By now I'm guessing you've realized what a huge role CSS plays in creating a webpage.  The entire look and feel of a website is determined by it's CSS coding.  Of course without the HTML structure, the CSS just won't look right.  Nonetheless, the possibilities when it comes to CSS layout and design are endless. 

To provide an example:  I would like you to visit a webpage called CSS Zen Garden.  The people who created this page created ONE html file, and about 9 different CSS files that you can select one-by-one.  Notice how vastly different the webpage design looks simply by changing the CSS layout.  To re-iterate, the HTML is not changing on these pages, only the CSS.  

Here is the link: www.csszengarden.com

Once you have had a chance to visit this page, and select a few of the different designs, I would like you to head over to treehouse.  Last week I mentioned that "CSS Foundations - First Edition" would be expiring on May 4th.  Once you have completed the badges you need to earn from that unit (the ones from last week) you can move over to "CSS Foundations - Second Edition" which is now included in the Web Design Learning Adventure by default.  Go through each of those badge exercises from Step One through Step Seven.

Good afternoon everyone!  Yesterday I assigned two new badges for you to earn (Data Types and Tables).  Today I would like to also assign the CSS badge for Text (see image below).  I am also assigning the "Box Model" badge.  For the text badge,  just watch the videos, take the quiz and complete the code challenge.

However, the Box Model Lesson does require some work from you.  I am going to send a file to your desktop called "Box Model."  Please move this into your CSS folder on the studenthar drive.  Then, watch the videos and adjust your files with Nick.  You will notice that Nick uses id's (#container) instead of classes (div.container) in this video.  That is fine.  Please ask questions about things you don't understand. The adjustments that Nick makes happen over the course of all four box model videos.  A lot of this will be review.  Practice makes perfect!

I am hurriedly grading your midterm exams and finalizing your quarter 3 grades for report cards today.  I have moved copies of your midterms into your language of the internet folders today (I made a separate copy for grading purposes too).  

Whole class review!

We will have a review of key concepts and skills for the midterm on Monday.  Because of the minimum day on Friday we will hold the midterm on tuesday and wednesday of next week. This will give you adequate time to work through the task and hopefully result in a better grade for you since you won't have to rush through it as much.

Please continue the codecademy work from wednesday.  Then you can use whatever time you have remaining to review for the test.  

Okay, a bunch of announcements and reminders today. 

First, MIDTERM EXAM ANNOUNCEMENT.   Next friday (not this friday) is the end of quarter three.   You will be taking a two-part exam starting on wednesday and finishing on friday of next week. The exam will ask you to do something extremely similar to what you did with your Spring Break Webpage assignment (but from scratch [almost]).  You will essentially be designing a single page website and there will be a checklist of things you need to have present on the page.  You will not be allowed to use notes or talk to others during the exam.  

Things you should make sure you know how to do by next wednesday:

 1. layout the basic HTML skeleton.
2. link a stylesheet to your webpage.
3. create a container div.
4. title a webpage.
5. create ordered and unordered lists.
6. add images to your page.
7. float images.
8. add classes or id's to your page elements.
9. create links.
10. tag the following items correctly: paragraphs, headings, bold text, italic text, underlined text.
11. create borders around images.
12. add margin and padding to anything on the page.
13. create dividing lines (horizontal rule).
14. customize the backgrounds of both the body and any divs on your page.
15. adjust font style, size, and color.
16. I may add some things to this list, so check back.

The best way for you to review the majority of the items on this list is through either codecademy, or Treehouse (duh). However, I also recommend practicing the creation of a webpage from scratch (with a stylesheet) when you finish with the assignment below.  Go through the 

Codecademy:

Please have both of the CSS assignments completed in codecademy before your midterm (pictured below).  If you don't yet have them done, that's where you should start today.  

Wow, I had a pretty great break and I hope you did too!  Even though it's tough to come back to work, I really do feel pretty rested.  On the thursday evening before spring break officially started, Mr. Lopez and I drove to Phoenix, Arizona to spend the weekend watching some Dodger Spring Training games in Glendale.  Every year half of Major League baseball descends upon the Phoenix area to play their pre-season exhibition games.  These games are meaningless in the scheme of things, but really fun to watch after a long winter without any baseball (I am a huge Dodger baseball fan).  The first game we saw was on friday afternoon.  The matchup was the Cincinnati Reds against the Dodgers.  The Dodgers lost that one by a run but we got to see Clayton Kershaw pitch, and Mr. Lopez caught a foul ball.  We also got pretty close to Magic Johnson who came out to give away two autographed baseballs to some fans right in front of us who got hit by foul balls during the third inning.  Pretty cool.  The second game was on Saturday night, and featured the Chicago White Sox against the Dodgers.  The Dodgers won that game pretty easily.  

Once I got back from Arizona on Sunday, I spent the rest of the week hanging out with my wife and kids, and doing some random chores and tasks around the house.  I brought my family some t-shirt souvenirs from the weekend they really enjoyed.   Grayson and I took a trip to Ikea for some lunch and home supplies.  And I was able to get some dining room chairs sanded and spray painted (just a random project I have been trying to get done).

On saturday we threw a surprise baby shower for Ms. Byrne near our house in Silverlake.  We told her it was going to be an easter egg hunt for our kids but when she got there we had everything set up for presents and lunch.  She was shocked and really loved it.  Ms. McManus and a bunch of others teachers and friends were there too.  And, yes, we did have that easter egg hunt for the kids.  It's really funny to watch 2 year olds find easter eggs.  

Some links to websites that relate to my spring break:

• Dodger Spring Training
• Easter Egg Hunts
• Ikea