Last day!

Students took the final evolution quiz and completed a lab about hominid skeletons to examine how humans have evolved over time.

We have had such a great year teaching you! We hope that you have the safest and most wonderful of summers :-)

Thanks!
Ms. Yee & Ms. Polzin

6/9 & 6/12: Comparative Anatomy

On Friday, 6/9 & Monday, 6/12, students finished learning about the lines of evidence for Evolution. Students watched a review video, finished the lecture notes and looked at real animal skeletons to compare anatomy.

Here are all of the notes and lectures that students may want to review for the final quiz on Finals day! The Final class will consist of a short quiz and a lab comparing Hominid Skulls.

Video:
Stated Clearly Evidence for Evolution

Evidence Lecture Notes:
Evidence for Evolution Lecture notes

Evidence Powerpoint:
Evidence Lecture Notes

Mechanisms Lecture Notes
Mechanisms Lecture notes

Mechanisms Powerpoint:
Mechanisms Powerpoint

Study Guide:
Study Guide for Evolution Quiz

6/7 & 6/8: Career Fair & Radiometric Dating

Wednesday & Thursday were all about radiometric dating. In class, students practiced aging fossils using radiocarbon dating and half lives. Then, students modeled radioactive decay using M&Ms and created a graph with their data. Radiometric dating contributes to our understanding of Evolution and the fossil  record.

Wednesday was the A-Community Career Fair in the morning, so Per 1 & 2 did not have Biology class. They were excused from the activity.

6/5 & 6/6: Natural Selection

The focus of this class was to explore the mechanisms of evolution with a focus on natural selection. Students took lecture notes for 20 minutes about the 4 mechanisms of evolution including: Mutation, Genetic Drift, Migration and Natural Selection. Then, students explored natural selection with an online simulation where they got to design bird species on an island.

The link to the simulation:
Natural Selection Bird Simulation

6/1 & 6/2 - Start Evolution unit

Thursday & Friday (6/1 & 6/2) is the first day of our short evolution unit. The evolution unit is only 5 classes and will consist of evolutions "greatest hits" since we wish there was more time! Students took some short lecture notes about the fossil record and relative dating. Then, students simulated being a paleontologist and discovered & made sense out of some fossils. See pictures below for some great paleontology work!

After the "Fossil Find" activity, students did the "Who's on First" activity to look at layers of rock and understand how relative dating helps us understand the general age of a fossil.

There is no large test or project for the evolution unit, so as long as students are in class and participate in the activity each day, they will get credit for their classwork.