IT Class Assignments

Now that we have learned how to make simple PowerPoint presentations and have discussed some ways to make effective presentations (Follow this link to download the main points from today's lesson), let's try to put together a PowerPoint slideshow that we will actually present in front of our classmates!

For this assignment we will be doing some role playing. That is, each of you is going to play the part of a salesperson, and your classmates are the potential customers. Each student should:

1) Choose a product to present
2) Research the product thoroughly
3) Come up with a sales pitch (4.5 - 5.5 minutes)
4) Outline your presentation
5) Put together a PowerPoint slideshow to use as a visual aid
6) Present your sales pitch to the class

We will work on this assignment all next week. You should be ready to present to the class the week of March 9.

In this unit we will be working with Powerpoint, MS Office's popular presentation software. We will learn how to make a slideshow that will serve as an effective visual aid when giving a speech. Good visual aids keep the audience interested and attentive, make your ideas clearer and make your presentation more memorable.

For our first assignment in this unit we will study a Powerpoint 2000 tutorial that will introduce us to the many functions of Powerpoint. After you open the tutorial in Internet Explorer, open Powerpoint in another window. You should follow along by trying each step yourself. If you have trouble understanding one of the steps, just ask for help. Also, you should make notes of important words, such as the headings (in blue) and the key words (bold).

When you are finished reviewing the tutorial, begin working on a short 5-slide presentation. The content is not important (you can refer to your outline from the Science 10 project if you like). Experiment with the different functions of Powerpoint to make different kinds of slides. Make a title slide, a slide that includes a graph, one that includes a picture or video, one that includes an animation, and use at least one slide transition.

Please answer the following questions about the film An Inconvenient Truth. Post the answers to your own journal by the end of the day on Friday, February 2.

1) What are some ways Mr. Gore uses IT to communicate his message about global warming?

2) Describe the use of visual aids in his speeches.

3) According to Mr. Gore, what is the cause of global warming?

4) Why does Mr. Gore feel that global warming is such an important issue?

5) What does he suggest we can do to solve this problem?

Well students, the first term has come to an end and it is now time to take our final exams. The final exam for IT will be on Friday, Jan. 26. Be sure to study all of the vocabulary words listed on the BBS. If you have questions about the exam during finals week, just post a reply on the BBS and I will be sure to answer your question.

Good luck, and see you next term!

For this assignment we will take part in a Columbia University experiment which tests Milgram's famous "6 Degrees of Separation" theory. Click here to view the instructions. Show me your work in class to receive credit.

Read the New York Times article Attack of the Zombie Computers Is Growing Threat and answer the questions below. Be sure to post your answers in YOUR OWN JOURNAL!! Your answers must be posted by the next time we have class this week (no later than friday).

1) What is a "botnet"?

2) What is "spam"?

3) According to the article, how many computers were online in 1988?

4) Today about how many computers are online? How many of them contain botnet programs?

5) How do "botnet masters" profit from their use of botnets?

6) In your own words, explain why botnets are harmful to society.

7) What do you think should be done to solve the problem of botnets? Be creative!

8) What are some other important problems that are affecting the internet?

As you know, we will be doing a research project together with your Science 10 class. (For lots of useful information about how to do this project, click here.)

As part of the writing process, I've asked you to make an outline. For assignment #9, I want each group to show me your outline. You don't need to send me the outline, just show it to me in class. I will mark down that you have completed the outline and give you points.

You shouldn't think I am giving you extra work by asking for an outline. I promise it will be very easy to write your paper if you have made an outline first!

Your most recent grades can be found on this thread on the GCA Message Board.

Mail merge is a fast and convenient way to send personalized mailings to groups of people. It is called mail merge because it merges the functions of two different programs: a word processor and a database. We have already used a word processor in this class (Microsoft Word). We can also use Excel to make a simple database.

Use your workbook from Assignment #6 as your database. Write a form letter to send home to the students' parents. Your letter should include a greeting, the name of the student and the class number. You also must include the students' grades on the mid-term and final exams, the letter grade in the class, and a comment.

Generate the letters and save them as [name_class number_assignment 8]

Read the article Camera phones focus on use of force by L.A. police. The listed terms may be helpful in reading the article. Then answer the questions below and post the answers in your own journal.

Terms:
Taser stun gun -- a weapon that temporarily disables someone with an electric shock

grassroots group -- an organization that is started by the people in a local community

police brutality, excessive force -- when the police use unnecessary violence when dealing with suspected criminals.

Rodney King -- in 1991 he was beaten by police and it was recorded on video tape.

LAPD -- Los Angeles Police Department

ACLU -- American Civil Liberties Union -- a non-government organization that works to protect the rights of citizens.

quick on the trigger -- describes someone who readily uses violence

dreadlocked (dreadlocks) -- a kind of hair style

Discussion Questions:

1) Give three examples from the article where people used information technology to prove the police did something bad.

2) How is IT helping people solve the problem of police brutality?

3) Besides small, inexpensive cameras, what are some other technologies that people are using to expose abuses by the police?

4) What does Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton say about using videos against police officers?

5) Do you think this kind of technology is making the world a better place? Are there any ways that the same technologies that help the people in this article can also be harmful?

6) Will this kind of technology have any effect on Chinese society? Good or bad? Explain your answer.

To download the directions to Assignment #6, please click here.

In this assignment you will continue working with the workbook that you created in Assignment #5 earlier in the week. If you have not yet completed Assignment #5, please finish it now.

1) Getting Started: Open the workbook you created last time. (It should be named ["Assignment 5" + name and class number])

Click here to go to the climate data site we used last time.

2) Select Sheet 2 and change the name to Template

3) Enter labels -- title and column headings

In cell "A1" type "Comparitive Monthly Climate Data for "State" USA (2000)"
In cell "A2" type "Month"
In cell "B2" type "Precipitation"
In cell "C2" type "Difference from Region"
In cell "D2" type "Temperature"
In cell "E2" type "Difference from Region"
In cell "A15" type "Total"
In cell "A16" type "Mean"
In cell "A17" type "Maximum"
In cell "A18" type "Minimum"
In cell "A20" type "Result"
In cells "A3:A14" list the months of the year

4) Enter formulas

In column "C" (cells C3:C14) enter formulas to calculate the difference in precipitation in "State" compared to the region. Example: cell "C3" should be [=B3-'Northeast Region'!B3]

In column "E" (cells E3:E14) enter formulas to calculate the difference in temperature in "State" compared to the region.

In rows 15-18 enter formlas to calculate the total, mean, maximum, and minimum of columns B, C, D, E

5) Enter conditional formulas

Note: A conditional formula states a condition, followed by the result if true and the result if false.

In cell "B20" enter a conditional formula that will say whether the "state" had more or less precipitation than the region ("wetter" or "drier") in 2000. Example: [=IF(C15>0,"Wetter than Region", "Drier than Region")]

In cell "D20" enter a conditional formula that will say whether the "state" had a higher or lower average temperature than the region ("warmer" or "cooler") in 2000.

6) Enter Data

Insert a new sheet. Name the sheet "New York"

Copy your "Template" and paste it into "New York"

Change the title of the table from "Comparitive Monthly Climate Data for "State" USA (2000)" to "Comparitive Monthly Climate Data for New York USA (2000)"

Use the climate data website to fill in the data about New York. Your table will automatically calculate the differences in precipitation and temperature. It will also tell you whether New York was wetter/drier and cooler/warmer than the region as a whole during 2000.

7) Create 4 new sheets. Give each new sheet the name of a different state in the Northeast USA. Repeat step 6 for each state. DO NOT USE THE SAME FOUR STATES AS YOUR CLASSMATES!

8) Be sure your tables are formatted so they can be read clearly

9) When you are finished, save the file and send it to Mr. Phillips' email address.

Grade 10 IT Students:

Before today, there was no specific rule banning videos from the classroom. I believed that as long as they did not cause a disruption, videos could be tolerated in class during students' free time. Unfortunately, many students have shown that they are incapable of behaving themselves while watching videos.

Therefore, starting today, STUDENTS MAY NOT WATCH VIDEOS IN CLASS.

Students who watch videos in class will face the same punishments as for playing games or QQ.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Mr. Phillips

1) Open Excel. Automatically a workbook opens. An Excel workbook is made of several sheets. Unless you have changed the default setting you will have three sheets.

Save your workbook as "Assignment 5" + name and class number

2) Changing the name of the worksheets - Each sheet is a full spreadsheet. Having a workbook with multiple sheets allows you to easily establish relationships from one sheet to another.

The name of the sheet may be changed. Double-click the name of the sheet in the tab at the bottom, and type the new name.

Change the name of Sheet 1 to Northeast Region

3) Driving Around the Cells - the rectangles in a spreadsheet are called cells. Cells are designated by the column and row in which it is located. By default, the top left cell, A1, is highlighted.

Try the following ways to move from cell to cell:
" Hit the Return/Enter key to move down to the row below
" Hold down the Shift key, then hit the Return/Enter key to move up to the row above
" Hit the Tab key to move over to the column to the right
" Hold down the Shift key, hit the Tab key to move back to the column to the left
" Move the cursor to any cell and click there
" Use the arrow keys to move up, down, left, or right.

4) Create a Table - We will make a table of Climate information from this website.

In cell "A1" enter the title "Monthly Climate Data for Northeast USA (2000)" in size 16bold type

Insert the column headings in row "2" using size 12 bold type: "A2" - Month; "B2" - Precipitation; "C2" - Temperature

In rows 3-14, enter the temperature and precipitation data for the Northeast Region in the year 2000.

5) Create a Chart - Use the Chart Wizard to make a simple line chart of precipitation for the year 2000. Your data range should be 'Northeast Region'!$A$3:$B$14. The Chart Title is "Precipitation"; Category (X) axis is "Month"; Value (Y) axis is "Inches".

6) Using Formulas - In rows 15-18, use the formulas we learned in class to find the sum, average, minimum, and maximum of the precipitation and temperature data you entered. Example: cell "A15" is the label "Sum"; "B15" is =SUM(B3:B14)

Make the format for these rows size 11 bold type. Make a border around these cells.

*Remember that temperature cannot be summed!!! (just enter NA for that cell)

Below is a list of the terms we discussed in class today. Use MS Word to make a glossary (a kind of simple dictionary) of these terms. Definitions must be in English, and Chinese definitions may be added if you like. Be sure to save your work, as we will be adding new words to our glossary throughout the year.

PC
-personal computer
monitor (screen)
-CRT monitor
--cathode ray tube
-LCD monitor
--liquid crystal display
printer
keyboard
mouse
disk drive
-floppy drive
-CD drive
-hard drive
-flash disk
motherboard
BIOS
-basic input/output system
CPU
-central processing unit
RAM
-random access memory
sound card
video card
serial bus
USB


boot up
-operating system
log on
shut down
crash
program
file
folder

internet
web page
web site
online
link
click

Note: This is a bonus assignment, which means that you should only work on this when you are finished with your other assignments!

Using an English language search engine, find the answers to the following questions. You should save the answers in a text file and post them in your own journal when you are finished. Your answer must include a link to the English language site where the answer was found!! The student who answers all the questions first -- or who answers the most questions correctly -- in each class will win a free Coke from Mr. Phillips.

1) What is the population of Zimbabwe?

2) How many plane crashes have there been in China since 2000?

3) What is the width of a human hair?

4) What is the average weight of an adult african elephant?

5) How old is the world's oldest tree?

6) What is the distance from the Sun to the nearest star?

7) Where is the deepest part of the Ocean? How deep is it?

8) What was the population of the Earth in 1950? In 2000?

9) What is the longest distance a chicken has ever flown?

10) What is the tallest mountain in Germany?

11) How many people have walked on the moon? What are their names?

12) How many countries are represented in the United Nations?

13) The United States House of Representatives has how many members?

14) How many voyages did the Titanic make across the Atlantic Ocean?

15) Which country has the longest coastline?

16) Which baseball team won the 2006 National League Championship?

17) The first PC sold by IBM had how many kilobytes of RAM?

18) In which year did World War I begin? In which year did it end?

19) Which body of water has the highest salt content?

20) What is the longest river in North America?

21) Who discovered penicillin?

22) How long was the "Hundred Years War"?

23) Who was the first woman in space?

24) The ancient city of Babylon was located in which modern country?

25) Which was the first city in the world to have a population of one million people?

26) Who invented the airplane?

27) Which nation has the lowest population density?

28) In 1871, a "great fire" occurred in which American city?

29) Which city hosted the 1904 Olympic games?

30) In which year was the transistor invented?

31) Who was the first American president to visit China? In which year was his visit?

32) Which six elements are known as the "noble gasses"?

33) Who was the first person to fly an airplane across the Atlantic Ocean?

34) Who discovered the Mississippi River?

35) How tall is the Gateway Arch in Saint Louis, USA?

Using the skills you learned in Assignment #2, make an illustrated biography about a famous person. This person can be a historical figure, a celebrity, a scientist, or anyone who is well known. You will use the internet to research this person's life. Be sure to include pictures and use formatting to make your biography visually appealing (beautiful). There are two additional requirements:

1) Use the table function to make an timeline of important dates in this person's life. Include at least 7 dates (the year is sufficient if exact dates are not available). There should be 3 columns: one for the date, one for the event, and another for the significance of the event.

2) Make a short bibliography of hyperlinks to the sites you used for research. Include hyperlinks to any sites from which you took information or images.

I would like to say first of all that my first week here at GCA was a very interesting time for me, and I have been very impressed by many of the students. I think this is a great school, and students like you can continue to make it a better one.

There is some important news for students of IT class. Ms. Suru will not be returning. Most likely, I will be staying on as your permanent IT teacher. I am very excited about this opportunity and think we will learn a lot together, and maybe have some fun too. However, before we continue our classes, I want to make some clarifications about rules and expectations for classroom behavior.

1) Every student should carefully read the student handbook's rules for the computer lab and follow these rules each time in class.

2) The computers are not to be used for playing games, chatting (such as QQ, etc.), or other non-academic activities

3) Students are not allowed to install any programs on the computers

4) Earphones are not allowed to be used except with permission from the teacher.

5) During classtime students should remain seated, and if it is necessary to speak, should speak in a soft voice

I think these rules are very fair and reasonable. If any student has a question about these rules, or has a suggestion about a rule change or an additional rule for the classroom, please leave a comment below and I will consider your suggestion.

If we work together, I am sure we can have a great year at GCA!

Sincerely
Mr. Phillips

In this lesson we will explore the possibilities of MS Word by creating an illustrated autobiography, that is, the story of your own life. Your autobiography should be about 3-4 pages in length, and should include pictures and tables. Everyone's autobiography should include a table of contents. Have fun with this assignment, and try to make your autobiography colorful and interesting to look at!

Using the tags we learned in class today, please make an entry in your own journal that includes at least one word in italics, one word in bold type and one underlined word.

I would also like you to include links to three websites. Include one news site, one search engine, and your favorite site.

BE SURE TO COMPLETE THE ASSIGNMENT IN YOUR OWN JOURNAL, SUBJECT: "Assignment #1"