Worms Worms Worms Worms

The Advanced Biology class is doing a unit on annelids and worms in particular. This is to commemorate our new class pets, a pound of red wrigglers! If you don't know much about red wrigglers, check out this link that tells you how valuable that they are.

Students should watch the video below a few times to familiarize themselves with the internal structure of the earthworm preparing for this week's dissection. Please leave a comment using the comment link below, letting me know that you viewed it to receive a point of extra credit in class.

Viruses Test Coming Up!

The biology class has been learning about viruses and the Swine Flu (H1N1) virus in particular. We'll be having a test on the information on Tuesday. Here's a link to a good description of the Lytic and Lysogenic cycles of viruses. Below is a cool computer animation that a group of high school students made about the lytic cycle with a T-4 virus invading a bacteria. Enjoy!

Atoms, Elements and Their Properties

As we work on our Chemistry unit, here's a chance to earn 1 to 3 points extra credit, click on the link below and view the movie called, "Atoms, Elements and their Properties."

Atoms Flash Movie from the UK


Take the quiz at the end.  Now, come back to this page and click on comments below and answer the following questions:

1. What is an atom? 
2. What are three ways that metal and non-metal elements are different?"
3. What are some other facts you learned from this flash movie?

Don't forget to put your name and period number with your answers.

The Model of the Atom is Changing!

The General Science class has been learning about elements and how each element's atom has a different structure. The way we think of atoms is going through some major changes. Check out this video clip and then make a comment on it for some extra credit points!

What Matters about Matter?

This is a good review of states of matter. It's made by a high school science teacher in a different state. View the video, then publish a comment telling me what you thought about it below. What an easy way to earn extra credit!

Is There Life On Mars?

In class, we've been talking about the characteristics of life.  Do you think that there's life on other planets?  NASA has been sending missions to Mars for years looking for life.  They've now found methane on Mars and believe that this could mean that there's life on Mars.

Read the article here and then come back and answer these questions for 1 to 3 extra credit points.  Click on Play Audio to hear the article read to you.  Click on the 2 pictures to see the animation.

1. What is methane?
2. Why do scientists think it is evidence of life?
3. Do you think that this proves life on Mars?  Explain.

Remember to put your name and science period in your comment.

Welcome to a brand new school year!

This is our school's science blog that you'll be using throughout the year.  Look around and get familiar with it.  You'll be part of making it even better this year!  A big part of using a blog is posting comments. Practice sending a comment to the blog.
You can write about your first day of school or something that happened to you this summer.

Some of you may be experts on blogging, but I'll go through the steps for everyone:
1. Read the post
2. Click the word Comments below the post
3. A box for your comment will pop up
4. Write your comment in the white space - INCLUDE YOUR NAME and CLASS PERIOD
5. Type in the verification word exactly as you see them
6.  Under Choose an identity, choose Anonymous
7. Click Publish Your Comment
8.  Close the pop up window

BTW: Your comment won't show up on the site until I've looked at it.
Tip of the Day: If you are sending a long comment during the year, type it up as a Word Document and then paste it into the comment box. :)

Living Things

   Biology is the study of living things.  Have you ever thought about what makes something living?  For 1 to 3 bonus points on your next test, view the video at this link,

What Makes Something Alive? Video

Return to this post and make a comment on these questions.  Write in complete sentences:

1. What are some traits make a thing alive?
2. Flames can grow, move, and reproduce. Are flames alive?  Explain

Don't forget to include your name and your science period on your post!  The point option ends on Friday, September 11th.

Lab Safety Letters

Students and Parents,

Below is a link to the pdf of the 2-sided Lab Safety letter that needs to be read and signed before all science students can take part in science labs.  I sent a copy of this home. Students can't be successful in science without taking part in labs, so please get this turned in soon. You can read over and sign the one I sent from school, or you can print this one out and get it to me.  Thanks!
Safety Contract to Print out, Read, and Sign
Here's the same contract in Espanol

Online Version of General Biology Book

    You can use an online version of our general biology text to read and do homework.  This might save you carting your book home all the time.
    Each chapter is a non-editable pdf files that can be saved on your computer to be read even when you don't have internet access.  Click the link to see Biology: Dynamics of Life on line:

Biology: Dynamics of Life 

•  Select:  Online Student Version - a window will pop up - Choose Full Version
•  Fill out:  User Name:  BDOL
•               Password:  huChEtAsp5
• Choose:  Submit
• The pdf version of our book should come up - Select the red CONTENTS button
• Select the unit you want to view from the table of contents
• If you want to save the unit, go to File:  Save page as

 You can email me if you have trouble getting on the site.