Biology assignments 2013

Writing Tips for your Reports

How do you write an introduction?

I suggest the "upside down triangle" method: start generally and work towards your specific question.

1. State what you already know about what plants need to grow.

2. State what you have recently learned about hormones that plants produce and their actions. **Be sure you visit two or three sites; there is a lot more to hormone effects than I have seen in your drafts thus far.

3. Discuss the particular hormone you have an interest in studying.

4. Finish with your research question.

The next section is Hypothesis, which should flow from the question.

What is the difference between Results and Analysis?

Results are "Just the facts, ma'am". Data. What you observed. Best shown as tables and/or graphs.

Analysis tells us what the data mean. Example: "The control plants grew an average of 2.0 cm per day, whereas the plants that received auxin grew an average of 1.9 cm per day. These two average rates are not markedly different."

(Formula: 1. Average height change in control plants. 2. Average height change in experimental plants. 3. Your assessment whether these changes are different or not.)

How do you write a conclusion?

One way is to follow the right-side up triangle method: Begin specifically and move to a more global or broad ending.

1. State whether you confirmed or refuted your hypothesis.

2. Support the first sentence with evidence.

Example: I did not prove my hypothesis. The plants treated with auxin did not grow higher than the control plants.

3. State reasons (guesses) why you did not get the outcome you expected (if that is the case). Make sure your reasons are consistent with what your observed. Example: If the plant grew taller than expected, you wouldn't say that you didn't water it enough.

4. Next steps. This can take several forms:

(a) if you could do it again, how would you do the study differently and why? OR

(b) how can your information be used to help other plant scientists? OR

(c) what is the next study that could be done based on what you found?

Links to your project description, written report rubric, how to plan an experiment are at the bottom of this assignment section.

May 30: HW: Use Ecosystems and Community section PLUS new handout terms starting with Ecosystem, biotic, abiotic....net primary productivity

Tuesday, May 28:

1. Photos taken Sunday, May 26 (day 4) of your sprouts. Go to https://drive.google.com/a/lelandandgray.org/?hl=en&pli=1#folders/0B-f8c62k8-BydUtsS0hjVlhQZGs

Day 3 all plants were 5mm-10mm high. Day 4 all plants were 10-15 mm high.

If you want to know which ones are your plants, you can ask me; it's easier than writing up detailed captions.

2. Notes from Friday re: germination study.

Observations:

1. Seeds stuck to the paper.
2. Some leaves are lighter than others.
3. Left side has more developed seedlings that the right.(or vice versa)
4. One seed did not germinate.
5. Dicots
6. Roots redirected after the plate was turned upside down. (Auxin was responsible for this change.)
7. Roots look long.
8. Seed coat is empty.
9. Some roots did not make the U-turn.
10. Roots have tiny fibers emerging. (Hypothesis: rootlets.)
11. the most developed seedling has the longest root.
    1. Plant hormones
    2. MegaGro “Growth stimulator”
       1. (ingredient: Kelp extract)
       2. Gibberelic acid
12. 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BAP cytokine growth regulator)
13. alpha-naphthaline acetic acid (α-NAA) (auxin)
14. Hypothesize effects when administered to your plant. Plan your study

Friday, May 24: http://www.bozemanscience.com/046-communities and do the reading (Community and Ecosystem Dynamics). Highlight important ideas and vocabulary.

Thursday, May 23: Finish the Prey vs. Predator handout. Due tomorrow.

Wednesday, May 22: http://www.bozemanscience.com/plant-control

Watch and take notes, as always!

Answer the Activity 2 questions.

Tuesday, May 21:

Finish your graph, if you need to.

Answer the 3 Summing Up questions at the end.

Read Activity 2 and 3 so you are prepared for tomorrow.

No new vodcasts.

Monday, May 20:

Study your notes from today.

Watch Mr A & take notes: http://www.bozemanscience.com/050-populations

Friday, May 17:

Starting a new unit: Ecology. Watch and take notes:

http://www.bozemanscience.com/047-ecosystems

Thursday, May 16:

Helpful review sites

http://quizlet.com/880173/evolution-unit-flash-cards/

http://www.quia.com/jg/1644839.html

TEST TOMORROW.

Wednesday, May 15:

Tasks listed on the screen today

1. Finish your two paragraphs - share as Google docs.

2. Evolution review activities:

1. a. Evolution crossword as a review.
2. b. Re-reading your Cornell notes from Mr Anderson vodcasts and writing potential test questions to submit to me.
3. c. Testing yourself by drawing the five fingers of evolution and adding examples from our class activities without looking!

HOMEWORK for the next two nights:

1. Study your answers tonight. Bring me questions tomorrow.
2. All writing has to be in!
3. Test Friday: based on vodcasts, reading notes, activities we've done.
• Formats:
  • describe or explain what the picture is showing
  • definitions (matching)
  • solve a problem
  • cause and effect

Tuesday, May 14: http://science.discovery.com/games-and-interactives/charles-darwin-game.htm

Monday, May 13: Read and study your notes from today (7DOE Ch 14 worksheet) plus finish your assigned questions on the Evolution review packet. If everyone does his/her part, we can FLY through it tomorrow, and do some fun problem solving. A test is coming on evolution and 7DOE.

Friday, May 10: Read Chapter 14 of 7DOE. Bring book with you Monday.

Thursday, May 9: Complete the questions for reading sections 17.6-17.8 AND do the questions on the back of the last sheet in that new reading packet. No new vodcasts tonight.

Wednesday, May 8:

IN-CLASS:http://media.hhmi.org/biointeractive/vlabs/stickleback/index.html (virtual lab!!)

Homework: Speciation and Extinction http://www.bozemanscience.com/007-speciation-and-extinction (take notes)

Tuesday, May 7:

The Five Fingers of Evolution http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NdMnlt2keE

Coming up this week (May 6-10)

Speciation http://www.bozemanscience.com/speciation

Friday, May 3

Finish your reading assignment and answering the questions:

At the very bottom of this Assignment page, you will find a document that you can download called CIS_Chapter17 images. It has all the pictures in your reading homework in living color! (Two thumbs up! Highly recommended)

AND watch/take notes

http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-did-feathers-evolve-carl-zimmer (3:28 min)

Thursday, May 2

http://www.bozemanscience.com/002-examples-of-natural-selection

Wednesday, May 1: Understanding Darwin worksheet:

(1) Answer Step 5 at the top of page 192.

(2) Answer the Summing Up questions for Activity 1 and 2 on page 193.

(3) http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/educators/teachstuds/svideos.html - watch the third video "How do we know evolution happens?" It's about 7 minutes long.

Tuesday, April 30: No new assignments. Finish watching either of the evolution talks we started yesterday, if you want to get ahead. If you owe me a paragraph or two, git'r done!!!

Monday, April 29: Finish reading Chapter 13 in 7DOE "Adam Joins the Party."

Answer the worksheet questions and then write two more questions you have about what you read.

Next week:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/students/index.html

http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/evolution/lectures.html

Special Addition to our vodcast armamentarium: "Scientific Tuesdays" produced by a chap who calls himself "Household Hacker". I watched the episode entitled "Beautifully Disgusting E Coli". His scientific methods were sound and conclusions reasonable. Check it out. If you watch more of these 4-5 minute episodes and have a review for us, share it in class! Thanks to Corrin Broussard!

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF16369D94932A598

Friday, April 26: Vodcast by Mr Anderson "Origin of Life"

http://www.bozemanscience.com/011-the-origin-of-life-scientific-evidence

**Complete the 6-question worksheet after you take notes. It is linked at the bottom of this page: Origin of Life Worksheet.doc. It's a "screen shot" so you may just want to write your answers on a separate sheet rather than try to print and write on the worksheet. It is also linked right below the vodcast itself!

Finish writing your second draft of the Response to Text about Destiny Test. Ideally, it is a Google doc that I can read!!!

Thursday, April 25: Vodcast by Mr Anderson "Abiogenesis"

http://www.bozemanscience.com/010-abiogenesis

Wednesday, April 24: No new homework! If you became interested in our discussion about origins of life on Earth, e.g., the meteorite, look it up and tell me what you find out.

Tuesday, April 23: Visit these three websites. One is an animation; they are all about the same historic experiment. Make some organized notes to remember what you consider to be the key information. Your online textbook also explains this very well. It is linked at the bottom of these assignments.

http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/9834092339/student_view0/chapter26/animation_-_miller-urey_experiment.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mitopencourseware/3589582386/

http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/M/MillerUreyexp.html

Monday, April 22: Watch Mr. Anderson on Meiosis (the reason that offspring may or may not inherit traits from each parent, and THE KEY to natural selection, our next unit.) Take good (Cornell) notes!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB_8dTuh73c&list=PL7A750281106CD067

Web sites to visit during QUARTER 4:

http://www.ted.com/talks/spencer_wells_is_building_a_family_tree_for_all_humanity.html (20 minutes)

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/genetic-testing-dilemmas-p3.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/lee_cronin_making_matter_come_alive.html (15 minutes)

http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/evolution/lectures.html

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/evolution/

During Spring Break: Read chapters 7, 8 and 9 of 7DOE. Answer the questions below (if you didn't pick up the paper copy on Friday)

Seven Daughters of Eve Chapter 7,8, & 9 Summary

Please answer these questions on separate paper (or Google docs). Write legibly so that I can read it.

1. pp 97-99: You will read about another inherited blood disease connected with malaria. Explain what thalassemia is, where it is endemic, and why.

2. P 99: Where did Dr. Sykes obtain more blood samples for determining if mitochondrial DNA was similar between Asians and Polynesians?

3. P 100: “Heyerdahl was wrong.” Back track from that statement and explain why he could say that. (If you don’t remember who Thor Heyerdahl is, turn to the index at the end of the book and re-read those pages.)

4. P 101: Describe the archeological signs of population expansion in the south-east Asian islands.

5. Pp 103-104: Describe the two crucial developments that enabled peoples to voyage out into the unknown expanse of ocean.

6. P 106: What is Dr. Sykes’ theory of how the American sweet potato arrived in south-east Asia?

7. Pp 108-109: What is Sykes’ question about Boxgrove Man?

8. P 110: What is the question “that lies behind one of the longest-running controversies in human evolution”?

9. P 111: The human fossil record points where as the origin of our species? Describe the evidence.

10. Pp 113-114: Describe the two schools of thought (theories) on how our species, Homo sapiens, came to inhabit all continents on the planet.

11. P 115: What was Sykes’ concern about trying to figure out which theory was right?

12. Reflect on the first sentence on page 116.

13. Pp 116-119: How did Dr. Sykes determine who he would study to answer his question?

14. Pp 120-122: What problems did Dr. Sykes run into?

15. P 123-124: Did Dr. Sykes find a similar result to that in Polynesia? Why or why not?

16. P 124-125: What conclusions did he draw regarding Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons?

17. P 126: Why is it unlikely that Neanderthal and Cro-Magnons interbred extensively?

18. P 127-128: What is another possible explanation for why we don’t see genetic evidence of Neanderthal/Cro-Magnon unions?

Pp 128-130: Do not miss the humorous responses to Sykes’ publication

Thursday, April 11: This is the start of the Cracking the Code of Life program. Go to Part 2 when you finish this. It will be on the choices shown to the right of the screen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xb6rrpPAxN0

Wednesday, April 10: Finish your response to the text "Beware the Destiny Test"

Tuesday, April 9: No new HW. You can revise your bacteria report to improve your score. I need to finalize scores tomorrow.

Monday, April 8:

Rarotonga DNA web page http://library.thinkquest.org/07aug/01828/rarotonga.html

Simple electrophoresis explanation with links to more interactive sites.

http://bio4esobil2009.wordpress.com/2010/03/28/dna-fingerprinting-and-electrophoresis/

Friday, April 5: In-class activity after you finish your bacteria report.

Start here:

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/tdc02.sci.life.gen.lp_dnamysteries/

Back-up plan:

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/tdc02.sci.life.gen.creatednafingerprint/

Thursday, April 4: Chapter 6 7DOE "The Puzzle of the Pacific" pages 79 to 87. Be prepared to answer questions tomorrow.

Bacterial papers due at the end of class tomorrow as well.

Wednesday, April 3: Finish reading Chapter 5 7DOE pp 72-78.

Tuesday, April 2: Answer these questions tonight. (handout provided)

P 67: Use your handout of the royal families lineage to trace the Tsarina to Prince Philip. Write the connections here. Pp 67-68: Discuss the mitochondrial DNA match between the Tsar and Trubetskoy and between the Tsarina and Prince Philip.Pp 68-70: How did Sykes and his team explain the difference between the mitochondrial DNA sequence of the Tsar and Trubetskoy? List each question the researchers asked then how they answered it.

http://www.learner.org/courses/biology/textbook/index.html - most challenging

http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/biobooktoc.html - more challenging

http://apps.cmsfq.edu.ec/biologyexploringlife/text/index.htm