What's Happening At ACSS

Chemistry 11 Block D

The class got into groups of three to compare the rates of a 0.4 M and 0.8 M solution of copper (II) chloride. On the first day, each group mixed 10.76g or 5.38g of copper (II) chloride with distilled water to create the solution. The solution turned a bright blue color. 

The next day, each group poured the solution into a 250 mL beaker and wrapped aluminum foil with a pencil. One person held the aluminum foil in the solution and stirred with a stirring rod while another measured and recorded the temperature every 20 seconds. Each group then wrote a lab report which included a graph of the changes of temperature for both the 0.8 M and 0.4 M solution. 

Lest We Forget (Part B)

On Remembrance Day, we remember our fallen soldiers. One of those fallen soldiers was Corporal Steve Martin. Martin was killed by an improvised explosive device December 18, 2010 while on operations in the Panjwa’i district of Kandahar Province in Afghanistan. He was the 154th soldier to die as a result of the Afghanistan mission. His body was flown back to Canada shortly after. Martin was a member of the 3rd Batallion Royal 22e Regiment and was to turn 25 in two days. He is remembered by his family, friends and nation.

Lest We Forget (Part A)

Remembrance Day is a memorial day in which we remember members of the armed forces. November 11 is Remembrance Day because it marks the date and time when armies stopped fighting World War I. on November 11 at 11 am in 1918. It was originally called "Armastice Day". Every year, Canadians pause in a moment of silence to remember the men and women who fought to bring peace and safety to our lives. More than 1,500,000 soldiers served our country and more than 118,000 have sacrificed their lives. The poppy is the symbol of Remembrance Day.

For more information go to:

http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/get-involved/remembrance-day

 

Halloween Story

   Susan and Ned were driving through a wooded empty section of highway on Halloween night. Lightning flashed, thunder roared, the sky went dark in the torrential downpour.
     “We’d better stop,”  said Susan. Ned nodded his head in agreement. He stepped on the brake, and suddenly the car started to slide on the slick pavement. They plunged off the road and slid to a halt at the bottom of an incline.
     Pale and shaking, Ned quickly turned to check if Susan was all right.  When she nodded, Ned relaxed and looked through the rain soaked windows.
     “I’m going to see how bad it is,” he told Susan, and when out into the storm. She saw his blurry figure in the headlight, walking around the front of the car. A moment later, he jumped in beside her, soaking wet.
      “The car’s not badly damaged, but we’re wheel-deep in mud,” he said. “I’m going to have to go for help.”



      Susan swallowed nervously. There would be no quick rescue here. He told her to turn off the headlights and lock the doors until he returned.
     Axe Murder Hollow. Although Ned hadn’t said the name aloud, they both knew what he had been thinking when he told her to lock the car.  This was the place where a man had once taken an axe and hacked his wife to death in a jealous rage over an alleged affair. Supposedly, the axe-wielding spirit of the husband continued to haunt this section of the road.
      Outside the car, Susan heard a shriek, a loud thump, and a strange gurgling noise. But she couldn’t see anything in the darkness.
      Frightened, she shrank down into her seat. She sat in silence for a while, and then she noticed another sound.  Bump. Bump. Bump.  It was a soft sound, like something being blown by the wind.
      Suddenly, the car was illuminated by a bright light.  An official sounding voice told her to get out of the car. Ned must have found a police officer.  Susan unlocked the door and stepped out of the car.  As her eyes adjusted to the bright light, she saw it.
      Hanging by his feet from the tree next to the car was the dead body of Ned.  His bloody throat had been cut so deeply that he was nearly decapitated. The wind swung his corpse back and forth so that it thumped against the tree. Bump. Bump. Bump.
     Susan screamed and ran toward the voice and the light. As she drew close, she realized the light was not coming from a flashlight. Standing there was the glowing figure of a man with a smile on his face and a large, solid, and definitely real axe in his hands. She backed away from the glowing figure until she bumped into the car.
      “Playing around when my back was turned,” the ghost whispered, stroking the sharp blade of the axe with his fingers. “You’ve been very naughty.”
      The last thing she saw was the glint of the axe blade in the eerie, incandescent light.

Halloween

Halloween originated in the ancient Celtic festival 
known as Samhain. Samhain is a celebration at the end of harvest season in Gaelic culture and was used by ancient pagans to take stock of supplies and prepare for winter. They believed that on October 31, the boundaries between the living and the dead overlapped and the deceased would come back to life and cause sickness and damaged crops. These festivals frequently involved bonfires and it is believed that the fires attracted insects to the area which then attracted bats to the area. People wore masks and costumes to mimic evil spirits. 

ACSS Media Pass

Digital Tools- The Camera

Lacrosse Box

This photo was taken outside. The shadow of the lacrosse box balances the lightness on the right. 

Hallway

This photo was taken in the main hallway. The light from the door and the overheads show symmetry along the dark sides.

Cloudy

This photo uses the Rule of Thirds. The field is dark in the center and light on the sides.

Shadows

This photo was taken in the front foyer. The shadows are from the windows of the doors.

Empty Portrait 

This photo was taken in the front foyer. The shadows of the chair and plant are evident while the light from outside shines through.

Composition in Digital Photography (Part B)

Curves 

The Golden Rule

Horizontal and Vertical Lines

Rule of Thirds

Points of Power

Digital Manipulation of Photographs

Image>Adjustment>Levels

Image>Adjustment>Photo Filter

Image>Adjustment>Curves

Image>Adjustment>Black&White

Image>Adjustment>Curves

Composition in Digital Photography (Part A)

ARTISTIC COMPOSITION 

Artistic composition is the placement of visual elements in a work of art, such as a painting, graphic design, photography, sculpture, and more. In relation to digital photography, artistic composition can add balance and mood. It can also place focus on the main subject. 

1. Rule of Thirds - In the rule of thirds, the photo is divided into thirds using two lines running vertically and two lines running horizontally. To create balance within the photo, the main subjects is placed off to the side, along one of the lines or the where the lines intersect.

2. Points of Power - Similar to the Rule of Thirds, the Points of Power refers to the placement of the main focus of the image on one of the points in which the lines intersect. 

3. The Golden Rule - The Golden Rule is defined by a mathematical sequence of numbers known as the Fibonacci sequence. It is the more complex version of the Rule of Thirds. Using the Fibonacci sequence or the 1:.68:1 grid, it creates harmony and balance. It is often found in nature and architecture. 

4. Vertical and Horizontal Lines - Using vertical and horizontal lines can create a mood and also help lead the eye through the photograph. Horizontal lines can be used to create the impact of a lack of change or timelessness, for example, in building, horizons, and fallen objects. Vertical lines can project a mood of stability or peace, for example, rock formations and power line poles. 

5. Oblique Lines - Oblique lines create points of interest as they intersect with other lines and give images depth by suggesting perspective. They also add a sense of action to an image and a dynamic look and feel. It also had the effect of leading the viewer through the image. 

6. Curved Lines - Curved lines add beauty and grace to a photo. They are also a popular design technique for leading the eye into the frame. In contrast to straight or patterned lines, curved lines allow the eye to explore an image in a smooth, free-flowing way. 

Digital Me

Terry Fox Foundation

Terry Fox is a Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Sixteen months after he was diagnosed with bone cancer in 1977 and had his right leg amputated, he ended his treatment with the goal to try to help others. Terry trained for fourteen months when he decided he would run across Canada in an effort to raise awareness and money for cancer research. In 1980, the Marathon of Hope began. In 143 days and 5,373 kilometers, he earned $1.7 million as his fame grew all across Canada. However at Thunder Bay, he began to experience pains in his chest and the next day, he announced that the cancer had returned and spread to his lungs. This ended Terry's journey across Canada. In support of Terry, the CTV Television Society held a five-hour telethon, and raised $10.5 million. Over the next several months, Terry's condition worsened, and he died June 1981. The Terry Fox Foundation closes in nearly $20 million each year for cancer research and continues to share Terry Fox's incredible story. 







For more information go to: http://www.terryfox.org/

ACSS Terry Fox Run

Every year at ACSS, a run supporting Terry Fox and The Terry Fox National School Run Day is held. This year our school continued this honorable tradition on a sunny Friday afternoon. The ACSS body, along with Betty Gilbert students, began the course, some running while others walked. At the finish line, several students along with a few teachers cheered on the participants during their last stretch. In all, the run was a success, as the members of ACSS and BGMS honored Terry Fox and his incredible cause.

Participants finish the run in full speed.

The run begins as some lead the way.

Grade 9 students enjoy the day.