Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Scribe! 9.27.11

Hey guys! I thought today in class was a pretty easy going day. We learned alot though! Here is most of the things that we learned during Bio today.
1. When you walked into class you where sposed to pick up your stampsheet, new UP for the new cells unit we started.
2. Next we got back a updated grade sheet.
3. We started to take notes on cells! here is a summary of some of the notes we took on what we already know about cells.
  • Necleus, DNA, controls cells functions
  • mostly small, not all same size, some can be seen with eye (ex: egg)
  • billions of them
  • cytoplasm- gel like, water, ions, minerals ect.
  • all living things are made of cells
  • unicellular and multicellular
  • mitochandria
  • lysosomes
  • golgibody
  • vacuoles
  • asexual reproduction- cells come from other cells
  • ribosomes
  • prganelles
  • membrane
  • cancer- uncontrolled cell division
  • Types of cells: plant and animal, orkaryotes and eukaryotes,red and white blood cells. Structure ditermens function, cells specialized.
The homework was to read the lab on pages 9-14 and complete the prelab on page 8.
The next scribe will be...Janie!

First Post: Dance Moms!


hey guys! Sorry this is a little late, my blogging skills are not up to date! but anyways... I'm in love, and obsessed with a show called "Dance Moms". Dance Moms is a reality series based on children's pursuit into dance and show business, along with their mothers. All of them attend Abbey Lee Dance Company, which is a competitive dance studio, that trains young dancers to become "stars". Abbey Lee Miller, the main teacher and owner, helps train Maddie, Chloe, Nia, Vivi-Anne, Brooke, Paige, Mackenzie, these are her most committed dancers in the studio. The show basically films their dance rehearsals, and their competitions. I'm interested in this show because I have a passion for dance, and I understand the complex, and frustrating rehearsals they have to go through.
Here's the show preview if your interested:


What am I most excited for this year...
I am most excited for meeting new people, and also having fun in class.

What am I least excited for this year...
I am least excited for finals, but I will try to have a positive attitude about them.

Thanks guys! -OliviaF



Saturday, September 24, 2011

MUDDIEST POINT COMMENTS!

Hey gang... i too am having some issues posting comments, so here are some responses to muddiest points.


For density dependent and independant factors... Think about a crowded classroom (very dense) vs. a less crowded classroom (not very dense).

If there was a flu spreading, which classroom would you rather be in? The less dense one!!! Because disease is density depenBolddent.

BUT if there were a tornado that hit the school... which classroom would you rather be in? DOESN'T matter! Because a natural disaster is DENSITY INDEPENDANT!

Think about the word "limit". If someone limited your spending on clothes, then they would stop you from going shopping. A limit on growth stops the population from growing.



KEEP CHECKING BACK TO THIS POST! I WILL ADD TO IT THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND!

Friday, September 23, 2011

Comment

This is my comment for Ereni. It won't let me post a comment on her muddiest point.

Pyramids of biomass show the amount of living organic matter at each level in an ecosystem. (Biomass is the total amount of living things in a trophic level)
The primary producers tend to have more mass.
As you go up the pyramid, the numbers decrease.
A pyramid of numbers shows the number of individual organisms at each level in an ecosystem.

Hope this helps!
-Kaitlyn

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Scribe 9/22/11

Today in class we took notes on environmental issues (section 6-3). We talked about biodiversity and how all species are involved in the food web. Some threats to biodiversity are: habitat destruction, hunting, pollution, invasive species, and global warming.
Next, we talked about global climate change and the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is a natural situation where heat is trapped by CO2, methane, and other gases. It occurs from burning fossil fuels and forests. The effects of global climate change are: rising of sea level, loss of biodiversity, and natural disasters.
We also talked about Ozone Depletion. The ozone is a layer of O3 gas in the atmosphere and it filters harmful UV rays. In the 1970's, scientists found that CFC caused a hole to form in the ozone layer. CFC's were used in aerosol cans and were banned in 1987. Now, the ozone holes are shrinking! :)
Next, we talked about Pollution and Biological Magnification. DDT is a non-biodegradable pesticide, which means it can't be broken down by natural metabolic processes. Organisms cannot eliminate DDT from their bodies, which causes a decrease in population. Biological magnification is when a pollutant concentration increases higher in the food chain.
That was the end of our notes, so for the rest of the time, we met with our lab groups and discussed our duckweed presentations, which we will be presenting tomorrow during class.
The homework for tonight was:
  • Practice the duckweed presentations for tomorrow!
THE NEXT SCRIBE WILL BE.... MAKENZIE :)

Comment

For some reason I can't comment on this post!

This is my comment for OliviaF.

The primary consumer is the consumer that would eat the producer, so it it the first consumer in the food web, but the second organism in the food web. The consumer is just an "in general" consumer, or an organism that eats another organism to get its energy. If you mean like the secondary consumer and all consumers after that, it just means that the organisms they eat are also consumers. So primary consumers are the second organisms in a food chain (and web I guess) because they eat the producers, who are obviously the first in the chain, and the secondary consumers are the third in food chain (and web) because they eat the primary consumers who eat the producers, and so on all the way up the chain (and, again, web).

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Muddiest Point

Hey Guys, I don't really have anything straight from the book that is really confusing me. I just am questioning how to take good notes and how to study better. Mostly how to study though, I am so bad at studying for test's and quiz's and if anyone could give me some pointers that would be great!! Thanks!

Muddiest Point!!!

Hey guys!
So, a lot of you have mentioned the things that I'm confused on, which would probably be the pyramids of biomass and numbers... If someone could help me with that it'd be awesome!
Thanks!!

Muddiest Point

Hey guys! I need some help understanding some things in section 6.3. The first thing that got me confused was biodiversity. I don't understand what biodiversity actually is. One paragraph said that it was a type of natural resource....what??? Another thing that was confusing to understand was genetic diversity. I didn't understand the definition that was in the book, it made no sense to me. The more I kept reading about biodiversity and genetic diversity, the more it confused me. If someone understands, please please please help me! :)

muddiest point

howdy! my muddiest point is about the numbers pyrimd. can someone explain what it generally is?

Scribe 9/21/11


(Movie Trailer)
            Today in class we watched the movie, Planet Earth. During the movie we learned interesting facts about many biomes and learned about many living organisms in a specific biome. The first biome we saw was the Tundra. Two organisms that live in the Tundra are, penguins and polar bears. The penguins struggle with the cold weather sometimes, which leads them to no food. And for the polar bears, they don’t get a lot of food either, so it is hard for the mama polar bears to feed their cubs. The next biome we saw and learned a little about was called Taiga or Boreal Forest. The one fact we leaned about the Taiga was that it contains many conifer trees, which are trees that last all year. Furthermore, the next biome we saw was called Deciduous Forest. Broad leaf trees are very common in the Deciduous Forests and the leaves are also edible! Also there are a many Armur Leopards roaming around the forests. Armur Leopards are considered rare in all the cats in the world and have thick fur so they can stay warm and keep out the cold air. In addition, the Tropical Rainforest came next to learn about. The Tropical rainforest covers 3% of earth’s surface and contains 50% of earth’s plants and animals. One of the animals that lives is the rainforest are the birds of paradise. One of the biggest challenges for the birds is finding a mate and impressing their mate. Finally the last biome we learned about was the desert. The desert is 1/3 of lands surface and one deserts is called Kalahari. The Kalahari Desert always get very dry at some point during the year and it also has many dust storms. And a special animal that lives there is the Lechwe Antelope, which has special hooves that help move quickly and easily in the water. All in all, we learned about many biomes and many living organisms in the movie, Planet Earth.

The next scribe will be…KASIA 

Muddiest Point

Hey Everyone! For my muddiest point, my question is what is an autotroph? i just dont understand what it does? Can someone please explain it for me?

Muddiest Point

My muddiest point would probably be understanding all of the pyramids, like their names and what they represent and why the pyramid is shaped like a pyramid.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Muddiest Point

Hey guys! My muddiest point has to do with the food web. I don't understand which is the primary consumer, and which is the consumer! Can someone help explain?

Muddiest Point

After reading 6.3 tonight, I am still trying to understand Genetic diversity. As the book states, if a populations loses genetic diversity, it is less likely to be able to survive changes in its environment. Can somebody please explain to me why this is? Thanks

Muddiest Point

The thing I don't understand the most in this chapter is what are scavengers, and what are decomposers. I am just confused what they do, and are, and why they are so important. That is what I am currently struggling with the most!

Muddiest Point

The topic that I am most struggling with in unit one is density dependent limiting factors. I know that density dependent limiting factors operate strongly when the population density reaches a certain level. I also know that they include competition predation and herivory. I don't understand why this matters. Why do people need to know about this and how does this affect us? So, please help me out with this topic.
Thanks, SamC

Monday, September 19, 2011

Muddiest Point!

Hey guys. What I don't really understand is that identifying factors that limit population growth. I think I have the right idea about it but I don't really understand it that well... Can someone please expain to me in more detail the differences of a density-dependent factor and a density-independent factors are?


Thanks!

muddiest point

My muddiest point in the class is the energy pyramid and what 10% energy efficent is.
I'm really struggling with it this so if anyone can answer this, thanks (:

Muddiest Point

So after reading the section today, I'm still confused on one thing. Why does an organism have a better chance of surviving distrubances if it is more genetically diverse? If someone could help me out that would be great!

Muddiest Points!

My muddiest point would mainly be the difference between food chains and food webs. I know a food web is formed by many other food chains, but then what's the exact definition of a food chain? I would like to know a clearer difference. It would also be helpful if someone explained a little more about the pyramid of energy. Is pyramid of energy just that the producer gives 100% energy to first-level consumers, then 10%, then 1%, then 0.1%? I would also like to know more about the first, second, and third level consumers. Thanks! :)

Class Review 9/19/11

Today in class, we took the last data for our Duckweed experiment. In groups, we have been conducting an experiment on Duckweed. It is to see how quickly the Duckweed reproduce and if other things within the beaker affect the growth. For example, a group put motor oil in the water along with the Duckweed. Another group placed Hornworts in the beaker as well. In some cases, the growth of the Duckweed was affected, and in others, nothing changed.

Another thing we did in class was turn in the homework which was the comparison chart for sections 6.2 and 6.4. We went over the homework that was assigned for this week which is:



  • Duckweed Presentations

  • read 6.3

  • post Muddiest Point to blog

  • comment on a post

Finally, we did the Water Testing Lab. We did this to see if the Des Plaines River was polluted. Our class predicted the river would be polluted because of bacteria, and waste from insects and other living organisms found in the water. We tested 8 pollutants to see how comtaminated the water is.

1. Coliform bacteria - pollution from sewage
2. Dissolved Oxygen (DO) - you want a high level of this because it is good for organisms.
3. Biological Oxygen Demand (DOB) - is the amount of DO used by bacteria when they break down waste.
4. Nitrates - if the levels are high, it is from sewage and fertilizers
5. pH - industrial wastes, mining operations, etc. affect this
6. Phosphates - high levels mean it's from human and animal waste and farm run off
7. Temperature - thermal pollution comes from industries
8. Turbidity - is how clear the water is. Can be affected by soil erosion and algae blooms.


For our group, we came to the conclusion that the river water is somewhat polluted.

JESSICA is the next scribe!

Muddiest Point!

The things that I am most confused about in this unit are the biomass pyramid, pyramid of numbers and the energy pyramid. I know it's kind of ironic how the only things I am confused about are all pyramids! But I hope you can help me understand these concepts better! Thanks!

Muddiest Point!

Hey guys. The thing I'm most confused about right now is what we just read for homework: the biodiversity and I don't understand the types of biodiversity's. I don't really know what it exactly is and I also don't understand what the ecosystem diversity, species diversity, and genetic diversity are. If someone could explain this to me, it'd be great. Thanks :)

Muddiest Point!

The two things I don't understand is primary and secondary succession, and food webs and food chains. The parts I am confused on about the successions are what the difference between them and which areas of ground they occur on exactly. The parts I am confused on with the food webs are which ones the primary producers are and all the organisms up above them and what the difference between food webs and food chains. Other than that the unit has been good and I understand everything else.

Muddiest Point!

The muddiest point for me is how to define a biome. Also another thing that I don't fully understand is the energy transfer among the organisms and how to distinguish on a food web which animals are 3rd order and 4th order consumers or 5th and 6th consumers. It would be great if someone could explain this to me!

Thanks and Have a great day!

Muddiest Point!

One of the main things that always confuses me is when there's a question asking you to state an organism that's both a 2nd and 3rd order consumer or a 4th and 5th order consumer. Another question I have is how to tell what the original source of energy on a food web is, we had a question like this on our ecology quiz and it really confused me.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

9-16-11 P2 Class Review

Today, we did lab #58 from our lab books that we handed in to Mrs. Stein at the beginning of the year to keep in a shelf. The lab was called Learning About Population Density. For the lab we had to measure the population density of dandelions, plantains, and Clovers by dividing the area into smaller areas called quadrats. The number of each plant in each quadrat is counted. Then the numbers are added up and then divided by the combined area of the quadrats to calculate their population density. We determined the population densities of dandelions, clovers and plantains in an area by studying a quadrat one meter square and pooling your results with the rest of the class results to create the over population density of the three weeds.
1. We put a pre-made 1 meter sqaured square around a piece of the grass outside.
2. We divided the quadrat into smaller areas and layed the meter stick along one side of the quadrat and another meter stick 10 cm from the boundary.
3. We counted the number of dandelions, clovers and plantains that were in each section of the quadrat. There were 10 sections for each quadrat.
4. We put all the data into a table and totaled up the dandelions, clovers and plantains.
5. Every group in the class put all their data into another table to find the class total of each weed and then the population density.
6. Then there were questions on the lab sheet about the population densities of deer in a specific experiment that we had to answer and if you didn't finish them in class, they were homework.
We also went over the homework that was due that day and the homework that was assigned for over the weekend which was:
1. Finish Lab 58
2. Fill in the chart while reading pg. 97 and 6.2 and 6.4
3. Work on your Duckweed project


KAITLYN is the Next Scribe!

Scribe: Class of 9/15/11

Today during class, we accomplished many things. We took a quiz on chapter three and four. Our class was tested on various areas of those chapters. Although there were some tricky questions, if you studied, you probably did well.
Once everyone finished the test, we took some notes on growth of populations. Exponential growth is a rapid increase of a population that grows under ideal conditions. Some ideal conditions include climate or food supply. We also learned about the carrying capacity of species. This is a number, depending on the species, that is the limit to how many of this organism can be supported by the environment. The population of humans right now is more than double the carrying capacity for humans. Logistic growth happens after exponential growth stops or slows down.
In addition, we learned about limits to growth. A limiting factor is anything that causes a population to decrease. One of these factors is density dependent which is a factor that affects large or dense populations MORE. Some examples are food availability, disease, predation, parasitism, and competition for space, food, or mates. The other limiting factor is density independent which means it affects a population regardless of the size or density. Some examples are hurricanes, fires, or extreme temperatures.
Lastly, we discussed predator- prey relationships. These relationships are density dependent. It is also a common way to control populations. The book uses the example of deer and wolves on an island. Before the wolves arrived, the deer’s population increased exponentially because there were perfect conditions and no predators present. Once the wolves were introduced, the deer population began declining because they were sharing resources with the wolves, and the wolves were eating them. When the deer population decreased, it suddenly leaves the wolves with no food so their population decreases and the cycle repeats.
Finally, we shared our homework which was the six questions and answers and were able to get a head start on our homework. Although today wasn’t the most exciting, it turned out to be alright after all. Tomorrow, we get to go outside which will make up for it.

The next scribe will be… Chrissy!

MOODLE IS DOWN!!!!


See the chart below for guidance on your homework. Do not print mine! Make your own! You may need to click on the image to make it bigger!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Review of Class - September 14, 2011

In Biology today, we first did a reading check of 4.2. Next Mrs. Stein talked about our upcoming ecology quiz that will be on Thursday. She said, if you want to know what will be on the quiz, log on to Moodle, go to STS Biology, on the far right hand side, there will be a calendar, click on September and click on Ecology Quiz. It will take you to a page that lists what will be on the quiz. Next, we talked about our homework. We have to read section 5.1 and 5.2 and make up six different questions and answers! After we talked about homework for tomorrow, we took some notes about Community Interactions. Below are the notes:

Predation: An organism that kills and feeds on another organism.

Symbiosis: Organisms that are "living together"


Mutualism: When both of the species benefit from the relationship

Commensalism: When one species benefits, but the other one is not harmed in any way.

Parasitism: One of the species benefits from the relationship, but the other one is harmed.

Niches

Niches are physical and biological conditions of an organism.

Niches play an important role in the food chain and the ecosystem.


After we finished the notes, we got with our lab groups and checked where we are in our duckweed presentations and we also filled out a sheet on who is doing what in the presentation.

Thank you and have a great day!


THE NEXT SCRIBE WILL BE... KAILY.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Review of class: 9-13

Today in biology we did various things. Because of an assembly, though, the class was shortened. The class started off with Mrs. Stein telling us in what rows we are going to be sitting in the auditorium, so that we are not confused about it when we get there.
Next, we silently read through the Duckweed Lab rubric once, so that we could get an idea of what we are being graded on. Mrs. Stein then explained everything on the rubric. She showed us three concepts that we need to research for the duckweed lab. These concepts are:
  • Find out more about duckweed!
  • Find out more about your independent variable!
  • Why is it important to study populations?
These concepts are also posted on Moodle under Duckweed Lab Research Guide.
We then further talked about the last concept, why it's important to study populations. This is the part of the lab where you have to research about certain populations that are currently a problem. Some examples of these problems are: Endangered species, Invasive species, and the rapidly growing human population.
After talking about our lab, we walked down to the IMC. When we got there, we had a discussion about certain sites that are helpful to use in our research. These sites can be found under LibGuides on the GBS homepage. (or take the easy way: http://gbslibguides.glenbrook225.org/scidatabases ) ^_^
The rest of the class we had time to start on our research. Then class ended and we went to the assembly.

The next scribe will be.....ALI :)

Monday, September 12, 2011

review 9/12

Today we did varies things in biology.
    First, we had to turn in our invasive species project (along with our rubrics) and we also had to turn in our double bubble map on section 4.3. After that, we had to take out our green homework stamp sheet and our homework in our yellow "Illinois Ecology" packet page 27. If we completed it, we would get a cow stamp (: .
    Next, Mrs. Stein went over our homework (which was: reading section 4.2 and do a strategy of your choice and the strategy doesnt have to be hand written.). Then Mrs. Stein informed us that we have a quiz on Thursday, covering everything we learned in class.
    After, we continued our notes and learned about primary and secondary succesion. Mrs. Stein gave us one diagram to paste into our notes. She taught us the effect of distruction to a enviroment. Not all distructions destroy the area completely. Animals or bugs can bring in seeds to that area and make plants grow. Also the soil can help the growth of the enviroment. Mrs. Stein showed us pictures of linchins from her trip and told us that linchins are fungus and algae. She showed us in the picture how in cracks of the ground plants can grow and start the enviroment.
     After all of that, we got to check our duckweed for data. The control variable for today was 31.
     Finally, we had to do a graph assigned to us according to our first name letters. We had to do a bar AND line graph in one table. The temp (C) is line graph and the precip (CM) is bar graph. Once we finished that we packed up and....THE BELL RANG (:

THE NEXT SCRIBE IS.......TANYA P !!

review 9/12

Saturday, September 10, 2011

First Post

Hi Mrs. Stine this is my first post to our classroom blog. I wanted to talk a little about me and what I like to do. In my free time I like to hang out with my friends and play sports. My favorite sport is hockey and I am curerently on the Glenbrook South junior varsity team. I have been playing since I was four years old and I can't wait for the season to start on Monday. I also enjoy spending time with my family because they are very important to me. I am also looking forward to spending the rest of the year in your class because to me, biology is an enjoyable subject. I look forward to all of the fun events and activities that high school will bring me, and I am happy to finally be a part of it.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Review of the class 9/9

We did a lot of interesting things in class today. When we first went into the classroom we were given an elmo stamp for our stamp sheets if we did the homework.
Then Mrs. Stein explained to us our homework and taught us the difference between a Venn Diagram and a Double Bubble Map. A Venn Diagram has only two circles and a limited amount of space to write the similarities of the two subjects. Where as in a Double Bubble Map you can add as many circles you want.
Mrs. Stein then explained to us the Extra Credit that does not happen often. So if anyone wants to you should defineitly check the Extra Credit section on the blog for more information!
We then finished the notes that we had on Wednesday. We learned about the 3 pyramid.
Pyramid of Energy: This pryamid shows us that only 10% of the energy to one trophic level to the next is transfered. It also shows us that 90% of that energy is used in heat.
Biomass Pyramid: This pyramid shows us the amount of food on each trophic level. There is most likely a greater biomass at the base. For example, all the krills in the oceans weigh more than all the whales in the ocean because whales eat a lot of krill on a daily basis.
Pyramid of Numbers: This pyramid shows us approximately the number of individual organisms on each trophic level. Also in some ecosystems it's not shaped as a pyramid. An example, is that the pyramid could be shaped as a tree.
After the notes we counted our Duckweed lab, but before that Mrs. Stein found a problem. She believes that the lights in the back, where all the Duckweed are put, is too hot and are killing the Duckweed. Therefore we were given the chance to redo our expirement or just go with what we had.
Lastly, Mrs. Stein gave us time to do our homework for the Webquest.


The Next Scribe will be... JULIA!

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Unit One Reflection

I thought that unit one went pretty well. I really liked the bean and the Tetrahymena labs that we conducted. Most of the microscope information was a review to me because we learned a lot about them last year. Some of the small things confused me, like what is science. I realized I need to study more for upcoming tests. This year I am going to make a effort to come in and get help when I need it! Biology seems like a really cool class and I cant wait for the rest of the year to come!

Elephants!















Hey Guys! Something that I think is interesting is Elephants! I don't know why but I love Elephants! They look so cute and lovable! Elephant ancestors started about two feet tall and had no trunk and was called Moeritherim. Then the animals grew nose-upper lips during Earth's cooling period and the Mammoth was developed. The point of a trunk if so that animals with short necks can reach their food that if higher up. The Asian and African Elephant are the only two surviving species. The Asian Elephant has two "fingers" at the tip of its trunk which is for picking up small items. There is over 100,000 muscles in the trunk of this Elephant. The animal is also a herbivore, plant eating. Elephants have to eat a lot a day because almost half of their food passes through undigested. Herds are led mostly by a matriarch and followed by their daughters, offspring, and sisters. Males usually are solitary. Some fun facts about Elephants are that they can cry, they have incredible memories, even thought they have large ears they have poor hearing, walk around 4mph, they have bad eyesight, and they are the largest land mammal!
What I am most exited about this year: I am really exited for my first pep rally, and I am exited to do fun hands on labs during Bio!
What I am least exited about this year: Like everyone, I am least exited about finals and homework!

Unit 1 Reflection

I think this first unit went very well. I like how we kind of reviewed the basics and then started doing labs and tests. As many other people have said although I did not do too well on the test, I have learned from my mistakes and I am excited to do more labs and experiments later on in the year!

Red Eyed Tree Frogs

 

I think the red eyed tree frog is interesting and it is also my favorite animal. The red eyed tree frog is a well known amphibian and lives in the rainforests located in Central and South America. Most of the time the red eyed tree frogs sleep during the day and close their eyes. When the Red eyed tree frogs keeps their eyes closed they become camouflaged and when they get disturbed they open their eyes. Adult Male tree frogs tend to be around 5 centimeters (2 inches) in length. However, adult female tree frogs tend to be 7.5 centimeters (3 inches) in length. The red eyed tree frogs are carnivores and they eat crickets, moths, flies, grasshoppers, and sometimes smaller frogs. This is why I love red eyed tree frogs!


What I am most excited about this year:
Doing tons of fun and exciting labs!


What I am least excited about this year:
All the tests and quizzes!

First Unit Reflection

The chapter we previously studied was a great way to start of the school year. When we read all this information about microscopes and the basics of biology it reminded me of last year’s science class, therefore most of it was a review. However, the first test we took was not a good way to start the school year, but I realized why I got most of the questions wrong when I received it. I thought the labs we recently did about Tetrahymena and the Mexican beans were very interesting too. I hope there are many more labs like that to come during the school year.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

EXTRA CREDIT!

Hey Everybody! Looking for some extra credit and an opportunity to help the environment in Glenview??? Check out these volunteer opportunities in Glenview. To get extra credit, you must do the following:

1. Attend a Restoration Work Day

2. Take pictures at the site.

3. Write a summary of what you did and your reflections on doing it. Post this along with a photo or two (do not include your face) to the blog.

You may take advantage of this once a quarter!

Saturday, September 10th: Restoration Work Day at Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie

Sponsored by the North Branch Restoration Project. Seasonal activities include brush cutting, weed removal and seed collection. Please meet at the Tyner Interpretive Center; 9:00-12:00.

http://www.northbranchrestoration.org/calendar.html#

http://glenviewparks.org/index.php/facilities-parks/kent-fuller-air-station-prairietyner-center/restoration-work-days

Sunday, September 11th: Restoration Day at Harms Woods

Sponsored by the North Branch Restoration Project. Activities include brush cutting, weed removal and seed collection. Please meet at the Forest Preserve Glenview Woods parking lot on the west side of Harms Rd. just south of Glenview Road; 9:00-12:00 or 1:00-4:00.

http://www.northbranchrestoration.org/calendar.html#

Saturday, September 17th: Techny Basin River Cleanup Day

Help to beautify the West Fork of the North Branch of the Chicago River with trash pick-up, brush cutting and weed removal. Work gloves, tools and bags will be provided by the Village of Glenview's Natural Resource Commission. Please meet in the Kohl's parking lot off of Willow Rd.; 9:00-12:00. Contact Henrietta Saunders or Robyn Flakne for more information.

Saturday, September 24th is NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY!

Come out to The Grove from 9:00 to 12:00 and do your part by collecting native seeds or removing invasive brush. Please meet at the Interpretive Center.

OR join the North Branch Restoration Project at Harms Flatwoods from 9:00-12:00 for brush cutting, weed removal and general cleanup. See these websites for more information:

http://glenviewparks.org/index.php/facilities-parks/the-grove/get-involved

http://www.northbranchrestoration.org/calendar.html#

http://www.publiclandsday.org/npld-sites/search?state=Illinois

Saturday, October 8th: Restoration Work Day at The Grove National Historic Landmark

The Grove's restoration team needs your help to remove non-native, invasive plants and make way for native wildflowers, grasses and trees. Bring work gloves if you have them. Please meet at the Grove Interpretive Center, 1421 Milwaukee Ave.; 9:00-12:00.

http://glenviewparks.org/index.php/facilities-parks/the-grove/get-involved

Sunday, October 23rd: Restoration Work Day at Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie

Sponsored by the North Branch Restoration Project. Seasonal activities include brush cutting, weed removal and seed collection. Please meet at the Tyner Interpretive Center; 9:00-12:00.

http://www.northbranchrestoration.org/calendar.html#

http://glenviewparks.org/index.php/facilities-parks/kent-fuller-air-station-prairietyner-center/restoration-work-days

Saturday, November 5th: Restoration Work Day at Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie

Sponsored by the North Branch Restoration Project. Seasonal activities include brush cutting, weed removal and seed collection. Please meet at the Tyner Interpretive Center; 9:00-12:00.

http://www.northbranchrestoration.org/calendar.html#

http://glenviewparks.org/index.php/facilities-parks/kent-fuller-air-station-prairietyner-center/restoration-work-days

Saturday, November 12th: Restoration Work Day at Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie

Help Air Station Prairie's restoration team remove invasive plants to make way for native prairie grasses and forbs. Bring work gloves if you have them. Please meet at the Tyner Interpretive Center, 2400 Compass Rd.; 9:00-12:00.

http://glenviewparks.org/index.php/facilities-parks/kent-fuller-air-station-prairietyner-center/restoration-work-days

Also on Saturday, November 12th at the Prairie: AMERICA RECYCLES DAY

Celebrate National America Recycles Day at Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie's "green" Interpretive Center! Get the answers to all your recycling questions and take part in fun family activities and craft projects. This event is FREE at the Tyner Interpretive Center, 2400 Compass Rd.; 10:00 am-2:00 pm.

http://glenviewparks.org/index.php/facilities-parks/kent-fuller-air-station-prairietyner-center

Saturday, November 19th: Restoration Work Day at The Grove National Historic Landmark

The Grove's restoration team needs your help to remove non-native, invasive plants and make way for native wildflowers, grasses and trees. Bring work gloves if you have them. Please meet at the Grove Interpretive Center, 1421 Milwaukee Ave.; 9:00-12:00.

http://glenviewparks.org/index.php/facilities-parks/the-grove/get-involved

Sunday, November 20th: Restoration Day at Harms Flatwoods

Sponsored by the North Branch Restoration Project. Seasonal activities include brush cutting, weed removal and seed collection. Please meet at Forest Preserve parking lot on the west side of Harms Road, directly west of Old Orchard Road where it ends on Harms Road; 9:00-12:00.

http://www.northbranchrestoration.org/calendar.html#

Review of Class

Today in class, we took notes on section 3.2. We covered the topics: levels of organization, energy flow: producers, energy flow: consumers, food chains, trophic levels, and the food web. In addition to our notes, we had three pictures. They were about the levels of organization, trophic levels, and food webs. Then, we talked about the alien species. Alien species are species of organisms that don't naturally belong where they are right now and are most likely harming the other organisms that live there. We talked about the small project and about different kinds of organisms that are harming the environment they're in. Finally, we continued our Duckweed lab. We checked our control duckweed and wrote down the number of duckweeds on our paper. Then we checked our experimented duckweed and wrote down the number for that too. We ended the day like that.


The next scribe will be HYEON.

Golden Retrievers




Golden Retrievers are dogs with many great characteristics. Originating in Scotland, they were used predominantly for hunting. They are medium sized dogs, and have a beautiful gold coat. The Golden Retriever is one of the most popular dog breeds today. This dog breed is lovable, loyal, well-mannered and intelligent. They can be easily trained and are even-tempered. Goldens are very good watch dogs-mine always barks, even when she hears the slightest noise.


When I was born, there were two golden retrievers in the house. They were so gentle and calm with me when I was little. They are incredible dogs (one of my favorites) because of their personality. Their life expectancy is 10 - 12 years, however, my goldens lived to be 14 and 15 years old.


Their tail is always wagging - they are happy and good-natured animals. They are called "retrievers", which means they like to carry things in their mouth. For example, my dog looks around in every room of the house until she finds a sock and then walks around and around with it in her mouth.



Golden Retrievers are an excellent dog breed, and everyone should have the experience of owning one!


KaitlynO



What am I most excited about this year?
Choir/other music related activities.



What am I least excited for this year?

Finals/homework.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Review of class 9/6






















Today in class we took a fieldtrip to the garden/community outside GBS. We found many interesting things. We found Grass, Trees, Cattails, Beatles, Locusts, Dragonflies, Flies, and even a frog. Today in class we also started our unit on ecology. Today we learned the definitions of: Producers: Any organism that absorbs sunlight and produces energy (Glucose) for

Shown here is are multiple Producers And here is a Tree

Consumers to eat. Consumers: Consumers are any organism that takes energy from Producers and uses it.


The next scribe will be STACIE


First Unit Reflection

I think that our first unit went pretty well to start off the year. The first unit started off sorta easy and a review to some. Although the quiz was not my best, i understand the material better now. I am exicted to see what come later in the year and what kind of experiments we get to conduct. Its been a good class so far! i cant wait to see what comes later in the year!

First unit reflection

I think that this unit started and ended pretty well. The first unit was easy because it was the begining of everything and was like a review of science and bio. The quiz we had was not my strongest but i definately understanded what we went over in our first unit. This unit covered the basic and what was science and about the natural world. I think i did pretty good on it and i understood it very well. I didn't think it was so hard and i'm excited to what we are going to learn in the upcoming days.

Juliah- Red panda

This panda in the picture is obviously not a black and white panda. This is a "Red Panda." They sort of look like a raccoon. There 42 inches long and they have a very bushy/flurry tail.A red panda's tail is very important to the red panda because it helps the panda's be stable on trees and they hide in there tail when winter comes. Just like a black and white panda, the red panda lives in a moderate tempurature bamboo forest. Red panda's consume different range of foods. They eat bird eggs, berries, blossoms, and leaves. When the red panda reproduces, they wait 134 days and about one to four new baby infant red panda's are born. Like many species, the red panda is endangered. They're only 2500 Red panda's remaining in the world. The red panda's are slowly dieing off.

What i'm excited for this year? 
To learn about new facts and fun facts about bio and the world around us and the experiments.

What i'm least excited for this year?
The test and quizzes

First Unit Reflection

I think that the first unit was very interesting. It was a review from last year and
it also displsyed new things that we did not learn yet. The Mexican Jumping Beans were very cool to look at. I went to Dallas, Texas for the weekend and at the airport gift shop, I saw that they were selling 3 or 4 jumping beas for $5! The Tetrahymena Thermophila lab was amazing. I have never seen these before and they were so cool to look at. Overall, this unit was a good unit to start with and I hope that the other units that we do will be the same.

Monday, September 5, 2011

First Unit Reflection

I thought we started off great. I liked how the first unit was about a lot of things we learned before because I'm sure a lot of people forgot including me. It was a great review and it helped a lot. Especially with the microscopes and the vocabulary for controlled experiments. I forgot a lot about the microscopes and the review helped a lot. I understood better and now I think I can use the microscope without making too many mistakes. Also, the part about the controlled experiments helped a lot. It had words like independent variables, dependent variables, controlled variables, and more. Of course I already learned those before, but reviewing it helped me refresh my mind and understand better. The explanation about when to use which data helped a lot too. I also thought the Mexican Jumping Bean lab was fun. It's been good so far, but I know it's going to get harder. I hope I can do great in class!

First Unit Reflections

I thought this unit was a great way to start off Biology, because it covered the basics of science. I liked how we started off practicing with the microscope, since many of us have forgotten how to work with it. I also liked how we learned how to conduct a successful experiment, by using the scientific method. I'm glad we did the Tetrahymena lab, because it got us all used to doing labs and it prepared us for the future. So far, I really enjoy Biology and I hope it continues being this fun.

First Unit Reflection

With entering high school and all of that, this first unit was really great to start off with. We went over the things we learned last year and in middle school (which we might have forgotten over the summer) that got us back on our feet. I got to get to know the microscopes a little bit more in detail just because I didn't have that much experience with it in years past and exactly why we need to learn about science and where it comes from. All in all, the first unit was an excellent way to start off the school year on a positive note and to know what to except for the rest of our freshman year, which is sure to be a blast in bio!

First Unit Reflection

I had a lot of fun in this unit. Even though I had already learned about microscopes and such, it was so nice to get a review. I hadn't realized that I had forgotten so much! The amount of labs was amazing. I think we did 2 in the first week! In middle school we would have done 2 in a whole semester! Overall, it was challenging, yes, but I am looking forward to the rest of the year.
Janie K

First Unit Reflection

This first unit was a good starting unit because it gave us a good idea of what science really is, and a good foundation to build off of. From here on we're going to build onto everything we know. I also think Unit 1 was successful in the idea that it gave us a feel of how the labs are going to operate this year. For example how we have to do a lab right up at the end of each lab unit/lab, and also how we have to work together as a group, etc. Unit 1 may have been review material to some, and it could have been very unfamiliar to others. Either way I think everyone gained a good understanding of the labs and everything we went over in Unit 1. Hopefully we will have a very successful year.

First Unit Reflection

I think that the first unit was a good review to begin the year. Some people in the class may have forgotten something from the year before over the summer and this unit reminded the class of what we learned. We got to do fun labs right away and I think they prepared us for what we are going to do in future units. All in all we started off the year very well. If we weren't prepared before, we certainly are now.

First Unit Reflection

The first unit was more of a review than anything. Last year we learned about the beans and the microscope. What we didn't learn last year: Tetrahymena Thermophala. Tetrahymena Therphala is definetly an interesting organism for me. The appearance and how it digests food. The first unit was a fun one and i'm excited for the second one!

Otaku



"Otaku (おたく / オタク?) is a Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive interests, particularly anime, manga, or video games."

-Wikipedia



The word "otaku" is not a commonly known word. Many have said that only otakus themselves actually know what the word means. However, they are not all that uncommon. Many people have already confessed to their otakuism, while some are still in denial. You might even be an otaku and not even know it yet, simply because you have not yet heard of the word.

Otakus are commonly called "nerds" or "geeks". This is usually because this is closest to what the word "otaku" actually means.



"The term otaku is close in connotation to the English nerd, but the closest English-language analogue to otaku is probably the British English term anorak. Both of these English-language terms have more emphatically negative connotations of poor social skills and obsessive interest in a topic that seems strange, niche or boring to others. It is not applied to a socially awkward intelligent person who appears fairly "normal," and merely has an interest in certain typically 'geekish' pursuits (video games, comic books, computers, etc.)."

-Wikipedia


You probably know one or more otakus yourself. You definitely know at least one if you know me!!!!!!


What I am most excited about: When school is over

What I am least excited about: homework, tests, quizzes, schoolwork, essays, etc.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

First Unit Reflection

The first unit was mostly a review because we had learned a lot of the stuff last year. Even though it was review, I definitely needed to refresh my mind on some of the information. There were quite a few labs in the first week of school, which was different than in middle school. Last year, we didn't always do that much of hands-on learning (labs, or experiments). I think participating in labs is a way to learn better. I was kinda surprised when we were given the lab write up because we had never done anything like that last year. Maybe if we had done some practice with lab write ups, we would have a better idea of how to write one.

First Unit Reflection

The first unit kind of felt mostly like a review but was a needed review. I remembered learning it from middle school but I only needed a light review of it to just jog my memory on the specifics. I was and am really surprised on how many labs we are doing because at my middle school we rarely did labs and when we did we didn't have to do much so when you gave me the packet and all the questions we had to fill out on the lab and then the lab write up I was like wow! I've never done a lab write up but since you gave us the rubric for what you are looking for in our lab write up and how to do it, I think I'll be able to figure it out just fine.

Claude Monet






Something that interests me is Claude Monet and his artwork. I love art and Claude Monet's paintings are just so beautiful that they inspire me. In fact, I did a french project on him last year. I don't really have a favorite piece of artwork by Claude Monet because he would paint a scene at one time of the day and then would go back at several different times of the day and paint the scene over again so he would end up with a series of paintings of the same scene but were all still different. The reason for that is because at each time of the day, the light would hit the scene differently so the colors would also differ. Claude Monet liked capturing the different effects of light in his paintings like "water lilies", where the light reflected off the water in the pond.


Claude Monet's life might surprise you, it wasn't always easy for him. He was originally born in Paris but a few years later moved to Le Havre in Normandy and then went to the Le Havre secondary school of arts. As a kid, he was famous for drawing caricatures of his teachers made a small business of it during school. After that, he had many art tutors until he joined the army in 1861 and sent him to Algiers. His mom died when he was 16 so he went to live with his aunt. In 1868 Claude Monet attempted suicide by throwing himself into the Siene. Two years later he got married to Camille Doncieux and two years after that he painted "Impression", a sunrise. In 1878 Claude Monet's second child was born and a year later his wife died. After that, Monet moved in with his friend and his friend's wife Alice who helped raise Monet's children. Then Monet's friend died so Alice and Monet got married in 1892. But in 1911 Alice died and in 1914 Monet's first son died. Then in 1923 Claude Monet had two surgeries for cataracts and in 1926 he died of lung cancer.


Even though Claude Monet had a rough life, he left behind genius paintings like "Mornings on the Siene" and "Weeping Willows".








The thing that I am most excited about for this year is:


I am most excited about the dances, I can't wait to see if they are as fun as they seem in movies.





The thing that I am least excited about for this year is:


I am least excited about the homework load that the teachers give us.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

First Unit Reflection

The first unit was actually kind of unexpected. It was unexpected because I felt like we went really fast. I haven't gone this fast in a science unit before. But, I understood what I learned so I felt that it was okay. I was sort of surprised doing labs on the first couple of days of school, but I really enjoyed it. I felt like the first couple of days were review, but that was expected. I'm kind of worried that if we learn things fast, like we did this week then I might become confused. I'm a little excited for this year in science because we are doing a lot of labs.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Reflection of First Unit

I thought that our first unit was really interesting. I thought this because we learned so much so quick, but it wasn't that hard. Also, we did a lot of different experiments which I thought were fascinating. I realized that since class flies by we need to get a lot of things done and I need to focus a lot. I think that science this year won't be bad because so far some of the things we have been doing are a bit of review for me. I also think it will be fun because we are going to be learning about and doing so many different experiments with new materials. I am looking forward to this year in science.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Ford mustang

The ford mustang is an all american muscle car. The mustangs first major production year was 1964, although 1965 was a major achievement for ford. Mustangs are divided into five generations.

1st. 1964-1973
2nd. 1974-1978
3rd. 1979-1993
4th. 1994-2004
5th. 2005-present.
By far Mustangs best sales generation would be the 5th. in 2005 alone ford sold 168,000 mustangs!

Over the years Mustang has had a very powerful competitor. The sweet and slick Chevrolet camaro. The camaro, originally produced in 1966 the camaro is also divided into five generations.

1st. 1966-1969
2nd. 1970-1981
3rd. 1982-1992
4th. 1993-2002
5th. 2010-Present.
Both are american made 100% muscle cars and both are classics. Concerning the Mustang my favorite years are the first and third generations. For the camaro my favorites are the 1st and 5th generations.

Recently CarsWeekly compared a 2010 mustang with a 2010 camaro. They reviewed over the cars engine and interior and the exterior and appearance of the car. CarWeekly gave the edge to the Ford Mustang rather than the Chevrolet Camaro. They gave Mustang the edge because of the higher powered engine and the better mileage. Personally, I give the edge to the camaro. The camaro has a smoother ride, better interior and most importantly, the appearance factor. The camaro has a look like no other (Besides theMustang). The camaro looks ravishing in red and intimidating in black. My dream first car is a lamborghini aventador. My dream first car that is within reach is a gently used 2010 jet black Chevrolet Camaro.

What am i excited this year?: Learning about new organisms.
Least excited about this year?: HOMEWORK.