February 7-February 21

• Tues 2/7:  Hand Final Exams back and recollect.  2nd Semester Survey.  Rules of Probability.  Beyond regular Mendelian genetics.  Hand out Genetics Problem Set.  Due next Monday, 2/13.  Read 14.3. 
• Thurs 2/9:  Card Simulations and Chi Squared Test.  Human genetic disorders.  Sex-linked traits.  More on pedigrees.   Thacker family pedigree problem.  Pedigree Worksheet due Wednesday.   Read 14.4 and 15.2.
• Mon 2/13:  Turn in genetics problem set.  Genetic recombination and linkage.  Map units.  Alteration of chromosome number  and structure. Library Research of genetic disorders.   Read 15.3 and 15.4.
• Wed 2/15:  Turn in Pedigree Problems.  Exceptions to standard chromosome theory.  Video on epigenetics.  Read 15.5
• Fri 2/17:  Senior Seminar Day.  All classes meet for a short time.  Chapters 14+15 wrap-up.  Test on Tues 2/21.
• Mon 2/20:  President's Day.  No school.
• Tues 2/21:  Chapter 14+15 Test.  Start Chapter 16 on DNA.  Read 16.1.

Final Exam Guidelines

1st Period's Final will be 8:10-10:05 am on Tuesday, January 31st and 3rd Period's Final will be 8:10-10:05 on Thursday, February 2nd.

What You Need for the Final in This Class:
1) Pencils
2) Notebook Paper
3) 4" x 6" note card hand-written by you (must be turned in at the end of the test)
4) Something to do quietly when you are done with the test

Other Rules:
1) You must finish the test in the time allotted, although I do allow students to stay a short time into the break if they have been working steadily. Students with 504 plans or IEP's can get more time if their plan allows.
2) No trips to the restroom before you have turned in the test. Afterwards, one student at a time may go.
3) Absolutely no cell phones out.
4) Remember that any form of cheating, whether you are looking at another person's test or assisting another student, will result in a 0% on the test. Don't let that happen to you! It just isn't worth it.

Finally, it is a good idea to be well-rested, eat a good breakfast, and try to relax!    If you run into a question that is stressing you out, move on, and come back to it later. Check your test over before you turn it in to look for careless mistakes or questions you may have forgotten to answer.

January 18-February 3

We are now heading into the last 2 weeks before final exams. Make sure that you check your grade and look for missing assignments. The deadline for late work and extra credit is Friday, January 27th by 3:30 pm.

• Wed 1/18:  Finish drawing creatures and then present them to the class.  Vote for creatures that are most likely to survive and reproduce in various situations.  Questions on Mitosis and Meiosis Review?
• Fri 1/20:   Turning in notes on Mitosis + Meiosis Review before the test is optional.  Take Mitosis and Meiosis Test.  When finished, do genetics vocabulary assignment.  Read 14.1.
• Tues 1/24:  Mendelian Genetics.   Read 14.2.  Start going over Semester Review Concepts.
• Thurs 1/26:  Jeopardy Review.  Final Exam Guidelines.
• Fri 1/27:  Late Work and Extra Credit due by 3:30 pm today.
• Mon 1/30:  We see all classes today for a short amount of time.  Final questions?  Final calculations before final.
• Tues 1/31:  Finals for Periods 1,4, and 7.
• Wed 2/1:  Finals for Periods 2, 5, and 8.
• Thurs 2/2:  Finals for Periods 3 and 6.
• Fri 2/3:  Teacher Work Day.  No School.

January 3-January 13 (updated 1/12)

Welcome to 2012!  I hope that you had a relaxing Winter Break.  I know that I sure did.  Now it's time to get busy and do our unit on Cell Division and prepare for the end of the semester.

• Tues 1/3/2012:  Review phases of mitosis.  Phases of the cell cycle.  Do 1st side of Cell Divison worksheet.  Read 12.1.
• Thurs 1/5/12:  Using microscopes to identify mitosis phases.  Yarn cell simulations.  Complete 2nd side of Cell Division WS.  Read 12.2.
• Mon 1/9/12:  Regulation of the eukaryotic cell cycle.   (Read 12.3).  Meiosis and genetics terminology.   Read 13.1.
• Wed 1/11/12:   Fertilization and meiosis.  Comparison of mitosis to meiosis.  Read 13.2 and 13.3.
• Fri 1/13/12:  Ethics and Karyotyping.  Meiosis Creature Building Activity.  Hand out 12+13 Review.  Read 13.4.  Test on Chapters 12+13 next Friday 1/20.

Monday 1/16 is Martin Luther King Day.  No school.

December 5-December 16

Can you believe there are only 2 weeks left before Winter Break?  This is a great time to make up any missing assignments and plan any extra credit you might want to do over break.

• Monday 12/5:  Anaerobic respiration and fermentation.  Introduce photosynthesis, some notes and work on Photosynthesis worksheet.  Questions on Metabolic Rate Lab?  Read 9.5 and 10.1.
• Wed 12/7:  Photosynthesis:  light dependent and light independent reactions.  Action spectra and absorption spectra.  Chemiosmosis in chloroplasts.  The Calvin Cycle.  1st Draft of Metabolic Rate Lab due Friday.  Read 10.2.
• Fri 12/9:  Exchange Metabolic Rate Labs, try assessing using the IB Rubric and give feedback.  Final Draft is due before Winter Break (include Color-Marked copy).   Demonstrations of how to measure rate of photosythesis.  Comparing mitochondria to chloroplasts worksheet.  Next Thursday we will be taking a Chapter 9+10 Test.  Read 10.3 and 10.4.
• Tues 12/13:  OAKS Test for Juniors.  This will not take the whole class period. Jeopardy Review for Chapter 9 + 10 Test.
• Thursday 12/15:  Turn in 9+10 Review notes and Chloroplast/Mitochondrion Worksheet.  Take Chapter 9+10 Test.  Turn in Metabolic Rates Lab and Color-Marked version if not already. 

Have a very relaxing winter break!  I will see you in 2012!

Parent-Teacher Conferences Next Week--Parents Please Read!!

Next Monday and Tuesday, November 21st and 22nd, will be a chance to come in and discuss your student's progress.  The sessions will be held 8:30-11:30 am, 1:00-4:00 pm, and 5:30-8:30 pm on both days.  I want to let you know that on Tuesday, November 22nd,  I will not be available until 10:00 am because I will be meeting with the teachers of my own children across town.  I hope that I will still be able to meet with all parents who want to conference.  You are more than welcome to bring your student with you.  It is frequently very helpful to have their voice present at the conference.

I look forward to meeting with many of you next week!

November 14-December 1

• Mon 11/14:  Surface Area Lab with Agar Cubes.  Lab write-up due Friday 11/18.  Include completed data table, 4 sample calculations, and conclusion/evaluation.  Questions on Cell Review??
• Wed 11/16:  Turn in Cell Review.  Take Cell Test.  Read "Energy, Cells & Life".  Overview of Cellular Respiration.  Read 9.1.
• Fri 11/18:  Turn in Surface Area and Diffusion Lab.  Mapping out the steps of Glycolysis.  Citric Acid Cycle.  Read 9.2 and 9.3.
• Tues 11/29:  Lab:  Measuring your metabolic rate.  Read 9.4.  Quiz on Thursday.
• Thurs 12/1:  Glycolysis/citric acid cycle quiz.  Fermentation and anaerobic respiration.  Read 9.5.