Life Sciences Wahiawa

2012-01-29T17:32:00.001-08:00

7.5.4 Body Structure AdaptationsAll living creatures need to satisfy the six basic needs of life: get food, get water, protect themselves from the environment, protect themselves from other organisms, get air (oxygen), and reproduce.

Every single body structure adaptation and behavior must help the organism satisfy one of these basic needs of life. For example, a turtle's shell has evolved over millions of years to help them protect themselves from their predators and a whale's blowhole helps it obtain oxygen easily when it surfaces.

Check out these other strange animals and note their peculiar body structure adaptations. (The one above is the axolotl from Mexico.) What basic needs are satisfied?

http://webecoist.com/2009/02/03/the-9-strangest-animals-on-earth/

http://listverse.com/nature/top-10-strangest-animals/

http://webecoist.momtastic.com/2009/12/21/15-rare-exotic-amazing-plant-species/

2012-01-23T13:05:00.001-08:00

Mitosis!

Here is what mitosis looks like:

Here is the Brainpop.
http://www.brainpop.com/science/livingsystems/mitosis/

Video from Twilight!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOM_u1PY0s0

2012-01-15T18:49:00.001-08:00

Asexual and Sexual Reproduction (7.5.1)Organisms have two ways of reproduction: asexually (one parent) and sexually (two parents). Both have their benefits and dangers.

Asexual reproduction (having one parent from which 100% of the DNA is transferred) includes fission (bacteria), mitosis (eukaryotes), regeneration, potatoes and banana suckers. It's fast, no need to find a mate, and the good genes are guaranteed to be passed on. However, the bad genes are also passed on, and the lack of genetic diversity becomes a problem (more about this as we learn about bananas).

Sexual reproduction (having two parents from which 50% of the DNA is transferred from each) includes an egg cell (mother) and a sperm cell (father). We'll cover fertilization, parrotfish populations, and meiosis. Genetic diversity is ensured, but time and energy is needed to find a mate.

Strange Mating Rituals!
More Strange Mating Rituals
Zoo Matchmaker

YouTube Videos:

Asexual Reproduction:
Bacteria Fission
Mitosis

Sexual Reproduction:
Sea Horse
Praying Mantis

2012-01-08T22:03:00.001-08:00

Quiz #1: 7.4.4 Classification of Life

Here are some review activities for Quiz #1:

Six Kingdoms Review
http://nortonbooks.com/college/biology/animations/ch03a01.htm

Classification Worksheet
http://www.biologycorner.com/worksheets/taxonomy_interpret.html

Relatedness of Species
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/change/family/

2012-01-02T23:28:00.001-08:00

7.4.4 Organization of Life: 6 Kingdoms

All life is made out of cells. But scientists needed an efficient way of grouping life forms into different groups.

The largest group is the kingdoms. There are six kingdoms of life: animalia, plantae, fungi, protista, archaebacteria, and eubacteria. There are four questions we normally ask to help differentiate the kingdoms.
1) Is it autotrophic or heterotrophic? (How does it get its glucose?)
2) Is it eukaryotic or prokaryotic? (Does it have a nucleus?)
3) Does it have a cell wall?
4) Is it unicellular or multicellular?

Check out these videos of the different life forms!

Kingdom Animalia: Chrysaora fuscescens
Kingdom Plantae: Dionaea muscipula
Kingdom Fungi: Lycoperdon pusillum
Kingdom Protista: Euglena pisciformis
Kingdom Archaebacteria: Extreme Life Forms
Kingdom Eubacteria: Escherichia coli

Fun microscope activity to learn about microbes.

2011-12-13T08:48:00.001-08:00

Owl Pellets

Owls don't have teeth, so they have to tear chunks of food and swallow it whole. In its digestive system, the owl draws away nutrients. The bones and fur of their prey is then regurgitated as owl pellets.

Try out an online version of owl pellets at http://www.kidwings.com/owlpellets/index.htm#

When dissecting an owl pellet one must be careful to extract as many bones as possible, and thus careful lab habits are essential. Have fun!

2011-12-05T01:29:00.000-08:00

2nd Quarter Review

Final test this week, covering the following topics.
***If you haven't already, finish notes on page 89 on the organ systems by looking at these powerpoints.***

Powerpoint Download

7.4.1 Cell Theory of Life (Pages 64-69)

What is the cell theory of life?
What is the history of the cell?
How do you know something is alive?
What are the parts of a microscope?

7.4.2 Cells and Cell Organelles (Pages 70-85)

What is a cell?
What are the organelles inside a cell? What are their functions?
What is the difference between plant and animal cells?
http://www.cellsalive.com/cells/3dcell.htm
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/cells/insideacell/
http://www.quia.com/jg/1481157.html
http://www.quia.com/ba/144642.html
http://www.quia.com/hm/703605.html
http://flashcards.engrade.com/lifesciences
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=59D5D3374F103612

7.4.3 Organization of Organisms and Organ Systems (Pages 86-93)

How is an organism organized?
What are some major organ systems? Function? Major Organs? Interesting Facts?
http://www.kineticcity.com/controlcar/activity.php?virus=nastro&act=4
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody
http://www.brainpop.com/science/diversityoflife/humanbody

2011-11-28T22:38:00.001-08:00

Substitute Plans (Friday / December 2nd)

Powerpoint 1202 Substitute Body Systems

First 45 Minutes:
Work on Page 90 MyWay
Work on Body Systems Notes and Slideshows
Make Flashcards on Engrade http://flashcards.engrade.com/ (must first sign into Engrade)
Work on Science Fair

Next 15 Minutes:
Brainpop: http://www.brainpop.com/science/diversityoflife/humanbody/
Quiz on Page 93

Last 45 Minutes:
Work on Page 90 MyWay
Work on Body Systems Notes and Slideshows
Make Flashcards on Engrade http://flashcards.engrade.com/ (must first sign into Engrade)
Work on Science Fair
Crossword/Word Search on Page 92

2011-11-20T20:51:00.000-08:00

Organ Donations

There were a few questions in class about what happens when people donate or receive organs. Check out these sites for more information:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/organ-donation/FL00077
http://www.organdonor.gov/Default.asp
http://www.transplantliving.org/beforethetransplant/allocation/matchingOrgans.aspx

Also, some scientists are attempting to try new ways of creating organs. One innovative technique is printing organs.

http://www.ted.com/talks/view/lang/en//id/1088

2011-11-14T22:36:00.000-08:00

7.4.3 Describe the basic organization of organisms.

Living things (organisms) are organized to accomplish their basic needs of reacting to stimuli, growing and developing, using energy, and reproducing.

Animals and plants are organized from cells-->tissues-->organs-->organ systems-->organisms.

There are numerous organ systems that help us live!

Try out some of the following activities to learn more about them.

http://www.kineticcity.com/controlcar/activity.php?virus=nastro&act=4

http://www.ck12.org/flexbook/book/2536/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody

http://www.brainpop.com/science/diversityoflife/humanbody

2011-11-10T07:55:00.000-08:00

Substitute Plans

Powerpoint (1110 Substitute)

Work on the following pages:
p. 78 MyWay: 3 Additional Analogies (Optional, Extra Credit)
p. 79 Analogies
p. 80 MyWay: What is the difference between plant and animal cells?
pp. 82-85 Cells Project

Watch this video:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/stem-cells-research.html

2011-10-28T16:38:00.000-07:00

Why You Shouldn't Smoke!

Here are some resources we talked about for the anti-smoking lesson we had.

1) Over 400,000 deaths every year are caused by smoking.

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/tobacco_related_mortality/

2) There are over 4,000 chemicals found in cigarettes.

http://www.quit-smoking-stop.com/harmful-chemicals-in-cigarettes.html

3) Anti-smoking Ads (from YouTube)

Fatty Deposits in Your Arteries

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXAlpHSI-d0

Smoking Through Throat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhYtDCMvN2E

Throat Cancer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hySFt8O11A

Stroke

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArYIH-FbQvM

Look for more of these in YouTube under "Anti-Smoking."

2011-10-24T17:28:00.001-07:00

Cell Websites

Cells Alive

Inside a Cell

Virtual Cell

2011-10-18T09:25:00.001-07:00

Cells, Cells, and More Cells! From one viewpoint, 2nd quarter can be focused on the basic unit of life, or cells. Cell Theory (7.4.1) talks about how all life is made out of cells. Cell Structure and Function (7.4.2) talks about what a cell is and the organelles within the cell. Organ Systems (7.4.3) talks about how animals and plants are made up of different organs systems, each with their own types of cells. And Classification (7.4.4) talks about how life is classified into six kingdoms based on the types of cells they have.

Check out this website to see the basic structures of cells.

Also, here is a good activity to see how big cells are.

2011-10-10T20:11:00.000-07:00

2nd Quarter Starts!
Welcome back to school. This is a fun and exciting quarter where we start asking "What is life?" "What is life made of?" and "How is life organized?" We'll learn about the cell theory (7.4.1), the structure and function of cells (7.4.2), organ systems (7.4.3), and classification (7.4.4).

Make sure to check back regularly for worksheets, powerpoints, and online review activities!

2011-09-30T19:44:00.001-07:00

1) Design and conduct a new science experiment. Make a poster.

2) Describe what went wrong in the fire/water bottle experiment. The first bottle had 25mL of alcohol, that we let evaporate and added a match. Boom! Then we added 75mL of alcohol to the same bottle, let it evaporate, and added a match. Small fire.

Why?!? Why did the second try end so weak?

Engrade me a 4-5 sentence answer with supporting evidence.

YouTube Video

Read your ARs!

2011-09-30T09:41:00.000-07:00

End of 1st Quarter

Calculate your current grade in science. Double check with Engrade to see what you have. If you are not satisfied with your grade, over the break you should create an Extra Credit Assignment. Essentially, take one of the benchmarks we covered in class and make a quality "MyWay" on a poster, on the Internet, etc. Or you can do a second science experiment and make a poster about it. Every little point counts.

2011-09-27T17:36:00.000-07:00

1st Quarter Final Test

This is the final week of the first quarter! We've learned a lot, and it is time for you to show what you know.
7.1.1 Scientific Method and Metrics
7.1.1 Variables and Nutrition
7.1.1 Writing an Experiment
7.1.2 Replicable Trials
7.2.1 Reliable Sources

2011-09-23T19:42:00.000-07:00

Diamond Head / Submarine Field Trip 2011

2011-09-20T17:37:00.001-07:00

Mentos Explosion Results!To add more data to our sample size, I included last year's heights as well.

Also, the one "weird" Diet Coke one was because only one mento got added. Please talk about this during the analysis.):

Diet Coke 4.0m, 4.5m, 1.5m, 3.5m (Avg. = ?)
Coke 2.5m, 3.0m, 2.5m, 3.0m (Avg. = ?)
Mountain Dew 0.9m, 1.0m, 1.0m, 1.0m (Avg. = ?)

Thank you to our helpers!

YouTube Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzrdOj9B7ws

2011-09-17T16:35:00.000-07:00

First Quarter Project https://sites.google.com/a/lifescienceswahiawa.com/20112012/home/1st-quarter/1st-quarter-project

Your first quarter poster project is due this week. On the poster, you need to include the following vocabulary terms:

Purpose, Research, Hypothesis, Procedure, Independent Variable, Dependent Variable, Controlled Variable

Choose one of the following:
1) Binder Organization Lab
2) Mentos Explosion Lab
3) Detergents
4) Nutritional Studies
5) Make your own experiment

2011-09-17T15:39:00.001-07:00

Famous Experiments

BlackDeath
How did they prove that it was the rats that caused the disease?
http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/worldhistory/blackdeath/

Edward Jenner, Smallpox, and Vaccines
What did milkmaids have to do with the eradication of Smallpox?
http://www.brainpop.com/health/diseasesinjuriesandconditions/smallpox/
http://www.brainpop.com/health/diseasesinjuriesandconditions/vaccines/

Alexander Fleming and Antibiotics
Anti (against) biotics (life) helped human beings combat many forms of bacteria.
http://www.brainpop.com/science/ecologyandbehavior/antibioticresistance/

Pavlov's Dogs
Bells, saliva, and the concept of conditioning. Also, try out the game!
http://nobelprize.org/educational/medicine/pavlov/readmore.html
"conditioned responses."

Robert Koch and Tuberculosis
What are Koch's Postulates about diseases? Try out the game!
http://nobelprize.org/educational/medicine/tuberculosis/readmore.html

2011-09-10T22:05:00.000-07:00

Placebo Effect
"The Growing Power of the Sugar Pill" by Alix Spiegel
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124367058

A good article on the placebo effect and how the belief in the effectiveness of the treatment can actually convince some people that it is working, even if it is a placebo.

"As part of an experimental study a doctor in Colorado was injecting fetal tissue into the brains of people with Parkinson's. The researchers believed that the experiment was relatively safe, but there was one catch: 40 people would be accepted into the study, but only 20 would get the real operation. Twenty would get a placebo operation; they'd go through everything that the real patients went through without getting the fetal tissue.

So why go through this pain and trouble? Because the doctor knew that even fake surgery — placebo surgery — will often give people relief. And, he felt he needed to compare the effect of the real operation with a fake one. That way he would know what effect the fetal tissue really had"

2011-09-10T20:27:00.001-07:00

Ethical Questions about Control Groups

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/19/health/research/19trial.html?hp

For most scientific studies, setting up a control group with a placebo is necessary to determine how effective the new drug might be. But, what if the drug has shown promise to relieve much suffering and even extend the life of the patient? Is it still ethical to not provide the patient with the drug?

This is a tough question, especially in cases dealing with cancer where the disease and even the treatments cause much suffering.

What do you think?

2011-09-07T20:45:00.001-07:00

Nutritional Studies

In class, we've been reading summaries of various Nutritional Studies that collected data on certain nutrients and their effects on health.

Nutritional Studies (Harvard School of Public Health)

Students must identify the sample size, independent variables (what groups are being tested), and dependent variables (what is being measured) of each study.

For example, in the study about Red Meat Protein and Heart Disease, over 500,000 older men and women were studied. The groups compared were heavy red meat eaters, heavy processed meat eaters, and low meat eaters. It was found that in men, heavily eating red meat increased the risk of dying by 31% and heavily eating processed meat increased the risk of dying by 16% compared to the low meat eating group. In women, the increases in risk of dying were 50% and 25% respectively (http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20090323/eating-red-meat-may-boost-death-risk).

2011-08-31T03:43:00.000-07:00

After you finish the quiz, work on your p.26 MyWay: Nutrients.

Also, check out this online MyPyramid Activity that teaches about the newer way of thinking about a balanced diet.

2011-08-28T19:07:00.001-07:00

Fast Food Nutritional Information
Study the following menus and nutritional sheets to figure out how healthy certain meals are.

McDonalds
http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/food/food_quality/nutrition_choices.html

Burger King
http://www.bk.com/en/us/menu-nutrition/index.html

Jack in the Box
http://www.jackinthebox.com/

Subway Sandwiches
http://www.subway.com/menu/default.aspx

Kentucky Fried Chicken
http://www.kfc.com/nutrition/pdf/kfc_nutrition.pdf

Pizza Hut
https://quikorder.pizzahut.com/phorders3/Files/PDF/PH_WSNationalBrochure4.13.10.pdf

Taco Bell
http://www.tacobell.com/nutrition

2011-08-22T23:08:00.000-07:00

Metric Measurements: Volume
Volume Measurements (Try out different graduated cylinders)
http://www.teachingmeasures.co.uk/menu.html

Volume Prefixes and Comparisons
http://www.aaamath.com/B/mea.htm#topic73

Volume Measurements Practice (Spell it "litres")
http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/maths/measures/index.htm

2011-08-14T05:42:00.001-07:00

Metric Measurements: MassTry out the following activities to practice your metric system and Mass.

Mass Measurements (Try out the different Scales)
http://www.teachingmeasures.co.uk/menu.html

Mass Units
http://www.aaamath.com/B/mea.htm#topic58

Post Office Practice
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/teachers/ks2_activities/maths/measures.shtml

2011-08-10T23:52:00.000-07:00

Metric Measurements: Length
Try out the following activities to practice your metric system.

Conversion Practice for Meters
http://www.quia.com/pop/29582.html?AP_rand=344444838

Measurements of the Dollar Bill
http://books.quia.com/quiz/1494097.html?AP_rand=437389848

Ruler Practice
http://www.funbrain.com/measure/index.html

Metric Prefixes Quiz
http://www.321know.com/mea212x3.htm

2011-08-07T23:44:00.000-07:00

Composition Book

Let's set up your comp books. Please have the following pages:

Inside Cover: Contact Information
Page 1: Title Page (Your Drawing of What is Life Sciences?)
Page 2: How Families Can Help
Page 3: Syllabus
Page 4: Left Side / My Way
Page 5: Right Side / Cornell Notes
Pages 6/7: Discipline Plan
Pages 8/9: Lab Safety
Page 10: Blank

Page 11: 1st Quarter Title Page
Page 12: 1st Quarter Benchmarks
Page 13: 1st Quarter Grading Policy
Pages 14/15: 1st Quarter Grading Sheets
Pages 16/17: 1st Quarter Vocabulary

2011-08-03T21:24:00.001-07:00

Class Rules and Safety Guidelines

To review for the quiz on Monday, try out the Rags to Riches activity.

http://www.quia.com/rr/496967.html

2011-08-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Science 2011-2012

It's going to be a great year. Please remember to buy your materials (especially the composition books) and fill out the necessary forms.

Also, please fill out the following survey to help me learn a bit about you.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WZZCMVW

2011-07-21T21:04:00.001-07:00

Supply List 2011

Here is the supply list (as of July 26, 2011) for my team of Dar, Stader, Lee, and Grace.

https://sites.google.com/a/lifescienceswahiawa.com/20112012/home/1st-quarter/2011-2012supplieslist.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1

Note that Ms. Grace's list has changed reflecting her request for a 5 Subject notebook.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

2011-06-02T12:35:00.000-07:00

Frog Dissection (Video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um8t0yuQN60

2011-05-21T03:23:00.001-07:00

Last Activity of the School Year: Frog Dissection!

Congratulations on working so hard in this year's 7th grade science class. I hope you learned plenty and gained valuable study skills. For our final activity of the year, we'll perform a frog dissection.

Frog dissections are a wonderful way to learn about the main organs inside a human body.

1) First, let us participate in a virtual dissection of the frog:

http://www.froguts.com/

2) Then, we'll perform a real dissection as a class. This activity will be voluntary.

Remember, be respectful of the life around us. Have a great summer!

2011-05-21T03:20:00.001-07:00

Final Survey 2010-2011

Please take the following survey to help Mr. Lee improve as a teacher next year. Please be honest with all questions.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XX9XYSB

2011-05-15T20:20:00.000-07:00

4th Quarter Review

To finalize the year's learning, we'll take our 4th Quarter Final Exam this week. It will cover the three benchmarks we studied. Review the powerpoints and activities for each benchmark. Also, try out the brainpop videos.
7.3.1 Food Webs, Photosynthesis, and Cellular Respiration
Powerpoints
Vocabulary Practice 7.3.1 #1
Vocabulary Practice 7.3.1 #2
http://www.brainpop.com/science/ecologyandbehavior/foodchains/
http://www.brainpop.com/science/cellularlifeandgenetics/photosynthesis/
http://www.brainpop.com/science/cellularlifeandgenetics/cellularrespiration/

7.3.2 Symbiosis and Relationships Between Organisms
Powerpoints
Vocabulary Practice 7.3.2
http://www.brainpop.com/science/ecologyandbehavior/symbiosis/

7.3.3 Abiotic and Biotic Factors, Biomes and Ecosystems
Powerpoints
Vocabulary Practice 7.3.3 #1
Vocabulary Practice 7.3.3 #2
http://www.brainpop.com/science/earthsystem/landbiomes/
http://www.brainpop.com/science/ecologyandbehavior/ecosystems/

2011-04-25T11:04:00.001-07:00

7.3.3 Biomes and Ecosystems
The environment is a delicate balance of non-living (abiotic) and living (biotic) factors. Temperature, precipitation, soil, and water are examples of abiotic aspects that must be preserved. Plants and animals are examples of biotic aspects that must be protected.

Many of our species are becoming endangered or extinct because the abiotic and biotic factors in their environment are changing too rapidly. Pollution and global warming are affecting the abiotic parts, while overfishing and deforestation are affecting the biotic parts.

Different areas of the world have different abiotic and biotic factors. A desert is very different from a tropical rainforest in its precipitation and soil (abiotic) and in its plants and animals (biotic).

7.3.3 WebQuest helps explore various abiotic and biotic factors of the environment. Also, explore the various biomes out there to see where your endangered species lives!

7.3.3 Biomes Review Activity on Quia
http://www.quia.com/jg/2234961.html

2011-04-13T00:32:00.000-07:00

7.3.2 Relationships Between Organisms

Organisms have adapted to live together in various ways. In a predator/prey relationship, one species eats another species. In competition, two species fight for the same resources. In mutualism, both species help each other out and both benefit. In parasitism, one species harms the host species. And in commensalism, one species benefits, while the other species doesn't care.

7.3.2 WebQuest For each of the pairs of organisms, determine if they are examples of a)predator/prey, b)mutualism, c)parasitism, d)commensalism, or e)competition. Support with a description of which organisms benefit and which organisms get hurt.

Lastly, research a symbiotic relationship that involves your endangered species. Include this research in your slideshow presentation.

2011-04-05T14:36:00.001-07:00

7.3.1 Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration

Plants are amazing organisms in that they capture sunlight energy and convert it into usable energy through a process called photosynthesis. This happens in the chloroplasts.

CO2 + H2O + sunlight energy --> C6H12O6 + O2

Once this energy is stored as glucose, it can then be converted back into chemical energy (ATP) through a process called cellular respiration. This happens in the mitochondria.

C6H12O6 + O2 --> CO2 + H2O + ATP energy

Check out this nice little animation about how photosynthesis works:
http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/diagrams/photosynthesis/photosynthesis.html

2011-04-05T14:32:00.000-07:00

7.3.1 Kaneohe Fishponds
The ancient Hawaiian ahupua'a was a self-sustaining ecosystem, that relied on the balance of nature, and their careful stewardship, to keep the plants and animals healthy and bountiful. One amazing example was their use of fishponds (or loko i'a) to have a plentiful supply of fish for the ali'i. The small fry that swim through the makaha feed on the roots of plants, phytoplankton, and other small organisms in the fishpond, but then become too big to leave.

Make a food web based on the organisms above. Make sure to pay attention to both what they eat and what eats them.

You can practice making a slideshow food web with pictures from the following:
https://sites.google.com/a/lifescienceswahiawa.com/20102011/home/4th-quarter/7-3-1-food-chains-and-food-webs/kaneohe-fish-pond

Then, take a virtual field trip to the He'eia Fishpond out in Kaneohe.
http://ksdl.ksbe.edu/heeia/pages/history.html

2011-03-24T11:58:00.000-07:00

7.3.1 Food Chains and Food WebsFood chains and food webs help show how energy is transferred through an ecosystem. There are three roles in an ecosystem: producers, consumers, and decomposers. As plants and animals are eaten, less and less energy gets transferred up the food chain. That's why an ecosystem needs a lot of producers to support only a few top consumers.

7.3.1 Food Chains and Food Webs on 2nd WebSite
7.3.1 WebQuest

Create Basic Food Chains
1) http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/food/food_menu.html
2) http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/frogs/chain_reaction/play_chainreaction.cfm
3) http://www.gould.edu.au/foodwebs/kids_web.htm

Create More Complex Food Webs:
4) http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/blueplanet/webs/flash/main_game.shtml
5) http://puzzling.caret.cam.ac.uk/game.php?game=foodchain
6) http://www.blue-iceberg.net/rutgersfoodweb/frameset.html

2011-03-21T22:53:00.000-07:00

4th Quarter Endangered Species Slideshow ProjectFor your final project, you'll be expected to create a well researched, informative slideshow presentation on an endangered species. Choose an animal or plant that is being threatened by human actions today and become an expert on how to best save that organism from becoming extinct!

Your project will include how your organism fits within the food web of their environment (7.3.1), how your organism interacts with other creatures (7.3.2), and how your organism's ecosystem is being affected by mankind (7.3.3).

Here are some good links to help you locate endangered species.

http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/

http://www.earthsendangered.com/

http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/planet-earth/animals/animals.html

http://webecoist.com/2008/08/24/strangest-endangered-species-and-animals/

2011-03-20T04:01:00.001-07:00

Attention PERIOD 3:

Welcome to the start of 4th Quarter!!!

Please click here to be linked to the powerpoints for PERIOD 3.

Ms Josie

2011-03-09T08:15:00.000-08:00

Genetic and Heredity Wrap-up Activites:

Genetic Diversity (7.5.6)/ Endangered Species (7.3.3):
Zoo Matchmaker

Body Structure Adaptations (7.5.4) /Natural Selection (7.5.3):
Darwin “Who Wants to Live a Million Years?”

Punnett Square (7.5.2):
Punnett Square Lab
Punnett Square Hoop Shootout
Dog Breeding

Evolution (7.5.3):
Theory of Evolution
Biology in Motion: Evolution Lab

Secrets at Sea: introduces food webs, relationships between animals and their environment

Food Webs (7.3.1):
Food Chain Game
Fun with Food Webs

2011-03-06T20:20:00.000-08:00

3rd Quarter Review

3rd Quarter Review Powerpoint

7.5.1 and 7.5.6 Asexual Reproduction, Sexual Reproduction, and Genetic Diversity
7.5.4 Body Structure Adaptations
7.5.2 Genes and Heredity
7.5.3 and 7.5.5 Evolution and Fossil Evidence

Good luck!

2011-02-25T10:58:00.001-08:00

7.5.3 and 7.5.5 Timeline of the World
Since the formation of the Earth 4.6 billion years ago, much has happened. The fossil record is quite extensive, especially since the Cambrian explosion, showing a great diversity of life and adaptations over time. Explore the following websites and practice your scientific notation skills in writing out the years.

Overview of the Time Periods:
http://www.physci.wsc.ma.edu/young/hgeol/geoinfo/geohistory.html#phanerozoic

More specific details since the Cambrian Explosion:
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/cambrian/camb.html

Fossils from Pre-Cambrian through Tertiary Age:
http://www.fossilmuseum.net/Paleobiology/Precambrian-Fossils.htm

Worksheet:
https://sites.google.com/a/lifescienceswahiawa.com/20102011/home/3rd-quarter/7-5-3-evolution-and-7-5-5-fossils/52TimelineoftheWorldAnswerSheet.pdf?attredirects=0

2011-02-18T11:24:00.001-08:00

7.5.3 Natural Selection and Evolution
Life on Earth has been around for over 3 billion years. (Who knows how long it has existed elsewhere in the universe?) Starting from the smallest unicellular bacteria billions of years ago, life has adapted and evolved into wondrous forms of unimaginable beauty and diversity. Looking at the existing species of the world is only a glimpse to the 99% of extinct creatures that have once inhabited this Earth, from the dinosaurs to our ancient primate relative, Ida.

How does life change and adapt over time, to eventually create new creatures and new classes of animals? Through natural selection, where the fittest survive and beneficial mutations are passed on to the offspring.

Check out more information at:

http://www.wellcometreeoflife.org./interactive/
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/03/4/l_034_02.html

Games and simulations:

http://biologyinmotion.com/evol/index.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/edexcel/environment/evolutionact.shtml
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/beta/evolution/guess-embryo.html

2011-02-06T12:47:00.000-08:00

7.5.2 Genes and HeredityWhy do you look a little like your mom, and a little like your dad? How come some traits skip generations? Why can't Mr. Lee ever have a blue eyed baby? I know these questions keep you up at night, so learn about genes and heredity to figure it out!

Dominant and recessive alleles, genotypes and phenotypes, inherited vs. learned traits (nature vs. nurture), Punnett Squares, homozygous and heterozygous genotypes, there are lots of new terms you must know to fully understand genetics.

But the short of it all is, we inherit genes (on chromosomes) from each of our parents. That determines most of who we are!

Activities:

Making Punnett Square: http://www.siskiyous.edu/class/bio1/genetics/monohybrid_v2.html

Genetics WebLab Directory: http://www2.edc.org/weblabs/WebLabDirectory1.html
(Try out the Mendel's Peas and Punnett Squares)

Genetics (The University of Utah): http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/

Play the "DNA-The Double Helix" replication game!
http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/medicine/dna_double_helix/dnahelix.html

Dog Breeding
http://pbskids.org/dragonflytv/games/game_dogbreeding.html

Human Genome Project
http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/BrowseGenes

2011-01-30T15:04:00.001-08:00

2011-01-28T14:13:00.000-08:00

Darwin Survival Game

Can you use genetic diversity to help your creature survive?

http://science.discovery.com/interactives/literacy/darwin/darwin.html

2011-01-25T11:51:00.000-08:00

Mitosis!

Here is what mitosis looks like:

Here is the Brainpop.
http://www.brainpop.com/science/livingsystems/mitosis/

Video from Twilight!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOM_u1PY0s0

2011-01-20T15:30:00.000-08:00

Science Fair!!!!! If you are looking for a resource to help you correctly cite your references in your work cited page... check out Purdue OWL: Research and citation website. It doesn't matter if you chose to use APA or MLA format for your paper. This website shows you how to do both! Just click on the format (APA or MLA) and chose the type of resource (website, book, online journal, newspaper... yes there are different ways to cite each!) Also you can check out Son of Citation. Just click on the format (APA or MLA) and a whole list of resources will come up. Pick on the specific resource you want to cite and it shows you how! Good luck!

2011-01-14T22:08:00.000-08:00

Asexual and Sexual Reproduction (7.5.1)Organisms have two ways of reproduction: asexually (one parent) and sexually (two parents). Both have their benefits and dangers.

Asexual reproduction (having one parent from which 100% of the DNA is transferred) includes fission (bacteria), mitosis (eukaryotes), regeneration, potatoes and banana suckers. It's fast, no need to find a mate, and the good genes are guaranteed to be passed on. However, the bad genes are also passed on, and the lack of genetic diversity becomes a problem (more about this as we learn about bananas).

Sexual reproduction (having two parents from which 50% of the DNA is transferred from each) includes an egg cell (mother) and a sperm cell (father). We'll cover fertilization, parrotfish populations, and meiosis. Genetic diversity is ensured, but time and energy is needed to find a mate.

Strange Mating Rituals!
More Strange Mating Rituals

YouTube Videos:

Asexual Reproduction:
Bacteria Fission
Mitosis

Sexual Reproduction:
Sea Horse
Praying Mantis

2011-01-12T00:40:00.000-08:00

2011-01-04T13:07:00.001-08:00

2010-12-16T08:41:00.001-08:00

Winter Break

Work on extra credit (a poster/project on one of the benchmarks learned).
Work on Science Fair.
https://sites.google.com/a/hanalani.org/mysciencefairtutorial/purpose
Work on Math Packet.
Work on English Packet.
Read 2 AR Books.
Get a new composition book for 2nd Semester.

2010-12-13T00:41:00.000-08:00

2nd Quarter Review

Final test this week, covering the following topics.

Powerpoint Download

7.4.1 Cell Theory of Life (Pages 64-71)

What is the cell theory of life?
What is the history of the cell?
How do you know something is alive?
What are the parts of a microscope?

7.4.2 Cells and Cell Organelles (Pages 72-85)

What is a cell?
What are the organelles inside a cell? What are their functions?
What is the difference between plant and animal cells?
http://www.cellsalive.com/cells/3dcell.htm
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/cells/insideacell/
http://www.quia.com/jg/1481157.html
http://www.quia.com/ba/144642.html
http://www.quia.com/hm/703605.html
http://flashcards.engrade.com/lifesciences
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=59D5D3374F103612

7.4.3 Organization of Organisms and Organ Systems (Pages 86-93)

How is an organism organized?
What are some major organ systems? Function? Major Organs? Interesting Facts?
http://www.kineticcity.com/controlcar/activity.php?virus=nastro&act=4
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody
http://www.brainpop.com/science/diversityoflife/humanbody

2010-11-24T12:31:00.000-08:00

To all the AVID Students:
From: Ms Josie

Thank you for your participation and hard work during the Organelle Unit. I know it was long and there was a lot of information! But, I hope you are as please as I am with the quiz results!! You all did awesome! I would like to ask one huge favor... can you please take some time to take a survey about the lesson? It's completely anonymous and will be used to help me be a better teacher. Click here to take survey Thank you for taking the time to complete the survey!

Ms Josie

2010-11-21T17:28:00.000-08:00

7.4.3 Describe the basic organization of organisms.

Living things (organisms) are organized to accomplish their basic needs of reacting to stimuli, growing and developing, using energy, and reproducing.

Animals and plants are organized from cells-->tissues-->organs-->organ systems-->organisms.

There are numerous organ systems that help us live!

Try out some of the following activities to learn more about them.

http://www.kineticcity.com/controlcar/activity.php?virus=nastro&act=4

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody

http://www.brainpop.com/science/diversityoflife/humanbody

2010-11-10T14:04:00.000-08:00

New FDA Cigarette Labels

The FDA is choosing different labels to put onto cigarette boxes.

http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/Labeling/CigaretteProductWarningLabels/default.htm

Though not as graphic as the ones found in other countries, they are a step in the right direction to make sure cigarette smokers realize the consequences of their choices.

Which labels do you think will be the most effective? Why? Which labels do you think will be the least effect? Why?

2010-11-10T10:23:00.000-08:00

Cell Organelles Practice

Practice with these cell organelles online activities! Our quiz will be next week, so you must know all of the organelles.
Vocabulary Matching
http://www.quia.com/jg/1481157.html

Battleship
http://www.quia.com/ba/144642.html

Hangman
http://www.quia.com/hm/703605.html

Engrade Flashcards
http://flashcards.engrade.com/lifesciences

2010-11-07T22:56:00.000-08:00

Why You Shouldn't Smoke!

Here are some resources we talked about for the anti-smoking lesson we had.

1) Over 400,000 deaths every year are caused by smoking.

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/Factsheets/cig_smoking_mort.htm

2) There are over 4,000 chemicals found in cigarettes.

http://www.nysmokefree.com/newweb/pageview.aspx?p=4020

3) Anti-smoking Ads (from YouTube)

Fatty Deposits in Your Arteries

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXAlpHSI-d0

Smoking Through Throat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhYtDCMvN2E

Throat Cancer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hySFt8O11A

Stroke

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArYIH-FbQvM

Look for more of these in YouTube under "Anti-Smoking."

2010-11-02T20:07:00.000-07:00

AVID Class: Please checkout Ms Josie's Quiz2 flashcards to prepare for Quiz 2 on Thursday 11/4. Also, if you haven't already done so please retake the MICROSCOPE QUIZ so we can finally get to use the microscopes!!!

2010-10-20T02:59:00.000-07:00

2010-10-14T01:54:00.001-07:00

2010-09-30T14:39:00.001-07:00

2010-09-26T16:06:00.000-07:00

2010-09-22T07:18:00.000-07:00

2010-09-19T18:20:00.000-07:00

First Quarter Project http://sites.google.com/a/lifescienceswahiawa.com/20102011/home/1st-quarter/1st-quarter-project

Your first quarter poster project is due this week. On the poster, you need to include the following vocabulary terms:

Purpose, Research, Hypothesis, Procedure, Independent Variable, Dependent Variable, Controlled Variable

Choose one of the following:
1) Binder Organization Lab
2) Mentos Explosion Lab
3) Nutritional Studies
4) Make your own experiment

2010-09-19T00:01:00.001-07:00

2010-09-10T14:24:00.001-07:00

Drug and Alcohol Abuse

Thank you to Jay-Ryan's sisters and cousin for coming to our class and teaching us about drug and alcohol abuse. Here are a few more resources to check out:

To Write Love on Her Arms
http://www.twloha.com/facts/

Teen Drug Abuse
http://teens.drugabuse.gov/havefun/index.php

Cigarette Facts
http://health.learninginfo.org/cigarette-smoking-facts.htm

2010-09-09T10:45:00.001-07:00

Science Fair Project Evaluations

Please browse through the various state science fair projects from years past. Then, analyze two of these projects in your composition book.

When you are done, discuss what sort of projects were interesting and also what sort of projects you might be interested in doing.

Lastly, try out these online activities.

Pavlov's Dogs
Split Brain

2010-09-09T10:43:00.000-07:00

Famous Science Experiments Through History!

Using the scientific method has helped us understand and cure various diseases over time. Examples covered in class included the bubonic plague, smallpox, and the discovery of antibiotics. Find out more information of these!

Another famous experiment was Pavlov and his ability to train his dogs to salivate on command. Try out this activity to learn more about "conditioned responses."

2010-09-09T10:40:00.001-07:00

2010-08-31T00:37:00.001-07:00

1) Take the comprehensive test for content material from the entire year. The scores should be very low at the beginning of the year and should keep rising throughout the year. The goal is to reach 80% by May!

2) Read pages 518-528 from the textbook and answer the question on nutrients.

3) Create sample meals from various fast food restaurants and analyze if it is relatively healthy or unhealthy.4) Check out this online MyPyramid Activity that teaches about the newer way of thinking about a balanced diet.

2010-08-31T00:22:00.000-07:00

Using Measuring Devices

Here are a few online activities that let you practice measurements.

Rulers (Length)
http://www.wisc-online.com/Objects/ViewObject.aspx?ID=ABM4202

Triple Beam Balance (Mass)
http://www.wisc-online.com/Objects/ViewObject.aspx?ID=GCH202

Graduated Cylinder (Volume)
http://www.wisc-online.com/objects/ViewObject.aspx?ID=GCH302

2010-08-29T18:37:00.000-07:00

Fast Food Nutritional Information
Study the following menus and nutritional sheets to figure out how healthy certain meals are.

McDonalds
http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/food/food_quality/nutrition_choices.html

Burger King
http://www.bk.com/en/us/menu-nutrition/index.html

Jack in the Box
http://www.jackinthebox.com/

Subway Sandwiches
http://www.subway.com/applications/NutritionInfo/index.aspx

Kentucky Fried Chicken
http://www.kfc.com/nutrition/pdf/kfc_nutrition.pdf

Pizza Hut
http://www.pizzahut.com/Files/PDF/PH&WSNationalBrochure4.13.10.pdf

Taco Bell
http://www.tacobell.com/nutrition

2010-08-22T18:24:00.001-07:00

Metric Prefixes Practice

There are many metric prefixes that help simplify the metric system. Scientific notation is also another way of expressing units.

http://www.essex1.com/people/speer/large.html

2010-08-18T15:18:00.000-07:00

Metric Measurements: Mass

Try out the following activities to practice your metric system and Mass.

Mass Measurements (Try out the different Scales)
http://www.teachingmeasures.co.uk/menu.html

Mass Units
http://www.aaamath.com/B/mea.htm#topic58

Post Office Practice
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/maths/shape_space/measures/play.shtml

2010-08-13T01:36:00.001-07:00

2010-08-08T14:14:00.000-07:00

Week 2: Setting Up Composition Book and the Metric System

This week, we're setting up our composition books. Please download any pages you might be missing and paste them on the appropriate pages. Also, start decorating page 1 (Title Page, anything about life sciences) and page 11 (1st Quarter, "What is a scientist?").

We're also starting on notes about the Metric System. Length, volume, and mass will be discussed.

Check out the 2nd Website for Powerpoints, worksheets, and other information.

Next week is Open House! Please come join us; we'll do some activities about eggs.

2010-08-06T15:06:00.001-07:00

Class Rules and Safety Guidelines (Review Game)

Check out this online activity for class rules and safety guidelines. Play it until you can reach $1,000,000. We'll have a quiz on this stuff next week.

http://www.quia.com/rr/496967.html

2010-08-03T02:16:00.000-07:00

Student Survey 2010-2011
Welcome to Science! It's going to be great year. Please remember to buy your materials (especially the composition books) and fill out the necessary forms.

Also, fill out this Student Survey.

2010-05-22T00:30:00.000-07:00

Last Activity of the School Year: Frog Dissection!

Congratulations on working so hard in this year's 7th grade science class. I hope you learned plenty and gained valuable study skills. For our final activity of the year, we'll perform a frog dissection.

Frog dissections are a wonderful way to learn about the main organs inside a human body.

1) First, let us participate in a virtual dissection of the frog:

http://dissect.froguts.com/
2) Then, we'll perform a real dissection as a class. This activity will be voluntary.

Remember, be respectful of the life around us. Have a great summer!

2010-05-18T10:52:00.000-07:00

Final Survey 2009-2010

Please take the following survey to help Mr. Lee improve as a teacher next year. The survey is completely anonymous to ensure for honest answers.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XK7HK63

2010-05-17T23:17:00.000-07:00

4th Quarter Review

To finalize the year's learning, we'll take our 4th Quarter Final Exam this week. It will cover the three benchmarks we studied. Review the powerpoints and activities for each benchmark. Also, try out the brainpop videos.
7.3.1 Food Webs, Photosynthesis, and Cellular Respiration
Powerpoints
http://www.brainpop.com/science/ecologyandbehavior/foodchains/
http://www.brainpop.com/science/cellularlifeandgenetics/photosynthesis/
http://www.brainpop.com/science/cellularlifeandgenetics/cellularrespiration/

7.3.2 Symbiosis and Relationships Between Organisms
Powerpoints
http://www.brainpop.com/science/ecologyandbehavior/symbiosis/

7.3.3 Abiotic and Biotic Factors, Biomes and Ecosystems
Powerpoints
http://www.brainpop.com/science/earthsystem/landbiomes/
http://www.brainpop.com/science/ecologyandbehavior/ecosystems/

2010-05-04T10:30:00.000-07:00

2010-04-20T02:44:00.000-07:00

2010-04-13T00:57:00.000-07:00

CO2 + H2O + sunlight energy --> C6H12O6 + O2

Once this energy is stored as glucose, it can then be converted back into chemical energy (ATP) through a process called cellular respiration. This happens in the mitochondria.

C6H12O6 + O2 --> CO2 + H2O + ATP energy

Check out this nice little animation about how photosynthesis works:
http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/diagrams/photosynthesis/photosynthesis.html

2010-03-31T02:35:00.001-07:00

7.3.1 Kaneohe Fishponds
The ancient Hawaiian ahupua'a was a self-sustaining ecosystem, that relied on the balance of nature, and their careful stewardship, to keep the plants and animals healthy and bountiful. One amazing example was their use of fishponds (or loko i'a) to have a plentiful supply of fish for the ali'i. The small fry that swim through the makaha feed on the roots of plants, phytoplankton, and other small organisms in the fishpond, but then become too big to leave.

Make a food web based on the organisms above. Make sure to pay attention to both what they eat and what eats them.

You can practice making a slideshow food web with pictures from the following:
http://sites.google.com/a/lifescienceswahiawa.com/20092010/4th-quarter-2009-2010/7-3-1-food-chains-and-food-webs/kaneohe-fish-pond

Then, take a virtual field trip to the He'eia Fishpond out in Kaneohe.
http://ksdl.ksbe.edu/heeia/pages/history.html

2010-03-25T00:32:00.000-07:00

7.3.1 Food Chains and Food Webs

Food chains and food webs help show how energy is transferred through an ecosystem. There are three roles in an ecosystem: producers, consumers, and decomposers. As plants and animals are eaten, less and less energy gets transferred up the food chain. That's why an ecosystem needs a lot of producers to support only a few top consumers.

Create Basic Food Chains
1) http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/food/food_menu.html
2) http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/frogs/chain_reaction/play_chainreaction.cfm
3) http://www.gould.edu.au/foodwebs/kids_web.htm

Create More Complex Food Webs:
4) http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/blueplanet/webs/flash/main_game.shtml
5) http://puzzling.caret.cam.ac.uk/game.php?game=foodchain

2010-03-23T02:03:00.000-07:00

4th Quarter Endangered Species Slideshow ProjectFor your final project, you'll be expected to create a well researched, informative slideshow presentation on an endangered species. Choose an animal or plant that is being threatened by human actions today and become an expert on how to best save that organism from becoming extinct!

Your project will include how your organism fits within the food web of their environment, how your organism interacts with other creatures, and how your organism's ecosystem is being affected by mankind.

Here are some good links to help you locate endangered species.

http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/

http://www.earthsendangered.com/

http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/planet-earth/animals/animals.html

2010-03-18T15:46:00.000-07:00

Domestication of Dogs
New research tracking DNA differences suggests that dogs were first domesticated in the Middle East over 10,000 years ago.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/18/science/18dogs.html

It is interesting to note how important the domestication of dogs was to the eventual settlement of human beings from a hunter-gatherer society to an agricultural society.

2010-03-17T12:08:00.000-07:00

Half-Way Through Spring Break!

Got your ARs done? Finished up with your math packets? If you're bored, try out:

and

2010-03-03T01:45:00.001-08:00

2010-02-24T10:16:00.001-08:00

7.5.3 and 7.5.5 Timeline of the World
Since the formation of the Earth 4.6 billion years ago, much has happened. The fossil record is quite extensive, especially since the Cambrian explosion, showing a great diversity of life and adaptations over time. Explore the following websites and practice your scientific notation skills in writing out the years.

Overview of the Time Periods:
http://www.physci.wsc.ma.edu/young/hgeol/geoinfo/geohistory.html#phanerozoic

More specific details since the Cambrian Explosion:
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/cambrian/camb.html

Worksheet:
http://sites.google.com/a/lifescienceswahiawa.com/20092010/3rd-quarter-2009-2010/7-5-3-evolution/50TimelineoftheWorld.pdf

2010-02-23T00:09:00.000-08:00

2010-02-07T22:10:00.000-08:00