Information about the Final Exam

1. The final exam is on the 2nd semester only
2. List of topics is in the documents section
3. Short answer questions are in the documents section (we will randomly choose 8 on the day of the test and you will answer 6 of the 8):  36 pts
4. About 40 multiple choice questions done on a Scantron:  40 pts
5. Any form of cheating, whether it be getting questions or answers from another person or source or GIVING questions or answers to another person or source, results in a score of ZERO on the exam.  Don't do it!
6. No phones are allowed out at all and you must remain quiet and nondistracting until all students are done with the exam.

End of the Year!

• Tues 5/22:  Finish up on Flowers.  Life Plant Video.  Fill out hand-out as we go and get it checked off.
• Thurs 5/24:  Kahoot Review for Plant Test.  Work on Plant Inquiry.  Deadline extended until Saturday 5/26 at 6:00 pm.
• Tues 5/29:  Plant Test.  Start reviewing for semester exam.
• Thurs 5/3l:  Go over review topics and Short/Medium Answer Questions for Final Exam.
• Mon 6/4:  Play Final Kahoot Review.  Deadline for late work and Extra Credit is today!  
• Wed 6/6:  Finals  1, 2, and 4.
• Thurs 6/7:  Finals 5, 6, and 8
• Fri 6/8:  Finals 3 and 7

Plant Inquiry Assignment

Plant Unit Inquiry:  You will be writing up the beginning of this lab, but you don’t have to do it!

1. Come up with a plant topic for which you can write an inquiry lab.  Check if with Ms. Kenny
2. Write at least 2 paragraphs of background, using citations where necessary.  Remember that usually backgrounds start general and then go to more specific (what you will be actually doing) and also hopefully give some reason why you think this investigation is important/interesting/worthwhile (5 pts)
3. Write a focused question (remember that it needs to be specific!)  (1 pt)
4. List and discuss variables:  independent (manipulated), dependent (responding), and at least 5 controls (explain how you will control them)  (3 pts)
5. Methodology:  explains what you will do and how you will do it, being specific.  Include the tools you will use to measure things, how many trials you are doing (1 plant is a trial, so 10 in a pot is 10 trials!), and what conditions you are using and why (for example if you are changing salinity, what salinities are you using:  do research so you know what is reasonable!). (5 pts)
6. Finally, although you don’t have to do it, you should outline the data-processing you will do and what information you hope to get from it.  (2 pts)

This inquiry is due through turnitin.com by Thursday, May 24.  16 pts in the Lab Section of your grade.

Almost the End of the Year!

• Tues 5/8:  Notes on Transpiration in Plants.  Virtual Transpiration Lab.  Can be done in pairs.  Answer the questions in your notebook and get them checked off on Thursday 5/10.  Remember that your Court Testimony for the DNA Fingerprinting Lab is due today through turnitin.com.  Check off Leaf Anatomy Worksheet.
• Thurs 5/10:  Check off Virtual Transpiration Lab and go over.  Look at stomata through a microscope.   Examine one way to make a potometer.  Xerophytes and Halophytes.  Start going over the process of translocation in phloem.  Read 9.2.
• Mon 5/14:  Finish notes on Translocation.  Start notes on growth in plants.  Seed germination:  start some seeds in your group!  When done do DBQs on p. 418 and p. 424.  Read 9.3.
• Wed 5/16:  Check your seeds and plant them!  Plant tropisms and micropropagation of plants.  Structure of an animal-pollinated flower.  Finish DBQs from the other day and get them checked off.  Read 9.4.
• Fri 5/18:  Flowering, pollination, fertilization, and seed dispersal.  Difference between monocots and dicots.  

DNA Fingerprinting Lab Assignment (disregard what it says on the hand-out about the write up!)

This is what I would like you to do for the DNA Fingerprinting Lab:

Write an argument as if you are the forensic expert for the prosecution or defense of a criminal trial in which there is Crime Scene DNA and DNA from 3 suspects.  Your argument will include the following:

1. Background of DNA Fingerprinting, including some of the history and the principles by which it works (write this in your own words!)
2. A discussion of the results, using numbers and comparison between bands and samples.  This should be thorough and not just a vague statement or two.  If your data is not good enough to use, you can use another group's gel (say whose it is).
3. A discussion of the sources of uncertainty in this lab and how they may or may not have impacted the results.

You can be creative and invent a crime and story behind the various suspects.  Your argument will be turned in through turnitin.com and should be in by Tuesday 5/8, although I encourage you to write it earlier to help you review for the test!  It can certainly be turned in early!

End of April/Early May

• Friday 4/20:  Finish notes on genetic modification and go over clones.  Micropipetting practice.  Hand out DNA Fingerprinting Lab and read it!
• Tues 4/24:  First part of DNA Fingerprinting Lab.  Add enzyme to the 4 DNA samples and let them incubate for an hour.  While they incubate, finish the Restriction Enzyme Worksheet and get it checked off, do the DBQ on monarch butterflies on p. 195, work on your Enzyme Lab, and then start going over the Enzyme and Biotech Review Sheet on my website.
• Thurs 4/26:  Enzyme Lab due through turnitin.com by 11:59 pm tonight (but don't stay up until then to submit it!).  Typically I don't take much off for labs that are a little late.  Day 2 of the DNA Fingerprinting Lab.  Add dye to your samples and then load them into the gels!  When finished, complete the DBQ on p. 195 and get checked off, go over the Enzyme and Biotech review, etc.  When everyone has their gels loaded, we will review the topics of Biotech and some of the ethical issues.
• Mon 4/30:  Look at your gels under the UV light and take a photo.  Analyze the resulting lines and try to determine which suspect was at the crime scene!  We will discuss the write up for this lab.  Do DBQ on page 353 (you can skip b and d)
• Wed 5/2:  Finish checking off DBQ on p. 353.  Work on DNA Fingerprinting Lab.  Review enzymes and biotech.  Kahoot review.  Start Plants!
• Fri 5/4:  Take Enzyme and Biotechnology Test.  Structure of leaf tissue and transpiration.  Read 9.1.

Boston Children's Hospital Virtual Stem Cell Laboratory

This assignment is to be done in pairs.  Follow the simulation and write your answers on a separate sheet of paper that you can turn in.  Remember to put both of your names on it!

1. Go to the Boston Children's Hospital Virtual Stem Cell Laboratory (linked on my website)
2. Read the Introduction and about Embryonic Stem Cells
3. Start the simulation by choosing a coaxing agent (one of the 5 colors).  If that coaxing agent works in the ES cells, you will see movement along a pathway.  If not, try a different coaxing agent until you get some movement.
4. Write down the coaxing agent that you chose and what new cell type you went to.  Read about that cell type.
5. Continue with the coaxing agents until you reach the end of a pathway.  Write down the ending stem cell and what it can be used to treat.
6. Start over with a whole new pathway (or just back up one step to get to another), writing down the coaxing agents and products as you did above.
7. Repeat this process for 5 different complete pathways.
8. Summarize what you learned about embryonic development and how these early cells can be used to treat different disorders.
9. If time:  Discuss the ethical pros and cons of using embryonic stem cells for treating patients and write down 2 pros and 2 cons.