A nice Voicethread from a group in 7th period...

Cell Resources

Use the following resources to develop your Voicethread on Cellular Organelles:
Utah Genetics Site
Cells Alive
Ask a Biologist

Voicethread Login:
Period 1
Period 7
Period 3

I want to share this amazing presentation by a group in 5th period Food, Land, and You! The topic is on CSAs and Farmers' Markets. The link is below but you'll have to sign in with your Groton Google Account. https://docs.google.com/a/groton.cnyric.org/presentation/d/1h-JSIuFQ0q_G0HqTusZISg57JVQG1B5aVnVg7lG-iAg/edit?usp=sharing

This week I ordered a genetic testing kit from 23andMe and am excited to see if I am a carrier of any inherited genetic disorders! I'll also see if I am at risk of any potential diseases/disorders in the future. On top of that, it'll also track my human heritage back several thousand years...excited to share the results with the classes. $99 well spent!

Cool Virtual Microscope Lab - http://virtualurchin.stanford.edu/microscope.htm

Alex and Joel record their slug observations using the dissecting microscope during Day 1 of the slug lab.

After a somewhat-frustrating year last year (mainly because of technology problems) I am excited about the potential this year holds. I went to a couple workshops this summer around the idea of Project-Based-Learning and 21st Century Skills. I've always been an advocate of these ideas, but I've learned more about how to successfully implement these into the classroom. Now in its 9th year, I will continue to publish stories, student work, and all things science from this blog. This year I will be teaching 2 sections of 9th grade Biology, 2 of "Food, Land, and You", and 1 of 7th grade Life Science....so there should be plenty to report out! Looking forward to a good year!

Excellent Prezi on the Emerald Ash Borer by Tristen!

The Biology Regents Exam is the afternoon of 11 June!

I will hold review sessions on Bdays during lunch in my room starting after Memorial Day Weekend.  Hope to see you there!

Amazing video on DNA that we watched today in class:

BBC Knowledge Explainer DNA from Territory on Vimeo.

Yesterday, members of 9th period roughed it in the rain to help plant about 50 native wild-life sustaining trees behind the school. The trees were a part of the NYSDEC's Free Trees for Schools program to help celebrate Earth Day. We planted American Plum, Highbush Cramberry, and Silky Dogwood.

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/


Sent from my iPad

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.