PD feedback

Link to reflection google doc

Final Project Brainstorm

I want you to come up with an idea for your 3rd trimester project now.  You, of course, might end up changing your mind, but I want you to start thinking about it. Perhaps you will even want to start collecting data now.  See me if you have an idea for a project that will take an extended time so you can get a head start.

Things to keep in mind:
1.  Think independent variable and dependent variables.  You need to compare at least 2 groups (your independent variables) and collect data (your dependent variable.)
3.  You need to be able to collect quantitative data, and you need to be able to have AT LEAST 5 trials per group.
3.  This is an individual project.  Feel free to get help from your family, but your classmates will be doing their own thing.
4.  This is a BIOLOGY project.  Luckily such things as biochemistry, biophysics and bio-engineering exist.  See me if you're not sure if your project qualifies as biological.
5.  Your experiment can't harm animals...including humans.  I will no longer approve projects involving "new pets" unless you can prove you have proper equipment, space and ability to care for them.

Click on the "FINAL PROJECT RESOURCES" link above to get a list of ideas.

Food Lab and Biochemistry Test

On Wednesday our food lab write ups are due. Here are the instructions on what to write.

Write up: 

Analyse and evaluate your results for 3 of your foods.  Write one paragraph for each food.   DO NOT just write down your test observations (I already should have these in your data sheet.)   Instead, interpret these observations to describe what molecules are in the foods (proteins, sugars, starches and lipids.)  To do this you will need to look at your results from part 1 of the lab (on the front side.)  As you describe what is in foods you should compare your results with what the online USDA website told you.  Was your test accurate?  What may have gone wrong?

Within the next day I will place a link to a study guide for the test.  For now you can study the following things.

• "Chemistry of life notes" 
• HONC diagrams
• lipid cut and paste notes
• carbohydrate cut and paste notes
• protein cut and paste notes.  

link to study guide for honors biology 1st, 4th and 5th periods

link to study guide for 2nd period biology

Final Exam Wolf Essay

First write your essay using MS word.  When you are finished go to the following link.
***CLICK ME*** Copy your essay and paste it into the box provided on the form.

Make sure that you check with me to make sure your essay was received.  Do not shut down or close out of any programs until given the okay.

Honors Biology Project

Here is the information you need about the honors biology project for 2015

Link to instructions and due dates

Link to examples

Final Project Ideas

Remember you need to come up with an independent variable (something to test and change) and a dependent variable (the results of the experiment that you measure at the end.)

Try the Google Idea Springboard 

What do you like?  What do you have access too?  What interests you?  Is there a meaningful question you can answer or problem you can solve?

Below is a list of possible experimental "subjects" that I came up with.

Your experimental subject could be a plant:

• do you have enough existing plants to have 5 per group?
• can you plot off sections of your grass?  
• leafing of trees
• purchase many small plants
• plant from seeds
• look at germination rates or successes

Your experimental subject could be an animal

• a pet (a measurable behavior)
• crickets are 12 for a buck 
• feeder goldfish
• brine shrimp (purchased as food for salt water tanks.)

Your experimental subject could be humans

• athletic performance
• senses
• other measurable variables?
• in the past students have tested hair and nail growth and strength
• stay away from preference surveys and psychology or sociology experiments!

You could expand upon or test things related to labs we've done in class

• Osmosis
• DNA extraction

Foods are a popular thing to experiment with.

• ripening rates
• browning
• rates of decay, molding
• enzymes (meat tenderizers, proteases in pineapple, enzymes in saliva, enzymes that break down hydrogen peroxide etc)

Microbiology

• yeast
• bacterial growth, observed under microscope
• observed with spectrometer
• using petri-dishes and counting colonies (you would need to purchase these or utilize a local lab)

Environmental surveys and analysis (get outside!)

• leaf bags left in streams...evaluate insect populations
• lichen location on rocks and trees, Link to lichen project information
• weed surveys
• effectiveness of re-seeding efforts
• wild bird feeding preferences or observations (make sure you have a control survey and a test survey)

Consumer testing and mythbusting:

• Is there a claim you want to test dealing with a biological system?
• 5 second rule?  Fruit fresh?  

Utilize local laboratories and equipment

• Do you know someone who has access to a lab and equipment at ISU or the hospital?
• Are you willing to call someone you don't know? (See me, I can give you some ideas and get you started.)
• At Poky we have spectrometers, CO2 detector, Soil test kits and other supplies.  Just ask.

Crusher Essay Test

CLICK ME!

Physical Science Final Exam

Please click on the following link.

acid base quiz and nuclear reading guide

More Resources for Final Project

Here is a link to the pink handout with a summary of how to do all 3 statistical tests and the tables:  front side back side

Here is the information from the handout on the expectations for citing your sources.

When using parenthetical in-text citations, include the identifying piece of information that is the most important, and is listed first on the works cited page.  For your works cited page include all of the information you can in the order of importance.

Order of importance:  1) author  2) article name  3) book, website, journal or magazine  4) publisher  5)date  6) page number

Quotations are only needed if the wording is particularly interesting or crucial.  Otherwise, it is best to paraphrase.  You are required to have at least 2 sources of information which utilize in in-text citations and are included on a work cited page.  This information should support your research hypothesis.

Final Projects are Almost Due!!!!

Honors biology students:  your final project (papers) are due on Friday May 16th by 4:00 pm.     You can print your paper and turn it into me or the sub, or you may drop the assignment to this blog (I will be leaving at noon that day to attend my son's middle school band concert.) Don't forget to turn in the handwritten statistical work and original data collection.

If you want me to provide feedback on your papers and have an opportunity to re-write them for an improved grade, you must drop it to the link by this Friday, May 9th.  Please include your name as part of the file name and put your e-mail address as part of the heading of your paper.  Also make sure you are using Microsoft Word.

Here is a link to the handout detailing the expectations for the paper and poster.  handout

Final Project Ideas

Okay first and third period classes.  I am going to brainstorm a list of experiment ideas to help get you going on your proposals.  Here it goes...

Here is a link to the handout I gave you on your expectations for the project and the proposal: Click Me

Your experimental subject could be a plant:

• do you have enough existing plants to have 5 per group?
• can you plot off sections of your grass?  
• leafing of trees
• purchase many small plants
• plant from seeds
• look at germination rates or successes

Your experimental subject could be an animal

• a pet (a measurable behavior)
• crickets are 12 for a buck 
• feeder goldfish
• brine shrimp (purchased as food for salt water tanks.)

Your experimental subject could be humans

• athletic performance
• senses
• other measurable variables?
• in the past students have tested hair and nail growth and strength
• stay away from preference surveys and psychology or sociology experiments

You could expand upon or test things related to labs we've done in class

• Osmosis
• DNA extraction

Foods are a popular thing to experiment with.

• ripening rates
• browning
• rates of decay, molding
• enzymes (meat tenderizers, proteases in pineapple, saliva etc.)

Microbiology

• yeast
• bacterial growth, observed under microscope
• observed with spectrometer
• using petri-dishes and counting colonies (you would need to purchase these or utilize a local lab)

Environmental surveys and analysis (get outside!)

• leaf bags left in streams...evaluate insect populations
• lichen location on rocks and trees, Link to lichen project information
• weed surveys
• effectiveness of re-seeding efforts
• wild bird feeding preferences or observations (make sure you have a control survey and a test survey)

Consumer testing and mythbusting:

• Is there a claim you want to test dealing with a biological system?
• 5 second rule?  Fruit fresh?  

Utilize local laboratories and equipment

• Do you know someone who has access to a lab and equipment at ISU or the hospital?
• Are you willing to call someone you don't know? (See me, I can give you some ideas and get you started.)

See me if you want any further description on any of these ideas.

Superhero Project

Link to the example.  (This is just something quick I did in a few minutes...I expect better.)  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzDy_7pT4SRXSTRQcGszc3N0MGc/edit?usp=sharing


Link to the main genome browser.  Go here once you have determined what gene you want to mutate.  http://genome.ucsc.edu/cgi-bin/hgGateway

These are all good places to start looking for specific genes:

·         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_human_genes  This lists many human genes, many of them cause disease.  Perhaps if the gene mutated a different way, it could cause the antithesis of the disease and enable super power.

·         http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene  This sight has many ways to search for genes. 

·         http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/rare-genetic-disorders-learning-about-genetic-disease-979

·         http://uswest.ensembl.org/index.html

·         http://genomics.senescence.info/genes/allgenes.php  Genes involved in aging.  Good list with simple explanations.

·         You may also try a google search:  “human gene for….”

Lab Reports Due!

1st and 2nd periods, your yeast fermentation lab reports are due on Monday the 27th.  If your report is not turned in by class time on Monday, you will be required to work in the library during the first half of lunch each day until it is finished.

Click on the Biology-Systems page above to access a link to the half page handout on how to write your lab report.

Use the assignment drop link to the right.  Remember to use your name as your file name.

Online Statistics Calculator Assignment

***Update***   I have put the grade data into a new spreadsheet document that should be easier to copy and paste from.

***You must fill out 2 assignment forms for 2 different questions.  (You are doing the assignment twice...see if you can come up with related questions to evaluate.)

***Both assignment forms are due Thursday, December 19th.


Here is the link to the online calculator we will be using.  link to t-test calculator
The following link will get you to the grade data that we will be analyzing.  grade data
This is a link to the assignment questions and form you will be filling out.  assignment form

The first 3 questions on the assignment form are to help me identify you and grade the assignment.  Then next three questions you need to answer after browsing the grade data.  Our discussion in class should also help give you ideas.  The rest of the questions will need to be answered after you paste in the data to the online calculator.  All the calculations will be done for you.  All you need to do is enter the data and then evaluate what the results tell you.

• Be sure to click on the dot that says "enter or paste up to 2000 rows"
• Keep the "unpaired t-test" selected.
• Re-name "group one" and "group two".
• Copy and paste the necessary data from the "grade data" document.  *note: students were having better luck copying data by using "control c" and "control v" as opposed to right clicking or using the icons on the tool bars. 
• You can drag and drop a tab into a new window.
• You can view 2 windows on a split screen by pressing the windows button and the left or right arrow.

Playing around with Google Forms

Please take a moment to complete the form I created.  I would like to practice compiling answers and maybe use this tool for a future lesson.  Thanks for your help.

link to form

Welcome

Welcome to my new blog for all of my biology courses. This blog will serve two major purposes.  First, it will give you a place to submit your papers online.  This is a requirement for our major writing assignments.  Secondly, I plan to post assignments and links that you can use both at home and at school to help you complete your work and study for tests.  I hope to utilize this site for other purposes as the trimester progresses.