January 24, 2012 – SciVis II



February 6, 2012 – SciVis I

Essential Questions – What will the “theme” of your video game be? What is the plot/storyline?

Focus Activity – Please draft a two paragraph outline describing the theme/plot/storyline/and basic character sketch for a STEM-Related game that meets the criteria of the

Contest.

I want one of you to win this contest and the only way to win is make sure we meet all the contest specifications – one of which is that the game MUST have a STEM theme. So, brainstorm for a few minutes and come up w/ some ideas. If you are really stuck, you could do something related to the “Airplane Project” or you could ask your Science Teacher to tell you which area of their class would be most suitable for a cool game.

Please SAVE your writing in YOUR I:\ Drive folder so I can check it upon my return.

After you finish this work, please go ahead and finish ALL of your note packets (which should just mean finishing Unit A). When I return, I will check that ALL of Units A – C are completed.

If you get ALL of the above finished (Plus all the work from the previous Daily Plans), go ahead and keep plugging away on the Game Maker tutorials. has more tutorials including platform and maze games. I don’t know if the WSFCS web-blocker will keep you locked out of this site or not. Try it. If it doesn’t work, I will bring the tutorials with me. Once you’ve tackled the tutorials, let’s get to work on YOUR game that could win YOU a new laptop computer!!!

I will be back at school on Tuesday to start checking work, so please make sure you bring ALL your SciVis materials to class (including the 3-ring binder & tabs as detailed in “Course Info & Expectations).

February 2 & 3, 2012 – SciVis I

Essential Questions – What’s the plan with Mr. Harrison and “the Airplane Project?”

Focus Activity – Mr. Harrison will be on-campus Today and Tomorrow (Thur/Fri). Please go down to 305 as directed by the sub and have an open mind towards this project. I believe it will be a tremendous learning opportunity for all of us and I think you will like it.

PLEASE – remember, safety first in ALL aspects of your work in 305. There will be tools and materials that you must be careful with. If Mr. Moats, Hamilton, or Harrison ask you to do something – PLEASE listen (.

February 1, 2012 – SciVis I

Essential Questions – What’s the plan with Mr. Harrison and “the Airplane Project?”

Focus Activity – Again, thanks for navigating to the “Classroom Documents” tab > “SciVis I – Daily Plans.doc” section of my web page. I will be home all of this week with my wife and our new baby, so it is key that you continue to be self-sufficient by thoroughly READING and DOING the Daily Plan each day.

If you DID NOT finish working on your note packets yesterday, remember that I want ALL of Units B and C completed (blanks filled in). You can get full copies of the notes from my web page (yes, in the Classroom Documents tab). I will check these notes and your SciVis Notebook when I return next week. Yes, the instructions on how to “build” your SciVis Notebook are in the same place wsfcs.k12.nc.us/Page/20238

(and in your Course Info & Expectations handout)

Class Activities – I believe Mr. Harrison is coming back to Atkins on Thursday and Friday of this week. In general, we will work with him a little every two weeks. The goals of our work with him are to:

• Learn about aerospace science

• Learn about aerospace construction materials

• Learn about experimental aircraft

• Get a lot of hands-on-time building an actual airplane

I’m not exactly sure what you guys worked on with him last Friday, but in order for you to show up “informed” for tomorrow’s session, please answer the following questions in an MS Word Doc and save the doc in YOUR I drive folder and call it “YOUR LAST NAME_Airplane Project Prep Work.doc”

• What is the Experimental Aircraft Association, when was it founded, and how many members does it have?

• What are the “requirements” for an airplane to be categorized as “Experimental?

• What makes the “EAA AirVenture Oshkosh” one of the world’s greatest airshow spectacles? Please answer this question in a paragraph format after spending 15 minutes or so browsing the AirVenture web page. It is chock-full of cool stuff and information.

• What makes Burt Rutan such an icon in the world of experimental aircraft? Please provide a 5-bullett summary of Rutan’s most significant achievements (consider googling “Scaled Composites” in addition to Burt Rutan).

• What are the basic performance parameters (g-load, top speed, cruising speed, ceiling (how high can it fly), etc.) of the KR-2 that Mr. Harrison is going to work on? ()

• Spend a few minutes browsing the web page. The Corvair was an automobile produced by General Motors in the 1960’s. What are the basic engine specifications for a Corviar-powered airplane (# cylinders and orientation, Horsepower, Torque, fuel flow rate (GPH)?)

• - please write a 1 paragraph summary of the information you find on this EXCELLENT web page about iron and iron casting.

• - please write a 1 paragraph summary of the primary DIFFERENCES between aluminum and steel/iron based on the information you find on this EXCELLENT web page.

Please complete this work TODAY so that when Mr. Harrison is here tomorrow and Friday, you can fully participate in the discussion. Again, there is NO NEED to print your MS Word doc, just DO the work and SAVE it in your I drive.

I think our work with Mr. Harrison this Winter/Spring will be a very unique effort that you will remember for a long time. Have an open mind and ask A LOT of questions. The time he shares with us is very valuable and it will open the doors to many, many potential career paths that might interest you.

Homework – Make sure you come to class with your SciVis Notebook set up the way I explained in my Course Info & Expectations. Also, make sure Unit B and C notes are complete. I will be back sometime next week and will check these things first.

January 31, 2012 – SciVis I

Essential Questions – Why isn’t my “Contact Me” assignment from last Friday (1/27) getting done (by the vast majority of you)?

Focus Activity – Again, thanks for navigating to the “Classroom Documents” tab > “SciVis I – Daily Plans.doc” section of my web page. I will be home all of this week with my wife and our new baby, so it is key that you continue to be self-sufficient by thoroughly READING and DOING the Daily Plan each day.

I have had a total of SIX people from ALL of my classes that did the “Contact Me” assignment from last Friday. Obviously, we have some kind of failure to communicate. At this point, I think I need to shift gears and figure out where the failure is coming from.

Let’s try this – Would you please use the “Contact Me” tab on my web page to answer these questions for me?

• How do you access my Daily Plans each day (this will be true EVEN when I am back in the classroom)?

• What do you do with the Daily Plan file once you open it each day?

• If you use the scroll tool on the far right side of the screen in my Daily Plan file, what will you find “under” today’s Daily Plan?

• If you miss a class or get behind in your work, how do you find out what your makeup work consists of?

• Is there something I could be doing to make the process of “getting assignments to you” easier?

Class Activities – Please take out your Note Packets (Units A – C) and fill in ALL of the blanks for Units B and C. You can find all the master copies of the notes on my web page under “Classroom Documents.” Once you have finished the notes, please go back and finish ALL of the work I have given you since last Tuesday. Just scroll to the bottom of this document and work your way back up. Read and DO the work.

Once you are done with that, please tackle the next GameMaker tutorial that you have not completed and make sure you are saving ALL of your games to YOUR I:\ Drive folder.

Thanks for your cooperation and I know this would have been easier if I had a chance to work with you for more than one day this semester.

Homework – Visit and check out some freebies

January 30, 2012 – SciVis I

Essential Questions – What’s up with Mr. Harrison and the “Airplane Project”?

Focus Activity – Again, thanks for navigating to the “Classroom Documents” tab > “SciVis I – Daily Plans.doc” section of my web page. I will be home all of this week with my wife and our new baby, so it is key that you continue to be self-sufficient by thoroughly READING and DOING the Daily Plan each day.

I did not know that Mr. Harrison was coming by last week to start talking about “The Airplane Project” with you. I think that is going to be a GREAT experience where you will learn about flight, piloting, aerodynamics, structural materials, and how to build a real airplane. Be flexible and open and I assure you that Mr. Harrison will be presenting some great opportunities for us and we will see him every couple of weeks for the entire semester.

At the same time, it appears that we got off-track last week b/c I posted a 1/26 Daily Plan that never really got done. So, let’s back up and call today a “Catch Up Day” for both you and Mr. Hager, the sub. Will someone please check with Mr. Hager that he has access to the same Daily Plan that you do? If he does not, will ONE person please print this out for him?

Class Activities – Go back and DO/FINISH all of the Daily Plan work from last week. There were only two people that finished the “Contact Me” assignment from the Friday D.P (Jack and John Henry) – so will those two please help any classmates that can’t figure it out? Also, will one of you two please review the Thursday D.P. with Mr. Hager so you can have a class discussion about my “Course Info & Expectations” handout?

So, in a nutshell, just go back and start on Day 1 and make sure you have done ALL the work for EACH day of last week. Once you have, please press on with your GameMaker tutorials and then tomorrow I will ask you to submit a “Game Theme” proposal to me.

Homework – Visit and check out some freebies

January 27, 2012 – SciVis I

Essential Questions – What are the basic elements of a “successful” video game?

Focus Activity – Thanks for navigating to the “Classroom Documents” tab > “SciVis I – Daily Plans.doc” section of my web page. It is VERY important that you understand this is YOUR responsibility – whether you are present or absent. One of my least favorite things to hear from students is “I didn’t know I had to do that work because I was absent….” Please read/DO the daily plan every day and go back and scan the old ones on occasion to ensure you have not missed anything.

Today is the actual “Due Date” for ALL of the paperwork I gave you on Day 1. I know the sub probably checked most of you off on that yesterday. If you still owed me one or two items, please submit them today.

Did you find any cool links on my web page yesterday? Do you know how I keep my page up-to-date? I have YOU provide me links to good content. So, today I want you to do a google search for “elements of a great video game” or “game maker video game tips” or something similar.

Class Activities – I want you to use the “Contact Me” tab on my web page today to share with me 3 things:

1. How did the Course Info/Expectations discussion go yesterday and what are the FOUR tabs that I have asked you to set up in your SciVis notebook?

2. Based on your research during the focus activity or prior knowledge, what are the TOP 5 elements of a great video game?

3. Please give me the URL of three good web pages that you visited during the focus activity. I want to build a new tab or two on my page to deal with Game Design and I can’t do it without your help. Please give me the address of the BEST sites you visited.

I am sitting at the hospital waiting for the “Contact Me” emails to roll in and I will grade them from here. PLEASE do not view this as “optional,” I want to see each one of you answer these questions in the “Contact Me” tab.

After completing this, please go back to the Game Maker tutorials that you have been working on. I want each of you to progress through the first three or four tutorials by early next week. Have fun and learn something. My goal is to have each of you develop a “theme” for your game early next week that will help you win the STEM Game Challenge.

Homework – It’s Friday…. You don’t have any homework. At the same time, if you really want to “get good” at the software in my class, the best way is to do some work at home. So, if you have a computer that can handle it, please download Game Maker Lite () at home and keep working on the software.

January 26, 2012 – SciVis I

Essential Questions – What are my basic expectations for you to be successful in this course?

Focus Activity – Congratulations again!!! If you are reading this, you have found my webpage, navigated to the “Classroom Documents” tab, and opened up “SciVis I – Daily Plans.doc” My expectation is that you will do this EVERY Day and also READ and DO the Daily Plans for any days that you are absent. It is YOUR responsibility to complete ANY/ALL work that you miss.

Again, please sit at the same computer as yesterday.

My wife gave birth to a baby boy yesterday afternoon, so I will be out for a little while helping out around the house. I will continue to post your work to the Daily Plans from afar. Thanks for being model students for my sub!!

Today, I want you to allow the substitute teacher to put some 100’s in my Grade Book for your work. He will call you up and ask you to show him the Unit B notes from yesterday, collect your Student Info Sheet, Computer Use Rules sheet (if SIGNED on both sides), and clip off the back part of the Course Info/Expectations Sheet that you READ and SIGNED with your parents.

While he is calling students up for these EASY 100’s, your job is to BROWSE my ENTIRE Web Page. I have some good stuff in there and I am always on the prowl for new links. If you have a good one that should become part of my page, please tell me!

Class Activities – Please take 20 minutes and browse my entire web page. Yes, it really should take you at least that long to stumble through my site and some of the great hyperlinks I have set up. In particular, please make sure you spend time looking at “Higher Education in SciVis,” and “Career Paths.” I have links to some great companies and colleges where you could pursue this field of study. If you find dead/bad links – please report them to me. The best way to contact me right now is via the “Contact Me” tab on my web page!

At some point in this class period, I want all of you to come to the middle of the room, as directed by the sub. When you do this, I want you to allow the sub to lead a discussion about my Course Info/Expectations. We ALL need to make sure we understand my policies for this classroom. Binders, making up late work, how much are tests worth, etc., etc. – it’s ALL in there and you are SIGNING that you read it. So, let’s at least read it together for a few minutes.

After these other things have been completed, please continue to work on your GameMaker tutorials and think of what you might make a “STEM Game” look like. I KNOW that cool, fun, and educational game is going to win someone a laptop this Spring. Why can’t it be US?

Homework – Take home Course Information and Expectations AND SciVis Tech Rules hand outs. Get them signed (front AND back) where applicable.

Both papers are due back to me, SIGNED, No Later Than Friday, January 27, 2012.

January 25, 2012 – SciVis I

Essential Questions – How will we “take notes” in Scientific Visualization this semester?

Focus Activity – Congratulations!!! If you are reading this, you have found my webpage, navigated to the “Classroom Documents” tab, and opened up “SciVis I – Daily Plans.doc” If you missed class yesterday, please pick up one copy each of the following:

• Student Information Sheet

• Course Information and Expectations

• SciVis Computer Use Rules

• SciVis I Syllabus (& stapled note packets A – C)

Please go to the SAME computer you sat at yesterday (and continue to use this same computer all semester unless otherwise directed). Please take out your SciVis I Syllabus/Note Packet. I would like for you to open the “SciVis I – Class Notes.doc” file from the same webpage as the Daily Plans. This document contains ALL the notes we will need for this entire class!

To get started today, please browse around this document for a few minutes to get a feel for how it’s set up. Then, go to “UNIT B: History and Impact of Scientific & Technical Visualization” and work on filling in the blanks in your copy of the notes. I want you to complete pages 1 – 4 of Unit B. Once you do so, please show them to the substitute teacher.

Class Activities –

Let’s revisit the contest site:



As I mentioned yesterday – I want someone from Atkins to WIN THIS CONTEST. Your game MUST have a “STEM Theme” and I will help you with this when I get back. For now – in your SciVis notebook, spend four minutes coming up with TEN different brainstormed ideas for a “STEM Game Theme.” WRITE THESE DOWN and show them to the substitute teacher and he will sign you off.

Re-read yesterday’s Daily Plan on how to access GameMaker. If you didn’t finish your first game (using the tutorial), then please pick up where you left off. If you did, just roll on to the 2nd Tutorial (Scrolling Shooters) and follow EACH INSTRUCTION.

SAVE your work in I:\2011-2012\Students drive folder as “My First Game Maker Game.”

Homework – Take home Course Information and Expectations AND SciVis Tech Rules hand outs. Get them signed (front AND back) where applicable.

Both papers are due back to me, SIGNED, No Later Than Friday, January 27, 2012.

January 24, 2012 – SciVis I

Essential Questions – What is “Scientific Visualization” all about?

Focus Activity – Please pick up one copy each of the following:

• Student Information Sheet

• Course Information and Expectations

• SciVis Computer Use Rules

• SciVis I Syllabus (& stapled note packets A – C)

Please choose a seat in the middle of the room and begin quietly filling in the Student Information Sheet on your desk (BOTH sides). Take your time and print as clearly as you can. This form will help me be a better instructor by letting me know a little bit about you.

Class Activities – After completing the Student Info Sheet, please do likewise with the Computer Use Rules and Course Info & Expectations. All of these are double sided and a few of them require signatures (yours and your parents). Please get ALL of these sheets read, completed, and turned in to me NO LATER than FRIDAY, 1/27/2012 for your first homework grade.

For today, please KEEP all of these papers in your SciVis Notebook, which you should bring to class each day. Once you show me completed copies of the above handouts, I would like you to log on to a computer and visit



Once there, please click on “About” and browse the site. After that, click on “High School Registration” and carefully read the rules. I would like to incorporate this national contest into our curriculum and give you a chance to win a new laptop and $2000 for our SciVis Lab. We will enter this game as individuals and we will use “Game Maker” to create our STEM Game. After reading about the basics of the contest, I want you to create your first game using the very well-written tutorial found w/in the Game Maker program.

Please open Game Maker by going to I:\2011-2012\Eckart – Class Info\GameMaker. Once there, click on the GameMaker icon and follow ALL the instructions in the right-hand panel that says “Tutorial – Your First Game.” YES, that’s right…… there are 15 pages of simple instructions in the tutorial and YES, the game is REALLY simple. This is a good chance for you to see that CREATING game content is a little more involved than just sitting down and playing. Take your time, have fun, and really get to know the Game Maker interface because this is the platform we will be using next year in our Game Design class.

One note of caution – I know Minecraft is free, fun, and a little addicting. We are NOT here to play Minecraft. Similarly, we are not here to have you take out your headphones and listen to music while tuning out on the class. Either one of these actions will result in a “one warning and you’re out” scenario. This class can be taught 100% via textbook. Please follow all the course expectations and computer use rules and you will be fine!

SAVE your work in I:\2011-2012\Students drive folder as “My First Game Maker Game.”

Homework – Take home Course Information and Expectations AND SciVis Tech Rules hand outs. Get them signed (front AND back) where applicable.

Both papers are due back to me, SIGNED, No Later Than Friday, January 27, 2012.

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