Ms. Vikingson’s Life Science Blog

Happy summer everyone! I hope you all are relaxed, well rested, and excited to begin your 8th grade year!

Just wanted to let you know that I will be working on my blog starting in August.  If you are still receiving emails every time my blog is updated and wish to no longer receive them, you will have to visit my site and click “manage my subscriptions” under the “subscribe by email” tab on the left of my page.  Insert your email address into the blank and click “unsubscribe.”

I hope that all of you will keep in touch with me as you move on from the 7th grade.  You know where to find me at Sutton and you’re always free to email me: gvikingson@atlanta.k12.ga.us.

Have a great summer and stay in touch!

Vikingson

Students who did not take the final exam need to do so before Friday:  frog-final-exam-make-up

This week will be the end of our frog exploration.  This Friday is our lab practical and final exam.  You will be tested on all the parts of the frog and how its anatomy relates to a human’s.  Please visit the frog websites below in order to prepare yourself for the exploration and lab practical:

Click on Diss. Lab and watch videos  

Virtual Frog

www.froguts.com

Educatus.com 

Net Frog

Human Body: Frog Exploration

Standards:  S7CS5, S7CS10, S7L2e,

IB Connections: Human Ingenuity; Health & Social Education; Approaches to Learning

Objectives:

-         Identify the levels of organization

-          Compare and contrast the organization and organs of the frog with the human body.

-          Define homeostasis

-          Describe the functions of the various organs of each system of the body

Essential questions:

1.       What are the levels of organization in the body?

2.       What is homeostasis?

3.       How do the systems of the body relate to one another?

Monday- Students will have a substitute teacher today.  They will be completing a frog/amphibian crossword and word search and may use their frog stations lab sheet and 3-d frog to help them.

Homework for Monday- Study 3-d frog and frog stations lab worksheets for lab practical on Friday

Tuesday- Students will review procedures and safety for our Wednesday and Thursday frog exploration.

Homework for Tuesday- Study 3-d frog and frog stations lab worksheets for lab practical on Friday

Wednesday- We will begin our two day long frog exploration.  Today we will investigate the external anatomy and internal anatomy of the mouth.  Student groups will be quizzed on the organs and their functions.

Homework for Wednesday- Study 3-d frog and frog scavenger hunt worksheets for lab practical on Friday

Thursday- We will finish our frog exploration by looking at the internal organs of the body.  Student groups will be quizzed on the organs and their functions.

Homework for Thursday- Study 3-d frog and frog scavenger hunt worksheets for lab practical tomorrow

Friday- Today is our lab practical.  Stations will be set up throughout the room and students will rotate throughout the room looking at frog specimens and/or 3-d frog models and will have to identify the organs and/or their functions.

Homework for Friday- NONE!!

Students and parents, if you have not turned in your white envelope to your homeroom teachers make sure to do so this week.  The forms inside will determine your residency and will also help us make your schedules for next year.

This week begins our exploration of the frog.  We will be comparing what we learned about the human body with the anatomy and physiology of a frog.  This unit will include a lab practical which will be considered the students’ final exam!  STUDENTS WILL BE REQUIRED TO HAVE COLORED PENCILS, MARKERS, OR CRAYONS FOR WEDNESDAY-FRIDAY.

All textbooks are due in this week along with any orange CRCT coach books.

Human Body: Frog Exploration

Standards:  S7CS5, S7CS10, S7L2e,

IB Connections: Human Ingenuity; Health & Social Education; Approaches to Learning

Objectives:

-         Identify the levels of organization

-          Compare and contrast the organization and organs of the frog with the human body.

-          Define homeostasis

-          Describe the functions of the various organs of each system of the body

Essential questions:

1.       What are the levels of organization in the body?

2.       What is homeostasis?

3.       How do the systems of the body relate to one another?

Monday- In most classes, today is music day.  However, because our unit on frog exploration will take about 2 weeks, we need to start today.  Students will begin their frog exploration by completing a stations lab about frogs using microscopes, the Fantastic Frog website, frog-stations-lab-readings and the frog-stations-lab-questions.

Homework for Monday- Study your frog stations lab worksheet.  Bring in colored pencils, markers, or crayons for Wed.

Tuesday- Today is career day.  We will probably only be seeing periods 3-5.  We will be working on a Super Scientist Worksheet with the classes we do see.

Homework for Tuesday- Study your frog stations lab worksheet.  Bring in colored pencils ,markers, or crayons tomorrow!

Wednesday- Today students will need their colored pencils, markers, or crayons as we begin three day activity making our 3-d frog model by using the 3-d-frog-color-organ-and-cutting-key with the 3d frog worksheet

Homework for Wednesday- Study your 3-d frog model worksheet

Thursday- We will continue with our 3-d frog model by cutting out the organs and pasting them down and then beginning our key-to-3d-frog

Homework for Thursday- Study your 3-d frog model

Friday- Students will finish their model by completing their keys; identifying the organs functions and organ systems they belong to.  We will be using the frog-dissection-directions and reading sheet to help with the functions.

Homework for Friday- Study frog stations lab worksheet and frog model.

This is CRCT week!  Attendance is CRUCIAL this week!  Please make sure to show up to school on time and prepared for each test having had plenty of rest and a nice breakfast.  The schedule is as follows:  Tuesday- Reading, Wednesday- Language Arts, Thursday- Math, Friday- Science, Monday- Social Studies.  Please make sure to visit Study Island and complete all tests in all subjects!

Also, students will be required to bring their science textbook back on Monday of next week. Students will no longer be needing their books for the remainder of the year so I would like to gather them and put them into storage for next year.  If books are lost and cannot be returned, students will not be able to receive their report cards and will be charged ~$56.

Topic: Cells and cellular processes, genetics and evolution, classification with a focus on plants, human body, and ecology

International Baccalaureate: Health & Social Education; Environment; Human Ingenuity; Approaches to Learning.

Standards:  All standards addressed

Objectives:

Tell what cells are

Describe the functions of cell organelles

Explain how cells are organized in many celled organisms

Explain how the sun supplies living things with the energy they need

What do cells tell us about basic processes of life…life, death, reproduction, etc.

Describe the results of Mendel’s crosses

Identify what controls the inheritance of traits in organisms

Describe the roles chromosomes play in inheritance

Identify the events that occur during meiosis

Explain the relationship between genes and chromosomes

Explain what forms the genetic code

Explain the relationship between genes and environment

Explain how natural selection leads to evolution

Describe how new species form

Explain why biologists classify organisms

Relate the levels of classification to the relationship between organisms

List characteristics used to classify organisms into groups including domains and kingdoms

Demonstrate how to use  dichotomous key

Identify the levels of organization in the body

Identify the needs that must be met by an organism’s surroundings

Identify biotic and abiotic parts of a habitat

Describe the levels of organizations within an ecosystem

Identify factors that limit population growth

Explain how an organism’s adaptations help it survive

Describe the major kinds of interaction among organisms in an ecosystem

Identify the 3 types of symbiotic relationships

Essential Questions:

How are cells the basic building blocks of life?

Higher Level Questioning:

What is the overarching theme of biology with respect to organization?

How does this organization relate to each concept we learned in life science?

Monday- Today, students are finishing up the last 5 questions of our 100 questions to CRCT.  We will follow it with the remainder of Osmosis Jones using their worksheet.  We will then go over the worksheet and then work on an analogy activity in which we compare Osmosis Jones characters and scenarios to the human body!

Homework for Monday- Please finish up any remaining Study Island tests…science is on Friday!

Tuesday- Today we begin the CRCT with our Reading test.  Periods 1-3 will meet today for about 1.5 hours.  We will be completing a 50 question ecology scavenger hunt within my room and Ms. Zaher’s room.  Students will  have a sheet full of questions and they will need to seek out eggs that contain the answers.  Prizes will be awarded to those who answer the most questions.

Homework for Tuesday- Please finish up any remaining Study Island tests…science is on Friday!

Wednesday- Today we will complete the same as yesterday but with classes 4-5.

Homework for Wednesday- Please finish up any remaining Study Island tests…science is on Friday!

Thursday- Today periods 1-3 will be relaxing with a fun marble ramp activity.  Students must create a ramp that fits certain criteria.  We will test the ramp by letting a marble travel down it and this will be for a grade!

Homework for Thursday- Please finish up any remaining Study Island tests…science is on Friday!

Friday- SCIENCE CRCT TEST IS TODAY!!!!!  Once the test is over, periods 4-5 will do the marble ramp activity.

Homework for Friday- Please bring your textbook in to school on Monday so they may be returned to me!

This Wednesday, students will be taking a short science benchmark test.  We intend to see where students stand and then use this data to find out students’ strengths and weaknesses.  We will continue to learn about the various biomes/ecosystmes of the world.  Students should continue working on Study Island and this week I would like for them to complete the Genetics/Heredity tests on Study Island.

Topic:  Ecosystems

International Baccalaureate: Health & Social Education; Environment; Human Ingenuity

Standards:  S7CS2, S7CS3, S7CS5, S7L4

Objectives:

Identify the needs that must be met by an organism’s surroundings

Identify biotic and abiotic parts of a habitat

Describe the levels of organizations within an ecosystem

Describe methods of determining the size of a population

Explain the causes of changes in population size

Identify factors that limit population growth

Explain how an organism’s adaptations help it survive

Describe the major kinds of interaction among organisms in an ecosystem

Identify the 3 types of symbiotic relationships

Describe the differences between primary and secondary succession

Essential Questions:

1.       Where does the energy in my food come from?

2.       Why should the health and well-being of other organisms be important to me?

3.       Where did all that energy come from?

Higher Level Questioning:

1.       How are earth’s biomes differentiated by ecologists?

2.       How might changes in environmental conditions and changes in the transfer of energy affect an ecosystem?

3.       How might changes in the environment affect organisms?

4.       How do organisms “fit” together in an ecosystem?

Monday- Students will present their symbiotic want ads to the class as a review of the different types of symbiotic relationships. Students will watch a brainpop on symbiosis.  After taking the quiz, students will watch a short 15 minute movie covering interdependence of organisms.

Homework for Monday- Read pages 692-699 and pick 2 questions to answer.  Get together shoe boxes for our biome diorama project we’ll begin  next week.

Tuesday- we will be working on an ecology packet in groups.  Students will receive a grade as a group according to how they perform on the packet.

Homework for Tuesday- Read pages 728-739 and answer all questions on page 739 DUE FRIDAY.  Get shoebox. Work on Genetics/Heredity tests on Study Island.  Only 15 school days until CRCT!

Wednesday- We will start class by taking a benchmark test of 30 questions.  This test grade will not be added to the gradebook but results will be used to determine where students are deficient.  When done, students will take notes on land biomes of earth using the Biomes of the world ppt.

Homework for Wednesday- Read pages 728-739 and answer all questions on page 739 DUE FRIDAY.  Work on Genetics/Heredity tests on Study Island.  14 school days left until CRCT!

Thursday- Students will finish notes on biomes of land and water.

Homework for Thursday- Read pages 728-739 and answer all questions on page 739 DUE TOMORROW.  Bring in shoeboxes!  Finish genetics tests on S.I.  13 days left!

Friday- We will introduce our build a biome project for next week using the biome-diorama-project worksheet and Biome Diorama instructions and examples.  Students will randomly receive the biome they need to create.  Students should create a list of materials they may need to complete the project in class next week.  Shoe boxes should be brought to school on Monday.  If purchasing or finding items for this project is difficult, students should see me for help or an alternative project.  Below are project resources:

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/index.php

http://www.mbgnet.net/

http://www.picadome.fcps.net/Lab/currl/biomes/

http://www.fossweb.com/modulesMS/kit_multimedia/login.php?request=/modulesMS/kit_multimedia/DiversityofLife/ecoregion/ecoregionmap.html use login: gvikingson and password: Seren4me

Coral Reefs:  http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/science_up_close/609/deploy/interface.html

Wetlands: http://www.wonderville.ca/v1/activities/wetlands/wetlands.html

http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/science_up_close/604/deploy/interface.html

http://www.mhhe.com/biosci/genbio/virtual_labs/BL_03/BL_03.html

Homework for Friday- Finish Genetics tests on Study Island.  12 school days left until the CRCT!  Bring shoebox on Monday!

Report cards go out on Friday 03/20 so please keep an eye out for them over the weekend and make sure they come back signed!

The CRCT is just 21 school days (and 41 calendar days) away!  CRCT Coach books are available for students to check out from my “library” and use up until the day of the Science CRCT.  These books are great for covering new material and reviewing old material.  The books begin with a pre-test, are divided into the different life science topics; each topic with its own mini-test, and then end with a post-test.  I have the key for these books so students must see me to check their answers during homeroom, lunch, or down-time during class.  I will gladly give 100 HOME WORK EXTRA CREDIT POINTS to students who complete each section with a score of 80% or better.

Topic:  Ecosystems

International Baccalaureate: Health & Social Education; Environment; Human Ingenuity

Standards:  S7CS2, S7CS3, S7CS5, S7L4

Objectives:

Identify the needs that must be met by an organism’s surroundings

Identify biotic and abiotic parts of a habitat

Describe the levels of organizations within an ecosystem

Describe methods of determining the size of a population

Explain the causes of changes in population size

Identify factors that limit population growth

Explain how an organism’s adaptations help it survive

Describe the major kinds of interaction among organisms in an ecosystem

Identify the 3 types of symbiotic relationships

Describe the differences between primary and secondary succession

Essential Questions:

1.       Where does the energy in my food come from?

2.       Why should the health and well-being of other organisms be important to me?

3.       Where did all that energy come from?

Higher Level Questioning:

1.       How are earth’s biomes differentiated by ecologists?

2.       How might changes in environmental conditions and changes in the transfer of energy affect an ecosystem?

3.       How might changes in the environment affect organisms?

4.       How do organisms “fit” together in an ecosystem?

Monday-  We will warm up with an overview of the levels of organization from cell to organism using our Ecology ppt.  Students will then work on and be assessed on their creation of a completed diagram on the levels of organization from organism to biosphere.  We will close the lesson with a review of the levels of organization.

Homework for Monday-  Read pages 674-678 and do questions 2 & 3. CRCT is 21 school days away!

Tuesday- We will warm up with a review of the levels of organization by going over our homework.  Students will complete notes covering food chains, food webs, and the energy pyramid and they will be assessed by their completion of games and websites we will access.  We will close the lesson with a review of what we learned that day.

Homework for Tuesday-  Read pages 710-715 and choose any 2 questions on page 715.  CRCT is 20  school days away!

Wednesday- We will warm up with a review of food chains and food webs by going over our homework.  We will then go outside if weather permits and do a food web class activity .  Students will be assessed by their interaction with their peers and teacher during the activity.  We will close the lesson with a review of food webs and food chains.

Homework for Wednesday-  Work on Study Island Cells Tests.  CRCT is 19 school days away!

Thursday- We will warm up with an introduction of interactions among organisms: competition, predation and symbiosis and the relationships involved.  Students will be given notes on this material and we will then be assessed by a symbiosis game we will play as a class.  We will close the lesson with a review of symbiotic relationships.  Students will work on a symbiosis project on Friday in class.

Homework for Thursday-  Work on Study Island Cells Tests. CRCT is 18 school days away!

Friday- We will warm up with a review of symbiotic relationships.  Students will go to the computer lab and will work on a Classified ad for a symbiotic relatinship and will be assessed by their understanding and identification of the relationship assigned to them.  We will close the lesson with a review of symbiotic relationships.

Homework for Friday- Symbiosis Classified ads are due on Monday.  Work on Study Island Cells Tests. CRCT is 17 school days away!