Monday, November 29, 2010

Blood typing tutorial

Hi Guys...It took a while to download, but here it is!  Good luck.  We'll review the information tomorrow! :) Mrs. D

Friday, November 12, 2010

DNA Collection Lab

This week we focused on DNA.  We even collected some of this "blueprint" to our life and bottled it up!
We gently collected our cheek cells, then broke open the cell membrane with the "cell lysis" solution.

Then, we patiently waited for our DNA to become visible in the alcohol

That white, stringy stuff is the DNA!







Good lab techniques!

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Quiz Tutorial!


Could not get the video I made to upload!!!  Sometimes, technology just drives me crazy!!  Ok, so here's what I want you to do.  You will have an Open-Note quiz tomorrow over the following:  diffusion, osmosis, cellular respiration and photosynthesis, and DNA.  I will play the tutorial I made at the beginning of each hour, so you will be able to take notes at that time for the quiz too. 

However, you should check out the website http://www.chem4kids.com/files/bio_metabolism.html  and take some notes ahead of time.  It talks about photosynthesis and cellular respiration (although it also talks about other stuff like glycolysis which you will not need to know)  The website http://www.biology4kids.com/ also has some great cellular information if you are wanting a different perspective! 

Good luck and don't worry!  You're going to do fine!  Go explain DNA or diffusion of oxygen across the cell membrane to your parents.  If you can do that, you're ready!

DNA Models

Making Deoxyribonucleic Acid is fun! Be sure to remember that the washer represented the "hydrogen bond" between the two nitrogen base pairs. The white pipe cleaner was the "phosphate" and the yellow bead represented the "sugar" which together make up the sides of the "ladder". The colored pipe cleaners were representations of Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, and Cytosine.





















Making Deoxyribonucleic Acid is fun!  Be sure to remember that the washer represented the "hydrogen bond" between the two nitrogen base pairs.  The white pipe cleaner was the "phosphate" and the yellow bead represented the "sugar" which together make up the sides of the "ladder".  The colored pipe cleaners were representations of Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, and Cytosine.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Arb Day!

Perfect weather greeted us to a fabulous day at the Bartlett Arboretum!  We learned about trees, animals, recylcing and nature!  We also learned to appreciate the great outdoors!  Some highlights were touching the pelts and skins from common Kansas animals, picking pumpkins, the scavenger hunt, cooking our own hotdogs over the firepit, roasting marshmallows for smores!  Thank you Ms. Macy for hosting such a special event!  Seventh graders: Challenge yourself to make our world better!  Remember, one person can make a difference!