Today we started the fetal pig dissection to learn more about body systems. It's a great way to wrap up the human anatomy unit.

For the last 5 or so years, I have really thought a lot about the role of schools in shaping society in the future.  My overall conclusion:  the traditional public school as we know it will not last - it CANNOT last.  Lecture-textbook-exam type approaches are for the 19th century.  Here is a list of my favorite TED talks on the topic of Education.  They're in no specific order, except for the first one!

Sir Ken Robinson:  http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_changing_education_paradigms.html

Another Sir Ken Robinson:  http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

Gever Tully:  http://www.ted.com/talks/gever_tulley_s_tinkering_school_in_action.html

Logan Laplante:  http://www.tedxuniversityofnevada.org/2012/12/12/logan-laplante/

John Hardy:  http://www.ted.com/talks/john_hardy_my_green_school_dream.html

Jaime Oliver:  http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html

Sugata Mitra:  http://www.ted.com/talks/sugata_mitra_build_a_school_in_the_cloud.html



So what do you do if you're stuck in a broken system??

Very well-done time-lapse footage of a temperate deciduous forest over a year's time.  Shot by Samuel Orr:

a Forest Year from motionkicker on Vimeo.

Check out his kickstarter page for old and upcoming projects!


http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/motionkicker/new-york-year

New York Youth Institute - The World Food Prize - Improving the Quality, Quantity and Availability of Food in the World

Any takers for this awesome essay contest? Let me know if you want more info.


http://www.worldfoodprize.org/en/youth_programs/global_youth_institute/new_york/


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Beautiful Poetry

How does temperature influence respiration rates in goldfish? That's what we're trying to figure out today in lab. Can this experiment help us become better fishermen/women?

More mammalian diving reflex action

Trystan tests his mammalian diving reflex during today's pulse rate lab.

Amazing opportunity for the right plant-loving individual to work at Cornell Plantations this summer:

http://www.cornellplantations.org/learning/teen.education/peeps

Naked Mole Rats.....awesome!

http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/32136/title/Underground-Supermodels/

Student Contest

Visit http://www.earthday.org/journalismaward to learn more about a student competition.  It “is designed to bring the hard facts about school food to entire school communities – in the students’ own words.” According to the link, this is “a competition for student journalists … Articles submitted for consideration must be about the need for healthy, sustainable school food and must have been published in a school newspaper.” The top prize is $1500!

Let me know if you want to collaborate on this!

Today we started a unit on Kingdom Plantae. Here, we start our seed germination lab to study the effects of hormones on newly-germinated plants.

Groton Students Grow Food - Ithaca Times : Groton

Check out the news story on our student-run CSA!

http://www.ithaca.com/news/groton/article_d1f7eba6-4bab-11e2-9279-0019bb2963f4.html?mode=image&photo=0


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Fwd: 2013 National Youth Science Camp

Applications to attend the 2013 National Youth Science Camp (NYSC) are now available online at http://2013.nysc.org/. Two graduating high school students will be selected to represent New York at the all-expenses paid honors program which will be held from June 26 through July 20, 2013. To apply, please download the application packet from http://2013.nysc.org/ and follow the enclosed instructions. For more information about the NYSC, please visit http://www.nysc.org. For questions about the application process, please contact Mr. Anthony Jaacks at 518-474-5922 or by e-mail at ajaacks@mail.nysed.gov. The NYSC is hosted and operated by the National Youth Science Foundation (http://www.nysf.com/). Applications must be received by the New York State Education Department no later than February 15, 2013.

Anyone interested?

https://www.ecybermission.com/public/HowTo/HowTo_Compete.aspx


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Fwd: 2013 "Living on the Ocean Planet" Video Contest for High School Students!

The National Ocean Sciences Bowl® (NOSB), in partnership with the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA) and the Ocean Today Kiosk, is sponsoring the 2013 Living on the Ocean Planet video contest.

Any students currently enrolled in high school are eligible to submit a 1-3 minute video on this year's contest theme "A Window into Freshwater Science." This theme invokes the interconnectedness of freshwater and marine systems and includes, but is not limited to, our understanding of freshwater processes and the connection to the ocean, human impacts on freshwater ecosystems and the effects of invasive species. Prizes will be awarded to the top submissions at both the regional and national level. The 1^st national place video team will receive a Kodak PlaySport to encourage future multi-media endeavors! The 1^st place team's video will also premiere on the Ocean Today Kiosk!

The submission deadline is March 11, 2013.

For more information on this exciting and fun competition, please visit the NOSB website.

Influencing the rate of photosynthesis in elodea.

mushroom inoculation on Prezi