Clean Air festival topics and activities

TOPICS

take CO2 levels in different school rooms show pics of result.  

 build a CR box write clear instructions for how to make a  CR box 

PM 2.5 wildfire smoke affect on health. make a poster & a physical creative display out of wood & human body model . 

historical CO2 levels NASA make a poster of Climate change & a physical creative display of the earth & CO2 & a skull 

Do some busking at the festival

. 

Online resources:

fire smoke forecast 

https://firesmoke.ca/forecasts/current/

Clean Air Crew instructions for CR box , note instructions on the single filter model

https://cleanaircrew.org/box-fan-filters/

CR boxes can reduce illness in classrooms by removing germs floating in the air . A news article summarizing  the scientific research 

https://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/this-diy-air-purifier-costs-far-less-than-a-hepa-purifier-and-studies-say-it-works-1.6098237

Fraser health summary of wildfire smoke health effects

https://www.fraserhealth.ca/health-topics-a-to-z/air-quality/wildfire-smoke

CO2 levels 

Good ventilation health effects Lancet article on designing infectious disease resilience in schools. pic1 of ventilation benefits 

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ef3652ab722df11fcb2ba5d/t/60a3d1251fcec67243e91119/1621348646314/Safe+Work+TF+Desigining+infectious+disease+resilience+April+2021.pdf

Health Canada summary of ventilation as source of pic2 on CO2 harms

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/healthy-living/residential-indoor-air-quality-guidelines-carbon-dioxide.html

infectious disease https://www.salon.com/2023/06/25/poor-air-filtration-in-schools-is-driving-absences-and-tanking-productivity-but-the-fix-is-simple/

taking readings for aranet 4 

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/healthy-living/infographic-fine-particulate-matter.htmlwildfire smoke 

https://climateatlas.ca/wildfire-smoke-and-climate-change#:~:text=This%20will%20only%20continue%20as,more%20smoke%2Drelated%20health%20problems.

NASA data on climate impact of higher CO2 levels 

https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/carbon-dioxide/?intent=121

April 10: Plant Presentations

 You will continue with plant presentations that were started earlier and your teacher will observe them and record thoughts on how you presented 

April 10 work: Observe the Root nodules of Clover

 Rhizobium bacterium

lab: examine root nodules from clover plants under the dissecting microscope and also examine prepared slides of rhizobium under the light microscope.  Clover plants can be sampled from the garden and your teacher will look in the slide collection in the back room to see if the rhizobium slides are there. if not, you will observe these when I return next week.  --S.N.

 We know that plants are important to the ecosystem because they photosynthesize. Did you know that some plants are legumes and these are special because they have ROOT NODULES which are nitrogen fixers.  These root nodules are little rooms where Rhizobium bacteria convert nitrogen gas into ammonium and then Nitrobacter bacterium in the soil  converts ammonium into nitrates. Plants can absorb nitrates to make plant protein.  When those plants are eaten by animals, then animals use the nitrogen to make animal protein.  You can say that all the protein on your body (muscles, enzymes, hair, fingernail etc) was built from nitrogen which was fixed by Rhizobium at some point in time.  

ASSIGNMENT: 15 POINTS

15 points total. Draw a picture of root nodules under the dissecting microscope and also a picture of root nodules under the light microscope. Hand this in on TEAMS.   

 10 points

Only certain plants contain these root nodules...amongst them are  bean plants and clover plants.   Look at the roots of clover and draw a picture of root nodules. 

This picture is from research done by Tashiro et al on the genetics of clover plants.  https://www.researchgate.net/publication/250119450_Leaf_Trait_Coloration_in_White_Clover_and_Molecular_Mapping_of_the_Red_Midrib_and_Leaflet_Number_Traits

MICROSCOPE WORK:

EXAMINE PREPARED SLIDES OF ROOT NODULES UNDER THE MICROSCOPE and MAKE A CAREFUL DRAWING.  IF THE PREPARED SLIDES ARE NOT AVAILABLE THEN DRAW FROM THIS WEBSITE: 

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artfeb01/rhizo.html

APRIL 11 AND 12 WORK: Start the unit on microbiology.

YOUR TEACHER WILL REVIEW THE MAIN CONCEPTS OF MICROBIOLOGY. YOU WILL USE CLASS TIME TO DO THE ASSIGNMENT AND THE ASSIGNMENT CAN BE GROUP WORK. 

 This is an Introduction to Microbiology Notes, which cover Virus, and Monerans, with a mention of unicellular fungi.  Read this document as an overview. 

Read this Introduction to Viruses and also find out how Viruses can infect their hosts

Viruses can infect cells using the LYTIC CYCLE.  

Review the 

STEPS TO THE LYTIC CYLE: memorize AESAR

• Attachment
• Entry & degradation of host's DNA
• Synthesis of new viruses 
• duplication of virus' genetic material
• creation of new virus parts
• Assembly of parts into new viruses
• Release of new viruses

 video shows lytic cycle




 steps to the lysogenic cycle:  memorize AEIM

• Attachment
• Entry (no degradation of host DNA)
• Integration using integrase enzyme
• Mitosis
• Host+virus DNA duplicated
• cytokinesis
• A virus that uses the lysogenic life cycle is termed either a provirus or prophage. What causes various proviruses to shift to the lytic cycle is not completely understood, but in some cases stress is the stimulus.

COVID-19 is a virus that undergoes a lytic cycle, but it does not explode cells, instead, it simply gets released from a cell

MICROBIOLOGY ASSIGNMENT 1 What is a virus?  out of /10 

make a creative summary of the  Introduction to Viruses .  This summary must include the lytic cycle  and the lysogenic cycle as it is described in the videos above and also in this text   Viruses can infect their hosts.  

MICROBIOLOGY ASSIGNMENT 2 How does Covid-19 infect a human?     out of /10 

Watch the video above and explain how covid-19 infects a human body. Create a creative summary to describe it

CREATIVE SUMMARY CRITERIA. You may make a powerpoint slideshow, a cartoon, a poem, an interview or podcast.  You may also suggest your own format. 

EVALUATION
10 points:  cartoon is brilliant, it stands out, it summarizes the main points in a creative format, it is inked and in colour

8-9:  your cartoon is excellent and includes all the main points. inked and in colour

5-7 your cartoon is complete it may not be inked or in colour
1-4 your cartoon is incomplete


POEM.
10 points: your poem is brilliant and it rhymes and it includes all key points. it stands out
8-9:  your poem is really excellent and it rhymes and includes all key points.
6-7 - your poem doesn't rhyme but it includes all key points.
1-4 your work is incomplete.

PODCAST

10 points - your podcast is humorous, engaging and includes all the key points, it stands out

8-9:  your podcast is really excellent engaging and includes all key points.
6-7 - your podcast  includes all key points.
1-4 your work is incomplete.

CREATIVE SUMMARY CRITERIA. You may make a cartoon, a poem, an interview or podcast

EVALUATION
10 points:  cartoon is brilliant, it stands out, it summarizes the main points in a creative format, it is inked and in colour

8-9:  your cartoon is excellent and includes all the main points. inked and in colour

5-7 your cartoon is complete it may not be inked or in colour
1-4 your cartoon is incomplete


POEM.
10 points: your poem is brilliant and it rhymes and it includes all key points. it stands out
8-9:  your poem is really excellent and it rhymes and includes all key points.
6-7 - your poem doesn't rhyme but it includes all key points.
1-4 your work is incomplete.

PODCAST

10 points - your podcast is humorous, engaging and includes all the key points, it stands out

8-9:  your podcast is really excellent engaging and includes all key points.
6-7 - your podcast  includes all key points.
1-4 your work is incomplete.

Tuesday, April 2 lesson: Plant Evolution worksheet.

 

Please look at this Plantae evolution power point

fill in this worksheet with the main ideas from the powerpoint and hand it in through TEAMS.  15 marks.

Wednesday: April 3, Plant Evolution webquest

  do  this webquest on plant evolution.     Hand in your work

15 marks for the completed webquest.

Thursday/ Friday April 4,5 Watch this video on Alternation of Generation and read and review the lesson notes.

 

and take notes on this  Plant evolution lab activity .   Read up to page 8 and make a CREATIVE SUMMARY of the main ideas of these notes.   50 marks.  The creative summary can be in the format of a podcast, a cartoon, a storybook or an engaging power point. 

45-50 marks 

you cover all the main points and you use a creative format that is very original.  

30-44 

you are extremely creative and you cover most of the main points

20 

this is a great start and you need to complete the work 

FOSSIL LAB

 We will go over these slides on GEOLOGICAL TIME

And this is some background info on how fossils are formed. please do this worksheet    using the link here for finding the answers. 

HERE IS A SECOND LINK

This is 10 marks

Geological Time Lab

USE THE DRAWING PAPER AND MAKE COLOUR AND INK DRAWINGS OF SPECIMENS

Station 1 . ROW 1 THREE drawings  

Draw TWO samples of SANDSTONE 

DRAW ONE SAMPLE OF SHALE

  Answer the following questions
1.  How is sandstone formed?  Explain how a fossil might be formed in Sandstone
2.  How is shale  formed?  Explain how a fossil can form in shale

Station 2.  Known Fossils  THREE DRAWINGS 
A.  COMPARATIVE TEACHING COLLECTION ROW 2
Photograph all  fossils summarize their descriptions 

MAKE ONE DRAWING which includes  one fossil and one modern day equivalent.   Label the drawings with the descriptions shown

B.  FOSSIL BOX and fossil bucket.  ROW 3   Identify 7 and MAKE TWO DRAWINGS

1. photograph  7 fossils from this box and identify them.

2. Make two drawings consisting of: 

a.  a careful drawing of ONE FOSSIL from the box.

b. a drawing of the actual organism that  it came from using an internet search.  

c.   Tell me what era it came from as well as its environmental conditions.  for example, if your fossil is a SHARK TOOTH, then the organism it comes from is a SHARK and it's environment is marine. So your drawing in section 2B b is a drawing of a shark in its marine environment.

Station 3. ROW 4  UNKNOWN FOSSILS. 3 DRAWINGS 

 Choose 3 to draw
CHOOSE 3 fossils to identify.  photograph them and give evidence that you can identify the fossil using the known fossils. 

EVALUATION.   60 marks total

lab portion total 60 marks 

50-60 marks - you photograph all the fossils and you make drawings 

 3 drawings for station 1

3 drawings for station 2 and 

3 drawings for station 3. 

 You complete all your observations.    

30-45 - you completed all the drawings and it is not in colour .  Your drawings look great.  Or, you have beautiful drawings but did not complete all the drawings for each station.  

10-30 - This looks great and you need to complete the work

0-9 - this work is incomplete. 

How Evolutionary Change Occurs

  review these intro notes on evolution,   If time, look at the notes on

How evolutionary change occurs

Watch the videos below on speciation

ASSIGNMENT

DO TWO TASKS
1. WRITE A SUMMARY OF HOW SPECIATION OCCURS, WITH ILLUSTRATIONS.
Review THE BIRD video on the steps of speciation and take notes on this, outlining the steps. Also read "How evolutionary change occurs" as a reference
2.  NEXT, write a summary of the human evolution video
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/video/human-origin-101/







Here's the crash course discribing Darwin's journey on the Beagle

Evaluation out of 20 

 18-20    Your summary is brilliant, creative and in a visual format. It is complete and shows that you understand the concepts

14-16.   Your summary is very well done and is complete. You show that you understand the concepts

10-12.  Your work is good so far and needs to be completed

Evolution introduction

  Take a look at the Evolution power point and do the lab exercise at the end:

Evolution powerpoint

Group Trip Safety Plan

 Create a trip safety plan 

1.  Names of group members, including cell phone numbers and Emergency contact and their numbers

  Ensure consent forms are handed in 

2.  Name of group leader

3.  Draw a map of the destination 

4.  Make a detailed trip plan including the itinerary 

  a. how will you meet your group

  b. where will you meet

  c. timing 

  

5.  On your map of the destination colour code our route

6.  What hazards are to be found ?  how do we mitigate those hazards?

7.  What if a group member goes missing during our trip, what is your group response?

20 marks for a completed safety plan

Examine and Identify Vertebrate Skulls

   

  

Next we will. introduce the idea of  Using Dichotomous Keys to help identify things. 

We will use this key to do a lab on identifying mammalian skulls.  Be careful with these skulls!  They are very fragile.  We will take two periods to complete this lab.

CLASS NOTES: 
STUDY QUESTIONS TODAY:


1.  What is meant by the word "Adaptation"?
2.  Skull adaptations for predators/prey include the placement of the eyes.  Explain why eye socket anatomy is different in predator vs prey.  Give examples
3.  What teeth do predators have compared to prey?
4.  How are the skulls HOMOLOGOUS TRAITS?  What is a homologous trait?


IDENTIFICATION LAB:

Purpose:
1.  To identify a set of mammalian skulls and determine whether the animal is a predator or prey
2.  Demonstrate an ability to use a dichotomous key
3.  Draw each specimen and demonstrate your ability to observe using the skill of drawing.
4. Make conclusions about what animal this might be.  note that one of the specimens does not clearly fit the key exactly. Just try your best to identify it. 

For each specimen: 10 marks per specimen:
1.  Make a half page drawing where you measure and label parts     
5 marks - your color drawing is in ink, and  half a page and every part is labeled, and you have measured it in cm
3-4 marks, drawing is not in colour, it is in pencil, or less than half a page or some parts not labeled.  or you did not measure, or it is a rushed drawing
1-2 marks - it is incomplete

2.  observe the eye sockets and the teeth and conclude whether the skull belongs to a predator or prey
3 marks - you explain yourself very clearly and give your reasons and they seem logical
2 marks - your reasons are logical
1 - you are correct and need to provide more evidence for your point of view

3.  Take your best shot at identifying this specimen, give reasons for your conclusion.
2 marks - you are spot on!  or, if it is inconclusive, you give your best evidence for what it might be
1 mark- you are making a pretty good guess and you provide some evidence



Some useful information:

Dichotomous key for rodents
 Dichotomous Key for Mammals in the USA
Mammals of Alaska
The following quote is from
https://www.earthlife.net/mammals/teeth.html

"Teeth in mammals come in four different sorts: Incisors, Canines, Premolars and Molars. Not all mammals have all, or even any of them and the roles any particular sort of teeth play in an animal's life can be quite diverse. The arrangement of teeth in any given mammals mouth can be expressed as a 'dental formula'. This formula gives the arrangement of one side of an animal's jaw such that incisors are always written first then canines then premolars and then molars.

For humans 2123-2123 is upper and lower jaws respectively signifying 2 incisors, 1 canine, 2 premolars and 3 molars on each side in both the upper and lower jaw.

In total this adds up to 8 incisors, 4 canines, 8 premolars and 12 molars = 32 teeth in humans. Other mammals have different numbers of each sort of teeth in their upper and lower jaws. Hence Smoky Bats (family Furipteridae) have the dental formula 2123-3133 whilst Hyenas have 3141-3131 normally.

Incisors = Cutting teeth - these are the front most teeth in the jaw primarily used for the initial biting of food. They have a straight, sharp cutting edge and one root. In many Rodents they grow continually throughout the animals life, this is because they get warn down gnawing through things.

Canines = Stabbing teeth - normally only 2 pairs (one each side) per jaw. They have a sharp, pointed edge and are used with the incisors to bite into food and or to kill prey. Like incisors they have one root. The tusks of many animals such as elephants are modified canines. They are missing in rodents and most large herbivores (Perissodactyls and Artiodactyls). The gap where the canines would have been is often enlarged and is called a 'diastema'.

Premolars = Next back from the canines. They are generally similar to molars in form and function in both herbivores and omnivores, but in carnivores some of them at least are slimmer and are used to cut flesh. When they (the first lower premolar and last upper premolar) are modified like this they are called the carnassials. Otherwise premolars are teeth we use to crush and grind our food. Their upper surfaces have a broad, lumpy top instead of a sharp biting edge. These small irregular lumps are called cusps. Premolars are called bicuspids in some books, this is because, in most cases, they have two cusps. The prefix bi meaning two. The first upper premolars normally have two roots. The other premolars have one root.

Molars = These are larger than premolars and extremely variable depending on the animal's diet. Like premolars they are used for crushing and grinding food, and like premolars their upper surfaces have ridges called cusps on them. Molars normally have three to five cusps and two or three roots. In humans we call the third molars, those closest to the back of the mouth 'Wisdom Teeth'. If the jaw bone is not large enough to accommodate all the teeth in it, as sometimes happens with humans, these wisdom teeth can become painfully wedged between the back of the jaw bone and the 2nd molars. This condition is known as 'impacted wisdom teeth'."

Example:  Domestic Cat

a rabbit skull has a rostrom a rostral fenestra is a window or hole(s) in that area of the skull

this picture is from the following website 

https://www.backyardnature.net/yucatan/rabbit.htm

Classification Exercise

 1.  Read 196-199 in the Biology Textbook

and make point form notes on these pages, copying fig 7.2 an 7.3. Write all the definitions of words in bold: binomial nomenclature, species, dichotomous key, Taxa, phylogeny.

2.  Examine all the specimens in class

a. draw the specimen using a half page per drawing

b. Identify the Kingdom or phylum

c. What are the adaptations?

d. What is your evidence for your answer for b?

KERATIN ADAPTATIONS

 Open the windows for ventilation during this lab. 

Note: these feathers were collected prior to 2018

DNA forms the recipes for many adaptations in kingdom Animalia.  One example of a common recipe used for different purposes is keratin.  Keratin is a protein formed by a sequence of amino acids dictated by DNA.  

Keratin forms the hair of primates, canines, felines, all mammals.  Keratin also forms the scales of a fish, the feathers on a bird.  The soft keratin in birds and mammals is called alpha keratin. The harder keratin on a fish or a reptile is called beta keratin. 

This website explains the difference

The Science of Birds

Examine the variety of forms in the feather samples in the lab.  Look at these under the dissecting microscope.  Wash your hands after handling these feathers and note that all feathers are part of a collection that was assembled prior to 2018 and thus unexposed to current avian flu outbreaks in the lower mainland

Draw 3 samples of feather and answer the following questions: Each drawing ought to be half a page.

1.  Which  feathers look like they are good for insulation? These areas would be soft and fine, with the ability to trap air pockets

2.  Which feathers look like they might be good for catching wind for gliding or flying?  These feathers can zip together and come apart alike a zipper.  

3.  What are the differences that you can observe on these feathers? How are the feathers different in shape, texture, colour?  What is the purpose of colour for a bird? How can colour on a bird feather help a bird survive in the wild?

Examine the Fish Scale under the microscope:  Draw two views. Each drawing ought to be half a page.

1.  What is the purpose of the fish scale? How can this scale protect the fish? 

2.  Some scales are iridescent or they catch light in different ways.  Adjust the light levels under the microscope  and see what  you can find for interesting perspectives on this piece of fish anatomy. 

Eukaryotes and prokaryotes intro

  watch this intro video on Eukaryotes and Prokaryotes

This video is an intro to some of the similarities and differences between eukaryotes and prokaryotes. It is meant to accompany our class notes.

Vocabulary words and ideas in the video:

Eukaryote Prokaryote DNA nuclear membrane protozoan multicellular organisms unicellular organisms cell membrane, cytoplasm, DNA, RNA, ribosome, protein, endoplasmic reticulum vacuole mitochondria Plant cell chloroplast cell wall made of cellulose cell wall made of peptidoglycan Bacteria in the environment and the gut

Dead or Alive, notes on the cell

 in class  activity DEAD OR ALIVE

For your first assignment, I would like you to go outside and find the following objects  Photograph them or draw them and write about them in a little paragraph of no more than a third of a page.  You may answer in the form of a type written response under your photo, OR you may write it out in hand writing and draw your answers. 

1.  Find something dead.  How do you know it is dead? 

2.  find something alive.  What is it about this object that makes it alive?

3.  Find something that has never, ever been alive.  What characteristics does this object have that tells you that it is neither dead nor alive. It is nonliving.

4. Find something that is not alive, but an important PART of something alive.  Explain your answer

5. What is something that is not alive but a living thing depends upon it to survive? 

Look at your responses and ask yourself:  What is the criteria of being alive?

Criteria for living things:

What are the criteria for living things?
1.   MOTILITY - the ability to move
2.   IRRITABILITY - it responds to stimulus
3.   REPRODUCTION - it can reproduce and make offspring

a. it can grow

b. it can make another one of itself
4.  It is made of CELLS 

5. a.   HAS METABOLISM -total of all biochemical reactions

occurring in a living thing. If metabolism stops...then that

is death.

    b. TAKES IN NUTRIENTS and MAKES WASTE

CELLS (definition)

-A membrane bound organism that has cytoplasm and genetic material. It also has METABOLISM happening inside it.

-ORGANISMS CAN BE UNICELLULAR (made of a single cell) or MULTICELLULAR (made of many cells)

-ORGANISMS CAN BE EUKARYOTES or PROKARYOTES

Eukaryotic cells have DNA inside a nucleus.  Prokaryotic cells have DNA in the cytoplasm but no nucleus. Prokaryotes are bacteria

Eukaryotes are animals, plants, fungi, unicellular protozoans, seaweed.

6.  CELLS have HOMEOSTASIS - maintaining the status quo for temp,
pH, levels of hormones, levels of enzymes.

7. CELLS CAN adapt to change in the environment.






Organelle systems provide everything for the cell
1.  energy for the cell - this is in the form of ATP made
by mitochondria.The mitochondria needs GLUCOSE and OXYGEN.
GLUCOSE IS FROM DIGESTIVE SYSTEM.
OXYGEN IS FROM SYSTEM AND
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM.



2.   eating and drinking - cell receives building blocks such as
AMINO ACIDS, LIPIDS, NUCLEIC ACIDS from the
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM AND CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

3.  waste is taken away by diffusion

4. communication for the cell 
5.  cells defend themselves

6.  Reproduction of the cell 

ANY ANIMAL CELL inside a mammal...

Eating building material such as amino acids, lipids nucleic acids

Energy:  glucose and oxygen goes to mitochondria and carbon
dioxide leaves mitochondria

Waste:  ammonia

Drinking water

cell product:  made by the cell as specified by the DNA. For example,
a pancreatic cell makes INSULIN