Unit C Infectious Diseases

This week students are studying how infectious diseases spread from person to person. First students are analyzing how Typhoid Mary was a carrier and spread Typhoid Fever to many people. Next, students will analyze how the Bubonic Plague spread using a vector. Then students will read about how students were treated with Leprosy. Finally, students will take a quiz comparing vectors and carriers.

Heart Problems

Today in science, students learned about heart attacks, strokes, and high blood pressure. Students read about each section and taught their peers about the risk factors for each problem. Students ended with writing a reflection about how they can maintain or improve the health of their heart. Tomorrow and Wednesday students will be reviewing each body system and will determine how they work together to complete a certain function. On Thursday and Friday, we will be completing the frog dissection and will compare/contrast the frog to the human.

Circulatory System

During this week in life science students are continuing to work on the circulatory system. Today students learned how our heart works as a pump to push blood in a one way direction with the help of valves. Tomorrow and Friday, students will be learning about the different parts that make up our heart. On Monday, students will be dissecting the heart and identify the function of each part.

Introduction to Circulatory System/ SOS

This week in science class students are starting to learn about the circulatory system. On Monday we went over the major structures and functions of the circulatory system. On Tuesday and Wednesday, students are participating in a 2-day class called "SOS" to make students aware of signs of depression and suicide risk so they know who to talk to for help for anyone. On Thursday, students will be going to the Nature and Science Museum. They will be going through the Health Exhibit to learn about their health and choices they make.

Activity # 18-19 Nervous System Activities

Next week students will be investigating the nervous system. Student will start by looking into the different organs that make up the nervous system. Next we will look at the brain and the different parts that make up the brain. We will dissect the brain on Monday. Then we will continue on by looking at the different parts of the eye. We will dissect the eye on Wednesday. On Thursday, students will have a quiz on the different parts of the brain and eye. On Friday, we will talk about all the steps of science fair.

Activity #17-18: Respiratory System

For this week students will be studying the respiratory system. We will begin by reading about the different organs and functions that make up the respiratory system. Next, students will participate in the gas exchange lab. They will predict if everyone has the same amount of gas that enters and leaves their body. Students later this week will understand how oxygen enters the body and carbon dioxide leaves the body.


Homework due today: digestive system cartoon and 5 science fair questions

Activity 13-16: Digestive System

For the this week in science class, we have been evaluating the digestive system. We carried out the breakdown lab that shows how the size of food effects time of digestion which was modeled by vinegar and tablets. Next we read about the digestive system and took notes about each step of the process. Today, students will watch a video that shows all the steps.

Hint: Digestive System quiz is on Monday!

Homework: Design a cartoon that shows how a food travels through the digestive system in your body.

Activity #12 What's Happening Inside

Today and tomorrow students are learning about the different organs that make up our body. We start class by reviewing the different organ systems that make up the human body like the nervous, digestive, respiratory, muscular, and skeletal systems. Next, we discuss the organs and the functions of each organ. Finally, students will be given an organ to research and will develop a wanted poster for that organ.

Homework Due today: KWL chart/ Human Body

Activity #10 :Data Toss

Students participated in the data toss activity yesterday and will continue today. We started with the question: Is is easier to catch a ball with two hands or one hand. We then went outside a tested our question after everyone made a hypothesis. Today we will calculate data and make graphs from that data. Finally, students will write conclusions about their outcomes.

Homework: Finish Lab Report on Data Toss

Activity #9: Evaluating Clinical Trials

Today in class, students evaluated four different clinical trials. Each group member was in charge of reading one of the four studies. They read and record the important facts and information about the study. Then the group members shared their study with the rest of the class. By the end, students were informed about all four studies: Summer Fever Medicine, Burn Cream, Weight Loss Method, and Relaxin. Students then had to decide which study had the best elements of a well designed experiment and would recommend more research for that study.

Homework due today: Essay of Elements of a Well Designed Experiment

Enjoy your four day weekend!

Activity #8 : Studying People

For the next three days in Life Science, students will be completing activity #8: Studying People. In this activity, students will read about the elements that make up a well designed experiment. Students will complete four corner vocab on the following words: Data, Qualitative Data, Quantitative Data, Sample Size, Trials. Students will finish the activity by writing an essay about the elements that make up a well designed experiment and about how data drives the decisions that they make.

Activity #7: Human Variation

Today students completed the second part of the touch test. They had to predict if they could tell the difference between two points and one point. They then completed the touch test. We also looked at the students PB and J procedures and tried to make the sandwich. Finally, students were assigned to rewrite their procedures to be more detailed and specific.


Homework Due Tomorrow (9/9): PB & J Procedures

Reminder: T-shirt order form due tomorrow

Activity #5: Can You feel the difference?

Today students will be using touch sensors on their hand and arm to see if they can feel a difference in sensitivity to touch. They will record their results and discuss why they think it happened. Tomorrow students will read a current science magazine and answer analysis questions. No school on Monday for Labor Day. On Tuesday, students will be completing a scientific method activity. I will be back on Wednesday.

Homework Due today: One Pager!

Hint: Please be respectful to the Guest Teacher!

Activity #4 Testing Medinicine

Today students will be finishing up the activities about testing medicine. Student will be creating a one-pager that summarized the process of testing medicine. The one-pager must include all terms with definitions, a border, 3 pictures or graphics, a summary, a question, and a quote. This one-pager must be colorful, creative, and organized.

Homework: One-Pager Due tomorrow!

Hint: Terms are placebo, clinical trial, informed consent, control.

Pre-Test Life Science

Today students will be taking the life science reading portion pre-test. They will read about testing medicine and complete four different writing assignments including, Cornell notes, summarizing, questioning, and personal response. Yesterday, students completed the multiple choice questions about topics that will be covered throughout the year. By the end of the year, students should show growth on both pre-tests!

Homework: Bring in T-shirt order form.

Activity #3 Testing Medicine

Today and Friday students are participating in a simulation clinical trial of testing medicine. Students are seeing if the medicine works and are understanding the process. They should understand why we use a placebo when testing medicine. By the end of tomorrow, students will have graphed the class results and will answer analysis questions about what happened in the clinical trial.

Homework: Due Friday, write down two foods that contain niacin in your planner. Make sure you look at the label.

Hint: peanut butter, beans, tortilla chips

Notebook Day!

Today students are going to set up their Science notebook. Homework due today was two spiral one subject notebooks and either a box of kleenex, hand sanitizer, or hand soap depending of which period the student is in. Students will use two notebooks throughout the year. We will set up the table of contents, vocabulary section, scientific method section, and number all the pages. Then we will review the group activities: Team Manager, Procedure Specialist, Supply Master, and Recycling Engineers. Finally, we will review what Life Science is and review the steps of the scientific method.

Wilderness Survival Day 1

Today we started the survival unit. Students first took a survival quiz that covered shelter, food, water, survival pack, and other essentials. Next students participated in a improv game where their group had to come up with a way to use canvas if stuck in certain areas, Desert, Arctic, Rainforest, etc....

Mammoth vs Asian Elephant

Today students first reviewed their year long test. Next, students read about the extinction of the mammoth and the endangerment of the Asian elephant. We compared and contrasted the similarities and differences between the two species. Then, student discussed if we should try to bring back the mammoth or try to save the Asian elephant from going extinct. Finally, students watched Planet Earth.

Review for Year Long Exam

Today in Life Science, students will be reviewing all of the units taught this year: how we study people scientifically, the human body, cells and micro-life, genetics, and ecology. Student will be taking the exam tomorrow. Students will need to review all the activities in both of their science notebooks.

Homework: Study for exam!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Habitat Investigation

Today and tomorrow in life science students will be investigating the different habitats around Henry. We will walk around the outside of the school and make observations about what we see. Students will make different types of observations. They will record the non-living factors, living factors, organisms that they see, and human impact on the different habitats. We will finish the day by writing a reflection on what they saw.

Suicide Awareness Class

On Monday and Tuesday in Life Science class, students participated in a suicide prevention, awareness class. Students began by taking a pre-test about the information they would learn in class. Next, students watched a video about how to talk to someone if you need help and how to help people who are showing signs of depression or suicide. On Tuesday, students will complete a newsletter packet with more information. They will end class with a post-test to see what they learned. A= Acknowledge C= Care T=Tell

Endangered Species Presentation

Today and Friday in Life Science Class, students presented their projects on their specific endangered species. They had to create a brochure, essay, Power Point, poster, and other presentations. They were required to answer eight questions and reflect on why the species is endangered. As students presented, the class took notes about the information presented.

Carrying Capacity

Today students presented their posters on biomes. They talked about the climate, vegetation, animals, location, and health issues of their specific habitat. Next we read about the carrying capacity of zebra mussels. Students looked at graphs and determined what the species carrying capacity. Next students hypothesized if the human population would reach its carrying capacity.

Homework: Endangered Species Project Due on Wednesday

Biome Activity

Today students first took the unit E quiz 2 which reviews photosynthesis as well as producers, consumers, and decomposers. Next students examined the plant lab that we started yesterday. They noticed that plants need to have light in order to go through photosynthesis. Then groups were assigned a biome or habitat to research as a group. They had to find the answers to six different questions and present it to the class.

Homework: Zoo Trip Friday and Endangered Species Project due next Wednesday!

Photosynthesis Lab

Today students participated in the photosynthesis lab. We investigated if light has an effect on the process of photosynthesis. We used elodea plant and BTB solution to see if the solution changes color. Yellow= carbon dioxide present......Blue= Oxygen present

Students covered one vial with tin foil and the other without tin foil. We will find the results tomorrow.

Homework: Endangered Species Project due next Wednesday

Food Webs

Today students worked on a Colorado food web. Groups had to create a food web and label each part of the food web as either producer, consumer, or decomposer. Then students labeled the energy transfer by using arrows in the correct direction showing the flow of energy in an ecosystem. Finally students reflected on how decomposers effect our ecosystem. Homework: Work on endangered species project.

Owl Pellets

Today and tomorrow in life science, students are dissecting owl pellets. As students dissect the owl pellets, they will be recording the number of bones and types of bones that they found. They will then develop a food web that the owl belongs to. Then, they will write a conclusion on the diet of the owl that includes specific evidence from their dissection.

Eating for Energy

On Monday and Tuesday of this week students are reading about how energy is transferred in an ecosystem. They will learn about the difference between producers and consumers. They will also learn about photosynthesis and how it effects an ecosystem. While students read about these relationships they carried out 4 different writing strategies. (Cornell Notes, Summarizing, Questioning, and Personal Response) Students will have two days to complete this task and their score will be determined on how much they grew from pre-test to post-test. Homework: Work on Endangered Species Project

Activity 76: Birds, People, and Bats

Today students discussed different classes of vertebrates. We first talked about the characteristics of each class: Mammals, Birds, Bony Fish, Reptiles, and Amphibians. Next students read about 8 different mystery species. They had to predict which class each species belongs to. Finally we discussed the mystery species and concluded which class it actually is in.

Endangered Species Project

Today students started researching their endangered species. This project is an individual product in which students have to find the answers to eight different questions. Then students will take their research and create a project that will be presented in class. This project will take the place of Ecology Test. The due date for this project is April 27th.

Activity #75: Classifying Species

Today students classified species in the animal kingdom. They first predicted which species should belong together according to specific characteristics. Next, I hint that there are 6 different phyla in which all 18 species belong to. Finally we defined the six different phyla: Cnidaria, Platyhelminthes, Annelida, Arthropoda, Mollusca, and Chordata.

Homework: Have a fantastic Spring Break!!!

Activity #74: Observing Worms

Today students observed red wiggler worms. They first wrote a description of the worm's size, shape, color, texture, and body style. They then recorded how the worm responded to touch and how the worm moves. The next step was to predict what type of habitat the worm would live in its natural environment. This was one of the first steps in understanding how ecologist study organisms and their environment.

Activity #73: Introduced Species

Today students discussed introduced species into new environments. Each group of 4 was assigned a different introduced species to research. They had to find the answers to six different questions by reading a summary about the species. Questions: Where is it found and where is it currently living? How does it effect the new ecosystem? How does it effect humans?
The students will present their poster to the class.

This is due tomorrow!!!!!

Actvity 72: Nile Perch Discussion

Today students started Unit E: Ecology. We started the unit with discussing the effect that the Nile Perch had on Lake Victoria. The Nile Perch were secretly introduced and caused the extinction of many different types of tropical fish. Students had to write a reflection on whether or not the Nile Perch should have been introduced. They have to support their opinion with 4-5 reasons or pieces of evidence.

Reminder: Bring permission slip and money next week!

Unit D Genetics Exam

Today and tomorrow during block days students completed the exam for genetics. There was 17 multiple choice questions and 3 short answer questions. The test covers knowledge and understanding in science. When the students finished the exam, students completed the reflection of the missing children. They had to include three different parts: Blood typing, DNA fingerprinting, and the court case of biological/ adoptive parents.

Genetic Jeopardy

Today students played genetic jeopardy to prepare them for the exam on Wednesday. The questions in the game directly correlated with the material covered in this unit. The topics ranged from sexual/ asexual reproduction to punnett squares and pedigrees. As students played the game, they took notes to review for in preparation for the exam.

Homework: Students have to write an one page reflection on finding the lost children of Namelia. The reflection must include three parts: blood typing, DNA fingerprinting, and the court case of parents.

Reminder: Zoo permission slip and money due on April 8th

Activity #70 DNA Fingerprinting

Today students continued analyzing which missing children belong to Mai/Paul or John/Belinda. They examined DNA fingerprints of all the children as well as the two set of parents. If the DNA Fingerprints match, they then checked to make sure the blood types matched as well. The final step of this activity was to write a conclusion on which children belong to which parents.

Hint: Girl 3 is John and Belinda's

Finding lost children

Today students finished analyzing blood types to see if the 8 missing children match the two parents. Students predicted if they could be Mai/ Paul's or John/Belinda's. They had to include reasoning's for each predictions. They finished by writing a paragraph of what additional evidence they would need to make final conclusions on the missing children.

Activity 68: Searching for Lost Children

Today student analyzed blood types to match the missing children to the parents. Students first identified which alleles can go with each blood type. They then tried to match the missing children with the parents by looking at the blood type. They will make predictions on which children belong to Mai and Paul and which children belong to John and Belinda.

Homework: Rest up for CSAP

Activity 67: What would you do?

Today students discussed the issues in individuals and the society with Genetic Testing. We talked about Joe who might have Marfan Syndrome. He is trying to decide whether or not to be tested for the disorder. We discussed the pros and cons of being tested, then students wrote a letter to Joe giving them their opinion on if he should be tested or not.

Homework: Go to sleep early....Get Ready for CSAP.....No Absences!

Unit D Quiz 3

Today students are completed quiz 3 over Genetics. The topics covered on the quiz are:
The difference between homozygous and heterozygous traits, The number of chromosomes every human cell has except egg and sperm, The organization of different parts that make up a cell, punnett squares, and analyzing pedigrees. The quiz is for their ELG trackers and covers topics that will be on the unit exam in a couple weeks.

Homework: None

Come out to support Henry Boys and Girls City Championship game tonight at Bruce Randolf

Activity 66: Patterns of Pedigrees

Today students analyzed pedigrees of genetic traits. They noticed that dominant diseases show up in every generation and recessive diseases skip generations. Students made predictions about different pedigrees and labeled each person with two alleles. They then calculate the probability of the offspring getting the genetic disease.

Homework Due today: Critter Drawing and Description

Unit D Quiz 2

Today students completed unit D quiz two. The questions came from the last two weeks of instruction over Genetics. Students need to understand the difference between sexual and asexual reproduction, how tail color/dominance is determined, what budding is, and how the process of cloning works. Next students created their critter with the characteristics they determined from last class period. They will name the critter, describe its characteristics, and finally describe and draw the critters habitat.

Due today: Sponge Bob Genetics

Homework: Critter Drawing Due next block day either Wednesday or Tuesday

Activity #64-65: Breeding Critters

During block days this week students completed a couple different activities. First students read about the importance of chromosomes. They found out that every human cell except egg and sperm has a total of 46 chromosomes (23pairs). The sperm and egg only have 23 so when they combine for fertilization the offspring will have 46. Students also learned how genes are on chromosomes which determine traits. The last part of the reading was about mutations and how they can change chromosomes and genes. Next, students made critters with different traits ranging from nose size, body color, number of eyes and more. They created a creature with traits that were determined by tossing coins. Students will draw and describe their creature on Friday.

Homework: Sponge Bob Genetics due on Friday

Hint: Quiz on Friday

Genetic Disorder Presentations

Today students are presenting their projects on their specific genetic disorder. Students could create a power point, brochure, children's book, essay, public service announcement, and website. As students presented, the rest of the class took Cornell Notes on information that they gained from the presentations. Students were also able to listen to guest speakers from Regis University who are Nurses that work with babies on genetic disorders or diseases.

Homework Due Friday: Sponge Bob Genetic Worksheet

Activity # 61 : Gene Squares

During block days this week, students will be practicing using punnett squares to calculate the ratio of dominant to recessive traits. Students will be analyzing different traits to different the pattern of inheritance by observing the completed punnett square.

Homework: Genetic Disorder Project is Due on Friday
New Homework: Sponge Bob Genetic worksheet

Activity #60: Mendel Reading

Today students finished calculating the ratio of tail color inheritance in critters. They should have found a 3:1 ratio of Blue to Orange tails. Blue is the dominant tail color and orange is the recessive tail color. Next students read about Gregor Mendel's genetic discoveries. As students read, they completed the SQP2Rs Strategy and took Cornell Notes about the reading. Students finished the class about writing a summary about Mendel's Genetics.

Due Friday: Genetic Disorder Project

Honors Class: Bring back signed contract

Activity 58-59 Gene Combo

Today students are tossing coins to determine the tail color of critters. If heads turns up then the tail color is blue T and if tails turns up then the tail color is orange t. Students will calculate the ratio of tail color and determine which trait is dominant and which trait is recessive.

Hint: TT =Blue Tt=Blue tt=orange

Homework: Genetic Disorder Project Due Friday!!!!

Activity #57 Copycat

Today students discussed the difference between sexual and asexual reproduction. Students began class by defining what reproduction is. Then students read about each type of reproduction and completed four corner vocab for the following words: asexual, mutation, budding, sexual, and fertilization. We developed a class definition of these words, drew pictures of the words, and used the words in a sentence that is different from the definition. Finally students completed a Venn diagram explaining the similarities and differences in asexual vs sexual reproduction.