Well, April just flew by! Why did no one warn me that the last 6-weeks passes so quickly!?
This is going to be a very long post as I attempt to catch up on the past month.
Week 28
Each day this week involved a small amount of notes (usually 1 side of a page) and an activity. We also watched a number of Amoeba Sister videos during this week Amoeba Sisters Youtube
Mon-DNA structure notes
Students completed a practice worksheet where they had to fill in the matching bases to a strand of DNA
Tues-Transcription and Translation
Students practiced transcribing DNA into RNA, then translating that RNA in to a protein using a codon chart
Wed- Asexual Reproduction + vocab quiz
Thurs- Meiosis
Students used pipe cleaners to model the movement of chromosomes during meiosis
Fri- Sexual Reproduction
Week 29
Monday - Measuring Up. We read it together and students complete the packet independently.
Tuesday - I had 2 items planned today. The kids struggled to get through the first so they didn't get to the second. The first was a practice transcription/translation worksheet. They took FOREVER to do it even with me holding their hand. The second was a color your own karyotype packet. I assigned this to be due Friday. Color Your own Karyotype
Wednesday: Heredity notes. Students also completed a checklist of their inherited traits. We did the data table on one side, and a graph on the other. Students got together with their 'row' to compile data for the bar graph. Traits Checklist
Thursday: Heredity Lab/ makeup work day. Each class compiled a list of traits for their class. We made another bar graph for each class to show how many had and didn't have each trait. I compiled all classes' information and made one gigantic chart for the 7th grade. Forgot to take a pic, but I'll get that up soon. When we finished, they had 20 minutes to work on any work they hadn't finished.
Friday: Punnett Square notes and pre-punnett packet. We learned how to put together a punnett square and what we use them for. Students worked independently on the packet. We only did the first 3 pages. Punnett packet
Week 30
Monday: Easter Egg genetics. I did a modified version of this activity. Easter Genetics
Tues and Wed: STAAR again
Thurs: We spent some time reviewing Genotype, Phenotype, Hetero and Homozygous (dom and rec). After, the kids did this spongebob punnett square worksheet. Located under "genetics with a smile" Bikini Bottom Genetics
Friday: Dragon Inheritance. The kids LOVED this. They were so excited to get to make a dragon. I guided them through the random selection of chromosomes and then let them go. I had them arrange their chromosomes correctly (from smallest to biggest) then mix all 4 of one letter face down. Each partner got 1 pink (female) and 1 purple (male). Once they had all of their letters, I had them fill in their genotype and phenotype, then set them free to work on their dragon. Hit Ctrl + F to bring up the 'find' function and type in dragon to find this activity Dragon Genetics
I've still got a lot of planning to do for out last unit: Natural Selection. 5 weeks of school left, the last of which will be difficult as they're taking our computers away. Our building has been without air conditioning all year. They're replacing it this summer and we have to remove EVERYTHING from our rooms before we leave for the summer. I feel like I had just now settled in! There's so much packing to be done, I have no idea when it's going to be accomplished. Maybe I'll enlist my study skills kids!
Hope you're all having a fantastic last few weeks of school.
Ms. Kat
This is going to be a very long post as I attempt to catch up on the past month.
Week 28
Each day this week involved a small amount of notes (usually 1 side of a page) and an activity. We also watched a number of Amoeba Sister videos during this week Amoeba Sisters Youtube
Mon-DNA structure notes
Students completed a practice worksheet where they had to fill in the matching bases to a strand of DNA
Tues-Transcription and Translation
Students practiced transcribing DNA into RNA, then translating that RNA in to a protein using a codon chart
Wed- Asexual Reproduction + vocab quiz
Thurs- Meiosis
Students used pipe cleaners to model the movement of chromosomes during meiosis
Fri- Sexual Reproduction
Week 29
Monday - Measuring Up. We read it together and students complete the packet independently.
Tuesday - I had 2 items planned today. The kids struggled to get through the first so they didn't get to the second. The first was a practice transcription/translation worksheet. They took FOREVER to do it even with me holding their hand. The second was a color your own karyotype packet. I assigned this to be due Friday. Color Your own Karyotype
Wednesday: Heredity notes. Students also completed a checklist of their inherited traits. We did the data table on one side, and a graph on the other. Students got together with their 'row' to compile data for the bar graph. Traits Checklist
Thursday: Heredity Lab/ makeup work day. Each class compiled a list of traits for their class. We made another bar graph for each class to show how many had and didn't have each trait. I compiled all classes' information and made one gigantic chart for the 7th grade. Forgot to take a pic, but I'll get that up soon. When we finished, they had 20 minutes to work on any work they hadn't finished.
Friday: Punnett Square notes and pre-punnett packet. We learned how to put together a punnett square and what we use them for. Students worked independently on the packet. We only did the first 3 pages. Punnett packet
Week 30
Monday: Easter Egg genetics. I did a modified version of this activity. Easter Genetics
Tues and Wed: STAAR again
Thurs: We spent some time reviewing Genotype, Phenotype, Hetero and Homozygous (dom and rec). After, the kids did this spongebob punnett square worksheet. Located under "genetics with a smile" Bikini Bottom Genetics
Friday: Dragon Inheritance. The kids LOVED this. They were so excited to get to make a dragon. I guided them through the random selection of chromosomes and then let them go. I had them arrange their chromosomes correctly (from smallest to biggest) then mix all 4 of one letter face down. Each partner got 1 pink (female) and 1 purple (male). Once they had all of their letters, I had them fill in their genotype and phenotype, then set them free to work on their dragon. Hit Ctrl + F to bring up the 'find' function and type in dragon to find this activity Dragon Genetics
I've still got a lot of planning to do for out last unit: Natural Selection. 5 weeks of school left, the last of which will be difficult as they're taking our computers away. Our building has been without air conditioning all year. They're replacing it this summer and we have to remove EVERYTHING from our rooms before we leave for the summer. I feel like I had just now settled in! There's so much packing to be done, I have no idea when it's going to be accomplished. Maybe I'll enlist my study skills kids!
Hope you're all having a fantastic last few weeks of school.
Ms. Kat
