The Baby Reebops have arrived!

Mieosis Notes

Unit V Classnotes - Cell Cycle and Cell Division

It has been awhile since I last posted. We will using the blog much more 2nd quarter so look for details to come. From now on all Think Tank questions will be posted exclusively online. Anyway, here are the classnotes for Unit 5.

Unit IV Classnotes - Cellular Transport

Notes courtesy of C.Massengale.

MSB Goes Cellular!

Nothing like YOUR old school cartoons!

Cell Structure Notes

Notes courtesy of C.Massengale

Home Sweet Apparatus

Professor Science is a musical fusion of brain and heart that has been edutaining listeners since January 2007. It began innocently and unintentionally when David Mansfield, currently writing in the third person, wrote a song about his favorite animal as a birthday present for a friend. At the time, he was creating “serious,” non-scientific music on his acoustic guitar and publishing it under the sobriquet Professor Science, an allusion to Ryan North’s sterling webcomic Dinosaur Comics. The subject of the song combined with the name sparked another friend to believe that David was starting a band devoted solely to songs about science. While not his original intent, this seemed like a good idea anyway, and Professor Science was born. Not literally, mind you. That happened in 1986. But I digress. David used his mediocre guitar and recording skills in tandem with his having lots of friends who are good at music skills to put together a demo. All the songs were written and recorded by David, with ample backup instrumentation from a variety of friends. Currently, Professor Science consists of David and whoever happens to be around and good at an instrument. Get out your notebooks and put and put on your dancing shoes - Professor Science is about to teach you a thing or 6.0221415 x 10^23.

DNA Oragami Models - How Cool Is That?

Great job on our DNA oragami models. Can you recognize yours?

Think Tank......Thinking Outside the Bowl

OK so last weeks's music trivia was easy. How about this one? Again, the first one to post a comment with the correct answer is the winner. Good luck!

No Atkins Diet Allowed!

Today we tested various foods for the presence of carbohydrates.  There are 3 classes of carbs:  monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides.  We used iodine as an indicator for the presence of starch, a polysaccharide.  When added to the substance it will turn black when starch is present.  Below is a sample of this data:



We also tested the food substances (honey, apple, beans, powdered sugar, table sugar, oats, and potato) for monosaccharides using Benedict's solution as the indicator. When heated Benedict's will turn orange in the presence of a simple sugar.

Think Tank......Thinking Outside the Bowl

What movie is the following song from? The first one to comment correctly will win a homework pass for this week's think tank. Good luck!

Online Map for Unit II

Here is a concept map for Unit II - Biochemistry. Don't forget to check out the links and the notes. If you have any questions concerning this map let me know. Don't forget we have a protein/enzyme test on Friday, September 28th.

Unit II - Biochemistry



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Listening to: AeroSmith - Sweet Emotion

Enzyme Classnotes

Here are the classnotes on enzymes.  Don't forget to look for the questions in the Biology Locker.


Notes courtesy of C.Massengale

Why Can't Jello and Pineapple Be Friends?

If Jell-O™ ads and 1950s cookbooks are to be believed, you can mix almost anything with gelatin and have it come out tasty. Ham? Absolutely. Carrots? Sure thing. Tomato soup? M’m, m’m, good.

The only ingredient that seems to be taboo is the one that actually sounds delicious: fresh pineapple. Unfortunately, the tropical treat works like kryptonite on Jell-O because it contains an enzyme called bromelain, which prevents gelatin from forming into a solid. But fret not, fruit salad and mold fans: canned pineapple doesn’t contain bromelain. The canning process heats the pineapple to a temperature sufficient to break the enzyme down, making it oh-so Jell-O friendly.

What about frozen pineapple?  Will that do the trick?  Why or why not?

Think Tank......Special Edition!

You are driving in a car at a constant speed. On your left side is a 'drop off', (The ground is 18-20 inches below the level you are traveling on), and on your right side is a fire engine traveling at the same speed as you. In front of you is a galloping horse, which is the same size as your car and you cannot overtake it. Behind you is a galloping zebra. Both the horse and zebra are also traveling at the same speed as you. What must you do to safely get out of this highly dangerous situation?  

I Feel the Need...the Need...For Speed

Need to graph class data?  Tired of the old paper and pencil?  Then look no further than this website.  Here you will find a decent site to graph class data.  This site allows you to print, save, or email your graph when you are finished making it.  Below is an example of the Need For Speed graph you will have to complete for homework.  Make sure your independent and dependent variables are correct!  


The analysis questions for this activity are posted in the Biology Locker under this week's homework.  Feel free to get a jump start on your homework.  This will be passed out later in the week.

Think Tank.......Thinking Outside the Bowl

Question:

  Gulliver was travelling with a sack of lettuce, a fox, and a rabbit.  While passing through the woods, they came toa small river that was too fast and too deep to cross on foot.  Gulliver found a log that was just large enough to allow himself and 1 item to cross at a time.  The problem was that if he took the lettuce across, the fox would eat the rabbit, and if he took the fox across, the fox would eat the rabbit, and if he took the fox across, the rabbit would eat the lettuce.  Using just the log, how can Gulliver safely transport the rabbit, the fox, and the lettuce across the river?

Answer:
First Gulliver takes the rabbit across.  He then returns and picks up the lettuce.  He then takes the lettuce across and brings the rabbit back with him.  Leaving the rabbit on the original side he then takes the fox across.  Leaving the fox with the lettuce he then returns and brings back the rabbit.

Congratulations to the following winners!

Period 1 - Aubrey B.
Period 3 - Rosie B.
Period 9 - Bayan H.

Your homework pass will be emailed to you!

Biochemistry of Cells

Here's the classnotes for the Biochemistry Unit. Also you will find the notes to accompany this in the Biology Locker.



Notes courtesy of C.Massengale

Smells Like............School Spirit

Far out man. All Spirit-All Week! Dude this week is spirit week at LHS. How gnarly is that? Like don't be a dweeb and dress up to show your spirit!

Monday - Neon Day
Tuesday - Hippie Day
Wednesday - 80's Day
Thursday - Beach Party Day
Friday - Ranger Pride (purple and gold) Day

If your spazzin' over this week let me know!  Do you have any rad plans? 

Are You Caught In the Stream?

AuthorStream is an online presentation sharing community that allows users to host PowerPoint presentations online and share them with friends, family or co-workers. Additionally, it’s a place to browse through thousands of shared presentations, discuss them, give ratings, post favorites to your blog, and more.  I will post my presentations (yes the class notes) to authorStream and you can go there to subscribe to them as an RSS feed so they are delivered directly to you.  If this sounds cool to you then let me know and I will help you with this.  The notes for the scientific method are shown below.  Don't forget about Unit I Exam on Friday, September 14th.  

And the Winner Is...

Congratulations to the Think Tank winners of the week:

Week 1 Question: A woman leaves home and makes three left turns and returns home again. On the way she passes two woman in masks. Who were the 2 women?

ANSWER: The Umpire and the Catcher

WINNERS: Aubrey K. Bela K. and Heather T.

Week 2 Question: A caterpillar crawls at a speed of 21cm per hour towards a vegetable patch. After eating its fill it returns, over exactly the same distance, at only 7cm per hour.
What is the caterpillar's average speed over the entire journey?

ANSWER: 10.5 cm/hr (speed is distance over time. If he travels 21cm to the vegetable patch then it will take him 1 hour to get there (at 21cm/hour) and 3 hours to get back (at 7cm/hour). He will have traveled 42cm (21 x 2) over 4 (1 + 3) hours so his average speed is 10.5cm/hour).

WINNER: Bayan H.

Congratulations to our winners! Your homework pass is will be emailed to you.

Smilebox

I just discovered an awesome website. Check out SmileBox
They have a really cool logo and their website says it all:

Smilebox creates a new category of service called "creative messaging," which draws from related categories including photo services, scrapbooking and greetings; delivering a new medium for communication that is unparalleled in its ability to convey mood, thought and emotion.

Click to play | Make your own Smilebox

WikiSpaces

All wiki units have been assigned. Each person is responsible for contributing to 2 units. In case you forget your assignment, I have posted the file in the Biology Locker. You should be doing your wiki while I am currently teaching that unit. All wikis must be completed PRIOR to that unit exam. This usually gives you about 2 weeks. All wikis must contain images and links to outside resources to enhance any information you have on the space. Any class materials can and should be added to your wiki so students can use this as a learning tool. If you are having trouble with your wiki please do not hesitate to ask for help. Good luck and have fun!

Lets Get Ready To Rumble!

What physical characteristics make a champion thumb wrestler?  



Do you think you have what it takes to be a thumb wrestling champion?  This week we will be investigating this during an activity so you better start training now!  Good luck!

Think Tank: Thinking Outside the Bowl

  
Week 2 Question:  A caterpillar crawls at a speed of 21cm per hour towards a vegetable patch. After eating its fill it returns, over exactly the same distance, at only 7cm per hour.

What is the caterpillar's average speed over the entire journey?   

Class Wiki

I have sent out invitations to everyone who supplied me with an email address. As a reminder please make sure you create a username that consists of your first initial followed by your last name (no spaces). I must be able to identify you from your username. If you do not abide by this request I will remove you from the space as soon as possible. Please remember that you are to edit these pages in good taste. Do not add any kind of content that is not appropriate. Please keep in mind this is for school purposes! I hope everyone can follow the rules and have fun in the process. Good luck!

Using IPods In the Classroom

Would it be possible for our students to create and view video podcasts to learn scientific concepts and vocabulary? Vocab and concepts could be pulled directly from the state and curriculum standards. This would give our students an opportunity to apply scientific knowledge in a fun and creative way! It would also be a good opportunity for students to learn from each other by posting these podcasts to the web. Anyway, just a thought. What do you think?

The Far Side

Star in Your Own JibJab! It's Free!

On My Mind - Wikis

Since you will be asked to contribute to our class wiki you might want to take a peek at the video below. It gives an easy to understand explanation of how wikis work and why they are so effective as an online collaboration tool. Also, don't forget to visit our class wiki to get started!

Collaborative Online Mind Mapping

Want a great way to collaborate on a project or homework online. I have recently found out about Mind Mapping thanks to Weglogg-ed. Mind Meister is a way to create mind maps and you can also collaborate with friends at the same time. This would be a great way to organize class notes or to brainstorm ideas for a project. Below is an example of how Mind Meister works. Click on the link to be exported to the Evolution MindMap. Have Fun!

Evolution MindMap

Widget Mania

Last night I was watching the movie Back To School and suddenly I thought about widgets. You remember the scene, right? Rodney Dangerfield sits in on class
and the professor starts talking about widgets. Some fictitious product. That got me thinking, why not add some cool widgets to the blog? Well here you go. I don't really know a whole lot about them but they seem to be everywhere you turn. Have fun!

RSS Feeds

You can download an RSS Reader to stay informed of any changes made to the blog. You can download a free one at http://www.rssreader.com. RssReader is FREEWARE, which means that you can freely copy the original installation package without any modifications and give it away to all of your friends.
You can also download the latest version of Opera. This browser has a built in RSS Reader.

Click the menu button on the right in Biology Stuff and drop down to RSS. Copy and paste this into your reader to stay informed of any changes made to this folder.

Biology class materials are now online!

Check out the Biology Locker widget to the left! This is where you will find
all of the class notes, labs, handouts, etc for biology class. Don't forget
to print out what you need. And as always, homework can also be submitted via email.
Feel free to post any questions or comments you have about this latest addition to the blog.

Raving Rabbids 2 Trailer

E3: Will bunnies dance on the Wii once more?

A Little Slice Of Heaven

Well we will be on our way to our annual pilgrimage to Kiawah Island, South Carolina.  This little island is located between Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach.  It will be good to get away for a little while.  I've been pretty busy with graduate school and need a little R & R before school starts in August.  I hope this does the trick!  

Welcome!

Welcome to Kozar's Biology Blog. This is where I will post class announcements throughout this school year. Please check back regularly to share class experiences with your classmates. Hopefully this blog will give you an opportunity to read about different aspects of biology and to post comments accordingly. I hope you enjoy my class this year!