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.