try).  I didn't have any of these problems using Google Sites, even when I cut and pasted content from other sources.  The graphical user interface (GUI) is much more straightforward.  For now, Google Sites is the winner!

Note: I did not choose Google just because our school system will be using Google Apps for Education next year nor is it because they gave me a free trip to Bora Bora and a corvette.

So Why Not Use Only The Google Site?

I haven’t shut down my Wiki homepage because of vast amount of stuff I have acquired over the years and it would be very time consuming to move it (lazy-?).  Also, just in case Google reinvents itself in a bad way, I still the other site.  The two homepages serve different purposes anyway and I have links from my Wiki homepage to my Google homepage and back again.

Advantages of Google Sites!

My Google sites homepage is setup differently than the Wiki in that I have put my daily assignments along with links to all handouts onto the site, thus my class syllabus is online.  This was incredibly easy since my daily lessons are done using Google Docs, I simply cut and paste into the Sites page. The following is the link to last year’s Chemistry Syllabus: Chemistry (2012-2013).  

One Last Note on Google!

I created the AP Chemistry Summer Assignment on Google Docs and asked the incoming students for their email addresses.  Approximately 70% of them already had gmail accounts (and 90% had Google accounts) which means I was able to share this document directly with them.  I made a copy of the document so I can post answers or whatever else I want to share with them.  The really neat thing is you can set the document up so students can comment on the document or even edit the document.  Great for student collaboration. For more on this type of document sharing using Google see the Tech Messengers Podcast by Mike Oberdict and Eric DeMarco.