ACT 82, THE CELLS OF PRODUCERS

On 3.5. and 3.6, students looked at cells of an aquatic plant under the microscope.  They made pencil drawings under low and high power and labeled a chloroplast on the high power drawing.  Many students were also able to see cytoplasmic streaming.  Parents, ask your child about this.  We all thought it was "way cool!"  (Cytoplasmic streaming is often difficult to find.)  I am scoring the drawings.

ACT 79, EATING FOR ENERGY

On 2.27 & 3.2, students worked in their teams of 4 to complete the Talking Drawing, the reading, and the Stopping to Thinks.  I assigned Analysis Qs 1-4.  Q 3 is scored using the Organizing Scientific Ideas scoring guide.  This is due 3.4.15.

ACT 77, UPS & DOWNS

On 2.26, students first filled in the "Before" column of the Anticipation guide.  This should be taped into the notebook.  Students worked through the Procedure in teams of 4.   The group was divided into two pairs and each pair worked on graphing the data on one of the tables found on pg. E-33 of the text.  Each student made a population graph on graph paper provided.  The team followed Procedures Parts A and B.  Each student taped her/ his graph into the science notebook.  Students also filled in the "After" column of #1 & 2 of the Anticipation guide. I am scoring the graphs. 

ACT 76, PEOPLE, BIRDS AND BATS

This was the lesson on 2.25 & 2.26.  Students worked in teams to read and follow the Procedures on pg. E-24 of the text.  The text provides "letters" written about vertebrate species (types of animals).  Students classified the animals in the "letters" into one of the vertebrate classes found on pg. E-30 & E-31.

ACT 75, CLASSIFYING ANIMALS

This was the lesson for 2.23 & 2.24.15.  Using Animal & Phylum cards provided in the SEPUP kit, students worked in groups to make their own classifications of the animals.  They followed the Procedures found on pages E-21 & E-22 of the text.

ACT 81, A Producer's Source of Energy

I demonstrated this lab today (3.4.15)  because we didn't have enough plants for student groups to follow the procedure.

We filled in parts of the Tables on sheet 81.1, following Procedure #1.
Then, we did Procedures #2 & 3.  A photo of this is found here.  The cup on the left is BTB and water.  The cup on the right is BTB and water after a student blew into it with a straw.:
ACT 81, Procedure Part A, #3 & 4

Here is a photo of the Elodea plant in a capped vial with more BTB solution in the cup next to it.  This is part of Procedure #4:
ACT 81, Procedure Part A, #4

This last photo shows the two vials of steps #4 & 5, Procedure Part A.  After Aiden took this photo, we put both vials in the SE window of the lab:
ACT 81, Procedure Part A, #4 & 5

We discussed step 6 in table groups and wrote down our predictions afterwards.

We did not observe any change as results on the following day, 3.5.15,  (step # 7)
I will update this post when we have observed results.

ACT 72, THE MIRACLE FISH?

This Activity begins the new unit on Ecology.
Learning Target: I can explain the trade-offs of introducing a species into a new environment.

• Read the introduction and  the story, "Fishing on Lake Victoria."
• Use the sheet, "Intra-act: The Miracle Fish?" & fill it out.  Then read about the Nile Perch on pages E-6 - E-8. 
•  Use the Writing Frame for Activity 72 to answer Analysis Q 6. Read the scoring guide found on the back of the Writing Frame to help you understand how to earn a 3 or 4.