Category Archives: Honors Biology

04.21.16
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Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes… in the Environment

Yes its true Mr. Bowie (RIP), the only constant in life is change. The same goes for our environment. Forests didn’t just magically appear, and the great swamps that covered much of the midwest at one point didn’t either. Change occurred in slow and dramatic fashion. Today we’ll be learning about three different types of changes that occur in environments and, good news, this is the last section of our Ecology unit. Those changes are known as:

  • Primary Succession
  • Secondary Succession
  • Eutrophication

Below is a brief (less than 5 minutes) overview of these changes. What I’d like you to do is to 1. take the notes and 2. take a sheet of paper (preferably the one you picked up when you came in), turn it landscape (so that it is wider than it is tall) draw the images shown in the presentation when instructed. When you’re finished there are some review question to cover as well.

Here is a great example of Secondary Succession:

As a reminder, tomorrow in class our lab will require the use of open flames. So please no loose clothing and be prepared to tie your hair back.

04.18.16
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Climate Challenge

Today we’ll be covering human impacts on the environment and discussing the ecological case studies we read about last week.  We’ll cover several topics including:

  • Acid Rain
  • Ozone layer depletion
  • Mass Extinction
  • Depletion of Natural Resources/Destruction of habitat
  • Climate Change
  • Invasive Species

After that, we’re going to play a game courtesy of the BBC. The game is called “Climate Challenge” and basically you get to run a country that is facing the threat of global climate change head on. You’ll have to balance protecting the earth, your citizens, and your job! Use the link below to reach the game (*note, if you are using a iOS device you will need to view this using the puffin app). Good luck, have fun, and learn something!

Climate Challenge – The Game

03.24.16
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Evolution Review!

Greetings from the campus of THE Ohio State University in beautiful Columbus, Ohio! That’s where I’ll be today. But I believe you’ll do a great job without me today. You’ve done a great job with the graphic organizers and it’s amazing to see how much content yo have picked up and recalled because of it! It’s a lot to cover but you’ve done it and done it well. Today I’d like you to:

  • Finish your illustrations
  • Add as much information to your board as you can (keep it neat and near the topic on the organizer)
  • Complete your video and email it to me(time-lapse or narrated). You may want to add background music for effect.
  • Complete the info-search you picked up in the front of the room (you can do it by yourself, with your table, or as a class… your choice)

Use the graphic organizer you created on Monday as a study guide this weekend. Remember you Unit 9 Group test is the first day back from Easter break, Tuesday the 29th! It will be some multiple choice but mostly fill-in and short answer. Have a great Easter!

03.16.16
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What did a T-Rex Taste Like?

trexLink: What did a T-Rex Taste Like?

Believe it or not, we actually have was of finding this answer despite the fact the Tyrannosaurus Rex has been extinct for over 65 million years. We can determine a T-Rex features, including taste, using similar features (which we now know are called homologous structures). shared with animals the T-Rex is closely related to.

Recall that yesterday we learned that the more features you have in common, the higher the probability that you share a common ancestor/DNA (the exception would be convergent evolution where two species become increasingly similar despite the fact the originated from different ancestors). So what we can do is plot relatedness, based on characteristics, on a graphic called a cladogram, like the one shown here.

So Today, that’s exactly what we’ll be doing, using the link at the top of this post, you’ll follow the steps to learn how cladograms are created, organized, and what the different branches of it mean. By the time you are through, you will know what it tastes like to bite into a big fat dino-burger!

03.10.16
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Evolution Simulation

In our previous class we played a game using Darwin’s theory of Natural selection to see if we could help a fictional species last for a million years. There were environmental factors that influenced change, and ways of adding variation to a population.

Now we can take what we have learned and actually apply it to a real evolution simulation. We obviously cannot make evolution happen in a lab, but we can simulate it using Darwin’s theory. Click the link below (iPad users must be in the Puffin browser, not Safari) to be taken to the simulation. Read the directions, follow the procedure I have provided, collect your data, and graph your results.

Link: Evolution Simulation

Simulation

Watch how small changes in populations can have big impacts. You can also change settings to see how these animals would fair when their food source behaves differently.

03.08.16
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Who Wants to Live a Million Years?

Since evolution cannot occur before our eyes in a class period, today we’ll be ‘simulating’ evolution with a game called “Who Wants to Live a Million Years?”. There are directions and questions you must answer when you play. Those can be found using this link. Click the image or one of the links below to be taken to the game. (*iPad users: You must download and use the Puffin web browser to run these simulations)

Who Wants to Live a Million Years

Link 1 – Science Channel                  Link 2 – Animal Planet

Million

Choose variations in a population to try to survive for a million years. Watch out for environmental changes and mutations!

02.22.16
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Common Assessment #3

Hopefully we had some good study time over the last few days to prepare for Common Assessment #3!

As a reminder, here is the information included in the 35 (for honors, 30 for academic) question assessment:

  • Unit 7 – Reproduction
    • Types of Reproduction
    • The Cell Cycle, Stem Cells, & Cancer
    • Mitosis
    • Meiosis
    • Karyotyping & Genetic Disorders
  • Unit 8 – Genetics
    • Mendel (& his laws)
    • Advanced Genetics 
      • Codominance, Incomplete Dominance, Multiple Alleles, Sex-Linked
    • Pedigrees
    • Dihybrd Crosses

The Link below will take you to the answer sheet. Answer all questions on the answer sheet, do not write on the test. When you finish, there is an option to go back and review your work. Do not ever press the back button on the browser, you will have to start all over. Good Luck & Think Spring!

Link  – Common Assessment #3

01.26.16
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Unit 7 Review

Our Unit 7 Test is tomorrow (wait… what?)

We’ll be reviewing once more in class today but I wanted to make you aware of a resource available to you. I have created a Padlet for you to share resources with your classmates on. You can post questions, discussions, pictures, documents, or information for others to view to help everyone prepare for the Unit 7 test. If you post something that helps other prepare for the test (answer a question, post a fact, etc.) you will receive one bonus point on the test. Click the link below to be taken to the padlet.

http://padlet.com/jkubuske/Unit7

On top of that, I will post the answer key to the Hunger Games stations we worked on yesterday here in the space below. If the link is not active, check back later.

Unit 7 Hunger Games: Answer Key

There was a lot of vocal, concepts, and information. So get your info organized! Other than that review your study guide, go back over the notes, watch the youtube videos, and pray for good luck.