A Free Tutoring Service: Preparing For the Future  

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                                    Cleophas "Mike" McAlpin...Executive Director/Chief Tutor  

                            LESSON REVIEW # 11A    Biology Blitz! Physics, too!

                           Cleophas Mike McAlpin......Tutor 

                           Marci Williams.............Tutor 

                           Colonel Aubry McAlpine.............Tutor                            

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Volunteer Tutor: Retired Colonel, Vice President-Aerospace Company, Aubry McAlpine.

September 23, 2000. A Field trip to....The California Science Center:Imax Theater:    The "Biology Blitz" all of the time!         

    Please stop smoking Stop smoking! Even the future Ne-Ne  will join the Crusade against Smoking!     Come along for : A Trip to the Future

Sheena, 14 (left), future Surgeon, watches a monitor that is showing a human lung operation. Sheena watches as a damaged part is removed (smoking related). All of the students listened as Sheena described the precision cut made by the laser beam that opened the body, removed the blackened tissue and closed the wound. Surprisingly, there was no turning away of heads as the Surgeon's tools did their work.

  Cleasena and Sheena

The Galapagos Islands are 600 miles off the coast of the South American country, Ecuador. Ecuador straddles the equator and that is where it get its name. The satellite photo (below, right) shows the series of islands through which Charles Darwin traveled that ended up with his book, "The Origin of The Species." Go...WWW.GLOBEXPLORER.COM ... for any satellite photo of earth.

The Imax Theater crew must have been very excited to film the exotic animals found there....all in 3-D. Cleasena and Sheena, along with the other students, enjoyed the presentation. They took pride in their own presentations in the California Science Center as they reviewed Biological facts and held lectures on the same. The "Biology Blitz" of the previous week continues. Charles Darwin would have been very proud of the seven students who traced his path (1835..on the Beagle) through the Galapagos Islands.  California Coastline

"Professor" Jarrett Hill stands before a virus exhibit (HIV) and discovers how the virus attacks the human body. His lecture on the digestion system in humans (right) was excellent as he told of the length of the human intestines (21 feet). Some of the other students assisted Jarrett with his reading skills during his presentation. Jarrett has promised to read for at least 15 minutes each day. We will hold him to that promise.

We left Dominuez Hills at 12:00 Noon. That gave us ample time to make the 1:00 PM showing of The Galapagos Islands show. The 15-minute ride down the 110 Freeway was spent wisely. I had Michael to bring his Biology book from Banning High School along and had him to read the Chapter (9th grade, Chapter 10) that dealt specifically with the Galapagos Islands. Each of the students listened intently as he read about Charles Darwin and his trip around the world. I stopped his reading occasionally to ask questions about this Biologist. All of the students now know that Darwin was distressed by the lack of anesthetics during the operations of his time. They know that he collected samples of plant and animal life as he sailed around the world in his ship, the Beagle. They know that it was 1835, 30 years before Blacks were released from Slavery. We often connect Black History to World History, whenever we can. They know that it caused a bit of controversy when Darwin made his proposition that plants and animals "evolved", mostly due to their environment. There was a firestorm created when that proposal was made. God creates all life, evolution or no evolution. It should have been as simple as that.  

Kenneth (blue cap, left) stands fascinated as he listens to the giant robot, Tess, tell of how her body achieves "homeostasis". She balances fuel and oxygen to keep her body temperature normal. She, along with a cartoon character, demonstrated the Human "control system" that allows us to sweat and our hearts to pump more blood when we become overheated. Tess allowed the students to study the flow of blood through her body. Jeremiah (right) gives a lecture on EKG's and the varying quantities of blood found in some animals. He operated controls that sounded the heartbeats of some animals. The mouse's heartbeat was a steady rat-a-tat-tat, in rapid fire! The elephant's heartbeat sounded like a bass drum! We all know how fast the human heart beats. The students know.

Michael (right) gives a lecture on the Human lungs. Michael described the flow of oxygen in, and the flow of carbon dioxide out and traced the flow through the lungs. Michael did a great job as he operated the balloons that showed how the lungs were inflated with air.

Kenneth (left) rides a bike high above the first floor of the Science Center. This "Center of Gravity" demonstration seems to delight the younger generation. (Physics is looming on the horizon for the students) Jeremiah (right, hands extended) seems to be asking, "Did we do well with our presentations, or what?"

The answer to Jeremiah's question should be obvious by now. All of the students did very well. They had descended to an ocean depth of 3000 feet (ocean floor surrounding Galapagos Islands) in an Observatory Craft, along with Scientist, to see newly discovered creatures. They had operated the robotic arms and suction devices ( vicariously, of course) that captured species of fish that were previously unknown to mankind. They had tried to touch the fish and wildlife that seemed to be right out in front of their eyes (miracles of 3-D). They had moved through the Galapagos Islands just a Charles Darwin did in 1835. They had visited the inner workings of the Human body. They had visited the subminiature world of single-celled animals and watched as they took in food, used it and expelled the waste. They had seen the battles and armaments of creatures, big and small.

The students have seen Biology in all of its glory... as they march through this "Biology Blitz" of September and October of the year 2000.

It is no wonder that I felt very proud to treat the students to Taco Bell and McDonalds. It is no wonder that I took them to Anderson's Park in Carson for a game of football and basketball. It is no wonder that I allowed them a chance to listen to their music in the van (no rap, please). It is no wonder that I allowed them a chance to play their Play Station game in the van.

They deserved all of those amenities. I had to call a halt to our meeting at 8:00 PM. I took Jarrett to his home in Inglewood while the other parents came to pick up their children.

Our future meetings...September 27th and 28th- 4:00 PM to 8:00PM.

Sunday, October 1st- 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

There will be a lecture by Retired USAF Colonel and Vice President (now retired) of a leading Aerospace Company, Aubry McAlpine, in the classroom of New Philadelphia A.M.E.Church. Colonel McAlpine will address "The Military as a Career".  Colonel McAlpine is a self-made millionaire and one of our Volunteer Tutors. Aubry is a graduate of Tuskegee Institute where he took ROTC. As an Officer, he later obtained a Master's Degree in Electronic and Electrical Engineering. The lecture will take place on Sunday, October 22, 2000 at 1:00 PM. All are invited.

Tentative field trip (one) for the Month of October....Getty Center Museum or Page Museum or Art Center or Family Fun Center or Long Beach Aquarium. There is a musical "The Lion King" and a play, "The Death of a Salesman", that I will be attending in October and November, along with Jarrell (at my expense). All of the students and parents are invited to join us. The cost is approximately $30 per event. Please notify me as soon as possible.

Tentative schedule of events for November-December 2000.

Parent's Meeting: Some students are kept from the Tutoring Program for all kinds of reasons. It really hurts (me, mostly, because my life is being sacrificed to assist with education) the students when they can not visit educational places of interest. I would ask parents to seriously weigh the pros and cons of disciplining a child by keeping them away from education.

Camping trip to Will Rogers Campground (overnight):  2-day trip to Big Bear Lake. Suggestions....please?