C2 Work

You'll notice that C2 has many concepts in common with 4.2, but it goes into more depth.  As you read through the section, answer/do the following in your notebook.

1. How can an owl pellet be used to determine information about the owl's community?
2. Use the information in the sidebar on p. 615 to construct a food web.
3. Do the DBQ on p. 616.
4. Explain how food conversion ratios can be used to eat more sustainably.  Use numbers to back yourself up.
5. Examine the Whittaker climograph on p. 617 and describe what it shows.
6. Examine the net primary productivity listings on p. 618 and propose why some are very high and some are very low.  Use specific examples.
7. Do Question #2 in the Activity listed on p. 618 (draw 2 energy pyramids, compare, and explain).
8. Examine the Gersmehl nutrient cycle diagrams on p. 619 and do the Activity questions related to it on p 620.
9. Do the George Vancouver DBQ on p 621!
10. Read about respiration rates and biomass accumulation and do the question on p. 622.
11. Do the secondary succession question on p. 623.
12. Describe how humans can interfere with nutrient cycling.

Mesocosm Assignment

One of the 7 required practicals for IB Biology is to study a mesocosm in the classroom.  

The write-up will be due in 2-3 weeks (will be finalized after I see how the mesocosms are doing) through turnitin.com and should include:

1. Detailed observations from at least 6 separate days.  Include water clarity, condition and growth of plants, types of animals, behavior of animals, condition of muck and other debris, etc. Make it clear which mesocosm goes with each observation and which day.  You can include details about the classroom conditions (temperature, light, etc) if you think they are relevant.
2. Use vocabulary from the ecology unit to try to explain what you think is happening in the mesocosms.  For example, information about cycles, energy, and types of nutrition would be appropriate.  You don't have to know exactly what is going on or know the names of the organisms, but do your best to give reasonable explanations.  If you use outside information in your explanations, state where or how you got the information.
3. Predict what you think will happen in the mesocosms, giving a reason for your predictions.

C1 Terms to Cover in your Notebook (in addition to the C1 dbq's)

1. What is a limiting factor?  Give examples of some limiting factors that can affect the distribution of species.
2. Describe how you would use a transect and a quadrat to correlate the distribution of a plant or animal species with an abiotic variable.
3. Explain what is meant by "zone of stress" and "limit of tolerance" and how they impact populations.
4. What is an ecological niche?
5. Outline the competitive exclusion principle.
6. Distinguish between a fundamental ecological niche and a realized ecological niche.
7. Define and give examples of the following types of interspecific interactions:  a)  herbivory   b)  predation  c)  mutualism    d)  commensalism    c)  parasitism
8. Define keystone species and explain its importance.  Give an example of a keystone species and what happens when it is removed.

C1 DBQ's can be found on p. 607, 608, 609, and 610.

All of these should be done in your notebook to get checked off next week.

Ecology Book Work for 8/29-8/30

Using 4.1 in your text, answer the following questions in your notebook. Discuss with group members as you go!

1. What are     a) producers?     b) primary consumers?    c) secondary consumers?   d) detritivores? e) saprotrophs?       If possible, include an example of each of the above.
2. What are   a) autotrophs?    b) heterotrophs? Examples?
3. What is an ecosystem?  Give 3 examples.
4. How does an ecosystem remain sustainable?
5. What is a mesocosm and what are they used for?
6. Do the Chi-squared DBQ on p 209.  There are instructions about what is happening in the DBQ and how to do the calculations on pp. 207-208.
7. If you get this far, then start reading C1!!

Added on Tues 9/3:

8. What is a population?

9. What is a community?

Welcome Back for IB Biology HL 3-4!

Welcome back for your senior year (except for a couple of you) of IB Biology!  I think you will enjoy the material for this year as we have saved the best for last!  At the same time, it will also take a lot of effort and perseverance.  It can be very challenging to juggle college aps, extended essays, portfolios, athletics, activities, and just having a social life!  You will probably find that you can't do it all and you will have to make some choices so that you can navigate the year.  Here is the proposed outline of topics for this year: 

Ecology (Chapter 4 and Start of Option C)

Biodiversity (5.3 and 5.4)

Evolution (5.1, 5.2, 1.5 and 10.3)

Circulation (6.2)

Respiration (6.4)
Digestion (6.1)

Carry out Individual Investigation (IA)

Semester 1 Final Exam

Immunology (6.3 and 11.1)

Muscles and Movement (11.2)

The Kidney (11.3)

Sexual Reproduction (6.6 and 11.4)

Neurons and Synapses (6.5)

Finish the Option

Review for the IB Exam!

Late April:  Practice IB Exam on Papers 1, 2, and 3

May:  take IB exams and work on end of year projects

Now Until the End of the Year

• Tues 5/14:  Notes on Translocation.  Measure your transpiration lab data and complete the Transpiration Activities worksheet.  Do DBQ on p. 418 in your notebook.  Read 9.3
• Thurs 5/16:  Turn in Transpiration Activities hand out.  Notes on Plant Growth and tropisms.  Finish 418 DBQ and get it checked off today or next Monday.
• Mon 5/20:  Finish plant growth and start Flowering.   Hand-out Partner Data Processing and Analysis.  Read 9.4.
• Wed 5/22:  Flower Dissection.  Wrap up the unit.  Plant Video.
• Fri 5/24:  Finish Plant Video if necessary and play Kahoot for Plant Test next Wed 5/29.  Work on Partner Data-Processing, due next Friday 5/31.
• Wed 5/29:  Plant Test.  Work on partner data-processing.
• Fri 5/31:  Submit partner data-processing.  Review for the Final Exam.
• Tues 6/4:  Review for Final Exam.  Play Kahoot.
• Thurs 6/6:  Review for Final Exam.  Last day to turn in late work and/or Extra Credit.
• Mon 6/10:  Finals periods 1,2, 4
• Tues 6/11:  Finals periods 5,6,8
• Wed 6/12:  Finals period 3,7 

May Update

These are the activities that we did and will be doing in the next week or so:

• Mon 4/22:  Part I of DNA Fingerprinting Lab.  Notes on Genetic modification will we wait for samples to incubate.
• Wed 4/24:  Part II of DNA Fingerprinting Lab.  Load the samples into the gel!  Work on 194-195 DBQ and list Benefits and Risks of GMO crops while we wait.  Final Enzyme Lab due through turnitin.com
• Fri 4/26:  View the gels!  Process the data by measuring the bands on your screen with a ruler and recording the results.  Notes on Cloning.  Work on DNA Fingerprinting write-up, due Monday 5/6 through turnitin.com
• Tues 4/30:  Overview of Biotech and Enzyme Unit.  Kahoot review.  Time to work on DNA Fingerprinting Lab.
• Thurs 5/2:  Biotech and Enzyme Test.  Pick up Leaf Worksheet when you are done and do it.  Read 9.1 on Transport in the Xylem of Plants.
• Mon 5/6:    Notes on transport in plants.  Start seed germination.
• Wed 5/8:  No School.
• Fri 5/10:  DNA Fingerprinting Lab due by 4:00 pm through turnitin.com.  More on transpiration, including how to use potometers.  Plant your seeds!  Read 9.2 on Transport in the Phloem of plants.