The Weekly Update                                                                     Life Science! - Home

Week Thirty-One (4/28 to 5/2)

Now that you understand the basics about DNA structure and how DNA replicates in late interphase, we'll now take a look at a completely different process called Protein synthesis (or protein building). Like DNA replication, Protein synthesis takes place during interphase in the nucleus. The purpose of this process is to build proteins so they can be used to perform specific tasks. For example, ATP-Synthase (ase = enzyme!) is a very complex protein found in the mitochondria to make ATP. This enzyme is made during protein synthesis. This week we will using some great video clips to understand the complexity of this process and Lego DNA and mRNA. There will also be a brief 1 bar quiz on DNA structure on Wednesday (4/30/14). Stay curious and keep looking for answers!

Week Thirty (4/14 to 4/17)

And now we will once again dive deep into the nucleus of the cell to take a close look at DNA and how proteins are built from the information held in this giant molecule. DNA might only be 1nm wide, but every cell in your body contains a six foot strand of DNA. In this unit we go way back to the cell unit to revisit ribosomes and take a detailed look at how they use the info in DNA to make proteins. Proteins are like the robots of the cell - when they're made, they're programmed to do tasks. Without proteins, the cell couldn't copy DNA, make ATP, allow molecules across the cell membrane, hold oxygen in your blood, digest incoming food, ecetera. There are some awesome visuals that pair up with this unit and everything you need will be in the Blendspace tiles on the homepage. Stay curious and keep looking for answers!

Week Twenty-Nine (4/7 to 4/11)

This week we will be finishing up the Mitosis unit by having a Jeopardy review game, then a 3 bar quiz on Wednesday. You will get some in class time this week to do the finishing touches on your mitosis project. On Thursday, we will start one of the best units of the year - DNA! Your DNA determines not only your skin color and eye color, but your personality, likes & dislikes, and maybe even certain diseases and disorders. And now that they have mapped out the whole human genome, the possibilities for medical discoveries could be limitless. Stay curious and keep looking for answers!

Week Twenty-Eight (3/31 to 4/4)

This week you will be creating a Mitosis Presentation using Flip Boom All Star. This will be the most challenging Flip Boom project yet (but sadly the last of the year). It will be due at the end of class on Thursday - by uploading and sharing it on Google Drive. Then at the end of the week we'll be looking at how cells are programmed to do specific jobs in the cell. Stay curious and keep looking for answers!

Week Twenty-Four (3/3 to 3/7)

This week we'll be looking at fermentation and Louis Pasteur's contribution to its discovery. We'll also have a Jeopardy review on Thursday before the 3 bar Quiz on Friday. Study those flashcards - keep them in your pocket so you can study them when your on the bus, in the car, or even walking to and from school. Oh, and study them out loud - you'll remember the info better, guaranteed! Stay curious and keep looking for answers!

Week Twenty-Three (2/24 to 2/28)

This week you will be finishing up your Flip Boom All Star photosynthesis and cellular respiration project, digging into to the molecular structures of those two cellular processes, and be doing a lab about energy use in YOUR body. Next Monday there will be a quiz (1 bar) on formulas, and we will be revisiting them in class on Wednesday. Stay curious and keep looking for answers!

Week Twenty-Two (2/10 to 2/14)

This week we will be starting the Photosynthesis & Cellular Respiration unit with a Prezi and then you'll be using Flip Boom All Star again to draw out these cellular processes. A nice way to finish off the week and then off to vacation! Woohoo! Make sure to use the screencasts on photosynthesis and cellular respiration on the main web page if you're feeling confused. Stay curious and keep looking for answers!

Week Twenty-One (2/3 to 2/7)

This week you'll be finishing up your Digestion Thinglinks in class and the Protein digestion lab. Don't forget, your digestion 3 bar quiz is on Thursday this week, so make sure to study those flashcards and get ready for Jeopardy! Stay curious and keep looking for answers!

Week Twenty (1/27 to 1/31)

This week we'll be reflecting on the information you learned in class about how the digestive system works and investigating some current research. To start, we will be analyzing an experiment that looked at how a cheeseburger is digested by hydrochloric acid and you'll take a closer look at chemical digestion. Then we will look at the how how current research actually reveals that the appendix is NOT a vestigial organ and in fact it does have a use. Stay curious and keep looking for answers!

Week Nineteen (1/21 to 1/24)

This week we'll be diving straight into the Digestion unit. We'll discuss each of the organs and their functions, find out where they are in the body, and check out some great videos in the process. Two of the main categories of the digestive organs we'll be looking at are the "ORGANS OF THE DIGESTIVE TUBE" (organs that food passes through) and "ACCESSORY ORGANS" (organs that make chemicals used in digestion). Grades close for progress reports on Friday, so make sure to hand in any missing work. Stay curious and keep looking for answers!

Week Eighteen(1/13 to 1/17)

This week we'll be finishing up with the membrane transport unit with 3 bar quiz on Wednesday, then we'll begin the Digestion unit (the grossest unit of the year - wohoo!). We'll start off the week by analyzing the data related to mass that we collected during the Egg Lab and creating a line graph comparing the seven eggs. The graph will be due at the end of class on Tuesday. As far as studying is concerned, study your flashcards, but read them out loud, have somebody test you using them, and study in groups. Stay curious and keep looking for answers!

Week Seventeen(1/6 to 1/10)

Welcome back after an extended break (with a little school in between)! On the agenda this week is ... (dramatic music!) the egg lab! There will be seven eggs soaked in vinegar which will help there shells dissolve, leaving only a thin membrane behind - kind of like a cell membrane. Then we will put these eggs in various liquids and see what happens. One of the best labs of the year! Stay curious and keep looking for answers!

Week Sixteen (12/16 to 12/20)

Woohoo...last week before winter break! This week we'll be finishing up the movement across the membrane powerpoint, checking out a few cell animations, and then you'll be drawing your own pictures of membrane transport. For most of the week you will be using an animation computer program called Flip Boom All Star. This project will be worth a completion grade, so have fun with it and do your best! Stay curious and keep looking for answers!

Week Fifteen (12/9 to 12/13)

This week we will begin our next unit MOVEMENT ACROSS THE MEMBRANE (hmmm...I wonder which membrane that could be?). We will start off the week with an intro lab, then move on to discuss the many different ways objects can move across the membrane. Potato enzyme lab conclusions will be due Tuesday - make sure you have shared it with Mr. Bowles. Stay curious and keep looking for answers!

Week Fourteen (12/2 to 12/6)

This week we will be getting psyched for our second in class conclusion and the Chemistry of Life Test (3 bars). To begin, we will be wrapping up our discussion about the Potato Enzyme lab and reflect on the first conclusion (the Eukaryotic Microscope Investigation). There will be two in-class days to work on the NEW graphic organizer and to type your conclusion. Then on Thursday, there will be a Jeopardy tournament - winners take home bonus points! Study your flashcards this week whenever you get a chance - keep them in your pocket; walk and study (just watch out for telephone poles); get into groups to study; have conversations about this stuff - then you'll really get to know it! Stay curious and keep looking for answers!

Week Thirteen (11/25 to 11/26)

Happy Thanksgiving! Stay curious and keep looking for answers!

Week Twelve (11/18 to 11/22)

This week we will continue to look at the macromolecules that make up our food and bodies. We will look at three types of proteins that are assembled in the body to ensure our survival - enzymes, hemoglobin, and antibodies. We will also talk about how simple and complex sugars (or carbohydrates) relate to the chloroplast and mitochondria. And we will see how fats (lipids) are extremely important to help build your cells, yet many Americans try to avoid eating fats out of fear that they will gain weight. Lastly, we will be completing an experiment using enzymes to understand the environment in which they work best. Stay curious and keep looking for answers!

Week Eleven (11/12 to 11/15)

This week we will start the next unit CHEMISTRY OF LIFE where you will discover that you really are what you eat. You will discover how the food you eat each day makes up ALL the parts of the trillions of cells that make up your body. In other words, if you don't eat right, your cells & body won't function correctly. This week, we will begin to look at macromolecules such as carbohydrates, lipids (fats), amino acids (proteins), nucleic acids (DNA), and ATP (energy - aka...pizaz!). Thanksgiving dinner will never taste so good! Stay curious and keep looking for answers!

Week Ten (11/4 to 11/8)

The two goals we have this week are to prepare for Thursday's 4 Bar Test on Cells and to complete the conclusion for the Eukaryotic Cell Microscope Investigation. We have one topic to finish up for the test which looks at how big one cell can really get and why. We will relate the surface area of an object to its volume. There will be an in-class review session the day before the test. You have four days until the test - Study today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow until you know all the info upside down and inside out. In other words...don't procrastinate. Study your flashcards whenever you have a free second - on the bus, in the car, walking to school, in a study group, even before you get out of bed! Come in with questions you need answered - that's when you know you've really studied. Stay curious and keep looking for answers!

Week Nine (10/28 to 11/1)

This week we will begin with a Eukaryotic Cell Microscope Investigation - looking at many types of animal and plant cells. You will also be writing your first in-class conclusion based on your results from this lab using Google docs. At the end of the week, we will be looking at how the area of an object relates to its volume. Stay curious and keep looking for answers!

Week Eight (10/21 to 10/25)

This week we will continue to investigate how cell parts function by comparing them to parts of a city. Later in the week, we will be starting a Eukaryotic Cell Microscope investigation! You will get to look at onion cells, frog blood, and your own cheek cells! Stay curious and keep looking for answers!

Week Seven (10/15 to 10/18)

This week we will finish labeling the cell parts diagram of the animal and plant cells. Then we will dive right into the functions of the cell parts by doing internet investigations in class. There is a cell parts quiz (2 bars) on Friday 10/18. Stay curious and keep looking for answers!

Week Six (10/7 to 10/11)

Have fun at Nature's Classroom!

Week Five (9/30 to 10/4)

This week you will FINISH mastering the microscope! We will begin by finishing up the Resolution Microscope lab - to make sure your microscope skills are so fine tuned that you could zoom in and focus on even the smallest cell. Speaking of cells...we will officially start the Cell unit this week by looking at the levels of organization of life and the body, and cell theory (where the concept of the cell first began). Without cell theory, who knows where medicine would be today. Stay curious and keep looking for answers!

Week Four(9/23 to 9/27)

This week you will master the microscope! To begin, we will continue the e lab to help you understand the basic functions of the microscope. You'll continue to hone your master skills during the second microscope lab (aka - the resolution lab). As a brief intermission between the two labs though you will view an intriguing (yet slightly gross) video of the microscopic world around you. And lastly, to prepare for the 4 bar test THIS Friday, we will play one serious game of JEOPARDY! Don't forget, the test covers 3 units - 6 characteristics of life, safety, and microscopes. DON'T PROCRASTINATE (start studying!) And don't forget to...stay curious and keep looking for answers!

Week Three (9/16 to 9/20)

We have now officially begun Unit 2: Safety and Microscopes. This week we will quickly review safety in the science lab and go on to learn about microscopes. To begin, we will look at how microscopes were first developed and what they look like today. We will then review the parts and uses of the compound light microscope. Then on Thursday we will have our first microscope lab! Stay curious and keep looking for answers!

Week Two (9/9 to 9/13)

This week we will officially begin our first unit, Characteristics of Life. To begin the week, you will be signing into your school computer accounts in this class, watch a screencast of the characteristics of life powerpoint, and join a space mission to Jupiter's moon, Europa, in search of life. During the last half of the week, we will look at safety in science class and check out the history of the microscope. Stay curious and keep looking for answers!

Week One (9/3 to 9/6)