Monday April 20th: Introduction to Evolution and Natural Selection

ANNOUNCEMENTS

We are NEARING the END!!!!!!

Game Plan for the next two weeks:

Monday - Wednesday - Go through Evolution and Natural Selection

Thursday:  Flex day.... (as in if we are not through with Evolution and Natural Selection we will finish that and if so we will move on into Ecology)Friday:  Daily Question quiz and Ecology

NEXT week:

Monday/Tuesday:  Ecology review (a review from 8th grade environmental science)

Wednesday Final Exam Review

Thursday Final Exam

Friday:  Last round of CDTs!!!

It's crazy to think how close we are!!!

Today we started with the following daily questions:

then......  I took 6 minutes of your life that you will NEVER get back to watch evolution of dance.

This was a silly way of introducing evolution since well.... this wouldn't be an example of evolution at ALL, but..... we can make the analogy that just like our amazing dance moves have changed over time, species genetic makeup has changed over time!!!

Then into a little bit of notes. 

More about this and less dancing tomorrow!!!!!

Thursday April 16th - Finish up Genetic Technologies

Thursday April 16th

Today you finished up and turned in your bookwork and then worked through our daily questions.  
Reminder:  DAILY QUESTION QUIZ TOMORROW!!!!!

We spent the rest of time today going through the daily questions.  Here were the questions / answers for today

Tuesday April 14th and Wednesday April 15th - Genetic Technologies Continued

Tuesday we continued through a couple videos and discussions on genetic technologies.  I also completely geeked out on you guys about my supercomputing opportunity again this summer!!!

They could have just STOPPED at the highlighted area ;)
https://www.psc.edu/index.php/the-best-teachers

None the less... stay tuned for a possible bioinformatics / biotechnology class for 2016?!?!  

OK...... BACK to YOU guys!!!

After going through the couple videos you were in the books getting some of the "basics" of these topics.  While there are news reports DAILY on different applications of biotechnology, the BASICS of WHAT they are remain the same.

Today we ALSO had a set of daily questions.  The first couple were directly related to this topic.  The last couple were sample keystone questions from module A.

Here are the pics and a screencast of our discussion.

Screencast of our discussion:

****The video cuts short JUST as I was finishing the last question.  As you can see in the above pics, the answer was B.*******

Monday April 13th - Genetic Technologies Intro

Genetic Technologies - The good, the bad, the JUST PLAIN CREEPY!!!

Now that we understand how DNA is expressed as proteins and that DNA is a UNIVERSAL genetic code (meaning that it is read the same way in ALL living organisms, for instance, the codon AUG will ALWAYS code for methionine whether it is found in a human or a plant), we can look at how this understanding is applied to science TODAY!!

As an introduction we watched and discussed a series of videos about these genetic technologies.  Tomorrow you will be reading a variety of articles about these technologies and reporting out to the class your findings. For today though - here were some of the videos and a brief description of my discussion that followed them.

First was a look at how Peter Parker gets his "spider powers."  While this is not REAL (sorry to burst your bubble if you thought that A.  Spider man is real or B. you have ANY chance of becoming spider man if you are bitten by a spider), it DOES take a genetic look at how it happens (again.... this COULDN'T happen like this!!!)

The idea is that Peter Parker is bit by a spider and somehow the DNA from the spider is integrated into his own DNA.  There are a few flaws in this.  The main flaw being that in order for DNA from one organism to be integrated into another would require this to happen in a GAMETE or the Fertilized zygote.  Even if the spider DNA was incorporated into Peter's DNA, it would be limited to ONLY those somatic cells.....

Next up.... An old school look at cloning.

Before you were even THOUGHT of.... one of my FAVORITE authors, Michael Crichton, wrote the Jurassic Park books.  The thing I LOVE about Michael Crichton is that he was a medical doctor.  This meant that all his books, while fiction, had pieces of REAL science in them.  The "Mr.DNA Video" took a really interesting look at DNA and the possibility of cloning.  While the NEXT video showed why this is NOT possible (with Dino DNA), it IS a reality with other animals.

This information, though, does NOT stop people from CLAIMING to have cloned Dinosaurs.....

This is a great example of why you can't believe everything you see on the internet....

Ok.... SO - some REAL science is the cloning of mammals.  Here is a news clip about the first MAMMAL cloned.  A sheep named Dolly.

and what happens when we extend this to HUMANS?!?!?!  Scary....

Some Less creepy and actually beneficial genetic technologies

More about this and other genetic technologies tomorrow!!!

Thursday April 9th - Gene Expression and mutations review

:

TEST TOMORROW!!!!!!

Again - the topics will include

Transcription (including differences between DNA and RNA)

Translation

Mutations

Transcription / Translation Webquest Journal DUE

Today we had our review DIRECTLY from Study Island.  I even gave each of you a copy of the practice test.  Remember, you can go to Study Island and take both the practice test AND I set up review sessions for you.

What else to look over?

***DAILY QUESTIONS!!  (including the module a keystone questions - there WILL be a portion of the exam that includes these)

***PREVIOUS DAILY QUESTION QUIZZES. Remember, you have access to your old daily questions quizzes and could even try the other version of the test just for fun if you wanted!!! (we only had ONE daily question quiz for this topic.)

AND to our COUNTDOWN!!!!

Wednesday April 8th - Point Mutations

REMINDERS!!!!

EXAM on FRIDAY (There is a practice test available on study island now!!)

TRANSCRIPTION/TRANSLATION Webquest journal due FRIDAY

Yesterday we focused on frameshift mutations.  Today we again used the daily question time to learn more about mutations.  I flipped between the slide show, your study guide and the daily questions themselves.

Here are some pictures of my intro about POINT mutations.

Then to the first couple daily questions:

Here is a podcast of my discussion of point mutations and the first set of daily questions:

We finished up with at a QUICK look at chromosomal mutations:

Then to our Module A keystone questions.

The first question was VERY tough.  The wording is easy to get caught up on and I am the first to admit I fell RIGHT into the trap that I warn you guys about.  Technically answer A is correct - but now the MOST correct.  We DID learn that Water has a high specific heat.  MEANING that it takes a LOT of energy to increase or decrease the temperature.  This is why coastal regions tend to have very moderate (not necessarily warmer) temperatures (because it will stay cooler longer in the winter and warmer longer in the summer)

BUT......  The correct answer was ACTUALLY "C" - when we sweat water turns into a vapor which absorbs heat (from us) allowing us to cool down!!  That was a toughie for sure - but the BIG ideas I want you to walk away with is the fact that water has a high specific heat!!

The second question was pretty straight forward and allowed me to have a nice review of the cell membrane with you!!

Here is a podcast of the Module A keystone Questions.

Mutations Introduction

Thursday you continued through the Web-quest (http://missevrardbio1.blogspot.com/2015/03/gene-expression-assignment.html) and got caught up on any missing assignments.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

EXAM on FRIDAY!!!!

Topics include:

   Transcription

     RNA vs DNA

    Translation

    Mutations

Today we had an introduction to mutations.  We looked over the study guide I provided you with....

Here is a video of our discussion surrounding the study guide:

After looking at that, you answered these questions:

We spent the majority of the class going over these daily questions.
Here is a video of our discussion:

After this, we went across the hall and I allowed you to complete the Translation WebQuest.  If you did not finish this today, you must find time on your own to complete it.  It will be due on FRIDAY. 

Again...Here is the link for the webquest  http://missevrardbio1.blogspot.com/2015/03/gene-expression-assignment.html

D'Shon Rockin' the Dollar Store Ear buds!!!

COMPUTERS THAT ARE WORKING!!!!

I'd call it a successful day!!!

Tomorrow we will go through point mutations- then we will review Thursday and test on Friday!!

COUNTDOWN to KEYSTONE Exam has begun!!!

Check out our countdown calendar!

https://countingdownto.com/countdown/biology-keystone-exam-18-may-2015-countdown-clock-0#.VSQTFginuOk.google_plusone_share