How are proteins produced in our cells? If you remember, the purpose of our DNA is to provide the instructions for synthesizing - or creating - proteins... The process in which this occurs involves two major steps - transcription and translation. Transcription - forming an mRNA copy of the original DNA template strand Translation - forming chains of Amino Acids that match the codons of an mRNA strand In order to practice the process of protein synthesis... we created group models! (See pictures below) Can you track the path your genetic information travels from DNA strand to Protein? Unit 6: DNA, RNA, and Protein Synthesis Celebration of Learning Feb 28th! (Review below) NOTE: Honors Work #2 for Honors Biology is due February 28th!
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3-D DNA Double Helix Models are Complete! The students submitted their final DNA models today! They all looked great and it is clear the students spent a lot of time and effort assembling their models. After showing off the models, we then entered a discussion of DNA sequencing and genetic engineering - is it good or is it bad? What are the ethics involved?
After watching the above video segments, we discussed the implications of genetic engineering. Maybe learning about the probability of someone experiencing heart disease or diabetes could come in handy as a means of proactive and preventative health care. Maybe genetically engineering the "perfect" child could cause a huge societal rift and be deemed unethical. We also discussed the now famous BRCA gene (view link) as well as P53 (view link) and their connections to cancer research and treatment. Either way you looked at it, there was always an argument of - just because we can do something... does that necessarily mean we should do something?
DNA Paper Models! Our class DNA strand was completed today and we finished with 206 nucleotide base pairs! That may seem big... but 206 nucleotides is only about 0.00000006% of a normal human DNA strand which includes 3 billion base pairs! Once we finished constructing our DNA paper models, we began working on our DNA model project. Students were given the majority of the class period to either work independently or in small groups to create and engineer a model of DNA. Thus far, the progress has been great and there are some great looking models in the making!
ASAPScience Olympic videos below the break! (Click Read More to the right)
Were you able to Celebrate your Learning? Following our Unit 5: Cellular Division Celebration of Learning, students were provided a DNA information packet to serve as a general baseline introduction to our next unit - DNA, RNA, and Protein Synthesis! Over the next couple of weeks, we will be learning about the organizational structure of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid). Once a strong level of understanding of the structure is established, we will begin to investigate the processes in which DNA replicates and, eventually, forms proteins. At the end of class, students were introduced to our next big project - creating DNA models! On block day, students will be asked to bring supplies to begin their construction. They will be able to work independently or in small groups. Bonus points will be awarded for the largest, smallest, and most creative models!
Welcome back after not one, not two, but THREE Snow Days! As a result of the snow days - we will push back our Unit 5 Cellular Division Celebration of Learning to Monday, February 10th. Please use the weekend to your advantage to review the material - specifically the Cell Cycle, Mitosis and Meiosis. On Thursday, February 6th, the 2014 Winter Olympics began in Sochi, Russia. To celebrate this great event, we will be watching short interesting science videos created by ASAPScience about the Olympics each day as we start class! Today, we featured their first installment of the Olympics Series titled Amazing Olympic Facts.(posted below)
What happens if you finish your assessment with plenty of time to spare? How much time is too much time to spend on a question? The answer to these questions is individually unique to each student... What is important to note, however, is that time management is a critical skill to possess when it comes to conquering any assessment. On our last Celebration of Learning, the average student spent approximately 30 seconds per question... that includes the three short answer problems! In my best opinion, if we all take a little time to slow down, read the question thoroughly, digest the possible answer choices, then begin to think critically - we can all improve on our last performance. Additionally, through the admission of several students, I feel we can address and better improve upon our studying techniques and methods. By asking questions when we are unsure and also utilizing the many resources available to us, we can put ourselves in the best position to succeed to the highest of our capabilities. Test taking strategy:
I recommend you spend approximately 1 minute (60 seconds) for each multiple choice question and 3 minutes (180 seconds) for each short answer question In the posts below you will find a number of resources available to you (Quia quizzes, videos, images, etc) to best prepare you for the upcoming Re-Celebration of Learning on block day (January 5th and 6th).
What would you do different if you could do it all over again? On Friday, we had our first Celebration of Learning for the second semester... As per our discussion in class on Friday, I think we all agree that we could have performed much better! As a result, we will re-Celebrate our learning next block day (Feb 5th/6th) in class. On Monday, Feb 3rd, we will review some of the results and reteach some of the most commonly missed elements. I know we can all succeed at a much higher level! Looking through our assignments and short answer responses, I think one area where we can all improve is in the area of attention and effort. By reading each question thoroughly and taking the time to pay close attention to what is actually being asked, I think our scores can drastically improve!
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Mr. Hulse
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