Agenda

Birds and Juvenile Dinosaurs

EXTRA LEARNING: Great job again on the presentations today, especially the Reptiles group who got the audience so engaged that they kept asking questions! Also great job to Scott for presenting the multiple views about the relationship between birds and dinosaurs. Scientists are indeed still debating about this particular relationship. Some think that birds evolved directly from one lineage of dinosaurs. Others think that birds and dinosaurs shared a common ancestor. Here is another more recent hypothesis published in Scientific American (based on a paper in the science journal Nature) proposing that birds were originally juvenile dinosaurs: "Did Retained Juvenile Traits Help Birds Outlive Dinosaurs?" The debate goes on as scientists discover new fossils and new lines of evidence. 

Coelacanth

EXTRA LEARNING: Since today's presentations were about fishes and amphibians, I thought I'd share the following documentaries about coelacanths, a "living fossil" that provides a link between fishes and tetrapods. This is the video clip I showed in class: "Finding the Coelocanth" from National Geographic Wild. Here is a longer documentary about the history of scientists' search for these creatures: "Coelacanth: The Fish that Time Forgot." One of my students asked about how these creatures lived and reproduced. What scientists know is that the coelacanth is ovoviviparous (recall what that means) because they have found dead specimen that carried live young within their bodies. The young had yolk sacs attached. These fish are thought to have one of the longest gestation periods among vertebrates--from one to three years! Some neat features that illustrate how ancient these creatures are can be seen in their lobed fins (with arm-like bones!), their hollow notochords, and the peculiar way in which they swim. These fish do not have a backbone at all, but rather a more primitive feature: a hollow notochord. Additionally, their swimming pattern is similar to how tetrapods walk; more accurately speaking, tetrapods evolved their walking pattern from ancient ancestors similar to the coelacanth. The next time you're walking about, notice how your arms and legs move: left leg and right arm move together and right leg and left arm move together. Creatures like the coelacanth were the first to develop that pattern of motion.

Other interesting things related to fishes and amphibians: mudskippers, flying fish, flying rays, axolotl, new species of caecilians, fish vs. fishes.

Prehistoric Insects and Birds

EXTRA LEARNING: Since one of today's presentations was about arthropods, I thought I'd share this recent article published in National Geographic (originally based on a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences). Previously, scientists had linked insect size to fluctuations in oxygen levels in the atmosphere of prehistoric Earth. Recall how insects respire. Higher oxygen levels would thus allow them to evolve larger bodies. Recent studies by researchers at UC Santa Cruz, however, propose a different story. According to them, insect size decreased due to predation from birds which were showing up on the evolutionary scene. Small insects were more maneuverable than large insects, thus conferring small insects an advantage. These researchers note that after the appearance of birds, even during periods of higher oxygen levels, insect size remained small. Interesting. Read more about it if you like: "Giant Bugs Eaten Out of Existence by First Birds?"

Also interesting: carnivorous caterpillars on Hawaii. Similar video clip.

Animal Presentations this Week

This week is devoted almost entirely to your Animal Kingdom Presentations! Remember to carefully observe your classmates' presentations both for the Animal Kingdom Test on the last day of school as well as for ideas on how to improve your own presentations. Also check the "Lecture" tabs for the PowerPoint slides from these presentations. On Thursday and Friday, we will have block schedule (of ~2 hours per period) to accommodate senior finals. Sixth period will meet on Thursday and seventh period will meet on Friday.

For your notebook for this unit, you have two-ish options: (1) recopy notes as you've been doing for the other units or (2) write down two pages (or two sides of one page, depending on how you see it) of thinking. This thinking can be in the form of a summary of the presentations, an organized comparison of the different animal phyla, or responses to the review questions after each section on animals in your textbook. When I check your notebook, I will be looking for two pages of work per presentation. I suggest you make the presentation topics stand out. For example, if your notes are on mollusks, then highlight "mollusks" or write "mollusks" in huge letters, followed by two pages of work on this group of animals. Then repeat for each presentation. Colored drawings/diagrams earn extra credit, as do highlighting and underlining.

Finally, I've created a Kingdom Animalia Study Guide for your test on June 14th. You may use this study guide on the test, so I suggest you take good notes. The notes must be handwritten (not typed), and yes, you may write the responses on a separate sheet of paper. The study guide is not an assignment, so I will not be collecting it. It is mostly to guide you on what to study for the test.

EXTRA LEARNING: For those who are interested in how to form the plural of "octopus," here is an explanation from one of the editors of the Merriam-Webster Dictionary: octopuses vs. octopi.

Good Job Today!

Good job today, presenters! The PowerPoint slides for the presentations today have been posted on the class website under "Lectures." (Note to seventh period: Since the cnidarian group did not complete the assignment, you may use the PowerPoint from sixth period to study.) Make sure you pay attention to your classmates' presentations. You will have a test on the Animal Kingdom on the last day of class. 

The groups responsible for Worms and Mollusks will present next Monday. Tomorrow, we will watch a documentary on cnidarians as an introduction to the hydra lab you'll be doing on Friday.

The Shape of Life

EXTRA LEARNING: There is this very neat documentary series on PBS called "The Shape of Life" that traces the origins of animal evolution. What's especially useful about this series is that they divide their episodes into the categories of animals that you are presenting! The entire series is on YouTube for those who are interested. Remember, we start presentations tomorrow. =)

Sponges: "Origins"

Cnidarians: "Life on the Move"

Planarians: "The First Hunter"

Annelids: "Explosion of Life"

Mollusks: "Survival Game"
Arthropods: "The Conquerors"

Echinoderms: "Ultimate Animal"

Vertebrates: "Bones, Brawn and Brains"

Notebook Check #13 due Tuesday

Good job on the Plant Unit Quiz today. Your two last assignments for this unit are the Plant Organs lab report and the Notebook Check #13. The grading sheet has been posted under "Documents." Don't forget the parent signature. Both of these assignments are due next Tuesday.

*** Remember to add Question #5 to your lab "Data Analysis" section: 5. Based on your knowledge of monocots and dicots, was the lily you observed a monocot plant or a dicot plant? What characteristics did you rely on to determine your answer? ***

We will start the Animal Unit next week. On Tuesday, you will have time to work on your projects at school. Remember to meet in the computer lab in the library. Bring your own laptop if you like. Then starting on Wednesday, you will watch presentations by your classmates. I revised the rubric for the animal presentations. You may look at it (under "Documents") to see how I will grade you. 

Lastly, remember that there is a slight change in the schedule next week. Because the hydra you will be observing in lab won't be ready until next Friday, we will need to switch the agendas for Thursday and Friday. On Thursday, the groups responsible for Worms and Mollusks will do their presentations. Then on Friday, we will do the hydra (cnidarian) lab. Those of you who will be going on a field trip next Friday will need to make alternative arrangements. For example, you may ask your lab partner to perform the lab in class, then you write the lab report afterward. Or, you may come to school early on Friday (before the field trip) to do it. I can keep the hydra over the weekend until Monday morning, but I doubt most will still be alive by then. You can hope that they'll still be alive for you to observe them then. If you cannot make arrangements to somehow complete the lab, then you will need to write a 3-page essay about cnidarians as the make-up assignment.

EXTRA LEARNING: In class, we learned one of the reasons why commercially ripened tomatoes don't taste as good as naturally ripened tomatoes. It has to do with chemicals, or lack thereof. Here is an article exploring that issue even further: The Science of Tasty Tomatoes. This article is also interesting; it relates genetic engineering to enhancing tomato flavor: "Genome could enhance tomato taste."

Plant Quiz on Friday

Your quiz on plants is on Friday. Review your notes, the lab, and the textbook for clarification. And ask questions if you have any. The Plant Unit PowerPoint slides have been posted under "Lectures." I also created a study guide (under "Documents") for your Plant Quiz. If you know the answers to the topics on the study guide, you should be able to ace this quiz. For one point of extra credit, you may also post a multiple choice review question with at least four answer choices. The extra credit is due by Friday. Your plant lab report is due next Tuesday. =)

Print Out Plant Lab

Print out the Plant Lab sheet and bring it to class tomorrow, Wednesday. If we have time after the lecture, I will stamp your lab sheets and go over the lab with you. If we don't have time, then I'll go over the lab before you do it on Thursday.

Also, remember that you may bring in plant samples either Wednesday or Thursday for extra credit. See the post below for more information.

Extra Credit: Bring in Plant Samples

Since we are learning about plants this week, I am offering the following extra credit opportunity: You may bring in a plant sample to share with your classmates. Some examples of plant structures you can bring in are roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, pinecones, etc. Suggestions of where to look are your backyard or garden, nearby places that have plants (e.g., parks, hiking trails), or your grocery store. You will earn 1 point of extra credit toward your test grade for bringing in a common plant or plant structure. You will earn 3 points of extra credit for bringing in a rare plant or plant structure, such as a Venus' flytrap or gingko biloba leaves. You do not need to talk about what you brought in (but you may if you choose). We will basically pass them around so your classmates can see "live samples" of plants and plant organs. =)

Notebook Check #12 Tomorrow

Remember that your Notebook Check #12 is tomorrow, Friday. Don't forget your parent signature. Also, the Reproductive Systems PowerPoint slides have been posted online under "Lectures." =)

Notebook Check on Friday

Today, I distributed the assignment sheet for your Kingdom Animalia Project. I am giving you this assignment now so you can have plenty of time to work on it. The first presentation is not scheduled until May 30th, which is more than a week away. On May 29th, you will be given a day to work on the project at school; we will meet in the computer lab in the library. Other than that, you are expected to complete the project with your group members outside of class. Be informative but also creative. This is your chance to teach the class. =)

Secondly, your Notebook Check #12 is due on Friday. To encourage you to complete as much of the notebook as possible (in order to get the maximum amount of credit) I am requiring you to have your parents check your notebooks for completion. I will not accept a notebook that does not have a parent signature. If you forget a parent signature, but still bring the notebook on Friday, then I will ask that you have your parent sign it when he/she picks you up from school and submit it before the end of the school day.

CST Testing This Week

You have CST testing Mondays through Thursday this week. We will cover the Reproductive System this week as well. Sixth period will meet on Monday and Wednesday, and seventh period will meet on Tuesday and Thursday. Remember that your Reproductive System worksheet is due on Wednesday for sixth period and on Thursday for seventh period. On Friday, we will watch a documentary about the reproductive system.

Biology Final Next Week

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend before your biology final next week. Your biology final will take place over two days--next Wednesday and Thursday. On Wednesday, you will take a 60-question multiple-choice quiz on content covered during the first semester. On Thursday, you will take another 60-question multiple-choice quiz on content that was covered during the second semester. We will review the questions on Friday in preparation for your CSTs the week after that. I am available during tutorial and lunch for those who'd like help reviewing.

Your Endocrine System worksheet is due on Monday. Bring your CST Study Guide to class on Monday. You may work on them in class while watching a documentary on the endocrine system. Your answers to these questions will be collected on Tuesday and graded for completion. The Endocrine System PowerPoint slides have also been posted under "Lectures."

Digestive & Excretory Systems Quiz Tomorrow

Remember to review your notes, worksheets, and textbook for the Digestive & Excretory Systems Quiz tomorrow. The PowerPoint slides for both units have been posted under "Lectures." Also due tomorrow is your Notebook Check #11. Remember to download the grading sheet from "Documents." Lastly, remember to work on your CST Final Study Guide. Those are due on May 8th. I will collect your answers (no need to turn in the paper with the questions). We will grade the answers together as a class. You will receive credit for completion.

You may still post a review question by the beginning of class on Thursday for 1 point of extra credit.

Digestive & Excretory Systems Review

As a review for the Digestive & Excretory Systems Quiz on Thursday, you may create a multiple choice question (with at least four answer choices) for 1 point of extra credit toward your test/quiz score. The question may be on content that is related to the digestive system or excretory system. Use the textbook, notes, and worksheets to help you. Post the question, along with your name and period, in the comments section by the start of class on Thursday. Secondly, the Digestive System PowerPoint slides have been posted under "Lectures." Work on your notebooks and start reviewing for the quiz. Thirdly, work on your CST Final Review Study Guide.

EXTRA LEARNING:
In class, we learned about lactose intolerance (or lactase deficiency). Here is a related condition known as hereditary fructose intolerance in which the body lacks the enzymes to digest fructose (source: NIH).

The Human Appendix

Today we learned a lot about the structures and functions of the human digestive system. Your Digestive System worksheet is due next Monday, April 30th. Also remember to work on your CST Final Study Guide. There are roughly 100 questions, so work on them a few each day. Don't wait until the last minute. That assignment is due on May 7th.

EXTRA LEARNING:

In class, I talked about the human appendix and how the most recent research gives evidence that it is not a vestigial organ like people in Darwin's time thought. Read about those recent findings in this article: "Evolution of the Human Appendix: A Biological 'Remnant' No More." 

Circulatory & Respiratory Systems Quiz Tomorrow

Remember to review your notes, worksheets, and the textbook for your Circulatory & Respiratory Systems Quiz Tomorrow. The PowerPoint slides have been posted under "Lectures." Come in during tutorial to ask questions if you have them. I am also available via email.

Your Respiratory System worksheet is also due tomorrow. =)

Circulatory & Respiratory Systems Review

As a review for your Circulatory & Respiratory Systems Quiz on Wednesday, you may create a multiple choice question (with at least four answer choices) for 1 point of extra credit. Post a question in the comments section along with your name and period by Wednesday.

Secondly, the CST Final Study Guide has been posted under "Documents." This is a long-term assignment intended to help you review for the class final as well as the CST. The study guide is due on May 7th, so you have a few weeks to complete it (but don't wait until the last minute).

Green Blood?

EXTRA LEARNING:
One of my students asked if blood is ever a color other than red. The answer is complicated. The color that we see in blood is the result of different elements bonding with each other. An important note to remember is that though most (or all) biology textbooks represent deoxygenated blood vessels as blue, human blood is never blue. Blood that is rich in oxygen (such as the blood in your arteries) is bright red. Blood that is poor in oxygen (such as the blood in your veins) is dark red. Because blood contains iron, if it is left lying exposed to the air for a while, it will start to turn brownish-red because the iron starts to "rust." In some very rare cases, blood that interacts with other elements will be different colors. For example, here is a somewhat famous case of a man with dark green blood because a medication caused sulfur to bind to the hemoglobin, resulting in this unusual blood color. Once he stopped taking that medication, his blood returned to red. Read about that case in these news articles: BBC News and CBC News. Doctors discovered the rare case when they had to do surgery on this patient. Those who read the articles will also learn about how important blood circulation is and why this patient had to undergo surgery to begin with.

Open House Tonight

Remember to work on your Circulatory System worksheet (the one with the heart anatomy diagram on the front). We will correct this worksheet in class tomorrow. Also remember that tonight is Open House. Bring your parents to LHHS to see what you've been learning at school. =)

EXTRA LEARNING:

In class, I showed you part of a documentary about how scientists are doing research in regenerative medicine to replace body organs such as the heart. Here is the documentary on National Geographic in case you are interested: "How to Build a Beating Heart."

Open House is Tomorrow

Open House is this Thursday from 5:30-8:30pm. Classroom visits are from 7:00-8:30pm. Click on this link to view a schedule of when activities are occurring during Open House. This is a great time for your parents to come see your classrooms and to speak with your teachers. =)

EXTRA LEARNING:
Today, we learned about the importance of the heart, including how it is carefully protected within the rib cage. Some people, however, are born with hearts outside of their bodies, a rare condition known as Ectopic cordis. In these cases, surgeons have to intervene through a series of surgeries to correctly position the heart back inside the body. Read about it in this ABC News article. 

Welcome Back!

Welcome back from Spring Break. I hope you all had a relaxing and/or productive week. Now it's time to get back to work. Your Nervous System Quiz is tomorrow so review your notes, the textbook, and the lab. The Nervous System PowerPoint slides have been posted on the class wesbite under "Lectures." Other assignments due tomorrow include your Nervous System Reaction Time Lab, your notebooks, and all worksheets for the Nervous System Unit. Notebook grading sheet #10 is posted under "Documents."

EXTRA LEARNING:
Sleep is very important for the proper functioning of the nervous system. So remember to get your work done early so you can get enough sleep tonight. However, if you are done with all your work, and want to enjoy some educational entertainment, then watch this video clip about sleep on NOVA Science Now. And here is a clip from a longer documentary on Frontline specifically about sleep and the teenage brain.

Have a Wonderful Spring Break!

Next week is Spring Break so I wish you all a wonderful time going on vacation or just relaxing at home. For those who unfortunately find themselves somehow overcome by boredom or want to fill their time doing academic things, below are some things you can do:

1) Work on your notebooks. The Nervous System PowerPoint slides have been posted under "Lectures." 
2) Do the Science Book Review extra credit opportunity. You may still sign up to do the extra credit at this point, with a penalty of a 2-point deduction to be fair to those who signed up on time. Remember that an electronic copy is due on Turnitin.com on Sunday, April 15th and a hard copy is due in class on April 16th. The class IDs for Turnitin are the same as last semester: 4633054 for 6th period and 4633052 for 7th period. The password is "hawks."
3) Work on your Nervous System reaction time lab. 
    The class data is posted under "Documents." Your lab report is due on April 17th, the day of the quiz.
4) Study for the Nervous System Quiz. You will take the quiz on Tuesday, April 17th.
5) Educational entertainment. Below is a list of science documentaries that relate to neuroscience:
     a) How Does the Brain Work? (NOVA Science Now) 
     b) Inside the Teenage Brain (Frontline)
     c) How Smart Are Animals? (NOVA Science Now)  
     d) Fatal Insomnia (National Geographic)
     e) Parkinson's Disease (Frontline)
      f) Alzheimer's Disease (PBS)

See you after Spring Break!

Mirror Neurons and Magnetic Mind Control

Remember to print out your Nervous System Lab and bring it to class tomorrow.

EXTRA LEARNING:

Since we're learning about the nervous system, I thought I'd share with you some other fascinating findings in the field of neuroscience (the science of the brain). In the 1980s and 1990s, neuroscientists in Italy (accidentally) discovered mirror neurons. These are neurons that allow us to sort of experience what others are doing simply by watching them; they are thought to be the root of human empathy. Watch a clip about mirror neurons on NOVA Science Now. You'll also see Dr. Ramachandran again. (He's pretty famous in the field of neuroscience.) Secondly, remember how our brain is sort of electric? Electricity and magnetism are related, so neuroscientists have been able to use special magnets to perform "mind control." This can be as simple as making your muscles twitch or applying the findings to medicine in the form of tricking your brain to feel less pain after surgery. Watch a clip about it here: "Magnetic Mind Control" (NOVA Science Now).

Congenital Insensitivity to Pain

Sections 35-4 and 35-5 as well as your brain diagram and conceptual map of the nervous system are due tomorrow, Thursday. Also, print out your Nervous System Lab from the "Documents" section. We will do this very short lab on Friday.

EXTRA LEARNING:
In class, we learned about how the nervous system integrates sensory information through various types of receptors, such as pain receptors (nociceptors). Pain detection is important to survival because pain indicates to us that something is wrong within our body. Some people, however, are born without pain receptors and are thus unable to feel pain at all. Here is a clip from 20/20 that reports on this medical condition, known as congenital insensitivity to pain (or more formally known as hereditary sensory autonomic neuropathy).

Split Brain

EXTRA LEARNING:
Some of you were interested in the condition known as split brain. Sometimes, there are electrical miscommunication problems between the two hemispheres of the brain, leading to severe seizures. So neurosurgeons usually sever the corpus callosum to prevent the two hemispheres from communicating with each other and thus stop the seizures. Some of you asked about the consequences of this procedure. On levels of both behavior and personality, neurologists have discovered that they essentially create two human beings, so to speak, since the two hemispheres do not communicate with one another and are not aware of what the other is doing (or thinking). Dr. Ramachandran of the University of California in San Diego (UCSD), for example, documented a patient whose split brain resulted in one hemisphere being atheistic and the hemisphere being theistic. In his lecture, Ramachandran talks about the case and makes a funny remark about its implications. And here is an older study about behavioral consequences from the perspective of a split brain patient.

The Amazing Nervous System

Work on your nervous system worksheets this week. This is an ongoing assignment, so different sections will be due on different days. The first two sections, 35-2 and 35-3, will be due on Wednesday.

EXTRA LEARNING:

Today, we learned about the basic structures of neurons, including some diseases and disorders that result from neuron deterioration. One example was Tay-Sachs Disease, which results when harmful cell membrane components (known as gangliosides) accumulate in cerebral nerve cells and eventually lead to their death. Another genetic neuro-degenerative disease that was the featured in the film Lorenzo's Oil is adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD). (Those who are interested in watching Lorenzo's Oil may find it on YouTube.) In ALD, over-accumulation of a certain fatty acid leads to damage of myelin. Without the myelin sheath, neurons cannot conduct impulses normally, leading to damage of the brain and peripheral nervous system.

Nervous System Next Week

Good job on the Immune System Quiz today. Next week, we will start a unit on the Nervous System. Have a wonderful weekend!

EXTRA LEARNING: 

As an ending note to the Immune System, I found the following really interesting article about how scientists are using the machinery of the immune system to fight cancer! In class, we learned many things about the human immune system and how it protects us from disease. Some background information: Red blood cells have a protein (formally known as CD47 but you can think of them as "do not eat" proteins) that signals macrophages to not eat them as they circulate through your body. Well, cancer cells have somehow taken advantage of this "do not eat" signal to trick the immune system to ignore them. In fact, they have more CD47 proteins than healthy cells. Fortunately, though, some scientists at Stanford have now been able to block the CD47 protein with an antibody. Remember the role of antibodies, those Y-shaped proteins that bind to foreign particles to signal them for destruction by macrophages. Without their "do not eat" signals, cancer cells are now vulnerable to being destroyed by the immune system! Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Shorter article: Science (March, 26, 2012).

Immune System Quiz Tomorrow

Review for your Immune System quiz tomorrow. This includes material from both the immune system lectures as well as the short introduction to human anatomy lecture on Monday. The PowerPoint slides for both have been posted on the class website under "Lectures." Also remember that your immune system worksheets are due tomorrow. Look them over. Read the textbook. And ask questions if you have them. =)

Human Body Systems notes due tomorrow

Tomorrow, I will briefly check your human body systems notes. Remember to write down the structures and functions of the 11 human body systems from your textbook, pages 892-893. We did the nervous system section as an example in class.You have 10 left to do on your own.

EXTRA LEARNING:

Some of you were curious about the connection between stress and a suppressed immune system. I found this paper published by the National Institute of Health (NIH). Those who read the article will learn about several perspectives because scientists are still figuring out how this connection works. They know there is a correlation between stress and a suppressed immune system, but they are still trying to figure out why that happens at the level of chemicals and cells.

Immunity Quiz Review Questions

Like in the previous two quizzes, I am offering 1 point of extra credit to those who create a multiple choice question about the human immune system based on the lectures and textbook. Write your question, your name, and your period in the comments section by Thursday.

Assignments this Week

You have a couple assignments due this week. The first is to read pages 892-893 in your biology textbook and take notes on the structures and functions of the various human body systems. Since you do not have your notebooks back yet, the assignment won't be due until Thursday. The PowerPoint for today has been posted under the "Lectures"  tab. You can use it to help structure your notes. I will briefly look over your notes on Thursday and give you 10 points toward your notebook grade if you completed the assignment; partial credit is also possible for those who did not complete every section. The second assignment is the review worksheets on the immune system. This assignment is in lieu of doing a lab for the immune system unit. It is due Friday, the day of the quiz.

Immune System Next Week

Next week, we will begin studying the human body, starting with a unit on the immune system. There won't be a lab for this unit--just notes, worksheets, and a quiz.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Fungi Quiz Tomorrow

Your Fungi Quiz is tomorrow! Review your notes, the lab, and the textbook. The PowerPoint slides have been posted on the class website under "Lectures." Other assignments due tomorrow include (1) your fungi crossword puzzle and concept map and (2) your Notebook Check #9. You can download the grading sheet from the "Documents" tab of the class website. Ask questions if you have them! =)

Fungi Lab Report due Tomorrow

Your Fungi Lab Report is due tomorrow (Thursday). Submit a lab report, i.e., avoid being assigned a lunch mandatorial. =)

Fungi Lab Tomorrow

Tomorrow you will do a Fungi Lab, so bring a copy of the lab with you to class. You can download the lab from the "Documents" section of the class website. 

EXTRA LEARNING:
In class, we learned a lot about the various phyla of fungi. We learned that some fungi are beneficial while others are harmful. I brought up the example of certain species of fungi that are able to infect the brains of ants and control their behavior to transport the fungi to a location ideal for it to reproduce. Here are some articles and video clips for those who are interested in learning more about these fungi and the "zombie ants" they infect: BBC video clip, National Geographic video clip, National Geographic article. Interestingly, records of "zombie-ant fungus" were made as early as 1859 by Alfred Russel Wallace, a naturalist and contemporary of Charles Darwin, who collected specimens in Indonesia and Brazil.

Extra Credit: Review Questions for Fungi Quiz

Like for the Protist Quiz, I am offering 1 point of extra credit toward your quiz grade to students who come up with a multiple choice review question and post it in the comments section. Use your lecture notes, the lab, the movie, and anything mentioned in class. Remember that your question should have at least 4 answer choices, your name, and your period. This extra credit opportunity is due on Thursday, March 22. =)

Extra Credit Due: Visit a Museum

Remember that your extra credit opportunity to visit the Natural History Museum or the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles is due on Monday. You may simply go to the museum and earn 4 points extra credit. If you write a report about your visit, you will earn 6 additional extra credit points. Go to the "Extra Credit" section under the "Documents" tab and look for "Option 3" to see the requirements for the report. 

On Monday, we will start our Fungi unit. 

Protist Quiz Tomorrow

Your Protist Quiz is tomorrow. Review your notes (including the lab) as well as your textbook for clarification. The Protist PowerPoint slides have also been posted under "Lectures." As always, ask questions if you have them.

Protist Lab due Tomorrow

Your Protist Lab is due tomorrow. You may submit a report individually or with your lab partner. If you have a lab partner that is flaky or lazy, write your own lab report. Even if you have incomplete sections, submit what you have. Missing assignments result in spending lunch mandatorial with me to encourage you to devote time to doing your work.

Tomorrow we will go over your Bacteriology Lab as well as review for your Protist Quiz on Friday.

EXTRA LEARNING:

In class, we learned about different types of protists, including algae, and their methods of reproduction. In addition to sexual reproduction, algae can reproduce asexually by fragmentation to create clones of themselves. In this news article, scientists found a single algae with clones that span 15 kilometers (approximately 9.3 miles) in width: University of Western Australia, February 7, 2012. For more ambitious students, think about why an organism's ability to reproduce asexually via cloning is an evolutionary advantage.

Extra Credit: Review Questions for Protist Quiz

One of my students commented that test prep would be helpful, since (on average) you all do worse on exams than anything else. So I will implement a new extra credit opportunity and see if it helps. For 1 point extra credit, come up with a multiple choice quiz question with at least 4 answer choices. Write your question in the comments section of this post. On days where we have extra time after lecture, we will review your questions together as a class. Writing the quiz question helps you to think about what information is relevant and organize it. And reviewing it as a class helps your classmates. Exceptionally good questions might even be included in upcoming quizzes.

So for this section on protists, come up with one multiple choice question using information from lectures, your lab, the textbook, and any other relevant resources. Try to avoid questions that merely ask "What does [x] mean?" Remember to include your name and period.
  

Protist Lab tomorrow

Remember to print out your Protist Lab tomorrow as well as bring in a jar of pond water for 2 points extra credit. 

EXTRA LEARNING:
One of my students asked if plankton were protists. The answer is both yes and no. Plankton are organisms that live in open water (such as marine and freshwater ecosystems) that is not near the bottom and not near the shore. Some plankton are protists; others are not--i.e., some plants and animals can be considered plankton. In short, plankton is defined by their ecological niche rather than their taxonomic classification.

Bacteriology Lab Report due tomorrow

Your Bacteriology Lab Report is due tomorrow. Submit a lab report even if were were some sections you did not complete. As a last resort, it is better to receive partial credit than no credit. Also remember that missing assignments result in spending lunch mandatorial with me to encourage you to devote time to completing your work. So turn in your lab report tomorrow. =)

Download your Protist Lab from the "Documents" tab. You will take a short pre-lab quiz tomorrow to prepare you to do the lab on Friday. You will earn 2 points extra credit on your Protist Lab Report if you bring in a jar of pond water by Friday.

I passed back many of your assignments today. Some were graded on content and others were graded on completion. You are always welcome to come talk to me about your assignments if you think you should receive credit for an answer where points were taken off.

Viruses & Bacteria Quiz tomorrow!

Your Viruses & Bacteria Quiz is tomorrow! Both the Viruses and Bacteria PowerPoint slides have been posted under the "Lectures" tab, so review them as well as your textbook for clarification. Also due tomorrow are your Notebook Check #8 and your Bacteria review worksheet. Download the Notebook Grading Sheet #8 under the "Documents" tab. Remember, missing assignments result in spending lunch mandatorial with me to encourage you to devote time to completing your work. As usual, I am available via email and during lunch for those who want to get additional help understanding the concepts. So ask (reasonable) questions if you have them.

For those of you who were absent or left early for sports: You can find the documentary "Understanding Bacteria" on YouTube. Complete the worksheet at home and submit it the next day.

Bacteria Documentary Tomorrow

Tomorrow, you will be watching a Discovery Science documentary titled "Understanding Bacteria." (It's similar to the "Understanding Viruses" documentary you watched last week.) Your Viruses & Bacteria Test is on Wednesday, so review your notes and the textbook. Your bacteria review worksheet is also due the day of the test. Lastly, remember to work on your Bacteriology lab report. Those are due on Thursday.

EXTRA LEARNING:
Some scientists and engineers have designed a material, inspired by patterns on shark skin, that hinders bacteria growth. The convoluted surface of this material, which they've called "Sharklet," makes it so that it is too energy-consuming for colonies of bacteria to grow on. (Bacteria prefer growing on flat surfaces.) Read or watch more about it here: CBS News (based off of a NOVA documentary) and an interview with the material's inventor. This is especially applicable in helping to prevent infections in hospitals and other medical settings. For more ambitious students, relate this new finding to what you learned in class about optimal conditions for bacteria growth.

Bacteriology Lab on Monday

Good job on the first two parts of the Bacteriology Lab. We will continue with Part 3 (Bean Infusion) on Monday. Due to safety reasons and time constraints, we will omit Part 4, so unfortunately, you will not be able to compare the bacteria before and after Gram staining. 

Over the weekend, your bacteria samples from Part 1 were incubated and grew nicely. For those whose bacteria samples did not grow, that means you did not perform the sampling procedures correctly. You will have an opportunity to redo and complete Parts 1, 2, and 3 on Monday. Additional time during tutorial and lunch is available for any group who needs it. Your Bacteriology lab report is due on Thursday.

Bacteriology Lab Tomorrow

Remember to print out your Bacteriology Lab for tomorrow!

EXTRA LEARNING:

Here is an article about how some engineers at UCLA (Ms. Gwen's alma mater) modified technology--such as a cell phone--to detect bacteria like E. coli: "UCLA engineers create cell-phone based sensor for detection of E. coli" (UCLA Newsroom, February 22, 2012).

Download Bacteriology Lab

Your Bacteriology Lab has been posted; download it from the "Documents" tab. The upcoming Bacteriology Lab on Friday and Monday is on the more complex side, so we will go over the lab a day ahead. Bring your labs to class tomorrow; we will go over them briefly after the lecture.

WASC Re-Accreditation this Week

We will not have time to do the Virus Project as planned, so we'll skip it. Tomorrow, you will be watching a documentary about viruses and complete an accompanying worksheet. Those of you who will be absent or leaving early for sports can find the documentary "Understanding Viruses" on YouTube, complete the worksheet at home and submit it the next day.

WASC officials will be touring LHHS during the next couple of days. Be on your best behavior. =)

EXTRA LEARNING:
In class, we learned about the harmful and beneficial effects of viruses. In this example, scientists genetically engineered a new version of the vaccinia virus, previously used to develop a vaccine for smallpox, to now attack cancer cells (BBC Health, 2011). Here is a related article about how scientists modified the herpes virus to treat patients with head and neck cancer: BBC Health, 2010.

Virus Project (next week)

We are starting our unit on viruses. Next week, you will be doing a collaborative project together as a class to create a small "database" with information on a variety of viruses. I will show you a list of viruses to select from to do research for this project. However, if you feel so inclined, over the weekend, you can think about a virus you'd like to do research on. Then tell me on Monday. Don't panic. This project will not be officially introduced until next week and you'll have several days to complete it.

Taxonomy Lab Report Due Tomorrow

Your Taxonomy Lab Report is due tomorrow. Work on them with your partner.

We are approaching the fourth week of the quarter, which is enough time for you see get an idea of how you are doing in the class. To encourage those of you who are getting low grades to improve your scores, I am introducing "lunch mandatorial." This applies to freshmen who receive lower than an 80% and sophomores who receive lower than a 70%. Mandatorial applies if you fail to submit assignments. For every assignment that you don't submit, you will serve one mandatorial with me during lunch. This is a time for you to work on your assignments. Bring your biology textbook, any labs that are about to be due, and your spiral notebook. Students who are assigned a mandatorial have three days to clear that mandatorial, after which you are assigned another mandatorial (which means you then have two mandatorials). If you miss the second mandatorial, you will be assigned a detention. If you have a schedule conflict during lunch (e.g., you have club events to attend), then you may send an email to me ahead of time to arrange to serve it some other time. You may also request to serve a regular detention in place of a mandatorial. 

Taxomony Quiz Tomorrow

Study for your Taxonomy quiz tomorrow. Review the PowerPoint slides under the "Lectures" tab. Read your textbook for clarification. I am also available during lunch for those who need help reviewing. Secondly, your taxonomy lab report is due on Friday.

EXTRA LEARNING:
Scientists recently discovered a new (taxonomic) family of amphibians. Here is an article in BBC News. Other scientists have been able to "revive" a plant from seeds that were frozen in Siberia for 32,000 years (New York Times). Some think this is a small step toward being able to bring back extinct Ice Age plants and animals. Lastly, remember your fossil evidence lab? Here is a case of scientists trying to figure out real tracks left by animals that lived 7 million years ago, in this case a herd of ancient elephants (BBC Nature).

Taxonomy Lab Tomorrow

I hope you all had a wonderful four-day weekend. For tomorrow, download your Taxonomy Lab from the "Documents" tab. You will be doing that lab with your lab partner tomorrow. Your Taxonomy Lab Report is due on Friday.

EXTRA LEARNING:
For those of you who are interested in the phylogenetic relationship between some storks and New World vultures, Ms. Babiuk found this article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (1994). Remember, structural similarities do not always indicate that two organisms are closely related. The most reliable evidence for evolutionary relationships among organisms is at the level of DNA. For overachievers who actually read the article, look up the difference between the terms "taxonomy" and "phylogeny." =)

Extra Credit: Visit a Science Museum

We have just finished our unit on Evolution. To encourage you to further your study of evolution outside of the classroom, I will offer the following extra credit opportunity:

Visit the Natural History Museum or the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. The Natural History Museum houses a variety of exhibits. One of their newest exhibits is the Dinosaur Hall, which opened in Summer 2011. It contains the fossils of the smallest T-Rex ever discovered as well as one of the most complete fossils of an adult T-Rex, which they named "Thomas." The La Brea Tar Pits houses the largest collection of Ice Age mammal fossils in the entire world! You can see fossils of woolly mammoths and various transitional animals that were the ancestors of modern horses. Did you know that giant lions used to be native to North America? Go find out at the La Brea Tar Pits!

You will earn 4 points if you submit to me your admission ticket stub as proof that you visited the museum. You will earn up to 6 additional points if you write a 1-to-2-page double-spaced report about your visit telling me the following: 

(1) Write down a question to which you hope you will get answers at the museum or a question that the museum visit caused you to think about.

(2) Describe the exhibits you saw at the museum.

(3) Explain what you learned from these exhibits.

(4) Make connections between what you learned at the museum and what you learned in class.

(5) Evaluate whether or not the museum visit was beneficial to your learning.

(6) Make a suggestion about this assignment that would help future students.

This extra credit opportunity is worth a total of 4-10 points and contributes to your Quiz grade and is due no later than March 19. You may not earn credit for visiting both the Natural History Museum and the La Brea Tar Pits, although I encourage you to do so to further your knowledge.

Hominid Evolution

Tomorrow, we will grade your Microevolution Quiz, then finish the NOVA documentary on hominid evolution. For those of you who are interested in watching the entire three-part documentary, the link is available under the "Links" tab. Look for the documentary titled "Becoming Human."

EXTRA LEARNING:
The most recent major discovery regarding hominid evolution was an small species of hominids, which scientists have nicknamed "The Hobbit," that once lived in Indonesia. Fossils of these hominids were found on the island of Flores that date to as early as 12,000 years ago. Other fossils such as those of pygmy elephants and giant lizards were also discovered on Flores. To learn more about these finds, here are a couple documentaries by National Geographic and NOVA. Some scientists propose that these hominids descended from homo erectus and have a hypothesis about why they were so small. Watch the documentaries to find how why.

Quiz and Notebook Check Tomorrow

Study for your Microevolution (Evolution of Populations) Quiz tomorrow. The Microevolution PowerPoint slides have been posted under the "Lectures" tab. As usual, I am available via email and during lunch if you need any help understanding or reviewing some of the concepts.

Your seventh notebook check is also tomorrow. Remember to print out the grading sheet from the "Documents" tab and include it at the beginning of your notebook for this section.

For those of you who were absent on the day the class did the Microevolution Lab in the MPR, you have until Thursday, February 16 to submit your lab report. Email me if you have any questions.

EXTRA LEARNING:
Mass extinction video clip (NOVA Science Now). While watching, think about how this documentary relates to what we learned in class about extinctions and patterns of evolution.

Study for your Microevolution quiz!

Study for your Microevolution quiz on Wednesday. Also, start organizing your notebooks. Your Notebook Check #7 is also due on Wednesday. If you want to talk with me about your Natural Selection (Peppered Moth) Lab, I am available in the classroom during lunch.

There was an extra credit opportunity announced during the lecture today to help expose you to the Hardy-Weinberg principle and solving Hardy-Weinberg problems. In a wildflower population, let's assume that the allele for pink flowers is A and the allele for white flowers is a. White flowers are recessive to pink flowers. If there are 500 plants, in which 320 are AA (homozygous dominant), 160 are Aa (heterozygous), and 20 are aa (homozygous recessive), what are the genotypes and allele frequencies of this population? Recall that p2 + 2pq + q2 = 1; p = the frequency of A; q = the frequency of a. If you choose to solve this Hardy-Weinberg problem for extra credit, submit your solution (including your work) in class on Tuesday, February 14.

Also remember to sign up for your Book Review extra credit opportunity, if you would like to participate. I have extended the sign up date to next Monday, February 20. Go to the "Extra Credit: Science Book Review" post and write your name, period, and the book you've selected in the comments section. 

EXTRA LEARNING:
One of my students asked about polar-grizzly bear hybrids. Here are some articles about the topic: National Geographic (2006) and Scientific American (2010). While reading, think about how this phenomenon relates to what we are learning about speciation.

Microevolution Lab due Monday

Remember, your Microevolution Lab is due on Monday. Those of you who were absent, work with your lab partner (and remember to contribute your share of the work) or obtain the class data from one of your classmates and complete the lab by yourself. You may email me if you need help with the lab; however, do not ask me for the class data. You should have written that down from the board. Also, for those of you who are thinking to participate in the "Science Book Review" extra credit opportunity, see the "Extra Credit: Science Book Review" post to see how to sign up. You must sign up by next Monday, February 20. Have a wonderful weekend! =)

Meet in the MPR tomorrow

Your Evolution quiz grades have been posted. I am usually in the classroom during lunch, so you may come by to check your quiz. I suggest doing so to see which questions you missed as well as to check to see if your classmate graded your quiz correctly. I would be happy to explain any of the questions to you and help you understand why an answer is correct or incorrect.

Tomorrow we will be doing a lab on Microevolution. We will be meeting in the MPR.

Lab on Friday

I hope you all studied hard and tried your best on the Evolution quiz today. Remember to download and print out your Microevolution Lab from the "Documents" tab. (The link on this post also works.) We will be doing that lab on Friday. =)

Study for your Evolution Quiz!

Your evolution quiz is on Wednesday (tomorrow). Remember to review your notes and read the textbook for clarification. The evolution PowerPoint slides are also posted under the "Lecture" tab. If you have questions or need help understanding some of the concepts, you may email me at catherine.elizabeth@uci.edu. I will also be available in the classroom during lunch tomorrow. 

Your Fossil Evidence lab report is also due tomorrow. You and your partner may turn in a lab report that you worked on together. If I discover that one of you did not contribute and made your partner do all the work, only your partner will get credit (because s/he did the work).

Extra Credit: Science Book Review

Good job on the Fossil Evidence lab today. Below is another extra credit opportunity to encourage you to do more science reading. This extra credit opportunity asks you to read a science book and write a 3-page, double-spaced paper in MLA format. More details--including the list of approved books, requirements for earning credit, and a grading rubric--can be found by clicking here: Science Book Review. If you have another science book that is challenging and relevant, you may ask Ms. Babiuk or me for approval to be included in this extra credit opportunity. This assignment is due on April 15 (electronic copy on turnitin.com) and April 16 (hard copy in class).

For those of you who would like to participate in the "Science Book Review" extra credit opportunity, write a comment below this post stating (1) your full name, (2) your period, and (3) the book you have selected to read. Sign up by Monday, February 20 if you want to participate.

Extra Learning (and potential extra credit)

We learned many things about fossil evidence and evolution today. For those of you who would like to further your knowledge about this topic, below are some links you might want to check out.

1. T-Rex Blood
This was the NovaScienceNow video clip Ms. Gwen showed in class on Friday. For those of you who want to see the full clip, here it is. 
2. Archaeopteryx feather color

This is a pretty recent finding, published in January 24, 2012 (only a couple weeks ago). Artists often illustrate pictures of archaeopteryx with colorful feathers. However, scientists at National Geographic have evidence that this transitional animal had feathers that were black. (Here is a related article about dinosaur colors.)  

3. Woolly Mammoth DNA
One of my students asked if scientists have actually genetically engineered a woolly mammoth-elephant hybrid. As of January 2011, the answer is "no."  If you find a more recent article (from a credible source), bring it up and you can present it to the class for extra credit. See details below and on the "Extra Credit" section under the "Documents" tab.
4. Tiktaalik roseae
This is a website maintained by the University of Chicago. You can click on some of the tabs at the top to learn more about this transitional fossil. In class, Ms. Gwen said that 3 fossils of Tiktaalik have been discovered. That is outdated information. The University of Chicago lists the number of uncovered specimens to be 10!
5. Charles Darwin
This is a NOVA/National Geographic documentary that gives you some context and background about Darwin and his times. In class, Ms. Gwen told you that there was another scientist who independently came up with the idea of natural selection. She mis-recalled his name as "Walton." It was actually "Wallace...Alfred Russel Wallace." You can read more about it here: Natural Selection: Darwin and Wallace (University of California, Berkeley).

If you find recent news or science articles that relate to what we are learning in class, you may ask to present it to the class for extra credit. This extra credit option is like Ms. Babiuk's "stump the teacher" extra credit and will be open throughout the semester. In a presentation that is about 5 minutes long, present to the class the following: (1) the title of your article, (2) the source of the article and when it was written, (3) the major findings of the article, (4) the implications of these findings, i.e., why this is important, and (5) your evaluation of the article's merits and shortcomings. You may present only once and if you fulfill all the requirements, you will earn 5 extra credit points to be contributed to your Test grade. You may not do both "stump the teacher" and "present a science article" as extra credit.

Lab on Monday

Good job on the Natural Selection lab today. Your homework for this weekend is to finish your  Natural Selection lab report and to print out the Fossil Evidence Lab located under the "Lab Reports" section of the "Documents" tab. We will do the Fossil Evidence Lab on Monday. Those of you who do not turn in the videotaping permission slip by Friday will have detention next week. If you do not turn in the permission slip by Monday, then you will have another detention. So get those in as soon as possible.

Welcome to second semester!

Welcome to the second semester of College Prep Biology. I am Ms. Gwen and I will be taking over for Ms. Babiuk in teaching your class. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with the contents of our new class website. Then complete this short website scavenger hunt activity to get acquainted with the format of the online assignments I will give as extra credit throughout the semester. This scavenger hunt is not a quiz. Its purpose is to familiarize you with how I give online assignments. This assignment is graded on a complete/incomplete basis.