Welcome to IB Biology HL 1-2!!

Welcome to the 2019-2020 School Year!  This will be the website for your IB Biology class for the next 2 years.  If you look through old entries you can see what classes before you have done.  This will be a good place to go to get class assignments, class resources, and just to keep yourself informed about the class.  When you miss class, come here first to see what we did in class and to find out if there is anything you can do from home.  After that, if you still have questions, you can e-mail me:  mkenny@pps.net

I look forward to meeting you and spending the next 2 years learning biology!  We will cover the following topics during the first year:

First Semester

Introduction to Course, Statistics, and Measuring

Cells and Membranes (Most of Chapter 1)

Biochemistry: Water and Macromolecules (Most of Chapter 2)

Cell Respiration and Photosynthesis (2.8,2.9,8.2,8.3)

Cell Division:  Mitosis and Meiosis (1.6,3.3,10.1)

Possibly Start Genetics (3.1 and 3.2)

Second Semester
Finish Genetics (3.1,3.2,3.4,10.2)

Replication, Transcription, Translation (2.7,7.1,7.2,7.3)

Enzymes (2.5,8.1)

Biotechnology (3.5 and more)

Plants (Chapter 9)

Ecology (maybe get it started)

During the 2nd year, we will cover:

Ecology (Chapter 4)

Biodiversity (5.3 and 5.4)

Evolution (5.1, 5.2, 1.5 and 10.3)

Digestion (6.1)

Circulation (6.2)

Respiration (6.4)

Immunology (6.3 and 11.1)

Muscles and Movement (11.2)

The Kidney (11.3)

Sexual Reproduction (6.6 and 11.4)

Neurobiology (6.5)

Option A,B,C, or D

In addition, we will do an individual investigation (IA), study an IB option chosen by the class, and prepare for the IB Biology Exam! 

April 2019

We're down to the end!  One more unit and one more month.  Hang in there and learn as much as you can in this last unit, while also going back to review some past units.

• Tues 4/2:  Neurogenesis and Structure and Function of the Brain.  Read A1 and A2.
• Thurs 4/4:  Senses:  olfactory, auditory, and visual.  Read A3.  
• Tues 4/9:  Dissect Cow's Eyes.  Turn in 8 good observations and describe how structure affects functions for 3 eye parts.  Innate vs Learned Behavior.  Read A4.
• Thurs 4/11:  Neuropharmacology.  Read A5.
• Mon 4/15:  Cadaver Field Trip!  Details to come soon.
• Wed 4/17:  Finish Neuropharmacology and have groups study different animal behaviors (Ethology).  Read A6.
• Fri 4/19:  Overview of the Option.  Review strategies for Date-Based Questions.
• Tue 4/23:  Practice Paper 3.
• Thurs 4/25:  Practice Paper 2, Part A
• Mon 4/29:  Practice Paper 2, Part B
• Wed 5/1:  Practice Paper 1

Now through Spring Break!!

Can you believe you are getting close to the final stretch!?!  We are going to be very busy these last couple of months trying to finish our last few units of new material, reviewing old material, and getting those darn IA's squared away!  First of all, thank you to the many of you have turned in your first drafts and I am close to being done with those.  There are still many of you who have not turned in a first draft.  After this Friday 3/8, you will no longer be able to turn in a first draft and get feedback from me.  The official due date for the Final Draft is this Friday, 3/8, but my request is that you just get them in to me as soon as you can and no later than Saturday, 3/16.  I need to have time to carefully read them and score them before Spring Break.  Now, here is the upcoming schedule:

• Mon 3/4:  Kidney Dance Simulation.  A few more details about the kidney.  Kahoot Review for Muscles and Kidney Test to be taken on Wed 3/6.  (A Review sheet for this is in the documents section).
• Wed 3/6:  Muscle and Kidney Test.  Review Cell Respiration and Photosynthesis.  Start going over 5 hormones (insulin, glucagon, thyroxin, leptin, and melatonin).  Read 6.6.
• Fri 3/8:  Official due date for Internal Assessment through turnitin.com.  More on hormones.  Male and female hormones.  Reproductive system anatomy.  Reproduction Worksheet.  Due Thursday 3/14.  Hand out Chapters 9+10 Review
• Tues 3/12:  Review the menstrual cycle.  In vitro fertilization (IVF).  Spermatogenesis and oogenesis.  Read 11.4
• Thurs 3/14:  Check off Reproduction Worksheet at the beginning of class.  Structure of sperm and egg.  Fertilization and early development.
• Sat 3/16:  Drop Dead Deadline for Internal Assessment through turnitin.com!
• Mon 3/18:  The placenta and birth.  Kahoot Review for Reproduction Test on Wed 3/20.
• Wed 3/20:  Hormone and Reproduction Test.  Start neurobiology.  Read 6.5
• Fri 3/22:  Structure of an axon and movement of an impulse.  Synapses.

Guidelines for Submitting the Final Internal Assessment

Hello Students!

The official due date for the final draft of your Internal Assessment is Friday 3/8.  I am reading first drafts as fast as I can and most of you should have feedback to your lab by this Saturday 3/2.  Here are some instructions, as well as some general advice after reading many of your labs:

1. Please remove all identifying information from your lab before you submit (your name, other students' names, etc).  I will know it is your lab because it will come through your turnitin.com account.  IB has had this rule over the last few years because it doesn't want examiners to have any bias due to the name of the subject.
2. Please check your formatting before submitting.  Oftentimes the formatting gets changed when you submit.  I have been told that one way to avoid this is to turn your lab into a pdf file before you submit it.  Make sure your headings are in the right place, tables don't get squished, etc.
3. Make sure that you proofread your lab carefully and have somebody else read it too!  There are plenty of errors coming through in the first drafts that could be fixed with a careful reading of the lab.
4. This may seem silly, but give your paper an Investigation Topic, listed before the Research Question.  The IB rubric specifically asks for both, and I don't know how picky they will be about that.
5. Make sure that you discuss Safety, Ethical, or Environmental issues if you need to.  If you are using human subjects, animal subjects, or toxic/corrosive chemicals, you NEED to have this statement.
6. Make sure that you list and justify uncertainties for all quantities and include uncertainty bars on your graphs.  
7. Make sure that you discuss how this uncertainty impacts your results.
8. Make sure that you discuss STRENGTHS of your investigation as well as weaknesses.  For all weaknesses, you should have reasonable suggestions for improvement to the PROCEDURE.
9. In addition, you should suggest extensions for your investigation.
10. Also, please read the comments I put in turnitin.com for your lab.

If you have any questions before you submit, feel free to ask!  I probably won't even put the assignment up on turnitin.com until Monday 3/4 because I want to make sure that you see this and have time to adjust before you submit.

Group IV Project Wednesday, February 13th!

Many students are asking me when and where to meet for the Group IV Project tomorrow, so here is the information from the letter:

"We will be meeting at Smith Memorial Student Union Room 296/8 on the 2nd floor or 327/8 on the 3rd floor (1825 SW Broadway, just 10 blocks from Lincoln) at 8:20 am. After sharing results of individual research on sustainability, groups will decide what data to collect in downtown Portland. They must have their plan approved by their teacher leader before they leave the PSU Student Union. They will be restricted to the following borders: Burnside to the north, Willamette River to the east, end of PSU campus to the south, and 14th Street to the west."

Remember to bring a fully charged laptop if you can and be prepared to walk around outside for a couple of hours.  At this time, the weather is actually not looking bad!  (But don't count on it and be prepared).  Additionally, bring your lunch or money to buy it downtown.  You need to stay for the entire school day!

I'm not sure when the groups will be posted, but if we don't get them to you today, you will find out when you arrive at PSU tomorrow.

Get Ready for Semester 2! After Snow Day Update #1. Stay tuned for more changes....

Hello Students!  Here we go, heading into the last semester of high school (for most of you).  We will continue to plow through the material, finish the IA, and try to review much of the material from last year.  In short, we will be busy up until May, when the IB Exams start.  Then we will work on projects and relax until the end of the year.  Here are the first few weeks mapped out.

This schedule may be changed if we don't need this much time to finish IA's.

• Thurs 1/23:  Hand back final exams to look at and then recollect.  Hand out Immunology Worksheet and work on it or work on your IA.  
• Mon 1/28:  Work on Immunology Worksheet and IA.  Read 6.3.
• Wed 1/30:  Work on Immunology Worksheet and IA.  Check off Immunology Worksheet.
• Fri 2/1:  Notes on complicated parts of Immunology.  Read 11.1.  Work on writing up your IA!  First draft due for Peer Review next Thursday 2/7.
• Tues 2/5: Snow Day.
•  Thurs 2/7:  Finish notes on Immunology. Peer Review of First Draft of IA.  Test next Friday, 2/15.
• Monday 2/11:   Play Kahoot to review for Immunology Test Friday 2/15.  Videos to prepare for Group IV Project.
• Wed 2/13:  Group IV Project.  Meet at PSU if you are doing it .
• Friday 2/15:  Immunology Test. IA Peer Review.  Start Muscles and Movement.  Read 11.2.
• Wed 2/20:  Dissect Chicken Wings.  Overview of Muscles and Movement.  Steps of a muscle contraction.   Crash course video.
• Fri 2/22:  Structure of the elbow joint and dissect chicken wings.  Read 11.3.  Complete draft of IA submitted through turnitin.com
• Tues 2/26:  Overall structure of the kidney.  The nephron:  functional unit of the kidney.  

Happy 2019!

Hello Students!  For most of you, this is the year the you will graduate (and I say "most" because of a couple juniors, not that I have any doubt that you will graduate).  We only have 2 weeks before final exams start, so the turnaround here will be quick.  Please note that Tuesday, January 15th is the last day before finals and it is also the drop-dead deadline for any late work or extra credit.  You can do book groups during FLEX and I will also have 1 lunch per week when you can come in.

• Wed 1/2/19:  Hand out Respiration Worksheet, due Tuesday 1/8.  Get plants going for anyone doing a plant IA.  For the rest of you, start getting your materials assembled while you also work on the Respiration Worksheet.   Have you turned in your IA pre-lab through turnitin.com?  Remember that it should be in before you start taking data.
• Fri 1/4/19:  Monitor plants.  Continue working on Respiration Worksheet, work on your IA, and/or start reviewing for the semester exam.
• Tues 1/8/19:  Respiration Worksheets checked off and gone over.  Work on IA's.
• Thurs 1/10/19:  Work on IA's.  Review for final exam.
• Mon 1/14/19:  Work on IA's.  Kahoot for final exam.
• Tues 1/15/19:  Full 8 Schedule.  All late work and extra credit due by today!  Last minute questions for final exam.
• Wed-Fri 1/16-1/18:  Final Exams!  If you have plants on the cart, you will need to find time to come in and water them and take data.
• Mon 1/21:  Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  No School.
• Tues 1/22:  Teacher Work Day for Semester 1.  Check with me if you want to come in and do some work on your IA.  We will continue with IA's for another 3 days into the 2nd semester, but if you want to have more uninterrupted time, feel free to check with me about a good time to come in