Dr. Jonathan A. Rice Science Department Chair, Science Teacher, and Math Teacher Room B-203 School Email: jrice@wswsu.org School: 875-2146, ext. 211 Home Phone: 226-7897 My Classes Visit my website to learn more about my classes. The location is: https://sites.google.com/a/wswsu.org/dr-rice-at-green-mountian/ Please visit our forensic science website to explore websites created by our students. The site is located at: https://sites.google.com/a/wswsu.org/gmuhs-forensic-science/ For weekly homework assignments, please go to the bottom of this page: Message to parents and students: Welcome to my page! I have included a link to descriptions to all of my courses. If you ever have any questions about my courses, expectations, or specific assignments, please give me a call or email me. I grew up on the West Coast. I can’t tell you my hometown because my family moved more than 50 times while I was growing up. (My birth certificate says that I was born in Los Angeles, though.) We eventually settled down in Washington state. Through my travels I developed a tremendous love for the outdoors and science. When my mother needed to find me she only had to look for the nearest stream because I spent most of my time fishing and panning for gold. I have geology degrees from Central Washington University and the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, and I received my Ph.D. in geology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. After graduation I worked as an exploration geologist for Shell Oil in New Orleans for several years before deciding to change careers and become a teacher. My wife, Stacia, and I decided to move to her hometown, Proctorsville, where we built our home on land that has been in her family for more than 200 years. Teaching has been a fun and challenging career. I enjoy teaching students as they learn science and math. It is especially rewarding to experience the students’ energy level and excitement as they learn through inquiry. I develop standards- and inquiry-based units using my experiences in courses such as NASA’s NEWMAST and the Joint Oceanographic Institutions (JOI) Ocean Drilling Program. For the NEWMAST program I spent two weeks at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, working with NASA engineers, astronauts, and science teachers from throughout the Northeastern U.S. to develop space curriculum. In 2004, I spent the entire summer on a scientific drilling vessel in the Pacific Ocean where I was able to work with a wide variety of scientists as they studied rock, water, and biological samples from below the seafloor. A year later, I went 1.7 miles to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean in the ALVIN submersible with JOI scientists. Because of my commitment to excellence in teaching, I have worked on several district and state science and mathematics curriculum and assessment committees. I received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching in 2002 and was able to meet Vice President Cheney while I was in Washington, DC. I also earned National Board Certification in Early Adolescent Science. I was named finalist for 2009 Vermont Teacher of the Year. In addition to classroom teaching, I enjoy taking student groups on Extended Learning Opportunity trips. In 2008, Julie Walton and I took students to the Grand Canyon. In 2009, we took a group of students to our Nation's capitol over spring break. If you get a chance to come out to the track in the spring to root on our track team, you may see me around as I am also an assistant track coach. Grand Canyon Field Trip I would like to invite students who are interested in extended learning opportunities to consider our Grand Canyon Trip. This year we will be using a professional firm called Grand Classroom to plan our trip. Any high school student at GMUHS who has taken and successfully passed Earth Science with a grade of "C" or better (or with my permission) and is willing to follow our behavioral expectations may go on the trip. The price of $1797 includes everything--- all transportation, hotel accommodations, meals, sightseeing, evening activities, medical insurance, security, and a professional guide. We will be doing a variety of fund raisers to help students with the cost of the trip. I would like to invite parents to help with these activities so that we can do more activities than can fit in my schedule. Some of the trip highlights include Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, Valley of Fire State Park, hiking into the Grand Canyon, and a river float on the Colorado River. We have recently added Zion and Bryce National Monuments to our tour. This trip includes many educational experiences in geology, biology, archaeology, history, and more. The following picture is of the group that went on the trip in 2008. Everyone had a fantastic time and would be happy to share their experiences with you. [Image The picture below shows the group taking a rest during a hike on the Kaibab Trail near the top of the Grand Canyon. [Image Washington, DC Field Trip Every other year, we take a trip to Washington, DC to explore our nation's capitol. This trip is open to middle school students. Our next trip is scheduled for April vacation, 2011. If you have any questions, please ask me and I will be happy to discuss the trip with you. I will add more information in the near future. The following picture is of the group that went on the trip in 2009. [Image HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS FOR 2012-2013 To be posted