Apologia Young Explorers Human Anatomy: Lesson 3 Muscles

The projects, experiments, and 'Try-its' in the textbook are fine.  My job is to make the class worthwhile and add more ideas, starting with an overview.  Home Training Tools has a muscle project in which you make a hand model and a muscle worksheet.  The worksheet instructs students to identify which muscles they use to kick a ball or throw a frisbee and draw pictures of these activities.  One extension is to associate other activities with muscles, such as sitting and the gluteus.

Lisa Jones Broomfield has an idea: Seek muscles in art images.  Michael Angelo immediately comes to mind.  Screen the images for appropriate muscles!

Our class is going to adapt the experiment on p. 67, substitute the Muscle Fatigue Lab, and graph the results to minimize the amount of work the families have to do outside of class.  One last Muscle Lab from Baylor and a fun demonstration for boys and girls picking up a chair to demonstrate center of gravity.  Try it!  Girls can and boys cannot.  Fun!

Apologia Young Explorers: Lesson Two

Lesson Two has a good deal about the skeletal system.  My plan is to divide the two hour class into 15-20 minute sessions.  We're going to need a number of hands-on activities in addition to the 'Try-Its'.  Sure, the kids are going to label skeletons and tape them to their personal persons.  Let's label our own bones!  (Scroll down the page a bit.). I plan to use post-it notes.  I think we should build models, starting with long bones and a detailed cross section model.  The second model has a vein, artery, marrows, spongy bone, compact bone, and periosteum.  Good thing For the church yard sale.  I'm going to hunt for supplies.  The kids are going to make spinal cord models and joint models-enough material for two classes or six hours. I think if we read the material, make and label models, identify and count our bones, we should make some progress learning this material.

I've had a chance to scope the Junior and regular anatomy notebooks which accompany the course.  Since the class is composed of kids from a wide age range, I plan to try some Montessori three part cards and booklets for skeletons with the younger students.  The booklet had students coloring the relevant skeletal part--perfect for assessment.  We are going to have to try several activities to see what works--starting with this Montessori album for the skeletal system and this Mr. Bones puzzle for younger children.  Here is Mr. Bones for older students, ideally printed on card-stock and attached with brass brads or fasteners.

Blood. This hands-on blood activity is intended for toddlers.  It has merit for elementary students, too.  In addition to white cells, red cells, and platelets, kids can use the water as plasma and add felt fat globules.

Keep in mind, this is a work in progress.  We start Sept. 16th-postponed owing to one family's schedule conflicts.  I'll keep you updated on our progress.

Apologia young Explorers: Anatomy Lesson Two Skeletons

I like to get ahead.  I found this Life-size eskeleton print-out.  You can post it and label the names directly on the correct bone.  Perfect for a home-school classroom.  Eskeletons has puzzles, too.  Did you ever wonder about the origin of names of bones?  Does a scavenger hunt sound fun?  Just use the bone cards!  UT Health has a bone classification activity to color. Bone Bingo, anyone?  Perfect for review!  Anything worth doing is worth overdoing.  Make a bone complete with periosteum and osteoblasts.

Apologia Young Explorers Anatomy: A Little History-Lesson One

The first Anatomy lesson has a brief history of Anatomy.  Have the kids use their textbook with this additional history to make a time-line on a piece of graph paper.  Old School.  I insist on even intervals!  Time-lines are another way to insert a little technology by creating a time-line in Excel-with photos, too!  Paste a copy into their journals for your portfolio.

Apologia Young Explorers Anatomy Lesson One: Cells

The "Try-it" A hand lens or loupe is a fairly inexpensive magnifer.  Let the kids examine the hairs or freckles on their arms.   The Anatomy textbook instructs the kids to journal as they read the text.  In this section, they are sketching the cell parts as they read.  Cool! This worksheet has coloring instructions for an OCD group.

I have had kids make cells with organelles from clay, too.  Once a college instructor had us make cell models from clay in a lab.  At the time, I remember thinking this was lame for a college lab.  Guess what?  Shaping them by hand helped me to remember the organelles!  Look at all these ideas for cell models! I love the idea of felt models.  I've emptied the junk drawer: marbles, rubber bands, string, post-it notes, etc. for the kids to assemble models, too.

The amount of time you invest in cells will depend on the age of the children you're instructing.  If the children are in upper elementary grades, Mrs. H has posted her Cell unit. which has the Biology Corner's Animal Cell Coloring Page.  The more the kids manipulate cells by coloring, molding, and labeling, the more they'll remember.

Apologia Young Explorers Anatomy

In two weeks, the Co-op is starting an Anatomy class for elementary students.  One of the first experiments is making Apple Mummies.  Cool.  Years ago I helped the librarian at school sponsor an Egyptian camp and we mummified oranges.  The Anatomy textbook specifies apples; but, a tomato mummy is much cheaper if you grow your own tomatoes.  During the Egyptian camp, we made natron with a mixture of sodium carbonate or soda ash, baking soda, and salt.  The Anatomy text calls for Epsom salts.  My plan is to add sodium carbonate to the list of salts and mixture for the "Try-it!" on page 21.  If we have enough supplies, I'll let the kids change the proportions as part of the experiment, too.  If your kids get obsessed with mummies, they might enjoy some of the activities in the Secrets of the Pharaohs Curriculum and have their own Egyptian camp at home!

Buy Pasco Sensors to Add Technology

If you are looking to add some technology to your curriculum, invest in a thermometer and pH probe. You'll be able to perform a wide variety of experiments with just these two sensors.  Ebay sells Pasco Scientific Pasport sensors and interfaces often.  The Airlink2 connects to an iPad by Bluetooth to act as an interface with the different sensors.  Most of Pasco Scientific's sensors will also connect to Xplorer GLX or the Data Logger, or the Spark Learning System.

I was intimidated by the sensors for years.  The science department at the high school had scads of equipment I was too afraid to use--even after several training sessions!  I could set things up but couldn't trouble shoot when the inevitable problems erupted.  Then I borrowed a set of the Spark Learning System and played with it.  I got to the point where I could set up and open specific labs for the kids.  This is why I like Pasco.  If you have an iPad, you can download the Sparkvue app and free SparkLabs.  Once you use the Airlink2 to connect to your iPad with the probes or sensors, you're ready to begin!  The SparkLabs walk the student step by step through the experiment to collect data.  Now, this approach is NOT inquiry-based.  I find it the best means to become familiar with the Pasco technology.  Ha! You're using digital sensors!  Before long, you'll be a pro at collecting data!

Apologia Young Explorers: Human Anatomy and Physiology

This fall, I'm going to teach Biology to high-school aged home-schoolers and Human Anatomy to a group of elementary students as part of a Co-op. The  Apologia Science curriculum offers a series called Young Explorers Series.  One of my Physical Science students last year was using the Chemistry and Physics textbook.  We added exercises and experiments from her book to our curriculum.  The series is outstanding! Our group is using the Anatomy textbook because I think the Zoology textbooks should be done sequentially and Astronomy is among my least favorite subjects to teach.  The Co-op is held at our church.  A Head Start class meets in the Knights of Columbus building behind our church.  My goal is for the elementary aged kids to select and perform activities with the Head Start class. We can start with the Personal Person.

 The Human Anatomy and Physiology Curriculum has the table of contents, scope and sequence, lab list, and samples from the journals.  Our class will stick with the sequence.  But, I like to change up some of the activities.  For example, the kids may make some matching games in lieu of all the crossword puzzles.  I plan to add technology with Vernier Go!Temp and Go!Link.  Stay tuned for more information as we go through the program together.

NSTA Book Review: Polar Regions

My Biology class is going to write children's books this fall.  I've been collecting examples.  Polar Regions, by Cathryn Sill is a prime candidate.  John Sill's illustrations are engaging and accurate. The book has important facts, such as, "Penguins live only in the Southern Hemisphere." (Afterword, Plate 1). Even adults often are mistaken!  Cathryn's narrative is clear and provocative.  (Plate 14, Blackfin Icefish) "Some fish live in polar regions have a special kind of blood that keeps them from freezing."  Can't you see a child asking what is in the blood to keep it from freezing?  Her selection of animals will resonate with children, too.  Cathryn include charismatic animals, such as penguins, seals, and polar bears--always crowd pleasers.  She includes Arctic Ground Squirrels (Plate 11), Rock Ptarmigan (Plate 15), and Northern Collared Lemmings (Plate 16), which are less familiar species.  I didn't know there were Arctic squirrels.  Cathryn adds background information about each plate in the Afterword located at the back of the book.  This information is succinct--perfect for a busy elementary teacher or home-school parent wanting just a little more information.  This book is useful as an opener to a unit on Polar Regions.  The instructor could start with the maps of the North and South Poles  inside the cover and use this book to cite comparisons between the North and South Poles.  I can think of tons of questions for young learners.  Why does greater land mass make the Southern region colder?  Why is the ocean warmer?  Polar Regions has lush illustrations.  The Sills are expert in producing a captivating book suitable for younger children.  I want copies of every book in the 'About Habitats' series.

Apologia: Biology Modules 6-7 Cells

I'm prepping my fall classes.  In an earlier post, I mentioned Inside the Cell, a free booklet from the National Institute of General Medicine.  I ordered a class set last year and earlier this summer for my classes.  Perfect for a unit on cells.  I was checking the links on a webquest when I ran across Cells Alive!  Scroll down the pages and click on the gallery to preview images.  I want to print and frame a few.  If you do not have access to a good microscope, micrograph images are the next best thing.  (Here is another resource for cellular images.)

Have you tried a webquest?  Glencoe's The Cell Webquest works as an extension activity.  I use webquests to get kids to do a little writing.  Glencoe offers several webquests.  Check for broken links!  This cell webquest has kids create cell trading cards and write a children's book.  Fun!  The Cell Exploration Webquest from Biology Junction focuses on cell organelles.  Use a webquest to change up instruction.  The questions, worksheets, or trading cards all make excellent artifacts for your portfolio.

Apologia and Watershed Education: Newbies

Okay, you like the idea of adding some watershed education but not the GLOBE Watershed Dynamics Project yet.  That is way too much!  You like the simple watershed model and want to start with a small project first.  Try one of the lessons in Watershed Education.  These lessons are targeted for elementary students in grades 4-6.  Much less intimidating.  Most of the lessons are from Project WET.  Another favorite to try is Dragonfly Pond, an exercise in land use.

Want another easy project to use?  Try this Chesapeake Bay  webquest.  What is a webquest?  Basically, it's an activity with a question, a task or series of tasks, a list of web sites, and a product, such as making a trading card or brochure.  A webquest is a quick way to explore a new topic to get a sense of its scope.  Before you send your child off to try one, preview the links.  Broken links are,frustrating.  If the webquest has an interesting task and probing questions, but the links are broken, Google the questions.

Plan a stream study.  4-H has stream guides.  You'll see tons of different guides, most of which focus on identifying benthic macroinvertebrates, larvae living in the water, which are good indicators of the stream's water quality.  You'll need a net, some white, ice cube trays, plastic tweezers, and a bucket.  Let's do this!

Apologia and Watershed Education: What does it entail?

I'm planning to integrate GLOBE's Watershed Dynamics Project into the Biology curriculum.  But, I've had some experience doing just that.  In the previous post, I listed a number of excellent resources.  Where do I start?  First, I make sure the kids know what a watershed is and where ours is located.  Usually, there is a PowerPoint explaining a watershed.  I borrow an Enviroscape Model and use it as a visual to teach the issues confronting communities.  You can make your own watershed model with newsprint or with this crumpled paper watershed model that is completely scripted.  Once we have a grasp of what a watershed is, we look up Ours on the EPA's site, Surf Your Watershed,  which isn't as fun as it sounds.

Only then do I begin to review the scope of the project.  I take time to show the kids all of the resources available: Potomac Highlands Watershed eschool, GLOBE Watershed Dynamics Project, The Chesapeake Bay Water Quality Project, Fieldscope, Cmap tools, GLOBE, SOS or Save Our Streams, and Standard Procedures for a Stream Assessment.  By review, I mean that literally.  I show the kids these websites and explain what each agency offers.  Then, I let the kids try the games at Potomac eschool.

Apologia Biology: Watershed Education

I'm planning a watershed program for the Biology class.  The Co-op is meeting at our church which has over 50 acres, some woods, and a creek.  Perfect for a watershed program!  If you Google 'watershed', the amount of materials is staggering.  So, we're starting with our area, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.  I've taught in Virginia and West Virginia; there is a staggering number of resources available.  Our class is going to participate in The Chesapeake Bay Water Quality Project.  But, there is considerable groundwork before we can start.

What is a watershed?
Watershed Introduction Slideshow
Surf Your Watershed
USGS Water Science for Schools

Cacapon Institute is the place to start to learn about a watershed.
Potomac Highlands eSchool
Potomac Hughland Watershed Lesson Plan
High School Activities

Plan ahead on doing a stream assessment.
Biological Monitoring

Browse here for more ideas.
Communitree
WV Watershed Dynamics Project
WV Save Our Streams
Watershed Education Resources

Make a Watershed Model (with script)

Audubon Stream Study Lesson
Audubon Stream Science PPT
WV Watersheds by DEP

Anatomy Academy Outreach

By the way, Anatomy Academy is perfect for an outreach event with a Co-op group, Elementary class, or Headstart classroom.  You'll need to plan ahead to have everything copied, cut out, and prepped.  My Human Biology class did an event for the kindergarten.  One of the students taped organs to a lab apron.  If the kids are little, you may need to modify some of the activities.  the older kids may want to make the lung model and spine model in advance.  Even the youngest kids love the Glo germs and plaque disclosing tablets.  Everyone can make their own stethoscopes and test them.  So, take a look at the Anatomy Academy blog posts to see if these ideas resonate.

Anatomy Academy Camp Sequel

On Wednesday of Anatomy Academy, my plan is to invite several Heath professionals and put the emphasis on activities rather than models, or models that perform, such as making a stethoscope or this one with two funnels and tubing.  Note to self: Start saving plastic funnels.  Be sure to have real stethoscopes available for comparison.  While we're listening to our heart beat, let's  see the heart beat.  You can do this with marshmallows and toothpicks or clay and straws.  We're asking the nurses to teach kids how to perform physical assessments and teach kids how to take blood pressure measurements.  The little ones will just listen to their heart beats through the stethoscopes.

One of the nurses specializes in infectious diseases.  She plans to demonstrate isolation procedures.  We want to understand contagion with Glo Germs and the activity, Tracking a Virus or Contagion!  You'll only need a few drops of phenolphthalein or PHTH.  Allow plenty of room for the kids to swap their liquids.  We're going to set up another station with the book, Germs Make Me Sick, these activity pages, and these germs!  We're going to use the Glo germs to see how well we wash our hands. (Check the nail beds with the UV flashlight.) Since we'll be in the bathroom anyway, we might as well brush our teeth and try some of Crest's dental resources.  If we can score a dentist, we'll role play a visit.  I bet the tots haven't used plaque disclosing tablets to see how well they've brushed. The answer is about as well as they washed hands.  Adorable Wearables has a tooth and tongue puppet perfect for our tots to make.

What else are we doing?   The kids will test reaction time with a ruler, measure CO2 output, test muscle fatigue and Stroop Effect, and perform eye tests, such as for the blind spot or color blindness. Oh, and anything else the health professionals want to try.  I need to see if my dentist will spring for some toothbrushes.

Anatomy Academy Camp Update

Next summer's science camp theme is Anatomy Academy and Forensics.  Here are three 'go to' anatomy references.  Now, the Camp involves health professionals, EMTs, an ambulance, etc.  The activities take place in rotating stations to mange the number of camper--possibly as many as 60 kids.     The kids range in age from 3-10.  Fortunately, I've hosted this camp before and know many of the kids.  We're keeping it 'hands-on'!  There will be three anatomy days during camp week.  Usually, 8-12 supplemental activities are enough to keep the kids engaged all morning.

First up for Monday!  Adorable Wearables has a 'chest vest' that kids tape organs on.  I'm going to print the copies of organs on to card stock for the kids to either cut and glue on to aprons or to trace on to t-shirts to color with sharpies.  Let's stick with wearables and make brain hats.  Print these on to card stock in color and mark them 'left' and 'right'.  Adorable Wearables has patterns for 'hear muffs' and 'vision goggles'.  I 'm saving egg cartons for the kids to make models of the spine, complete with vertebral disks.  Save those plastic bottles to make the model of the lung.

The Boy Scouts are going to teach first aid, another station.  I thought mini first aid kits would be fun to make and might be good for Start-up.  Since, we're doing some first aid, let's do something messy and make gel ice packs!


I sew up cloth bags for camp to carry the loot home.  This bag is my inspiration for anatomy bags.  I'll print copies of different organs to trace and color with sharpies.  Print this skeleton to assemble with paper fasteners.  Round out the morning with Human Body Bingo.  Pennies can serve as markers and these stickers as prizes. Fun, right?  With all these activities, your morning is planned.

Hydraulics or Pneumatics

The United Kingdom curriculum include pneumatics or hydraulics with detailed instructions, information, and background. Add this to your stem instruction!

Apologia Biology: Watershed Project

One of my favorite projects is Watersheds because there are so many resources.  A watershed study can involve technology, online research, projects, and field studies.  Perfect. Start with the GlOBE Watershed Dynamics Project which starts with concepts maps and Fieldscope lessons, an online mapping program.  These are free!  Here's how I approach this program.  First, I introduce Cacapon Institute's eschool and give kids a chance to try some of the activities.  In the next session, the kids download the mapping tools to their computers and make a cmap with watershed terms.  Next, the students test-drive a Fieldscope activity.  Then, I introduce GLOBE and explain that the Watershed Dynamics project is one of their initiatives.  Give the kids time to work through the activities on their computers.  I borrow an Enviroscape Model; check with your local Soil and Water Conservation District.  Chance are they will know who has a model or who can bring one to share a program.  The model has a script; I use the model to go over challenges, 'best management practivpces', remediation, etc.  We take a field trip to a local stream to collect data: nitrates, turbidity, pH, temperature.  We take photos and make notes about the stream.  The kids collect macroinvertebrates and draw conclusions about the health of the stream.  Then, we plan an action project.  This can be planting trees to mitigate excess stor water runoff or stenciling storm drains.  The kids may want to install a rain barrel or a rain chain.  This type of program is typically on-going over a period of months.  Our Co-op has some equipment: Pasco probeware to collect pH and temperature data, a LaMotte Water Test Kit, Benthic Macro ID cards, nets, buckets, and ice-cube trays.  The creek is right behind our church where the Co-op meets.  I don't know about the kids-but, I'm psyched to get started!  Quick update.  Flinn's Where on Earth is Water? just posted and dovetails with the watershed lesson.

New Blog: Home-School Help!

I've got my Apologia Biology lessons mapped for months.  I started another Home-School blog, Home-School Help.  See what you think.  This blog is going to be broader.

Anatomy Academy and Forensics: Nurses on Wednesday

I've already invited nurses to help with Camp on Wednesday.  The nurses are going to teach basic physical assessment (not 'play doctor') in small groups and teach them how to take blood pressure, pulse, and listen with the stethoscopes.  Wednesday is a great time to set up loads of activities relating to physiology: the Stroop effect (Stroop chart),  Muscle Fatigue (with a clothespin), pulse (or use a toothpick and marshmallow), and test reflexes.  One of the nurses works with infectious diseases, perfect for the Contagion game and Glow Germs lesson. ('Germs Make Me Sick' is optional.)  Think Geek has plush germs. 

One of the nurses plans to bring a color blind test book. (The link has an online test to try.)  Neuroscience for Kids had songs!  Yippee!  We adapt lyrics to the tune of 'We Will Rock You' and clap.  One more station for the kids is a CO2 lab.  Warn them not to do it to the point where they pass out.

Anatomy Academy and Forensics Science Camp: First Aid Monday

First, let me share my Pinterest board with ideas for Anatomy Academy and Forensics.  You might get a few ideas. I've invited the Boy Scouts to come to teach first aide on Monday, next year.  On the first morning of camp, the kids assemble kits, form teams, and make up cheers and team names.  The pace initially is a little slower so the kids can get acquainted.  I have large sheets of paper with markers and crayons on the tables for their team banners.  The kids demonstrate their cheers and we start with fun camp songs and chants each morning. These first aid coloring pages are perfect for Start-up.

 We'll ask the Boy Scouts to give the group a brief presentation before breaking into teams for rotations.  One station is mini first aid kit and first aid booklet.  Start collecting empty pill bottles!  Our campers are ages three to ten.  The little ones will like this doctor kit.  I have plenty of q-tips, cotton balls and craft sticks!  Bandaids for the soul might be fun for the older kids. Here's a pattern to make the first aid box.  This diy ice pack looks fun!  Someone always has a boo-boo at camp!  The kids love an activity involving mixing solutions!  Fun and practical!

Each day, it helps to have at least ten different activities.  Brain hats, pasta skeletons, anatomy bags (homemade white bags where kids trace skeletons or organs with sharpies), anatomy t-shirts, maybe, (if the teens like the idea and I can find the transfers at a good price), blood compatibility lab, Human Body Bingo, lung model, spine model, and life-size skeletons.

Now, I need to find some fun songs and games!

Anatomy Academy and Forensics Camp: Forensics Lab Ideas Tuesday

I just finished Wild Science Camp and want to sketch out plans for next year's science camp.  I've already made contacts for speakers.  Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday are Anatomy; Tuesday and Friday are Forensics.  WVU's Forensics Club is coming Friday.  I plan to invite a police officer on Tuesday.  We had about 60 kids this past week; I need to plan on stations.

Tuesday's theme is Crime Scene: Hair Lab, Fiber lab, Teeth Impressions, White Powder Lab, Fingerprints, and  Chromatography.  I'm going to ask the police officer to teach the kids how to take fingerprints.  The hair and fiber identification lab require either microscopes or hand lens, which aren't that expensive.  If you're setting up stations, five or six hand lens are enough.  For the White Powder Lab, use baggies for the powders to make them seem more like evidence.  I plan to use cornstarch, salt, baking soda, and sugar.  I use pipettes to disperse iodine, red cabbage juice or universal indicator, water, and vinegar for their tests and cassette case to hold the pipettes.  Plastic paint palettes can serve as reaction plates.   It pays to plan far in advance to be able to collect or locate materials at yard sales.  The White Powder and Chromatography labs each take at least 20 minutes; the other labs only take about 10 minutes.  We set up stations all over the hall.  The kids rotate when they finish a station and go to the next free station until they've performed all of the labs. We'll need two or three extra stations.  One idea I had was to make chalk bodies outside, make edible DNA, extract DNA, and investigate a crime scene. Our camp runs three hours.  We plan 10-12 activities for the morning with a speaker.  If things run ahead, we extend snack a bit, dance, or play outside a little longer.  

Apologia Biology: Cells

I just got an order from NIH on Cells: Inside the Cell books and a Seeing Cells poster--free!  Inside the box was a flyer for Cell Day!  There are images, too!  The micrograph below captures the end of a cell dividing.  Cool.  You might be interested in free DVDs from HHMI.

Apologia Biology: Enzymes

Module 5 has DNA and a little about enzymes.  This particular module is packed!  I like Dr. Wile's jello experiment--but it's more of a demonstration.  You may want to use this POGIL activity: Enzymes and Cellular Regulation.  If your students are sharp, try a POGIL exercise.  Ignore their groans!  POGIL is like CERs; they make kids think!

While we're discussing cell processes, Photosynthesis and Respiration is another POGIL exercise.  I use these sparingly--perhaps once every other month.  POGIL is widely used in Honors classes.  Tell your kids that.  Flatter them!  It might make these exercises more palatable!

Apologia Biology: Microscopes

Buying a microscope is a serious investment.  For several years, my Co-op class met at a local public school and we had access to microscopes.  I bought one for about $50 from www.shopgoodwill.com. They sell microscopes all the time.  Be sure to register your email address.  Goodwill does NOT save credit card information.  If you win the bid, you pay the Goodwill store directly.  It pays to register in order to check the shipping costs before placing a bid.  Home Training Tools has fair prices for microscopes, too.  They offer the Apologia Biology Slide Set.  When I shop, I start with Amazon to see what they have and did buy the set shown.  It has several interesting slides to sketch as the kids become acquainted with the microscope.  Don't forget Ebay!  The deals are often better at Goodwill; I still find goods on eBay.  I don't mind ordering from China.  The price is usually so low for the item that the risk I'm taking is also low.  (I do look for 'top sellers' when I shop on eBay.)  One other choice is using Labpaqs.  I have not checked their microscopes.  I've purchased three Labpaqs from Goodwill and eBay when I could buy them for about $30 and the contents were suitable to canibalize for labs.  Try a search with 'Escience', too.  I scored one for dissections!

Apologia Biology: Introduction to Inquiry

If you've read some of my posts, you'll know that I'm a proponent of inquiry-based instruction.  My kids are going to start in the fall with some open-ended experiments.  Glencoe's Inquiry Labs (Experiment 10) experiments with the ideal conditions for raising tadpoles.  Hmm.  I had been considering doing Bottle Biology.  So, can two liter bottles be adapted for tadpole aquariums?  Yes! So, our first long-term lab is raising tadpoles.  What is the optimal temperature?  Type of food?  pH?  There's a creek behind the church to release them later.

Bottle Biology is my original idea for a long-term ecology study.  I had emailed the students late last spring to see if they liked the idea--and they did!  We may do both!

Apologia Biology: Taxonomy Lessons

The beginning of the year means skills!  While my kids are constructing food webs, they'll also be researching the scientific names for the species in their food web.  Time for a lesson in Taxonomy and possibly dichotomous keys.  Field Guides Made Easy as activities for newbies to interpreting field guides, which use dichotomous keys. I recommend keying out plants with a guide.  The plants or trees don't move.  I always start with Pamishan Creatures but Using a dichotomous key is perfect for beginners.  Would you like to make your own dichotomous key?  Some students benefit by constructing keys.  Mine usually need more practice and then conclude with the classification key, Experiment 1.1, in Module 1.  Go to the library and check out a few field guides, such as Peterson or Audubon.  Book sales often stock guides.  Yes, I do have a stack!

Taxonomy is classification, putting organisms into categories.  This introduction to the six kingdoms provides a good overview.  The kingdoms are subdivided into phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species.  The mnemonic, Katie poured Coke on Father's good suit may help.  Let the kids devise their own mnemonics.  Another mnemonic is MRS C GREN for the characteristics of living things: movement, respiration, stimulus, cells, growth, reproduction, excretion, and nutrition.

Put all this new knowledge into practice with this aquatic macroinvertebrate key.  Take a net, ice cube trays, and a bucket to the creek and see what lies under the rocks!

Apologia: Biology Population Lessons

August is when I get serious about prepping lessons for the fall.  I plan to start with Ecology, specifically food webs.  Along with Ecology is the topic of populations.  This is an opportunity to slip in some Demographics.  Early in the school year, my emphasis is on building skills and introducing a wide range of topics.  My kids are going to create histograms.  The Power of the Pyramids introduces histograms, cohorts, and interesting demographic profiles, especially India and China.  Look at the male to female ratios. The Washington Post article and one from Forbes have some information on the unintended consequences of China's One Child Policy.  (These article do not discuss forced abortions or forced sterilizations.)  Many European countries are experiencing a 'baby bust', while African and South American countries have 'baby booms'.  What are the implications?  You may want to provide a few news articles. Remember that countries, such as France, Spain, and Italy have serious immigration issues and a 'baby bust'.  

Why would I start with this?  One reason is the activity has some math and another is that populations, cohorts, etc. are related to Ecology.  Lastly, controversial issues provide kids with an opportunity to consider our faith in the context of these issues, especially for devote Catholics.  I'm anticipating a lively class!

Apologia Biology: Prepping Lessons

I just finished VBS and Science Camp.  Time to get serious about lesson planning for fall.  Our Co-op uses Apologia Biology; the kids all read each module.  My job is to round out these modules with more activities.  Our Co-op meets from 9:15-12:30 to allow enough time for extended activities.  Last year, Chemistry and Physical Science classes overlapped, dividing my time.  This year it's all about Biology.  My husband is teaching an Accounting class; we'll both teach at our church.  Once every 4-5 weeks, the kids will come to my house for a morning of wet labs. (The insurance at church prohibits any experiments.)

I've known these kids for years and many have taken class or science camp with me.  We'll review lab safety--but unlike public school, I won't have to spend an entire class.  Our first class is all about Ecology and draws ideas from BSCS.  (These plans are quite detailed.  Some of my home-school friends like detailed lessons.) The church property is huge with woods.  The first day, the kids are going outside to each collect 10 specimens and jot down observations.  I plan to do the BSCS 1.1.  The kids are going to label each specimen with a letter and record observations and descriptions separately on slips of paper.  The kids will switch and attempt to match the descriptions with the specimens.  I'll ask each student to keep a key for their specimens and check to see if the other students could match their descriptions with the specimens correctly.

This POGIL Pyramid activity  and Energy through Ecosystems exercises dovetail well will Ecology.  POGIL gets kids thinking!

Next up is the food web I mentioned in an earlier post.  The kids may go outside again to make observations.  The challenge is to compile a list of 50-100 local organisms for a food web.  I'll take time to review food chains, food webs, trophic levels, and scientific names using the genus and species names.  This activity takes time.  The kids will need guides and wifi.  As they do research, encourage them to see what the organism eats and add those species to their food web.  Here is a list of organisms which live near our church: raccoon, opossums, chipmunks, owls, kestrels, hawks, robins, sparrows, bluejays, preying mantis, crickets, wrens, beetles, wolf spiders, daddy long-legs, flys, toads, box turtles, frogs, salamanders, voles, moles, mice, shrew, bats, cardinals, oak, maple, dogwood, redbud, hickory, pine, tulip poplar, monarch butterfly, lunar moth, blue birds, fox, skunk, deer, mosquitoes, ants, bees, grasshoppers, Queen Anne's lace, black willow, asters, violets, milk weed, sumac, and poison ivy.  Note the variety of species represented.  Brainstorm together.  You may want to invite an expert forester or guest from Audubon to lead a nature hike before constructing a food web.  This list should spark more ideas for local species.