Final Draft of Enzyme Lab due Mon 5/2

Please read the comments I put on your lab through turnitin.com, but also look here for suggestions for the final draft because there were a lot of issues that came up over and over.

1. Cite any sources used in the background and please cite them right there in the text!
2. Make sure that your background actually discusses the affect of your independent variable.
3. In the procedure, do NOT say "gather materials".
4. Include the tools that you use to measure specific amounts.
5. Give your data table a title!
6. Include uncertainty in the data table, both instrumental (same for each measurement) and uncertainty of the average (high-low/2)
7. Include observations!
8. Annotate your graph.
9. Use data to back yourself up in the conclusion and include the units!
10. Check your formatting before submitting your paper.  Make sure that you don't have any headings that get cut off from their content.  If you split a data table, make sure that the headings are repeated on the second page!

Bioethics Presentations

Each group writes these down and presents on Friday or Monday

1. Do background research of your topic:  history, timeline, key events
2. Explain the science, go beyond class
3. Opposing viewpoints:  pros and cons.  Read some actual opposing viewpoint sites.  Give good weight to both.
4. Your resources (at least 6 per group).  These should be reputable and completely cited
5. Divide the jobs and identify who did what
6. Friday and Monday we will do a brief (10 minutes) student-led discussion of each topic

4th Quarter Lessons

I'm updating this a bit late, but will include the next week.

• Tues 4/12:  Stem Cell Notes and Stem Cell on-line Activity done in pairs.  Discuss uncertainty in the Enzyme Lab with your group and use Lab Report guidelines to work on your lab write-up.
• Thurs 4/14:  Finish notes on stem cells and some notes on clones.  Finish Stem Cell activity and turn in or get checked off.  Click and Clone simulation.  More work time for your lab write-up.  Rough draft due later today through turnitin.com, unless you just took the data today during FLEX, and then you get another week.
• Mon 4/18:  Biotech Worksheet.  Complete and turn in.  Data-based Question on pp. 194-195 done in your notebook.  Do PCR, gel electrophoresis, and genetic modification simulations if you have time.
• Wed 4/20:  Ethics of Biotechnology:  DNA sequencing, stem cells, cloning, genetic modification (designer babies, GMO's in food).
• Fri 4/22:  Practice using micropipettes.  Prep for gel electrophoresis lab done next week.

A List of Headings for the Enzyme Lab

There is no exact way that you have to present labs for IB, but if you are looking for some help in how your lab should be structured, here is a list of headings that are typically found in a lab.

• Topic
• Background (cite your information if needed!!)
• Focused Question
• Variables (including a clear description of how you controlled the variables)
• Materials
• Procedure
• Justification of Procedural Choices
• Data Table (include uncertainty and observations)
• Sample calculations (1 sample of each type)
• Graph (includes uncertainty bars, title, annotation, etc)
• Conclusion (use data, explain results, etc)
• Evaluation (you may do this as a 3-part table as we did in class)

Make sure that you spellcheck or just proofread well.  Make sure that your titles and headings don't get separated from their tables and graphs by page breaks.

Stem Cell Activity (done in pairs)

• Go to Virtual Stem Cell Laboratory Link (from my website)
• Go through at least 6 pathways using the coaxing agents to make 6 different types of cells.  Write down the coaxing agents and progression of cell types
• For each pathway, read about the uses of this type of stem cell and write them down.
• Put both names on the paper and turn it in

Enzyme Lab!!

Tuesday 4/5 Today is the Practice Day for the Lab!  Decide which protocol you want to use, which independent variable you want to have, and which source of catalase (yeast or beef liver or even red potato?).  Do the extreme values of your independent variable so that you can come up with a reasonable procedure that will work for all conditions!  Remember that you should have at least 5 different conditions for your independent variable (and a minimum of 3 trials of each).

Pre-write:  Write a focused question, background, discuss variables, and write your procedure.  Your procedure should include not only specific steps of what to do, but also a justification section, where you discuss why you chose the amounts and quantities that you did.

Thursday 4/7:  Data-taking day!!  Hopefully your team has come up with an efficient procedure that will get you the data that you need.  Make sure that you make large enough batches of your solutions so that you only have to make them once for consistency.  Get the next trial set up in advance so that you can take the data efficiently.  Record observations as you go.  When you finish, check your data to make sure that it is adequate.  Do you need to redo any trials?  Then, get completely cleaned up and start processing your data.  Take average and start calculating uncertainty.  Reflect on what you did.  Write down any last observations.

Tuesday 4/12:  Today we will work on the lab in class.  Showing calculations, making graphs, writing conclusions and evaluations.  Rough Draft lab is due Thursday 4/14 through turnitin.com.  See documents section for further guidelines on the lab write-up.