Darwin's Finches Lab

Biology students graphed the amounts of each type of “seed” eaten with each “beak” type to see what species would do best given the pressures presented. This activity was a model of competition in nature between different species, and students learned all about natural selection.

Transcription and Translation

Students model the process of transcription, which is the first step in protein synthesis, where the RNA polymerase enzyme makes a strand of mRNA off of the template strand of DNA. In a simpler form, the RNA polymerase enzyme translates a strand of mRNA from a version of DNA.

Students Work With Data

Students were working with data this month as they calculated probabilities for repeating specific genetic combinations in offspring. From their data, they were able to determine the chances of inheriting the sex-linked trait of color blindness based on specific parental genotypes.

DNA Models

Learning about chromosomes, genes, and nucleotides, biology students have created their own 3D DNA models. They practiced the base-pairing rules for nitrogenous bases and answered questions about the structure of the DNA molecule.

Mitosis and Cytokinesis

Biology students are learning about what makes them who they are. Starting at DNA and cell division to learn about how they grow and how they heal, they will move next to a closer look at how DNA actually gets used to make their physical selves. Students made their own models of Mitosis and Cytokinesis with pipe cleaners to model what happens in cell replication and division.

Soil Types and Decomposition Rates

Students each designed an experiment to test if soil types play a role in decomposition rates. This is done by differentiating the percentage of sand, silt, and clay in a mixture. They used data about soil types at different locations on the farm campus, which was also a part of the previous lab. Students would then use stereo microscopes to make observations of decomposition as well as be able to take some pictures up close.