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.

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

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

Vocabulary Test 4

Here's the vocabulary that could be on Vocabulary Test 4, which will be Mon, Nov 16.

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

Test 2a

On Thursday, we will have our second test. It will cover sections 1 and 2 of chapter 2. Remember, this test will not be open book, but you will be able to use your SQ3R notes on the test. Hopefully, you are using your class time wisely and will have good notes. The test will not be easy, but good notes will give you the information to succeed.