Q3 ACT test

Today in biology, students took their Q3 ACT test.

If you were absent, see me to make it up.

For homework over the weekend, work on your ACT problems by working in your Cambridge Vol. 1 and 2 books or by practicing online.

Fruit Flies!

Reminder: AP bio, you should have already completed the online fruit fly lab.

Trend Analysis, AP Q3 test

Today in regular bio, we took notes on analyzing trends (NB p. 85.). Then do practice ACT problems on cambridge vol. 2 pp. 245-274 (answers on p. 597) and act basics on Cambridge vol. 1 pp. 638-655.

Online Feedback

Ok, AP bio, I logged on and gave you comments and feedback on your online lab reports, so use that to improve upon them!

Q3 test, sex-linked traits

Today in regular bio, students took their quarter 3 test about cell division.   I also collected notebooks in order to check the lab on pp. 75-76.   If you were absent, see me to make it up by the end of the day on Thursday.  Also, give me your notebook.

For homework, bring your Cambridge Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 books tomorrow to prepare for Thursday's science ACT portion of the Q3 exam.

Today in AP bio, we went over sex-linked traits and the study guide questions.

For homework, study for tomorrow's test.  The Fruit Fly Virtual Lab is due Wed. at 5 PM.

Prepping for Q3 exams

Today in regular bio, I checked the Cell Division Study Guides in preparation for tomorrow's Quarter 3 exam.

If you have been absent and need a study guide, add a comment to the blog with your email address so I can send it to you.  (Your email address will not be published, I will get it and email the document to you.)

Homework: Study for Tuesday's exam, bring a number 2 pencil.  Bring the lab on NB pp. 75-76 for tomorrow's correctness check.

In AP bio, we went over the dihybrid cross problems.  I also gave out a few handouts (3).  Our exam will be on Wednesday.

For homework, read the Sex-Linked Traits/Sex Determination handout and complete the Q3 exam questions for tomorrow.  Remember that your Fruit Fly online lab report is due on Wednesday at 5 PM.

Friday!

Today in regular bio, I checked the Onion-Fish Cell Cycle Lab for completion.  If you were absent, make sure to have me check it upon your return.  Also, I gave out a study guide for Tuesday's Cell Division Exam.

For homework, do at least 75% (3/4) of the Study Guide for Monday.  Those who have attempted it will check their answers and then work on the other 1/4 of the Study Guide.  Remember we have the test on Tuesday.

For AP bio, students worked on the online Lab Reports for the Virtual Fruit Fly Lab.  They are due on Wednesday.  The Genetics Test (with an essay and multiple choice questions) will be on Tuesday.

Virtual Fruit Fly Lab

Today in AP biology, we will do a Virtual Fruit Fly Lab.  You will ned a Class Code, which is 6553138 to set up your account.  You will be setting up your own experiment to do a monohybrid cross (Assignment A.)  You will complete an online lab report with this assignment.  Any additional assignments (C is recommended) may be completed for extra credit.  The online lab reports are due next Wednesday, March 30 at 5 PM.  If you were absent, there are two handouts, labeled "Fruit Fly Lab #1" and "Fruit Fly Lab #2" that you should get from the Week 30 folder.

Homework: Look at yesterday's post for homework due Friday.

For regular bio, I only saw 2nd period, and we worked on our Onion and Fish Mitosis Lab reports.

Lab reports are due on Friday!

Dihybrid Punnett Squares, part 2, Fish & Onion Lab Part 2

Announcements for all classes: The quarter 3 final exams will be as follows:
Part 1: Tuesday, March 29: 50 pts (course content from 3rd quarter)
Part 2: Thursday, March 31: 50 pts (ACT science test)

Also, the LAST day to turn in any late work for third quarter is this Thursday!  Tutoring will be after school on Wednesday and Thursday this week.

Today in Biology, we did the second part of the Fish and Onion Cell Cycle Lab in which we counted the cells in the various phases of the cell cycle.  If you were absent, see me to make it up on Wednesday or Thursday after school and also to get your class data.

Homework: The entire lab and graph will be due on Friday.

Today in AP biology, I checked the student's dihybrid punnett square problems and then we continued working on them.

For homework, finish all of the dihybrid and probability problems by Friday.  The trihybrid problems are extra credit.  Meet in the Longwood Lab tomorrow for a virtual lab about fruit fly genetics.

Onion and Fish Mitosis Lab, Dihybrid Cross Problems

Today in biology we did the first part of the Onion and Fish Mitosis Lab.  (If you were absent, see me to make it up on Wednesday or Thursday after school.)  The lab will be stapled on p. 75.

At the beginning of the period, I checked the "ID the IPMAT" page of the lab to make sure that you correctly identified the phases of the cell cycle and did the percentage calculations with the sub on Friday.  If you were absent, see me so I can check it.

For homework, re-read the lab so you are familiar with Day 2's procedures.

Today in AP biology, we went over dihybrid Punnett square crosses.  If you were absent, then get the packet from the Week 30 folder in the document crate.

For homework, do at least 4 of the dihybrid cross problems.  15/18 of the problems will be due on Wednesday.

AP Essay Prep, Reg Bio Lab Prep

Today in AP bio, students read a packet about preparing for AP essays and then they had an opportunity to employ those tactics by completing a practice AP essay about animal phyla and phylogenetic trees.  If you were absent, please get the handouts from the Week 29 folder.

Today in regular bio, students completed a handout called "ID the IPMAT" and then marked the text to prepare for Monday's lab about onion and whitefish blastula mitosis. If you were absent, please get the handouts from the Week 29 folder.

ACT prep Thursday, Session 3

Today in the ACT prep session, students received copies of their ACT booklets from the February interim assessment and they made corrections to their science tests.

Sub plans

I was at an AP biology workshop today learning a lot about how to help the AP biology students improve their scores on the AP bio test, which is May 9, 2011.  We also talked about the changes that will be happening for the 2012-2013 course and test.

While I was away at the workshop, the students at Longwood were working hard on work with the sub.

For regular bio, read the text about Earthquakes in Japan and answer the questions.  (If you were absent, get the packet from the Week 29 folder in the document crate.)

For AP biology, read and take Cornell notes on Concept 14.2 and then do the 3 questions on Concept Check 14.2.

Make up day, Cell Division Essay

Today in biology, students had the opportunity to make up work to improve their grades.  If you were absent, you should retrieve your cell exam scan tron form and question packet from the returned work drawer and then make corrections on looseleaf paper.  You must explain why you got the question wrong/why the correct answer is right.

You could also work in the Internet Mitosis Lab.

For AP biology, I handed back a lot of work (get it from the returned work drawer.)  Then I modeled how to answer the essay question that was on the Cell division test.  Write a new essay and turn it in.

Homework: Read Concept 14.2.

March 9-14: AP Design-Your-Own Lab

In AP biology, from March 9-11, students worked in groups to design their own labs to explore the relationship between the PTC phenotypes and other characteristics.  On Friday the 11th, we conducted the experiments.  The full lab reports are due on Monday, March 14.

For homework, work with your group to determine what needs to be done in order to meet your deadlines. Also, complete Punnett Squares #4 by Friday, March 11.  (Get it from the Week 28 folder in the document crate.)

March 9-14: Cell Cycle Stories

On Wed. March 9, we started the Cell Cycle stories projects in Regular bio.  It was a multi-day project that involved creating an analogous story to represent the phases of the cell cycle.  You should draft your story on pages 71-73 of your notebook.  When your draft is approved, then you can create your poster.  The project was due on Monday, March 14.

During this time period, students assigned one another homework in their groups in order to ensure that the work was completed by the deadline.

ACT Prep Thursday, Session 2

Today we did targeted ACT prep, with a focus on marking the text.  If you were absent, make sure to get the handouts and your folder ad mark the text.

Internet Mitosis Lab

Today we're doing a virtual lab to explore the cell cycle in an onion root tip.

When you are finished with that and you want to do the 10 bonus lab points, click here.

Bitter Taste Gene

I just found this cool site within the National Institutes of Health where you can look up information about specific genes.  Here's the page about the TAS2R38 gene, which is the one for the PTC bitter taste receptor protein.

Friday-Weekend Homework

On Friday, many students were rewarded for their gains on the ACT by attending the bowling/skating field trip.  For those that stayed behind, we worked on make up work and homework.  If you were absent, then it is your responsibility to make sure that you are all caught up with your make up work and homework.


The weekend homework:


Reg bio: Finish all 16 Frayer models by Tuesday! Use the Reproduction and Cell Division Unit Links on my website.


In AP bio, I checked the "Practice Genetics Problems" and then we went over them.


AP bio homework: Read, highlight, and take Cornell Notes on the PTC & Bitter taste article! 

Thursday-ACT/PSAE Prep

Today students were split into groups and we worked on ACT Prep in various classrooms all day.  If you were absent, check with me so that I can provide you the work so that you will be prepared for this week's Thursday session.

Frayer Models, cont.

Today in biology, we continued working on the Frayer models.  You should have 12 of them finished by Friday.

Also, I showed videos to help clarify the terms cleavage furrow, cell plate, sister chromatid.  They can be found here:

Animation of Cell Division
Animal Cell Division
Plant Cell Mitosis

For homework, finish 12 Frayer models by Friday.

In AP biology, we went over the "Intro to Genetics" problems and the "Trait? Allele? Dominant? Recessive?" problems.  Make sure that I look at them and give you a grade if you were absent.

For homework, do the "Practice Genetics Problems" by Friday.

Cell Division Frayer Models

Today in biology, I checked notebook pp. 55-57 and 60-61.  Also we had a practice ACT timed reading (Passage V.)  Then students began doing Frayer Models for vocabulary with the following words on notebook pp. 62-65:

1. surface area to volume ratio
2. chromosome
3. chromatin
4. cell cycle
5. interphase
6. mitosis
7. cytokinesis
8. prophase
9. prometaphase
10. metaphase
11. anaphase
12. telophase
13. daughter cells
14. sister chromatids
15. cell plate
16. cleavage furrow

For homework, do 6 of the Frayer Models.

For AP bio, James did his Mammalia presentation and we went over the "intro to Genetics Problems" handout.  Also, I provided students with a "Punnett Squares 101" handout.