Earth Science 2/16/2012

Read and take notes for Ch 19.3 + 19.4, pgs 504 - 515 and ch 18 , pg 471 - 487. Notes should be in Cornell notes format.  Have a great MidWinter break, there is no school Feb. 20th - 24th.  See you Feb. 27th.  Mr. orth

Earth Science HW 2/14/2012

Read and take notes for CH19.1 +19.2, pgs 494 - 504, on seismic waves and crust deformation.

Biology HW 2/13/2012

Finish a Final lab write up for the Variation lab. 

Variation Lab

Pre-Lab Discussion

The members of a species are not exactly alike. Small differences called variations exist in each member of a species. Some variations may be passed on to the offspring of an organism through reproduction. Most inherited variations are neutral; that is, they do not affect the survival of the organism. Some variations are helpful. Helpful inherited variations are called adaptations. Harmful inherited variations will cause the organism to be less well-suited to its environment.

The process by which organisms with adaptations to the environment survive is called natural selection. Natural selection tends to allow well-adapted organisms to reproduce and pass the beneficial trait to their offspring.

1. After you have read through the entire handout discuss with your table mates whether you think plants or animals will show a greater degree of variation.  DO NOT just guess your discussion should include examples and why you think one or the other will vary more.  Doing this will help you with the Framework and Logic scores on your conclusion; take notes!
2. Make a rough draft of the Q, H, T, diagrams, DT; you do not need to include procedures in your rd or fd.
3. the data manipulation section of the rubric will be 3x score (graph=1x & analysis questions=2x)
4. Graph the number of variation measurements (hand spans or blade lengths) vs the sizes in cm.  Make a bar graph for the plant leaves and hand spans it will look similar to the traits lab graphs

Question:  Will there be a greater degree of variation in the leaves of a plant species or in the hand span of Humans?

Procedures Hand Span variation:  make a diagram

1.      Place the palm of your hand on a blank piece of paper, with your fingers spread out as much as possible. Make a mark on the paper at the top of your thumb and another mark at the top of your little finger is. Don't include fingernails.

2.      Measure your hand span between the two marks with a ruler. Round off your measurement to the nearest centimeter and record the information in your data table.

3.      Next, gather hand span measurements for everyone in class and put them into your data table.

Procedures leaf variation:  make a diagram

1. Obtain a number of leaves equal to the number of students in class.
2. Measure the length of the leaf blades in centimeters. Record the measurements
3. Depending on the supply of leaves you may have to share leaves between tables.  Try to not measure the same leaf multiple times.

Analysis Questions   

1. Calculate standard deviation for each sample by finding the total average of all for both hands and leaves (separately).  Next. Subtract each sample from the average and this is your “standard deviation- round to nearest whole number!)
2. Did the number of hand spans measured in your class influence the shape of the graph? If you had a much larger sample of hand spans, how do you think the graph might change?
3. Would any of the variations you observed in hand spans be an advantage in terms of the survival of humans? List two advantages each for larger and smaller hand spans.
4. What is the most common hand span?  Leaf blade length?
5. What is the least common hand span? Leaf blade length?
6. What are two other variations observed in Humans?  Leaf blades?

Biology Hw 2/9/2012

First grading period ends Tomorrow!

Read and take notes for Ch 15.3  on mechanisms of evolution, pgs. 431-442.

Earth Science 2/8/2012

Finish analysis and conclusion paragraph into your notebook for the Percent of Oxygen in air lab.

Conclusions

1.     Would the same result for the percentage of oxygen in air be obtained if a larger test tube was used? A larger candle?

2.     Why does the water rise in the test tube as the candle goes out?

3.     Nitrogen is the other major component of air (78.1%). What property of nitrogen have you discovered as a result of this experiment?

4.     How much oxygen is present in 5 L of air?

Critical Thinking and Application

1.     Why is oxygen such an important part of the earth's atmosphere?

2.     Based on your observations, what is an effective method of putting out a small fire?

3.     "As the altitude of an area increases, the density of the atmosphere decreases." How can this statement be used to explain why it is more difficult to breathe in Denver, which has an altitude of more than 1500 meters, than in Houston, which is at sea level?

Biology HW 2/3/2012

Revisits for Traits labs are due Tuesday Feb. 6th even though there is NO class due to the CASHEE test!!  Turn in by the end of the day.

Read and take notes for ch 15.1 + 15.2, pgs. 418 -430.

Earth science HW 2/2/2012

Happy Ground Hog's Day!  Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, and there'll be six more weeks of winter.

Earth Moon Projects are due on MOnday- this is a HARD deadline .  Make sure you have your completed poster, your notes packet, your workcited page and your rubric!!

Finish rough draft of convection currents demo lab into your notebook.  Answer the following analysis questions as complete sentences into your notebook..

Earth Moon Projects are due on MOnday- this is a HARD deadline .  Make sure you have your completed poster, your notes packet, your workcited page and your rubric!!

Analysis Observations:

1. What was the motion of the food color at minute zero?

2. Describe any differences in the food colors movement just after the candles have been lit.

3. Describe the motion of the food coloring after the candles have been lit for five minutes

4. What is the relationship between the motion of the sticks and the motion of the water?

5. Describe how the temperature of the water relates to the movement of the sticks/current.

6. In relation to the Earth’s interior what do the candles, water and sticks each represent?

7. Explain how the demonstration exemplifies the Earth’s interior convection currents.