Welcome! I'm excited that you joined this class. Would you please introduce yourself to me and the other learners? And please share any background or questions you have in this topic area.
?
___________________________________
In this course we will complete various labs, activities, and stations that can be used to fulfill the hands on lab requirements for the traditional High School Biology class.

The class includes 18 labs and activities.  Each class will have an end of lesson ticket where students write a lab report, answer a few questions, or calculate their results. 
-------------------------------------------------------------

Week 1. Scientific thinking and lab report writing 
description - Heart rate lab.  This lab is used to help students to understand what is important in a lab setup, how to think like a scientist, and how to make charts/ bar graphs in google docs.  Students can also use Microsoft Office if they have it.  The important part is analyzing our data and drawing valid and supported conclusions. 

supplies- clock/ stopwatch (phone is okay), and a ruler.  I will provide a copy of the lab document the week of class.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Week 2 . Name that cell
description- learn about light microscopes.  We will discuss the features of a light microscope.  Then we will actually be using a handheld digital microscope.  We will look at different cell samples,  and discuss the characteristics of each cell type.  Then we will explore an interactive lab online together. 


supplies- lab document will be provided, computer/ipad to type.
--------------------------------------------------------------
SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR HANDS LAB ✋ 
Week 3. DNA Extraction 
description- DNA is in all living things.  In this lab we will extract DNA from a fruit, and discuss the characteristics of DNA.  We will discuss nucleotide,  base pairing principles, hydrogen bonds, replication, semi conservative methods, the scientists involved in the discovery, and a few forms of mutations.

supplies- 2 cups, a coffee filter, a fruit such as 2 or 3 strawberries or half a banana or another fruit of choice, a Ziploc bag sandwich size, stirring utensil such as  a straw, salt, dish soap, water, and rubbing alcohol.  You will need at most a 1/2 a cup of water, and 1/2 a cup of rubbing alcohol.  
--------------------------------------------------------------
SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR HANDS LAB ✋ 
Week 4. name the cell activity and blood typing -- you can choose between a virtual option with me, or you can choose to determine your own blood type with an at home blood type kit.
description -- Humans have various blood types- type A, B, AB, O.  In this lab we will discuss the factors that determine blood types such as antigens, antibodies, RH factor, coagulation, and the characteristics of blood.

supplies- the worksheet I will provide for the virtual lab, OR the blood kit from Amazon link will be provided.  The cost is around 7-9 dollars.

--------------------------------------------------------------
SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR HANDS LAB ✋ 
Week 5. Cells Alive Lab- Save Gilbert the Grape
description-- We cannot work with human blood cells in class, therefore we will work with grapes instead.  In this lab you will try to save Gilbert the grape by determining which solution is isotonic to him.

Supplies-- 5 grapes , 5 cups,  5 solutions- tap water, bottled water, grape juice, maple syrup, salt, granulated sugar, tape/paper or masking tape, a marker, a ruler, optional-- a kitchen scale or electronic scale (but the lab can be performed without this).
-------------------------------------------------------------SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR HANDS LAB ✋ 

Week 6. Osmosis and diffusion Lab- eggs
description- In this lab you will be using an egg with the shell removed, a “naked” egg. The shell-less egg will represent a cell and its selectively permeable membrane. You will remove the shell of the egg by soaking the egg in vinegar. The egg shell is made up of the mineral calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate dissolves in acids such as vinegar. During this process it releases the gas carbon dioxide. After the shell has been dissolved, only the membrane will remain around the egg.  Once our membrane remains we will explore the rate of diffusion in a choice of solutions.  This is a 3 day lab,  day one will be performed together, then we will discuss the characteristics and mechanisms in this lab.  Day 2 and 3 are recorded lab lessons students will follow along with.

supplies- beaker,  raw egg, vinegar, wax paper
 corn syrup, food coloring and water to make colored water, ruler and string,
 spoon, masking tape, and  paper towels .  A lab sheet will be provided the week of class.

-------------------------------------------------------------SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR HANDS LAB ✋ 

Week 7. Osmosis and diffusion lab Gummy Bears and graphic organizer 
description-  we will review and discuss the results of lab 6 analyzing our data and experiment.  As we are going over our experiment and completing our lab sheets.  We will set up an over night lab with gummy bears to model diffusion and osmosis as a comparative. 

supplies- 3 cups, 3 gummy bears, salt, sugar, and water.
--------------------------------------------------------------SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR HANDS LAB ✋ 

Week 8. Mitosis cookies,
description-  In this lab we will model the stages of mitosis by making cookie diagrams.  We will use Oreo cookies or an off brand that has the cream filling and sprinkles.  Then we will look at onion root type cells and count how many of each stage we see.  We will discuss the characteristics of mitosis including the composition and purpose.

supplies- 6 Oreo Cookies,
2 Tablespoons assorted color rod-shaped candy sprinkles,  2 to 3 toothpicks, a butter knife, and 1-2 paper towels.
-------------------------------------------------------------SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR HANDS LAB ✋ 

Week 9. Meiosis cookies and graphic organizer 
description- In this lab we will model meiosis phases using cookies, icing and sprinkles.  We will discuss the importance of each stage, and we will relate the results to the importance of Spermatogenesis and Oogenesis in humans.  We will proceeded to look at a virtual activity/simulation modeling meiosis 

supplies- 14 Oreo Cookies,	Paper Towels, Container of Sprinkles (rod shaped), Scissors, 2 to 3 tooth picks or a butter knife, and icing.

--------------------------------------------------------------SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR HANDS LAB ✋ 
Week 10 Genetics:  Mutations lab
description- Students “synthesize” a model of DNA using colorful beads and pipe cleaners.  They will then “transcribe” this DNA into messenger RNA and then “translate” this into a protein.  We will model both point mutations and frameshift mutations.  We will then look at a few examples and discuss how to read a codon chart to determine if the mutation had a change on the production of the protein or not.

supplies- 6 pipe cleaners,  and a small packet of colored beads that fit the pipe cleaners.  Usually the beads are around 1$
--------------------------------------------------------------SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR HANDS LAB ✋ 
Week 11 Genetics: probability lab
description - In this lab we will determine probability by flipping coins and calculating the Hardy Weinberg Equation.  We will determine the probability of Monohybrid Crosses and Dihybrid Crosses 

supplies- 2 pennies, 2 nickels, and the lab document will be provided the week of class
--------------------------------------------------------------SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR HANDS LAB ✋ 

Week 12 Genetics modeling Punnett Squares
description- In this lab we will model Punnett Squares and calculate the genotype/phenotype ratios.  We will look at various types of Punnett Squares.  

supplies- M &M's  you will need 4 colors, one color needs to have 16, the rest can have around 8-10.  You will be provided the grid sheet for the lab and problems on the lab sheet.  
--------------------------------------------------------------SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR HANDS LAB ✋ 

week 13. Evolution: Bird beak lab 
description-  How are bird beaks adapted to the foods they eat? In this lab, we will simulate a scramble competition (kind of like in the old kids' game, "Hungry, hungry hippos") between six species of birds in six different environments. Each bird has a different beak type (spoonbill, tweezerbeak, tongbeak, etc.) and you will find that depending on the food available, some will do better than others in each environment. No two environments are the same and, in our simulation, each one has a different primary food source: stick insects (toothpicks) in the vegetation, water bugs (floating styrofoam peanuts) in the "pond," seeds (popcorn kernels) in the field, worms (cut rubber bands) in the soil, etc. You will choose 6 utensils and 6 items to "try " to eat.  

supplies- 3 items-- such as a spoon, toothpicks, chopsticks, clothes clip, chip clip, ice cream scoop, etc.  and 3 various shaped and sized foods,  a cookie sheet or pan, and 3 cups.  
--------------------------------------------------------------SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR HANDS LAB ✋ 

Week 14 Evolution: Carrying Capacity and population size lab
description-  We will model techniques to calculate population size in this lab.  
 We will focus on the “mark and capture” technique, in which scientists capture some animals from the population, mark them, and release them. At a later time, the scientists again capture animals from the same population and observe how many of them are marked. The method assumes that the ratio of the actual population to the sample size is the same as the ratio of the number of marked animals to the number marked in the recapture sample

supplies-  50 beans or paper cut into squares , marking pen, plastic container with lid
--------------------------------------------------------------

Week 15  Evolution: Natural Selection and evidence of evolution activities 
description- identify, describe, and analyze the four major areas of scientific evidence for evolution.   We will be completing an online activity together going thru the various evidences of evolution.  We will record our findings and observations on a lab sheet. 

supplies- lab sheet provided the week of class.  This class is an interactive lesson.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Week 16:  Ecology:  Biomes activity, Climatogram analysis, Biome Project 
description-  This exercise provides practice in associating climate (as expressed in monthly averages of precipitation and temperature) with biomes. You will also make predictions about the distribution of a biome via altitude and latitude. You will Learn how to read, analyze, and construct climatograms.  We will complete an interactive activity assessing your skills and exploring biomes.

supplies- climatogram worksheet will be provided.
--------------------------------------------------------------SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR HANDS LAB ✋ 

Week 17 Ecology:  Pollution
description - Discuss and observe various types of pollution  including, air and water pollution.  We will build models representing the pollution and the difficulty to reverse the effects.  We will discuss the devastation of air, water, soil, plastic pollution and what humans can do to prevent and reduce the effects.  

supplies
air pollution lab -- masking tape
7 index cards
petroleum jelly
Ziploc bags
magnifying glass


--------------------------------------------------------------SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR HANDS LAB ✋ 

Week 18. Plant Anatomy dissection 
description - Before we begin in this lab we will discuss the results of our last lab and analyze where the pollution is most intense.  Then we will discuss the effects on plants and animal life.  In this lesson we will be discussing flower anatomy and pollination.  You will have a diagram and a lab sheet for this lesson.  You will need a full bloom flower to dissect.  

supplies- A flower, toothpicks around 8-10, scissors, a magnifying glass or your phone camera, and a diagram of the flower anatomy will be provided.  The lab handout will also be provided. 
-------------------------------------------------------------
Additional resources will include various online virtual labs and additional labs not complete in class.   All lab sheets and documents will be posted the week of class.  You have a complete list of the supplies provided here

• quizlet
• quizizz
• youtube
• Khan Academy
• Youtube
• Purpose games
• Tidal lab
• PBS
• Bioman
• LabXchange
• HHMI
• knowitall.org