Restoration Work Day

On Saturday I went to the Grove to do a restoration work day.

We were told to grab gloves, large cutters, and goggles. Then we headed out to the very back of the property.

The man that was leading our group told us that we were going to be cutting down buckthorn. Buckthorn is something that we learned in class already. It is an invasive species. The reason that it is especially a problem at the Grove is because the Grove's forest was predominately all oak hardwood. But because the buckthorn has grown all over the forest's floor, the seeds of the oak trees cannot fall and reproduce on the ground. The buckthorn is shading the light of the ground and the oak trees are unable to grow. Also the only importance that buckthorn provides to the animals and environment of the grove is, the deers use the tree to rub on and also get rid of their antlers when it is time.

The picture on the left is a picture of the distinctive color of the inside of buckthorn bark. It is an orangish pigment and when I cut into the tree it looked as though there was an orange circle going around the outer part of the tree.

To begin with, almost all of the forest floor was covered with the invasive tree, but at the end it looked more like the picture to your right. We made many piles of buckthorn.

These piles will be burned and the stubs remaining will be poisoned by workers at the Grove. It was a great experience and I'm glad that I was able to help out my community, i can't wait to see if the oak forest is able to grow back!

Still pumping that blood!

Thursday April 21 - Heart Dissection!

On Thursday we dissected a heart! But before all the cutting, we took a quiz on the heart, parts of the part, and functions those parts carry out. This dissection was on UP27-32. Before you cut the heart ''like a doughnut'' Mrs.Stein quizzed each lab group to make sure you knew the parts of the heart. Then we cut it in half, and examined in interior of the heart. Gross, right? But actually there were some neat things you could do. If you stuck one finger through the pulmonary artery and another through the superior vena cava (I think) you could touch your fingers!
The homework due on Monday were as follows:
Finish UP27-32
4 Corners worksheet on 33.2
Here are some pictures of the heart:
Monday April 25 - Pulse Lab
At the start of class, we got back some graded work and a grade report! We went over our quizzes and overall, the average was a C. Today before beginning a lab we talked about your pulse, just to get a gist of things before the lab. For the lab we worked in partners. We first tested our resting heart rate and then did several activities meant to increase of slow down your heart rate such as holding your breath or exercising.
The homework from today is as follows:
Read AND annotate UP33-35
Finish Pulse Lab - Due Thursday!

The next scribe will be...........Amanda! (sorry :)

Extra Credit!

SPECIAL PROGRAM! Saturday, April 30th and Tuesday, May 10th: Emerald Ash Borer Workshops

The Emerald Ash Borer beetle has damaged millions of trees in the U.S. an has now invaded Glenview. Join the Village of Glenview and the Glenview Park District to learn more about this noxious pest, including its biology and natural history, treatment and prevention programs and what to do if you suspect an infestation; Workshops held in the Program Barn at The Grove, 1421 Milwaukee Ave.; Sat., April 30, 2-3:30 p.m. (includes field observations) or Tues., May 10, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
E-mail for more information about the workshop: judy.ksiazek@glenviewparks.org
See this website for more about the Emerald Ash Borer: http://na.fs.fed.us/fhp/eab/
Saturday, May 14th is CHICAGO RIVER DAY
You're invited to join in the fun at the 19th annual Chicago River Day! Help to beautify the West Fork of the North Branch of the Chicago River with trash pickup. Work gloves and bags will be provided, as well as FREE T-shirts for participants! Please meet at Kohl's parking lot off of Willow Rd.; 9:00-12:00.
E-mail for more information: rflakne@glenview.il.us
Saturday, May 14th: Restoration Work Day at Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie
Help Air Station Prairie's restoration team remove invasive plants to make way for native prairie grasses and forbs. Bring work gloves if you have them. Please meet at the Tyner Interpretive Center, 2400 Compass Rd.; 9:00-12:00.
http://www.glenviewparks.org/Air-Station-Prairie-Tyner-Center/restoration-work-days.htm

Saturday, May 28th: Restoration Work Day at The Grove National Historic Landmark
The Grove's restoration team needs your help to remove non-native, invasive plants and make way for native wildflowers, grasses and trees. Bring work gloves if you have them. Please meet at the Grove Interpretive Center, 1421 Milwaukee Ave.; 9:00-12:00.
http://www.glenviewparks.org/The-Grove/get-involved.htm

Wednesday April 20th
Agenda:

• Get a stamp for UP 11-17


• Discuss the heart


• Work on colorcode

Homework:

• UP 21-23


• QUIZ ON HEART TOMORROW! STUDY!

Of course when we walked in Mrs. Stein had the "pumps your blood" song playing. :) We got an acorn stamp for our homework. Next, we took some notes about the heart to prepare ourselves for the quiz tomorrow. We are responsible for knowing the different parts and their function. Also be familar with the diagram of the heart, and the path blood takes. At the end of class Mrs.Stein was there to answer any questions while we worked on our homework. Tomorrow we will be disecting sheep hearts! Don't forget to study for the quiz! :)

UP 21-23:

• label & color page 21


• just color page 22


• just color the top half of 23 & color and label the bottom half
  
  
  

The next scribe will be chloe!

"Pump it up song..."

Now I know, never to ask for a pump it up song in biology class. I found out the hard way... just kidding Mrs. Stein :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_d0ykpzQgY <--

Agenda:

• Hand in Cornell notes (on 33.1)
  
• Discuss circulation
  
• Video clips

Homework:

• Read & Annotate UP #11-17

---------------------------------

After Mrs. Stein's creative way of waking us up, we started off the day when you walked into class, you were supposed to pick up a new unit packet, a new calendar, and then Mrs. Stein passed out our grade reports; it had our Digestions & Excretion Test scores' on them. Next, we were to do a sort-of activity, with 1 or 2 other people, in the UP packet - page 9 - and they were questions based on what you already know about the circulatory system. After that, Mrs. Stein just went over the answers in class before the bell rang. Finally, Mrs. Stein showed us one of her other "pump it up" songs to us while we were heading onto our next class.


Here are the answers to the packet questions:

#1: earthworm (5 pairs = 10 hearts)
#2: 5 liters
#3: 50% water, 45% red blood cells, & 5% salt, hormones, minerals, proteins, etc.
#4: 27,500,000,000,000 red blood cells (made in bone marrow and carry oxygen)
#5: 200-300 million
#6: 120 days (spleen clears out old red blood cells)
#7: 7 mm
#8: Rhosus Monkey
#9: female - 1/2 lb. male - 0.7 lb (size of a fist)
#10: 30% larger, 400 grams
#11: 62,000 miles (through diffusion, capillaries (blood vessels) transport red blood cells single file
#12: 1.5 million
#13: 60-80 - 72 beats per minute
#14: 32 beats/min
#15: opening & closing of valves
#16: bright red
#17: dark reddish/blue
#18: heart disease
#19: 100,000,000 per minute
and finally... #20: 5 liters per minute




Next scribe is.............. Natalie :)

Wednesday the 13th

Today in 2nd period biology we discussed the Kidney. Some of the notes for today are the following...

The kidney

- Removes metabolic waste and helps to maintain homeostasis (i.e. keeps salt and water levels in balance)

- Three major steps the kidneys preform are...

- Filtering blood

- Reabsorbing nutrients

- Collection and excretion

- The nephron

-Basic unit of the kidney

- Filtration

- water, Urea, glucose, salts, amino acids and vitamins filter into nephron

- Reabsorption

- needed materials reenter the blood stream

- Collection and

- concentrated urine is collected and leaves the kidney

The second half of class we saw a urine demonstration were we tested for glucose.

There is no homework due tomorrow but there is a test friday on digestion and excretion. The homework that was due today was the kidney dissection lab on pages 23-28 in the unit packet.

IZZY IS OUR NEXT SCRIBE

Bill Nye the Science Guy (Science Rules!)

List three organs that make up the excretory system.

.....

1. Lungs 2. Liver 3. Kidney

Yes in class we got started with some simple questions about the process of the excretory system and we can all look forward to some dissection of sheep tomorrow!

YAY. *Contain your enthusiasm*

We then took some brief notes to further understand what were suppose to have read and took notes on. (30.4) The most basic and important snippet of the notes was that the word Excrete means to get rid of waste and there are two kinds digestive and metabolic. We then voted to watch Bill Nye the Science Guy for the rest of class. (Which ended up not being so acurrate) In the end it was a very chill monday biology which is good because I think half the class was asleep anyway. Have good week!!

Next Scribe is...... ALEX

This morning we took out our Enzymes and Digestive Fluids Summary sheet for a stamp. We went over it in class, going over the specific enzymes and digestive fluids. This was important because we do have a quiz for tomorrow on Digestion.

Therefore, to prepare, Mrs. Stein came up with 3 questions on the board to quiz ourselves.

1. asked to describe carbohydrate digestion, where it takes place, what enzymes are involved and what molecules it acts on.

As a class, we decided that carbohydrate digestion begins in the mouth where amylase breaks down starch to maltose. Once the food leaves the stomach, pancreatic juice causes more amylase to finish changing starch into maltase, acting in the duodenum. The maltase digests the maltose, breaking it up into glucose molecules.

Starch --> Maltose  --> Glucose
       amylase             maltase

2. -Pepsin breaks down proteins into smaller polypeptide chains, found in the stomach. HCl kills the bacteria and lowers the pH level.
3. -Bile salts break big fat molecules into smaller ones in significance of a larger surface area. This is known as Emulsification.
After our discussion, we went to our lab benches and resumed with our Nutrient Lab. Today, we finished Benedict's solution, and observed the clear and orange outcomes in the test tubes. We will be finishing the rest of our lab tomorrow.



Homework!:

-Study for the digestion quiz tomorrow!

-Nutrient Lab due by end of class tomorrow.

The Digestive System

Today was a pretty average day in biology.

1. First we handed in our flow map which was homework


2. Then we took notes on the organs of digestion


3. After we introduced the emzyme and nutrient lab

Homework:

• Nutrient Pre-Lab due tomorrow


• Read 30.2 fir tomorrow


• Enzyme reading chart due thursday


• Visit Me Extra Credit by Tuesday next week

Here are the notes in case anyone missed them, the next scribe is Dana!

Digestion:

• 
  
  breaks down large molecules into smaller molecules which can be used by cells


• 
  
  Physical & chemical, alimentary canal- one way tube which food passes through body


• 
  
  Acessory structures: dont carry food but aid in digestion

Mouth:

• 
  
  Mechanical digestion- teeth crush food


• 
  
  saliva moistens food and contains salivary amylase: turns starch into simpler sugars

Esophagus:

• 
  
  Muscular- connects pharynx & stomach Perisatlisis-waves of muscle contractions


• 
  
  bolus enters the stomach thru a sphincter, acid may back up into the esophagus

Stomach:

• 
  
  Muscular sac lined w/ mucus ~ protection & lubrication


• 
  
  mechanical digestion & chemical digestion


• HCI kills bacteria lowers pH to activate pepsin


• 
  
  Peptic ulcer- hole in stomach wall: caused by bacteria

Small Intestine:

• 
  
  Duodenum- 1st part of the small intestine, enzymes & fluids enter here


• 
  
  Carbs, lipids, & proteins digested here, nutrients absorbed


• 
  
  lined w/ finger like projections called villi- increase surface area for absorption


• water, cellulose, & indegestibles remain

Acessory Structures:

• 
  
  Liner produces bile which emulsifies fat, gallbladder stores bile, & oancreas produces enzymes Large Intestine:


• 
  
  absorbs water from undigested material & bacteria synthesize vitamin K

Welcome Back!

Monday, April 4th Schedule: 1.Talk about grades, science contest, seats, labgroups, and blog. 2.Discuss new unit. -What do you already know? 3.Begin homework. Homework: 1.Read 30.3 with flow map. 2. Visit Mrs. Stein for homework pass by tuesday. 3. Extra credit: science contest. Basically today in class we got back into the regular routine after break. We got our new packets and calanders. In this unit we will be learning about digestion and excreation. Mrs. Stein also told us we would be disecting things in the near future, which i personally was not so thrilled about. She also passed out our grade reports and discussed the extra credit opportunity. Durring the last ten minutes of class we got to start our flow maps. The next scribe will be... Gabby!

Tuesday, March 22 Scribe Post! Today we started class by turning in our Flower Lab ( UP 41-44). Next we went over the Plant of The Day... which is called the "String of Pearls" (Senecio rowleyan). We learned that this plant is native to dry regions in south west Africa. It's leaf shape reduces the surface area to prevent water loss. It is also a "succulent" plant, which means that it is a water-retaining plant.[Image] [Image] Immediately after going over the P.O.D, Mrs. Stein asked us if we had any questions about the Lab quiz that we had today. After reviewing for a couple minutes, it was finally time to take the quiz. Then, after we took the quiz, we took a few notes about POLLINATION. Here are just a few KEY points that we took notes on: ~Pollination is the transfer of pollen from anther to stigma.~Self Pollination.~Cross Pollination.~Fertilization.~Double fertilization.~Coevolution.~Cross Pollination methods -Can be pollinated by wind and also a vector pollinator!~Seed Dispersal -Wind, Barbs that stick to animals, animals eat/excrete seeds. The HOMEWORK is as follows: -UP 45-46 colorcode. -Read 704 & 705. -PRESENTATIONS DUE TOMORROW Before 8:00 am! -Weird plants practical test on Thursday. -Plant TEST on Friday!!! The Next Scribe will be............ Natalie! Labels:

Tuesday, March 22 Scribe Post!

Today we started class by turning in our Flower Lab ( UP 41-44). Next we went over the Plant of The Day... which is called the "String of Pearls" (Senecio rowleyan). We learned that this plant is native to dry regions in south west Africa. It's leaf shape reduces the surface area to prevent water loss. It is also a "succulent" plant, which means that it is a water-retaining plant.

Immediately after going over the P.O.D, Mrs. Stein asked us if we had any questions about the Lab quiz that we had today. After reviewing for a couple minutes, it was finally time to take the quiz.

Then, after we took the quiz, we took a few notes about POLLINATION.

Here are just a few KEY points that we took notes on:

~Pollination is the transfer of pollen from anther to stigma.

~Self Pollination.

~Cross Pollination.

~Fertilization.

~Double fertilization.

~Coevolution.

~Cross Pollination methods

-Can be pollinated by wind and also a vector pollinator!

~Seed Dispersal

-Wind, Barbs that stick to animals, animals eat/excrete seeds.

The HOMEWORK is as follows:

-UP 45-46 colorcode.

-Read 704 & 705.

-PRESENTATIONS DUE TOMORROW Before 8:00 am!

-Weird plants practical test on Thursday.

-Plant TEST on Friday!!!

The Next Scribe will be............ Natalie!

Where are those powerpoints????

IF I DO NOT HAVE YOUR POWERPOINT BY 8AM, YOU WILL LOOSE POINTS!!!! SO FAR, I DO NOT HAVE ANY PRESENTATIONS FROM THIS CLASS! GET THEM TO ME!!!!

"That's Plant Sperm!"

Hey guys!

We started off the biology class today by turning in our homework which was to read 24.1and do page 39 in the UP (which counted as a stamp) and the virtual transpiration lab which was pages 33-34B in the UP (we turned this in).

After this, as a class we got to ask Mrs. Stein questions about the lab and some kids were having confusion about homeostasis and the surface area of a plant's leaves. The surface area of a plant's leaves has to do with the stomata and how much transpiration will occur in the leaf.

We then went on to do a lab where we had to "dissect" a daffodil. This lab can be found in your unit packet pages 41 through 44. We had to locate multiple structures of the flower and we also had to cut open the ovary of the flower and locate the ovules, which are the structures in the ovaries that hold the flowers' seeds. The ovary is a female part of the flower.

We spent the class doing the lab with our lab groups and Mrs. Steinwent around the class assisting everyone when they had questions. We viewed pollen grains, or in other words--"plant sperm" under a microscope after dissecting that from the flower, as well.

All in all, the class was an interesting one. Let's keep in mind though that even though spring break is just around the corner, we have a busy week for bio!

Here's the following assignments:

1) Finish flower lab on UP pages 41-44: due tomorrow.

2) Lab quiz (a quiz on all of the labs we've done so far in this plant unit!): tomorrow.

3) Read 24.2 (pages 704-705) only, by Wednesday.

4) UP pages 45-46 dueWednesday.

5) National Parks project to be turned into Mrs. Stein by 8:00 AM on Wednesday morning!

6) Weird plants test (this is just a quiz/test on our eccentric plant of the days where we have to identify the plants, and then have 4-5 multiple choice questions on the information we've learned) on Thursday.

7) Plant test on Friday.

Good luck studying everyone!

The next scribe is Adrian R.

Here are pictures from the flower lab we did in class:

The ovary of the flower split in half. The white "things" in the middle are the ovules--they contain the flower's seeds.

The materials/set up for the lab. From left to right: (top row): water for slides, slides, daffodils, (bottom row): razor blades, cover slips for slide, and hand lends for viewing during the lab.

Here is just a general idea of the lab.

Thanks Dana!

Hey guys. Friday was a pretty busy day. To start off, everyone handed in up pages 25-32, and took out their other homework so Ms.Stein could stamp it. Next, We did our POD. The plant of the day for Friday was the madagascar plant, which was pretty neat! After that, we discussed Transpiration activity, and each lab group showed what they really knew about it. To continue with transpiration, we did a Demo lab. Luckily, Ms. Stein got a great volunteer, me, and I helped her and desribed to the rest of the class what the specimens looked like. Here are a few pictures showing what we did:

After doing the Demo lab shown above, we did a virtual lab at our lab stations. In this lab we also looked at transpiration, and we used the booklet shown below, to help determine the rate of transpiration.

We pretty much worked on the lab until class ended.

HOMEWORK!

1. UP 33- 34B due tomorow!

2. National Park project 3.23!

3. Read section 24.1 and do UP 39 due tomorow!

4. LAB QUIZ TUESDAY! Know your stuff kiddos!

NEXT SCRIBE IS THE ONE AND ONLY ANGEL TOLEDO (:

You'll all be reading this Monday... so Happy Monday!

Wednesday- Tuesday Big Lab!

WAKE UP WE'VE GOT MORE LAB TO DO!

So to start of here are just a couple of photos of just a few of the 9 lab stations. You have station 5's radish plant were we learned about how the sunlight effects the plants growth. In this case the plant will actually tilt itself towards the light. Also in station 5 there was the corn. The corn showed the effect of gravity on a plant and its roots. Roots alway grow down because of gravity so when looking an the sideways corn seeds all the roots are trying to go

d

o

w

n.

Your next picture is of station 3. In station 3 we learned all about nonvascular plants like mosses. So we studied four different types of mosses as well as reading about nonvascular plants in the textbook. The next picture is of radish seeds in station 2. We put these under microscopes and viewed the tiny thin white hairs that came out from the root. We decided that the hairs were used for efficiently getting more water and nutrients by creating more surface area as well as helping the plant stay grounded. So there is a very small short overview of just a couple of the labs. And heres a review of what we (or what you should have) learn!

REVEIW

You should know.....

• how to identify the Zone of Elongation found in the Meristematic Zone
• What the difference between Vascular and Nonvascular plants
• ----------What each has and doesn't have
• How gravity effects plant growth
• How sunlight effects plant growth
• ----------Temperature and position
• Difference between Dicot and Monocot and how to identify them

Hopes this helps with the studying. The homework was just to finish the lab and 4 questions on the first two pages of 23.5

AND the next scribe is ....... JORDAN! Love you!

Plants are interesting...more or less

Hello! Classes today were shortened by the late arrival and in the time we had we took a quiz on photosynthesis after the 'Plant of the Day' which is the moss ball. We won't be taking much notes in class anymore but doing plenty of labs! We have a lab tomorrow that will take two days and another new lab on Friday. Here's helpful diagram of the light-dependent process of photosynthesis:

6CO2 + 6H20 = C6H12O6 +6O2

P.O.D The Moss Ball


Homework 23.2 & 23.3 w/ Double Bubble Map - "Stems vs. Roots"
Nation Parks Project due 3/23

The next scribe will be...Dana

Data for Factors Influencing Photosynthesis

Below is the data from the factors influencing photosynthesis from UP 73-76.

Quiz on photosynthesis will be tomorrow!

Our Next Scribe will be Chloe

Pigment Lab Pictures



Coleus Leaf



Spinach Leaf

PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Hey guys today we got a stamp for 67-68 in our UP for those of you who were sick. After that we started talking about Photosynthesis and the different cycles. Then started a lab on leaf pigments. The notes are...

Photosynthesis Overview

• reactants: co2 h2o light and energy
• Products: o2 c6h12o6
• Two reactions

-light reaction

-Calvin cycle

Chloroplast Structures

• Thylakoids - sacs contain chlorophyll
• Granum - stacks of Thylakoids
• Stroma - open space and where Calvin cycle occurs

After the notes with finished a lab we had started called the pigment lab. i cant get the pictures uploaded but it was a cool lab. What we did was take 2 leaves, a spinach leaf and red leaf and used a coin to crush and press pigment onto a Chromatography paper After that we took the paper rolled in, stapled it, and dropped it into a solution for 10 minutes. When taking it out we saw an array of colors separated on the paper. These colors were the pigments found in the plant. In the paper there was 2 greens, 2 yellows, and a red. Whereas in the spinach leaf we saw only 2 greens and 2 yellows. This shows us that even though you may only see red or green, there can still be many many more pigments. That's why even though the red leaf is red there is still chlorophyll to carry out photosynthesis.

homework:

• finish lab analysis questions
• Do notes on 8.2 and 8.3 or complete Up pages 81-85
• Work on national park paper

Fridays Class

Today in class we went down to the lab to work on our National Parks paper. We also went over how do do a correct PowerPoint...

• No bright colors
• Font should be readable
• Not to much info on a page (In communications we leard to only have 5 pionts with 5 words)
• make sure colors dont blend with words
• don't make things to busy on the page
• and.....DONT OVER LOAD ON THE ANIMAL SLIDES, STICK TO PLANTS

the homework is;

• finish National Parks paper 3/23
• Read pages 643 and 664-666