Photosynthesis Jing Projects

Using my last post (How to Embed Video on your Blog) as a guide, please embed your Photosynthesis Jing into a blog post. Do this today. Come up with a descriptive title for your post, and give a quick (1-2 sentence) introduction. Make sure that the video window fits into the space provided on your blog. For instructions on how to resize embedded video, see this post: Resizing Embedded Video.

By the end of the week (12/9/11) I'd like you to comment on two of your classmates' photosynthesis Jing posts. An appropriate comment might ask a question about something in the video (regarding content or animation), or could point out something specific and positive that was helpful or instructive to you. It's not just, "that was cool" or "great job." We'll talk in class more about what constitutes a "quality" comment. Note: you should answer any questions posed to you on your blog posts. A list of links to the class blogs can be found on the sidebar here at The Living Jungle.

How to Embed Video on your blog

Here is a useful video to show passive and active transport. I've embedded it here as a sample video in order to show you how to embed any video into your blog.



Here is a Jing Tutorial that shows how I embedded that video above:



And then a quick tutorial on how to embed a Jing video (How to do what I just did). We'll talk more about Jing in class soon, because you'll be using it as a new way to share infomation and projects.

Cell Posts

Welcome back from our Halloween "Storm Vacation." Because many people are still out of power, I'm going to give you two blog post assignments to complete by the end of the week. If you need more time because of power/internet outages, that's fine. You may work on these in class, in study halls, and at home.

Cell Post #1: Make your blog a resource for other biology students who are studying cells.
Please write a post that shares what online resources were most helpful to you as you studied the organelles and cell structure. You should include at least two different websites -- explain what the website shows and tell why it was helpful (like "this website is great for comparing plant and animal cells." or "has really good images of organelles"). I'd also like you to embed a video into your post. Find a good one from YouTube or Vimeo, and get the Embed code (by clicking Share or Embed) -- which you then paste into the Edit HTML page as you're writing your post. See this post if you need help resizing the video that you choose, if it's too big or too small after you embed it.

Cell Post #2: Turn your cell model project into a blog post.
Take a digital photo (or more) of your cell model, and present your project to the world. If you'd like to take more photos to show details of individual organelles, please do that too. Take a picture in good light, and crop to proper size if you need to. Then explain your project. Rather than take a photo of your key, use the post itself to explain the organelles. This will be make up a supplementary grade for your project.

On Blogging and Hyperlinks

One of the benefits of writing on a blog vs. on paper is the ability to hyperlink text. I'm including two short videos below that explain some of the basics of blogging and why hyperlinks are important (and useful).

The first video explains blogging "In Plain English." We will be making videos in this style this year with some simple animation tools. Even if you know some of this stuff about blogs and the web, it's helpful to review so that we're all on the same page.




The second video is Jay Rosen of NYU explaining why hyperlinks (linking content to original sources on the web) are important. Including hyperlinks in your blog posts is a good way to add depth, accuracy, sources, and additional content. They inform the reader and make your blog post a more reliable source of information.

Your First Post

After customizing your blog (colors, photos, background, and other things on the "template designer"), write your first post on what you expect to get out of blogging in biology this year. How do you plan to use the blog? What are some Web Tools that you're interested in trying out? Feel free to browse the Archives of this blog, or to take a look at Once There Were Lions for ideas on what you might be able to do. Post by Wednesday class time.

Creating your blog

This week you will be creating your own blog for this class using Blogger (which you'll access by logging into your frogtown.net accounts). Think for a bit first about what you want to call your blog. Be creative, but keep it simple and appropriate. It's also one of the first things you have to enter once you choose "create a blog."

You will be using your blog to share information on topics that you've learned, and to reflect on different issues in the field of biology, technology, and society. You'll also use it as a forum to experiment with several web tools that I think you'll find interesting. So, come up with some ideas, start your blog, and fill out the form below:

YouTube for Lipids

As we continue studying organic macromolucules, it can be helpful to get out of the book and onto the web. There are a ton of good resources on YouTube: animations, explanations, with lots of different ways of looking at molecules. Some are even better than my drawings on the board! Here's a quick video on general lipid structure, with explanations on polarity, saturated vs. unsaturated fatty acid chains, and lipid's role in cell membranes. The specific molecule described is a phospholipid (2 fatty acid chains and a phosphate group attached to the carbons of the glycerol molecule).



Please look around the YouTube to find additional resources on molecules, and let us know which ones are helpful. Keep in mind that not everything is good. The range of quality varies from university molecular modeling software (highly accurate) to 5th graders working on their science project, excited to share their "song about carbohydrates" (which might be great, but might also be not great).

Share links in the Comments section below. Be sure to include a sentence about which molecules are covered, and why you found the video helpful.

Welcome Back

Time to start thinking again!

Review for Final Exam

Here's the general layout and content overview for review:

9Lilley Biology Final Exam Review 2011

Review the details and importance of the following:

Macromolecules – carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids; structure, function, and importance

Cells – organelles; structure and function

Time to Divide  – Cell Cycle (stages, regulation of); mitosis, cancer

How Cells Get Energy – Cell Respiration and Photosynthesis

DNA – structure, function, and importance

• DNA Replication (how does a cell copy all of its DNA/genes; why is this important?)

• Protein Synthesis (importance of proteins; how they are assembled; DNA à RNA à Protein; transcription and translation; what do proteins do?)

Genetics/Patterns of Inheritance: Meiosis; how are traits/genes combined and passed to offspring? dominant and recessive alleles; incomplete dominance; mono- and di-hybrid crosses); Natural Selection 

Human Body Systems (overview and functions of major systems: nervous, skeletal, muscular, digestive, endocrine, excretory, circulatory, immune, reproductive.)

Quiz Schedule for Review:

Wednesday 6/1 – quiz on macromolecules, cells, and cell division

Thursday 6/2 – quiz on energy (cell respiration and photosynthesis), DNA (replication, protein synthesis)

Friday 6/3 – quiz on genetics and human body systems

Monday 6/6 -- Final Exam

Some other resources that you might find helpful:
- In addition to your own class notes, I've posted all of last year's SmartBoard class notes in a folder on the school network - it's in my StudentShare folder > Ninth Grade > Biology Class Notes
- If you would like to ask questions on biology content in the Comments section below, I'll answer them here, and then you can check in periodically to learn from other people's questions. Please read the Comments first to see if I've already answered your question. I'll check the blog each night.

On Human Genetics - update 5/16

As we've been talking about human genetics in class, it's time to consider the implications of the Human Genome Project. How can the information from the HGP be useful to people and to to doctors? How about to insurance companies? We'll be discussing the question of who should have access to this information.

As a starting point, please watch the following video from 60 Minutes on Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) and Gender Selection
http://www.gender-selection.com/?gclid=CIGXxLahqaACFUFM5QodMgNzbA

What do you think about this?
 Write a blog post to explain some of the benefits of personal genomics (getting your own genome sequenced or genotyped), along with a few of the risks (issues surrounding privacy, etc).  Who should have access to this information (regular people, doctors, insurance companies, potential mates)?

Some things you should read and consider before writing:
Background on The Human Genome Project
23andMe - a private company that provides personal genetic testing
My Genome, My Self Great article by Stephen Pinker. NY Times January 7, 2009
The Personal Genome Blog - a ton of resources and links on the topic

Your post should contain at least two hyperlinks (embedded) that give the reader some more information (these could be videos, helpful websites, interviews, etc). A good post should not just be your opinion. NEW DUE DATE: Tuesday May 17

Cancer Project

You've learned about the Cell Cycle and Mitosis so far in class, and we've talked about the basics of cancer and tumor formation. Now you'll be doing some research on a particular type of cancer that you'll share with the class next week.

Here's what you'll need to learn:
- details and background on your particular cancer type; history, facts, and figures
- any various forms that exist with your type
- risk factors and genetic causes
- human systems invovled (related to symptoms in a way) - how is the body affected?
- treatment (current options and future treatment/clinical trials)

Here's how you'll share that information:
- a 2 page paper on your topic. This is a fairly brief paper, but it will need to be very detailed. It should include a formal bibliography, so keep track of your sources as you so your research.
- a 5 minute PowerPoint presentation to the class that covers the required information

Each part will count equally towards your grade, and they'll both need to be posted on your blog next week.

The paper is due on Monday 5/7. Presentations will start on Tuesday 5/8.

Getting started. The websites below should be a good place to start. You should also look to see if your cancer type has an organization dedicated to current research on treatment, etc. Those websites will help you to find additional information.

National Cancer Institute
American Cancer Society
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
St. Jude's Research Hospital Cancer Resources

Expanded Studies post - Coral Reef Ecology

Not related to mitosis or the cell cycle, this post is for our Expanded Studies class. Please read the following article on the health of reef ecosystems from the website The Great Beyond, a blog from the journal Nature..

http://blogs.nature.com/news/thegreatbeyond/2011/02/coral_reefs_are_taking_a_dive.html

The Cell Cycle and Mitosis

Over the next few days we'll be looking at the processes of the Cell Cycle and Mitosis in depth. Animations and videos of these can be very helpful. To get you started, check out the resources at Cells Alive, and this brief video on the stages of Mitosis, from the class blog Science Video Resources (Bandung International School in Indonesia).


Your assignment is to find some resources on cell division that are helpful to you, and to post them on your blog by this Friday. Give a little background explanation on what you're going to show, give credit to your source, and embed the video into your post.

Our Low Tech Photosynthesis Poster Project

Yep, Low Tech, with paper even! So it seems strange to post the requirements here (because the project won't appear on your blogs), but here are the requirements:

Photosynthesis Poster Project

9Lilley Biology February 2011

Goal: Create a poster to show the function and details of photosynthesis in plants

Requirements.  Your poster must show the following:

-          Overall correct formula for photosynthesis

-          Location of processes within the plant, including structure of the chloroplast

-          Light Reaction: inputs and outputs

-          Calvin Cycle: inputs and outputs

-          An explanation of the IMPORTANCE of photosynthesis to plants and animals.

Logistics:

-          This will be an actual paper poster, not a digital one

-          You need to create any images that you use, not paste them from internet sources

-          You may handwrite or type labels and explanations

-          Your poster must stand alone – you won’t get the chance to explain it to the class, so put explanations in your own words.

Evaluation. Your poster will be graded on the following features:

-          Scientific accuracy of the process shown; complete and correct – 50%

-          Visual organization – your poster makes sense and is laid out sensibly – 25%

-          Neatness, attention to detail; helpful and clear drawings + labels – 25%

Due Date: Friday 2/11. You will have class time to work on this, but you will also have to work at home. There will be no extensions given, and you will lose 10 points per day if your poster is turned in late. Get working.

Photosynthesis and New Tech Advances (for me)

In the interest of giving you several different ways to view and review the material we cover in class, I've been experimenting with some video and screencasting software. This is not new technology, but I'm using it in a different way than I have before. Maybe it will help you to understand Photosynthesis, and maybe you'll be able to use it for projects in other classes.

So here we go. I recorded this video of our class notes, and I included some additional slides that I thought would be helpful.  The resolution of the video file isn't great, so I'll see if there are some other ways to post the video that will be clearer.  I'm thinking about ways to show the Calvin Cycle next, but for now, here are the Light Reactions of Photosynthesis:

Cell Respiration Project

Your project for the week is to find a way to let me know you know the purpose and details of Cellular Respiration.  You've got several options for getting this information back to me: you could make a video, PowerPoint, Jing, digital tutorial (that would be helpful for other students), Flipbook, or you could come in and take a traditional written test.  We'll be talking about this in class.  But I'd like you to share a blog post by Wednesday that outlines your plan for this assessment.

More useful links for Cell Respiration 1/13/11

These are from a Smith College Biology class.  Check out their Online Tutorial/Animations of Glycolysis, Krebs/Citric Acid Cycle, and Electron Transport Chain.

Useful Cell Respiration Links

Since a few of you have mentioned that the Khan Academy videos on cell respiration are helpful, here are a few more links to the individual stages:

Overview

Glycolysis

Krebs Cycle

Electron Transport Chain

Take a look at some of these along with your notes on respiration to make things easier to understand.  Write down any questions you have as you watch, and we'll go over them in class.

Intro to Cell Respiration

This Khan Academy video is another way to look at what we've been talking about in class.  Remember, the big picture of the whole process (of cell respiration) is to get the energy out of a glucose molecule.  Your cells transfer the energy from the breakdown of glucose (energy is released) in order to make ATP molecules (energy is put in to connect ADP + P).  I think this video should be helpful.