Coach Butcher's Biology Class 2007-2008

Closing in on the finish line

2009-04-24T04:55:00.000-07:00

Ok so we are in our last unit before SOL review begins.

Next week we will completing our computer lab on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will be Test review, and a Test on Thursday.

Remember no school next Friday.

After next Thursday we will have 13 days before the SOL.

We will spend those 13 days reviewing information, talking about how to take the test, and how to read charts and graphs.

Big Big Week

2009-04-06T05:45:00.001-07:00

So we have a monster week before we all take our much needed break from the grind!

Monday-Finish the lab and talk about what to expect with the Lab practical
Tuesday- Lab practical (it is a doozie people please please study!!!)
Wednesday- Test Review
Thursday- Test
Friday- Chapter 21 Overview

Enjoy your spring break!

March 30th thru April 3

2009-04-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

Monday Protist notes
Tuesday Finish Notes and begin the LAB
Wed, Thur, Fri Finish the Protist Lab.

As was explained last week and at the begining of this week, if you miss even part of the lab you will be required to write the research paper instead. We are working with living specimens so this is the alternative assignment.

Protist Paper

In lieu of completing the lab you must write a paper with a minimum of 5 pages. This paper will include information explaining each of the following bullets. Also all papers will be checked vigorously for plagiarism.

For each of the listed organisms please discuss each:
• How does this organism move?
• What structures does each have?
• What is the function of each of these parts?
• What Phyla does each organism belong to?
• How does each of these organisms reproduce?
• Is each organism a Protozoan, and Algae, or a Slime Mold?
• Please also find a picture of each..

List or Organisms:

Amoeba Paramecium Blepharisma
Stentor Euglena Volvox
Didinium Stemonitis Spirogyra
Plasmodium

March 23-27

2009-03-23T05:06:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the absence hopefully I am back on track now. If anyone is reading this that is.

Monday- Test Review with a focus on the short answer portion of the test.
Tuesday- Bacteria Test
Wednesday- Protist Overview
Thursday Protist Overview
Friday- Protist notes

Next week we will be doing a lab with live specimens you cannot miss next week PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Interims week

2009-02-17T05:09:00.000-08:00

So later this week we will be sending out interims.

The schedule fo rthis week is as follows.

Monday- No school
Tuesday- Finish Dichotomous key Lab and start Test review
Wednesday- Complete and go over test review
Thursday- Chapter 18 Test
Friday- Virus video

Just a note next Monday and Tuesday I will be out at a technology conference. As always I expect nothing but the best behavior from my students when there is a sub.

A return from a brief hiatus

2009-02-09T04:38:00.000-08:00

We are 2.5 weeks into the second semester and have completed our first unit. The performance on the first test of the semester has reminded me of a quote I heard back in high school, "Results will never change if the actions don't."

It is still unbelievable to me how many absences I have in my classes, and how much apathy these kids have. The amount of missing work already is inexcusable. And just a heads up in that department. Any work not turned in by the day AFTER the test will no longer be counted. The kids have known this since the first day of the semester.

Onto the results from this first unit. As with this country the divide keeps getting wider and wider. I have kids that absolutely crushed this test and got 100's. They really got the material. Then I have the kids that couldn't reach my age on the test, and I am only 36. Those are also the same kids that didn't do any of the work that went along with the unit. I have no compassion at this point for them.

OK so here is what the notebook should look like next Monday for the first quiz.
15 Overview
15 Notes
16 Overview
16 Notes
15&16 Test Review
15&16 Test

Schedule for the week.
Monday and Tuesday Chapter 18 Overview
Wednesday Notes
Thursday finish Notes and start Dichotomous Key Lab.
Friday finish Dichotomous Key Lab.

Last week of the semester

2009-01-13T05:11:00.000-08:00

Here we are the last week of the first semester.

Monday -Notes on protein synthesis
Tuesday- Computer DNA/RNA Lab
Wed- DNA/RNA activity
Thursday-Test Review
Friday Test

Chapter 11 Notebook stuff
Rest of Chapter 11 Overview
Chapter 11 Notes
Baby Making Lab
Punnett Square Worksheet
11 Test Review
11 Test

Chapter 12 Notebook stuff
Chapter 12 Overview
Chapter 12 Notes
DNA Cut Out Lab
Protein Synthesis Computer Lab
DNA/RNA Activity
Chapter 12 Test Review
Chapter 12 Test

Finishing up the Semester

2009-01-06T05:26:00.000-08:00

So we now have 9 days left before Exams and here is the schedule.

Yesterday and Today we will finish up our Chapter 12 overview.

Wednesday we will be taking notes on DNA.

Thursday and Friday we will be doing a DNA Lab.

Next Monday we will be tasking notes on Protein Synthesis.

Next Tuesday we will be doing an Internet lab found at this web site:http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/dna/protein.html

Next Wednesday we will be completing a DNA review activity.

Next Thursday will be a test review.

Next Friday will be Chapter 12 test.

This will run us right into exams. Remember the exam is open note and will be 100 multiple choice questions.

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-19T08:24:00.000-08:00

From my family to yours I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The last week of the year!!!!!

2008-12-15T05:56:00.000-08:00

So here it is the final school week of 2008. This week hopefully will go quickly (so I can head of to the sunny beaches of Florida)

Here is this weeks schedule.

Monday- Baby making lab (dont worry parents we are using coins not people!!!)

Tuesday- I will not be here (Dr appt) but they will be doing a Punnett Square worksheet

Wednesday- I will make sure they know how to do punnett squares, and answer all their whiny questions. The baby making lab is due this day as well.

Thursday- The rest of Chapter 11 Test review

Friday- I send them off to Christmas break with a test. Due this day is the Test Review and the Overview.

Happy Holidays everyone and I hope Santa brings you a new centrifuge or maybe an Electron Microscope!

10 days to go!

2008-12-08T07:23:00.000-08:00

This week is a tough one.

Monday- Test Review and get all late work in!
Tuesday- Chapter 10& 11 Test
Wednesday- Chapter 12 Overview
Thursday- Chapter 12 Overview and start the Notes
Friday- Notes

Please be ready for the test tomorrow.

The Holiday grind

2008-12-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

Ok so Thanksgiving is over and we are into the three week Holiday Grind. We have lots to get thru in the coming days so please be here!!!

This week:
Monday- Mitosis Notes
Tuesday- Mitosis Lab
Wednesday- Meiosis Notes
Thursday Meiosis Lab
Friday begin test review

Next Monday Dec 8 Finish reviewing for test
Next Tuesday Dec9 Test Chapter 10 and 11
Then we will go into Genetics and test on Friday Dec 19th.

This weeks schedule

2008-11-18T09:44:00.001-08:00

Monday we took notes and started our ATP lab.
Tuesday we finished the ATP lab and started on the test review.
Wednesday we will be completing the test review and reviewing for the test.
Thursday will be test day. The students will be turning in Chapter 9 overview, the ATP lab, and Chapter 9 Test Review on Thursday.
Friday the students will begin the Chapter 10 & 11 Overview.

For our notebooks here is the order for Chapter 8 and Chapter 9

Chapter 8: Chapter 8 Overview
Chapter 8 Notes
Chapter 8 Test Review
Chapter 8 Test

Chapter 9: Chapter 9 Overview
Chapter 9 Notes
ATP Lab
Chapter 9 Test Review
Chapter 9 Test

I will not be here on Thursday and Friday and the kids know how I feel about mistreatment of subs!!!

The test questions

2008-11-11T07:09:00.000-08:00

I gave the kids the four short answer questions on the test tomorrow.

Here they are for the parents to help them study:

21) What is the balanced chemical forumla for photosynthesis? (10 points)
22) Where do the extra carbons needed to make Glucose in the Calvin Cycle come from? (10 Points)
23) Draw the Light Dependent Reaction. (20 points)
24) Draw the Calvin Cycle. (20 points)

This will seem like a long week!

2008-11-10T06:01:00.000-08:00

After the three day week last week this one will be rough lol!

OK for the schedule

Monday We will take a quiz on Photosynthesis and begin our Test review
Tuesday we will finish the Test Review and do a review activity
Wednesday will be the Test on Photo synthesis (10 mulitple choice 10 matching and 4 short answer, I will tell them on Tuesday what the short answer questions will be so they can review Tuesday night!!!!!)

Thursday Overview Chapter 9
Friday Notes

For those overacheivers next week will be Notes, a lab, a test review, a test and another overview!!!!

Short short week

2008-11-06T07:52:00.001-08:00

Ok so here we are after the election and have a three day week.

We took Wednesday and discussed how we could do some things differently in the class so we could all be successful.

Thursday and Friday will be notes both days!

Interims will be sent home tomorrow

A New week :)

2008-10-27T04:10:00.000-07:00

Ok here is the schedule for this week (I know its amazing that I am on top of things this am!!!)

Monday- We will be begining our computer project
Tuesday- We will be completing the computer project
Wednesday - Test Review Activity
Thursday- Chapter 7 Test
Friday- Chapter 8 Overview Topic is Photosynthesis

Interims will be coming out next week!

OK so I am a little late with this

2008-10-22T04:51:00.000-07:00

None the less here is the schedule for the week.

Monday-We finished up our notes for Chapter 3
Tuesday- We began our cells lab (looked at the onion and the potato)
Wednesday- Day 2 of the Lab most finished the potato and looked at the banana and the carrot

Thursday- Day 3 of the Lab we will be looking at Elodea, blood cells and cheeks cells

Friday will be a crazy crazy day. We have an assembly and a funeral for one of our Glass students. We will be working on the questions from the lab.

2nd six weeks

2008-10-15T04:21:00.000-07:00

Ok so here we are 2 days into the six weeks.

First here is the schedule for this week

Monday- No school
Tuesday- Chapter 7 Overview
Wednesday- Finish Chapter 7 Overview
Thursday- Notes
Friday- Notes

OK so here is part 2 to this post. Too many of you all have thrown away check grade points. On assignments like Overviews all you have to do is complete it and turn it in and you will get full credit. But last six weeks counting all check grade assignments we had more zeros than 100's on check grade assignments. This is an issue!!

Also I wanted to say thank you to the 4 out of 120 parents that have been in for parent teacher conferences!

Some have asked

2008-10-08T07:15:00.001-07:00

For those interested in the school in Africa here is the website that you can findout more info!

http://www.mercycarecentre.com/

The last week

2008-10-06T05:07:00.000-07:00

Today marks the beginning of the last week of the six weeks. As a result we have a shortened week.

Monday- Notes
Tuesday- Test Review
Wednesday- Test Review activity
Thursday- Test

Thursday you will be turning in your test review

Friday only I have to be here, enjoy your 4 day weekend!

Chapter 3

2008-09-30T04:30:00.000-07:00

Ok so here is the schedule for the week.

Monday andd Tuesday they will be completing the Chapter 3 Overview.

Wednesday we will be taking notes.

Thursday and Friday we will be doing a computer project.

This is not a good week to miss class!

For those parents

2008-09-24T10:30:00.001-07:00

For the Parents that were interested. Here is the items from Chapter 2 that should be in the notebook. I would suggest that this be the order as well.

Chapter 2 Overview
Chapter 2 Notes
Chapter 2 review Sheet
Quiz Part 1
Quiz Part 2
Chapter 2 Test Review
Chapter 2 Test

Tuesdays News

2008-09-23T06:04:00.000-07:00

Ok so first I want to say thank you for the 10 sets of parents that showed up last night. Thats right people 10 out of 120 students were represented at back to school night. Quite the impressive turn out! (Sarcasm!)

OK so on to the real news the schedule.

Tuesday- Today we are working on the second part of the review sheet

Wednesday- I will answer any questions on the review, we will have a short quiz, and begin the test review. Busy busy day for sure.

Thursday- We will be completing the test review and doing a review activity for the test.

Friday- Test day. Also you will be turning in The Review sheet (both sides completed) and the test review.

Week 5

2008-09-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

Ok another beautiful weekend here in Central Virginia and now we are back to the grindstone.

Schedule for the week:

Monday- Biochem notes (last bit of notes for this Chapter)
Tuesday- Review Sheet Part 2
Wednesday- Test Review
Thursday- Review activity for the test
Friday- Chapter 2 Test

Big big week for the kids grades!!!!!