Biology Unit 1: Studying Life
Daily Learning Activities
Unit plan is here
Day 1
August 17
  • Reading from handbook
  • Review of syllabus and course outline

Day 2
August 18

Day 3
August 21

  • How can I use characteristics of objects to organize and classify them
  • Classification of objects - using writing utensils to group and then organize into a cladogram, showing their relatedness

Day 4
August 22

  • How can I use characteristics of living plants to organize and classify them? What can I learn from this classification?
  • Classification of plants and construction of a cladogram, first using whiteboards in groups, and then each student creating their own from the group drawing specimens - moss, fern, branches from gymnosperm and angiosperm plants

Day 5
August 23

  • Cladogram practice

Day 6
August 24

 

Day 7
August 25

 

Day 8
August 28

  • Lab Safety Quiz
  • Cladogram Quiz
  • What terms do scientists use to communicate their findings?
Day 9
August 29
  • How can I use my textbook effectively
  • Textbook Survey, Day 1 Part 1
    • find and use reference sections
Day 10
August 30
  • Fog Day - no school
Day 11
August 31
  • Day 2, Part 2 Textbooks (short day, fog delay)
  • Get textbooks and use them, with a directed reading process, to:
    • Identify terms as I Know, I sort of know, and I Don't Know.
    • Identify Key Ideas for main ideas, objectives, and supporting detail

Day 12
Sept 1

  • Day 3, Part 2 Textbooks
  • Use textbooks with a directed reading process, to:
  • Read for main ideas, objectives, and supporting detail
  • Make use of figures and diagrams
  • Early Dismissal - short classes
Day 13
Sept 5
  • Learning Target/Question
    • Design and conduct scientific experiments
    • Identify questions and concepts that guide scientific investigations
    • Use sample lab writeups to identify variables, claim, evidence, reason
  • Activities/Strategies
    • Plant Growth Sample Lab Write-up
    • Close read of activity, then give one-get one in rotating pairs to identify variables, claim, evidence, reason.
  • Assessments
    • Thumbs up self assessment
  • Assignment

    • Collect pillbugs and bring to class
Day 14
Sept 6
  • Learning Target/Question
    • Design and conduct scientific experiments
  • Activities/Strategies
    • Design an experiment to investigate a type of pillbug behavior.
    • Using Plant Growth Sample and this template, design a lab to test pillbugs' choice of habitat or food.
  • Assessments
    • Draft of experiment question, introduction, materials, procedure, in student Google Drive folders
  • Assignment

    • Collect and bring pillbugs
Day 15
Sept 7
  • Learning Target/Question
    • Design and conduct scientific experiments
  • Activities/Strategies
    • Give feedback to lab partner and make procedure edits
    • Design data table for recording lab data
  • Assessments
    • Draft of experiment question, introduction, materials, procedure, in student Google Drive folders
  • Assignment

    • Collect and bring pillbugs
Day 16
Sept 8
  • Learning Target/Question
    • Plan and carry out an experiment
  • Activities/Strategies
    • Follow procedure to collect and record data on pillbuf habitat choice.
      • plastic Petri dishes made into choice chambers, tape, paper towel, water, black paper, fruit
  • Assessments
    • Data collected and recorded as seen in fnal copy of lab
  • Assignment

    • Make edits to work so far
Day 17
Sept 11
  • Learning Target/Question
    • Use technology and mathematics to improve investigations and communication
    • Formulate and revise explanations and models using logic and evidence (critical thinking)
  • Activities/Strategies
    • Graph results: Dependent vs. Independent variables using Desmos; link to report Google doc
    • Claim, evidence, reason and experimental error for conclusion
    • Desmos - chromebook extension for graphing desmos.com
  • Assessments
    • Peer review of work
    • Completed lab report on Google doc in student folder
  • Assignment

    • Complete lab report
Day 18
Sept 12
  • Learning Target/Question
    • Classification
  • Activities/Strategies
    • Use Heirarchy to create a card sort as a study guide and review
  • Assessments
    • Visual and feedback
  • Assignment

 
Day 19
Sept 13
Wednesday
  • Learning Target/Question
    • Describe atomic structure, chemical bonds, the structure of water molecules, and the pH scale
    • Explain why these concepts are inportant in Biology
  • Activities/Strategies
    • Review of basic chemistry needed to understand cell processes - atomic structure,
    • Interactive lecture - Review types of covalent bonds - single, double, triple
  • Assessments
    • Exit pass
  • Assignment

    for Friday
    • Reading Chapter 3 Section 3
    • Complete cards 18-24
Day 20
Sept 14
Thursday
  • Learning Target/Question
    • Sketch a water molecule and explain the atoms and bonding involved.
    • Observe the structure of water molecules and how water molecules interact to give water its properties
  • Activities/Strategies
  • Assessments
    • Submit observations with summary, next class
  • Assignment

Day 21
Sept 15
Friday
  • Learning Target/Question
    • Describe and explain the structure of water molecules and how water molecules interact to give water its properties
    • Water on a string demo
  • Activities/Strategies
    • Observe water and string demo and explain the properties of water involved as lab summary
  • Assessments
    • Exit pass
    • Card Completion check 1-24
  • Assignment
    • update cards 1-24 as needed
Day 22
Sept 18
Monday
  • Learning Target/Question
    • Biological Molecules - what are they? How are they alike? How are they different?
    • Explain how the structure of each type of biomolecule impacts its function: that's why functional groups are called functional groups...
  • Activities/Strategies
    • Identifying functional groups
    • Find patterns in molecular structures and describe them - card sort small groups, then whiteboard results and gallery walk
    • Exit pass
  • Assessments
    • Practice identifying 5 biological molecules using structural featuers and functional groups
    • Functional group quiz tomorrow
  • Assignment
    • Cards 25-28
Day 23
Sept 19
Tuesday
  • Learning Target/Question
    • Identify 4 biological molecules on sight and describe the function of each (where is it produced? How is it used?)
  • Activities/Strategies
    • Interactive lecture - Functions of biological moleculules as related to structure
  • Assessments
    • Functional Group quiz
    • Biomolecule ID quiz 1 tomorrow
  • Assignment

    • Cards 25-28 and 29-34
Day 24
Sept 20
Wednesday
  • Learning Target/Question
    • Identify 4 biological molecules on sight and describe the function of each (where is it produced? How is it used?)
  • Activities/Strategies
    • Interactive lecture - Functions of biological moleculules as related to structure
    • First 3 key ideas - biomolecules, carbohydrates, lipids
  • Assessments
    • Biomolecule Quiz
  • Assignment

    • Cards 25-28 and 29-34
Day 25
Sept 21
Thursday
  • Learning Target/Question
    • Identify 4 biological molecules on sight and describe the function of each (where is it produced? How is it used?)
  • Activities/Strategies
    • Interactive lecture - Functions of biological moleculules as related to structure- proteins and nucleic acids
    • Lab demo
  • Assessments
    • Functional Group quiz
  • Assignment

    • Cards 25-28 and 29-34
Day 26
Sept 22
Friday
  • Learning Target/Question
    • How can we identify the presense of each type of biomolecule in lab?
  • Activities/Strategies
    • Lab - data collection
  • Assessments
    • Lab introduction as prelab
  • Assignment

    • Have draft of lab for Friday
Day 27
Sept 25
Monday
  • Learning Target/Question
    • How can we identify the presense of each type of biomolecule in lab?
  • Activities/Strategies
    • Data Collection Continued
    • Analysis questions
    • Conclusion - CER
  • Assessments
    • Analysis and conclusion for lab
  • Assignment

    • Cards 25-34
    • Complete review handout for unit test
Day 28
Sept 26
Tuesday
  • Learning Target/Question
    • REVIEW: A living cell is composed of a small number of elements, mainly carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous and sulfur.
    • REVIEW: Carbon, because of its small size and four available bonding electrons, can join to other carbon atoms in chains and rings to form large and complex molecules.
    • REVIEW: The essential functions of cells involve chemical reactions that involve water and carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and nucleic acids.
    • REVIEW: A special group of proteins, enzymes, enables chemical reactions to occur within living systems.
  • Activities/Strategies
  • Assessments
    • Molecule Quiz 2
  • Assignment

    • Complete review handout for unit test
Day 29
Sept 27
Wednesday
  • Learning Target/Question
    • REVIEW: A living cell is composed of a small number of elements, mainly carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous and sulfur.
    • REVIEW: Carbon, because of its small size and four available bonding electrons, can join to other carbon atoms in chains and rings to form large and complex molecules.
    • REVIEW: The essential functions of cells involve chemical reactions that involve water and carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and nucleic acids.
    • REVIEW: A special group of proteins, enzymes, enables chemical reactions to occur within living systems.
  • Activities/Strategies
    • Check Review Handout - whiteboard in groups and share
  • Assessments
    • Molecule Quiz 3; check in class
    • CHeck cards 25-24
  • Assignment

    • Prepare for test
Day 30
Sept 28
Thursday
  • Learning Target/Question
    • Test
  • Activities/Strategies
    • Test
  • Assessments
    • Molecule Quiz 3
  • Assignment

    • Reading assignment: Ch 7 Section 1 using yellow paper or ask for outline

Next Generation Science Standards:

SEP 1 Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)

SEP 3 Planning and carrying out investigations

SEP 4 Analyzing and interpreting data

SEP 5 Using mathematics and computational thinking

SEP 6 Constructing explanations (science) and designing solutions (engineering)

SEP 7 Engaging in argument from evidence

SEP 8 Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating evidence

Common Core State Standards:

RI.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper).

RI.9-10.6 Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.