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.