Mrs. Balling
Red Onion Lab 11/13/2009
 
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Egg Osmosis Lab 11/13/2009
 
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All this week we studied the diffusion of water (aka:osmosis) through a membrane.  As a model of this we used vinegar to dissolve the shell off of two eggs.  We then found that although the shell dissolved off of the eggs the eggs gained mass which indices that water entered the egg through the chorion.  We then placed one egg in corn syrup and the other in distilled water. The egg in corn syrup was in a hypertonic solution so water diffused out of the egg so it got smaller and lost mass; the egg in distilled water was in a hypotonic solution so water diffused into the cell, got larger and gained mass.
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Coming soon... 11/01/2009
 
This week we will finish up the Reproduction unit by reviewing the process of sexual reproduction in plants...here's a hint: they do it in the dirt :)   and we will watch everyone's favorite video: "Life's Greatest Miracle"
If you miss it...or want to watch again...here's the link to the video segments:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/miracle/program.html

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Baby Kangaroos 10/27/2009
 
This week we continued our discussions about reproduction and development.  We studied the development process in placental mammals and then studied marsupials.  many students were amazed with the process in kangaroos and insisted on watching this video a second time.  Boy, we were so lucky that we were able to stay in the uterus when we were little embryos.
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Well, it's spirit week and we no longer have a wild plant area in the school yard.  It has been replaced by a smoldering pit of wood scraps left by last night's Bonfire.  Bonus for us....we get to see "Succession" in action.  Stay posted to find out more...
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Garbage Lab 10/14/2009
 
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Today we learned about all of the garbage that we produce and where that waste goes and how it affects other living organisms.  These were the different stations that we went to and the videos we watched.  We then went to the Smartboard and did a quizlet for review and then answered questions on a survey at station N.  It was a paperless lab.
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a LOT of you have been asking "what kind of food does our class pet like to eat?" Some guidelines (and a hint) if you want to bring in food: YES (Delicious to our pet)

Vegetable & fruit waste (citrus fruit should be added in moderation when using smaller bins)

  • Shredded newspaper, used paper towels (common sense applies here), cardboard (great idea to add these carbon rich materials at the same time you add any wet food waste)
  • Egg shells (best if ground up and in moderation)
  • Coffee grounds
  • Tea bags
NO way! (disgusting)

  • Human/pet waste
  • Non biodegradable materials
  • Dairy/meat
  • Oils/grease
  • Harsh chemicals
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New Class Pet 09/24/2009
 
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Our class pet will be arriving soon.....what will it be? Here is a clue...













Comment below and guess what it will be...
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We used chromatography paper to separate the pigments in 4 different markers. Each marker's pigment separated with the use of water. The smallest pigment molecules were carried by the water all the way to the top of the paper, the largest pigments barely moved up the paper at all.
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We identified trees in the memorial grove at the high school. We used the Master Tree Finder's dichotomous key and identified the genus and species of the various deciduous and coniferous trees on the school grounds. We also learned where the trees grow naturally in the United States.
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