My Blog is here: http://www.cavalierscience.blogspot.com
Need a textbook to help you study? A free online textbook can be found here:
CK-12 Biology is a high school FlexBook covering cell biology, genetics, evolution, ecology, microorganisms, fungi, plants, invertebrates, vertebrates, and physiology.
This book is available for download on your iPad with iBooks or on your computer with iTunes - FOR FREE! I was also able to find the textbooks on my Kindle and download them for free.
There is a student version http://www.ck12.org/student/ and teacher version http://www.ck12.org/teacher/ of the website. CK-12.org just announced that they have integrated their content with Schoology https://www.ck12info.org/blog/ck-12schoology-easier-lesson-planning-save-time/
There is a student version http://www.ck12.org/student/ and teacher version http://www.ck12.org/teacher/ of the website. CK-12.org just announced that they have integrated their content with Schoology https://www.ck12info.org/blog/ck-12schoology-easier-lesson-planning-save-time/
If you would like to be a Citizen Scientist and participate in our bird watching project, you can register at http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ and submit your observations. We have a birding hotspot here at Middletown High and you can watch birds at the pond and submit your observations to the Middletown High School Pond birding hotspot: http://ebird.org/ebird/hotspot/L2346801 Check it out!
Click on the videos link to watch some of the videos that I show in class.
The Secret Lives of Scientists,
Mayim Bialik:
Globally Harmonized System of labeling chemicals in the workplace. The video can be found here:
Scientists in Action. We watched these two video clips:
The Tale of the Peacock
and Ancient Farmers of the Amazon
The Germ Theory. The video clip is on this YouTube link:
Students wrote down the following questions in the Journal Section of their binders:
1. How does the scientific meaning of a term like theory differ from the way it is used in everyday life?
2. Can the "facts" of science change over time?
3. Who was Charles Darwin?
4. How did public opinion of his day affect Charles Darwin's willingness to publish the Origin of Species?
After watching the video, students answered the questions in their lab notebook.
Students may watch and review the video clips Isn't Evolution Just A Theory? and Who Was Charles Darwin? at this web site:
or on YouTube:
How Wolves Change Rivers as part of the Variation in Wolves activity. The video can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysa5OBhXz-Q
Here is a STEM Lesson on Gray Wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains:
Here is a STEM Lesson on Gray Wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains:
Students wrote in their Journals the answer to the questions: 1. What is Natural Selection? 2. Why is the relationship between the toxic newts and the garter snakes considered an evolutionary arms race? 3. How does evolution really happen (work)?
They watched a video called Toxic Newts that can be found at this link:
They also watched the video clip titled How Does Evolution Really Work? that can be found at this link:
As part of the Chicken Wings and Batter's Arms activity, students watched the video clip Common Past, Different Paths, which can be found at these links:
To understand the Whale's Tale project, students watched the video clip titled How Do We Know Evolution Happens? that can be found at this link:
and part of the video Part 1 of Walking with Prehistoric Beasts to see how the Ambulocetus lived.
To understand the characteristics of a modern whale, students watched 3 video clips: Alaskan Whales on this web site: www.toandos.com/whales.html, Whale Song (which can be found at this web site:
Students watched three videos about the Tiktaalik, a transitional fossil (see note 1 below for additional information):
Students watch a video about the evidence for evolution that summarized what we had learned.
Students looked at a variety of videos and web sites about human evolution:
Human Evolution Multimedia
Students watched a video clip: Did Humans Evolve? The video clip can be found at this web page:
However, the PBS video has become somewhat outdated. So now, we watch this video about human evolution:
Great Transitions: The Origin of Humans — HHMI BioInteractive Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yjr0R0jgct4
Students also watched this video clip: Becoming a Fossil. The video can be found at this web page:
Human evolution was demonstrated by observing this online activity:
This website ( http://www.becominghuman.org/ ) is used for an extra credit activity.
This online National Geographic article contains a video clip that tells about Ida, the 47-million-year-old fossil
This web site has a video about the oldest fossil skeleton of a human ancestor:
and there is more information on my blog.
Students watched Debi's Story about antibiotic resistant tuberculosis, as part of a lesson about why understanding evolution is important now. They also watched a video about diseases.
Students watched a video titled: Why Is Evolution Important Now? This video is available to watch online at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/educators/teachstuds/svideos.html
Students learned about karyotypes:
Students watched two short video clips about Ryan White, after learning about hemophilia (a genetically inherited blood clotting disorder), which is a sex-linked genetic disease. Ryan contracted AIDS after a transfusion of blood clotting protein that was a treatment for Ryan's hemophilia:
Students watched a video about Huntington's Disease as part of a lesson about pedigrees. Here is the link:
Students watched a video clip about mitosis, cell division of somatic cells (asexual reproduction). The video is copyrighted and cannot be posted. However, the following link has videos that show real cells dividing:
http://iknow.net/cell_div_education.html
http://iknow.net/cell_div_education.html
Students participated in watching a Comparison of Mitosis and Meiosis annimation:
Students watched a video about the history of the discovery and the structure of DNA:
After studying protein synthesis, students watched video clips and animation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bee6PWUgPo8 Replication
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MfSYnItYvg Transcription
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVgwr0QpYNE RNA Splicing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dsTvBaUMvw Translation
http://sepuplhs.org/high/sgi/teachers/genetics_act16_sim.html Protein Synthesis Animation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1UPf7lXeO8 BioRap - DNA and Protein Synthesis
The Learn Genetics - University of Utah - Lick Your Rats Activity (epigenetics) can be found here:
From the Idea Bank, October 2015, Tips and Techniques for Creative Teaching by Ashley Campbell in the Science Teacher published by the National Science Teachers Association.
Science Videos on the Web:
Academy of Achievement: www.achievement.org
Blick on Flicks: www.nsta.org/publications/blickonflicks.aspx
Makers: www.makers.com
"The Price of Progress": http://cbsn.ws/1gd6RlM
The Secret Life of Scientists and Engineers: http://to.pbs.org/laDSp2v
Note 1
For those who are interested in the Tiktaalik, there is an activity in this textbook: SEPUP. (2011). Science and Global Issues: Biology. Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California at Berkeley. Published by Lab-Aids, Inc., Ronkonkoma NY. The activity is Evidence from the Fossil Record - Activity 6 pp. 446-453. Students explore transitional fossils in an portion of the activity titled Studying Fossils to Determine the Origin of Tetrapods. The Tiklaalik is one of the transitional fossils presented in the activity. The videos listed above enhance interest in this activity.
There is also a 2011 episode of Mysteries at the Museum travel channel show where near the end of the episode, information is presented about the importance of the Tiktaalik fossil and it is explained that the fossil is housed at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, PA. http://www.travelchannel.com/shows/mysteries-at-the-museum/travel-guides/outlaw-shoes-and-astrochimp-travel-guide It looks like the video would be on Disc 2 of Season 2 of the show that can be purchased from Amazon.com. The episode is titled Outlaw Shoes, Astrochimp, and Message in a Bottle. I have not purchased the video and am not 100% certain that it is on the CD. If anyone reading this blog knows how to obtain the Mysteries at the Museum, Tiktaalik video or a video clip, please leave a comment.