Why are cells so small?

The second module in Biology is Cells.  One important topic is cell size or why cells are so small, essentially a surface area to golf each ratio.  How do you teach this?  My plan is to start with Candy Coated Biology and let the kids compare different sized M&M candy.  I hope I can find mega M&Ms.  My goal is to use Cell Size, Surface Area and Volume to drive home the idea that cells are small to increase the surface area for the transfer of ions, glucose, oxygen, and wastes across the membrane.  We made need to measure different cubes to understand the how bigger cubes have less surface area.  I’m going down to the basement to pull dice and boxes.

Fortune Telling Fish Lab

 I found several fortune telling fish when I was in the basement browsing for materials.  I use them to have the kids design and complete an experiment using these instructions.  You may want to have an electric kettle, ice water, and paper towels ready for experiments.  Feel free to add a faith lesson explaining why Christians abhor superstition.

Biological or Dichotomous Keys

 In the earliest Apologia Biology modules are dichotomous key or biological key activities.  My kids do the biological keys in the textbook, Pamishan Creatures, Jelly Belly Dichotomous Key, and a Button Dichotomous key.  One homework assignment is to create their own dichotomous key with buttons, which requires a bit of higher level thinking.  I’ll post pix from class in September.

Inquiry Cubes

I use loads of hands-on activities and labs for my science class.   I like to use Claim-Evidence-Reasoning in Biology.  The activities  I use are Introducing Inquiry,  Inquiry Cube #1,  and Inquiry Cubes.  (Here is a worksheet for Inquiry Cube #1.)  (Here are several inquiry cubes to print.) I do not ask kids to complete a worksheet.  Instead, I just ask them to determine what is on the bottom?  Cube #2 has names.  The kids should determine the name, color, and numbers of the face taped down on the bottom of the cube.  What’s the point?  I want kids to use deductive reasoning and explain their thought processes, skills we’ll need all year in Biology.  I took a photos of Cubes #1 and #2.

M&M Candy Science and Math

 I use candy frequently for labs and activities, especially in Biology.  I’m working up Candy Coated Biology.  I’m deciding which questions to ask.  I’ll be back with more details once I think through the lab.  Let me share one more resource: M&M Science and Math.  Sometimes a little candy improves the students’ perspective about science or math.

Levels of Organization

 I’m pulling materials and organizing lessons for Biology this Fall.  Here is the post about the activity.  Basically, I wrote the names for the levels of biological organization on to cups and mix them up.  It’s a quick way to see what kids already know and set the tone for class.  We do a ton of hands-on activities from the first day of class.  I bought the plastic cups on clearance at Walmart because I teach Biology for Co-op fairly often.  Are you teaching one or two of your children?  Print out the levels of organization and mix them up for your kids to sort from smallest to largest.

Predator Prey

I’m still organizing, ordering, and planning for Biology this Fall.  One Ecology activity I like is  The Lynx Eats the Hare.  This Flinn lab has a pdf with lynx and hare cards to print.   I plan to have the kids construct graphs with the TI 83/84 graphing calculators and use this description about the lynx and snowshoe hare cycle.  If I use the image below, I’ll have a good idea which of my kids are likely to be squeamish all year.

Vocabulary Hack

 Let me share a vocabulary hack.  At one time, I did SAT prep.  I had kids buy a shower curtain from the Dollar store and write vocabulary terms on it which were unfamiliar.  This can be useful for science vocabulary.  Keep a composition book with terms and definitions.  Write terms on to the shower curtain, especially words which might make good candidates for the SAT or ACT.  My Brit Lit is doing this, too.  The image is my sample for Brit Lit.

Kastle-Meyer Presumptive Blood Test

 I’m prepping for Fall classes for Co-op.  I ran across the Kassel-Meyer test, a presumptive test for blood.  This is more CSI than a blood type test.  The lab determines if the substance is animal or human blood.  Home Science Tools has a lab kit.  Here are the Wikipedia instructions.  HST sells phenolphthalein; 3% hydrogen peroxide is widely available at Walmart and Dollar Tree.  I’m adding this lab to the blood test series for Bio.

Apple Mummies

 Apple Mummies are a great way to teach experimental design.  Natron was used to mummify by Egyptians.  It has sodium carbonate (washing soda), sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), sodium chloride (table salt), and sodium sulfate (I substitute Epsom salts, magnesium sulfate.) The kids determine which salt or combination of salts works well to mummify an apple.  I set out scales, apples, and salts.  The kids need to reason that the amounts of salts and mass of apple must be the same for each sample.  This is my favorite means to teach controlled variables. (Here is an older post about Fruit Mummies.). 

Ecology with Food—Sometimes Edible

 I teach with food, especially in Biology.  A typical food lab is Gummy Bear Osmosis.  There are several ecological labs you can do with food: Hardy-Weinberg Goldfish Lab, Predator-Prey Simulation (Beans), Bean Genes, Have Your DNA and Eat It (Twizzlers and Marshmallows), Candy Chromatography, Edible Cell Model, Twizzler Mitosis Lab, Marshmallow Molecules, Mark-Recapture with Beans, Jello and Enzymes Lab, and Apple Mummies.

Some of these labs are edible; students may not eat the lab or extra candy until we have finished and ideally cleaned up the stations.  Yes, I do buy extra candy, Goldfish crackers, or marshmallows for the kids to eat after lab.  I like to use dry beans for labs because they are inexpensive.  Candy makes any lab more fun.  I want kids to believe that science is sweet.

 

Energy from the Sun

 National Energy Education Development (NEED) has  Energy from the Sun program, a free download.  Preview the teacher’s guide and student guide.  Summer is the best time to do solar projects: UV beads, radiant cans, solar oven, and solar balloon.  I’ve used similar activities for summer science camps. If you would like to look over other NEED downloads to evaluate their political content, preview the  Energy at a Glance series.  BTW NASA has this UV beads activity, too.

Fireworks!

Happy Fourth of July!  Here is an article about fireworks and a student question sheet to file away in Drive for Fall.  Take a look at this post with links for Flame tests.  Hope your family has a wonderful Fourth!

Summer Science

Friends have told me they like joint science projects for their families, especially large families.  Summer is a great time for hands-on family science.  I checked out “365 Simple Science Experiments” from the library.  (Used copies are available for $5-$6.  Start with a theme.  365 Simple Science has Slow Start-Fast Finish, Keeping Your Balance, Soap Suds, Adventures with a String, and World Travelers.  Read over the experiments to see if you have the materials on hand, and let the kids select several activities.  

I like this book.  Clutching at Straws begins with how to make a paper straw and use it as a medicine dropper, atomizer, oboe, and trombone.  My favorite in this section is spearing a potato with a straw.  Will a homemade straw work as well as a plastic straw?  Each section has a brief explanation.  For example, the straw through the potato demonstrates inertia.  The index in the book has other experiments which demonstrate inertia.  

Let your kids take the lead.  Pick an interesting topic, try three experiments, and reevaluate.  Take loads of photos.  Do video demonstrations with explanations.  I would encourage older kids to take charge and organize the experiments.  Have them research the topic and explanations.  Schedule one hour blocks of time.  Have the materials set aside and ready.  Give summer science a shot.

MEL Science kits

Good Will online has listings for MEL chemistry kits.  Use ‘science kit’ or ‘mel kit’ in the search bar.