Chapter 6-9: Making Bodies from Blobs, Scents and Eyes

The summer countdown has begun!  Two weeks until the first day of school. :)  How is your summer reading going?  Just a reminder, all assignments are due at the start of the year and you will have a book test during the first week!  See below for this week's assignment.  But first...

A little update from Saul about our class pet, a praying mantis:
"The mantis shed twice once a couple weeks ago getting small wings then Again a couple days ago giving it full sized wings its leg bent while it was coming out of its skin you can see it in one of the photos."  

Thanks to Saul and Jose for taking such good care of the Mantis this summer.  Enjoy the pics.  

Our friendly praying mantis grows larger every day...must be all of those yummy worms.

This week, you will read about the journey from a sperm and an egg to you.. and all of the other organisms out there.  How are we different from simpler animals like sea coral or jellyfish?  Why are some organisms so similar during development, but others are very different?  You will read about some crazy experiments and the answers to these questions in Chapter 6.

In Chapter 7, you will read about how bodies are built, and some of the special materials used to build them.  In Chapter 8, you will explore the amazing world of the sense of smell, and find out some very interesting similarities between us and other animals.  Finally, in Chapter 9, you'll explore something pretty rare for paleontologists to find, the eye.  You'll discover the secrets of the eye's evolution as well as the trick to make eyes (more weird science experiments.)

Enjoy your reading.  After reading these chapters (6-9), post or email your response to the assignment questions.

a.  Shubin describes special patches of tissue in organisms called, "Organizers."  Describe the structure and function about organizers and tell the story of one science experiment that led to greater understanding about these key features. 

b.  Chapter 7 describes an interesting experiment by Martin Boraas.  Summarize the theories that arose from this experiment.  Comment on anything new you learned in this chapter.

c.  Compare and contrast the olfactory genes of fish and humans.  Why does Shubin say our genes are leftover and so different from those of a fish?

d.  Shubin says paleontologist's rarely find eyes, because they don't make good fossil materials.  What is worth knowing about the eye, for someone interested in the story of evolution?  Tell what you think are the two most important concepts from this chapter.

Interested in knowing more about the Eye's Evolution?
Check out the Scientific American Article here.

Bonus: Looking for something to do this week? Citizen Science Projects need you!

Hello AP Biology Friends!

I hope your summer reading is going well.  Continue to update the blog or email me your responses.
Today's assignment is a bonus assignment, and I think you'll also find it quite interesting.  Did you know that right now, as this very moment, there are scientists who want your help?  The concept is called Citizen Science - meaning that people of all ages and backgrounds can participate in scientific research projects from their house.  For example, scientists at the Horowitz Cognition Lab in New York City are studying human-dog interactions.  It's important that the dogs are in their natural environment just playing with their owners.  So, citizen scientists (like you!) can take a video playing with their dogs and send it into the lab.

Do you like watching videos of animals?  Then scientists at the NEPTUNE Canada Observatory need your help to analyze footage of underwater reefs.

Scientists are studying the DNA of dead cockroaches.. they need your help!

Are you interested?  Here's the good news - these projects (and hundreds more) are free and waiting for your help this summer.  Just log on to http://scistarter.com/ and find a project that interests you.  And, if you write about your experience in the comment section, I'll even give you credit for a bonus assignment.

Have fun doing science this summer!  Don't forget to share your cool stories with us... :)

Chapters 2-5: Exploring Hands, Development, Teeth and Brains

Happy End of July!  Thank you to all of you who are diligently working on your summer assignment.  Just a reminder, the summer assignments (finished reading Your Inner Fish along with the online posts are due on the first day of school)!  If you have trouble posting your responses, you can always email me them, and I will give you credit as well.

For this week, there is a longer reading assignment - Chapters 2-5.  (Some of you may have read Chapter 2: Getting a Grip in last year's Biology course!)

This is a model of tiktaalik that I took a picture of at the Field Museum

Assignment
As you read, take notes of important insights about evolution that the author presents. (These can be handwritten and don't need to be emailed, but can be used for the book test in August...). Summarize the BIG IDEA of each chapter in 1-2 sentences.  Then, write one question you have about each of the four chapters.

Finally, make sure you understand the role of genes like Sonic Hedgehog and genes in the cells of the zone of polarizing activity (ZPA).  Explain:  How have scientists' research on these topics furthered our understanding of evolution and your inner fish?

Post your responses (summary sentences, chapter question, and explanation paragraph) in the comment area below or email them to me.

Some of Tiktaalik's four-legged friends...

July 8th-13th: Chapter 1

A view of the landscape in Garden of the Gods

Hello Team AP Biology!
I hope you're enjoying your first weeks of summer, as well as reading Your Inner Fish.

If you think you've found a fossil, you need to dust it off...

A couple of weeks ago, I went fossil hunting with a group of AP Biology teachers in Colorado in a nature park called Garden of the Gods.  It's hard to imagine, but this rocky area was once underwater, deep in the ocean of a sea that covered parts of the central and southwestern U.S.  Because of this, you can find the fossils of many sea creatures that lived over 80 million years ago, including giant marine reptiles called mosasaurs.  It was amazing to walk across the dusty trails and imagine all of the sea creatures that once lived there.

Fossil-hunting in Colorado

Ok, it's time for your first summer reading assignment.  You should complete this assignment after reading Chapter 1 of Your Inner Fish.  If you'd like to read ahead, feel free.  However, this assignment asks you to make specific reference to Chapter 1 in your post.

Choose 1 of the prompts below and respond to it in the comments section:

#1:  What description of a paleontologist does Neil Shubin provide?  Summarize the work in your own words and then give a direct quote from the text, citing the page #.  If you could ask Dr. Shubin one question about his career, what would it be?

#2  Explain Shubin's analogy of the zoo.  How can a walk through the zoo help us predict where to find fossils.  Then, research and describe a fossil that is interested to you.  Make sure you include how old it is and where it was found.  

This ammonite fossil is related to an octopus.

Welcome to AP Biology!

 

Congratulations!  You have registered to take AP Biology next fall.  Your decision to continue to develop your skills and knowledge as a scientist will offer you many valuable opportunities and career pathways. 

This summer, we will begin to get to know each other as a class and learn about science together, through our book club, Your Inner Fish.  This book tells the story of the human body and how we have evolved over millions of years.

  Your assignment this summer is to read the book and reflect on it through online blog posts.

Assignment 1: 

Your first assignment is to introduce yourself.  Let me know any activities you enjoy, why you decided to take AP Biology, and one question you have about science.  You should also get a copy of "Your Inner Fish" by Neil Shubin.  You can buy it from Amazon, check it out at the library, or download a copy here.  Post your information in the comments.