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January 31, 2006
Monday and Tuesday we observed living protists and analyzed their features to discover more about how they are classified.
You should have at least 6 very detailed, labeled diagrams of what you observed in your journal. Wednesday is our day to wrap up our investigation.
For homework on Monday you should have read pages 218-227.
The chapter 6 test will be on Thursday. You should be preparing for it now. Things to consider that are on the test are (all of chapter 6): classification, the 6 kingdoms, characteristics of the 2 bacteria kingdoms, viruses, and details from our "microbes and you" program on Friday. Study your vocabulary! We are currently working in chapter 7 and this material will not be featured on the test. (You should know the characteristics of protists because they are one of the 6 kingdoms.)
Observing Protists Lesson skills:
Prepare wet-mount slides of protists
Focus and examine slides using a light microscope at various magnifications
Draw, diagram features, and record other observations of protists
Compare and contrast various protists
Assessment:
Lab report featuring illustrations and notable examples of protozoans and algal protists. Discussion of methods of movement and other distinguishing features.
Posted by Carroll at 06:23 PM
January 27, 2006
Today students enjoyed learning about microbes from 5 Georgia State University student fellows. Their program included hands on activities and some very interesting slides. Thanks Tenesia, Sharon, Candice, Crystal, and Brian for the fun and informative day!
BioBus home page
Quiz
Here are a few questions to help you remember the program:
Explain why some of the flasks caused the balloon to inflate and others did not. What microbe is involved? What is the process called?
What is the difference between a localized infection and a systemic infection?
What factors affect your ability to fight infection?
What does the thickness of peptidoglycan in the cell wall wall have to do with how bacteria are classified?
Why did Brian say that bacteria were the dominant life form on our planet?
What are microbes? Give an example for each of the 5 categories of microbes.
Why do some people propose that mitochondria were once free living, like bacteria?
What are retroviruses? How do viruses find the appropriate host cell?
Trivia questions: How fast is the air from a sneeze? Why is agar made from algae and not gelatin?
Here are some pictures from our "Microbes and You" program.
Posted by Carroll at 05:26 PM
January 26, 2006
Check out the following link to information about the differences between bacteria and archaebacteria. This mysterious 6th kingdom (or 3rd domain) contains some interesting organisms. Why do we know so little about this kingdom of life?
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/archaea/archaea.html
Navigate the the More on Morphology tab at the bottom of the page to get the details about the chemical differences between the two kingdoms.
also...check out the Microbe Zoo in the links section.
Posted by Carroll at 06:40 AM
January 24, 2006
Today we observed prepared slides of bacteria. Students made a record of their observations in their lab journals using pictures. Applying microscope skills to observe these tiniest of organisms was not too challenging for most students today. Hooray! Please complete the virus section of your study guide and finish your little book for homework tonight. Have fun with this assignment, but remember that it is important to communicate some facts from Chapter 6. Other things to consider are neatness, completion, and use of illustrations.
Posted by Carroll at 08:34 PM
January 22, 2006
On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, students took turns sharing their research with their classmates. It was interesting to hear the details about all of the projects. There were so many different questions and everyone seemed to enjoy the "peer review" process. Congratulations to the following students whose projects were selected by each class.
1st period: 1st-Krista, 2nd - Stephen, 3rd-Allyson, Tie for 4th- Conrad and Lauren, Tie for 5th Megan and Nicholas
2nd period: 1st-Chris, 2nd-Skylar, 3rd- Katherine, 4th-Lauren, 5th- Alex
3rd period: 1st-Shannon, 2nd-James, 3rd - Chandler, 4th - Kenita, 5th - Elijah
4th period: 1st - Chad, 2nd - Jeffrey, 3rd- Colin, 4th - Tess, 5th - Stefani J.
These projects have been placed in the media center for judging for the Mabry Science Fair. Good luck to all participants!
Everyone enjoyed our "no homework" week as one of the benefits for having so many great projects to share.
Posted by Carroll at 09:57 PM
Stalking the Mysterious Microbe:
This Friday we will have the Georgia State University BioBus visit our class for a lesson called "Microbes and You" . Check out the above link to learn more about microbes!
Posted by Carroll at 09:31 PM
January 19, 2006
At the meeting tonight, parents were given the following information about the Jekyll trip:
Jekyll handout
Posted by Carroll at 05:42 PM
January 18, 2006
There will be a Jekyll Parent Meeting this Thursday night, Jan 19th, in the Mabry auditorium. It will begin at 6:00pm and end around 6:45. A short chaperone meeting will follow. If you are unable to attend the meeting, students will bring home the handouts from the meeting on Friday. The meeting is to give you information about the trip and includes a Q & A session for questions relating to the group. If you have any concerns specific to your child, please email me. Students are sorted into trips but have not been assigned rooms, busses, or groups... yet.
A final payment of $80 is due. Rooming requests will be taken from students in the next few weeks, and teachers will assign the learning groups and busses.
Posted by Carroll at 06:09 PM
Wow! Come visit the 7th grade (science-D-Hall) classrooms on Thursday to see the fantastic work that students have done this year on their independent study projects.
They will be on display after school so you can come by to view them before or after the Jekyll Parent meeting that will be held at 6:00pm in the auditorium. Some of the best projects will be selected for display in the media center and they will be judged to determine which ones will go on to the district fair.
Students have been presenting their work to their classmates this week. I am anxious to see which projects are deemed the best in each class following this peer review process. The presentations have been interesting this week and many students are enjoying the added benefit of NO HOMEWORK. Please make an effort to drop by and see their work.
Posted by Carroll at 05:58 PM
January 12, 2006
The science project logbook, final report, and display are due on Tuesday. Please use the handout from class today to help you with the final details.
Posted by Carroll at 03:22 PM
January 10, 2006
Tuesday, Jan 17th is the due date for student independent study projects. Each student should have a display board, a detailed logbook of their original work, and a formal report to turn in on Tuesday. Students should be working on data analysis (tables, graphs, and discussion). Remember to reflect on whether or not your data support your hypothesis for your conclusion. See the Science Fair Basics handouts and others for details. I will provide a summary handout for you tomorrow.
The class Science Fair will be next Thursday, January 19th. Please plan to attend before and after the Jekyll Parent Information meeting that is scheduled for 6:00pm. More details will follow.
Please note that students are NOT required to do the Abstract as described in their handbooks. Only students who are going on to the district fair will be asked to do this.
Today I learned that some students are not quite finished with their experiments. We discussed the problems with procrastination and the unexpected happenings that can crash last minute efforts. It is now "crunch time"! Get busy working on your final items.
I have let students know that I am available to assist them with creating their computer generated graphs of data before and after school for the rest of this week. I will get here by 8:15 for the early crowd and I will stay until 5:30 for the later crowd.
If you want me to cut letters for your title on your display, please write out what you want and attach it to the paper that you want me to use and I will get it done on Wed. or Thurs. afternoon.
Posted by Carroll at 06:32 PM
January 04, 2006
I hope that everyone is having a great holiday. Several of you said that you were planning to do your experiments over the holiday. I can't wait to hear how it is going. Do you have an answer to your question yet? Remember to keep accurate and detailed records in your logbook. We will discuss how to graph and analyze the data when we return to school. Have fun and be safe!
Posted by Carroll at 10:42 PM
