Russell County High School
BIOLOGY
NON-TRADITIONAL INSTRUCTION PACKET
Russell County Schools Non-Traditional Instructional Expectations
Day____1_______
School__RCHS__ Course/Subject _Biology__ Teacher_________________
Learning Target: Describe the basic structure and function of DNA
Lesson Expectations:
1. Students will analyze a graph and answer DNA questions.
For Alternate Assignment Options: ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
For Supplemental Resources and Support: _______________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
For Teacher Support: shanna.darnell@russell.kyschool.us; doug.holmes@russell.kyschools.us;
Kelly.kelsey@russell.kyschools.us; Jason.bridgeman@russell.kyschools.us
*Reminder: Assignments are due back to teachers within 2 school days.
Russell County Schools Non-Traditional Instructional Expectations
Day____2_______
School__RCHS__ Course/Subject _Biology__ Teacher_________________
Learning Target: Collect, organize, and analyze data accurately and precisely
Lesson Expectations:
2. Students will graph data and answer questions about the graph.
For Alternate Assignment Options: ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
For Supplemental Resources and Support: _______________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
For Teacher Support: shanna.darnell@russell.kyschool.us; doug.holmes@russell.kyschools.us;
Kelly.kelsey@russell.kyschools.us; Jason.bridgeman@russell.kyschools.us
*Reminder: Assignments are due back to teachers within 2 school days.
Russell County Schools Non-Traditional Instructional Expectations
Day___3________
School__RCHS_________ Course/Subject _____Biology_______
Teacher_Darnell/Holmes/Kelsey/Bridgeman_____________
Learning Target: __Students will analyze the similarities & differences among plant vs. animal cells.______________
Lesson Expectations:
Students will compare & contrast plant & animal cells by completing a Venn Diagram using
items from a word bank, then answer three questions.
For Alternate Assignment Options: _______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
For Supplemental Resources and Support: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UvlqAVCoqY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UvlqAVCoqY
For Teacher Support:___shanna.darnell@russell.kyschool.us; doug.holmes@russell.kyschools.us;
Kelly.kelsey@russell.kyschools.us; Jason.bridgeman@russell.kyschools.us
*Reminder: Assignments are due back to teachers within 2 school days.
Russell County Schools Non-Traditional Instructional Expectations
Day_____4______
School_Russell County High School_ Course/Subject _Biology____ Teacher:_Mr. Bridgeman,
Mrs. Darnell, Mr. Holmes, Mrs. Kelsey_________
Learning Target: _Be able to explain the difference between organic and inorganic compounds and improve
literacy within science_______
Lesson Expectations:
Students will read attached article and answer 5 multiple choice questions.



Find main idea
Identify specific information about organic compounds
Develop an inference
For Alternate Assignment Options: ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
For Supplemental Resources and Support: _______________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
For Teacher Support: shanna.darnell@russell.kyschool.us; doug.holmes@russell.kyschools.us;
Kelly.kelsey@russell.kyschools.us; Jason.bridgeman@russell.kyschools.us
*Reminder: Assignments are due back to teachers within 2 school days.
Russell County Schools Non-Traditional Instructional Expectations
Day___5______
School_Russell County High School_ Course/Subject _Biology____ Teacher:_Mr. Bridgeman,
Mrs. Darnell, Mr. Holmes, Mrs. Kelsey_________
Learning Target: _Improve literacy skills within science content______
Lesson Expectations:
Students will read attached article and answer 4 multiple choice questions.


Find main idea
Identify environmentally friendly alternative food sources
For Alternate Assignment Options: ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
For Supplemental Resources and Support: _______________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
For Teacher Support: __shanna.darnell@russell.kyschool.us; doug.holmes@russell.kyschools.us;
Kelly.kelsey@russell.kyschools.us; Jason.bridgeman@russell.kyschools.us
*Reminder: Assignments are due back to teachers within 2 school days.
Russell County Schools Non-Traditional Instructional Expectations
Day___6________
School__RCHS_________ Course/Subject _____Biology_______
Teacher_Darnell/Holmes/Kelsey/Bridgeman_____________
Learning Target: __Students will review critical vocabulary associated with organic chemistry.
Lesson Expectations:
Complete Organic chemistry word search.
For Alternate Assignment Options: _______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
For Supplemental Resources and Support: ________________________________________________
For Teacher Support:___shanna.darnell@russell.kyschool.us; doug.holmes@russell.kyschools.us;
Kelly.kelsey@russell.kyschools.us; Jason.bridgeman@russell.kyschools.us
Russell County Schools Non-Traditional Instructional Expectations
Day___7-8______
School__RCHS_____ Course/Subject __BIOLOGY___ Teacher___________
Learning Target: __Inquiry Skills and Scientific Process _______________________________________
Lesson Expectations:

Plan and conduct an investigation individually to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence,
and in the design: decide on types, how much, and accuracy of data needed to produce reliable
measurements and consider limitations on the precision of the data and refine the design
accordingly.
For Alternate Assignment Options: ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
For Supplemental Resources and Support: YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKGtkzgKfkc
For Teacher Support: doug.holmes@russell.kyschools.us,
jason.bridgeman@russell.kyschools.us, shanna.darnell@russell.kyschools.us,
kelly.kelsey@russell.kyschools.us
*Reminder: Assignments are due back to teachers within 2 school days.
Russell County Schools Non-Traditional Instructional Expectations
Day___9-10________
School__RCHS_________ Course/Subject _____Biology_______
Teacher_Darnell/Holmes/Kelsey/Bridgeman_____________
Learning Target: __Students will explain the differences between organic & inorganic
compounds.______________
Lesson Expectations:
Students will demonstrate their understanding of the differences that exist between organic &
inorganic compounds by answering questions from reading passage.
For Alternate Assignment Options: _______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
For Supplemental Resources and Support: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWf2jcznLsY
For Teacher Support:___shanna.darnell@russell.kyschool.us; doug.holmes@russell.kyschools.us;
Kelly.kelsey@russell.kyschools.us; Jason.bridgeman@russell.kyschools.us
*Reminder: Assignments are due back to teachers within 2 school days.
DAY 1
Directions: Use the graphs, charts, diagrams, and passages to complete all the questions. You must
complete every question to receive the full amount of points. There are 4 problem sets in total. This
packet is worth 2 homework assignments.
Directions: The graph below describes how much of each base pair of DNA is in a strand of DNA.
Use the graph to answer the questions below.
Number of Base Pair
Number of Each Type of Base Pair in DNA
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Series1
A
G
T
C
Type of Base Pair
1. a. What is the title? _______________________________________________ (1 pt)
b. What type of graph is this? _________________________________ (1 pt)
2. What is the label on the x-axis? ________________________________ (1 pt)
What is the label on the y-axis? ________________________________ (1 pt)
3. How many base pairs: A _____________ T_____________ G______________ C
___________(4 pts)
4. Which base pairs have the same amount? (1 pt)
5. Why do certain base pairs have the same amounts? (1 pt)
Total Page 1: _____/ 10
DAY 2
Directions: One of the factors that influences if animals survive is their ability to adapt to their
environment. The chart below is data taken from observations Harper students made during a very
snowy winter in the forest. Use the data to create a line graph. Try to use 2 different colored
lines to represent the bunnies. (2 pts)
TIME
(days)
Number
of white
bunnies
Number
of brown
bunnies
5
63
45
10
15
63
62
42
38
20
25
60
60
32
26
30
35
58
58
23
19
40
57
15
45
57
12
y-axis label: ____________________
Title: _______________________________
x-axis label: _________________________________
1. Label the x-axis, y-axis and create a title for the graph (3 pts).
2. According to the graph, what happened to the populations of white and brown bunnies during the
winter? (1 pt)
3. Why do you think the brown bunnies did not survive in the winter? Which bunnies do you think
would survive better in the summer when the forest is green and brown? (2 pts)
4a. How many white bunnies were alive on day 25 ______________________? (1pt)
4b. How many brown bunnies were alive on day 40 _____________________? (1pt)
Total Page 2: _____/ 10
DAY 3
How are Plant & Animal Cells Different? Similar?
Directions: Compare & contrast plants & animal cells by completing the Venn Diagram using the
terms from the word bank. Then answer the questions.
Plant Cells
Animal Cells
WORD BANK
Nucleus
Cell Wall
Makes own food
Cytoplasm
Vacuoles
Producer
Consumer
Chromosomes
Cell Membrane
Chloroplast
Mitochondria
Obtains food from environment
1. What does the plant cell have that the animal cell doesn’t?
2. How are these “additions” to the plant cell important to its overall function?
3. How would animal be different if they had chloroplasts & cell walls?
DAY 4:
Go to:
http://www.usnews.com/news/newsgram/articles/2014/12/18/nasa-curiosity-rover-discovers-methaneorganic-compounds-on-mars or read the article on the next page then answer the questions below.
1. What is the main idea of the article?
a. Martians produce methane gas
b. The presence of methane gas on mars indicates potential for life
c. The Curiosity space rover produces methane
d. Methanogens on Mars produce methane
2. Methane on mars could come from
a. Methanogens
b. Martians
c. Serpentinization
d. Both a and c
3. Based on the article and what you’ve learned in class, where does organic carbon come from?
a. Methane
b. Exhaling
c. Living things
d. Rocks
4. How long can methane gas exist within the atmosphere of Mars?
a. One year
b. Hundreds of years
c. Thousands of years
d. Millions of years
5. What can we infer from the article?
a. Methane on mars can provide Earth with an additional energy source
b. Mars can support life
c. Mars can not support life
d. The presence of organic carbon (including methane) increases the possibility for life to
have existed on Mars
Martian Rover Makes Curious Methane Discovery
The Curiosity space rover has found methane on Mars. But where did the methane come
from? And where is it going?
There are several technological hurdles that would have to be solved before humans can set foot on
the red planet.
By Andrew Soergel Dec. 18, 2014
A burst of methane gas and a dash of carbon compounds in Martian rock samples are leading some
scientists to believe Mars may have once – or may still – hold the ingredients necessary for life.
NASA announced in September 2013 that its Curiosity rover had found no signs of methane gas on
the red planet, according to The New York Times. But scientists this week reported the Martian rover
had found a spurt of methane gas detectable for at least two months.
Methane is a relatively simple organic compound that has a short shelf life, according to the Times.
Scientists believe the Martian atmosphere would naturally break up a compound like methane within
a few hundred years, so methane found today was likely produced in the not-so-distant past.
“Right now, it’s too much of a single-point measurement for us really to jump to any conclusions,”
said Paul Mahaffy, chief of NASA’s Atmospheric Experiments Laboratory, according to Space.com.
“Maybe there are microbes on Mars cranking out methane, but we sure can’t say that with any
certainty. It’s just speculation at this point.”
The existence of Martian methanogens – microbes that release methane as waste – is one possible
explanation for the methane discovery, according to the Times. Another possibility is serpentinization,
a geologic process involving both heat and water.
Scientists announced Tuesday that Curiosity had drilled into Martian rock and found an ancient
entrapment of water. Scientists are still unraveling the mystery of how Mars lost its surface water, but
Tuesday’s announcement reaffirms that water likely existed on the planet’s surface at one point.
Recordable Martian methane levels have jumped up and down over the last decade, adding
complexity to the mystery of what’s creating the gas and why it’s disappearing relatively quickly.
Scientists reported seeing “plumes” of methane in the Martian atmosphere in 2003, according to the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Those plumes appeared to have vanished two years later, according to the Times.
Since Curiosity’s arrival on the red planet in 2012, its methane readings have jumped on four
separate occasions to almost 10 times the faint wisps of methane it had detected previously. Those
readings then dropped back to normal soon afterward, according to the NASA and CNN.
“This temporary increase in methane – sharply up and then back down – tells us there must be some
relatively localized source,” said Sushil Atreya, a member of the Curiosity rover team, according to
NASA. “There are many possible sources, biological or non-biological, such as interaction of water
and rock.”
NASA scientists on Tuesday also announced the discovery of organic material found in Martian rock
samples. Though the carbon-based organics could have been carried to Mars by a meteorite, the
discovery gives credence to the theory that Mars at one point possessed the ingredients necessary
for life, according to the Times.
"The first confirmation of organic carbon in a rock on Mars holds much promise,” said Roger
Summons, a Curiosity participating scientist from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, according to
NASA. “Organics are important because they can tell us about the chemical pathways by which they
were formed and preserved.”
DAY 5:
Read the attached article & answer the following questions:
“A Buggy Thanksgiving”
1. How are insects humanely killed before being cooked?
a. Morphine
b. Frozen
c. Drowned
d. They are cooked alive
2. How are the crickets cooked for this meal?
a. Baked
b. Stir-fried
c. Pan roasted
d. Ground into paste then baked
3. How are the insects collected before being used?
a. Purchased from suppliers
b. Caught by Audubon staff
c. Caught by volunteers
d. Customers bring their own
4. What is the main idea of the article?
a. Insects are delicious
b. Insects are the healthiest food
c. Eating insects should never happen
d. Insects can provide a healthy alternative food source
A Buggy Thanksgiving: Insects Come to the Table
By Tia Ghose, Staff Writer | November 25, 2013 09:36am ET
A Thanksgiving plate of mealworm stuffing, wax
worm cranberry sauce and cricket pumpkin pie will
be available for sampling at the Audubon Butterfly
Garden and Insectarium in New Orleans this week.
Credit : Audubon Butterfly Garden and
Insectarium in New Orleans
Mealworms, wax worms and crickets may not be obvious choices for Turkey Day, but at a special
event this week, bug aficionados can taste new, insect-y twists on Thanksgiving staples such as
pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce.
The Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium in New Orleans is cooking up insect-filled
Thanksgiving treats at their cafe, called Bug Appétit, this Tuesday (Nov. 26) and Wednesday (Nov.
27).
The Thanksgiving snacks will include a mealworm-filled cornbread stuffing, wax worm cranberry
sauce and a dessert of cricket pumpkin pie, said Jayme Necaise, director of animal and visitor
programs at the museum. Patrons will be offered samples of treats, along with a small cube of turkey.
Those who like what they tried can ask for seconds. [See Images of the Buggy Treats]
Healthy option
Insects are chock-full of protein and nutrients such as iron and magnesium, and unlike beef or pork,
most bugs require little energy, water or space to raise. Harvesting bugs such as grasshoppers from
crops can be an easy way to reduce pesticide use. As a result, many experts believe that raising
insects for food will be a key, environmentally friendly way to feed the 11 billion people on the planet
by 2100.
The insectarium routinely serves bugs to its patrons in dishes such as mealworm-filled six-legged
salsa and "chocolate chirp" cookies, which are made with crickets.
"But for Thanksgiving, we wanted to kick it up a notch and do something a little special for our
guests," Necaise told LiveScience.
The mealworms tend to have an earthy taste, similar to pumpernickel or other earthy breads. Wax
worms, which are the larva of moths, live in beehives and eat exclusively beeswax, so they have a
slightly sweet taste. Like all insects, which have an exoskeleton, the first bite is crunchy, but the
inside is soft, akin to the inside of a corn kernel; the overall taste is a bit like almond paste, Necaise
said.
The crickets are typically pan-roasted.
"They get very crispy and crunchy, and they taste like a dry roasted nut," with some likening their
flavor to walnuts or pecans, Necaise said.
Each of the dishes are usually about 25 percent insect and 75 percent traditional ingredients,
because higher percentages of bug parts could be a bit of a shock to an unaccustomed palate,
Necaise said.
"If you take a mouthful of crickets, it takes a while to chew it because of the exoskeleton," Necaise
said.
Hardcore bug eaters, however, can always ask for extra cricket on the side.
Humane and sanitary
The insects are purchased from commercial suppliers who raise them predominantly for the pet food
industry (reptiles and birds are particular fans). The bugs are raised in sanitary conditions and eat an
organic diet.
"They're fed only the finest fruits and vegetables and meal bran," Necaise said.
To prepare the insects, the best option is to put them into bags in the freezer, where their metabolism
slows down, they go to sleep and then eventually die painlessly, Necaise said.
Those who are interested in making their own buggy treats at home can take a look at the
museum's brochures, which list suppliers for the insects and include recipes for some of their most
popular dishes, Necaise said.
Day 6:
Organic Compounds
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B A X
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F U C
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K U R
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J X NWG
A OWH S
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ALCOHOL
CRUDE OIL
MOLECULE
ALKANE
DIESEL
BITUMEN
ALKENE
DOUBLE BOND
PERFUME
ATOM
FRACTIONAL
DISTILLATION
PETROL
OXYGEN
HAND SANITIZER
CARBON
HYDROGEN
CARBOXYLIC
LEMON JUICE
HG N H
N F D J
F D Z I
B L W J
Q L OW
Z C E B
I K Q B
V L T Q
L Y K M
J T D L
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M F N MG
J O A E R
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J I E C V
Z X L M R
D I U O B
HO C T S
O A E A V
S B L G C
G C O O V
N N M A K
F A AW Z
L Z K I K
B T Y L B
O R S N A
A G A E E
U V E C B
S M C N X
Y O K Q H
R N A Y J
E WW E M
P D K A X
Day 7-8: Use the following reading passage if needed to complete day 7 & 8 activities.
Inquiry Skills and Processes
Science is both a body of knowledge and a way of knowing things. In the scientific process, human thinking is applied to discovering
and explaining how the world works. Science originates when people ask questions.
At one time, “scientific” knowledge was just a collection of opinions and unrelated ideas that attempted to explain observations. For
example, the hotly debated topic was whether the Earth was flat or round. Those believing that Earth was flat pointed to the fact that some
ships never returned home. They offered this observation as evidence, which supported their idea as true. They believed that these ships
were destroyed when they sailed over the edge of the Earth.
Those who believed that the Earth was round also had evidence. They had observed boats approaching land and noticed that
the tops of the sails became visible before the hull or body of the boat.
The Scientific Process
Scientific investigation involves: observing, questioning, experimenting, collecting and organizing data, finding evidence and
drawing conclusions, repeating experiments several times, and having the results repeated by others.
Questioning is at the heart of science. Progress in science depends on people who not only observe and wonder how the world
works but also take the time to come up with questions. These are not just any questions, but those that can be tested and answered.
Observation or Inference
Observations are made using any of the senses. Tools such as thermometers, balances, and microscopes help us extend our
senses. An example would be the grass is green.
Inferences are conclusions based upon observations. An example would be, you infer that a slug that remains motionless for
several hours is not alive – but are you sure?
An Assumption is the belief that something is true. An example would be: you are doing an experiment to investigate the
germination of grass seed. You might assume that 100% of the seeds will germinate, that is an assumption, because it is possible that they
will not all germinate.
Opinions are ideas people have that may or may not have any basis in fact; they are often biased, or influenced by an
assumption that may or may not be correct.
Bias can come from data. You need to remember that data can sometimes be slanted, such as, an experimented funded by the
manufacturer of a new exercise machine, which supports the machines ability to help people lose weight, may be suspected of being
biased.
Scientific View is based upon a person’s view of the world. To think scientifically, you must critically analyze events,
explanations, and ideas. You should use these skills, as well as ideas from other disciplines, to develop your understanding of natural
events. You should be able to create visual models and mathematical formulas to represent your thinking.
Inquiry Skills
Scientific literacy involves applying critical thinking skills to everyday life, particularly to claims related to health, technology, and
advertising. For example, imagine that you are watching a television commercial, in which, an advertiser claims its company has developed a
cream that makes hair grow when applied to the scalp. What follows is a way to approach investigating the claim.
Inquiry involves asking questions and locating, interpreting, and processing information from a variety of sources, consider the
following questions:
How many people were tested?
How long do you have to use it to get results?
Have any of your friends used the product?
What is in the product?
Does it have side effects?
Does the company have a web page that contains more
information on the product?
Now ask yourself, if you are ready to use the product based upon the information that you found. You might want to find answers to more
questions, such as:
How many people actually took part in the study?
How long has the company been in business?
What caused the participants to loss their hair? Did they
have medical conditions?
Was the cream tested scientifically with careful
experimental techniques and design?
Inquiry involves making judgments about the reliability of the source and relevance of information. Scientific explanations are
accepted when they are consistent with experimental and observational evidence. When you are evaluating evidence and making decisions,
keep the following in mind:
All scientific explanations are tentative. They can be
changed or updated as new evidence emerges. What
seems true today may be disproved tomorrow.
Good scientific explanations can be used to make
accurate predictions about natural phenomena.
Each new bit of evidence can create more questions than
it answers. This leads to an increasingly better
understanding of how things work.
Scientific inquiry involves the testing of proposed
explanations using conventional techniques and
procedures.
A research plan involves finding background information, developing a hypothesis, and devising an experimental process for
testing a hypothesis. Most research plans begin with a thorough library search. The search may include the Internet, library databases,
scientific journals and feedback from the investigator’s peers.
Inquiry involves developing and presenting proposals, including formal hypotheses, to test explanations. A good hypothesis
attempts to explain what has been observed in a way that can be tested. It is a tentative answer to a question. Experiments cannot prove a
hypothesis; they can only either support or fail to support the hypothesis. An example would be I think that, if hormone A is applied to plant
leaves, then the plant will grow faster.
Designing an Experiment
Once the background work has been done and the hypothesis developed, the actual experiment must be designed. An experiment
is a series of tests that are done to support or refute (disprove) a hypothesis. What you will measure is called the dependent variable. If you
want to investigate how plants will grow, you will need to measure how large the plant is in the beginning and at regular intervals until the
experiment is concluded. You will need to decide how you will make measurements, what units you will use, and what part of the plant you
will measure. Factors that might influence the dependent variable are independent variables. These are variables that the investigator
manipulates. They are sometimes called the manipulated variable. The manipulation of the independent variables is the treatment.
A controlled experiment is one in which the possible variables have been carefully considered and regulated so the results are
due only to the independent variable you are testing. It consists of one or more experimental groups and a control group. The control group
is used as a basis of comparison. It allows you to compare the experimental group results with the control group results to determine
whether the treatment made a difference. Each experimental group is treated differently from the control group in only one way. For
example, if you were placing a chemical to a plant, the control group would not have the chemical put on it.
Selecting, acquiring, or the building of apparatus; considering safety precautions, and planning how to avoid bias are important
factors in this stage of the research plan’s development. For example, large sample sizes and multiple trials are more likely to produce valid
results.
Experimental Design Guide
Question
What is your hypothesis?
What is your dependent variable?
What is your independent variable?
How will you control the experiment?
What steps will you take to conduct this experiment
Explanation
The hypothesis should suggest a possible answer to the
question you are investigating.
What should change and what is it that you will measure
in the experiment? Make a data table to record the data
that is collected.
What factors will you manipulate to test your hypothesis?
How will you record their effect on the dependent
variable? Will there be several groups with more than on
treatment, such as several pH values, colors of light, or
temperature?
Are you only changing one factor at a time to see its
effect? What other possible factors may vary that could
also affect the results and make your experiment
inconclusive?
Make a list of procedures and materials needed to
conduct the experiment.
Organizing and Using Data
In science, data generally refers to the results of trials, or tests, completed during experiments. Scientific inquiry involves the ability to use
various methods of recording, representing, and organizing data.
Data Tables
A data table is an important initial stag in making sense of the information you collect while doing an experiment. The table below will be
helpful when you create your data table.
Data Table Checklist
The table has a title that relates the independent variable to the dependent variable. For example – The Effect of
Fertilizer Concentration (the independent variable) on Plant Growth (the dependent variable)
Column headings include the dependent and independent variables. They may also include trial or set-up numbers or
other information.
Column headings need to indicate units of measure.
The independent variable is typically recorded in increasing order.
The dependent variable is recorded to correspond with the independent variable.
Graphs
Frequently, the next step is to construct a graph that allows you to see trends or patterns in your data. There are four basic types of graphs:
Graphing Rules:
1.
2.
3.
The dependent variable is plotted on the vertical, or y-axis.
The independent variable is plotted on the horizontal, or x-axis
The spacing between the numbers on both axes must be in equal increments.
Line, bar and Histogram Graph Construction Checklist
Title your graph so that the reader knows what it is illustrating.
Place the dependent variable on the vertical axis.
Label the vertical axis, including units of measure.
Make sure that the scale on the vertical axis is appropriate and is spaced at equal intervals.
Place the independent variable on the vertical axis.
Label the horizontal axis, including units of measure.
Make sure that the scale on the horizontal axis is appropriate and is spaced at equal intervals.
Plot points accurately
Connect the data points and do not go beyond any point.
Include a legend that indicates the meaning of each line if there is more than one. It serves as a key to the lines or
bars on the graph.
Analyzing Results
A careful examination of the experimental results involves the ability to look at relationships between the hypothesis and the actual
result. After careful considering how well the hypothesis and the actual results correspond, a conclusion can be made.
A scientist needs to determine whether the hypothesis has been supported. Scientists often use statistical analysis to determine
the likelihood that their results were produced by chance. A model can be used to explain the results of an experiment. For example, a
model explains how DNA carries genetic code and how traits are passed from one generation to the next.
One assumption of science is that other individuals could arrive at the same explanation if they had access to similar evidence.
Research must be shared in a clear manner so that other scientists can repeat the investigation and get the same results. A peer review, in
which several scientists examine the details of an experiment, is an important part of the scientific process.
All scientific explanations are subject to change as more is learned. Scientific claims should be questioned if the data are:
•
based on samples that are very small, biased, or inadequately controlled, • or that the conclusions are based on faulty,
incomplete, or misleading use of numbers,
•
facts and opinions are intermingled,
•
adequate evidence is not cited,
•
conclusions do not follow logically from the evidence given.
Development of Theories In science, a theory is a well-tested explanation that unifies a wide range of observations. A theory
enables researchers to make accurate predictions when new situations arise. People often use the word theory in a very difference manner
from the way that scientists do. They use it to imply that an idea is not supported by evidence. In science a theory must be supported by
evidence.
Day # 7-Inquiry Skills and Processes
1. A scientist determines the number of Calories in one ounce each of protein, carbohydrate, and fat. The results are shown on the
table below:
Calorie Content of Substances
Compound Tested
Number of Calories
Produced
147
271
152
Protein
Fat
Carbohydrate
Which statement represents a valid conclusion based on data?
o A -An ounce of fat contains about twice as many Calories as an ounce of protein
o B – Protein is a better energy food than carbohydrate.
o C – Carbohydrates, fats, and proteins yield approximately the same amount of Calories per unit weight.
o D – Proteins and carbohydrates provide the most Calories per ounce.
2. Which laboratory procedure would be best for demonstrating the effect of light intensity on the [production of chlorophyll in pea
plants?
o F – using 10 plants of different species, each grown in the same intensity light
o G – using 10 plants of different species, each grown in a different intensity light
o H – using 10 plants of the same species, each grown in the same intensity light
o J – using 10 plants of the same species, each grown in a different intensity light
3. A student hypothesized that lettuce seeds would not germinate (sprout) unless they were exposed to darkness. The student planted
10 lettuce seeds under a layer of soil and scattered 10 lettuce seeds on top of the soil. The data collected are shown in the table
below. One way to prove the validity of these results would be:
The Effect of Light on Seed Germination
Seed Treatment
Planted under soil
Scattered on top of soil
Number of Seeds Germinated
9
8
o F – conclude that darkness is necessary for lettuce seed germination
o G – conclude that light is necessary for lettuce seed germination
o H – revise the hypothesis
o J – repeat the experiment
4. A drug company tested a new medication before putting it on the market. Pills without medication were given to
500 test subjects in group A, and pills with medication were given to 500 subjects in group B. In the experiment,
the individuals in group A served as the:
o F – host group
o G – dependent group
o H -control
o J -hypothesis
Day 8
5. On a television talk show, a guest claims that people who exercise vigorously for 15 minutes or more every day are able to solve
math problems more rapidly than people who do no vigorous exercise as part of their daily routine.
Describe a controlled experiment that could be conducted to test this claim.
•
•
•
•
•
State the purpose of the experiment
State why the sample used should be large.
Describe how the experimental group will be treated and how the control group will be treated.
State the specific data to be collected during the experiment
State one way to determine whether the results support the claim.
Days 9-10: Use the following reading passage as needed to answer questions 6-10.
Biologically Important Molecules and Cellular Organization of
Living Things
Earth’s living environment is made up of millions and millions of diverse organisms, a wide range that includes towering redwood
trees, sleek antelope, tiny bacteria, mushrooms that grow in huge circles, microscopic organisms that turn the tides red, and the
students in your class. These living organisms are both similar to and different from each other. They also differ from the non-living
parts of the environment. Although that difference may seem obvious, scientists have not been able to agree upon a simple definition
of life.
Most scientists agree that living things share certain characteristics that distinguish them from nonliving things, such as
 organized structures
 made of one or more cells, that carry out various chemical reactions (metabolism)
 able to maintain their cellular organization throughout life
 using energy to maintain life to grow and develop


able to maintain a fairly stable internal environment (homeostasis)
able to pass heredity information to new organisms of the same species in the process of reproduction
Organization
In unicellular (single-celled) organisms, the single cell performs all life functions. It functions independently.
However, multicellular (many celled) organisms have various levels of organization within them. Individual
cells may perform specific functions and also work together for the good of the entire organism. The cells
become dependent on one another.
Multicellular organisms have the following 5 levels of organization ranging from simplest to most complex:
Chemical Compounds in Living Organisms
There are two types of compounds (substances that contain more than one type of element):
1
Organic compounds – contain carbon, found in nature or organisms, may also contain H, O, or N and to a lesser extent P, S, Fe,
Ca, Na, Cl, Mg, and K (relatively few elements compared to the number of elements on the periodic table). They are often very large and
complex molecules.
2
Inorganic compounds – anything that is not organic is inorganic. As a rule, inorganic compounds do not contain C, but there are
exceptions.
Water
Water is the most important inorganic compound! All organisms require water to survive. This is due to the fact that chemical reactions occur
in water solutions. Without water, the cellular reactions cannot take place and the cell dies.
Cohesion – cohesion is caused by the polarity of the water molecule, which as you know is caused by the covalent bond between O and each
H. Because O is “stronger” than H, it pulls the shared electrons closer to it, making it “feel” negative. The H, on the other hand will “feel”
positive and the molecule is called a polar molecule. The polarity of the water molecules causes an attractive force between them, resulting in
cohesion.
Adhesion – adhesion is defined as the attractive force between two different substances. Water is the best solvent because it adheres to
many polar substances. Adhesion results in capillary action, which is the drawing up of water using very narrow glass tubing.
Minerals
Minerals are inorganic substances essential for cellular processes.
Organic Molecules
A organic molecule is one that typically consists of carbon atoms in rings or long chains, where other atoms (e.g. hydrogen,
oxygen, and nitrogen) are attached.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Most carbohydrates are made up of units of simple sugars called
monosaccharides. Simple sugars bonded together create polysaccharides.
Lipids
Lipids unlike other carbohydrates are not soluble in water. Lipids include fats. Lipids are used in living systems to store energy.
Proteins
Proteins are macromolecules. They are constructed from one or more unbranched chains of amino acids; that is, they are polymers. A
typical protein contains 200–300 amino acids but some are much smaller (the smallest are often called peptides) and some much
larger (the largest to date is titin a protein found in skeletal and cardiac muscle; one version contains 34,350 amino acids in a single
chain!). Every function in the living cell depends on proteins.
Enzymes
Enzymes are biological catalysts: this means that they speed up the chemical reactions in living things. Without enzymes, our guts
would take weeks and weeks to digest our food, our muscles, nerves and bones would not work properly and so on -we would not be living!
A catalyst is any substance which makes a chemical reaction goes faster, without itself being changed. A catalyst can be used over
and over again in a chemical reaction: it does not get used up. Enzymes are very much the same except that they are easily denatured
(destroyed: but do NOT use this word since the protein molecule is not broken down into amino-acids, it just loses it shape and will not work
anymore) by heat. Our enzymes work best at body temperature. Our enzymes also have to have the correct pH.
All enzymes are made of protein, whose building blocks are amino acids; that is why they are sensitive to heat, pH and heavy
metal ions. Unlike ordinary catalysts, they are specific to one chemical reaction. An ordinary catalyst may be used for several different
chemical reactions, but an enzyme only works for one specific reaction.
Vitamins
Vitamins are organic molecules with very important roles in the human body.
Vitamin
C
D
K
Role in Humans
Helps in healing wounds
Growth of bones
Clotting of blood
Biologically Important Molecules
6. Some large insoluble food molecules are reduced to small, soluble food molecules by the process of:
o A -digestion
o B -excretion
o C -response
o D -growth
7. Which sequence is listed in order from simplest to most complex?
o F – tissue -> cell -> organ system -> organ
o G – cell -> tissue -> organ -> organ system
o H – cell -> tissue -> organism -> organ
o J – Organism -> tissue -> organ -> organ system
8. Living things are made mostly of these four main elements:
o A – hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and protein
o B – water, protein, carbohydrates, and fat
o C – carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen
o D – glucose, salt, mineral, and base
9. Enzyme molecules are synthesized primarily from:
o A – amino acids
o B -monosaccharides
o C – fatty acids
o D -phospholipids
10. The results of an experiment to determine the chemical composition of the cytoplasm of organism X are shown in the data table below:
Substance
Water
Proteins
Lipids
Carbohydrates
Minerals
Percent by Mass in the
Cytoplasm
77
15
5
2
1
What percentage of the cytoplasm is composed of organic material?
o A -15
o B -20
o C -22
o D -92