Thursday, January 27, 2011

Bio Day Tomorrow!

Agenda:
Hand in UP pages 4-8
Look at Delia's scribe!
Go over green sheet for homework
Work with class on UP page 13
Discuss natural selection lab UP pages 17-19
Engage in superduper fun natural selection lab UP pages 17-19

Today's class started off by handing in the unit packet pages 4-8. We then took a gander at Delia's scribe which then left me with some tragic news at the end. Anyway, after that Mrs. Stein went over the green sheet that goes along with 16.4 for homework. We then worked briefly on page 13 in the unit packet as a class. We had to tell whether the sentence went along with Darwin, Lamarck, neither or both of their theories. After, Mrs. Stein then described to us what was needed to do for the natural selection lab. (UP 17-19) Finally the class split up into their groups and worked on the lab. The natural selection lab shows how the environment determines what species survive and which ones die out. In this case the dots who camouflaged with the cloth were the ones that survived.

Today's Homework:
UP 17-19 and chapter 16.4 w/green sheet - Due Monday
TV ad - Due 2/28
Visit Mrs. Stein for a homework pass!

Bio day tomorrow, meet in the auditorium!!

The Next Person to recieve tragic news (scribe) will be...Susie!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

.....Dreams do come true.

Agenda
Hand in double bubble map
Finish discussing Darwin
Breakfast for Birds

Today class started off by everyone handing in their double bubble maps.
We took notes about Darwins Assumptions, Variations, and Descent with Modification.

Darwins Assumptions
(based on his observations)
- Over production
* More offsprings are produced than will survive.
(For ex: producing a lot of eggs)

-Struggle for existence
* Predation and competition

-Survival of the fittest
* Individuals best suited to the environment will survive, reproduce and pass on the traits to their offspring.
(Meiosis- genetic variation gives natural variation)
-Variation
* Differences among members of the same species

-Descent with Modification
*Principle that species change but descend from common ancestors.

After note taking we began a new lab.
Mrs. Stein gave us all a brief understanding of our lab BREAKFAST FOR THE BIRDS.
-There were five stations
1) Log (rice)
2) Pond ( foam pieces)
3) Field (sunflower seeds)
4)Rocky ledge (staples)
5) Worms in grass (rubber bands)

At each lab station there were pliers, forceps, spoon, and a staple remover ( one of each tool).
Each person used ONE tool to collect as much "food" as they could with that tool. Each tool represented the beaks of a bird.

At the end of each session each person had to count how much "food" they collected with their "beak" (tool) and the group had to collect their data as they moved around to each station.

After the lab was completed Mrs. Stein explained our homework (the graphing part of it).
It was simply graphing your data onto a bar graph to analyze and compare the results.



Homework

Up 4-8
See for hw pass- Tues
Tv ad project- 2/28

Next scribe will be Matt

Lab: Breakfast for the Birds....HELPPP

Does anyone understand how to do the bar graph???? What do they mean by number of prey and type of food??The table is labeled number of prey with different types of beaks, but then why would that be on the y axis?? Wouldn't it make sense for that to be on the x?? I am confused on how to make this bar graph and what to graph...can someone help me?? thanks :)
Today in class Mrs. Stein started off the day by speaking to us a little bit about our newest project on endangered species! More information can be found on the project on page two of the newest biology packet. Then, we all took some notes on Jean Baptiste de Lemark and Charles Darwin.

Jean Baptiste de Lemark
*First to recognize that organisms change
*theory was disproved
3 key assumptions;
-desire to change
-law of use and disuse
-inheritance of acquired characteristics
Charles Darwin
*Created for the theory of evolution
*HMS begle sailed in 1831-galapagos islands
*published origin of species in 1858
Darwin’s observations;
*observed tortoises, iguanas, and finches.
*The islands had different climates and vegetation
*animals were similar, but had noticeable differences.

After taking these, awesome and utterly interesting, notes we continued watching the video on Charles Darwin’s adventure to the Galapagos islands. Just before leaving the room, I fortunately remembered to copy down the homework. This concluded the class period of Tuesday, January 5th.

Our next scribe will be Delia!
Homework;
1.double bubble map-tomorrow  “Darwin vs. Lamark” use test sections 16.1, 16.2, &16.3
2. Visit Mrs. Stein by Tuesday to receive homework pass
3.TV ad 2/28

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Evolution!

Welcome Back!!!
After getting new seats, we started our new unit on Evolution! Everyone was REALLY excited! We started off by playing a game of written 'telephone' to illustrate how things can change over time.  In the process, we learned that we aren't the best artists! We then brainstormed a little bit about what we already knew about evolution... below is a summary of our brainstorm:
-Change over time
-"we evolved from monkeys"... NOT TRUE!!! we shared a common ancestor with monkeys!
- Darwin is credited for 'natural selection' and 'survival of the fittest'
- Evolution is a THEORY, not a LAW.. but it does have a lot of evidence
We then started a movie about Darwin's voyage that was hosted by Alan Alda... the dude from MASH!


Timeline of Life!
Holly will be our next scribe!

For Homework... nothing is due tomorrow, however, you need to do a DOUBLE BUBBLE MAP titled "Darwin v. Lamark" using the readings from 16.1, 16.2, and 16.3.  It is due Weds.  Be sure to do a good job of including specifics IN YOUR OWN WORDS! See moodle for help with the format.

Also, come visit Mrs. Stein for a HW pass before next Tuesday! 

Lets all get off to a good start! 

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Catchy Title for Female Secondary Sex Characteristics


Class started off today with some talk about the endocrine reading. Some people said they didn't understand it, but the quiz wasn't bad. Next, we discussed the endocrine system. We didn't do that long. We basically talked about the gland and their hormone secretions. The pituitary gland regulates nine different glands. A very important concept to understand is homeostasis. This is the balance of hormones in the human body. After that, we took notes on female secondary sex characteristics. Last, we started lab 31. There is no hw due when we walk in tomorrow.



Hw:
lab 31, due at end of class tomorrow. annotate
watch online links of menstrual cycle
review pp.992 and 993
quest Wednesday


Your's Truly,
Andrew G

P.S.
The next scribe is Taki.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Class lets use the scientific term...there called testes not "balls"

Today to start off class we took out our homework (UP 5-8) and went over the diagrams and the parts and functions of the male and female reproductive structures. From there we discussed diffferent things about male and female anatomy, puberty myths, and any further questions we had in class. Then we took notes but only got through part of the male reproductive system and not all of the female. If you missed them or need further clarification here they are below.

HW: Read chapter 34.1 (978-979) and 34.2 (982-983 and 986-987)
the questions on what you shoukd know are available on Moodle
*****There will be a reading check on these pgs & there is a Quest next for Wed.
The next scribe is... Andrew

Male Reproductive Structures
  • Testis- site of sperm production, produces hormone testosterone
  • Scotum- sac containing testes, maintains testis at 1-3 Celsius (below body temperature)
  • Epididymus- site of sperm maturation
  • Vas Deferens- carries sperm from testes to urethra

The 3 glands that provide fluid to make semen

  • seminal vesicle, prostate gland, & bulbourethral (Cowper's) gland
  • sperm + fluids = semen
  • Urethra- carries urine and semen out of body
  • Penis- external reproductive organ

Male Secondary Sex Characteristics

  • During puberty FSH stimulates testes to produce testosterone
  • FSH- hormone released by pituaitary gland (in brain)
  • Testosterone causes: larynx to enlarge,broad shoulders,facial/pubic hair, muscle growth

Female Reproductive Structures

  • Ovaries- contains follicles where eggs (ova) mature, producesw estrogen & progesterone
  • Egg is released and travels down fallopian tube (oviduct) to the uterus
  • Cilia line the fallopian tubes to sweep egg into the uterus, fertilization usually occurs here
  • Uterus (womb) - muscular organ where fetus develops, contracts during birth
  • Cervix- connects the uterus to the vagina
  • Vagina- birth canal and where penus inserts into with sperm

Beginning of Reproduction

We started the day off by picking up a new calendar and unit 6 “The miracle of life” Reproduction and development packet. We then took our first notes, Reproduction in Animals, and learned that there are two ways of reproduction: Asexual and Sexual. We went over the Reproduction and Development in Animals Chart. Then we watched a very interesting movie called Nature of Sex. The movie was mostly about animals having sex. Our Homework was:

1) Label UP 5-8 and with functions and descriptions use 34.3 and online links-Due Wednesday.

*Today we had a Bio Day*
 
Our next scribe will be... Gaby

Monday, January 3, 2011

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hope everyone had a wonderful and restful Winter Break!  The next two weeks is going to FLY by... finals will be here before you know it!  To help get yourself ready for finals, get your materials from your classes organized SOONER than LATER.  Figure out what material is the hardest for you and start there... so you have time to review that material more than once before the exam.  We are going to do one more short unit before finals... we will learn about reproduction and hormones. 


Happy and Healthy 2011 to all of you. 
Our next scribe will be.... Adrian