23-24 The Mind's Big Bang

Friday movie day!!!
We will watch The Mind's Big Bang part 1 of the PBS Evolution series.
Here is the movie sheet that should go on pages  23-24

What is special about today?  e-mail me for bonus points

22 evolution word map

Here is a list of words from the first section of the "Welcome to Evolution 101" website

Put these words into a "word map" showing how they are related.  As you create your word map, you may want to add notes to the words that are still a bit unfamiliar.

20-21 Welcome to Evolution 101

pages 20-21 are notes pages for the information found on the "Welcome to Evolution 101" website

Please go thru and read all pages as a refresher on Evolution by Friday 8/31/12.

17-19 Pill bug "official" lab write-up

Today you spent some time working on the official lab write-up for the pill bugs.  Remember to follow the rubric as you are writing.

Lab should be ready for peer review Wednesday.

Article discussion

Notebook check today and article discussion from science news.

Here was one of the favorite articles from this issue.  



Go to http://www.sciencenews.org/ for more interesting articles!

Quiz

First quiz today
Notebook check tomorrow!!

16-17 lab rubric

Went over the lab rubric today
Should have the beginnings of your write-up (up to analysis)

Pill bug data collection (pgs 14-15)

Collecting data today :)  Make sure that each person within your group is recording the data in their own notebooks!

Continue construction

Continuing construction for your pill bug lab.  MUST be ready to go for data collection tomorrow :)

Pill Bug presentations

Today you presented your pill bug experimental designs in a round table discussion. 
Each group then edited their designs as needed and began putting together their experimental apparatus.

Continue the Pill Bug Lab

The Pill Bugs are alive!!! :)
Today we will (and by "we" I really mean "you") write out the experimental designs for the pill bug animal behavior experiments on a white board. 
Photos will be posted here later today
We will discuss each other's designs and edit as necessary.

Pill Bug research

Find everything and anything about pill bugs (aka isopods, potato bugs, rolly pollys, sow bugs)
The goal is to design an experiment to test their behavior. . .
What will you decide to test??


I need a list of materials tomorrow (Thursday) so that I can purchase things if needed :)

Pre-test day!

Please don't worry about this test.  It is simply a diagnostic tool to help with the planning of the year!
There is no reason to run to your counselor to drop AP Bio ;)

Tomorrow we will start researching pill bugs and designing a lab to look at their behavior!

Beginning of Week 2

Welcome back to a fun-filled second week!! ;) (only 3 more weeks til a three day weekend)

Today we discussed NRG (eNeRGy) and how it is a thread that can be discussed through all levels and "types" of science.

Click here for the PowerPoint (in case you don't have it) it should be on Page 13

Tomorrow -- pre-test!

Rest of the first week

Whew!  We made it thru the week!!


Thursday was notebook set-up.  Click here to access the slides that give directions for that.

Friday -- first visit to the pond!  Remember we will be going out there regularly (probably on Fridays) I will try to remind you so that you can dress accordingly.

Homework -- go outside for about 15 minutes and observe nature.  Write down a 1 paragraph reflection on page 12


Bonus points -- respond to this post with one sentence about the Riparian area (the pond) (by Tuesday)

First Days

                         Welcome to AP Biology 2012-13!!!

My Teaching Philosophy

All students need an opportunity to experience science as a process and not just learn biology as a collection of unrelated facts. This means that the course should emphasize how scientists use their observations and readings to ask questions that can lead to new experiments. These experiments build on the work of others and eventually lead to additional evidence on different topics. This investigative pro­cess will be used throughout this AP Biology course. 

It is important for you to become excited with discovery as they ask and answer their own questions about natural/biological phenomena that they see, read about, or experience in the laboratory and field. In addition, it is critical that you connect new concepts with what you know, with each connection you help yourself build a solid framework of biological knowledge and scientific know-how. This framework will help you to enter your future, prepared for whatever may lie ahead of you.

The first few days are going to focus on "thinking outside the box" to help build this idea of divergent thinking (that there is often more than one answer and it is more about the process than about arriving at the "correct" answer).

Monday -- paper tower

Tuesday -- fish puzzle

Wednesday -- get on-line and go over syllabus