with Kim Rodgers Sweet TestThis week in Chemistry we focused on M&Ms. Yum! This was the first class in a series that will finish out our time together at Mosaic this year. The purpose is for the students to understand how to isolate a variable in a testing situation so that the results can be traced back to that variable. The students began by breaking into groups and observing an orange M&M using three of their five senses. We left out hearing and tasting. Then they broke open the M&M and described what they saw. We came back together in a group and shared our observations. Next, we looked at the question “What happens when an M&M is placed in water?” They followed a procedure in which they poured room-temperature water into a plastic plate until the bottom was covered with water. Then they placed the M&M in the center of the plate and observed for about a minute, keeping the water and M&M as still as possible. All of the groups noticed a small ring of color emanate from the M&M, with the circle expanding as time went on. Eventually the color completely came off the M&M and showed the brown chocolate center. We deduced that the water dissolves the sugar and color coating. This is a “property” of the M&M coating. Dealing with VariablesWe then discussed the variables involved in this experiment (the number of M&Ms, the color, the type of liquid the M&M was placed in, and the temperature of the water). Any of these variables can be changed to do entirely new experiments. We then brainstormed some questions to investigate over the next couple of weeks. Below are some of the questions:
Next week we will look at the color variable and construct an experiment that is designed to keep all variables the same except for the color of the M&M. Once the groups design an experiment that meets this criteria they will carry out their experiments and compare their results with other groups. The Turks Take OverThis week in the Middle Ages we learned about the fall of Constantinople. The Ottoman Turks were nomads who wandered to the west to avoid the Mongol armies. Trading with Muslim merchants, they heard the Koran read often and became Muslim themselves. They eventually settled near the edge of the Byzantine Empire and raised their young men to become ghazi, soldiers who were dedicated to conquering unbelievers and spreading Islam as their empire grew. Slowly the Byzantine Empire shrank. Only Constantinople was left to the Byzantine emperor. Mehmed the Conqueror became sultan of the Ottoman throne. He spent months pretending to be friendly with the Byzantine emperor, all the while planning to attack. He built a cannon so huge it had to be pulled by a hundred oxen. He also wanted to use gunpowder and had hired mercenaries to build his army. He approached the city with enough soldiers to outnumber the Byzantine soldiers twelve to one! The emperor refused to surrender so Mehmed fired his cannons multiple times against the wall. The walls crumbled slightly, but stood firm. Mehmed knew that the key to winning this battle was to attack from all sides. The problem was getting to the northern wall, which was only accessed by entering the Golden Horn, a harbor on the north side. The entrance was guarded by Byzantine warriors. The Turks solved that problem by hauling their warships out of the water and rolling them on dry land, passing the horrified onlookers behind the walls...70 ships! They dropped them into the harbor. Now they could attack from all sides. After two months food and water were scarce behind the walls. The Byzantine people had always said, “Constantinople won’t fall. Remember: the city is safe until the moon turns dark!” The moon shone brightly one night, but suddenly a shadow came slowly across it. The people thought this was a sure sign of disaster. It was actually an eclipse, but they didn’t know that at the time. The Ottoman Turks took their chance and threw themselves against the walls. Finally, one of the gates to the city was forced open and the Turks took over. Mehmed went straight to the Hagia Sophia and put his throne right in the middle of it, immediately having his soldiers transform it into a Muslim mosque. Sometimes the conquest of Constantinople is referred to as the end of the Middle Ages.
The Turks repaired the walls, laid new stones over the streets, and dug new wells. The Sultan of the Turks was becoming recognized as one of the most powerful rulers in the world. The greatest emperor of all was Suleiman the Lawgiver. Like Justinian, Suleiman gathered all the laws the Ottoman people had and put them together into one code the whole empire could follow. He chose governors who would supervise these laws and make sure the laws were followed. But he wanted to make sure the people were treated well, so sometimes he would dress in disguise and spy on his governors to see they were carrying out justice fairly. He had a spy network throughout the empire to do the same thing. He wanted the people to be safe and healthy. He also rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem after a dream warned him the city might be compromised. He placed statues of lions on either side of the gate to protect the city from intruders. Unfortunately his son inherited his throne after Suleiman died. He wasn’t as strong a ruler as his father, which led to the shrinking of the Ottoman Empire. It lasted for more than 300 years before it disappeared completely. Because cannons were used in the battle and hadn’t been seen before this attack, the students fashioned cannons out of tubes, rubber bands, paper clips, and plastic wrap. When they were done they used ping pong balls to shoot. This activity was a hit, needless to say. They had a fun time trying to make their ping pong ball go the farthest! We also dyed our shirts from last week with the beet juice. They will dry this week and be ready next Monday. with Angela Harris Analysis Chapters 17-24Our discussion of last week's reading led us into an examination of three of the trial witnesses…their testimonies and their demeanor on the stand and a discussion of the events in this section. We finish the reading this week! I then pulled up a map of Maycomb, Alabama. Bearing in mind that Maycomb is a fictional town, we took a "tour" of the town using the map. I think it's fun as we read to have a clear visual of the town. One could say it even serves as a character in the novel. So much happens in the space of a few blocks! For those of you who could not see the last minute of Atticus's closing argument, here it is: If you're interested in seeing the full movie, it's also available on YouTube, but I don't think the quality is all that good. Definitely a NetFlix kind of rental. If you have time after reading the novel this month, you should try to watch the film with your families! PlotTo Kill a Mockingbird begins as a story about curiosity, sibling adventures, and the first school days. The novel evolves into a saga about criminal justice, legal representation, and deep-rooted Southern values. All the events lead to the final, tragic event: Tom Robinson’s guilty verdict. At this tragic moment, Jem forsakes “background” in exchange for how long his family has “been readin’ and writin’.” He believes that literacy allows the Finches to rise above prejudice. In the face of such injustice, Jem realizes that Boo Radley may want to stay inside to avoid the prejudice and injustice prevalent in Maycomb. Next, I quizzed the students on characters and plot for Parts I & II. I had them try to remember the names of all the major and (most) minor characters as quickly as they could and then took another two minutes to complete a plot summary. Plot summaries are very helpful in reviewing events that you have been reading about over a longer period of time. This particular novel is full of characters and events, and it's easy for younger readers to lose their way. The writing tends to be more subtle as well. This was also the case with our last novel, My Antonia. Remember, these two books were not written with young audiences in mind, and although the reading is not overly difficult, it may require students to back up and review certain passages when needed. My "pop quiz" generally showed that students are following the novel, with just a few holes here and there. They were given two or three words and then had to complete the sentence to essentially form a timeline of the plot. Some sentences were easy, and some, a little trickier! Take your time with the last chapters and really let it soak in! The SequelSo, most people have heard by now that there is a sequel to Mockingbird. I took the last few minutes of class to read an excerpt from a New York Times article that was written this February. The new book, Go Set a Watchman, is scheduled to be released this July. I really hope some of our students will be inspired to at least try it when it comes out! There is a bit of controversy surrounding its publication and its sudden appearance is a bit mysterious. First, the new novel was "found" among Ms. Lee's archives by her friend and attorney, Tonja Carter. Ms. Carter thought it was a manuscript for an original version of TKAM, when in reality it was the "incubator" for the famous novel. Harper Lee wrote Watchman first. Her publisher was more interested in the flashbacks to Scout's childhood within Watchman, and asked her to write a novel set in that time frame, not the 1950's as Ms. Lee had originally planned. Since Harper Lee was a new and unpublished author, she didn't argue with the publisher. Watchman is therefore the original story of Scout and Atticus set in the 1950's and focuses on the racial tensions of that era. It's referred to as a sequel because this story occurs 20 years after the first, however, it was written BEFORE it! Second, the bit of controversy surrounding the publication is that Ms. Lee has always despised publicity and is very aged and infirm, not even able to read any longer without a heavy duty reading glass for the nearly blind. She is also thought to be quite congenial and will sign most anything put in front of her (according to some). There was concern expressed by many that it is not her intent to see this novel published, but we'll never know for sure. Her statements about the book have been delivered through her agent and lawyer to the publisher. Her long time protector, sister and attorney, Alice, died at the age of 100+ last fall. Ms. Lee lives in an assisted-living facility and suffered a stroke in 2007. According to her literary agent, Harper Lee has said that Watchman is not a sequel, it is a "parent" to TKAM. I'm so glad our students are reading her novel (or novels) in her lifetime. It is something to remark on and remember, as Mockingbird is one of the most important novels of the 20th century. Will Watchman be one of the most important of the 21st? A lot of people think "lightning won't strike twice." What do you think? Symbolism EssayWe ran out of time to discuss our next essay in detail, so I am posting notes and helps here. You can have two weeks to write this one. I recommend getting it to me by 5/20, to stay on track. The final essay on education should be shared with me no later than 5/31, and you should have completed some research on it by now.
The title of To Kill a Mockingbird has very little literal connection to the plot, but it carries a great deal of symbolic weight in the book. In this story of innocents destroyed by evil, the “mockingbird” comes to represent the idea of innocence. Thus, to kill a mockingbird is to destroy innocence. Throughout the book, a number of characters (Jem, Tom Robinson, Dill, Boo Radley, Mr. Raymond) can be identified as mockingbirds—innocents who have been injured or destroyed through contact with evil. This connection between the novel’s title and its main theme is made explicit several times in the novel: after Tom Robinson is shot, Mr. Underwood compares his death to “the senseless slaughter of songbirds,” and at the end of the book Scout thinks that hurting Boo Radley would be like “shootin’ a mockingbird.” Most important, Miss Maudie explains to Scout: “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but . . . sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” That Jem’s and Scout’s last name is Finch (another type of small bird) indicates that they are particularly vulnerable in the racist world of Maycomb, which often treats the fragile innocence of childhood harshly. Read the essay prompt on the syllabus. You are going to support with citations from the text why Boo Radley (who like the bird is a victim of children) and Tom Robinson (the "mockingbird" that it is a sin to kill) are seen as the "mockingbirds" in this story (this can be paragraphs two and three). For your fourth paragraph, you're going to tell me who you think the third mockingbird is (there is no right/wrong answer, and this is widely debated and discussed). If you can make a case for it with a quote from the book and your own reasoning, I'll go with it. Remember, for our purposes, a "mockingbird" is someone whose innocence has been injured or destroyed. There is also a case for Scout to be the third mockingbird. Scout, who is small and plain, but "sings" her own song (the novel). Both Tom and Boo are victims of their own kindness (towards Mayella; towards the children); both are innocent (of rape; of psychopathy); both are victims of prejudice; both are "caged." More subtly, the mockingbird could represent the innocence of childhood which is "killed" in various ways for Scout, Jem, and Dill. The mockingbird first appears in Chapter 10, when Atticus tells the children, "Shoot all the bluejays you want... but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." Miss Maudie explains this is because mockingbirds are neither harmful nor destructive, but only make music for people to enjoy. Its connection with Boo is made clear in Chapter 30, where Scout recognizes that the public exposure of Boo would be "sort of like shootin' a mockingbird." Other than the above instances the symbol recurs in Chapter 21 ‐ waiting for the trial verdict and Chapter 25 ‐ in Underwood's article. So, there are your hints and helps! See you next Wednesday. :) with Leigh Ann Yoder Optional Review SessionThis week's optional review session was slightly different from the past, as the students worked through a variety of more complex problems. Students are working on understanding inheritance methods including: dominant alleles, recessive alleles, codominance, multiple alleles, and recessive sex-linked alleles. They are also learning about several genetic disorders and the complex genetic treatments available. We did not spend as much time on vocabulary terms, and I suggested to those students taking the test that they work independently to learn the vocabulary. Optional Chapter 4 tests are due back next class. Advances in GeneticsIt seems all of the students are highly interested in this area of our studies. It is fascinating to explore inbreeding, hybridization, cloning, genetic engineering and gene therapy. Some of the highlights of our discussions were on how bacteria are used in the genetic engineering of insulin and how modified viruses are being inserted directly into human bodies to treat cystic fibrosis. Although these are very complex topics, the students all have a strong grasp of them due to their hard work learning about cells, DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis. It is amazing to see all of their knowledge culminate in such an exciting way. I urge you to discuss these topics with your students. I believe you will be quite impressed! The House of Scorpion by Nancy FarmerI mentioned to the students this great science fiction novel that addresses the issue of human cloning. Many seemed interested in reading it this summer. I did warn them that they should discuss with their parents as there are some graphic scenes in the novel which could be upsetting to certain students. However, it is also a great novel to read alongside your teen as it opens the pathway to many discussions. For older and/or more advanced students I would also recommend The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. There is a study guide available for this book that is appropriate for homeschool use. LAB - How are Genes on Sex Chromosomes Inherited?This lab focused on the sex-linked genetic disorders hemophilia and colorblindness. First students used coin flips to collect experimental data for a variety of scenarios. As a class we did an analysis. Next, students were given the opportunity to lead the class in several critical thinking applications. The focus was to use Punnett Squares and/or Pedigrees to determine the probability that a sex-linked trait would be passed down to a child based on family history. These activities simulated genetic counseling. We ran out of time, so the students are to complete the lab at home. HomeworkMandatory:
Complete the lab 'How are Genes on Sex Chromosomes Inherited?' Read 5.1 and complete the study guide Read 5.2 and complete the study guide Project: Decide what information you will present and how you will present it (trifold board or presentation software) Optional: Take the Chapter 4 Test with Angela Harris This week's focus was on courage and conflict (both internal and external). We talked about how the different characters are showing courage in ways that are unique to their current situations. Atticus showed courage when he had to shoot the mad dog, and must continue to be courageous in defending Tom Robinson. Mrs. Dubose showed courage when she refused to die addicted to morphine, and Scout and Jem are learning to temper their responses when dealing with the town's backlash against Atticus. For next week, please read through to chapter 24, fill in the Active Reading chart with the additional three witnesses from the trial, and answer the usual short answer questions. Essay reminder is below. Analysis Chapters 9-16Conflict: External vs. InternalAt the heart of every novel is conflict, the struggle between two opposing forces. In an external conflict, a character struggles against some outside force, such as another person, nature, society, or fate. An internal conflict is a struggle between two opposing thoughts or desires within the mind of a character. As you read through to chapter twenty-one, try to notice how the external and internal conflicts introduced in the first section intensify. We then did three exercises that emphasized external vs. internal conflict. In the first, each student was given a scenario and then had to identify whether the conflict was external or internal, and if external, whether it was a conflict between nature, society, or another character. The second exercise required students to then identify four conflicts from the novel that fit the four different possible types of conflicts--they did a great job with this as "conflict with nature" from the book is a little more difficult to come up with. The third exercise allowed students to have some fun completing four fictional scenarios, again, one of each type. By the end, we were pretty confident we could identity all four types of conflict! The Civil Rights MovementWe ended class on a serious note by reading through some basic information on the Civil Rights Movement and then going through the specifics from the Fannie Lou Hamer speech to the 1964 DNC that I posted to the Community Page earlier in the week. This is an incredibly powerful speech and very difficult to listen to. One woman's story of her refusal to be dissuaded from registering to vote--despite threats of harm and repeated physical abuse in jail--is truly sobering. While the characters in our novel show courage in their own ways, Fannie Lou Hamer is an example of a truly courageous human being. If you would like to listen to her speech, it is HERE. Final Expository EssayThere is no essay due next week (hurray!), but that doesn't mean you have nothing to do. :) Please complete the research worksheet that I gave you before next week. We have two more essays to go--one on symbolism within the novel and the final essay on education. All essays should be turned in by May 31.
See you next week--we'll be using our new online classroom! You can visit it HERE. with Kim Rodgers Don't "Mess" with Success!We had so much fun making bouncy balls last week, so this week we used our class time to experiment with the recipe. Last week we learned that polymers can change their properties because of reactions that occur. In the case of the bouncy balls the molecules of the glue react with the molecules in the Borax so that cross-linking occurs, which allows the mixture to go from a sticky mess to a congealed ball. The students went through a four step process. After looking at the recipe the students chose what they were going to change, whether it was to take one ingredient and change the amount or to try and double or triple the recipe. Second, they made their hypothesis about how this change would affect the final product. Would the ball congeal more quickly, bounce higher, have a larger diameter? Then the students mixed up their concoction and observed the results. Finally, they recorded their results by describing their observations. Needless to say, it was a messy class! Some of you might have had kids come home with cornstarch or glue on their clothes. They enjoyed this process, even if it wasn’t as scientifically accurate as I would have liked. The students had a hard time distinguishing between 1 tsp and 1TBSP, which affected the results. We went over it in class, but maybe the next time you’re baking or cooking you could have your child help you with measurements for some practice. The practice of changing things up with an expected result in mind made the students pay more attention to what they were doing. When your child is completing their notebook page please ask them to include why they think the results came about as they did. Russian RulersIn the Middle Ages we learned about the Rus and their desire to conquer Constantinople. The Rus descended from a Viking warrior named Rurik, who wandered into Central Europe and decided to stay. They ruled over the Slavs, who were already living there. The Rus and the Slavs married and began forming their own tribes and building their own cities, trading with countries near them. They would sail down the Black Sea to trade with Constantinople, but sailing there was hard work. The rivers leading to the Sea were shallow and full of rapids. The Rus would have to pull their ships out of the water using log rollers, roll the ships past the rapids, and roll them back into the water. The trips to Constantinople took weeks or even months. They decided that conquering the city would make it much easier. Constantinople was built on a peninsula, so it was surrounded by water on three sides. They also had a thick wall surrounding the city, with a moat surrounding that! Towers allowed archers to aim precisely at their targets and an enormous chain was stretched across the water between two towers so enemy ships couldn’t approach. They also had something they called “sea fire.” It was an oil that kept burning even on water! Once the Byzantine army let this oil loose the Rus turned around and went back home. At that point one of the Rus princes thought it would be a better idea to make friends with Constantinople instead of trying to capture it. The Rus prince sent six thousand Rus warriors as a present to the Byzantine emperor. The emperor made them his own personal bodyguard called the Varangian Guard. The emperor gave the Rus free food, beds, and baths whenever they came to trade. Soon the country of the Rus became Russia. At first Russia wasn’t one country with one ruler. There were many warrior princes ruling over different tribes. The prince who finally brought the Russian cities together was named Ivan, a descendant of Rurik. We remember him as Ivan the Great because he united Russia. But his grandson was a terrible ruler, which is why he was called Ivan the Terrible. Ivan the Great had shown his might when he gathered an army together to go to war with the Mongol tribe who was trying to inhabit part of Moscow. The Mongol leader wanted Ivan to pay him tribute. Ivan refused. Once his army was put in place the Mongol warriors turned around and walked home. Ivan’s army was much too powerful for the small amount of Mongol warriors who were there! Now Moscow was free from Mongol rule. The next order of business was to defeat neighboring tribes and make them loyal to him. He captured Kiev and other cities, took their princes off their thrones, and replaced them with governors loyal to him. He made Moscow the capital and built a fortress called the Kremlin, which held a palace inside where Ivan ruled Russia. By the time Ivan the Terrible came into power Russia was known as “the third Rome” because it was such an important city. The leaders began to revere the king as a god, which Ivan the Terrible took very seriously. When Ivan’s wife died he began to go mad, with his hair and beard beginning to fall out. He accused his advisers of treachery and executed them. He formed a special secret band of police to look out for anyone who was against him. This band of police killed innocent people, took land and homes, stole, and burned buildings and homes down for no reason.
Sometimes Ivan would join in their crimes! The people wanted Ivan’s son to replace him on the throne. One day he and his son started arguing over the fate of Russia. Ivan grew so angry that he struck his son and killed him. Shortly after that he predicted his own death when he saw a comet in the night sky, and collapsed soon afterwards and died. Rurik’s dynasty was at an end. with Angela Harris Analysis Chapters 1-8After our journaling prompt, and a quick review of the background reading from the Glencoe Guide, we dove right into character analyses of the main characters that we've met so far and talked about chapters 1-8. Please stay on track with the reading (we need to read about eight chapters per week) and check the syllabus for all homework. Narrative and Point of ViewTo Kill a Mockingbird is told in the first person by Jean Louise “Scout” Finch. The novel begins from the point of view of Scout as she looks back on her childhood, revisiting memories through the filter of her adult experience. Although the narrator is an adult looking back at her childhood, the perspective is limited to what she saw and felt at that time. Scout the 6-year-old often does not understand the full meaning of what she observes, and her childlike perceptions are frequently a source of humor, as when she says of her father, “Atticus was feeble. He was nearly fifty.” Yet even in this instance, the narrator does not confine her vocabulary to that of a child. Here is another example of how the narrator recalls childhood events with an adult vocabulary: “I wasn’t sure what Jem resented most, but I took umbrage at Mrs. Dubose’s assessment of the family’s mental hygiene.” I asked the students if our memories change as they are filtered through the lens of our later experiences. The consensus was "yes." The Scottsboro Boys TrialsWe then read through a rather unpleasant matter from history called The Scottsboro Trials. I will not repeat the story here, but it's important to be aware of these famous trials of the 1930's as they were the inspiration for the trial of Tom Robinson in To Kill a Mockingbird. You can read about the Scottsboro Trials and other related stories from the "Jim Crow Law" days at PBS.org, The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow. Race and RelationshipsClearly, racism is a major theme of the novel. The essay prompt this week is meaty. I made a step-by-step outline for students to follow and created a worksheet for them to use during the research phase. Please read chapters 9-16 before attempting the essay! As always, let me know if you have questions. Hang in there, we're almost to the end!
with Kim Rodgers Chain "Reactions"In Chemistry this week we learned about long chains of many different kinds of molecules called polymers. Polymers make up many things and are all around us! Clothing, food, hair, plastic wrap, and car parts are all made up of polymers. Different polymers have different properties, like being sticky or stiff. When long chains of polymers slide up and down next to each other, as in glue or natural rubber, they can be sticky. Other polymers can be hard or stiff instead of sticky. You can change the properties of polymers with chemicals or heat. An egg is an example of this. When you cook it the egg whites change from a clear, sticky liquid to a firm, white solid. For our experiment we took corn starch, Borax, and glue and wrote down our observations about each ingredient. The students then wrote their hypothesis for what would happen when the ingredients were combined. We added a little warm water to the Borax and a little food coloring for fun and went to town stirring it up. Once it congealed we took it in our hands and began massaging and squeezing the mixture. It became more and more stiff as we worked with it. We formed it into balls and let them sit for a few minutes to dry. They became bouncy balls! The students were very surprised! The polymers in the glue had changed from sticky to stiff through a reaction with the Borax where the molecules cross-linked with each other. I illustrated this phenomenon using paper clip chains. We made three chains and laid them next to each other. We slid them back and forth next to each other and saw that they moved fluidly. Then we linked a couple of paper clips from one chain to the one next to it to see how molecules can cross-link. Marco! Polo!In the Middle Ages we learned about Marco Polo and his experiences in the Far East. Kublai Khan valued the influence of the West and turned his Mongol soldiers into guards stationed along the Silk Road in order to encourage traders and merchants to make the trek to China. Marco Polo’s father went to China before Marco was born and didn’t come back until Marco was 15! It had taken him three years to even arrive in China! He ended up working for the emperor as his messenger and had returned home to ask the pope for 100 wise men who could explain Christianity to the Khan, along with some holy oil. So Marco went back to China with his father. It took them 4 years! Marco wrote about his experience meeting the Khan and all of the things he experienced in a book called “The Book of Marco.” It was read all over the world and for many years was the only way for people in the west to know what was going on in the east.
Marco described the marble palace in a walled garden where wild animals roamed the grounds. Inside the palace were wonders that had never been heard of...a dining hall where 6,000 people could eat at once, walls covered with battle scenes and dragons painted in gold. Here was where Marco tasted his first ice cream. He also saw coal burn and wrote about the humongous pieces of fruit! He and his father stayed for almost 20 years. When they returned their family didn’t recognize them and weren’t going to let them in. They had dressed in rags to encourage bandits along the road to leave them alone. Inside the seams of the clothing were all sorts of jewels, which tumbled out and proved to the family that they were who they said they were. After Kublai Khan’s time, traveling to China became more difficult. The Mongol leaders had split up the kingdom among themselves when the Khan died. The new leaders didn’t value the influence of the west and they fought with each other over the borders of their little kingdoms, which made the Silk Road very dangerous. The leaders began to believe that China was better off sealing itself off from other areas, which led to the construction of the Forbidden City, so named because foreigners were forbidden to enter it. It took 14 years to build! About 90 years ago the last Chinese emperors were driven out of the Forbidden City. Today tourists can go in and see what no medieval traveler ever saw. In class we talked about how Marco Polo felt when experiencing all the things that were new to him. The students thought about a trip they went on when they saw or experienced something amazing or unusual. They talked with a partner about it and then wrote it down as a journal entry and shared it with the class. While they were working the students took turns finishing their arrows to go with their bows from last week. It was a busy class! Homework for both classes consists of notebooking pages, and mapping for the Middle Ages. See you next week! with Leigh Ann Yoder The Puzzle of LifeOur class time this week was dedicated to understanding Protein Synthesis. This was mainly accomplished by a hands-on activity called, 'The Puzzle of Life.' In this activity students demonstrated how the message in DNA becomes the raw material (protein) used by cells. By using RNA and amino acid puzzle pieces, students were able to demonstrate how the RNA molecule translates into a chain of amino acids (protein) and explore how changes (mutations) in the genetic code can impact cellular activities. Students worked in groups to translate a RNA sequence into a protein, discovered the outcomes of mutations and errors in the genetic code, and "treated" a genetic disorder using gene therapy. Hopefully this activity along with our discussions clarified the Protein Synthesis process for the students. We also spent some time talking about mutations. Specifically we focused on the effects of mutations. Mutations can have a positive, negative, or neutral effect on an organism. We also discussed how environment can play a critical role on the effect of a mutation. Final ProjectsI shared several websites with the students and we began to talk about the final projects. The specific parameters will not be discussed until next class. For now the students are to read about a variety of genetic mutations and pick their top two topics. These should be emailed to me this week. For the project choice you can also look for a beneficial genetic condition. (A mutation or trait that benefits the organism.) Also, you can choose a condition that has no significant effect, such as color blindness. Any genetic condition that interests you is acceptable. HomeworkMandatory:
Read 4.1 Human Inheritance and complete Study Workbook Read 4.2 Human Genetic Disorders and complete Study Workbook Send me your top two choices for your project by Friday. Remember to choose a genetic disorder that you will be able to give a 5 minute presentation on. Two websites to help you get started are: http://io9.com/10-unusual-genetic-mutations-in-humans-470843733 http://www.education.com/reference/article/chromosomal-genetic-disorders/ Optional: Chapter 3 Test - Please bring to class for grading Online Activity pg. 115 and 119 with Kim Rodgers Mmmm...molecules!Tasty molecules were on our minds in Chemistry class this week. We have learned about the general flavors of acids (sour) and bases (bitter), so in class we talked about why some foods are salty and others are sweet, and others are neither! Our tongues are remarkable indicators of the kinds of atoms that are found in foods. Salty and sweet foods are sensed by the tongue, but some foods like raw potato don't exactly taste salty or sweet. A potato is mostly made up of sugar molecules, but the tongue can’t tell because the sugar molecules are hooked together in long chains called carbohydrates. Cooking breaks these chains into loose, single sugar molecules and our tongue recognizes them as sweeter. So, a baked or mashed potato is more pleasing to our palette. We put our tongues to work as we formed hypotheses about the flavors of different kinds of foods. We used celery, pretzels, marshmallows, raw and cooked potato, and green and ripe banana. Some foods were obvious, but others, such as green banana and raw potato, were hard to form an educated guess about as we don’t often eat them. After we formed our hypotheses we tried the foods to confirm our thoughts. There was some debate about the flavors and we discussed how our tongues are indicators, but that they aren’t definitive. My thoughts about what constitutes something sweet might be different from what someone else thinks. It was interesting to hear them defend their opinions! Fierce WarriorsThis week in the Middle Ages we learned about Genghis Khan and his grandson, Kublai Khan. The Mongols were nomads from the mountains in Northern China who conquered and killed as they went along, sparking fear into the hearts of all who encountered them. They could go for days without eating, opening the veins of their horses to drink their blood when starvation was near. Then they would close the vein and keep on riding. Yuck! They never invaded China until Genghis Khan became their leader. He conquered neighboring tribes, forcing them to swear their allegiance to him or be killed. Once he conquered enough tribes they invaded China, leveling every building, and even breaking through the Great Wall! Once this was accomplished he set his eyes to the West against the Islamic Empire. He terrorized the western edge for five years and conquered many cities. The people were so afraid that they would surrender without even fighting! When Genghis Khan died his people buried him in China, killing everyone who saw the funeral procession so no one would know where the burial place was. No one has ever found it! At this time the Mongols ruled a huge empire and quickly added part of the Byzantine Empire, ruling from the Yellow Sea to the Mediterranean. The Chinese invented poisonous fogs they blew across the battlefields, but the Mongols defeated them in the end, seating Kublai Khan on the emperor’s throne. He lived in a huge palace surrounded by 10,000 guards, demanding everyone enter without shoes and bow down to him when his officials lead them in. He set his sights on the coast, conquering Korea easily. His only defeat was with Japan, which had nothing to do with the Japanese warriors, but his own warriors lack of experience fighting in the water. Both times Kublai Khan sent his warriors to Japan, huge winds forced them back to China. The Japanese called these storms “kamikaze” or “divine winds,” which their fighter pilots remembered a thousand years later when they descended from the air to fight their enemies. After Kublai Khan died, his relatives divided up his kingdom into smaller kingdoms and they grew weaker and weaker. They eventually lost the throne after their family had ruled for only 100 years. In honor of the scores of wars the Mongols waged over their years in power we began work on bow and arrows of our own. The students finished the bows, but will have to finish the arrows during the next class.
with Angela Harris Intro: To Kill a Mockingbird After a journal/free-write on courage, we learned about our next author, Harper Lee, and how her famous manuscript almost became one with the slush-ridden New York City streets (it's true!). As always, we spent time understanding the cultural and historical context of our next novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. We reviewed some basic facts about the Great Depression, viewed an important (read: will be on the final quiz) timeline of events from the 1930's to the 1960's, and took a few minutes to understand the Jim Crow laws of the post-Civil War South. MLA FormatThis biggest take-away from this week's class, other than understanding the context of our novel, is implementing Modern Language Association Format with regard to Works Cited (bibliography) at the end of all four of our essays this session.
Two handouts were posted to the Community Page (one example of a Works Cited page and one handout with reminders/bullet points). Everything you need to complete a successful Works Cited is on these handouts. Please let me know if there is any confusion; I am always happy to clarify/answer additional questions. Remember to check the syllabus for all homework (reading, vocab, short answer) and of course, the essay prompt. This week's prompt should not cause you much trouble. Remember to pick a character you admire. Identify three ethical qualities you admire about that character (we're still working in threes here to easily construct a five-paragraph essay) and support with quotes from the book. Don't forget everything you learned last session about citing sources within your essay. Now, you're going to add a Works Cited at the end. The only works cited for this paper will be quotes from the text; our next and last paper will require outside research, therefore, your first paper will only have one Works Cited entry--easy, right? See you next week. We will be doing either one or two more meetings via Google Hangout, and then by May 6th we will switch to the new online classroom by WizIQ. Crossing fingers that it's a great experience! :) |
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