Origins: How are scientists figuring out how the Earth formed, and how life began on it?

Some of the most cutting edge science of our time is attempting to uncover the origins of the Earth and life on it.

The PBS TV show NOVA did a 4 part series about this research.



In class we watched "The Earth is Born" and "How Life Began."

You can watch some clips on the NOVA/Origins website at

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/origins/

If you need to make up the assignment you can read the transcripts of the programs at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/transcripts/3111_origins.html .



What do you think about the ideas in these shows? Are there better explanations of how the Earth came to be? How do you think life began? What evidence do you base your beliefs on? Is evidence important when considering such questions?

Science Fair Winners

Here are the winners from my Biology classes. Congratulations!
Once all the projects from all the Biology and Chemistry classes are judged, perhaps one of our classmates will be going on to the Area science fair at IIT, the Illinois Institute of Technology and then on to the City science fair at the Museum of Science and Industry.

Per 4

Izamar Ramirez

Dennise Rendon

Evelyn Diaz

Per 5

Amelia Alvarez

Nancy Mendiola

Sigfredo Cortez

Per 8

Jocylen Baldarrama

Mario Fernandez

Alisia Lilliebridge

Raquel Guardiola

Science Fair !!!! Papers Due 11/20, Presentations Due 11/24

Use the link on the upper right of this page to get to "Cantor's Science Fair Page" for copies of the Science Fair Proposal Sheet, the Science Fair Paper Guide and Rubric, the Science Fair Paper Template, and the Science Fair Board Layout sheet. You can download these documents and print them out if you lost the one I passed out in class.

If you use these documents you will do great on your paper and presentation.

There are also links to science fair ideas for those of you who are having a hard time coming up with one.

How do Viruses work? - A video from National Public Radio

This video is from npr.org's health page. It is a good demonstration of how viruses work.

Science Fair !!!! Papers Due 11/20, Presentations Due 11/24

Homework for next class is to bring in 3 ideas you have for science fair projects. Remember, it should be something which interests YOU! If you are having trouble coming up with ideas click on the link at the upper right side of this blog to get to my Science Fair Page.

Test coming up - 10/30 (a-day) and 10/27 (b-day)

Study AGS Chapter 1 as well as all the notes and activities we've done in our Interactive Biology Notebooks (IBN's.)

Part of your studying involves reviewing Chapter 1 from AGS. You need to turn in the Chapter 1 Review (Pp. 27-29). Answer all 25 questions and be sure to write all questions and write out all answers. Answer the critical thinking questions in full sentences. Due Thurs. 10-22 (b-day) and 10-26 (a-day). If you don't know any answers FIND THEM IN THE BOOK - most are "right there" questions or "think and search" type questions.

Use the review sheet you received in class to make sure you are studying all the topics. This test will be CLOSED notes so you need to memorize important terms and be sure you UNDERSTAND the ideas we've discussed them so you can apply them.

In case you don't have your review sheet, here is the info from it.

Terms and topics to know – All were in our book or covered in class lecture or activities:

Observation

Quantitative, Qualitative, Subjective, Objective

Biology

Organisms

Cycles of Life

Energy Cycles Growth Cycles

Conservation of energy Reproduction

Energy transformation & Heat DNA

Cell

Evolutionary Cycles Ecological Cycles

Evolution Ecology

Species and Speciation Ecosystem / Ecologist

Extinct Stimulus

Adaptation

Environment

Scientific Method –

Theory

Experiments –

Experimental Group, Control Group

Independent Variable, Dependent Variable

Purpose

Hypothesis

Materials and Procedures

Data and Data Analysis

Data Tables (reading them carefully)

Graphing (which graph to use and how to do it well)

Bar

Line

Pie (Circle)

Writing Conclusions and Communicating Results

Measurement using the Metric System / SI

millimeters, centimeters, meters, kilometers

milligrams, grams, kilograms

milliliters, liters, deciliters

Calculating Velocity distance ÷ time = velocity d/t = v

Calculating Mean mean = sum of all values / number of values

Plant Growth Data - for those who didn't finish their graph in class

Here is the plant growth data we were graphing in class.

Plant-----Week one------ Week two------ Week three ------Week four

A ---------10.5 cm ---------10.3 cm ---------10.0 cm --------- 9.5 cm

B -------- 10.9 cm ----------11.5 cm ---------12.3 cm ---------12.5 cm

C -------- 11.0 cm ----------11.5 cm ---------12.5 cm ---------13.5 cm

When you do your graph be sure to label the X and Y axis with the variable and units. Also create a title which includes both variables in the experiment. For example, "How_____ affects _______."