Friday 9/28/12

EQ: "What is pH and what are the pH values of common items?"

VOCAB: solvent, pH, buffer

HOMEWORK: Complete worksheet 2.2

Post-Lab questions are due on Tuesday

Quiz on Water on Monday.

CLASS RECAP:  Today students reviewed the results of the lab they performed yesterday.  Then students took notes from the book (pages 40-44) on solutions and pH scale.

Thursday 9/17/12

EQ:What are the properties of water (Day two)

VOCAB:Capillary action, evaporative cooling, specific heat, transpiration

HOMEWORK: none

CLASS RECAP: Today students learned about capillary action and transpiration with two demos.  Then students started Part Two of the Waterworld lab.

Goggles of Glory Winners

!!!  CONGRATULATIONS  !!!

to the Goggles of Glory winners 

Winners earned the Goggles of Glory by achieving the high score on their Unit quiz on Basic Biological Principles. 

Period 1

1st-  Ian Firestone    2nd- Eliana Marino

Period 2

 1st-  Monida Tum   2nd-  Donovan Mears

Period 5/6

1st-  Ashley Griffith    2nd- Zach Lehman

Period 7/8

1st- Mike Sipes    2nd- Olivia Eytcheson

 

Period 9

 1st- Gabby Leiphart    2nd- Nicole Kleynen

Wednesday 9/26/12

EQ: "What are the properties of water?"

VOCAB: polarity, cohesion, adhesion, surface tension, hydrogen bonds

HOMEWORK:  Complete 2.2 worksheet on water
Complete Vocab cards for today's terms

CLASS RECAP: Today students started learning about the properties of water.  Students handed in their homework from last night (the lab safety comic).  Students then learned that water is polar and why polarity gives water it's different unique properties.  Students watched three quick demos involving these three properties of water.  Students took notes on a worksheet titled "Whadda you need to know about water?"

Students then played Biology Equipment Bingo to learn the different pieces of equipment they will be using in the biology lab.

Tuesday 9/25/12

EQ: How do we practice safe laboratory procedure in a bio lab?

VOCAB: none

HOMEWORK: Finish the questions on the back of the lab safety comic 

CLASS RECAP: Today students took their Atoms and Bonding quiz at the beginning of the period. Students handed in their post lab questions from the penny lab yesterday that they completed for homework. Then we used the rest of the period to discuss lab safety expectations in a bio lab.  Students learned what to do in lab, and they learned to follow all safety regulations ... or else bad things can happen.

:)

Monday 9/24/12

EQ: "Why is water Miss Styer's favorite compound?"

VOCAB: compound

HOMEWORK: Complete the Post Lab Questions on the back of the lab worksheet from today's penny lab.   Study for the quiz tomorrow on atoms and bonding.

CLASS RECAP: Today students started by learning the difference between covalent and ionic bonds.  Students filled out the four square worksheet for ionic an covalent bonding.

Then students participated in the first part of the inquiry penny lab.  Pictures below :)

Cecilia investigating the properties of water :)

Observing the cohesion and surface tension of water drops on a penny!

Jimmy and Shannon trying to see how many drops of water will fit on the surface of a penny!

Friday 9/21/12

EQ:  (same as 9/20)

VOCAB: compound

HOMEWORK: Please read pages 40-44 in online text and take notes.  (email me if you have computer problems)

CLASS RECAP: Today students started class with a Do First which reviewed ions and isotopes.  Students then did an activity called "modeling an atom".  In their groups they worked to distribute the subatomic particles in a model of an atom.  Students then reviewed the different types of bonds.

Have a wonderful and safe weekend! 

Thursday 9/20/12

EQ: "How are atoms bonded together.... and how do the types of bonds differ? (DAY TWO)

VOCAB: no new words (see 9/19/12)

HOMEWORK: Read 2.1 (Unit 1, Chapter 2, Section 1) in your online textbook.  Define vocab terms and fill out entire vocab card.  Take notes on the section in your daily science journal.

CLASS RECAP:Today students started with a Do First question reviewing how to calculate the number of protons, neutrons and electrons in neutral atoms.  Then students learned about ions and isotopes and practiced figuring out the subatomic particles within those two types of atoms.

Students then used the macs to login to their online textbook they will be using for the remainder of the year.

www.biology.com

Wednesday 9/19/12

EQ: "How are atoms bonded together?

VOCAB: Ion, Isotope, Covalent Bonds, Ionic Bonds

HOMEWORK: (only if you didn't finish the top section "Neutral atoms" of your worksheet from class today)

CLASS RECAP:Today students started class reviewing how to draw atoms.  Then students learned how to deduce the amount of protons, neutrons, and electrons in an atom using their periodic table.

Students practiced this on the worksheet "Protons Neutrons and Electrons Practice". 


We then learned about what an ion is and how to calculate the numbers of protons, neutrons, and electrons in atoms with an overall charge.

Tuesday 9/18/12

EQ: "What are the basic chemical properties that affect living things?"

VOCAB: Biochemistry

HOMEWORK: Complete the "Do you know A-Tom" worksheet.  Pre Test ONLY

CLASS RECAP: *Collaboration Day*.  Today students began a new unit of study in biology called Biochemistry.  Students completed a Do First where they reflected upon two questions:

"What are humans made of?"
"How does the food we eat eventually become a part of us?"

Students discussed what they new about digestion and energy.  We learned that we get chemical energy from the food we eat.  We then discussed what chalkboard chalk is made out of and how small we can break it down before it stops being chalk.  We learned that chalk is simply a molecule called Calcium Carbonate.  Calcium Carbonate is primarily made of two elements- Calcium and Carbon.   Students refreshed themselves with the period table and learned that all living things are primarily composed of 6 elements... "CHNOPS."

C- Carbon
H-Hydrogen
N-Nitrogen
O-Oxygen
P-Phosphorus
S-Sulfur

Then I gave students an opportunity to draw what they thought an atom looked like.  These are some of the beautiful creations from their sketching time.

We then learned that all atoms have three components:
protons (positive charge)
neutrons (neutral/no charge)
electrons (negative charge)




Students learned that protons and neutrons are found in the nucleus and that electrons are found whizzing around the outside of the nucleus in things called orbitals (or shells).
Students practiced drawing a Carbon atom in their daily science journal.

Students were assigned to complete a Biochem Pre-Test for homework tonight to be handed in tomorrow.   

Monday 9/17/12

EQ: None (Quiz Day)

VOCAB: none
 
HOMEWORK: none

CLASS RECAP: Students handed in their vocab cards to be graded.  Students learned who the winners of the Billion Dollar Presentation were!  Congratulations to the following groups!

Period 1- Small N Tall
Period 2- Black Mamba
Period 5/6- Biology Research Group
Period 7/8-Solutions Inc
Period 9- Million Dollar Fathers

Then students had a chance to review any questions they had before the test.  Students received back their "Identifying Variables and Controls" worksheet that was graded over the weekend.  Students then had the rest of the period to take the test.

BIOCHEMISTRY UNIT STARTS TOMORROW!  :)

Friday 9/14/12

EQ: None!  PRESENTATION DAY!

VOCAB: none

HOMEWORK: STUDY FOR UNIT ONE QUIZ ON MONDAY!
Quiz includes:
-Scientific Method
-Variables/Control groups
-Vocabulary
-Observations/inferences & Quantitative/Qualitative observations
-Biological Levels of Organization

CLASS RECAP:  Today we held a Medical Research Conference in class.  Groups took turns presenting their proposed experiments to a Procter and Gamble representative.  Groups were competing for ONE BILLION DOLLARS in research grants.  The groups were scored on experimental design and presentation.  The winning group will be announced in class on Monday. 

Teryn, Devin, and Joe presenting at the conference.  Nice Job!

Members of Small N Tall Research Group presenting their experiment to the panel of expert scientists. 

Tia, Jenn, Vanessa, and Jakub presenting their experiment. 

Joe+Lewis+Monida+Devan= one excited group!  (especially Lewis... look at that smile! )  

Cali's Crew Corporation after their presentation.

Kenneth, Max, Liv and an excited Donovan!  As K-M.O.D sets up to present their experiment to the P&G representative. 

Winners of the 1,000,000,000$ in research grants will be announced on Monday.  Have a great weekend!

Thursday 9/13/12

EQ: "How do we market a scientific experiment?"

VOCAB: none

HOMEWORK: Finish the worksheet "Identifying Variables and controls (simpsons)"
Study for Unit One Quiz on Monday (9/17)

CLASS RECAP:  Today students completed a Do First question to review independent and dependent variables.  Then they had the remainder of the period to work in their group in preparation for their experiment presentations tomorrow.

Remember to email me by 5pm tonight if you need copies made, or if you would like me to test technology.

Good luck!  

Wednesday 9/12/12

EQ: "Describe the different levels of biological organization."

VOCAB: homeostasis, prokaryote, eukaryote, unicellular, multicellular,

HOMEWORK:  Define and complete all 15 vocab terms.  STUDY TERMS.
Unit One QUIZ on Monday (9/17).
Includes
- scientific method
- identifying variables and control groups
- vocabulary
- observations/inferences & qualitative/quantitative
- biological levels of organization

CLASS RECAP: Today students started class by writing down their 5 new vocab terms.  Students received their homework back from last night (graded).  We reviewed two of the characteristics of life that seemed to be confusing to most students.  We reviewed that homeostasis means regulating our body levels (aka.  temperature, water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, food/waste).  We also reviewed what responding to a stimulus means.  An example of a stimulus would be putting your hand on a hot burner- the response would be you jerking your hand away.

Then students learned about the different levels of biological organization. Students wrote the different levels in a pyramid worksheet they picked up on the way into class.  They modeled the large pyramid we made on the floor.  Students helped discuss and decide which level was smallest/largest.  We explained and defined each of the levels. 

(Want a sneak peek at what type of critters lives on your skin and in your eyebrows/eyelashes?  click here!)

 

At the end of class group members had 5-10 minutes to discuss their experiments.  Tomorrow in class groups will have over 30 min to work in their groups to perfect their experiments and prepare their presentations.  

Tuesday 9/11/12

EQ: "How do we design an effective experiment?"

VOCAB: none

 HOMEWORK: none (except to brainstorm for your experiment)

CLASS RECAP: Today students started by reading an article about Human Growth Hormone (HGH) and we talked about what hormones do in your body.  Hormones are small chemical signals that your body is able to send to communicate with cells.  Testosterone, estrogen, progesterone and cortisol are all examples of hormones in our body.  HGH affects the height a person grows during puberty. 

Students were then given a rubric for the experiment that they are designing and presenting to the class.  We went over the requirements for the presentation.

Students then had 20-25min of class time to begin discussing the specifics of their experiment. 

At the end of class students took a Final Five quiz on the Nature of Science. 

Monday 9/10/12

EQ: How do we determine if there is life on other planets?

VOCAB: none

HOMEWORK: finish the Characteristics of Life worksheet

CLASS RECAP: Today students started class by reflecting on whether or not there may be life on planets other than earth.  Students wrote in their daily science journal whether there could ever be life on Mars.  After a class discussion about what is needed for a biosphere we watched the following clip (4:12) about the Mars Curiosity rover.


Students discussed three things about the video:

1) What date did the shuttle launch?
2) How long was the shuttle in space before it landed (therefore when did curiosity land on Mars?)
3) What is Curiosity looking for?  What type of samples is it collecting?

We then discussed as a class that the type of erosion found on Mars looks like it resulted from water.  Students discussed what we would need to create on Mars in order to sustain life.  We would need to essentially create an entire biosphere!  Easier said than done.  We can relate this shuttle launch to the seven characteristics of life.  We need an environment that will help sustain living things and enable them to:
-reproduce
-be made of cells
-maintain homeostasis
-adapt to their environment and evolve
-respond to stimuli
-use energy
-grow and develope

At the end of class, I introduced a project that students will be working on and presenting on this Friday.  The project is called "Billion Dollar Baby".  Students will be working in their lab groups to design an experiment which they will pitch to representatives at Proctor and Gamble (aka Miss Styer) and their classmates.  Each group will have only 4 minutes on Friday to design an experiment and convince the representative that they should receive the 1,000,000,000 dollars in funding.  The winning group will be announced on the following Monday.  Students have the freedom to use whichever media they would like to use to present their experiment... but they only have 4 minutes!  Email Miss Styer throughout the week if you have questions.  Good luck!

Going a little batty....

Today during my lunch break a colleague asked if I could help remove a creepy crawly they found on school property.  I agreed, fully expecting that it was a bug or a spider.  It ended up being a bat!  We carefully removed it from the breezeway wall and put it in a container.  As far as we can tell, this bat is native to PA and it's called (literally) a "Little Brown Bat".   We released safe and sound in a wooded courtyard near the school- But not before I showed my classes and we discussed how important and amazing bats are here in PA!

....Just another normal day as a bio teacher :)

Friday 9/7/2012

EQ: "How do we use variables in science?"

VOCAB: inference, observation, (qualitative, and quantitative- from yesterday)

HOMEWORK:
          Period 1-       Finish "variables" worksheet
          Period 2-9-    Finish Spongebob worksheet #1
          All-                Be sure to have vocab words defined and cards COMPLETELY filled out.

CLASS RECAP: Today students continued practice using independent and dependent variables.  I checked the homework from last night and we went over the answers as a class.   Then students worked on another variables worksheet called Spongebob Worksheet #1.  At the end of class, I introduced the new words observation and inference.  We discussed that an observation is an observable fact detected with the five senses.  An inference is a guess or an opinion that explains the observation.

Example:  The walls are white.  (observation) (qualitative)
Example:  There are four walls.  (observation) (quantitative)
Example:  The walls are white because that is Miss Styer's favorite color (inference)

We learned that quantitative observations are those that involve quantities or numbers.  Qualitative observations are those that describe qualities or characteristics.  Students used their cells phones at the end of class to enter observations and inferences into PollEverywhere software. As messages popped up, we decided whether they were inferences or observations and whether the observation was qualitative or quantitative.

Thursday 9/6/12

EQ: "How do we use variables in science?"

VOCAB: Variable, Dependent, Independent, Qualitative, Quantitative

HOMEWORK: Finish the Variables worksheet from today (period 1- spongebob wkst) (periods 2-9 finish only the FRONT of the worksheet).  Bring cell phone to class tomorrow.   

CLASS RECAP:  Today students came in and got to work on their Do First.  They reflected on why we need to collect baseline data in experiments, and we discussed how the CDT test we took yesterday help us to do just that.  Students then were introduced to the SmartResponse clickers and we voted on the class pet names (results to be revealed tomorrow).  Students then talked about how to set up a scientific experiment.  We designed an experiment using the class fish and two different types of food.  Students then learned the difference between independent and dependent variables.  Students started the first couple of examples on a variables worksheet and were assigned to finish the rest for homework tonight.  (if you have questions, circle the one you are having difficulty with, and we will go over it tomorrow.)
 *** Period one- you are to attempt the 4 problems on the Spongebob worksheet***  Again, come to class tomorrow with questions if you encounter problems.

-->  IF YOU HAVE A CELL PHONE, YOU MAY BRING IT TO CLASS TOMORROW FOR AN ACTIVITY!!!

Wednesday 9/5/12

EQ: None

VOCAB: None

HOMEWORK: Finish Bio Survey (in google docs) if you have not already

CLASS RECAP:  Today students were in the computer lab taking the CDT tests.  Please see Miss Styer if you are absent to schedule a test make-up time.

Tuesday 9/4/12

Welcome back!
EQ: "What does 'living' mean?"
Vocab: none
Homework: Meet in room 120 tomorrow for CDT testing
Class Recap:  Today students reflected on the question, what does it mean to be alive.  Students watched an exciting video clip (3:40) to introduce the topic. 
Students then received a bin of objects which they had to work with their group to distribute into a category of either LIVING, DEAD, or NONLIVING.  Students placed their objects into a giant Venn Diagram on the floor.  There were debates over which category the objects belonged in.  The debates led to the class distinguishing 7 main criterion for living things... these are known as the 7
 characteristics of life.

1-made of cells
2-able to reproduce
3-uses energy
4-maintains homeostasis
5-grows/developes
6-responds to stimuli
7-evolves over generations

We created a large Venn Diagram on the floor for LIVING, NON LIVING, and DEAD objects.  Each student had to place their respective object into a part of the diagram and defend their decision to the class.

There were no handouts given out in class, but students recorded reflections and diagrams in their daily science journal. 

*** REMEMBER TO GO TO ROOM 120 TOMORROW FOR CDT TESTING!***