Chemical Origins at Regents Chemistry Labs

Chemical Origins at Regents Chemistry LabsRegents Chemistry Labs offers students with opportunities for fun and educational experiences. Teachers and staff members are motivated to develop one-on-one learning opportunities to engage students in science-based learning. The laboratories are designed around several different aspects of chemistry, including acids, bases, carbons, halogens, solutions, melting points, molecules, ions, and solids.Students in the hands-on experiences will learn how to use the different tools available to create and perform experiments. Students will also learn how to evaluate data to determine how well they understand the material. Students will use a variety of lab techniques in order to investigate the properties of different elements and compounds.The Regents Chemistry Labs can be accessed by taking a study tour. Tour guides are located on the first floor of the Academic Center. The tours are offered each quarter. Students are given the opportunity to rev iew lab instructions, follow-up projects, and special hands-on learning projects.Students will have the opportunity to come to a meeting with one of the teachers in the classroom. They will meet with an adult to discuss the semester's schedule, assignments, and research topics. The instructor will talk about the current year's class schedules, important dates, and upcoming field trips.The center contains a water system for the use of students. Students may bring their own drinking water from home or have bottled water delivered to the Academic Center. Students should remember that the chemical solvents they may use are flammable and toxic. The safety of the students and faculty is paramount.The classroom activities in the chemistry labs are suitable for all grade levels. The center contains several work stations that include large boards that serve as a means for students to display their chemistry experiments.Chemistry is a rewarding subject. Regents Chemistry Labs offers students with an exciting and fun way to learn chemistry.

How To Increase ISEE Verbal Scores

How To Increase ISEE Verbal Scores The Verbal Reasoning section kicks off the ISEE (for every level), and it mostly tests your vocab skills. Youll see two types of questions: synonym recognition and sentence completion. See more from Varsity Tutors on general ISEE tips and ISEE information: how to improve your ISEE score. Synonym recognition: Here, you are given a word and you have to choose the synonym (or the word closest in meaning) out of the four answer choices given. Think of the definition of word: And try to use it in a sentence before you start reading the answer choices because they are written to confuse you. Break words down: Consider the following example word excavate. It has the prefix ex, which means to exit. Also, consider the words connotation. Is it negative word (for example awful), positive (terrific) or neutral (jump)? Typically, the correct answers connotation will match the given word. Excavate is a neutral word, so look for a neutral answer choice. From this, you know the correct answer has to be similar to exiting and have a neutral connotation. Right away, you can eliminate infect (negative word) and pardon (positive word), and eventually eliminate display (does not mean exiting). ExcavateA. Infect (negative)B. Display (neutral)C. Pardon (positive)D. Uncover (neutral) Sentence completion: Here you have to choose the correct words to fill in the blanks. Write words in blanks: At first, dont even look at the answers and write your own words in the blanks. Then, try to match the words youve written with the examples given. In the following example, you might write events and group of friends. Then, just match your words to the closest answer choice, which is choice C (events; entourage). The movie star always arrived at public events with an group of friends .A. Actions; emissaryB. Functions; enclaveC. Events; entourageD. Agencies; interviewE. Scandals; affair Connotations: Just like synonym recognition, connotations (matching negative, neutral or positive words) can help you correctly identify answers here. With the following question, you know that the two words must have the same connotation. The book cant be so good and receive bad reviews. That just doesnt make sense. So, then you have to find the answer choice that has two words with the same connotation, which is answer choice A (controversial; mixed). The books content was so good that it received good reviews.A. Controversial; mixedB. Monotonous; raveC. Intriguing; horribleD. Boring; laudatoryE. Exciting; indifferent Transition words: Look for words like: because, therefore, although, if, since, naturally, but, etc to determine the direction of the sentence. For example, this sentence uses the word but. So, you know the sentence is going to change direction from vicious rumors were untrue. So what is the opposite of what untrue rumors would do? Hurt would be a good word to guess. And youll find the correct answer with choice B (Impugned; reputation). The vicious rumors were untrue but still _______ the politicians ________.A. Elevated; statusB. Impugned; reputationC. Interrogated; subordinatesD. Alleviated; difficultiesE. Supported; platform Time management: In the middle and upper levels, you have to answer 40 questions in 20 minutes, leaving you with 30 seconds per questions. In the lower level, you have 34 questions in 20 minutes, giving you about 35 seconds per question. There is no penalty for an incorrect answer on the ISEE; so you have to make absolute sure you answer every question. If you find yourself taking more than 30 seconds on a question, make a best guess and move on. Dont leave it blank and plan to answer it later.

3 Steps to Maximize Your Practice Tests

3 Steps to Maximize Your Practice Tests If youre taking the SAT, ACT, GRE, or another standardized test, practice tests are an extremely helpful way to get ready for the actual test day. Practice tests help you become more familiar with the test format, question types, time allotted, and so on. But they are only as effective as you make them out to be! Here are a few ways you can maximize your practice tests. 1. Plan a schedule Map out how youre going to study leading up to the actual test, including and beyond practice tests. Its a great idea to set your test date first so you can work backwards from there. Six weeks of study is common, but you may want to study more or less depending on your study habits, personality, and amount of content on the test at hand. Then, youll want to plan out when to take your practice tests. When you first start out, you may not want to take a full practice test in one sitting. Try a few sections or half of the test to build your stamina. Then, later, plan on taking a whole practice test on a free morning or afternoon. Because they may last up to two or three hours, blocking out a weekend morning works great, as you will have relaxed and rested up. 2. Mimic test center conditions Practice tests are most useful when you are able to simulate the actual test day experience. This will help prepare your mind and body for the real test day. Specifically, follow the time guidelines and dont give yourself more or less time than allotted; youll get a sense of how you work under a certain time pressure. It can be tempting to snack during a practice test, but hold off until the mid-test break that would be scheduled during the real exam, and be sure to eat a good breakfast beforehand (as you also should on test day!). Finally, arrange your environment so that its quiet and orderly: clear a table or desk space, put away all distracting screens, and let any family members know youll be out of touch for a few hours. If desired, you could even go to your local library to take the test, as some libraries have designated quiet rooms that are great for this purpose. 3. Review your answers After finishing a practice test, youll probablyand deservedlyfeel spent. But its still important that you take the time right away to go over skipped or wrong answers, and try to figure out why they ended up that way. Reviewing answers is a great way to figure out what you did wrong, which will ultimately help solidify the correct logic in your mind. If you feel too tired to carefully review everything immediately after the practice test, dont force yourself to keep going. Instead, mark the questions youd like to go over later and then spend the adequate time with them the following day or day after. Dont wait too long to do this, however, as itll be most effective when the test is still fresh in your mind. Test prep is like working on any new skill toward a goal. Youll want to give it the appropriate amount of attention required, make the effort to go the extra mile, and ensure you have practiced to your best potential. The above steps can help you maximize your practice tests and ultimately assist you in reaching those test day goals. (If youre preparing for the SAT or ACT, consider going through some additional lessons and practice problems in the Varsity Tutors SAT Prep Book and ACT Prep Book)!

Beginner Flute Lessons How to Make the Most of Your Lessons

Beginner Flute Lessons How to Make the Most of Your Lessons Suzy S. As you learn to play the flute, attending regular private lessons are integral to your success. Here, Chicago, IL flute teacher Jillian D.  shares her tips for making the most of those lessons Growing up, flute lessons were, and still are, an important part of my life. They instilled me with discipline, integrity, and pride, while also allowing me to grow and mature artistically. The moments you spend with your teacher are filled with helpful information and wise insight. The hard part is getting it all to stick. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your beginner flute lessons: Before your lesson: Eat.  Nothing is more distracting than a growling stomach. Eat a good meal before your lesson, so you’ll be fueled and ready to play. Be prepared.  Show up to each lesson prepared and ready to learn. Working hard in the days leading up to your lesson will allow you to make progress each week. Review your lesson material without your flute.  Going over fingerings, pieces, and other lesson material away from your flute is a good way to warm up your brain before a lesson. You’ll be surprised at how much you remember when you come back to your flute. During your lesson: Be engaged and stay focused.  It’s easy to let your mind wander when your teacher rattles on about alternate fingerings, harmonic overtones, and melodic minor scales. But stay focused! Be as attentive as possible, and try to absorb everything your teacher says like a sponge. Ask questions.  If you don’t understand something, do not be afraid to say so. Your teacher only wants to help you get better, so if something is unclear, ask! Record it.  Recording your lessons is a great way to easily review your teacher’s feedback later. However, it’s always important to ask for permission before you hit record. After your lesson: Take notes in your flute journal.  You’ll be given a LOT of useful information during your lessons. Write them down in a notebook or journal as you go along. That way, you won’t forget when you’re practicing during the week. Review.  Keep your lesson notes organized and detailed. Even something as simple as reviewing your notes on the car ride home will help your flute playing immensely. Practice as soon as you get home.  Practicing after your lesson is a great way to make sure everything sticks. Go over what your teacher helped you with during the lesson. Take what he or she said a step further, and see what kind of progress you can make on your own. Concentration, hard work, and preparation are the keys to getting the most from your beginner flute lessons. Have fun, stay focused, and discover something new while playing your flute every day. Jillian D. teaches flute in Chicago, IL. She is currently working on her degree in  Flute Performance at DePaul University School of Music. Learn more about Jillian here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo  by  LifeSupercharger

What is it Like to Attend Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

What is it Like to Attend Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teachtheyre sharing their college experiences as well. Brittnee is a Philadelphia tutor specializing in Spanish tutoring. She is currently a senior at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania majoring in Spanish. See what she had to share about Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania: Describe the campus setting and transportation options. Brittnee: Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is located in a very rural area in the tiny town of Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. The campus is extremely safe, as we are located nearly in the middle of nowhere. Never once have I felt unsafe walking on campus no matter the time of day. For transportation, there are buses that bring students to campus from certain apartment complexes. As there are both apartment complexes and single houses that are rented, everything is in close proximity, and campus is walkable from all of these places in fifteen minutes or less. Some students like to bring a bike for faster transportation, but the majority of students walk. How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania? Brittnee: Professors are usually readily availableif not during their office hours, they are certainly available by appointment. This is true for academic advisers, as well. I spend a great deal of time with my academic adviser, and I feel completely comfortable walking into his office hours or asking him to meet me at a different time (or place other than his office) if my schedule does not fit his on that given day. How would you describe the dorm liferooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Brittnee: When I lived in the dorms in 2012 and 2013 as a freshman and sophomore, the dorms were a great way to meet people since we were all in the same position of coming to college with no friends. There were activities that were planned for us in the common room of our building that also gave us a chance to meet people who lived on other floors. My dorm in particular was known as the sociable one because we were the ones who always kept our doors open as a way for people to pass by to say hello and introduce themselves. When we left the dorms with our new friends, there were four places we could dine on campus, two of which were dining halls, one of which was a caf, and the other was the student union building. In every one of these places, we were provided with plenty of different options. Which majors/programs are best represented and supported at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania? Brittnee: A well known major at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is education because of the fieldwork that has to be done to get the degree. My education friends have told me that they really enjoy the fieldwork and observations in classrooms because it gives them a real life experience right away. When I came to Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, I decided to study Spanish, not only because of the love for the language that I have, but also because it is becoming difficult to get far in the professional business world if you do not have any knowledge of Spanish or a second language in general. In conjunction with my Spanish major, I also have minors in business and international studies, both of which are compatible with my Spanish. Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania was very supportive of my areas of study, as I did not declare these two minors until my junior year of college, which did not leave me much time to complete them. My adviser and some professors worke d with me to make sure this was possible and that I would still be able to graduate on time. They were successful because I am on track to graduate in May, as scheduled. How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Brittnee: I am not a part of Greek life, however, I am an athlete. I play tennis, and by starting as a freshman, this gave me a great opportunity to have a solid friend group right at the start of my college career. Not only did I have these girls, but I was also able to meet mutual friends through older girls on the team. How helpful is the Career Center and other student support services? Brittnee: The Career Center is helpful as far as I know. From my experience, they helped me shape my resume, and for this, I got several job offers. A few times throughout the year, there is a career fair where companies come to campus and are open to talking with students about future plans. How are the various study areas such as libraries, the student union, and dorm lounges at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania? Brittnee: All three of these places are just perfect. I spend all of my time in the library and the student union, and I have never had a problem with too many people. We are a small enough school population-wise that not everybody is in the same spot at the same time. There are certainly rooms in the library and the student union for our use that are readily available to us. Describe the surrounding town. Brittnee: Shippensburg is a very small town. The only fun things to do are to go out to eat at one of the four restaurants we have, or to travel to the local Walmart and walk around. Students usually gather at someones house off-campus if they want to get together in a big group. Or if they want to spend money, students will meet up and go out to eat. How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Brittnee: We have about 8,000 undergraduate students at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. With that said, I am generally pleased with the class sizes. For my general education classes, they usually consisted of about 50 people. When it got down to my Spanish classes, my largest class was 15 people. This is perfect for me because the professor can really focus on each and every student in the class. Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one you regret the most. Brittnee: My most memorable academic experiences were usually with my foreign professors. A few years ago I had this professor from Spain, and she was a bundle of joy and always so full of energy. During our Spanish class, she would play music videos that related to our lectures for the day. She would get up in front of the class and jump around the room and pretend she was singing a concert by holding a makeshift microphone. I know this is not anything significant, but it was a great memory for me of how she could turn something simple into something fun and enjoyable while getting the point across and making people laugh. Check out Brittnees tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

How Children Succeed Part three

How Children Succeed Part three Improving Academic Performance In part two of our introduction to How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character we explored the cognitive hypothesis, which suggests that success today depends primarily on cognitive skills (e.g., reading, writing, recognizing patterns, calculating, etc.) the type of intelligence that gets tested on IQ or standardized tests, and that the best way to build these skills is to practice them as early and often as possible. In part three, we’ll explore one of the major themes of the book, which is that “character,” and more specifically “performance character” is the more fundamental driver of success, and it too can be nurtured and developed. Tough believes society has gotten significantly off track, focusing too much on building a narrow set of cognitive skills and abilities, and taking a misguided approach to teaching children how to build all-important “character” skills. As such, he finishes his introductory chapter by sharing two examples of the type of research that supports the notion that character, not cognitive skills, should be considered of primary importance as we educate children. First, he introduces a University of Chicago economist named James Heckman, who won a Nobel Prize in economics in 2000 for developing a new statistics methodology for understanding the economy. Heckman, buoyed by his academic pedigree, pivoted in the mid 2000s from a pure focus on economics, toward understanding education and social issues. Most relevant for Tough’s book and research, is Heckman’s analysis of the GED test. It turns out that the GED program (General Education Development program), which administers a test high school dropouts can take to indicate they have the same academic skills of a high school graduate, has proven to be a useful tool for understanding the importance of character attributes. The GED was supposed to be a test that “leveled the academic playing field,” allowing children born into poverty and difficult circumstances to pass one single test that demonstrated they were ready for college. Heckman has found that, in fact, in many ways a GED holder is exactly like a typical high school graduate. By comparing the two groups (GED holders and regular graduates of high school) Heckman found that the GED holder performs similarly on standardized tests like the ACT and SAT, and has a similar IQ. However, when it comes to graduating from college, the GED holder is absolutely nothing like the typical high school graduate. Whereas 46% of high school graduates are enrolled or graduated from college by age 22, only 3% of GED holders are still in or graduated from college at that age. What Heckman found is that the GED in fact separates “bright but non-persistent and undisciplined dropouts from other dropouts.” Because the average GED holder is not good at staying focused on a long-term goal, planning ahead, or adapting to their environment (the types of things one must do to successfully get through high school), they tend to be unable to succeed in college. Tough notes that what Heckman’s research doesn’t address is whether and how character attributes such as persistence, grit, curiosity, etc. can really be taught. He then introduces a student, who is discussed later in the book, Kewauna Lerma, who was born into a very difficult and disruptive family situation. Through her freshman year of high school, she was on her way to dropping out. But, he describes how, during her sophomore year (after a series of discussions with teachers, grandparents, etc.), she completely turns her life around, and ultimately graduates from high school, and is accepted to college. He wraps up his introduction by reinforcing that this book is going to be all about understanding on a deep, personal level how character attributes enabled Kewauna Lerma to turn her life around, and on a macro societal level, understanding how a whole generation of children can be steered towards success and away from failure. Initial Review and Analysis This is a powerful book. The main theme, that academic success comes from character traits like grit and curiosity and not necessarily proficiency in math, reading, and writing, is counterintuitive and somewhat inspirational, regardless of whether it’s 100%, 75%, or 50% accurate. My personal view is that it’s much more true than false. Certainly, some people seem to be blessed with high IQs that help them succeed academically with a bit less effort than others, and you can also find examples of students that seem to excel in school as a direct result of lots of early “drilling” on reading, writing, counting, etc. by their parents. There are some good reasons why the cognitive hypothesis seems to be society’s current default belief about how to best educate children. But, I think as a general rule, the average person observes someone who is successful academically without truly “seeing” the hours and hours of self-directed hard work that lies behind that success. They can’t see the “persistence” and “grit” that enabled the person to build their skills, and instead attribute their success to a high IQ or natural ability. Where I think the book falls short a bit is around discussing the “how” of building character on an individual level. The book explores various theories, and the people and organizations that are testing those theories, for how to build character. But often, the discussion is at a relatively high level, and is very focused on the relationship between poverty and academic performance as a societal issue. Had an attempt been made at articulating a clear “top ten strategies for building performance character attributes” in yourself or your child, I would have found it even more valuable. In fact, this is something I’ll attempt to write about in future blog articles. That said, it is powerful in and of itself to convince yourself that grit and persistence, not intelligence, drive success. Once internalized, this notion compels you to encourage yourself, your students, or your children to focus on building character skills and displaying grit, instead of assuming that something is hard because they “just aren’t good at math,” or whatever the subject or activity may be.

Listening Exercise DIY Centrifuge

Listening Exercise DIY Centrifuge Today youll see an interesting video about how scientists have made a medical tool out of a simple childrens toy.  Its amazing to see how theyve solved the problems  that prevent many remote villagers from receiving medical care-cost and electricity.  Take a look at the short video, and strengthen your listening comprehension with the  questions that follow.Scientists ____ ____ paper and string to make a centrifuge that could be used for medical tests in remote locations.Question #1 used present perfect for which of the following reasons?experiencechange over timeaccomplishmentincomplete, expected actionBut centrifuges are _____________ bulky and expensive and need to be plugged in.What else needs to be plugged in?In the quest for an affordable, electricity-free centrifuge, scientists ____ previously ____  use of a salad spinner, but this design is relatively slow.To make use of is a phrasal verb that means to use something for your own purpose.  What have you made use of today?No w, scientists at Stanford ____ ____ ________ by a simple childrens toy.What can the centrifuge be made out of?What have you been inspired by recently?They studied the mechanics of the toy to work out how to achieve the _______ possible spin.As always if you write your answers in comments well correct them for you and even give you an explanation!

AMERICAN WOMAN A Plea to Female Voters

AMERICAN WOMAN A Plea to Female Voters Bust of Susan B. Anthony, one of Americas greatest feministsPhoto by Flickr user cliff1066â„¢ While I know for a fact who I am voting for, and while I am passionate about my political party, I am not here to convince you to side with me. You are a woman with the right to vote (assuming you are of age, of course), and that right is something that did not come easily. Susan B. Anthony, one of America’s most influential and passionate women, once said, “Women, we might as well be dogs baying the moon as petitioners without the right to vote!” Others have fought long and hard for us to have a say in how our country is run, so why neglect that right? A republican woman is equal to a democrat woman is equal to a republican or democrat man. Each vote holds the same weight, and I cannot stress that enough to you ladies. So as November 6th draws closer and closer, get excited. Being active and involved citizens is what will make this nation what it should be. Nothing is more dangerous to our success than apathy, so here I stress one more time to my American women: your voices matter.  Let them be heard.  I hope to see you all with ‘I voted’ stickers come Election Day. For more information on being an active woman voter, I suggest looking into your local chapter of the League of Women Voters.

The ESL Experience Teaching Abroad in Paris, France

The ESL Experience Teaching Abroad in Paris, France Kindergarten teacher Beck, 26, from Australia’s Sunshine Coast, spent a year as an ESL teacher at various schools and language centres across Paris, teaching children as young as 9 months and up to 12 years old. Did teaching in France live up to your expectations? How? In every country that you teach, the children are different and learn differently. In France, it took me a while to figure out what types of activities the children enjoy and what kind of lesson content gets their attention. In this case was competitive games and competitions. Once I’d cracked that part, working with the children was amazing. They really love learning English because they can see its relevance everyday through road signs, transport announcements in English and more. Tell us something you found interesting or surprising about schools in France. The days are long for the children. School starts at 9am and doesn’t finish until 6pm. However, when I was teaching in Paris, all the children had Wednesdays off. How long did it take you to find a position? It took a few months to find a good company in Paris that paid well, according to your experience, and a company that was also supportive. What attracted you to Paris to teach English? I love to travel and wanted to explore more of Europe. The UK and Paris are very much in the center of all that. I knew that it would be easy to get to London for the weekend or to Switzerland for a week away skiing. Paris is a long way from Australia... What was the hardest part of French life to adjust to? The general lifestyle was one of the hardest things to get used to. The working day for anyone in Paris is long and tiring. However, it was usual for us to finish the day off at a cafe, with a glass of wine and a plate of bread and cheese, so I’m not complaining... What kinds of lessons did your students enjoy most? Active lessons - we were always moving, playing games and dancing during the lessons. Because the children are in school for a lot of the time, they really respond well to fun activities that allow them to use all that stored up energy. Tell us more about how you teach babies English. The aim of the class was to getting them used to hearing English being spoken through songs and play, which helps them to understand and pick the language up. Mothers and nannies came with their babies and it was as much about teaching them English too! Having experience in teaching young children at a previous job helped me to get this position, as I didn’t need any special training. What did your students find especially challenging about learning English? Pronunciation. My students found it extremely difficult to pronounce some sounds correctly, such as the letter ‘h’ in 'hello'. But we worked on that and they improved so much during the year. How did you spend your free time in Paris? Travelling and sightseeing. We would go away on weekends to North France, Belgium and London or we would stay home and go have a picnic under the Eiffel Tower with friends. Did you get the opportunity to improve your French skills? Absolutely! Even though I was an English teacher and spoke English most of the day, I still had to communicate with parents in French and also do day-to-day things such as buying food and bus fares in French. What did you learn about yourself from your experience? I learnt that language is not an impossible barrier. It shouldn't stop anyone from travelling somewhere or making new connections and friends. I also learnt to enjoy and make the most of the times that you are not working. If you could give one piece of advice to someone heading off to teach English in France, what would it be? Teaching wise, I would suggest that you learn lots of games and activities to play with younger children that encourage them to speak in English and repeat words. Learn every single nursery rhyme you can and plenty of songs. I also want to say 'learn French,' but you will once you arrive, you won't have a choice! So I think I would say, travel and make the most of living in Europe. Go and see the major sights but also travel to the small towns where no one really goes to because that is where you will see the culture and meet some amazing and helpful people.