12/18

This week, we discussed four common genetic disorders (cystic fibrosis, sickle-cell anemia, hemophilia, and Down syndrome). We spent time reviewing our genetics chapter on Tuesday and Wednesday, and took the chapter test on Thursday. When we return from break, we will discuss the structure and function of DNA.

Enjoy your two weeks off! I'll see you in 2010!

12/11

On Monday, students worked in small groups to practice using Punnett squares. On Tuesday, students participated in the "Face Lab." In this lab, students had to play the role of parents and flip coins in order to determine which traits would be passed on to their "child." This lab reinforced how alleles are passed from parents to offspring and how probability (in our case, flipping a coin) plays a major role in genetics. Students had to use the results from their coin flips to draw a picture what their "child" would look like. I will be hanging up these lovely (or not so lovely, in some cases) pictures next week. This week, we also discussed how certain traits were located on the X chromosome and that sex chromosomes determine our gender (XX for females, and XY for males). We used this knowledge to learn how to do X-linked Punnett squares. We spent time practicing these Punnett squares in small groups on Friday, and it seems like students are really getting the hang of it! Next week we will discuss a few common genetic disorders and take our Chapter 5 test (on Thursday).

12/3

This week, students were introduced to the basic principles of heredity and genetics. We looked into Gregor Mendel's scientific investigations with pea plants and did a "pollination" activity to see if our results matched up with his second experiment. On Wednesday, each student had the chance to observe their physical characteristics and those of our classmates in order to determine whether our classmates had more dominant or recessive traits. Out of the 10 traits we observed, we found that this year's 7th graders exhibit an equal number of dominant and recessive traits. On Thursday, we began using Punnett squares to determine all possible outcomes of a cross between two organisms. We will continue our work with Punnett squares next week, and we will begin to examine X-linked traits and Punnett squares.

11/24

On Monday, we took our "Chapter 4 and Cancer" test. Students were assigned a directed reading activity as a preview for our next chapter: genetics and heredity. This is one of my favorite life science topics, and students generally enjoy it as well! Soon we will be doing Punnett squares to calculate the probability of inheriting certain traits and learning about genetic disorders.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving break!

11/20

On Monday we discussed the processes of mitosis and apoptosis. We learned the importance of each, and we discussed how the regulation of each process is necessary in order for a cell to function properly. On Tuesday and Wednesday, students learned more about cancer and how this disease is related to problems with cell processes. We discussed the types of tumors, treatment methods, and possible causes of cancer. On Thursday, students used computer activities to review all of the cell processes that we had discussed in class. Students watched videos and animations of active and passive transport, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, mitosis, apoptosis, cancer, and the cell cycle. We reviewed for our cell processes test on Friday, and we will take our Chapter 4 test on Monday. This will be one of the first grades entered for the new trimester.

11/13

On Monday, we viewed the results of our carrot osmosis lab. Most students observed that the carrot in fresh water got larger and more firm, and the one in salt water got smaller and more flexible. Students were asked to explain their lab results by recalling the properties of diffusion and osmosis. This week, we also discussed the important processes of photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and fermentation. We wrote equations for photosynthesis and respiration, and discussed how each process depended on each other. We did a lab to demonstrate cellular respiration in yeast cells. In this experiment, we determined whether different amounts of sugar would affect the carbon dioxide production of yeast cells. We used balloons to "catch" the carbon dioxide that was being released from the process, and we measured the circumference of each balloon to determine how much gas was produced.

Next week, we will discuss the processes of mitosis and apoptosis. We will relate this discussion to cancer, which is a result of these processes not working properly.

11/6

This was my first week back from my maternity leave. We spent time this week finishing our cell analogy projects and reviewing for our cell and microscope test. In our next chapter, we will focus on processes that allow cells to obtain resources, produce food and energy, and reproduce. We began our "Carrot Osmosis Lab" on Friday, in which we submerged baby carrots in fresh and salt water. We will see how our carrots have changed on Monday and also discuss how osmosis works. Next week we will explore the processes of photosynthesis, respiration, and fermentation.

I just wanted to thank the students for making my first week back a great one! I have enjoyed getting to know the 7th graders, and I look forward to a great year with them!

5/22

This week was frog week! On Monday, we discussed frog anatomy, and we discussed the functions of a frog's organs. I did a sample dissection for the students on Tuesday, and the students spent the rest of the week in the lab doing their dissection. The students were asked to read through the lab and identify the organs that we discussed earlier in the week. Each lab group had to take an oral quiz after completing each system, and they were required to show me all of the organs that they had learned. The students did a FANTASTIC job overall, and I am quite impressed with their knowledge! The final test of the year will take place on Wednesday of next week and will cover our amphibian notes and frog anatomy notes. Part of the test will be "practical," so students will view and identify the actual frog organs that they learned through their dissection. Students will have time to practice for the "practical" test in class on Tuesday.

5/15

We wrapped up our invertebrate chapter this week. On Monday, we discussed our last two phyla of invertebrates: Arthropods and Echinoderms. We reviewed for the test in class on Tuesday (individually) and on Wednesday (as a class with our review game). Students took their test on Thursday. On Friday, we began discussing the characteristics of amphibians. Next week, we will discuss frog anatomy and we spend two to three days doing our frog dissection.

The 7th grade PC students traveled to the Brookfield Zoo on Tuesday to participate in a scavenger hunt. We had a great time, and students got plenty of exercise running around from exhibit to exhibit after solving their clues. Mr. Little deserves a special thanks for joining us for the day!

5/8

This week was worm week! We began our discussions of the Mollusk and Annelid worm phyla, which are more complex than those we discussed las week. On Tuesday, we began our external and internal explorations of earthworm anatomy (structures and functions). We learned a little about their body systems and anatomy, and we also learned important direction terms (anterior, posterior, dorsal, and ventral). We practiced our new vocabulary terms on our gummy worms before eating them. On Wednesday, we put our new knowledge of directions and earthworm anatomy to work. We did a live earthworm observation lab. Students had the opportunity to observe a real earthworm's movement, structures, and they even had to test the earthworm's reaction to environmental stimuli (being placed on its dorsal side, dry/wet paper towel, and presence of food). Many scared students were brave enough to at least touch the worm (and then again, some were still too "grossed out")! A special thank you goes out to all of those who brought in earthworms for us to observe!

On Thursday, I showed the students how to do the earthworm dissection, and on Friday, they worked on their own to do the dissection themselves. All students did a GREAT job with this! I was impressed by how well students followed directions and how well they did on their "oral quiz" after they had finished. It looks like we may have some future surgeons in the 7th grade class!

Next week we will discuss our last two invertebrate phyla (Arthropods and Echinoderms) and review for our big invertebrate test, which will take place on Thursday.

5/1

We finished our discussion of the 4 simple invertebrate phyla (sponges, corals, jellyfish, flatworms, and roundworms) on Monday, and students were able to see video clips of them "in action." We did an observation lab in order to review what we had learned. In this lab, students were able to identify and view hydra, planaria, sponges, coral, flatworms, roundworms, and jellyfish. On Tuesday, students did a Porifera (sponge) lab. Students conducted an experiment to see whether natural or artificial sponges held more water. Our class results varied quite a bit! Every natural sponge is a bit different, so it isn't surprising that our results were not consistent throughout the day. We took our simple invertebrate quiz on Thursday, and we will be focusing on the mollusk and annelid phyla next week. We will also be doing our worm dissection next week as well!

4/24

We wrapped up our chapter on protists and fungi this week and took the chapter test on Tuesday. On Wednesday, students attended the career fair. In general, students seemed to really enjoy the trip. There were many interesting sessions, and many presenters even gave out goodies to the kids.

We have finally made our way into to the animal kingdom! Students explored the diversity of the animal kingdom with an activity on Thursday. They had to list animals that fit into given categories, and then as students shared answers with the class, they had to cross off any animal that was listed by another group. We discovered that there are WAY more animals than we could have anticipated. Remember, though....most animals (more than 95%) are actually invertebrates! We did an overview of the characteristics of the animal kingdom, and we spent some time on Friday discussing and observing the simplest animals: the sponges. Next week, we will do a "Porifera" lab and talk even more about simple invertebrates.

4/17

We began the week by discussing and identifying the important structures of three common protoza: the amoeba, euglena, and paramecium. Students had the opportunity to view prepared slides AND live cultures of these three protists as well. On Wednesday we discussed the general characteristics of the Fungi kingdom and its four major groups. In our fungi lab on Thursday, students had the chance to observe two types of fungi in more detail: yeast and mushrooms. Students dissected the mushroom and used the microscope to identify the hyphae in the stem and the spores in the gills. Students worked to review independently on Friday for the protist and fungi test (which will be given on Tuesday).

4/9

On Monday, students were asked to design an experiment to determine where bacteria can be found in our school. Students had to construct a question to investigate, make a hypothesis, and then swab their selected samples into a Petri dish. Students took swabs of locations including teachers' desks, shoes, computer keyboards, doorknobs, and much more! We let the dishes will incubate over for a few days and then checked our results on Thursday. Most students were surprised by their findings. Ask to see what they found!

We reviewed our protist notes on Wednesday by playing bingo. Students were also introduced to some of the protists that we will be viewing in our lab next week (amoeba, paramecium, and euglena).

3/27

We reviewed for our Bacteria and Virus Quest on Monday, and took the assessment on Tuesday. On Wednesday, students were introduced to the weird (and creepy) organisms that live in a drop of pond water. I took a local sample of pond water and had students identify the different creatures that they found living in the water. We found lots of protists (protozoa and algae), and some students even found worms and arthropods. A few students even brought in their own samples to observe! We discussed the characteristics of the protist kingdom on Thursday, and we will continue to do so after break. On Friday, students took a career survey in the IMC. Students answered 70 questions and reviewed what "career clusters" were best suited for them based their answers. Students were asked to choose three careers that interested them, and these will be used in LA classes after break to begin research for their career project.

A big congratulations goes out to Evan Murley, Jacob Amiri, Kellyn Maguire, and Esabelle Cherry for receiving first place awards at the regional science fair last weekend. They did a fantastic job!

Have a great and relaxing spring break!

3/20

We began the week by doing some observations of bacteria. We looked at slides containing bacilli, cocci, and spirilla-shaped bacteria, and we also viewed the bacteria that is commonly found in yogurt (Lactobacillus acidophilus). We also spent time in class calculating and graphing bacteria growth rates over time. From these activities, students discovered that, in ideal conditions, bacteria reproduce quickly over a short period of time (exponential growth). Students watched a video that showed the helpful and harmful sides of bacteria. They were able to see how sourdough bread is made, view several examples of diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria (TB, "Black Death," flesh-eating bacteria, E. coli poisoning, etc.), and see how antibiotic resistance is becoming a problem today.

We discussed viruses, and came to the conclusion that they are non-living particles. We also watched a video that described how a virus infects its host, the discovery and use of vaccines, pandemics from the past (influenza, smallpox, and polio), and how researchers are finding new viruses everyday. Next week, we finish our chapter on bacteria and viruses ("quest" on Tuesday) and begin to examine the protist kingdom.

Three 7th grade students (Jacob A., Kellyn M., and Evan M.) will be participating in the regional science fair on Saturday. The science fair will be held at Unity Junior High in Cicero, and the projects will be on exhibit from 12:30 until 3:00.

3/12

This week, we wrapped up our classification chapter and took our chapter test. We did a brief overview of the two bacterial domains (Archaea and Bacteria), and we talked about how bacteria reproduce, how important they are to our environment and our health, and a bit about pathogenic bacteria. Most of us also like to eat at least some products that are made from bacteria (cheese, yogurt, sour cream, sourdough bread, pickles, etc.). We watched a few BrainPOP videos about bacteria, antibiotic resistance, and our immune system on Thursday. Next week we will view bacteria under the microscope, calculate the growth rate of bacteria, and talk about pathogenic bacteria in more detail.

3/6

Because of ISAT testing, our schedule this week was a bit crazy! Some students had science class twice and others had it three times. We spent our short week reinforcing the principles of classification and the six kingdoms. I showed students how to use a mnemonic device to help them remember the six kingdoms and some characteristics of each (using six our fingers). For example, the ring finger represents the fungi kingdom. Because there is no ring on your finger, you must be a "fun guy." "Fun guys" usually sit on the couch playing video games (no movement) and definitely don't make their own food (consumers)! Hopefully this will help students to better remember these kingdoms for our test on Tuesday!

We also worked more with classification this week in our "Creepy Critters" lab. Students were required to study the characteristics of 20 aliens and put them into groups based on their similarities. It was a challenging task, but students found unique ways to classify their creatures. Next week, we will take our classification chapter test (Tuesday) and move on to our final chapter before break: bacteria and viruses.

2/27

Our focus for the week was how scientists classify living organisms. Our first activity of the week was to organize some "random things found in Mrs. Wagner's room." Students had to practice the principles of classification by putting these objects into groups based on the similarities between them. We also learned about the eight levels of classification (remember "Dear King Philip Came Over For Grape Soda?") and discussed how scientific names are formed. In our "Shape Island" activity, students had to give different organisms a scientific name based on their physical characteristics. Students had to use the proper Latin and Greek roots, suffixes, and prefixes in order to design the scientific names of each.

On Friday, we worked together to identify and describe how living things are classified. We identified the the three domains (Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya), the six kingdoms (archaebacteria, eubacteria, protists, fungi, plants, and animals), and the characteristics of each one. Next week, students will be challenged to use their knowledge of classification to create a classification scheme for some "creepy critters."

2/20

This week, we discussed other pieces of evidence that support the theory of evolution. We talked about the fossil record, geologic time scale, plate tectonics, and vestigial structures. In our lab, students practiced using relative fossil dating techniques to find the estimated age of different fossils. They had to arrange "rock samples" in order, based on their fossil components. Students were also required to create a timeline of their fossil record after putting them into the correct order. We spent Friday reviewing for our evolution test, which we will take on Monday. The test and binder check will be included as some of our final grades of the second trimester. Next week, we will begin our discussion of classification.

2/13

Students presented their "designer animals" to the class on Monday. They were interesting to see because students came up with some very unique adaptations for their animals! For the remainder of the week, we used examples to reinforce the idea of natural selection (white lizards, quiet crickets, resistant insects, tuskless elephants, etc.). We even did a "peppered moth simulation lab" after the reviewing the controversial experiment that was done in Manchester, England with pale and dark peppered moths. According to the story, the pale variety of moths were more common before the 1850's, because they blended in with the lichen-covered trees. As the industrial revolution began in the 1850's, the trees became covered in smoke and soot, and gradually, the dark variety of moth became more common. In our lab, we used two different colored backgrounds to represent the non-polluted (pale) and the polluted (dark) tree trunks. Small circles were cut out to represent pale and dark moths. Students became predators (birds), and had to use tweezers pick up as many "moths" off of each background as they could in 20 seconds. While some students struggled as predators (I know it was difficult!), others excelled!

Next week we will wrap up our evolution chapter. We will discuss other evidence for evolution (the fossil record, comparative structures, vestigial structures, and plate tectonics). We will also do a lab that will test the students' ability to determine the relative age of fossils. We will have our chapter test on Monday, February 23rd!

2/6

After reviewing for and taking our DNA quest, we spent the remainder of the week discussing the basics of evolution. Students were introduced to the concepts of adaptations, evolution, and natural selection. We discussed the voyage of Charles Darwin and the important discoveries that he made on the Galapagos Islands. We spent two days in class doing a "Designer Animal Activity." In this activity, students were given four environments to choose from, and they were required to design an animal with the adaptations necessary to survive and thrive in the chosen environment. Students had to consider what their animal would eat, how it would defend itself, maintain body temperature, care for its young, find shelter, etc. After designing everything, students had to choose a card that determined how their environment had changed (volcano eruptions, global warming, meteorites, shift in planetary rotation, etc), and then decide whether their animal still had the right adaptations to survive. On Monday, students will present their "designer animals" to the class. Next week, students will be exposed to several examples of natural selection that occur everyday, and they will do a "peppered moth" lab to simulate how natural selection occurs.

1/30

This week, we discovered how the DNA code works. We discussed how 3 DNA bases code for an amino acid and that a group of amino acids make up a protein (the chemical messenger that tells the cell what to do). We even had the chance to "view" the DNA of a pea when we did our DNA extraction lab on Tuesday. When you get those labs back next week, just remember that you can take the "recipe" home and try to extract DNA from other sources! We began our discussion of selective breeding, cloning, genetic engineering on Wednesday. We watched a video that reviewed the advances and controversies of genetic engineering on Thursday and Friday. We will discuss some of your "ethical" opinions next week! We will take a 50 point "quest" over chapter 6 (DNA) on Tuesday, and then we will begin our next chapter on evolution.

A big CONGRATULATIONS goes out to the 7th grade PC students participated in the District Science Fair on January 24th. Esabelle, Kellyn, Jacob, and Evan all received first place standings. Kevin C., Nolan, Rob, Jason, and Patrick all received second place standings.

1/23

This week, students gave their genetic disorder presentations. Overall, I have to say that I was quite impressed with the projects! A large variety of Impress slide shows, brochures, and posters were produced by the students. Each class was able to learn about almost twenty different genetic disorders. Next week, we will discuss how DNA works and discover the basic principles of genetic engineering. We will even do a DNA extraction lab so that students can actually see what DNA looks like!

Saturday, January 24th, is the District 58 Science Fair. Our 7th grade PC students will be taking part in it this year. Come and cheer them on at O'Neill Middle School! The projects are open to the public from 10:30 to 11:30 in the morning.

1/16

We spent most of this week in the computer lab working on our genetic disorder projects. Students will be doing their class presentations next week. Students - be sure to follow the rubric closely so that you know what my expectations are! The projects (poster, slideshow, or brochure) will be due on the day of the student's oral presentation. Remember that I will need your white research packet and a copy of your poster text, brochure, or Impress slides on the day of your presentation! The projects are looking great so far, and I look forward to seeing them next week. Next week we will also build an edible DNA model in order to reinforce our learning about DNA's structure.

Our 7th grade Project Challenge students are working diligently to finish their science fair projects. The science fair is a mere week away! If want to check out their projects, you can attend the science fair at O'Neill Middle School on January 24th!

1/9

This week, we discussed the structure and history of DNA. We learned how DNA replicates and how DNA nucleotide bases pair up (like puzzle pieces). Students were also introduced to their next big project of the year. Each student (or group) will be required to research a genetic disorder and present their findings to the class. Students may choose to create a slide show presentation, poster, or brochure to inform their classmates about their topic. Students will have FOUR days next week to work in the computer lab, so don't expect to see much work coming home! Students have received a detailed project rubric in order to guide in their research. We began our research on Friday, and it looks like students are off to a good start!