Monday, May 31, 2010
Fabi's Reflection Post
Thanks once again for a great 4th quarter blogging!
It was even better this time because we've all become blogging masters.
I liked blogging because I was sick for a couple of science classes and the blog helped me in catching up. I'm glad we're doing it again next year. Sometimes blogging was challenging. For example, when posting comments, I found it hard to include science in my writing. I liked blogging more this quarter because we could comment on the 6th grade blog as well and it was fun to find out what they're doing. Also, I learned a lot from reading the scribe posts on the 8th grade blog, and am looking forward to doing it next year. I also enjoyed blogging because a lot of people included videos and pictures that were helpful. Some of the information on our blog helped when studying for the science quest, and some of the reminders were useful as well. Sometimes, when I hadn't brought in my organizer, I checked the blog for help. Overall, I'm glad we came up with the idea of a blog!
Gio's Reflection Post
The 4th Quarter Blogging was, in my opinion, a little bit worst than the precedent Blogging projects. I think so because I didn't like the idea of having each comment due every Friday. For me, at least, it was easy to forget a comment was due, and if I wrote one in advance, it was confusing to remember if I did it that, this or whatever week. Yes, I think this was a good use of technology for our class, but mainly because it is all on the computer. Anyways, I would love to keep blogging next year, still being able to comment on both 6th and 8th grade blogs. I think it is very smart and essential that we keep blogging because if someone is absent this blog would help very much.
Gio, Reflection Post.
Heart Dissection
Hello 7th Grade!
On Thursday 27th we dissected hearts.
There were three kinds of hearts:
- Calf's heart
- Cow's heart
- Pig's heart
(Cow's heart)
While dissecting, we had to put a check mark for every heart part we distingued in our organ. Every time we found one we had to call Ms. D. and show it to her. Also, for homework, we had to answer question about the dissection. We were also divided into groups of two or three. This is all.
Gio
Blog post,
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Julia Reflection 4th Quarter
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Final Reflection Post, 4th Quarter Blogging
Heart Dissection!
She also reminded us that on Tuesday, June 1st we will have our last QUEST and the last IMPORTANT GRADE OF THE YEAR! Some things to remember for the test are: how to know if something is alive (Movement Respiration Sensitivity Growth Reproduction Excretion NRG/Nutrients; MRS GREN), and the Skeletal and Circulatory Systems. It would also be wise to read about the Digestive and Respiratory Systems. For anyone who has any questions, there will be a study session during lunch on Monday. You can also study the Google Doc notes we took in class to which you were all invited (Cell Notes N, V, and K).
After we went through this we got to start the dissection part of class. We were seated in groups of 2 or 3 and we were each handed a dissecting pan and the equipment (we only used the forceps, scissors, and the blunt probe). Most of us got gloves, but a couple people preferred to be bare-handed.
The first part of the dissection, once everything was set up, was exploring the outside of the heart and looked for the following things: left side of the heart, right side, dorsal (back) side, ventral (front) side, superior (upper) side, inferior (lower) side, apex, coronary vessels aorta, pulmonary arteries, pulmonary veins, superior vena cava, and the inferior vena cava. We could find all this using our heart diagram from the packet (also found on Moodle). Not until we found all of this and showed it to Ms. D could we move on and actually start dissecting!
The second part also consisted of searching for parts of the heart, this time for the right atrium, the left atrium, the aorta, the pulmonary arteries, the superior vena cava, the inferior vena cava, the left ventricle, the right ventricle, the mitral valve, the tricuspid valve, the aortic valve, the pulmonary valve, and the right ventricle.
Once Ms. D had checked to be sure that we knew the parts, we could clean up, and answer the questions due on Friday. These can be found on Moodle labelled as "Heart Dissection".
Here are some videos I found on the topic of dissection:
- Pig Heart Dissection-Not too clear at some parts, but this video has some cool facts and it's a great way to see if you didn't quite feel that you dissected the heart correctly...
- Heart Anatomy-For people who need to see the heart at work!
Lastly, I will tell you how this relates to our daily life. I find it very important to know what is going on inside of you everyday, all your life. Dissection is a great way to learn and see what goes on inside our bodies (or animal bodies). Also, it helps squeamish people get past their fears!
Things due tomorow!
- Heart Dissection Answers
- Comment by 4:00 P.M. (Remember! 3 for 8th grade, 3 for 7th grade and 2 for 6th grade)
And remember to check Moodle to see what we are doing for the rest of the year!
The next (and last) scribe is VANCE!
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Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live. ~Jim Rohn
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Added Notes:
I found dissection a bit gross, and a bit weird, but a very cool and fun way to learn about the body. Though, the cow heart was pretty big and couldn't be laid in the pan so that we could see both side's internal parts at the same time. But, I personally can't wait to dissect again!
The tools we used in were the forceps (tweezers), scissors, and the blunt probe. A blunt probe is "a long, slender instrument for exploring wounds or body cavities or passages. " (From WikiAnswers) In my group we used it to figure out where the blood vessels we found let to as well as to poke at the heart in smaller holes.
a blunt probeWednesday, May 26, 2010
Tuesdays science class
Hello 7th grade,
Tuesdays class started off with checking if everyone did their homework. A reminder to everyone, you should keep doing your homework and not stop because it is the end of the year. Ms D also told us that we are going to dissect on Thursday and that we can decide with whom we want to work together. We then got our cell labs back. After that, we started going over the muscular system and the chapter 3 notes. After that completed the heart and the circulatory system diagrams.
Here are just some of the questions and answers that we reviewed during class.
How many muscles approximately are in the human body?
The human body has approximately 600 muscles.
What are three types of muscle tissue?
· Skeletal muscle (biceps/triceps)
· Smooth muscle (stomach/blood vessels)
· Cardiac muscle (heart)
What is a tendon?
A tendon is a strong connective tissue that attaches muscle to bone.
Section 5: The Skin
What are the five main functions of the skin?
· Protecting the body
· Maintaining temperature
· Eliminating wastes
· Gathering information
· Producing vitamin d
Uv
Gamma
X ray
IR
Visible
Radio
Microwave
Ms D also told us about this man who had a led filling in his teeth. He could hear special radio signals because of the led filling.
Chapter 3
Section 1: The Body’s Transportation System
What does the cardiovascular system include?
· Heart
· Blood vessels
· Blood
What are its main functions?
· Removing wastes (CO2 out)
· Delivering needed materials (gets O2 to cells)
· Fighting disease (NRG and nutrients C,N,O,H get to cells)
Arteries- caries red blood and nutrients to cells (from heart to body)
Veins- caries blue blood and waste from cells (from body to heart
Capillars- arteries plus veins meet= O2 nutrient exchange for waste. Most of them in lungs/ alveoli
What we learned in class relates to life because we now know more about what we have inside our body and how our body works. We can also take better care because we know what organs need.
Homework and reminders
Human system quest on June 1st ( there is going to be a study session on Monday may 31st during lunch.
Next Blog comment
Link to moodle http://zagreb.ceesa.net/course/view.php?id=105
The next scribe is .......... KKKAAATTT and Gio
Sunday, May 23, 2010
On My Mind: Dot on the Map
Friday, May 21, 2010
March 21, 2010 Class
During class on Friday we handed in our Cell Project that was due on Friday. After that we went over our notes on Section 1: Body Organization and Homeostasis and Section 2: The Skeletal System. We discussed some topics regarding of what we are learning.
We also filled out the diagram concerning the different bones in the Skeletal System. We labeled the different parts of the bones in the Skeletal System.
If you follow this link ( http://www.encognitive.com/images/skeletal-system.jpg ) it will take you to a picture of a skeletal system with its bones labeled. It will help you fill out the diagram.
For those who weren't here, these are some important notes (NOT ALL) we discussed during class.
Section 1: Body Organization and Homeostasis
- Homeostasis: Process of internal environment keeping balanced and stable. (Not being affected by outside environment)
Example of Homeostasis: When the internal body temperature is close to 37°C despite the temperature of the air around you. (Except when you're sick.)
Things that disrupts Homeostasis: Stress, Illnesses (Cold etc...)
Section 2: The Skeletal System
- 5 Major Functions of the Skeletal System
a) Provides shape and support
b) Enables movement
c) Protects Organs
d) Produces blood cells
e) Stores minerals/material until they are used
Joint: A place where two bones meet. Allows bones to move in different ways.
Two kinds of joints: Immovable & Movable
Immovable Joints: Allows little/no movement. Ex. Joints at skulls.
Movable Joints: Allow body to make wide range of movement.
Ligaments: Connective tissues. Hold bones in movable joints.
Cartilage: Connective tissues. Flexible than the bone. Cover ends of bones. Keeps from bones rubbing against each other.
Four ways of how joints work
- Hinge Joints: Allow forward/ backward motion. Ex. Elbow
- Ball-and-Socket Joints: Allow greatest range of motion. Ex. Joint in shoulder
- Pivot Joint: Allows one bone to rotate around another. Ex. Neck
- Gliding Joint: Allows one bone to slide over another. Ex. Wrist & Ankle.
Osteoporosis: Condition where the bones lose minerals and break easily. Occurs when the bones lack calcium.
The picture on the left shows how a normal bone looks like. The picture on the right shows a bone with Osteoporosis.
During our discussions at the end of class we were discussing relationship science has to the world. We were talking about where (in the world) we think Osteoporosis occurs the most. Some people thought it was China because of the population and the number of Asians who are lactose intolerant. Others thought is was Africa because of economic state and how they are not able to afford milk, which contains an abundance of calcium. Ms. D told us that people in Africa obtains calcium by putting calcium in their bread! We ended our class with the discussion.
http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/body_basics/bones_muscles_joints.html If you visit this link it talks more Body, Muscles, and Joints. So some of the information may help you when you're studying!
Homework!!!
- Email Ms.D about Bodies Revealed (Due Tuesday, March 25th)
- Write Notes for Chapter 3
- Comment to 6th/7th/8th Blog
You could go on Moodle (http://zagreb.ceesa.net/course/view.php?id=105) to check more information about the following weeks!
Remember to bring COLOR PENCILS to class on Tuesday.
Next scribe is ANTONIA!!!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Bodies Reveald
The seventh grade class of AISZ went to an amazing trip to Bodies Revealed. It was related to our science class because next we are going into the human body. The expedition showed us people’s bones, mussels, nerves, lungs, brain, heart, kidney and much more. In my opinion, the coolest thing that we saw was unborn babies in tubes. It showed us how the baby looks like inside his mom’s belly. Another really cool thing we saw was the blood vessels of the human body.
DID YOU KNOW?! If we stretch our blood vessels we will have 100,000 miles of them!
NOW YOU KNOW!
We went into a room about smoking and saw what a healthy lung and a smoker’s lung. In that room, there was a box and a sign that said that smoking kills and that they what the smokers to live longer. It also said to through away your cigarettes into the box.
DID YOU KNOW?! Every cigarette takes 3 hours and 40 seconds of your life!
NOW YOU KNOW!
The brain was nice to see because they cut the brains into strips to show us the difference.
DID YOU KNW?! A woman’s brain is 2.5% of their body’s weight but a man’s is only 2%!
KNOW YOU KNOW!
The man who started the expedition said this quote:
"Why all this interest in the human body? The answer to this question seem quite clear to me: your body is the only thing you carry with you from the moment you are born until your very last breath.”
- Dr. Roy Glover, Medical Director.
Overall this was a very fun and I think most people will do it again!
Don’t forget to email Ms. D. about the trip by Tuesday.
Next scribe is Julia.
Class; Thursday, May, 2
In class we continued the Cell Lab which the former scribe briefly described. Today however we looked at onion cells (a plant cell unlike our cheek cell which is an animal cell). We peeled the skin off the outside of the onion to do this. First we looked at them with water at 40x magnification then drew what we saw. Then we added a drop of methyl blue stain and looked at it again with 40x magnification and drew what we saw again. After that we looked at cell at 100x magnification. This was more detailed and we could see more of the cell. I personally thought that the onion cells were more interesting than the cheek cells. I found the folded parts of the onion skin very interesting. However we were supposed to avoid this as much as possible because Ms. D. only wanted us to see the flat part so we could see all the aspects of the cell. For the final part of the lab we had to answer three questions about our observations. If you have anymore questions about the lab the instructions can be found on the 7th grade Moodle.
After we finished the lab Ms. D. passed around some slides with interesting materials on it. There were three with skin, one with bone, and one with a plant ( I forget the name). They all looked very interesting under a microscope and if you have the chance you should look at them. Next MS. D. took out a microscope that when you put it in front of something it showed that. It wasn't a conventional microscope. It hooked up to the computer and we looked at some things that couldn't be put on a slide. Some examples of these are an eye, fabric, a paperclip, and writing ( very large on the screen).
For the remainder of class we discussed our note taken on chapter 1. We did not get very far because we were off task a lot talking about random things related to the human body (will be explained in description). Our first question was on the levels of organization of the human body. In the discussion we went past and before the human body. Ms. D. told us the whole chain. It is as follows (smallest to largest):
Quarkselectrons/protons/neutronsatomsmolecules
organelles
cells
tissue
organs
organ systems
organism
species
genus
family
order
class
phylumkingdom
Then we listed the six kingdoms of life which all this living matter falls under.
The second question past without exaggeration but on the third question when we were talking about the types of tissue we discussed how epithelial tissue lines the inside of the stomach. From this we went into what stomach acid could do to you. We found out that it could make an ulcer and cause you extreme discomfort and if it leaked out the acid could dissolve your whole body until you literally were just skin and bones. You would then starve to death because all you reserves would be gone( a terrible way to die). Again when we were talking about connective tissue we somehow got to bone marrow transplants. We learned that in order to do have a successful operation you couldn't be "put to sleep" but a needle had to be stuck through you skin and bone into the marrow. This method is also used in a spinal tap but that is in between two vertebra. The two next question were what was an organ or organ system. Originating from that question we discussed what would happen if you didn't have some of your organ systems. All of them got to the same point: you wouldn't be here. In the case of the excretory system the waste would build up inside you and you would swell until you burst sending body flying everywhere. This shows that all of the systems are important, no matter how unimportant they seem.
What we did in class today directly relates to real life in many ways. We were looking and discussing parts of us for one thing. This knowledge will hopefully help us understand ourselves better.
Here is a link to a video that animates human body features and movements enjoy.
After finishing everything we had our break and went to the bodies revealed exhibit which will be explained by the Noam and she will chose the next scribe.
May 18, 2010
Hi everyone, I will be talking about the class of May 18, 2010. So, today we started using the microscopes to see cells and we started the cell lab.
This cell lab had a very specific way to see the cells. You had to first rub the inside of your mouth with a toothpick. Then you pour a couple drops of Methyl blue onto a glass slide. Then you placed the cells in the Methyl blue and stirred it with the toothpick. You placed the cover slip (a plastic slip) at an acute angle to the glass slide and you dropped it. If you did this correctly, then the Methyl blue would spread across the cover slip and leave no air bubbles. We drew pictures of our cheek cells with magnifications of 40 & 100, although some people had a microscope with more lenses, who could see at a whopping magnification of 400 times. We could see the nucleus, cytoplasm, mitochondria, and cell membrane of the cell. Some of us managed to get onto the second step, which involved seeing onion cells, but I personally didn't see what they were like.
We also spent some time talking about the field trip to "Bodies Revealed". As you probably all know, "Bodies Revealed" is an exhibit full of the bodies of people who donated themselves to the cause. You can see all sorts of human parts, such as the lungs of a smoker, the brain, and even things such a baby in a bottle. Don't worry, all of the babies died of complications. None came from abortions. That's pretty much it. Thanks!
The next scribe is Noam for the trip, Bryce for the class.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Microscopes and Cells
Hello everyone!
On the 13th and 14th of May in Science class we have showed our cell project to our classmates and we have worked on an assignment in order to discover the mycroscope!
For the cell project we were supposed to find a common object from our house that meets the function of the organelles (little organs) within the cell and with it make a 3D diagram of a cell!
As for the Microscope project we learned what the different parts of a Microscope are as you can see on the left:
- Ocular Lens (Eyepiece)
- Body Tube
- Revolving Nosepiece
- Arm
- Objectives (there are 3 or 4 of them on a normal microscope)
- Stage
- Stage Clips
- Diaphragm
- Light Source
- Coarse Adjustment Knob
- Fine adjustment knob
- Base
Here it is:
Magnification of eyepiece (e.g. 10 x) multiplied by Magnification of objective (e.g. 100 x) = Total magnification (1000 x)
Lastly, Ms. D told us what homework we have which is the blog comment, to read chapter one in our book and take notes from it.
The next scribe is Alix
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Science Class on Friday May 7th and Tuesday May 11
Hello seventh graders!
Due to M.A.P examinations on Friday, we didn't do much in class. During class we watched a few videos and we just relaxed and had fun because everyone came at different times. We watched our K'nex video once again and then we watched other interesting and fun movies about: the volcano erruption, the new satellite launched and the enormous boulder in Norway! We also had to show Ms. D that we finished highlighting the packet that had given to us on Thursday. We also got reminded about our next project! It is called: Cell Project and it is due Thursday May 13th. The directions are on Moodle and are under May 10-16th.
The link to our Science Moodle site is:
At the beginning of Tuesday's class we talked about the Cell project and Ms. D made sure that we understood everything. Then we got back our Superhero's that were outside on the bulletin board. We then went over all the different parts of Animal and Plant cells once again and then we colored in Plant and Animal cells and we learned which parts are which! After that activity we wrote some more notes in our notebooks and Kat, Viktor and Noam took notes on Google Docs. The links to each of them are:
https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0Acp6r0zJBnnzZGhtNjNjOW1fOHBiZGZtOGdy&hl=en&pli=1
Viktor's notes
https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0Acp6r0zJBnnzZGhtNjNjOW1fOHBiZGZtOGdy&hl=en&pli=1
I couldn't put up Noam's notes because I wasn't invited to her notes yet.
Today's notes were about Microscopes. We learned what microscopes are, and they are instruments that make small objects look bigger! We then wrote down:
Simple Microscope:
-only one lens is used
Compoung Microscope:
-uses more than one lens
-magnifies more!
Electron microscope:
-usess electrons
-amazing image - Resolution - sharpness or clearness and clarity of image
Later on, instead of writing and copying from the board, we were passed out a packet about microscopes. This packet is also on Moodle. It is under the same category as the directions to the Cell Project!