Monday, March 2, 2015

GENIUS HOUR!

Today we participated in Genius Hour Speed Dating! Students were asked to sit in a seat facing another student in order allow them to get one-on-one feedback about their project topic and question.

Students sitting on the outside of the room were the first ones to move around and get feedback on their questions. Students sitting in the seats within the interior stayed seated and provided feedback. They used this worksheet as they rotated.

Thursday/Friday, February 26/27, 2015

Guest Blogger: William Period 3

Today in class our punnet square extra practice (pgs. 25-26) was stamped. After that we did our first vocab quiz of the semester and reviewed as well as corrected pgs. 25-26. Next we completed an index card to make sure we understand punnet squares. Finally we had our break and completed Chromosome Mix-up. :)

Tuesday/Wednesday, February 24-25, 2015

Today we wrapped up GATTACA which we viewed last week in class. We discussed what aspects of the film were true to current science, which were fictitious, as well as cleared up any plot points that confused kids. We also discussed how science is changing, in particular, how parents can now screen for genetic disorders prior to birth using a new technology called PGD.

Next we worked on Activity 61 and Punnett Square Practice. Students who understood after watching the previous night's homework video were allowed to work on their Punnett Square Practice homework individually or in group's, while students who still needed clarification were asked to sit with the teacher for 1 on 1 instruction.

Monday, February 23, 2015

GENIUS HOUR!

First we watched two videos to introduce the idea of a Rube Goldberg Machine.

Next we discussed “What is a Rube Goldberg?” (Answer: A machine that does a simple task in a complicated way. Students are challenged with a task and given a set of materials, they work in groups for approximately 30 minutes.

Many groups succeeded!

Finally, we watched Jimmy Kimmel spot of Purdue 2014 Rube Goldberg Winners as we cleaned up.

Thursday/Friday, February 19/20, 2015

Guest Blogger: William Period 3

Today in class we looked at our seeds that we planted a couple of weeks ago and recorded their data. Then we discussed the national data taken from different schools and recorded that data. Index cards were also passed back. Finally we finished GATTACA and had to write down 6 things that were fact, fiction, or things that you didn't were fact or fiction.

Tuesday/Thursday, February 17/18, 2015

Today in class we finished talking about Gregor Mendel by completing this sheet together in class. We used this time to solidify terms like "genotype", "phenotype", "heterozygous", and "homozygous".

Next we had planned to look at our seeds from Activity 55 when we planted Nicotiana from two green parent plants. Unfortunately, the long four day weekend dried them out so we used Mr. Faist's data instead. (Fingers crossed that our seeds will sprout by the end of the week!). We collected the class data and realized that we got the same 3:1 ratio of dominant to recessive that Mendel got when he did similar experiments.

Finally, we started watching GATTACA. We set up our listening guide to record factual and fictional ways science is portrayed in the film, and we will discuss these in class next session after we watch the entire movie.

Wednesday/Thursday, February 11/12, 2015

Guest Blogger: William, Period 3

Today in class we discussed our data and results from the activity Gene Combo. We discussed how for every 3 blue tailed offspring from Ocean and Lucy there was one orange tailed offspring. In this activity we used T and t to figure out which offspring got which colored tail and this is not allowed. In order to talk scientifically in this subject we have to use the word homozygous dominant/recessive and heterozygous dominant/recessive. Mrs. McCabe will no longer except the letters T and t to speak about this activity. 

We also talked about how genes replicate themselves when a new cell is being formed. 

Finally we learned about Gregor Mendel and how he used pea plants to learn about how genes are passed down from parent to child.

Here is a link of an amoeba in motion captured by myself.

http://youtu.be/JksVI8PREtg

Monday/Tuesday, February 9/10, 2015

Today we finished up the story of Skye and Poppy, the critters from Activity 58 that sets out the foundation for genetics this unit. By the end of the lesson, we had a picture drawn in our science notebooks that looked like this:

After a break, we continued by doing Activity 59, Coin Toss, which had us flipping pennies as Lucy and Ocean, two of Skye and Poppy's 1st generation critters.  Since both Lucy and Ocean are heterozygous, meaning they have one dominant blue tail allele and one recessive orange tail allele, pennies worked well to give us our 50/50 chance of inheritance.

Pairs flipped coins 20 times, then we amassed our class data for a larger sample to answer the analysis questions.

Thursday/Friday, February 5/6, 2015

GUEST BLOGGER: WILLIAM, Period 3

Today in class we talked a lot about fraternal twins, identical twins, clones, sexual reproduction, and asexual reproduction. We also reviewed the article about the Jim twins where two identical twins were separated at birth but grew up identically. They had the same name, their wives had the same name, both divorced, and basically long story short everything in their lives were identical. 

Finally we reviewed activity 57 and started activity 58. For homework we had to play a game about cloning where we went through a simulation on how to clone a mouse named Mimi. Second, we have watched at least two videos on cloning and filled out a google form on what the video was about, what you have learned, and question we have for the next class. Finally we have to summarize a list of procedures for activity 59.

Finally a little article on how researchers helped the cellular DNA of mice communicate more efficiently and in the process made a two year old mice become 6 months old. In humans years that's like a 60 year old becoming a 20 year old. So scientists think they found the fountain of youth.

Tuesday/Wednesday, February 3/4, 2015

Today we finished up Act 56 Joe's Dilemma by hearing from our own school counselor, Ms. Infantino, who has a genetic disorder called Turner's Syndrome.

Next we set up a two week long experiment growing Nicotiana seeds.  We predicted what we thought the seeds would grow up looking like.

Finally, we spent a good chunk of time learning about DNA by coloring in this ladder according to these instructions. We then reviewed how DNA and genes and chromosome were related by taking these notes.

Monday, February 2, 2015

GENIUS HOUR!

Today we brainstormed project ideas by watching this Google Presentation and completing this worksheet.

Thursday/Friday, January 29/30, 2015

GUEST BLOGGER: WILLIAM PERIOD 3

Today in class we started to talk about all the things we would be learning in Unit D. We talked about how cloning works and how there are different DNA strands in our body that make us unique. 

Next we watched a couple of videos about genetics and Marfan syndrome which is a disease that is passed down from parent to child. 

After that we discussed the questions we came up with for Joe to ask his doctor before he gets genetic testing In Act. 56. The questions were answered in a video talking about how genes are passed on to child and how different genes can cause disease. Finally we finished up our analysis questions for Act. 56.

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

WELCOME TO GENIUS HOUR!!!

After changing to our new seats for the new semester, the class was introduced to Genius Hour.  The goal of Genius Hour is to engage students through inquiry problem solving and critical thinking.  Many students are interested in science but may want to pursue a branch of science that is not covered during the typical class curriculum. Genius Hour allows students the flexibility to choose a topic, research the content that is necessary to learn about their topic, and then solve a problem or present about a topic they are passionate about without the constraints of the typical teacher driven instructional time.

To introduce the idea, students watched this Prezi. Genius Hour will be held on single period days Second Semester.

Thursday/Friday, January 22/23, 2015

First we collected the extra credit DOGs and Bathroom Passes that were passed out at the beginning of the school year. Next we did a review for the First Semester Final by doing the Unit A and Unit B Kahoots again.

We took a quick 5 minute break and then took the all multiple choice final. Students were told that if they scored 70% or better on the final, it would only be added to their grade if it improved their overall grade (if a student scored less than 70%, it was added no matter what). We also took the Microscope Lab Practical at the same time; students were asked to focus an amoeba or a paramecium at high power. Lastly, we watched Bill Nye Germs to finish the semester.

Tuesday/Wednesday, January 20-21, 2015

Today was a test day! We wandered over to the computer lab and did our notebook checks, then we took the Unit C Test and worked on our ePortfolio.

Thursday/Friday, January 15/16, 2015

GUEST BLOGGER: William Period 1

First we finished talking about Ebola by watching a video about how the disease affects the body, then we watched Part 2 of the interview with Dr. Stoddard of the CDC.

Then we finished up our Rubber Egg Lab conclusions and we are assigned to make a well developed paragraph based on the conclusions. 

After that we did a cell grid to help us know and identify what we need to work on for the Unit C test next week on Jan. 20 (per. 1, 3, 5) and on Jan. 21 (per. 2, 4, 6). We also stamped activities 30, 32, 33, 35, 38, 39, 40, 42, and 43. Finally we reviewed for the Unit C test by playing a game of kahoot. 

By the way there's a random link for a below to help people on protists.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLHpj7h5Fnc

Monday, January 12, 2015

GUEST BLOGGER: DANIEL Period 1

Today was a late start, so there wasn't a lot of time. Students took the Unit C vocab quiz which took up most of the period. The remaining time was used to answer Activity 43 analysis questions.

Thursday/Friday, January 8/9, 2015

GUEST BLOGGER: HARRIS PER. 1

Today, we started off by discussing what to do as final stages for our Rubber Egg Lab. To know more about what we will have to do Friday, click on the Rubber Egg Lab Homepage. We also, as usual, talked about what to do as homework. Keep in mind that our Vocabulary Quiz is on Monday, and we must have the first two pages of vocabulary done also by Monday.

Next, we jumped into the analysis questions in activity 38. However, it was not that that made this day in science exciting. No… it was activity 43, in which we got to examine cheek cells...

...amoebas...

...yeast cells...

...and paramecium...

...through a microscope. This part of the class was not only fun, but it will help you a lot on the google form that is assigned as homework. Along with the fact that we did the activity, once we were done with it ahead of time, we got to work on finishing our vocabulary.

Also, join the blog! It may look hard, but trust me, it only takes, at the maximum, 20 minutes! (PLUS it earn you a DOG for extra credit).

Check out this link to the size and scale of some cells (see if you can find amoeba, skin or cheek cell, yeast cell, and paramecium.)

Tuesday/Wednesday, January 6/7, 2015

GUEST BLOGGER: LIZZIE PER. 2

Today in our science class we started class by discussing the rubber egg lab instructions for tonight's homework. They are  are posted here.  For more specific details about the lab, visit the Rubber Egg Lab Webpage.

This was followed by vocabulary and stamping our blue stamp sheets for last nights homework, the Photosynthesis notes on pages 29-30. Then we did page number 34, which discussed what photosynthesis does, and does not do. 

After that, we practiced drawing an onion under a microscope and learned how to properly label a microscope drawing. 

Finally, we looked at the plant elodea, and the skin of an onion (which starts out clear, but we dyed it orange). I created a slideshow of the microscope work we did today in the following link: http://flipagram.com/f/OpSlUm3zYA

Thursday/Friday, December 11/12, 2014

Today we started out by finishing up Activity 42 which was homework over the week. As we reviewed the analysis questions and homework, we watched this video of a white blood cell while discussing how form follows function at the cellular level:

Next we completed an activity that required students to make an argument as to whether something is living or nonliving. Four stations were set up around the room. One station had a lit candle, another had a plant, another had bacteria, and the last had a halloween toy that moved:

Students got to choose which table they wanted to attend and argue. At each table there were sheets with two student view points. They are posted below:

• candle
• Halloween Skeleton
• plant
• bacteria
• QR codes

Students modeled their arguments after the sample we did together with the legos, and wrote their two arguments from 2 of the 4 tables in their science notebooks.

Monday/Tuesday, December 15/16, 2014

GUEST BLOGGER: MEGAN PER. 2

Today and tomorrow in science the main focus is learning about microscopes. We started out by watching this ted talk:

Then we complete activity 35 part 1, (which is on page 22 of your science notebook). This page consists of a diagram of a microscope, which was labeled in class, “The Microscope 5 Commandments”, 5 steps on how to prep a microscope for storage, and steps to focus it. Here is links to pictures of the worksheets

Anyway, the rest of class is dedicated to watching two silly videos on microscopes, and working on vocab while listening to a song called the Microscope Song.