In 2015 I am teaching VCE Biology and Year 7 and 8 Maths. Please head over to those blogs for this year’s teaching and learning activities.
Technomaths for Year 7 and 8 Maths
VCE Biology for Year 11 and 12 Biology at Hawkesdale P12 College
Your task over the next week is to research and present on an ecological issue, answering the big question:
How does ___________ impact on human health and the health of our environment?
The blank can be one of the following issues:
Fold your paper in half and half again and write in each of the quarters:
Here are some sites to help with your research:
Over the past week you have been working with Mr Fallon to learn more about space science. You have had the opportunity to learn why the moon has different phases and how that affects the tides. Your task this week is to research one of the planets in our solar system. Find out how long the planet takes to orbit the sun (year length); how long the planet takes to rotate on it’s axis (day length); it’s gravity compared to earth (related to the size of the planet); the environmental and climatic conditions on that planet and how far it is from earth.
Using this information, create a postcard to send back to earth. Make sure you include a creative commons image and links to any resources used.
Alternatively, you could write a postcard from the International Space Station, the Hubble Telescope or a satellite, describing it’s structure and function. Again, make sure you include a CC image and links to any resources used. This work is due on Monday 21st October.
If you finish early there are some other cool spacey things you can do –
During our last lesson this term you will be working on a research project about a disease – I would like each person in the class to choose a different disease affecting humans, animals or plants. It can be an infectious, genetic or other non-infectious disease. You will need to find out the following information:
Here are some to choose from:
Make sure you read the information and take notes, then write your text – don’t copy and paste! Make sure any images you use are from creative commons sources.
Over the next four weeks we have Alicia Bates, a fourth year pre-service teacher from LaTrobe University, taking your science classes. She is a Health and Psychology major, so is well placed to teach you all about the nervous and endocrine systems. You will learn about the following:
Learning Intention: Students will understand that any complex, multicellular organism requires a number of systems that work together. They will also understand that the excretory system consists of the kidneys, ureters and urethra that function to remove liquid wastes from the body.
Success Criteria: Students will label a diagram of the excretory system and complete a table with a brief description of each of the digestive, circulatory, respiratory and excretory systems.
So far we have studied the digestive, circulatory and respiratory systems. Each of these systems is made of cells, which together make up tissues, tissues make up organs and the organs make up systems. These systems work together to ensure that the human body can move, grow, repair and maintain itself and eventually reproduce.
BBC Bitesize – from cells to systems – We will go through this review of cells and the interactive activity in class. You might like to have a go at the test for revision at home.
The Excretory System – How does the body remove ‘poisons’?
YouTube – The Excretory System by Hank – including excretion in other animals.(12 minutes)
Learning Intention: Science Understanding – “Cells are the basic units of living things and have specialised structures and functions. Multi-cellular organisms contain systems of organs that carry out specialised functions that enable them to survive and reproduce.”
Success Criteria: Students will be able to identify the organs within the respiratory system and describe how it functions. They will understand how the respiratory, circulatory and digestive systems are connected and work together to deliver nutrients and oxygen and remove wastes from every cell within the human body.
So far we have learned about nutrition and the digestive system and how the circulatory system transports materials around the human body. Now we are going to investigate the respiratory system, which provides oxygen to every cell, to allow energy to be released from food. The respiratory system consists of the trachea, bronchus and lungs containing alveloi. There is an important muscle, called the diaphragm, that allows air to be drawn into the lungs and the carbon-dioxide-rich air to be expelled. Access the following sites and then answer the questions below:
Learning Intention and Success Criteria: Students will be able to identify the structure and function of organs in the circulatory system and be able to name and describe the components of blood. Students will complete a labelled diagram of the heart and circulatory system and be able to describe how it works.
1. Work your way through the National Geographic – Heart Interactive. Label the blank heart diagram with the names of each structure, including the atria, ventricles, aorta and valves.
2. Watch the National Geographic Video – Cardiovascular system and then colour the cardiovascular diagram showing oxygenated (red) and deoxygenated (blue) blood.
3. Access the Blood Buddies – the Australian Red Cross Blood Service website and find out how you are tested for your blood type. Do you know what blood group you belong to? Create a graph (bar graph or pie chart) showing the different blood groups:
Student graph showing percentages of each blood type from Australian Red Cross data using “Create-a-graph”.