Progress Reports/Scholarship Warnings

Progress Reports and Scholarship Warnings are being passed out this week for all of my classes. See the schedule to know when to expect to receive the report:

5th Period - Wednesday, March 12, 2014
7th Period - Wednesday, March 12, 2014

1st Period - Thursday, March 13, 2014
3rd Period - Thursday, March 13, 2014
4th Period - Thursday, March 13, 2014
8th Period - Friday, March 14, 2014

Students who are attending the in-school game on Friday will report to their 8th period class and be released from there. Therefore, 8th Period students will receive a progress report before going to the game.

Students with zeros under the assignments category will be permitted to turn in work "late" for a 2-point penalty (of 10 points). Students will have until the start of the first class back from Spring Break to submit the missing work. No work will be accepted later than the extended due date. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Some Work is Better Than No Work

One of the biggest issues with students completing work is this belief that a few assignments missed here or there "don't make that much of a deal." After all, "I don't know" or "I don't get it" and the quitting attitude is easy to give in to. However, the first table shows how the impact of zeros can add up over a 10 assignment span. The thought is, "if I do half my work, I can still pass." Even assuming the student is able to earn a 100 percent on the other half, that clearly is not the case.

The second table demonstrates the power of completing some of the assignment. Though the student may not feel they know the material, completing even a "D" level on the assignment makes a huge difference in the student's ability to earn an "above average" grade. The table demonstrates that if a student can do well on half of their work and makes the effort on the other half that an 80/B is still achievable. Something is better than nothing.

Notebook Content (3rd Quarter)

[UPDATED: 3/17/2013] Make sure that your notebook is properly organized so that work can easily be graded. [Click here] if you need help properly organizing your notebook. Work shall be placed in the notebook in this order to guarantee that the teacher can properly identify and grade the assignments. Assignments collected by the teacher will be notated with an asterisk (*). These assignments should currently be in the teacher's possession for grading. Everything from the first and second quarter, except your notes, can be taken out of your notebook. This is what you should have in your notebook for the third quarter:

OPENING
1. Evolution Quickwrite
2. "When is a wing a flipper?"
3. "All the help I can get"
4. "Order from Chaos" - Per. 1 & 5
5. "Pass it Along"
6. "Name that Resource!" - Per. 5, 7 & 8
7. "Fitting In"
8. "Local Conditions"
9. "Renew or Not Renew"

NOTES
1st Quarter Notes:
1. Criteria of Science - CONPTT (slides)
2. Scientific Method (slides)
3. Properties of Water (slides)
4. Carbon Based Compounds (students took off board)
5. Macromolecules Diagram (completed in class together)
6. Reactions and Enzymes (slides)
7. "What is a Theory" (students took off board)
8. Cornell Notes + Section 3.1 (students took from book)
9. Plant Animal Cell Structure (students took off board)
10. Plant Animal Cell Functions (students took off board)
11. Cell Membranes Notes (slides)
12. Cellular Energy Notes (student produced - Sections 4.1, 4.2 & 4.4)

2nd Quarter Notes:
13. Cornell Notes - Plants (student produced - Sections 21.1, 21.3 & 21.4)
14. Plant Notes (slides)
15. Mitosis Drawing
16. Cell Cycle Notes (slides)
17. DNA/Replication Notes (students took off board)
18. DNA Drawing
19. Mutation/Asexual Reproduction Notes (students took off board)
20. Meiosis Drawing
21. Meiosis Notes (students took off board)
22. Mendel Notes (students took off board)
23. Gene to Protein Notes (students took off board)
24. Genetics Notes (students took off board)
25. Biotechnology Notes (students took off board)

Third Quarter Notes:
26. Evolution Notes (students took off board)
27. Principles of Evolution Notes (slides)
28. Hominid Cornell Notes + (students took from book)
29. Origins of Life Cornell Notes + (students took from book)
30. Brain Drawing (students completed in class)
31. Classification Cornell Notes + (students took from book)
32. Kingdom/Domain Cornell Notes + (students took from book)
33. Principles of Biology Notes (slides)
34. Population Dynamics (handout)
35. Consequences of Loss of Biodiversity (Handout)
36. Climate Notes (students took from board)
37. Changes in Ecosystems (Handout)
38. Human Sustainability (Handout)
39. Resources (Handout)

ASSIGNMENTS
1. Evolution Questions (p. 314 #s 1 - 4; p. 319 #s 1 - 5)
2. Darwin's Questions (p. 301 #s 1 - 4; p. 309 #s 1 - 4)
3. Selection Questions (p. 329 #s 1 - 4; p. 333 #s 1 - 4)
4. Speciation Questions (p. 338 #s 1 - 5; p. 343 # 3; p. 346 #s 3-4)
5. Hominid Questions (p. 383 #s 1 - 5)
6. Origins of Life Questions (p. 371 #s 1, 2, 4 & 5; p. 374 #s 1, 2, 4 & 5)
7. Creating a Dichotomous Key (p. 522 Procedures 1-4) - Per. 1 & 5
8. Classification Questions (p. 521 #s 1-5, p. 528 #s 1,3 &4) - Per. 3, 4, 7 & 8
9. Kingdom/Domain Questions (p. 535 #s 1-5) - Per. 1, 3, 4, 7 & 8
10. Tree of Life Questions (p. 528 #s 2-4; p. 535 #s 1, 3 & 4) - Per. 5
11. Unit 4 Study Guide (Optional)
12. Energy Flow Questions (p. 407 #s 1 - 4)
13. Growth Questions (p. 442 Data Analysis #s 1 - 3; p. 444 #s 1 - 5)
14. Threats to Biodiversity (p. 501 #s 1 - 4)
15. Climate Questions (p. 461 #s 1 - 5; Data Analysis p. 461 #s 1 - 5)
16. Succession Questions (p. 447 #s 1 - 4)
17. Human Impact Questions (p. 487 #s 1 - 3; p. 492 #s 1 & 2; p. 496 #s 1 - 4)
18. Conservation Questions (p. 505 #s 1-5)
19. Unit 5 Study Guide (Optional)

Testing Jan 9-14

Students will be taking the CGA 2 on Thursday, January 9 and Friday, January 10, 2014. This test is the county administered Curriculum Guide Assessment for the 2nd Quarter content covered in Biology. Students are advised to look over the [Plant Study Guide], [Unit 3A Study Guide], and [Unit 3B Study Guide] to prepare.

Students will also be taking the Unit 3B Test on Monday, January 13 and Tuesday, January 14, 2014. This test is the school administered common assessment for Biology covering the Unit 3B material. Students are advised to complete the [Unit 3B Study Guide] to prepare. All B-day classes are required to complete this assignment and have in their notebooks.

Students will not be required to carry their textbooks on Thursday, January 9 and Friday, January 10, 2014 to class. However, students will need to resume bringing their books the following class period. Textbooks will be used following the test on Monday, January 13 and Tuesday, January 14, 2014.

Notebook Check

Due to time constraints in the curriculum notebooks will be checked when students return from break. This will also provide students with additional time to complete all assignments and missing work. [What should my notebook have in it?] Due to this extension in time assignments 1-10 will not be accepted late. The end of the 2nd Quarter will be shortly after we return from the Winter Break and students will have CGA 2 Testing and the 2nd Quarter Final.

Reminder: Check your notebook!

Just a friendly reminder. Make sure that you are keeping up with your notebook contents! The contents are regularly updated. You should have all of your notes from this school year (as the EOC is a cumulative test). You should also have from assignment 7 onward (as assignments 1-6 have already been collected by the teacher). Be sure you're completing all of your assignments.

Also, as announced in class, CGA 2 will count for a class grade! Make sure that you're studying your notes (hence why they have not been collected) to keep fresh on the content.

Notebook Contents (2nd Quarter)

[UPDATED: 1/8/2013] Make sure that your notebook is properly organized so that work can easily be graded. [Click here] if you need help properly organizing your notebook. Work shall be placed in the notebook in this order to guarantee that the teacher can properly identify and grade the assignments. Everything from the first quarter, except your notes, can be taken out of your notebook. This is what you should have in your notebook for the second quarter:

Opening
1. Let the Water Flow
2. Getting Through
3. Getting Ready
4. Order! Order!

Notes
1st Quarter Notes:
1. Criteria of Science - CONPTT (slides)
2. Scientific Method (slides)
3. Properties of Water (slides)
4. Carbon Based Compounds (students took off board)
5. Macromolecules Diagram (completed in class together)
6. Reactions and Enzymes (slides)
7. "What is a Theory" (students took off board)
8. Cornell Notes + Section 3.1 (students took from book)
9. Plant Animal Cell Structure (students took off board)
10. Plant Animal Cell Functions (students took off board)
11. Cell Membranes Notes (slides)
12. Cellular Energy Notes (student produced - Sections 4.1, 4.2 & 4.4)
2nd Quarter Notes:
13. Cornell Notes - Plants (student produced - Sections 21.1, 21.3 & 21.4)
14. Plant Notes (slides)
15. Mitosis Drawing
16. Cell Cycle Notes (slides)
17. DNA/Replication Notes (students took off board)
18. DNA Drawing
19. Mutation/Asexual Reproduction Notes (students took off board)
20. Meiosis Drawing
21. Meiosis Notes (students took off board)
22. Mendel Notes (students took off board)
23. Gene to Protein Notes (students took off board)
24. Genetics Notes (students took off board)
25. Biotechnology Notes (students took off board)

Assignments
1. Plants Study Guide
2. Plant Questions (p. 642 # 2,3,5; p. 651 # 1,2,5; p. 655 # 2,3)
3. Cell Cycle Questions (p. 137 # 3,5; p. 142 # 2,3, p. 146 # 1,2,3,4)
4. DNA Questions (p. 233 #s 1,2,4,5; p. 238 #s 1-5)
5. Mutation/Asexual Reproduction Questions (p. 255 #1; p. 150 # 1-4
6. Unit 3A Study Guide 
7. Meiosis Questions (p. 171 #s 1,2,3,5; p. 176 #s 1,2,3,4)
8. Mendel Questions (p. 179 #s 1,2,3,4)
9. Gene to Protein Questions (p. 242 #s 1,2,3,4; p. 247 #s 1,2,3)
10. Genetics Questions (p. 203 #s 2,3,4; p. 207 #s 1,2,3,4,5)
11. Biotech Questions (p. 267 #1; p. 272 #s 1,2,4; p. 279 #s 3,5; p. 285 #s 2,3)
12. Unit 3B Study Guide

Reflections
1. Meiosis and Mendel Quiz

Projects
Empty

Unit 2 Test and Notebook Check

There will be a test covering Unit 2 on Friday, October 18 for B-day classes and Monday, October 21 for A-day classes. The test will cover cell theory, the organelles of the cell, prokaryote/eukaryote comparison, plant/animal comparision, cell membrane and movement (diffusion, osmosis, active transport, etc), and cellular energy (ATP, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and fermentation). Students with access to Class Zone should utilize the study tools and quizzes available for extra practice. Student's who currently do not have access to Class Zone can activate an account by following the directions [here].

Students are required to bring their notebooks to class each day, but it is imperative that students bring their notebooks Friday, October 18 through Thursday, October 24. This will be the FINAL CHECK of the notebooks for all the 1st Quarter content. Students without their notebook at the time of the check will not receive credit. Students will have one opportunity during this time to have their notebook checked and must have it available. Students have had multiple opportunities this quarter to have their notebook checked.

Progress Reports

Progress Reports went out to all students today during 8th Period. Some students will receive blanks as they may have just been transferred into a class or had an Oncourse issue. Teachers should send out a progress report for those students sometime the following week.

In this course students that received a "0" did not have their notebook in class or available to grade during the time they were being graded. Time will be made in class over the next week to regrade notebooks. Students should carry their notebook to class every day.

If their are any questions as to what should be in the notebook [click here]. If your child cannot produce this notebook it is likely that they are not keeping one or cannot produce it to be graded either.

Test scores for the Biology Unit 1 Test will be entered next week, which may also improve grades. Students receiving poor scores on the test will have an opportunity to complete remediation and then retest. The ability to complete remediation and retest should not be taken for granted as "Grade Recovery," as done previous years, is no longer available.

Biology Unit 1 Test

The Biology Unit 1 Test will be on Tuesday, September 17 & Wednesday, September 18, 2013. The test will cover everything taught this year, which includes:
1. What is Science?
2. Observations/Inferences (including Scientific Method)
3. Properties of Water
4. Macromolecules
5. Reactions and Enzymes

Students were informed last week of the test. Students should also have their notebooks completely up-to-date and ready to grade during testing.

Biology books are available!

Contrary to some of the rumors going around by a few select students, textbooks are available for biology. Students have had all year to pick up a textbook and should be carrying it to class EVERYDAY. Students may leave them in their locker and not carry them home if they have readily available access to the internet. If internet is available students can activate a student account and use the online textbook. [Click here] for directions to access the online textbook.

Surviving Your First Semester

1. Make a good first impression.
The impressions you make during your first week can follow you your entire high school career. You never know when a good relationship you have established will come back to help you later. Setting a good first impression is a quick way to establish friendships and quality relationships.


2. Know your way around.
Knowing your way around will help you get to class and can help you make new friends when you assist them to getting to class. Also knowing your way around can help you find the offices you need to go for assistance.

3. Make quality friends.
According to Gallup research:
If you feel close to other people, you are four times more likely to feel good about yourself and life.
People who claim to have five or more true friends with whom they can discuss important problems are 60 percent more likely to say that they are "very happy."
People with a best friend where they work are seven times more likely to be engaged in their work!

If your friend helps you cheat, they're not really your friend. A friend will push you to better yourself. Your friend won't be there to take your EOC for you.

Show me your friends and i'll show you your future.

4. Get involved.
Joining clubs will help you in many ways, from keeping you out of trouble to helping you learn new skills. Joining clubs and playing sports also help you to meet new people. If that's not enough of a factor, consider this, club and sports involvement are impressive to put on college and job resumes. It shows you not only can pull decent grades, but you can also balance other activities and commitments.

5. Be organized.
This will save you a ton of heartache later on. Teachers tell you to carry a notebook for a reason. Notebooks have clips for a reason.

6. Stay on task.
Don't procrastinate. The sooner you get things done, the sooner you can relax or do things you want to do without deadlines looming over you. Also, putting things off leads to you forgetting to get them done. It also could help you win points with your parents when you want to go do something. Your parents will eventually see how responsible you are, so that mid-week JV football game you want to go to or going over to your friends house for dinner might end up becoming an option.

7. Take care of yourself.
This doesn't just mean eating healthy and exercising. It also means celebrating small goals. Set goals to earn certain grades on your tests or studying a certain amount of time and then celebrate with a small reward. It could mean, every hour I student I earn 10-20 minutes of video games (if 10-20 sounds too small then unaddict yourself from the console).

8. Accept change.
It was once said elementary school is like running the intermediate hurdles, you can just kick the hurdle over or step over it and move to the next. Middle school is like the high jump, just lower the standard and you can flop over. High school is like the pole vault, unless you come prepared with your pole you'll never make it over. Be prepared for change when you start high school. Your friends will change. Your school won't run the same as your middle school. Your teachers won't be the same. You'll even change. There is no way of going back. Instead of fighting the change, embrace it as you move foward in being the grown person you are to be. Enjoy your experiences in the process though!

9. Stay positive.
No one wants to be around someone who is constantly negative. Staying positive is a way of keeping and making friends. These friends will be around to help you when you are blue. Also remember, no matter how hard your day is things tend to work out in some shape or form. Try to find the positive in everything you do. You receive a poor grade on a test, at least now you know you need to work harder on something than failing the End of Course exam. Look at the life lessons in what you do.

10. Be yourself.
The most important thing is not to deny who you are as a person. You are unique for a reason. You can find friends by being yourself. Don't give into peer pressure to change who you are or to do something you know is wrong.

The Double Life of RNA

Since the 1960s, the role of RNA (ribonucleic acid) in transmitting information to produce DNA-encoded protein has been well known. More recently, however, scientists have discovered that RNA can be much more than a passive transmitter of genetic information. RNA can also act as an enzyme that directly participates in cellular biochemistry. The dual nature of RNA as an information storage molecule and an enzyme supports the theory that RNA had a central role in the origin of life.

In these four lectures, HHMI President and Nobel laureate Thomas R. Cech explains the role of RNA in cellular biology. He also discusses other implications of RNA catalysis. For example, the ability of RNA catalysts, or ribozymes, to cut and splice RNA molecules has sparked efforts to develop them as therapeutic agents.

Lectures include:

1. Catalysis, Chemical and Biochemical
Life processes are fundamentally chemical reactions. Left to themselves, however, the reactions would occur too slowly and non-specifically to sustain life. Cellular enzymes are catalysts that tame reactions by accelerating them, lending specificity, and regulating their time and place. Some principles of biological catalysis are demonstrated.

2. RNA as an Enzymes: Discovery, Origins of Life, and Medical Possiblities
Discovery of RNA's catalytic activity led to unexpected spin-offs, including a new scenario for the origin of life. In a different area, the ability of RNA catalysts (ribozymes) to cut and splice RNA molecules has sparked efforts to develop them as pharmaceuticals against viruses, cancer, and genetic diseases.

3. How to Accelerate a Reaction 100,000,000,000 Times Using Only RNA
RNA and protein are built from different chemical units and assembled in distinct ways. Thus, the ability of RNA to exhibit catalytic activity rivaling that of traditional protein enzymes was unexpected. Studies of RNA catalytic centers have revealed much about their structure and mode of action.

4. Life at the End of the Chromosome: Another RNA Machine
Chromosomes of humans and other eukaryotes contain linear DNA molecules. The chromosomes ends, or telomeres, are necessary for DNA stability and replication. Telomere replication is carried out by telomerase, whose RNA subunit acts as a template for telomeric DNA synthesis.

To watch these lectures at home or get your own copy go to The Double Life of RNA in the HHMI's BioInteractive website.

Review Deadlines

The answers to Final Exam Review #1 will be posted Thursday, May 2, 2013 at 12:45pm. Any Final Exam Review #1 not completed and turned in by this time will be a zero.

Final Exam Review #2 and #3 answers will be posted Friday, May 3, 2013 at 1:45pm. Any Final Exam Review #2 or #3 not completed and turned in by this time will be a zero.

Final Exam Review #4 answers will be posted Monday, May 6, 2013 at 1:45pm. Any Final Exam Review #4 not completed and turned in by this time will be a zero.

Bottom line, students have been given EXCESSIVE amount of time in class to complete Final Exam Review #1 - #4. Once the answers are posted the work will not be accepted late.

3rd Quarter Final

There will be a test for all classes covering the material taught during the 3rd Quarter. Click on the Lesson Plans tab above to review all the material taught during the 3rd Quarter. Students are recommended to review the material.

Progress Reports/Scholarship Warnings

Progress Reports and Scholarship warnings were handed out as follows:

1st Period - Wednesday, March 6, 2013
2nd Period - Monday, March 4, 2013
3rd Period - Wednesday, March 6, 2013
4th Period - Thursday, March 21, 2013
5th Period - Thursday, March 21, 2013
7th Period - Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Frequently Asked Questions:

How do you determine grades?
Grades are determined based on the student's knowledge of the subject matter. Students are given assignments to build their knowledge, but receive credit with correct answers and proof of knowledge.

I do all of my work, how did I get a D or F?
Grades are determined by correct responses, not by completion. Any random answer is not going to count as correct. Students must demonstrate that they can meet or master the standards.

How come [Student B] has a better grade than me and I do more work?
While [Student B]'s grades are not something I can discuss with you, as each student has a right to their own privacy, they obviously demonstrated better knowledge of the subject matter. While you may have completed more work, in the few assignments or tests [Student B] has completed or taken, he/she has demonstrated a better knowledge of the subject matter.

Why is it that I've never turned in an assignment, but I have a grade?
Knowledge can be demonstrated in multiple ways. First, most students have taken at least one of the three Benchmark exams. These exams tested the knowledge of each students for every standard covered in the course. This provides some data on a student's knowledge and is used when no other data is available. Second, students are accessed in multiple ways. Students are accessed during warm-ups by informal visual checks by the teacher, discussion of warm-ups or assignments or work collected. You may not realize it, but you are constantly being accessed for knowledge!

So, I could do literally no work and still get a good grade?
In theory, it is possible to do no work and earn an "A" in the class. The likelihood of that happening is close to none. Statistics have shown that the amount of work completed correctly is within 10% of the student's test performance. In other words, students correctly completing 50% of the work generally don't score higher than 60/D on tests. Students who correctly complete 80% of the work generally score between 90/A and 70/C on tests. Bottom line, the more work you correctly complete and the greater effort you give to learn the material, the better your testing performance.

I currently have an "F" in the class, can I work my way up to passing?
Yes! Not only could you still pull a passing grade, it is not impossible to even earn your way up to an "A" in the class for the quarter. It has been done. I have seen a student pull a 50/F to a 100/A. Grades are based purely on the student's ability to demonstrate knowledge of the subject matter. So if you're currently failing a standard, go back study the material and then perform well on the quarter exam. This is the best way of recovering the grade. Grading is designed this way to give everyone an equal opportunity to demonstrated knowledge of the material no matter the speed in which they learn. It's also designed this way to keep students from giving up mid-quarter because they slipped up.

School Supplies

Dear Parents,

Throughout the year, your students will be studying a wonderful variety of biological topics. However, some students are unfortunate to be able to afford necessary supplies to assist them in their studies. Here is a list of just some of the supplies we will be needing to assist disadvantaged students:

3 ring binder (1 1/2 inch)
Dividers for binders
Loose leaf notebook paper (college or wide ruled)
Pocket folders (3 prong)
Pencils #2
Colored Pencils (12 count)
Expo markers (assorted colors)
Erasers
Rulers (metric)
Pencil sharpeners (small)
Index cards (3x5)
Kleenex

Your help in donating the above listed supplies is greatly appreciated. Keep in mind that we are not picky! We would happily take new or gently used boxes of colored pencils. The same holds true for pencils, pens, 3-ring binders, etc! Furthermore, your donations are not limited to the present. Feel free to send items in whenever possible.

Do keep in mind that the above mentioned items represent just a few of the supplies our students will be using regularly over the course of the year.

I would like to thank you in advance for your assistance, and look forward to continuing down the educational path with your student!

Mr. Ison

2nd Quarter Test

There will be a test for all classes covering the material taught during the 2nd Quarter. Click on the Lesson Plans tab above to review all the material taught during the 2nd Quarter.

Students are recommended to review the material. Time will be permitted in class for students to work on review questions provided by the instructor.

Winter Break

Hope everyone has a great Winter Break! Stay safe and i'll see you back January 2nd, 2013!

Computer Access During Winter Break

The ALC lab will be open the first Monday through Thursday of Winter Break (December 19-22) from 8 AM to 1 PM to allow students access to computer labs for ALC work, FLVS work or to work on Grade Recovery.