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Monday Feb 2, 2026
Hand out timetables
Attendance
Who has taken grade 12 biology?
Grades
Pipetting lesson
Pipetting 4 min: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-OPOYbeZP0
Pipetting 3 min: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGX490kuKjg
Transfer pipet 1 min: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_XhKFspBo8
Four common pipetting errors 1 min: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05oolv_y4Pk
Pipetting note: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13uvh1pcZy-1ItiTgEceBueqOhCuENPAU5NLKJP9_Mjw/edit?usp=sharing
Pipetting tips
- seal is essential
- which size of pipet is more accurate for 200 uL?
- lids on tips
- small piece of tinfoil and zero after so you don't need to clean up
- Test disposable bulb pipettes @ 200 uL
Pipetting competition
- no redos
- 6 reps at 200 uL
Open a spreadsheet to record data and calculate standard deviation
Take Potato weights
Homework: get a lab book - try the dollar store
Tuesday Feb 3, 2026
Potato experiment: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aV1eNQoeLPERUovYKPzj7FdMNPmpbSf_9RRJuetxTvA/edit?usp=sharing
Course information: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iuIoSjlStQ_IGpeSU0Jp7lfvl1894Gf55OmUBWoWROY/edit?usp=sharing
About the teacher: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1fFpJeaKtZyeAsOtrX7kbQXxL6wNilrtJYXslkVwzWGc/edit?usp=sharing
Tell the teacher about yourself: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSejeua4eQEJ_HO9p6tshMz4Wv7IGVvpy3Z-16F2OGlkw7BLxw/viewform?usp=sf_link
Look at last year's lab books
Propose extension experiments on the potato experiment (soap, temperature, freeze, cook, acid, other solutes, time course)
Homework: get a lab book - try the dollar store
Wed Feb 4
Conduct extensions of the potato experiment - if you don't have a lab book, write on a piece of paper to add to your lab book
Safety training - complete as homework
Thu Feb 5
Look in last year's lab books - go over lab book rubric
https://docs.google.com/document/d/14yTKG2UeUNa5J9ZPeWt9h7Mxv3HZtK4tUv4D199wYXQ/edit?usp=sharing
Write a procedure in the lab book from the potato experiment
Create a simple presentation of results from the potato experiment. Some example student presentations from years past: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16qz9_8No6DVYQFYJkQjpoBn7OwoIvctw?usp=sharing
Example presentation given and coached in front of class
Just join our Khan Academy classroom. Join code: https://www.khanacademy.org/join/WDS86SQW
Fri Feb 6
Plant Wisconsin fast plants
Planting
Individual or pairs
Make and label your planter (initials and group/plant name)
Add soil to your planter and pack it down lightly
Add water to the soil (10 good sprays with the spray bottle)
Add water to the bottom reservoir (from tap)
Add 5 seeds (do not bury the soil)
Cover the seeds with a VERY THIN layer of soil - do not pack it down
In a few weeks we will be choosing traits and breeding different plants!
Just log in to Khan Academy classroom. Join code: https://www.khanacademy.org/join/WDS86SQW. Mr. Wyche has to figure out how to make sure you are only assigned certain work.
Student presentation and feedback to class
Student lab book evaluated in front of class
Monday Feb 9
Mr. Wyche is away today. You do have a lot of work to complete online.
Chromebooks should be available in the classroom (cart from room B203)
Watch this video. It is ok if you don't understand it. It is your first time seeing it, and we will talk much more about it.
Biorad pGlo procedure cartoon video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTmOXx5jFY4
2. Lab exchange simulation on the central dogma of molecular biology: https://www.labxchange.org/library/items/lb:LabXchange:8e100d2e:lx_simulation:1
3. Lab exchange simulation on bacterial transformations https://www.labxchange.org/library/items/lb:LabXchange:b4d9f467:lx_simulation:1
Again, it is ok if this is complex the first time through. It will all be fully understood after our week of studying this.
Date
Conduct transformation
Date
Review transformations and add arabinose
Questions from simulations? Hard parts to discuss?
Studnet prentations of potato lab. Some example student presentations from years past: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16qz9_8No6DVYQFYJkQjpoBn7OwoIvctw?usp=sharing
Introduction to pGlo lab
Student Resources for pGlo Lab:
Students need to know the concepts in these documents:
Student Guide: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EmILPnfbCl2c-L__KJVJUYGcYMreTQgQ/view?usp=sharing
Answer guide: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vgfB1_E45NQAbUqLVQwRjTs3HUzrYHFp/view?usp=sharing
Student background information: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ixArCk9cFeT_nWjSfvbd65iljs7xRmyO/view?usp=sharing
pGlo map: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KFwiHbqJH8STFC72toeUyGBbDJInFR7M/view?usp=sharing
Procedure to give students:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Hy2ssvHHMgXfu-AiFM6b0KIGVyO-SHK2/view?usp=sharing
1. Presentation on the experiment: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1mmTP699jAOclmRiW8Qa63y_MxpPx0VbD/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=116878137606048956010&rtpof=true&sd=true
Newer? presentation https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1xNolksySiM9MiALbOHX6ziC1cOVvcDTX/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=116878137606048956010&rtpof=true&sd=true
pGlo Student analysis sheet May 2024: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XmJjr1CLhJv_jXCvcpotehOAEhwbyfuvDnl3vwLbMs0/edit?usp=sharing
A great blooket for review: https://dashboard.blooket.com/set/65fafb31dc3029521309f635
Practice Multiple choice questions made by the teacher:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf2VcVBAz9jBiEQvqk9l3WCt36QMpIbJ5JGuTl6e_0khz3Vdw/viewform?usp=sf_link
pGLO sequence and map pdf: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fRdVa_R3_Vn-YuwCszuMOxuHT23dVIPH/view?usp=sharing
Optional resources:
Mr. Anderson teaching about transformation lab (just the first half of the video) just to the 5 min mark. 8 min. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZyFX9megs8
Lab steps video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c40UudFIlGw
Note (can be printed): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RfLcyyGAIR2-Nmt9GdqOTrzuB-cSrQw3SmfnOHJnm2Y/edit?usp=sharing
GFP background: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1URaEWlM_nefBDzl2sfbQM-Q1xtHkMsxM/view?usp=sharing
Old Instructor guide (for the teacher): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HEdN_shUmhxlDkjrlvCFpBGK1I_VDRrV/view?usp=sharing
New Instructor guide (for teacher): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JmFW6eoQJKRFJ_svppHHQrNJK_J1fEBK/view?usp=sharing
DATE
Final observations on transformations
Propose pGlo experiments:
Ideas for experiments: how many generations on an LB plate before the plasmid is lost? use of old bacteria or overgrown bacteria. Smallest reaction volumes. Amount of bacteria used - many colonies vs few. Age of plasmid! Check the old stuff in the freezer. Reactions with very unsterile conditions - dirty pipets, open plates.
Ideas for experiment from last year that were not tested: how long will keep the bacteria keep the plasmid and expression of GFP if grown on LB/Ara plates without ampicillin? Restreak continually across the same plate to see subsequent generations on one plate.
Is the incubation for 10 min with LB really required for growing on the AMP plates? Test a series - do one drop with no incubation, another plate with one drop after 5 min, another plate gets a drop after 10 min, and another after 30, and another after 24 hours. See which has the most colonies survive. Mixing before each drop will be critical.
Watch protein Synthesis. Amoeba Sisters 9 min. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oefAI2x2CQM
Print the whole plasmid sequence. Find the GFP sequence in it. Hightlight it. Translate it into the protein sequence. Find the start codon and stop codon. pGLO sequence and map pdf: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fRdVa_R3_Vn-YuwCszuMOxuHT23dVIPH/view?usp=sharing
DATE
Present your proposals to the class. Class makes predictions about results of proposed experiments on paper and hands in.
DATE
conduct investigations
DATE
Take-up reading homework
Analyse results.
Do a simple follow up experiment.
DATE
Look at yesterday's results
Peer edit lab books
Work on presentations, or present if you are ready.
Some example student presentations from years past: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16qz9_8No6DVYQFYJkQjpoBn7OwoIvctw?usp=sharing
Make multiple choice questions and add to our shared class document (let me know if you don't have editor access): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfjV7S_0YlYKKRQxVPj1dUc5iC9VzJTl4dlWM2iAyfQyZINjw/viewform?usp=sharing
Types of presentations in this class
Presentations rubric: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14yTKG2UeUNa5J9ZPeWt9h7Mxv3HZtK4tUv4D199wYXQ/edit?usp=sharing
Create a presentation with your pGlo results and/or e coli results
1 slide per experiment , almost no words
Write out your conclusions
Test on pGlo in 1 week (Friday Sep 27)
DATE
Note to teacher: include protein lab exchange, protein reading, and protein denaturation video here next year:
Proteins Video: Amoeba sisters proteins. Watched in class. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hok2hyED9go
Lesson on proteins - interactive - course content: https://www.labxchange.org/library/items/lb:LabXchange:f93a9e87:lx_simulation:1?fullscreen=true
Protein denaturation video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjKVVT06BDY
Denaturation of egg white different ways video: https://youtu.be/vZ_XK_htz5U?si=rxFrD3hw1HyooT5x
Structure of GFP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5ox71qIa-0
DATE
Safety Training completed?
Presentations
Brief introduction to pipetting
Homework: Competent cell reading. Read https://goldbio.com/articles/article/Introduction-to-Competent-Cells
DATE
Presentations
pGLO lab kahoot: https://create.kahoot.it/details/63dfb5c2-8813-4c6e-9c4a-b019ca05df2a
Great blooket for review: https://dashboard.blooket.com/set/65fafb31dc3029521309f635
First set of student practice multiple-choice questions, made on molecular biology techniques. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfjV7S_0YlYKKRQxVPj1dUc5iC9VzJTl4dlWM2iAyfQyZINjw/viewform?usp=sharing
Second set of student practice multiple-choice questions, made on pGLO lab: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/15_tiUrhlkrX696UWD5pROxag4xdmdRI8s7FJZnfyIyw/edit
More practice questions made by Mr. Wyche:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf2VcVBAz9jBiEQvqk9l3WCt36QMpIbJ5JGuTl6e_0khz3Vdw/viewform?usp=sf_link
How to study for Test 1 (on Friday). Topics are initial reading from lab exchange simulations - the bigger ideas - central dogma of molecular biology, transformations. pGLO documents (assigned background reading, presentation), practice questions from analysis handout (know what each reagent does). Pipetting.
DATE
Mr Wyche is away for part of today.
Discuss competent cell reading
What to study for Test on Friday
Review the analysis questions (best practice questions for test)
How to study for Test 1 (on Friday). Topics are initial reading from lab exchange simulations on Sep 9 - the bigger ideas - central dogma of molecular biology, transformations. pGLO documents (assigned background reading, presentation), practice questions from analysis handout (know what each reagent does). Pipetting note and videos.
pGlo Student analysis sheet May 2024: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XmJjr1CLhJv_jXCvcpotehOAEhwbyfuvDnl3vwLbMs0/edit?usp=sharing
Assigned work:
Complete protein purification simulation: https://www.labxchange.org/library/items/lb:LabXchange:662bea3e:lx_simulation:1
DATE
Discuss yesterday's protein purification simulation
Questions about tomorrow's test
More presentations
Blooket on pGLO lab https://dashboard.blooket.com/set/64491709223afe2115c6ba01
Pipetting continued
Shared pipetting competition doc https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1xc4U7PoNRdDFjVxTpppeX167LCj1nWo5uPjqi6qJ38g/edit?usp=sharing
Complete lab books to hand in tomorrow
DATE
Test
Hand in lab books
DATE
Return tests and take up
Central dogma blooket
Optional videos:
Amoeba sisters gene regulation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_1QLdtF8d0&pp=ygUQcHJvbW90ZXJzIGluIGRuYQ%3D%3D
What is a plasmid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdqJFA6mOkI
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Note to teacher for next year: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lCGw3MHW0aqR0zmaz5yuQZ9Z7yVJA5ryDyWDx4HJvt0/edit?usp=sharing
Read the background info Student background information: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ixArCk9cFeT_nWjSfvbd65iljs7xRmyO/view?usp=sharing