Honors Biology 2015-2016
Summer Assignment
Welcome to Honors Biology. Below you will find a list of summer assignments designed to
help prepare you with a strong background for the upcoming course. This course should
prepare you for the critical thinking and problem solving skills required in higher-level high
school and college courses. We will study everything from the microscopic organelles of a
cell to the complexity of living organisms. The summer assignment will introduce you to
many of the topics that we will visit this year and give you a much needed head-start that
will ensure your success in the course!
Please be sure to bring your assignments to class on THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. No
assignment will be accepted late and will result in a ZERO. Make sure that you complete all
parts of the summer assignment and that it is done INDIVIDUALLY.
Please include all assignments in a three-ring binder or folder with enclosures. Each section
of the assignment should have its own tab and the work should be put behind that tab.
There is no need to put the assignments in plastic covers.
If you have any questions over the summer, you can email Mrs. Clare Goscienski at
clare.goscienski@sayrevillek12.net.
A. One of the branches of Biology that you will study this year is Ecology, which is the
scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their
environment. For this assignment, you are to construct a food web for any of the
following biomes:
Tropical rain forest
Tropical dry forest
Tropical grassland/savanna/shrub land
Desert
Temperate grassland
Temperate woodland & shrubland
Temperate forest
Northwestern coniferous forest
Boreal forest
The food web MUST include 6 producers, 6 primary consumers, and 6 secondary consumers.
The food web can contain tertiary consumers or beyond if you know them. You must label
the producers, primary consumers, and secondary consumers. You can draw or print out
pictures of the producers and consumers. If you draw, make sure you draw neatly and color
it so it looks nicer. If you print out pictures, cut and paste neatly. Color pictures would be
best. Whether you draw or cut and paste, you must draw arrows in so that you can see how
the energy moves through the system (who eats whom).
Some definitions that may help you:
Food Chain - series of steps in an ecosystem in which organisms transfer energy by eating and
being eaten
Food Web - network of complex interactions formed by the feeding relationships among the
various organisms in an ecosystem
Consumer - organism that relies on other organisms for its energy and food supply; also called
heterotrophs.
Producer - organism that is able to capture energy from sunlight or chemicals and use it to
produce its own food from inorganic compounds; also called autotrophs.
Biome - a group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms
Ecosystem - all the organisms that live in a place, together with their nonliving environment
You can search food webs in any of these biomes on the internet and get really good
information.
B. Science is often difficult because of the vocabulary. It if very helpful if you are familiar
with the prefix, suffix, and root words that science is based. You need to make flash cards for
the following:
Prefix
a- without /lacking
bio-life
ab- away from
chlor- green
amphi-/amp- of both kinds
cyt- cell
anti- against
de- from away
aqua- water
derm- skin
auto- self
di- two
bi- two
dis-/dif apart from/ deprive
ect- outside
mono- one
en- in
multi- many
epi- on /above
non- not
extra- outside/beyond
omni- all
gastro- stomach
phag- eat
geo- earth
photo- light
hetero- different
pre- before
homo- same
prot-/proto- first
hydro- water
pseudo- fake/false
hyper- over/above
sub- under
hypo- under/below
tele- at a distance
inter- between
therm- temperature
intra- within
trans- across/beyond
luna- moon
tri- three
macro- large
trop- turning
meta- change
zo- animal
micro- small
Suffix
-able/ -ible able / capable
-meter measure
-ectomy cut out
-logy study of
-graph instrument for making records
-phyll leaf
-ism act of / condition
-pod/ -ped foot
-itis inflammation (swelling) or disease
-scope look/observe
**** There will not be a tab for this section in your summer assignment due to the fact that
you will need to be studying your flash cards for the quiz the first week of school*****
C. Define the following terms. You must know the term and the definition:
Scientific method
Hypothesis
Law
Theory
Data
Observation
Quantitative data
Qualitative data
abiotic factors
biotic factors
biodiversity
Independent Variable
Dependent Variable
Control Variable
Answer the following questions:
1. What is another name for the independent variable?
2. What is another name for the dependent variable?
3. How many variables do you test within one experiment?
4. Why is a control variable necessary?
5. Why is accurate data important to support your ideas?
6. How do quantitative and qualitative data differ?
7. Why do scientists use quantitative data most often?
8. How does a law differ from a theory?
9. In your opinion, why is there this distinction in science?
10. Do all theories become laws?
11. Write an explanation to your question number 10. Use details in your explanation. **** I
want to see your writing style*****
C. In a science classroom we use the metric system. The metric system is based on the
number 10.
How is this helpful to you as a student?____________
What is the base unit for volume? _______________
What is the base unit for mass? _________________
What is the base unit for length? ________________
What is the base unit for temperature? ___________
Convert the following metric problems.
Show your conversions. Show your work or no credit will be given.
A. 83 g = ___kg
B. 250 cm = ___m
c. 7000 ml = ___L
D. 50 mg = ___g
E. 32 m = ___mm
F. 12 L = ___ml
G. 98 degrees F = ______ C
H.14.3 m = ____ km
I. 57 g= ____ mg
D. Scientific Method. This is the standard that all scientist use to solve questions/ problems
related to our world. Read the scenario below and answer the questions that follow.
Mrs. Goscienski wants to know the effect of different colors of light on the growth of plants.
She believes that plants can survive best in white light. She buys 5 ferns of the same species,
which are all approximately the same age and height. She places one in white light, one in
blue light, one in green light, one in red light and one in the closet. All of the ferns are
planted in Miracle-Grow and given 20 mL of water once a day for 2 weeks. Mrs. Goscienski
makes observations for two weeks.
Based on the data above—answer the following questions.
Hypothesis: If__________________________, then___________________________
Independent Variable: _____________________________
Dependent Variable: ________________________
Control Group: __________________________________
Experimental Group: ________________________
Control
Variables:__________________________________________________________
What types of measurements can Mrs. Crosswhite make on the plants to determine how
they did in different types of light? __________________________
F. Science is not taught in isolation. Science is all round us- whether we realize it or not.
Science is connected in our song lyrics, television commercial, and bill boards to name a few.
You are to find five comics from any media source. You are to include the explanation of the
comic and the science behind the comic and why this makes the situation funny.
Look at the example. What is the science behind the cartoon? Why is it funny? What is a
Jean? Or does the author mean something else?
a. Must have at 5 cartoons related to science. You must
then explain the science behind each cartoon. Your
explanations must be detailed. Better to give too much
info than not enough (They should be a minimum of 1
paragraph- 6-8 sentences). Use complete sentences and
proper grammar in explanations.
b. You may use comic strips, newspapers, or the internet
to help you locate comics.
******* I am looking for you writing style and your
scientific thinking. If you do not understand a cartoon
then you need to find another one that you can
explain*******
Adapted from Honors Biology – Crosswhite 2010