Monday, December 15, 2014

week of 15 December -- IMPORTANT UPDATE

Hi there,
  Just to provide evidence for you that I TRULY need a vacation, I have royally messed up the due date I wrote for the "E.coli to Elephants" summary!!!!! My bad, as they say.  Please note that the correct due date is:

Friday 19 DECEMBER!!!!

NOT

Friday 19 January as I erroneously wrote.  Mea culpa, Ms. Leary

P.S.  All part of my program to remind you that I too am human, and make mistakes!  :)

week of 15 December

Hi there,
 Short week this week!  You are taking the unit 5 test right now.  Wednesday, you will take the brief quiz on the E.coli to Elephants reading and then the rest of the period is yours for a work period.  I suggest test corrections, but you could also be working on your summary.

  Please remember that the summary is due by 2:30 PM on Friday 19 January.  You may rest assured that I will be beating feet out of here very quickly Friday afternoon! :)  So, if you plan on handing in a hard copy, find me before then.  Please remember also that you should self score on the rubric.  You could do this electronically or you could print a rubric and then give me a hard copy of the rubric.  If you submit the summary electronically, please remember to put your name ON the page that I would print.  If not, I will be taking points off.  There is AFT on Wednesday, so if you need help on the reading, come in.  I will not be in school Thursday due to a professional day, so make sure you find me before then if confused.

  As per usual, this means you have no homework over vacation.  Please have fun, relax, make good decisions, and enjoy time with friends and family!  I will be doing the same.  Then we will meet again in the new year and get back to work.

  Thanks, Ms. Leary

DUE DATES:
• "E.coli to Elephants" reading quiz - Weds 17 Dec.
• "E.coli to Elephants" reading summary + rubric - Friday 19 Dec. by 2:30 PM -- anything received                                 after that counted as late


Monday, December 8, 2014

week of 8 December

Hello all,
   Today we finished genetic control mechanisms and you had some time to get work done.  On Wednesday, we will watch a DVD called Ghost in The Genes which is about epigenetics.  Thursday is a work period for the test.  Remember the test is next Monday!
   Please come to AFT for help as needed.  Friday's AFT I will offer a review session for any interested honors students and clear the room of everyone else so we can focus.  If you need me to stay after on Friday I can do that too.  Thanks, Ms. L

DUE DATES:
• unit 5 reading questions - Weds 10 Dec
• epigenetics activity - by Friday 12 Dec
• unit 5 test - Mon 15 Dec
• "E.coli to Elephants" reading done + short quiz - Weds 17 Dec
• "E.coli to Elephants" summary by Friday 19 Dec at 2:30 PM -- if you are leaving early, make sure you share with me by this time/date!!!!!

Thursday, December 4, 2014

week of 1 December update

Hey everyone,
  Here is a link to a video that Mrs. Magnuson shared with her class.  It is a nice overview of epigenetic mechanisms that we started talking about in class today...methylation and acetylation.  There are things I don't love (there's no such thing as a "lip" cell but he's just trying to make it simpler).  It also has WAY more information than you need (ex: you don't need to know that methylation happens on cytosine, you don't need the enzymes that do acetylation).  But...it is a good general overview.

  ALSO...for now...SKIP the microRNA stuff!!!!! PLEASE DON'T CONFUSE YOURSELF TRYING TO UNDERSTAND microRNA.

Enjoy!  Ms. L

Methylation/Acetylation video (epigenetics)

Monday, December 1, 2014

week of 1 December - transcription and translation

Hey there,
  Welcome back!  I hope you had a restful break.  This week, we are talking about transcription, translation, mutations, and gene regulation.  You are getting two different practice sheets for transcription and translation and then will also be getting a project on transcription and translation.
   I highly suggest reading ahead on translation for Wednesday and also reviewing the links listed below.  Please come to AFT if you need help!  Thanks, Ms. L

DUE DATES:
• unit 5 reading questions - Weds 11 Dec.
• transcription/translation project - Thursday 11 Dec.
• unit 5 test - Monday 15 Dec.
• "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" reading & discussion questions done by Weds 17 Dec.  -- discussion will be in class that day in lieu of a quiz

LINKS:

Basic Transcription video

Simple Transcription diagram

Alternative mRNA Splicing diagram

Alternative Splicing video -- pretty basic -- seems to segue into 2nd video with woman narrating...I suggest skipping her as it gets very technical

Basic Translation video

Real-time animation of both Transcription and Translation

Another video of both processes