" The Big Picture!" by Mr C

Welcome to my blog.

Today’s introductory file will the the largest file.

Enclosed in today’s lesson notes will be the following:

Topic One: Art of Observation

How observant are you and how can you improve your skills regarding observation? Notice and look for clues. Can you measure something or use qualitative properties. As you observe, are you attempting to just sense what is in front of you verses wondering who may be calling you on your phone.

Refer to you classmates on this activity.

For further inspiration go to:

http://lifehacker.com/5960811/how-to-develop-sherlock-holmes-like-powers-of-observation-and-deduction

The mission  that you have chosen is simple and yet challenging.

In less than five weeks, you are attempting to learn and be accountable for a complete year’s course content. The following are the PLO’s and the amount of time usually prescribed for a full year course.

Topic two. BIOLOGY 11 – PROSCRIBED LEARNING OUTCOMES

It is expected that students will:

 

Processes of science

A1 demonstrate safe and correct technique for a variety of laboratory procedures

A2 design an experiment using the scientific method

A3 interpret data from a variety of text and visual sources

Taxonomy (3-5 hours) 2-4 classes

B1 apply the Kingdom system of classification to study the diversity of organisms

Evolution (5-10 hours) 4-6 classes

C1 describe the process of evolution

Ecology (10-12 hours) 6-8 classes

D1 analyse the functional inter-relationships of organisms within an ecosystem

Microbiology (20-25 hours) 13-16 classes

Viruses

E1 evaluate the evidence used to classify viruses as living or non-living

E2 evaluate the effects of viruses on human health

Kingdom Monera

E3 analyse monerans as a lifeform at the prokaryotic level of organization

E4 evaluate the effectiveness of various antibiotics, disinfectants, or antiseptics on bacterial cultures

Plant Biology (20-23 hours) 13-15 classes

F1 analyse how the increasing complexity of algae, mosses, and ferns represent an evolutionary continuum of adaptation to a land environment

F2 analyse how the increasing complexity of gymnosperms and angiosperms contribute to survival in a land environment

Animal Biology (32-35 hours) 22-24 classes

G1 analyse how the increasing complexity of animal phyla represents an evolutionary continuum

G2 analyse the increasing complexity of the Phylum Porifera and the Phylum Cnidaria

G3 analyse the increasing complexity of the Phylum Platyhelminthes, the Phylum Nematoda, and the Phylum Annelida

G4 analyse the increasing complexity of the Phylum Mollusca, the Phylum Echinodermata, and the Phylum Arthropoda

G5 relate the complexity of the form and function of vertebrates to the evolutionary continuum of animals

 

Class Protocol and Time line

Biology 11

Mr MBK Carmiichael Room 411

BIOLOGY 11

Policies and Expectations

Welcome to Summer School Biology 11. This course is only for people who are willing to work at an extremely accelerated rate. We will be completing one week’s worth of work EVERY DAY! This means tests every other day, 2 or more hours of homework daily and withdrawal for poor attendance. If you have failed Biology 11 before, I advise you not to take this course. People who have failed rarely obtain a mark higher than a pass. If you received lower than a C+ in Science 10, you will also have a difficult time working at this accelerated pace. It is very difficult to obtain an A in summer school. If you are not entirely committed to working on this course your chances of success are slim.

As your teacher, I will only be available during class time. Unlike regular school sessions, when the class ends, so does my teaching time. If you need to ask any questions, class time is the time to ask them.

I repeat, I leave the same time that you do.

Materials

Unless told otherwise, bring the following materials to EVERY class:

• your textbook
• your blue/black pen, pencil, eraser and ruler
• your three-ringed binder containing:
  • all of the notes and assignments you have done to date
  • at least 20 pages of punched lined paper
  • at least 10 pages of punched unlined paper

If you don’t bring the necessary materials to class, you cannot do the required work. Do not expect to borrow materials from your teacher or your fellow classmates. You will be given only one copy of each handout, they will not be replaced! Make sure you have received all handouts before you leave the classroom or at the beginning of the period if you were absent the previous period. Assignments or parts of assignments not completed with the excuse “I didn’t get one” will not be given marks.

Attendance

Regular attendance is expected. One class in summer school is equivalent to one weeks worth of classes in day school. For this reason, the summer school policy is for expulsion after 2 absences with no refund. Lates are also recorded and count as a half day absence.

Attendance will be taken immediately after the bell. You are expected to be in your seats with your materials ready by this time. You may be marked away if you are not in the classroom or in your seat when attendance is taken. Doctors, dentists and other appointments are not excuses for missing class. If you are serious about this course you will schedule your appointments around it.

 

Assignments and Tests

Homework assignments will be given daily. In most cases, class time will be given to at least begin the assignment. If you do not understand any aspect of the assignment, ask for an explanation before you leave the class. Assignments are due at the beginning of the next period. An assignment is considered late if it is not handed in with the rest of the class assignments and will be deducted 1/3 of the total possible marks. Late assignments will be accepted only until the end of the break the day they are due.

On average you will be tested every two days. You will be tested the next day on material just covered. For this reason it is very important that you follow along with the work in class. If you do not review the material daily and complete all the homework you will do poorly. Unless told otherwise, all your assignments must be completed in blue or black ink. Your assignments must be neat and all papers longer than one page must be stapled together. Any assignment folded, ripped out of the binder, not completed in ink, not stapled or otherwise mutilated must be resubmitted and will be accordingly marked late. Any paper turned in without a name will receive a zero.

Grading

The overall final letter grade will be a combination of the classroom mark (80%) and the final exam (20%). The classroom mark consists of test and quizzes (70%), labs (20%) and homework assignments (10%). Notice for quizzes may or may not be given, but at least one day’s notice will be given for each test. If you are away or late the day of quiz, test, lab or any other mark, you will receive a mark of zero. You will NOT be able to make up the mark. An interim report indicating your progress will be sent home after 3 weeks. You will not be able to increase your mark through extra work or projects. The only way to boost your overall final mark is to do well on the final exam.

Letter grades:

A     86-100%

B     73-85%

C+   67-72%

C     60-66%

C-   50-59%

F     0-49%

Topic Three: Tenative Course Outline:

 

Date	Topic	Chapter
July 5	The Nature of Science, Science of Nature Taxonomy and classification Levels of organization	1
July 6	Evolution – The role of DNA	1 and 2
July 7	Evolution – Adaptation and Change Intro Quiz	2
July 8	Evolution – Theories to Explain Variation	3
July 11	Exam One, Microbiology – Microscopes	1
July 12	Microbiology – Viruses	7
July 13	Microbiology – Bacteria	8
July 14	Micro Exam, Plants – Intro to Plants and Green Algae	9
July 15	Plants – Mosses and Ferns	10
July 18	Plants – Seed Plants	10
July 19	Plants – Plant Structure and Function	11
July 20	Plant Exam: Animals – Intro to animals, Sponges and Cnidarians	12
July 21	Animals – Worms	12
July 22	Animals – Worms and worm dissection	13
July 25	Animals – Molluscs, Arthropods and Echinoderms	13
July 26	Animals – Invertebrate chordates and Fish	14
July 27	Animals – Amphibians and reptiles	14
July 28	Animals – Birds and mammals	14
July 29	Animal Exam: Intro to Ecology	16
August 2	Ecology: Energy and Ecosystems	16
August 3	Ecology: Cycles and Systems
August 4	Ecology – Populations and communities	20
August 5	Final Exam

 

To explain what you observe you need both a unique set of terms and a protocol to convert observations into a path towards scientific inquiry.

 

Name: ____________________ Date: __________ Block: _____

 

 

Topic Four : Sample of learning about Biology Word Dissections

Do you know what hematopoiesis is?

Biology can be filled with words that can be difficult to comprehend. By knowing the meanings of common biology prefixes and suffixes, complex biology words will be easier to understand. By “dissecting” these words into discrete units, even the most complex terms can be understood. To demonstrate this concept, let’s begin by performing a biology word dissection on the word above.

The word hematopoiesis contains hemato- (blood) and -poiesis (formation). Therefore, Hematopoiesis is the formation of blood or blood cells.

What about Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis?

Yes, this is an actual word. What does it mean?

To perform this biology word dissection, we’ll need to proceed carefully. First, we come to the prefix pneumo- which means lung. Next, is ultra, meaning extreme, and microscopic, meaning small. Now we come to silico-, which refers to silicon, and volcano which refers to the mineral particles that make up a volcano. Then we have coni-, a derivative of the Greek word “konis” meaning dust. Finally, we have the suffix -osis which means affected with. Now lets rebuild what we have dissected:

Considering the prefix pneumo- and the suffix -osis, we can determine that the lungs are affected with something. But what? Breaking down the rest of the terms we get extremely small (ultramicroscopic) silicon (silico-) and volcanic (volcano-) dust (coni-) particles. Thus, pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is a disease of the lungs resulting from the inhalation of very fine silicate or quartz dust. That wasn’t so difficult, now was it?

Now that we’ve honed our dissection skills, let’s try some frequently used biology terms.

Arthritis

(Arth-) refers to joints and (-itis) means inflammation. Arthritis is the inflammation of a joint(s).

Erythrocyte

(Erythro-) means red and (-cyte) means cell. Erythrocytes are red blood cells.

Okay, let’s move on to more difficult words. For instance:

 

Electroencephalogram

Dissecting, we have (electro-), pertaining to electricity, (encephal-) meaning brain, and (-gram) meaning record. Together we have an electric brain record or EEG. Thus, we have a record of brain wave activity using electrical contacts.

Schizophrenia

Individuals with this disorder suffer from delusions and hallucinations. (Schis-) means split and (phren-) means mind.

Thermoacidophiles

These are ancient bacteria that live in extremely hot and acidic environments. (Therm-) means heat, next you have (-acid), and finally (phil-) means love. Together we have heat and acid lovers.

Once you understand the commonly used prefixes and suffixes, obtuse words are a piece of cake! Now that you know how to apply the word dissection technique, I’m sure you’ll be able to determine the meaning of the word thigmotropism (thigmo – tropism).

One of the keys to being successful in biology is being able to understand the terminology. Difficult biology words and terms can be made easy to understand by becoming familiar with common prefixes and suffixes used in biology. These affixes, derived from Latin and Greek roots, form the basis for many difficult biology words.

Below is a list of a few biology words and terms that many biology students find difficult to understand. By breaking these words down into discrete units, even the most complex terms can be understood.

1. Autotroph

This word can be separated as follows: Auto – troph.

Auto – means self, troph – means nourish. Autotrophs are organisms capable of self nourishment.

2. Cytokinesis

This word can be separated as follows: Cyto – kinesis.

Cyto – means cell, kinesis – means movement. Cytokinesis refers to the movement of the cytoplasm that produces distinct daughter cells during cell division.

3. Eukaryote

This word can be separated as follows: Eu – karyo – te.

Eu – means true, karyo – means nucleus. A eukaryote is an organism whose cells contain a “true” membrane bound nucleus.

4. Heterozygous

This word can be separated as follows: Hetero – zyg – ous.

Hetero – means different, zyg – means yolk or union, ous – means characterized by or full of. Heterozygous refers to a union characterized by the joining of two different alleles for a given trait.

5. Hydrophilic

This word can be separated as follows: Hydro – philic.

Hydro – refers to water, philic – means love. Hydrophilic means water-loving.

6. Oligosaccharide

This word can be separated as follows: Oligo – saccharide.

Oligo – means few or little, saccharide – means sugar. An oligosaccharide is a carbohydrate that contains a small number of component sugars.

7. Osteoblast

This word can be separated as follows: Osteo – blast.

Osteo – means bone, blast – means bud or germ (early form of an organism). An osteoblast is a cell from which bone is derived.

8. Tegmentum

This word can be separated as follows: Teg – ment – um.

Teg – means cover, ment – refers to mind or brain. The tegmentum is the bundle of fibers that cover the brain.

 

Topic Five: Path to Scientific Inquiry

The Scientific Method

Lets start with some Definitions

 

1) Fact = an observation that has been repeatedly confirmed

eg: normal human body cells have 23 pairs of chromosomes

2) Law = a description of a pattern or a relationship. A generalization based on observations.

eg: the Law of Gravity

3) Hypothesis = a suggested explanation for a phenomenon.

eg: the One gene-one enzyme Hypothesis

4) Scientific Theory = a concept that joins together many related facts, laws and hypotheses that have been extensively tested and always found to be the best explanation for some phenomena. Note: not the same as in ordinary speech, where a theory = a speculative idea

eg: the Theory of Natural Selection

5) Model = A model is a simplified representation of a complex object or system.

eg: model of a cell

 

 

Topic Six: Unifying Principles of biology

• Cell Theory – Cells are the fundamental unit of life
• Evolution – populations of organisms change genetically and irreversibly through time.
• Gene theory – Genes are the basic unit of heredity
• Homeostasis – An organism will regulate its internal environment to maintain a stable and constant condition
• Living organisms consume and transform energy.

 

1. SOME FORMS OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE

 

FACT: a confirmed or, at least, agreed-upon empirical observation (or conclusion if referring to an “inferred” fact).

 

Scientific facts, even what appear to be simple observations, are themselves embedded in or rooted in the theories the observer holds.

 

HYPOTHESIS: a proposed explanation of certain “facts” that must be empirically testable in some conceivable fashion. (Plural: “hypotheses.”)

 

A scientific hypothesis is really not proven true or correct; rather, it is either rejected (or “falsified”) because it is determined to be inconsistent with the data, or, if not rejected, regarded as being “provisionally true” and kept as a working hypothesis to be used until found to be faulty in light of new evidence or further testing. Hypotheses that have withstood numerous, rigorous tests and not found to be “false” are often regarded as “facts” since they are effectively beyond rational dispute.

 

THEORY: an integrated, comprehensive explanation of many “facts” and an explanation capable of generating additional hypotheses and testable predictions about the way the natural world looks and works.

 

Scientific theories represent our best efforts to understand and explain a variety of what appear to be interrelated natural phenomena. Examples include the theory of relativity, cell theory, plate tectonics theory (“continental drift”) and the theory of biological evolution through natural selection (“Darwinian” and “neo-Darwinian” theory).

Topic Seven: What is a living thing?

Six Characteristics of Living Things (Organisms)

 

1. Cells: Living things are made up of small self-contained untis called cells: The cell is the smallest unit of life. Living things may be unicellular, colonial, or multicellular.

 

1. Reproduction. Living things can produce similar offspring. New organisms are produced either asexually from a single parent organism, or sexually from two parent organisms.

 

1. Growth and development: Living things grow and develop and eventually die. Growth is the increase in the number and size of cells. Development is the series of changes between conception and death.

 

1. Energy: Living things obtain energy from their environment, and use that energy to carry out all cell processes (metabolism). Autotrophs use energy from the sun for photosynthesis, to make their own ‘food’ (glucose). Heterotrophs must eat other organisms for this purpose.

 

1. Response to Stimuli: Living things respond to their environment. Anything in the environment which causes a living thing to react is called a stimulus.

 

1. Homeostasis: Living things must maintain stable internal conditions in order to remain alive. These conditions include temperature, water content, salt content, and heartbeat. Maintaining homeostasis requires energy.