12/14

Today, students completed the Sugar Tasting Lab. We sampled seven types of sugars and artificial sweeteners, ranking them on a scale of 0-10. We learned that there are protein receptors that help to build our taste buds. Simple sugars have a hexagon or pentagon ring structure that fits perfectly into these receptors. When sugars bind to these receptors it sends a signal to our brain to begin processing sugars, including telling the pancreas to release insulin into the blood stream. We discussed what could happen if artificial sweeteners trigger this response, but there is no corresponding glucose in our blood stream.

Sugar Lab

Homework: Study for the Biomolecules Quiz on Thursday/Friday!
Study guide

Absent Students = Make up the sugar lab activity in January during Flex.

12/12 & 12/13

After an unexpected, snowy weekend we spent today getting finished up with the Diabetes lecture notes and the Biomolecules Labby Notes. Please look at the last two posts to see the power points. We are still taking our Biomolecules quiz before winter break. For homework, students received a study guide to practice the four biomolecules.

Absent Students: Use the power points on 12/7 & 12/5 to complete the respective notes.

There will be Flex on Wednesday for Freshman. In addition, I will be available after school Tuesday - Friday and at lunch. Progress Report grades are due on Thursday, so make plans to turn in or re-take your work! Be advised, more winter weather is heading our way, so sooner is safer :-)

Homework: Use the Biomolecules lecture notes to complete the study guide worksheet. A-day Quiz = Friday, 12/16. B-day Quiz = Thursday, 12/15.

Biochemistry study guide

Fun video on Biomolecules!

12/6 & 12/7

We began class by "Unwrapping our Food" an activity to look at nutrition labels on a variety of food products. Our goal is to connect the biochemistry information we are learning about carbohydrates, proteins & lipids. Students made observations about amounts of sugar, fat and calories. Following this, students learned about the increase in Type II Diabetes in the United States. We learned about how our cells typically produce insulin, to allow glucose to enter cells to be processed for energy. In Type I Diabetes, a person's pancreas does not produce insulin. This is typically discovered in childhood. In contrast, people will typically develop Type II Diabetes later in life, although diagnoses are trending younger and younger. In people with Type II Diabetes, the insulin receptors stop working on the surface of the cell. This allows less glucose to enter the cell to be processed. In response, cells send signals to the pancreas to produce more insulin, which over time, will burn out the pancreas. We will continue to study who is at a higher risk for getting Type II Diabetes and what the implications are in our Trial Project.

Diabetes Power Point
Diabetes Lecture Notes and student worksheet

12/2 & 12/5

Today we completed the "Biomolecules Matrix" worksheet by using the posters to gain more information about the four biomolecules. Students turned in their worksheet for a grade following this activity. To learn more about the molecular structure of Proteins, Lipids, Carbohydrates & Nucleic Acids, students completed the Molecule Sort Activity. This assignment was taped into their lab notebooks. Finally, we began our "Labby Notes" today. We did one indicator test, using Benedict's solution to test for the presence of fructose in apple juice, and added a little bit of info to our lecture notes packet. 

Serine

Absent Students: Finish the Biomolecules Matrix worksheet in class using the posters. Complete the Molecule Sort activity after school or during Flex. Finally, copy lecture notes from a friend or from the power point here.

Biomolecules Lecture Power Point
Biomolecules Lecture Notes Packet
Molecule Sort Activity

11/30 & 12/1

Today, we finished up the results section of the Playdough Lab for our warm-up. We used this chemistry information to start studying the four biomolecules: Proteins, Lipids, Carbohydrates & Nucleic Acids. Students read in the textbook about each biomolecule and completed the "Biomolecules Matrix" reading worksheet. Working with a partner, students used this worksheet to create a poster about one of the Biomolecules. We will use the information on the posters to fill in the last column of the reading worksheet.

Absent Students: Try out the warm-up problem below! Use the Biology textbook to complete the reading worksheet. You can do this in class, or check out a textbook from the library to do this at home, or check out the textbook link on this website. You will not make a poster, however, you will need to use the posters displayed in class to complete the last column of the reading chart.

Warm-Up problem
Biomolecules Book Matrix