unit 3

The class textbooks had to be turned in for inventory, so you don't need to worry about the textbook assignments for unit 3. You just need to study the learning standards and be ready to pass the test. To help you all out with the limited amount of time left in the year, I have made a written test for unit 3, as well. So, if you haven't taken the unit 3 oral test already, you can take a written test on whatever day is your period's last day of biology. And whatever grade you earn on that multiple-choice and matching test will be entered into the gradebook.

Some of the information for the unit can still be read from the two chapters of the textbook, chapters 33 and 34 available online. But you can also find lots of great info just by searching Google or YouTube for the standards and vocabulary.

So, what you need to know can be found on the Unit 3 handout, which is available at this link.

Alternative 2.12-2.14 assignments

If you have not yet started assignments 2.12, 2.13, and 2.14, you can choose to watch those videos or to instead complete some book work. The videos are what I had planned, and you may still use those for the class, but since we will no longer have the laptops in class, I am making book-work available for those who cannot watch the videos.

When you take the unit test, I will ask questions based on whichever assignments you completed for the unit.

Here are the alternative assignments:
2.12 -- Read pages 510-528, and answer questions #1-2 on p. 515, #1-3 on p. 522, and #1-3 on p. 528. Here's a link to the chapter PDF.
2.13 -- Read pages 538-552 , and answer questions #1-4 on page 544, and #1-4 on page 552
2.14 -- Read the article, "Less jaw, big brain: Evolution milestone laid to gene flaw" from the NYTimes. Write a summary explanation of how a gene flaw helped lead to human evolution. Then read the article, "How language may have evolved to help our ancestors make tools," from Science. Write a summary of the evidence connecting language development and tool-making.

Becoming Human videos

Here are some ideas on what you need to know from the Becoming Human videos.

Episode 1
Where is Afar? Why is it important?
Who was Selam? Why is Selam important?
What is important about Selam's teeth, skull, spine, shoulder blades, feet, kneecaps, and tibia?
Who was Lucy? What is it important?
What is important about Lucy's knees and pelvis? Compare the upper and lower halves of her body.
Describe Afar 3-4mya (million years ago)
How has Afar changed? How did that affect species?
What hyptotheses are there to explain why hominids evolved bipedalism?
What physical adaptations are found in chimps? How does their walking compare with humans?
What is the molecular clock and how is it used?
Who was Toumai?
How have hominids changed over time (for example, skull changes)?
What are endocasts and why are they important?
What did scientists learn from Selam's endocast?
What do we know about stone tools? What do we still not know?
Who was Homo habilis? How was H. habilis important? How do we know?
Compare Australopithecus and H. habilis.
What environmental changes were important for changes in brain size?

Episode 2
For this episode, I'll be a little more general. Your notes from episode 1 should give you an idea about the types of specific information you should be looking for. So, for this epsiode, know about:
H. erectus
Turkana Boy
pubic lice
persistence hunting
maternal commitment
hominids leaving Africa
Dmanisi, Georgia
Flores, Indonesia

Episode 3
H. heidelbergensis
H. neandertalensis 
Atapuerca, Spain
Gran Dolina
Pit of Bones
Scladina, Belgium
language development
parietal and temporal lobes
extinction of Neandertals
H. sapiens
diet
Pinnacle Point, South Africa
Blombos, South Africa
technology
Klasies River Caves

Unit 2: Evolution

Here's the doc with the unit standards and assignments.


Bozeman Science video on Endosymbiosis



The Making of a Thoery: Darwin, Wallace, and Natural Selection


What causes antibiotic resistance?


Galapagos Finch Evolution


Reproduction Isolation and Speciation in Lizards


What is the Evidence for Evolution?


Evolution of Whales


Becoming Human - Episode 1 - First Steps


Becoming Human - Episode 2 - Birth of Humanity


Becoming Human - Episode 3 - Last Human Standing

Unit 1: Cellular Energy

Here's the doc with unit standards and assignments.

EOC resources

Here are some resources to use reviewing for the biology EOC.

Escambia County biology EOC review site: http://www.ecsd-fl.schoolloop.com/biologyeocreview

Practice test / review questions from Volusia County

More practice and review from Volusia


FLVS has created a practice test that represents the actual End-of-Course Assessment to help you study. Check your answers here.

More Volusia resources: http://myvolusiaschools.org/science/Pages/Biology-EOC.aspx


Some good videos:


Stated Clearly videos on evolution: https://www.youtube.com/user/sciencestatedclearly/featured


brain structure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUEwGGsB43c

brain lobes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPLZ_WUsK88

symbiosis: http://ed.ted.com/on/qPNynrFb

endosymbiosis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBjD4A7R2xU

DNA mutations: http://ed.ted.com/on/L3IQzqsX

meiosis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCLmR9-YY7o

mitosis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0k-enzoeOM

plant cells: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UvlqAVCoqY

domains of life: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAR47-g6tlA

DNA transcription and translation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itsb2SqR-R0

uncontrolled cell growth: http://ed.ted.com/on/CY5DUVD5

DNA replication: http://ed.ted.com/on/4tXJDRxg

sexual vs asexual reproduction: http://ed.ted.com/on/gdzXH8sr

enzymes: http://ed.ted.com/on/CCj0dfqD

properties of water: http://ed.ted.com/on/lNe9zJ13

biological molecules: http://ed.ted.com/on/5YO5v66E

photosynthesis: http://ed.ted.com/on/qjQ1iDvA

photosynthesis II: http://ed.ted.com/on/JkmLNleT

active and passive transport: http://ed.ted.com/on/wXTVVvPB

plant cells: http://ed.ted.com/on/Ue3zbefx

taxonomy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F38BmgPcZ_I

mitochondrial DNA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kS5qREISS-Q

Before Watson and Crick

Read the article, "Before Watson and Crick."

Answer the following questions. Use complete sentences, and restate the questions

1. What type of physics research was advanced by WWII?
2. What type of biological research was slowed down by WWII?
3. How many years passed between Mendel's research and the discovery of chromosomes?
4. What is an important chemical difference between DNA and RNA?
5. Why did scientists quickly rule out RNA as the primary heredity material?
6. Why did scientists initially suspect protein was more likely than DNA to be the primary hereditary material?
7. What was Astbury's contribution to the study of DNA?
8. Where did Avery eventually publish his research findings?
9. Why did Schrödinger believe it was important to combine physics, chemistry, and biology?
10. What was Schrödinger's series of lectures compared to?
11. Where did Franklin do her DNA research?

Lastly, create a timeline for the events discussed in this article.

Poster design extra credit

Here's the extra credit opportunity for the 3rd 9-weeks.

You can design an educational poster. The poster is worth up to 30 assignment points. Plus, within each category and topic I will select a 1st place winner to receive an additional 20 test points.

There will be two categories for posters: 1) mixed media, and 2) traditional poster
The traditional poster category will include posters with only 2-dimensional graphics. The mixed media category can include 3-dimensional art and other techniques beyond colors and pictures.

For the topic, you can choose any one of the following:
scientific thinking/scientific method (ch 1)
biochemistry (ch 2)
the biosphere (ch 3)
ecosystems and communities (ch 4)
populations (ch 5)
humans in the biosphere (ch 6)
cells (ch 7)
photosynthesis (ch 8)
cell division (ch 10)
heredity (ch 11)
DNA (ch 12)

There are 11 topics multiplies by 2 categories, so there could be 22 1st-place winners. You can enter up to three posters.

Do not simply steal a design off the internet. If you are found to have stolen a design from someone else, you will receive no points.

Put your name and the topic on the back of each poster. The posters are due by April 1. 

meiosis homework

Watch the Bozeman Science video about mitosis and meiosis, and then answer the questions listed below. Write your answers on a paper and bring it to the next class meeting.


Here's the video


Here are the questions:

1. What is the centromere?
2. What do the beads represent in this simulation?
3. What's the goal in mitosis?
4. What two things does a cell do before it divides?
5. What happens during prophase 1 that leads to variability?
6. Why is independent assortment important?
7. What is "a little bit different" about egg formation during meiosis?

Chapter 11

Here's the link to get the PDF of chapter 11.

2nd 9-weeks grade recovery

This post explains the requirements for the grade recovery process. If you would like to improve your 3rd 9-weeks grade to the next letter grade, here's your opportunity. There are three parts to the process: 1) the textbook, 2) the videos, and 3) the test.

Part 1: The textbook

Read chapters 4-6 and answer the questions listed below. You must bring this work to turn in when you're ready for part 3.

Chapter 4: Ecosystems and Communities
Page 127 #1-10


Chapter 5: Populations
Page 151 #1-10


Chapter 6: Humans in the Biosphere
Page 185 #1-10

Part 2: The videos

Watch each of the 8 videos embedded below, and take notes on the videos. You will need to turn in the notes, along with the work for part 1, when you come in to take the test.


Ecology: Rules for Living on Earth

Population Ecology: The Texas Mosquito Mystery

Human Population Growth

Ecological Succession: Change is Good

Human Impacts on the Environment

Food Webs and Energy Pyramids

Ecological Succession: Nature's Great Grit

Biomagnification and the Infamous DDT



Part 3: The test

Once you have completed parts 1 and 2, you can take the final test. The test will be 45 multiple-choice questions, and you must score a 70% or better on the test to earn the higher grade. The test will NOT be open-book, so you need to know the material pretty well. If you do not score a 70% the first time you take the test, you may try it one more time. You must schedule a time with me to take the test.

All three parts of the grade recovery process must be completed by April 6, which is the last day of the 3rd 9-weeks. 

Chapter 10

Here's the link for the PDF of chapter 10.

Here are some of the videos we watched in class.

Crash Course



Why haven't we cured cancer?


Amoeba Sisters - Mitosis


Amoeba Sisters - Cancer

Vocabulary for Test 6

Here's the vocabulary that could be on Vocabulary Test 6, which will be next week.

Vocabulary

• biomass - the total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level
• carnivore - organism that obtains energy by killing and eating animals
• chemosynthesis - process in which chemical energy is used to produce carbohydrates
• consumer - organism that relies on consuming other organisms for its energy and food supply
• decomposer - organism that chemically breaks down and obtains energy from dead organic matter
• detritivore - organism that feeds on plant and animal remains and other dead matter
• herbivore - organism that obtains energy by eating only plants
• heterotroph - organism that obtains energy by consuming other organisms
• omnivore - organism that obtains energy by eating plants and animals
• primary producer - first producer of energy-rich compounds that are later used by other organisms
• scavenger - animal that consumes the caucuses of other animals
• transpiration - loss of water from a plant through its leaves
• trophic level - each step in a food chain or food web
• aphotic zone - dark layer of oceans where sunlight does not penetrate
• benthos - organisms that live attached to or near the bottom of lakes, streams, or oceans
• ecological succession - series of gradual changes that occur in a community following a disturbance
• limiting factor - factors that cause population growth to decrease
• photic zone - sunlight region near the surface of water
• pioneer species - first species to populate an area during success
• plankton - microscopic organisms that live in aquatic environments
• primary succession - succession that occurs in an area in which no trace of a previous community is present
• salinity - the amount of dissolved salt in water
• secondary succession - type of succession that occurs in an area that was only partially destroyed by disturbance
• logistic growth - growth pattern in which a population's growth and then stops following a period of exponential growth
• exponential growth - growth pattern in which the individuals in a population reproduce at a constant rate
• carrying capacity - largest number of individuals of a particular species that a particular environment can support
• limiting factor - factor the causes population growth to decrease
• demographic transition - change in a population from high birth rate to low birth and death rates
• monoculture - farming strategy of planting a single, highly productive crop year after year
• biological magnification - increasing concentration of a harmful substance in organisms at higher trophic levels in a food chain or food web
• biodiversity - total of the variety of organisms in the biosphere; also called biological diversity
• ecological hot spot -  small geographic area where significant numbers of habitats and species are in immediate danger of extinction