We'll Start with the Cell...

Hey, Welcome back to school!! This week, before JB gets underway, we will prepare for our first class. Here is the homework, and please don't underestimate the time it will take be starting it on Friday!  It should be done over the course of 3-5 days.  Those of you who were in my life science class may find it review, if you have a very good memory, but that was a long time ago, and this time around it is for keeps.  So pay good attention to my directions; I want you to do it my way!

Day 1: Read section 7.1 & answer study guide questions.
Day 2: Read section 7.2 & answer study guide questions.
Day 3/4: Watch these videos and make flash cards for each section on 3x5 index cards.  On one side of the card draw a detailed picture of the organelle/whatever, and on the other the name of the video and your notes on the information in the video clip.  There are 13 separate video clips, each 2-4 minutes long!!! You may wish to find a picture in your textbook or online to copy so that you can make an accurate and elegant picture/diagram.

So here is how to get to the site: http://brightstorm.com/science/biology/parts-of-a-cell/

Brightstorm is a great site for your high school science and math and grammar videos, so you will want to get your own account.
This is the list of videos:

Parts of a Cell

The free online video lessons in the Parts of a Cell unit provide an overview of the distinctions between different types of cells and explore in depth the structure and function of each of the organelles found within a cell as well as the ways in which different organelles interact. Topics include:

• Cell Overview

• Prokaryotic Cells

• Eukaryotic Cells

• Nucleus

• Ribosomes

• Mitochondria - Mitochondrian

• Golgi Apparatus

• Vacuoles-Vesicles

• Chloroplast

• Cilia and Flagella

• Cytoskeleton - Cytoplasm

• Endoplasmic Reticulum

• Cell Membrane - Cell Wall

  

  One more thing: please bring to class a lab notebook (bound) on Monday and every other day from now on.  In it we will keep our lecture notes, our lab notes, and an "exit question" which will help us retain the most important parts of our learning.  You also need a binder in which to keep your handouts and homework.  I am expecting a higher degree of organization this spring.   Also bring your other textbook and study guide, as always.  And put your index cards in a baggie and save them for tests & quizzes!  Bring them to class as well, to confirm that you have done your homework.

  
  

  Long directions, so re-read them, and please leave a comment so I know that you have read this blog.  Thanks, friends.  Enjoy your lessons.

   

Reprieve

Dear Friends, would you mind so much if we delayed the advent of our test a few days?  I was so fatigued last night that I could not bring myself to write it up, and so concocted a better plan, knowing also how busy your own schedules would be.
What I would like you to do is to write 150-200 words or so, paragraph form,  summarizing the ecological principles learned through the Ecocolumn activities, such as discussed in your groups yesterday.   Add to this any of the worksheets/handouts and the poem that you have done, put those in a folder, and turn that in on Monday.  We will then use any extra class time for the test, or if we don't have any, it can become take-home.  The test will be 50 pts. vocabulary and 25 points written, plus some "extra credit" which will be practice questions for STAR testing.

Prepare!

Enjoyable class yesterday, thank you.  I am sure Mr. Deleo will be honored to know that he has been immortalized as a isopod.

Homework is as follows:
Finish up your lab reports (typed) as described in the handout. Turn in on Thursday. Feel free to research the web -- and be sure to figure out what taxis and kenesis are; these words should be in your conclusion.  Re-read the Lab Handout; this is important.

Work on your Photo Essays, as described.  Presentation next Monday.

Study for the final on ecology, vocabulary links from previous post as well as clues to studying. 

No need to finish the Comic Book Guide to the Environment; up to Chapter 9 is good.

TEST WILL BE E-MAILED TO YOU ON FRIDAY, TO BE TURNED IN ON MONDAY.

And the Good News Is...

Forgot to mention (!) there will be an  Final EXAM next (not this coming), but the following, THURSDAY, that will cover the entire unit of ECOLOGY, chapters 3-6.  It will be a lot of vocabulary, plus short essay/diagram questions.  I will work up a list. Anyway, reviewing a little each day is much, much better than cramming.
http://quizlet.com/7456023/chapter-3-biology-prentice-hall-flash-cards/
http://quizlet.com/7684259/prentice-hall-biology-chapter-4-flash-cards/
http://quizlet.com/7305242/prentice-hall-biology-chapter-5-flash-cards/
http://quizlet.com/7305424/prentice-hall-biology-chapter-6-flash-cards/  Pay special attention to chapter 6 vocabulary, since I will give you a surprise quiz this Thursday for practice.

Off the top of my head, I recommend looking through those chapters for diagrams, such as the nitrogen cycle, the carbon cycle, food & energy pyramid, population graphs, biomagnification, etc. Pictures in textbooks give good clues as to what is important or interesting. If it is not interesting, it must be there because it is important. Which is to say, a diagram  summarizes a large amount of knowledge. It is a "pictorial paragraph."

Reading: from the Comic Book on the Environment: Read up to (and including) Chapter 9. Take notes on vocabulary and major concepts.

Keep working on your Persuasive Photo Essay.  Remember: 20 images, 1-3 minutes, show the problem, suggest a response.

Last HOMEWORK before break--Aren't you Thankful!?!

Thanks for class-here's what to do tomorrow:
Read chapters 6-7 of the Comic Book Guide to the Environment.  Take notes on vocabulary/concepts.

Invasive Species in SF Bay:
http://blog.sfgate.com/kalw/2010/11/29/what-lurks-beneath-the-bay-areas-battle-with-invasive-species-in-ballast-water/

Chinese mitten crabs

Save the World, O Jaded Souls

computer graveyard in Ghana : An example of a very specific environmental concern. What do we do with our old computers? ( watch the slide show), and then...

Post a Comment: find out how many tons of computers we dispose of each year in the US, and what happens to it; does it present an environmental  or ethical concern; what ought we to do? (Answer one of these questions, or your own, on the topic.)

So poke around to find a topic for your media essay on one small aspect of environmental concern.

 One thoughtless action  x    multiplied by many

causes catastrophe
for some.

(a small poem by me)

Perhaps also you could be on the lookout (give an ear?) to a piece of music that would be good background.
Start collecting quotes, facts, and images as you research your topic.
Give thought to what computer resources you have available or feel comfortable working with.  You may get as much help as you can finagle from your moms/dads/older siblings/friends.

Read: Comic Book Guide to the Environment, chapters 3-5 and please take notes of vocabulary terms.

btw, I think it is very appropriate to care passionately about the environment, and I do allow myself to feel strongly about many of these issues, even as I try to be objective and check facts. "The earth is the LORD's, and the fullness thereof" and we are the stewards of His creation.

Bacterios & Other Amazing Grossities

The Winogradsky Column is designed to demonstrate the growth of microorganisms. As a result of this activity, you should:

• learn about the metabolic diversity of prokaryotes, applying terms such as phototroph, chemotroph, autotroph, and heterotroph.  Also aerobic, anaerobic, microbial succession, and more.
• observe the cycling of mineral elements in natural environments, particularly sulfur.
• discover how microbes occupy a highly specific niche depending on environmental tolerance and energy requirements.

 First, to recapture what we are trying to understand with our Winogradski Columns, here are some sites:
http://www.sumanasinc.com/webcontent/animations/content/winogradsky.html Choose the "Narrated" box.

Read:
http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/j/e/jel5/biofilms/winogradsky.html

And then a 30 minute video on Microbial Interactions:
http://www.learner.org/resources/series121.html?pop=yes&pid=1370# ( click VOD button for #10 "Microbial Interactions"   Leave a Comment, please; for instance, a fact which astounded you, or a question that puzzled you, or a thought that occurred to you, perhaps even  a connection you made to other areas of study...

As always, it would be good to review vocabulary on quizlet, particularly on bacteria, chapter 19.1
http://quizlet.com/6473532/prentice-hall-biology-chapter-191-vocabulary-flash-cards/

Homework

Homework:  NOTE- Instead of study guide, do the Chapter 5 assessment, problems 1-23.
Tuesday:

1. Chapter 5.2 - Limits to growth, also page 128 "Does the Grey Wolf Population Need Protection?" (no study guide)
2. video- http://www.learner.org/resources/series209.html?pop=yes&pid=2272#The Habitable Planet: #4 Ecology (keep selecting the VOD button if it doesn't go there at first.)  30 min.
3. Interactive: play with this until you figure it out, then try to find a level where neither predator or prey goes extinct, and you reach the carrying capacity for prey.  http://nortonbooks.com/college/biology/animations/ch34a03.htm (need Shockwave)

Wednesday:

1. Chapter 5.3 - Human Population Growth  (no study guide)
2. Chapter 5 Assessment 1-23 
3. Review vocabulary -http://quizlet.com/1005540/prentice-hall-biology-chapter-5-vocabulary-flash-cards/

Friday's Homework

For Friday:

Read Chapter 5.1 - How Populations Grow - and answer questions in the study guide.
Then on page 123 Do the Analyzing Data/Population Trends, which means make the graphs and answer the question in written form.  This I would like you to hand in on Monday.

We may have a pop quiz on Monday; I will take the questions and vocabulary from the "Guide to Reading" on page 119 - the green Key Concepts and Vocabulary.  Be sure you are reading and understanding  the pictures and graphs.

Keep looking at your bacterial petri dishes and note changes/take photos.

Also, remember to water your EcoColumns.

Extra Credit Still Available: look for articles regarding bacteria and technology. For example:http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/lab-rat/2011/10/26/plastic-from-bacteria-now-in-algae/

Bacteria Madness

This week's homework: What a List!-
If you don't have a notebook, shame on you!

-Text: Bacteria, Chapter 19 section 1; answer questions in study guide

-30 minuteVideo: http://www.learner.org/vod/vod_window.html?pid=1370
  Here's the trick: click the button "VOD" for episode 8-Microbial Ecology, which will send you to the exact same page; then click that same button, and you should get the pop-up to watch.  I don't know why it works that way, O well.

-Start the new experiment with your petri dishes and ecocolumns.

-Limiting Nutrient experiment write-up: if you've lost your worksheet, go to page 81.  Describe the Problem, state your hypothesis and answer questions 1-4 from Analyze and Conclude.

-Turn in your cinquain or other type poetry about the pond trip. If you have not done so yet, work on those worksheets handed out when we started the ecocolumns.  Bring your folders to class on Thursday; we will "workshop" these a little.

-Extra Credit:  find a current event about bacteria (ideas-- bacteria generating hydroden for fuel cars, bacteria cleaning up oil spills, or just google "news bacteria technology", for example.)  Or find a youtube video on bacteria that you think will be helpful  or interesting for your classmates.  Extra credit is good for your grade and will also result in a donation to buy a goat for a family in Africa.

Keep Up with the Fish Observations...

Remember to change the water  as directed and to make observations, take photos, etc. 

ow

Joshua sent this in.  Thanks, Josh!   Have a great weekend!

Here is a link to our field trip photos at photobucket.  http://s712.photobucket.com/albums/ww123/vqharmon/Jim%20Bridger%20Biology/?albumview=slideshow

Current Events Plus +++++ Homework

First of all for homework there is the current event, which must be about a topic in biology; find an article online using one of the sites in the side bar, and be prepared to summarize it for the class and answer any questions from the class about it--you may use a 3x5 card for notes, but not read directly from the article.  Try for a 3-minute presentation.

From the Textbook/Study Guide:
Chapter 4.3 and 4.4  Land & Aquatic Biomes (2 sections) to complete by next Monday--No extra homework on Friday other than to change the water according to last Friday's directions, and to make observations.  Be on the lookout for :  different niches in your ecosystem, any ecological succession (when a new species starts to become more dominant), food chain & web, biotic & abiotic factors, everything we discussed in class, actually.  Keep notes.  Write that poem/cinquain about the pond observations.   Also observe your vials containing the limiting nutrient.

Keep up with the vocabulary for chapter 4: http://quizlet.com/4992488/prentice-hall-biology-chapter-4-flash-cards/

Click the Aquarium

Friday is Fish Day! Remember to change the water--use a kitchen baster to remove 1/4th of the water and replace it with settled tap water.  Make observation.

Sorry that none of the lab work yesterday was very decisive--sometimes it's like that.  I cannot vouch for the pH paper or the nitrate/phosphate testing kit; it was passed on to me by a friend and I'm not sure if those things go bad???  But perhaps, contrary to expectation, the water is good?!?

Remember to put your vials in a cool place which receives sunlight (not your backpack) and to take observations.  I saw a number of science worksheets in the room yesterday; if you lost your paper then look up the experiment in chapter 3, and the questions are the same.  This is to turn in after you've finished the observations.  Please re-read the directions and questions to be sure of the main point, which sometimes gets lost in the bustle of the lab.
Reading homework is Chapter 4.2, answering questions from the study guide.  Quizlet can help you with the vocabulary practice.  Also, The Cartoon Guide: read chapters 1-2. 


Did you click the aquarium?

Mystery of the Floating Fish?

For your ecosystem notebooks, answer these questions:
How does the ecosystem model  the water cycle? How is it different?
How does it model the carbon cycle? How is it different?
How does it model the nitrogen cycle? How is it different?
How does it model food webs and food chains?
http://www.learner.org/courses/essential/life/bottlebio/ecocol/pdf/foodweb.pdf


The study chapter 4.1, answering study guide questions & vocabulary.
http://quizlet.com/2433336/ch-4-ecosystems-and-communities-flash-cards/(optional)

For your ecosystems notebook, answer:

How does the ecosystem model greenhouse gases? How is it different?

Comment today: Why did they die?  Comment on why your fish did or didn't make it, and any new signs of change you are observing.  (Please sign your name.)

ALSO THIS: Please bring a water sample from your ecocolumns to Thursday's class, about 120 mL or 1/2 cup.

Are Your Bottles in the Car!?!

 Today is THE DAY to finish setting up your ecosystems (all three levels), and your system of observation-taking.  First of all, WHERE are you going to keep it where it will be remembered, where it will get indirect light but not in the direct sunlight, and where it will NOT get knocked over?  And WHEN will you make your daily observations?  WHAT is it that you will be looking for?   This is what you will write a comment on below.
However, that is not enough.  Now is the time to read your Handouts and begin to fill in the first pages.  Set aside a good portion of time today to do so, so that we can get off on the right foot.

PRINT THIS OUT NOW  - THE DIRECTIONS ARE HERE:
http://www.learner.org/courses/essential/life/bottlebio/ecocol/takinginventory.html


If you have lost the handouts, here is a link:
http://www.learner.org/courses/essential/life/bottlebio/ecocol/pdf/takinginventorydata.pdf
http://www.learner.org/courses/essential/life/bottlebio/ecocol/pdf/ponderingchangedata.pdf

THIS IS OUR STARTING POINT, SO GET THIS READ AND DONE RIGHT AWAY.  I think you should find a folder to put all your papers in for this project, as it will last for 4-6 weeks.

ALSO: Now is a good time to take a photo. (Part of the assignment, not a suggestion.   :)

First, read your textbooks and fill in the study guide for section 3.3 -- Cycles of Matter.
Study vocab words for chapter 3. http://quizlet.com/4890028/prentice-hall-biology-chapter-3-flash-cards/

Then, some videos: (most just a minute or so long.) Make a page of Cycles.  (I mean, take notes/diagram the information)  And when you are done, leave a comment in the form of a question.  Answer any previous questions and then ask your own for the next student to answer.
Eutrophication !
Eutrophication Animation
The Nitrogen Cycle- It's Easy (for fish tanks)
The Nitrogen Cycle - Wonderful World
The Nitrogen Fixation Cycle: Presented by Dr. Undergrad (10 minutes)
http://www.brainpop.com/science/earthsystem/nitrogencycle/  username pcshome  password  ilearnathome
The Phosphorus Cycle - in doubletime talk
back where we started- eutrophication

And when you are done, leave a comment in the form of a question.  Answer any previous question and then ask your own for the next student to answer.

Please read this!!! 
To be ready for our field trip Thursday morning: We need a few things; anybody have these?
-net for collecting little fish in the pond
- rubber boots
- cameras
- recycled containers
- small notepad or notebook
-pen or pencil
-magnifying lens
-trowel

Nobel Win for crystal discovery 

Friday's Homework

Today's homework is simply to read and answer  study guide questions from 3.1 and 3.2.  Keep
a vocabulary list.

Interactive: Arctic Food Web
  (real all and take short quiz)
 Now for some vids:
ocean food cycle
The Food Chain Song

And when you're all done, post a comment.  :)

So Here's the Test...

The moment you've all been waiting for... first science test of the year!!  So, after you have reviewed adequately, you may proceed to page 57, the Chapter 2 Assessment, and answer these questions in sentence form.  By that I mean, the answer to #1 is not "d" , but rather "The positively charged particle in an atom is the electron."  All answers should be in complete sentences and should reflect the question asked.  ( For example:
Describe the parts of the nucleotide. ||  "Nucleotides consist of a 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group and a nitrogenous base."  Therefore it is not necessary to copy the question.)

These are the questions to answer: This is an Open book test.
1-19, 22-25, 28,31,35
 
On Thursday we will complete the test (not open book) on the vocabulary of chapters 1 & 2, plus some multiple choice questions.  For help studying vocabulary, go to quizlet.com : http://quizlet.com/1229738/biology-chapter-2-prentice-hall-2008-flash-cards/

Please read and re-read these instructions so that you understand completely the directions.  

Wrapping Up Our Enzymes

Homework for next Monday (October 3rd):
1.Textbook, page 51 - Analyzing Data/Graph of how pH affects enzyme activity. Answer questions 1-6
2. Define: manipulated variable, responding variable, controlled variable.  (Use glossary or index in back of textbook.)  From our experiment on Thursday, figure out which is which.
3. Make Nice Table, and Make Nice Graph from your data set.  Reread the experiment and answer questions 1-5 from the textbook, page 55.  Also, think about your experiment and what might have caused errors; make a list of these.  It turns out, I think, that the best thing you can learn from this class is "What were my mistakes and how can I learn from them?"

Review videos to watch:
lipids
proteins
carbohydrates

homework for Thursday, Sept. 29

1. Lab Manual : Using Graphing Skills, pages 49-54  (30 minutes)
2. Textbook section 2.4, answering questions in Study Guide
3. Review for test.
4. Watch these three videos: AP Biology Lab 2: Enzyme Catalysis
                     Enzyme Animation
                     2/2. Enzymes, Proteins, Carbohydrates, Digestion 
Notice also that I put the videos we watched in class on the side bar, if you wish to see them up close.

Thanks, class.  You have done well, Mrs. Harmon

Finishing Up and A Really Cool Thing

Homework:
Lab Manual: Finish up the questions for yesterday's lab.
Textbook: Read section 2.3 - Carbon compounds
Study guide: Answer questions as you read textbook.
OOPS! I handed out Monday's surprise quiz!!!  You may save this and bring to class on Monday.(It's not cheating to look at it  :). 

You may wish to review what we have studied so far in Chap. 1-2,  as I will have a short test/long quiz to take home  next Friday.

And in the news: for those of you who might be excited to see physics in an uproar: (totally unrelated & not homework) A neutrino beam was measured as traveling faster than the speed of light, appearing to break the limit set by Albert Einstein in 1905.

Neutrinos Caught Speeding May Break Einstein’s Cosmic Limit  http://news.google.com/nwshp?hl=en&tab=wn&ar=1316790936    and here is an audio of Brian Cox explaining:

Brian Cox on Cern's baffling light-speed find

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15034852

Answers Available

I told Josh on the way home, What a remarkable class!  It was hot, and after lunch, and this was perhaps a most tedious lesson, but you showed the most amazing concentration!  "Two are better than one, and a three-fold cord is not easily broken." Good job working together.

 So as not to exasperate you unnecessarily, here is the teacher's guide/answer sheet, if you get stuck on the homework, which is to complete the handout.  My suggestion, so that you can learn the information buried in there,  is to read with a highlighter in hand, underlining the parts which teach you.  Also, read carefully so that you don't skip questions or instructions.  I will have you turn these in and I will give you a sort of grade, just to see that you have been complete.  Later on I will ask you to summarize, but you may wish to do so as you go.
                           Teacher's Guide/ Answers

Homework for Monday, Sept. 19

Before you begin reading your textbook, look at the "Guide for Reading"  --Key Concepts and Vocabulary
These are what you should highlight as you read, remembering that I will be testing on vocabulary A LOT, and cumulatively.

Homework: Read Section 2.2/Answer  study guide questions
Also watch this video AND TAKE NOTES!  Water: To stick or not to stick
Try out something from video, like a floating experiment or something,  and leave a comment about what you did.

AND here's an extra credit question:  What important invention uses the principles of adhesion and cohesion to do an essential job?

Homework for Thursday, Sept. 15

Thank you for a lively and respectful discussion yesterday. 
Here is the new homework assignment:
Lab Book: Exercises 4-6 (page 17-18) Some problems with finding averages, which is about all the math that biology demands   :)
Study guide:  Read summary on page 5-6 and answer the questions on page 155-157 -- This is the review from physical science.  (Properties of fluids, Classifying Matter, Chemical Behavior of Matter)
Textbook: Read Section 2.1 ( more review from physical science)
Study Guide: Section 2.1 pages 189-190 

REMINDER: KEEP COLLECTING 2-LITER BOTTLES AND BRING THEM ON THURSDAY.  Also, you should have a binder to keep handouts in, preferably a separate 1" binder with a slot for inserting a cover.

Watching SpongeBob Makes Preschoolers Slower Thinkers, Study Finds - ABC News

Watching SpongeBob Makes Preschoolers Slower Thinkers, Study Finds - ABC News

Here we have a picture of our first big project and an excerpt from a blog which describes the day-to-day observations of their ecocolumn. 

[Directions to follow.]

"WE MADE OUR FIRST ECOCOLUMN TODAY!!!!

The top is our Plant/Animal Chamber... We have a few plants in it and also a worm for now..

The middle is our Decomposition Chamber.. It is made up of wet old wood, sticks, leaves, moss, and a mushroom.

The bottom is our Aquarium Chamber. It is made up of pond water, algae, and a few minnows.
It was fun building the Ecocolumn; it was exciting when we saw the whole thing start to take shape. Hope it stays this fun. I am hoping for the best for our ecocolumn. Will have terrestrials soon, I hope…."

from this link:

 http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5828187189529614192/posts/default

Homework for Monday, September 12:
Read textbook, chapter 1, section 3
Answer Study Guide questions  for ch. 1.3 (pages 184-185)
In your Lab Manuals, pages 14-17, exercises 1-3
We will skip section 1.4.

[When I write section 1.4, I mean it's chapter 1, section 4.  Get it?]

And here is a video clip to review the eight characteristics of life: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl10jtgMTV4&feature=related

Hope you enjoyed your first day of school--what a cooperative class you are!

Welcome, Jim Bridger Biology Class!!!

This year we will try a new thing: in lieu of emails, I will post the homework assignments, the internet links, the youtube clips, and you also can make your comments, ask your questions, and give feedback.  Not many words for today, just the homework for Thursday, September 8th.
In your textbook (the one with a dragonfly cover) read Chapter 1, sections 1 and 2.  In your Study Guide, answer the questions for those sections, confusingly this means pages 179-183.  How simple is that!?!

[so you are not confused, the Study Guide is a combined book of two parts; the first part is chapter summaries and the second part has the questions--so the chapter one, section one, questions start on page 179 or so.  The dragonfly textbooks you have are various editions so page numbers are slightly different from each other; therefore, I will not refer to page numbers in the textbook.  Please bring all your books to class, as well as any clear plastic 2-liter bottles, with caps.  Also, anyone have a soldering iron  they could bring? VQH

And Watch This:

On the question of the Origin of Mice :  Spontaneous Generation 

Click to view.

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