Thursday 3/28/13

EQ:"How do we determine blood type?"

VOCAB:

HOMEWORK:

- Study and Define Vocab Terms
- Vocab exercise due 4/1
- Finish Blood Type worksheet (period 1- incomplete dominance/codominance wkst)

CLASS RECAP:
Today students submitted their Central Dogma projects.  They look wonderful!!!

Students then saw Miss Styer test for her blood type.  Students discussed what blood type is and how you can trace the different types of inheritance.  Students practiced a few punnett square problems involving blood types.  Students should finish the worksheet for homework.  

Wednesday 3/27/13

EQ: What are non-mendelian types of inheritance?

VOCAB: incomplete dominance, codominance, multiple alleles, polygenic traits

HOMEWORK:
- Study and Define Vocab Terms
- Vocab exercise due 4/1
- Central Dogma project due 3/28

 CLASS RECAP:  Today students solved the Punnett square problems they created yesterday. 

Then students received different trait cards.  The traits all were examples of non-mendelian types of inheritance.

Students took notes on the 4 main types of non-mendelian types of inheritance. 

Then students got into groups and decided the which type of inheritance their trait was an example of. 

Tuesday 3/26/13

EQ:"How do we use Punnett squares to predict heredity?"

VOCAB:

HOMEWORK:
- Study and Define Vocab Terms
- Vocab exercise due 4/1
- Central Dogma project due 3/28
- Complete Ready... Set... Punnett word problem for class tomorrow

CLASS RECAP:
Today students started class by completing a Punnett square Do First problem.  Then students reviewed Punnett squares using white boards.

Then students started the Ready Set Punnett activity.  Students received suggestions for their Punnett square problems from other students in the class. 

AFTER SCHOOL PROJECT WORK SESSION IN MISS STYER"S ROOM TODAY FROM 3-4.

Monday 3/25/13

EQ: "How do we use Punnett squares to predict heredity?"

VOCAB:

HOMEWORK:
- Study and Define Vocab Terms by 3/28
- Vocab exercise due 4/1
- Central Dogma project due 3/28
- Bikini Bottom Spongebob genetics worksheet

CLASS RECAP:  Today students started class with a Do First activity that reviewed genes, genotypes and alleles.  Students then worked on the Genetics practice worksheet and wrote the answers to 1-30 on the Smart board.  Students then learned how to distribute alleles into a Punnett square.   Students were assigned to finish the Bikini Bottom worksheet #1 for homework.

Friday 3/22/13

EQ: Who is Gregor Mendel?

VOCAB:

HOMEWORK:
- Study and Define Vocab Terms by 3/28
- Vocab exercise due 4/1
- Central Dogma project due 3/28
- Finish 1-15 of Genetics practice problems on the worksheet on the back of your notes.

 CLASS RECAP: Today students heard what an authentic Gregorian chant sounds like.  These are chants similar to those that the father of genetics, Gregor Mendel, would have heard when he lived in an Austrian monastery in 1840's. 

We reviewed last night's homework in class.  Then students took notes on Gregor Mendel's first experiments. 

Students finished class by practicing writing genotypes and phenotypes. 

Thursday 3/21/13

EQ: How are sex and inheritance related to Genetics?"

VOCAB: allele, trait, genetics, inheritance, dominant, recessive, homozygous, heterozygous

HOMEWORK:
- Study and Define Vocab Terms by 3/28
- Vocab exercise due 4/1
- Central Dogma project due 3/28

CLASS RECAP: Today students received back their Final Five assessments from yesterday.  Students then learned about the new vocabulary procedure for the Genetics unit.  Students will now complete the vocabulary worksheet and choose one activity from the vocabulary exercise worksheet to complete.

Students then brainstormed on what they think of when they hear the words Genetics and Heredity.  Students wrote their responses on post-it notes and stuck them to the classroom door.

Students the took notes as they listened to the story of Billy and Sally and how sex and heredity are related to Genetics.

*** There will be an after school Central Dogma project work session today from 3:00-4:00.

Wednesday 3/20/13

EQ: "How does a DNA mutation affect proteins?"

VOCAB:

HOMEWORK:
- Central Dogma Project due 3/28
- Keystone question on Central Dogma due tomorrow

CLASS RECAP: Today students started class by completing a Do First assignment on identifying mutations.  Students then reviewed the two worksheets they completed for HW yesterday.  Students then did an activity on the Smart board which demonstrated how mutations in our DNA can affect the proteins that are formed.  They learned the difference between silence and nonsense mutations.

Students took a Final Five titled "DNA & mutations" at the end of class.

Tuesday 3/19/13

EQ: "How does DNA mutate?"

VOCAB:

HOMEWORK:
- Central Dogma project due 3/28

CLASS RECAP: Today students finished their two worksheet activities on Types of Genetic Mutations.   There will be a final five on types of genetic mutations tomorrow in class.  Students finished conferencing with Miss Styer about their Central Dogma projects. 

Miss Styer is offering two after school project help sessions on Thursday 3/21 and Tuesday 3/26.  Students are welcome to come to get help on their Central Dogma projects.

Monday 3/18/13

EQ: "How does DNA mutate?"

VOCAB:

HOMEWORK:
-Central Dogma project due 3/28

CLASS RECAP: Today students played whisper down the lane and noted how messages can be altered (mutated) as they are transferred.  We discussed how DNA's message/code can be mutated as it is copied or transcripted into RNA.

Students completed a worksheet on DNA mutations and Types of Mutations using section 13.3 from their text.

As students worked, they were called up to conference their brainstorming pages from their Central Dogma projects with Miss Styer.

Friday 3/15/13

EQ:"What is the Central Dogma?"

VOCAB:

HOMEWORK:
- Central Dogma project brainstorm sheet due Monday 3/18
- Central Dogma model projects due Thursday 3/28

CLASS RECAP: Students created a Thought web on the concepts of the Central Dogma.  Students submitted the webs at the end of class, after getting two signatures from other students in the class.

Here's a video to help summarize transcription and translation

Funny pic provided by Christian Branch :)

Oh noooo!  I spilled water on my laptop!

Thursday 3/14/13

EQ: "What is the Central Dogma?"

VOCAB:

HOMEWORK:
Central Dogma Project due 3/28
Brainstorm page due 3/18

CLASS RECAP: Today students started class with a DNA Vocab word whip.  Then students had the last part of class to conference with their partners for the DNA Central Dogma project.

Wednesday 3/13/13

EQ: "What is the Central Dogma?"

VOCAB:

HOMEWORK:
- Study and Define Vocab Terms (1-17)
- Central Dogma Project due (3/28)
- Brainstorm for Project due (3/18)
- DNA vocab cards due Thursday (3/14)

CLASS RECAP: Today students finished learning the translation process.  They took notes on the process.  We then reviewed the project guidelines for the Central Dogma Model Project.  Students had the opportunity to walk around the class to see projects from previous years.

Monday 3/11/13

EQ:

VOCAB:

HOMEWORK:
- Study and Define Vocab Terms (1-19)

CLASS RECAP: Today students started class with a Do First quiz (non-graded) that reviewed skills in replication and transcription.  Students copied the following diagram that summarized transcription into their daily science journal.

Students then took the 20pt DNA transcription and translation vocab quiz.

Friday 3/8/13

EQ: "How can we model transcription?"

VOCAB: (18) Transcription (19) RNA splicing

HOMEWORK:
- Study and Define Vocab Terms (1-19)
- Study for Vocab Quiz on Monday (20pts)

CLASS RECAP:  Today students started class with a Do First question about transcription
Then students watched a video in live time of an RNA polymerase transcribing DNA into mRNA.  See the 1 min video below.



Students then finished the second part of their DNA K'nex activity.  Students took their template strand of replicated DNA and transcribed the DNA into a strand of mRNA. 

Students will have a VOCAB QUIZ on Monday on the first 19 terms.

Thursday 3/7/13

EQ: "How can we model the process of replication and transcription using Kinex?"

VOCAB:

HOMEWORK:
- Study and Define Vocab Terms (1-)

CLASS RECAP: Today students worked in groups to create DNA molecules from a sequence that Miss Styer provided to them.  Then students replicated and transcribed the sequences.

Ang acting as a helicase enzyme, unzipping the DNA strand by breaking hydrogen bonds. 

Myra and Olivia acting as DNA polymerases :)

Kyle and Christian with a beautiful replication fork!

Two replicated strands!

The guys hard at work making their DNA molecule.

Who has two thumbs and loves DNA replication?  ... That guy!

:P

Wednesday 3/6/13

SNOW DAY ?