Welcome to the 2014-2015 School Year!

I'm so excited to be back teaching you for another year, and it's not just any year, it's your Senior Year!   There is plenty to do:  we will be doing several serious internal assessments, cover 2 options of IB Biology material, and cover all of the IB topics for human anatomy and physiology.  In May many of you will be taking IB exams over a period of several weeks and we will adjust the class accordingly.

Here is the plan for the first couple of weeks:

• Wed 9/3:  Intro to course, review expectations, hand out Safety and Academic Honesty contracts.  Ecology preassessment.  Table work:  define trophic level terms, make 3 different food chains, and start a food web.  Signed contracts due by next Wed 9/10.
• Fri 9/5:  Finish food web and exchange with another group for feedback.  Turn in Definitions and Food Chains and Food Web with feedback (1 per group).  Energy pyramids:  shape, units, and discuss what happens to the energy.  Biomagnification.  Start Carbon Cycle.  We will view a short Ted Ed video and then you will take notes on the carbon sources and transformations list on the SEPUP carbon cycle simulation.  
• Mon 9/8:  Finish notes on SEPUP simulation (pre- and post-industrial).  Draw a labeled carbon cycle with your table group and turn in.
• Wed 9/10:  Turn in Signed Contracts if not already  Ecology definitions and sigmoid growth curves.  Hand out Ecology Review:  Test next Wed 9/17.
• Fri 9/12:  Start Field Tests.  Using quadrats estimate quantities of organisms.  Simpson Diversity Index.