Biology Story Time

Photo sample suggestions: 

1. The details of different leaf structures; their edging, their veins, their shades of color, their leaf arrangement,
2. The progression of plant growth; from seed germination to fruition.
3. A close-up view of insects in one’s yard that are hard ‘at work!’
4. The diverse structures of garden flowers
5. Going on vacation … what new plant or animal life might you document?
6. A close-up view of people’s hands/skin at different ages of life.

Observations:  Your observations for each photo should compare and contrast as many features as you can detect.  Be investigative in your work.  Notice details and trends that will be captured in your pictures.   You may bullet your observations or write a concise paragraph for each photo.

Presentation:  A scrap book, a photo journal, a display board, a power point,  … your choice.  Remember, it’s a minimum of 10 pics, you might end up with more.  You will be presenting your project to your class the second week of school and they will be interacting with your work.  Have FUN!

I’ve put together a supply list that I’d like you to gather over the summer and have ready for your first day of class. 

• a 2 ” - 3 ring binder with notebook paper
• a spiral or sewn bound lab journal containing graph paper (4X4 quadrille preferred)
• Colored pencils and a ruler
• a scientific calculator (you will need it for your math class, too. )
• Pens and pencils with erasers (all graphing and lab drawings MUST be done in pencil)
• 100 3X5 index cards and a Ziploc bag to hold them

I hope all of you have home access to the internet.  If not, our school (KFHS) has plenty of options to be able to access it here.

If you can talk Mom or Dad into getting you a year’s subscription to one of the following magazines, that would be great!!They are usually less than $20.

Popular Science   or   Discovery  or   SEED (this one is a little tougher),

Welcome to PIB Biology!  (PIBB) 

I am your biology instructor, Ms. Story,  and this is my blog site, “Story Time.”  This blog will become a very important part of our journey together over the next year.  This will be “our” place to connect.  I am so excited to be your instructor and I can’t wait to meet all of you!  This is a VERY exciting time for biologists!   New fields of study and possibility are emerging every day.  We will have a great year together exploring the outskirts of many of them.

“Blogging” is a form of interactive conversations; conversations meant to express thoughts, opinions, knowledge and questions with others of that have similar interests.  I’m sure that our blog connection here will evolve as time goes on, but for now, here are some of the ways that we will connect over time: 

1.  Our blog conversations will be located primarily on the “PIBB PAGE.”  This is your class site.  This is where I will make my “posts” for you. 

2.  Assignments will be initiated from here, reviewed here, or culminate here.

3.  Comments, questions and reflections can be addressed here;  between you and I and between you and your fellow PIBB (Pre IB Biology) peers. 

So, now that you’ve found your PIBB blogging site, how about if you post your first response by:

1.  Introducing yourself  2.  Then tell me about your family and what you do as a family together, and  3. What you think   your favorite topic in biology will be and why.  

Finishing the SOL’s like crossing the finish line of a marathon.  BUT … we do have a month left of school!  So, the plan ahead is 2 fold:

1.  SIGNIFICANT MEDIA:  We will be focusing on integrating the issues of biology with other disciplines:  politics, ethics, populations, economics, race, history, etc.  We will watch:  And The Band Played On, Something the Lord Has Made, Gattaca, World in a Balance (NOVA), What Is Race? (United Streaming)

2.  LABORATORY EXPERIENCE:  We will attempt to engage in some lab experiments that expand the topics that the students have mastered. 

I look forward to a fun “end” to this year’s biology classes.  

Tomorrow is the day!  The students have studied hard, reviewed for days and I have every confidence that they will do very well on the SOL.  They have learned over 300 new, science vocabulary words and the concepts that go with these terms.  I am very proud of the students who have worked very hard this school year.

PARENTS: Please have your child get a good night’s sleep and get up in time to eat breakfast.  IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE!  :-)