Wednesday, December 16, 2015

7th Grade Student Botanist at work!



Monocot and Dicot Helpful Links.


Untamed Science Crew Explains Monocot and Dicot Plants

UC Berkeley - monocot vs. dicot

Junior Master Gardener - Great pictures and explanations.
Click here to access



Lists of Monocots and Dicots.

Monocots
  • Lily: Oriental Lily, Day Lily
  • Tulip
  • Orchid
  • Bluebell
  • Daffodil
  • Jonquil
  • Crocus
  • Freesia
  • Amaryllis
  • Lily of the Valley
  • Day Flower
  • Lesser Celandine (below)
  • Agapanthus
Dicots
  • Rose
  • Daisy
  • Sweet Pea
  • Cosmos
  • Nasturtium
  • Hollyhock
  • Foxglove
  • Portulaca
  • Begonia
  • Ranuculus
  • Marigold

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Students finding pulse rates of blackworms

Here are some photos of students finding pulse rates of blackworms.



Here is the video one student was able to capture.  


Thursday, December 3, 2015

Monday, November 30, 2015

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

History of and Using a Compound Microscope

Hooke and Leeuwenhoek - Microscope Pioneers



Microscope Pioneers Reading
p.26-27


Steps to use a compound microscope:
(when viewing and sketching at low power)

1. Plug it into the outlet, already placed between table
2. Make sure stage is down, on x40 (scanning)
3. Choose slide/ specimen
4. Turn on microscope, center slide over light
5. Adjust diaphragm if needed
6. View specimen, slowly turn course knob to focus
7. When focused, switch to low power
8. ONLY use fine adjustment, if problem finding specimen or focusing go back to scanning.
9. Once in focus, sketch on provided sheet.
10. When done switch to scanning, lower stage, take out slide.
11. Turn off, unplug, coil up and put away.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Microscopes and magnification

Good video to help with parts of a microscope.


Link to help for parts of a microscope.
Click here to access.

Link to Magnification and Powers of a Microscope
Click here to access

Friday, November 13, 2015

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Classification and Taxonomy.

Click here to access the Guided Notes Sheet

Science Channel - History of Classification
Click here for Video




Macro to Micro
Click here to access the online text.  
Please read p. 6-11
"That's Life." and "What's in an organisms name?"

Complete the guided notes defining taxonomy and binomial nomenclature

Classification Video

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

What does it mean to be living?

On a T-chart list on one side living things and the other side non-living things.  Once you have a good list on either side think of what makes the organisms living.  Come up with some ideas.  







Video on Abiotic and Biotic Factors.

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Bat facts for our speaker, Annie Kassler, on Thursday.


Overview on Bats

"Why Do Bats Matter?"




What do bats do to help us?


WNS Facts and Figures







Battle for Bats- Surviving White Nose Syndrome



WNS and Bats



How do bats fly?






Thursday, October 29, 2015

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Monday, October 26, 2015

Invasive Insects in Maine


Trophic Cascades and Yellowstone


Stop watching at 38:40.





How the wolves can change rivers in Yellowstone.

Maine Invasives and Coastal Ecosystem Artcile

Here are the links for today's activity on invasive species.

Specifically, we will be looking at the Northern Pike, 


but keep your eye out for other invasive species as well.


Portland Press Herald


and


Bangor Daily News



Pike Portland Press Herald Article
Troubled Waters for Wild Brook Trout
Click here to access questions


By Wednesday 

Read and and pay close attention authors view points. 
Portland Press Herald Article.
Mayday Gulf of Maine in Distress

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Food Web Project

Food Web Project


Directions:
Create a food web for an ecosystem that is nearby. For example a
forest, stream, backyard, saltmarsh, or beach. You are encourage to choose an
ecosystem that you are familiar with. You should organize your food web so that
relationships between organisms are demonstrated (like we did in class).

A good way to start:
Brainstorm organisms within an ecosystem (you should have 15-20)
Place the organisms into groups: producer, consumer, decomposer.

Vocabulary to keep in mind:
organism
ecosystem
decomposer
food web
producer
consumer
trophic level

Checklist of Required Items
Your food web should:

  • have 15 - 20 organisms represented in the food web.
  • identify the name of each organism (this should be specific, do not just list fish or tree).
  • include arrows to indicate the flow of energy.
  • have at least 2 of every trophic level represented (decomposer, producer, consumer).
  • show many organisms interacting.
  • contain a sketch for each organism (computer printed images are OK if you do notmlike to draw).
  • use a ruler to draw straight lines.
  • contain color.
  • contain a title (example - A Tidal Pool Food Web).
  • contain your name and group.

Bayview Preserve Walk Google Form Questions

Mr. Cuthbert's Class
Click here to access

Mr. Harrington's Class
Click here to access





Think about these questions as we prepare for our field trip.
  1. What are some native, non-native and invasives found in Yarmouth Green Spaces?

  1. What kinds of things do conservation management specialists need to think about when they deal with invasive species?

  1. What current practices are University of Maine systems and Royal River Trust doing to combat invasives in Yarmouth?

  1. What kind of impact have humans had in Yarmouth introducing invasive species?  How did they get here?

  1. What kind of things can you do to help manage some invasive species?

  1. Why are salt marshes important to our ecosystems?

  1. What current things are happening to salt marshes that have negative impacts? Explain.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Vital Signs - GMRI - Invasive Cards

Great link to Gulf of Maine Institute Vital Signs Invasive Species Cards.  These show local invasive species in our State.


Monday, October 19, 2015

Ecobeaker- Maine Explorer

Students have been introduced to the concepts of modeling and simulations.
Students have access to an amazing technology resource in EcoBeaker Maine Explorer.  This modeling program takes them into a Maine Lake and how the organism interact within it.
Here is an image of the program.


Field Trip Permission Slips and Bayview Preserve

Here is a link to copies of the morning and afternoon field trip forms (you will go on the trip when you would usually have science class). Print one out if you've lost yours!






Wednesday October 21st we will go to Spear Farm Preserve off of Bayview Street.

Here is a map of the preserve.





Think about these questions as we prepare for our field trip.

  1. What are some native, non-native and invasives found in Yarmouth Green Spaces?

  1. What kinds of things do conservation management specialists need to think about when they deal with invasive species?

  1. What current practices are University of Maine systems and Royal River Trust doing to combat invasives in Yarmouth?

  1. What kind of impact have humans had in Yarmouth introducing invasive species?  How did they get here?

  1. What kind of things can you do to help manage some invasive species?



Friday, October 16, 2015

Ecology Speaker - Dan Argo

The 7th grade science classes are pleased to welcome Dan Argo, a local mycologist, on Friday, October 16th.

Dan will speak to the classes about his specialty, fungi.  The 7th grade science class is entering a Unit on ecology and decomposers are often overlooked next to the larger more common organisms.  Dan will help us shed light on the importance of decomposers in our ecosystem and how they reproduce, quite a different process then other organisms.  Finally, Dan is a cook and foodie; he will finish with talking on the deliciousness of eating local fungi!

Some videos to prepare for his presentation!

BBC - David Attenborough

The Power of Fungi!

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Portland Press Herald Article - Pike Problem


Tackling Maine's Pike Problem - Portland Press Herald


Introduction to Ecology

As we begin our new unit on Ecology, here are some important links to get us started:

Link to Sciencesaurus Reading:
Click here to access

Link to Ecology Vocabulary
Click here to access
Make a copy, Replace "Copy of" with your last name, and move to your science folder.

Modeling Slideshow
Click here to access
This is the slideshow we looked at today in class



Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Ecobeaker Maine Explorer 2015-2016


You can access this document if you are logged into your Yarmouth Schools Account

Study Guide Review- Parts of an Experiment

Study Guide for Parts of an Experiment Assessment.

Content:
Understand the vocabulary that has to do with experiments - Parts of an experiment note sheet linked here

Vocabulary:
  • question or problem stated
  • hypothesis
  • constant
  • control
  • independent variable
  • dependant variable
  • experiment
  • procedure
  • conclusion
  • data

Resources to review:
• “Life Saver” & “Variables & Controls” articles
• Scenarios #1-5 (check-ins)
• Parts of an Experiment note sheet
• Billʼs Cake & parts of an experiment scenarios (done in class)
• In-class demonstrations & labs (plant growth and sunlight, sewer fleas, mold garden, and bottle compost)