Animal Characteristics of Life Poster Assigned

Biology Students: Here are the steps to follow:

1. Choose an animal card to get you started. This is the animal you’ll use for your poster. You are just borrowing this card. Do not cut or destroy this card! You will also use the internet sites/books to give you TWO other sources for your information.

2. Use the poster board provided (or your own poster that’s the same size.) You’ll be sharing your completed poster in class so do your best on it.

3. Here are the requirements for the animal poster. It must include:

• The animal's common and scientific name. (10)
• A large drawing of the animal; colored accurately OR nicely shaded. (10)
• Other pictures and/or descriptions of the animal's location or habitat. (10)
• Pictures and descriptions of the following characteristics of life:

o Organization (body structures) (10)
o Reproduction (breeding) (10)
o Gets Energy (what it eats) (10)
o Adaptation (things it does or has to help it survive) (10)

• Other pictures and text that tell other interesting facts about your animal (10)
• Bibliography ON BACK (The THREE places where you got your information) (10)
AND your name and class period
• Work done neatly – correct spelling - best handwriting or computer written (10)

4. Grading criteria:
Project is worth 100 points – See above

* 10 points off for every day turned in late. *

Email your questions to: pvoelker@mossyrock.k12.wa.us or post them at: MOSSYROCK SCIENCE on Facebook.
Project due: Thursday, September 30th at 3:00 p.m.
Pace yourself. Don’t wait until the last night to start your poster!

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.