2004-2005 Tech Prep 
Applied / Integrated Activities

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Clinton - Key Ring Tag 
Students are on a design team responsible for producing a product line of Clinton Central School key ring tags. The design may have a picture or text or both. Each team will design a part according to project specifications and present their concept to the class with a Power Point presentation. The class will then select one design for production.

Holland Patent - Buying a Home
The students will begin by obtaining a listing of homes for sale in the area in which they live. A list of mortgage terms will be introduced; terms that are associated with the purchase and closing of a real estate contract. They will research bank rates and gather information from lending institutions and analyze their findings. They will determine the required minimum down payment, estimated closing costs and fees to complete the transaction. They will create a spreadsheet using Microsoft Excel to determine the monthly payment using the variables of available cash on hand, down payment, required closing costs, amount borrowed, interest rate, and term of the loan. 

MVCC - Email Etiquette
Email is one of the most popular modes of communication in the business world Today. Your prospective audience in business may consist of your boss, colleagues, clients, customers, vendors, or prospective employers. This presentation will give you some guidelines to follow to ensure your message is professional. 

MVCC - Avoiding Plagiarism
This activity addressed what is plagiarism and went over common misunderstandings. Standard penalties given to students who plagiarize were reviewed. The question of how to avoid plagiarism while using outside sources for research was elaborated upon as well as the basic MLA citation rules. Examples of work cited pages were also shared. 

New Hartford - Using Purple Loosestrife to Illustrate the Value of Biodiversity in Local Communities 
The study of invasive species, especially purple loosestrife, is well suited to any life science or environmental science classroom. Demonstrating the complex organization and dynamic balance that exists in diverse natural communities is key to helping student understand the value of this diversity. The "hands-on" component of this activity will engage students in studying the effects of the loss of biodiversity; hopefully producing citizens that value and advocate for the protection of our natural communities of living organisms. Students will also study the life cycle of the particular beetle that feeds on loosestrife, as well as learn about the life cycle of the purple loosestrife. They will manage the growth of the plants, applying what they learn.

New York Mills - How to Create an Excel Database 
The students goal is to create a more efficient means of keeping track of video sales for a company - Video to Go. Using video booklets from a local video store, the students are to use Excel to create an alphabetical listing of the 10 movies, display the most recently released movie, list all the action movies, list the top two most rented, as well as the comedy and family rentals. In addition, they are to place an appropriate graphic on the excel spreadsheet. Finally, the students are given directions as to what they are to place on each header before printing. 

Oriskany - Derby Car
Using their understanding of mechanics and energy, students will be able to design and build a car that will be gravity driven to race against other cars on the race track. Adhering to specific criteria, students will also complete companion labs, calculations, and responses to question on the race day lab. Cars will not be graded for performance.

Remsen - Determining the Velocity of Sound using Resonance 
In this activity students will determine an experimental value for the velocity of sound in air so they can compare it with the accepted value of 331 m/sec at STP. A tuning fork of known frequency will be used to create standing waves in the resonance chamber. The students will learn about energy transformations in sound production and the characteristics of sound waves.

Remsen - Predicting and Measuring the Relative Velocities of Component Fibers being Assembled into Commercial Strapping on a Weaving Loom 
The students will be introduced to a number of valuable scientific skills. Students will take measurements, use those measurements to make predictions, and then run tests to see if the productions are accurate. The students will learn how a weaving loom constructs commercial strapping and be able to dissect a piece of strapping and identify components. Then they will compare the relative velocities of the fibers produced to those determined experimentally on the weaving loom. 

Sauquoit - Investigating Solar Cells
Students will investigate and define the term solar cell. They will be able to explain the composition of a solar cell and how a solar cells turns sunlight into electricity.
- Testing Solar Cell Output
Students will properly wire and connect solar cells in a typical circuit and determine maximum output values of various solar cells. They will create charts and graphs of findings, and draw conclusions on what would be needed to power various electronic devices.
- Designing a Solar Battery Charger
Students will apply knowledge gained about solar cells and determine solar cell needs to charge NiCad batteries and NiMH batteries. Students will design the circuit required to charge either type of battery and construct a solar cell battery charger.
- Harnessing Sunlight
As part of a design team, students will design and construct a device that utilizes sunlight to successfully recharge either NiCad or NiMH cells.

Utica - Proctor - News Production Project
Students, working in teams, will follow step-by-step instruction to demonstrate various work techniques in producing a news show. As a group, students will decide who will do what during the taping of the news. Students will have experience in the following roles: director, camera person, news reporter, weather reporter, sports reporter, human interest reporter, commercials. Students will set up, produce, tape and evaluate shows. 

Waterville - Introduction to Simple Machines
Students will work together in small groups to develop a solution to a given problem. Students will understand the concepts and advantages of simple machines and know the application of simple machines in daily life and in industry. They will gain experience in problem solving and mechanical design and will learn to work within a budget. They will design a complex machine, based on simple machines to complete a task. Finally, students will be given an object and the distance they must move it to and change in height between both points. Each group will be given time to adjust their machines and complete the task.

Westmoreland - Journalism
Students will create a school newspaper. They will write stories and print/produce the hard copy paper in a Word Processing layout. They would produce a monthly school newspaper. Students will learn the skills of accurate, fair, and balanced reporting. They will learn about creating layout and the skills necessary to work from copy to layout to a student/school read paper. Other skills to be covered include photography, interviewing, word processing, and copy layout.

Whitesboro - Tucci's Marketing Needs
Students will examine and critique the current website and marketing products of a local business which does work world-wide - rebuilding original cars. Students will provide input to add to and update marketing.

The Utica Marsh - Purple Project - Coordinated with Oneida BOCES Tech Prep 
Schools: Brookfield, Proctor, Remsen, Sauquoit, Waterville, Westmoreland, and Whitesboro
During the entire Spring 2005 term, the above seven schools, including 12 teachers and approximately 220 students, participated in a coordinated project of Tech Prep and the Utica Marsh. In March purple loosestrife rootcrowns were distributed along with pots, soil, fertilizer, tomato cagewire, and netting. The students planted and oversaw the plants' growing. In April the specific beetles which feed on purple loosestrife were received and distributed. Again, the students oversaw the placement and life cycles of the beetles. In June the beetles were transported to the Utica Marsh, along with the potted plants, and were released into the Marsh to help combat the overgrowth of the foreign purple loosestrife. All students and teachers were presented with purple logo t-shirts for the occasion.