Today, students continued our brief review of genetics and DNA. They used the random code (made of guanine, cytosine, adenine, and thymine) that they generated on Friday to build a dragon. The genetic code dictated the dragon’s size, color, and attitude, and also determined whether it had wings or a clubbed or spiked tail. Of course, in real life, the DNA strip would be much longer and the decoding process would be much more complex. But the essence of the process is the much the same. Tomorrow, we will choose partners to mate with.

March 22 – My Dragon (pg604)

Before learning about evolution, we need to go over the basics of genetics, specifically the role of DNA. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a molecular blueprint for a living thing. In humans, it dictates everything from your eye color, to your height, to your skin tone.

When organisms reproduce, they get their DNA from their parents. That means a random assortment; you get half of your code from dad and half of your code from mom, and there is little choice in the matter. As you grow, your body reads your DNA  like an instruction manual, building proteins, cells, and organs as it goes.

Genetics can be quite complicated — you could spend an entire year studying it in high school or college — but for us, this basic understanding of DNA will be enough.

March 18 – DNA Notes (pg602)
March 18 – Random DNA (pg603)

Today we began Unit 6: Evolution. But the classic picture above doesn’t tell the whole story. In class, students looked at seven common statements about evolution and tried to classify them as either true or false. The answers can be found below.

1. Evolution is “just a theory.” False. Evolution is a theory in the same way that the theory of gravity is a theory; it is a widely accepted explanation for scientific observations.
2. Evolution explains how humans evolved from gorillas. False. Humans evolved from some sort of ancient forest ape, not any modern-day animal.
3. Evolution is incompatible with religion. False. Even the Catholic Pope has softened his stance on evolution in recent years.
4. Evolution is not science because it’s not observable or testable. False. We have observed evolution happen in bacteria, elephants, etc.
5. Evolution involves organisms trying to adapt. False. Evolution happens naturally, not because of the desires of any plant or animal.
6. Evolution happens during an animal’s lifespan. False. Evolution occurs over generations, sometimes taking millions of years.
7. Evolution explains how life began on Earth. False. Evolution is an explanation for how life changes, not how life began. The beginnings of life are still a mystery.

Did you catch on yet? The seven statements above are really “common misconceptions about evolution.” All of them are false. And although they are complicated, my hope is, by the end of Unit 6, you will be able to explain every one of them!

March 17 – Intro to Evolution (pg601)

Today marked the end of our study of astronomy. Students took the Trimester II Exam and said goodbye to asteroids, eclipses, moons, and stars. Tomorrow, we will begin our study of life science with an introduction to Unit 6: Evolution.

Today students finished making their study guides. They were required to include four separate pages, organized by topic, as well as a page of “Test Questions I Got Wrong” on the back. Now it is up to them to study tonight, using their Study Guide, their binder, and the course website. Good luck, everyone.

March 14-15 – Make Your Own Study Guide (pg517)

With Wednesday’s Trimester II Exam fast approaching, students spend today making customized study guides to help their preparation. After brainstorming a list of the twelve distinct topics within Units 4 and 5, students chose the topics they were weakest in. Then, they made a separate study guide page for each of those topics. Tomorrow, we will finish our study guides and continue preparing for the exam.

March 14-15 – Make Your Own Study Guide (pg517)

Today we finished the movie Apollo 13. The homework this weekend is to do Take 5 test corrections. If you were absent, make sure you watch the end of the movie by playing the video above. Next week, we will be reviewing for Wednesday’s Trimester 2 Exam. And do not be surprised if there are some questions related to the film!