camosun bog

  Take a look at  my  BOG PRESENTATION 

Camosun Bog Restoration Group method for bog restoration:  Watch this video. The teens in this video are my students when I taught at PW.  They learned their plantae unit by joining a work party!  You can also read about the history of camosun bog restoration here.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSrEhGSnhiY

Why  xʷməm̓qʷe:m, Camosun bog , is important: Listen to  Elder Larry Grant talk about  xʷməm̓qʷe:m.  By the way, Elder, Larry Grant's parents are Musqeuam and  Chinese.  In addition to being a speaker of the Musqueam language, he understands and speaks Cantonese.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6K7jASVzl8

Watch Elder Larry Grant's personal story:  He is a language keeper of the Musqueam People.

Watch the creation story of the Musqueam people . Their story begins  in Camosun bog.

The double headed serpent story 

 The Double-Headed Serpent from Deadpixel on Vimeo.

This is a pole carved by a Musqueam artist and related to the fourth video above.  It is  located in UBC and this is what it means 

Transcript of Elder Larry Grant video:

The bog is an integral part of Musqueam. In Musqueam history and the story of Musqueam. So that real connection. When that bog, it’s quite a few things actually when the bog shrinks, that means that people have drained the bog. For urbanization and use of land, removing what western culture called unusable land or unusable space, for I would say non cultural well, to us, non-cultural activity to the Musqueam people. Why would you drain a bog, it carries so much life, if it’s drained it’s allowed to shrink even more. That actually erases all the corroborating evidence of the story of Musqueam and it’s eradicating cultural identity, Aboriginal identity, it’s eradicating Aboriginal identity, in that sense where it removes all traces of any of the stories that we will be able to tell or we can still tell the story, but we won’t be able to say that this is where it originates. And if it’s completely drained, that’s just another step in removing all traces of First Nations People. I would like to see it grow actually but that takes a lot of effort, I would like to see it open up a little more and all those Indigenous plants that are there, allowed to expand a bit because then it becomes a teaching tool for all people. About the value of the bog, the biodiversity that’s in there is amazing, yeah, and it’s set up where people can walk though there and have a look and get very close to all the plants and the mallard ducks are still there. They sit in that center pond and just live be around up there and actually be part of the story of Musqueam. There is a mallard duck in there, there’s actually a little family of mallard ducks in there so. 

BIOLOGY ASSIGNMENT 
DRAW a hand drawn cartoon summary of the  videos which you see above as well as the meaning of the pole above.  You should  make at least three pages, one for each video.  In your assignment, try to write in musqueam!  Tell the story of Elder Larry Grant too, who is a Musqueam Elder (and a Musqueam-Chinese Canadian)

OR 

WRITE an illustrated essay using photos like screen captures of the videos and illustrate your essay with photos.  Remember that if you use a phrase from a source, to use quotations and cite the source. 


EVALUATION 
60 -  your work is outstanding and excellent. It looks amazing and stands out. 
50-55 - your work is excellent showing attention to detail.  You summarize the key points and you don't miss anything.  Your drawings tell the story of the videos and links.  Your writing summarizes the key points in an engaging writing style. You cite your sources and also you have posted your work on your blog, which you send to me. You show creativity.
40. your work shows a high standard of quality. your drawings are beautiful or your writing is excellent and engaging to the reader.  You show creativity. you could have included a few more details or you did not cite your sources. You uploaded and handed this in on your blog.

30 - You have a good start

lab: Identify the feather!

 1.  Examine the bird wing .  Label the feathers on the bird wing specimen 

2.  Choose 3  feathers from the feather collection and see if you can identify it using the US Fish And Wildlife Feather Atlas     Draw the feather sand write down why you think it is this type of feather 

3.  Draw the Robin specimen and write about the habitat and feeding habits of the robin

4.  Draw the mallard specimen and write about the habitat and feeding habits of the mallard

5.  Read the following resource and answer questions about feathers  

Bird Academy 

a.  What is a pennaceous feather?

b.  explain the term plulumaceous

c.  What are the seven broad category of feathers.  Draw these.

d.  How do you know you are looking at a wing feather?

e.  How do you know you are looking at a tail feather?

KERATIN ADAPTATIONS 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. 

Natural History Museum: Animals of the Pacific Northwest

 Choose one skull specimen that we studied in class.  Create a poster presentation of this animal so that we can create a display for the library learning commons or a glass display case in the school. Your poster must include:

1.  The name of the animal

2.  Where does the animal live?  What is the environment of the animal. Does it live in the forest, grasslands, desert?  Describe the home of the animal.  Where can you find this animal? include a drawing or photo of the environment. 

3.  What does the animal eat? Is it a predator or prey?  How do you know that it is predator or prey from looking at the skull?  Draw the food items that is eaten by the animal.  Include a drawing or photo of the food. Is this animal hunted by other animals?   INCLUDE A DRAWING OR PHOTO OF THE SKULL from your previous assignment.

4.  What characteristics of the animal help it to survive in our Pacific West Coast Rainforest? What are its adaptations?  

5.  Is this animal endangered?  What can we do to preserve this animal's habitat and food supply? 

6.  Make your display ENGAGING and interactive. Play a game like : guess the food item for this animal, or do some kind of activity

Environmental science predator prey lab

 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?



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.

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 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

 

Lab examining angiospermae leaf, and stem

 Please examine the following specimens under the LIGHT  microscope. Read page 285 to 287.  Make a clear and colourful drawing that is at least half a page and label the parts of the specimen.  Each labeled drawing is 7 marks x 5 drawings = an assignment out of 35 marks.  Answer all questions for full marks

Drawings

A. LEAF X SECTION LILAC 

B  SYRINGA LEAF X SECTION 

C.  Leaf collected from outside .

1. for  the leaf that you picked from outside, label the top and bottom of leaf and explain why one side is darker. 

2..  Look at the cross section of leaf.  Draw and label the cuticle, palisade mesophyll, spongy mesophyll, guard cell, vein. 

3..  Which part of the leaf is facing the sun?  Which part is in the shade? 

4.   What is the purpose of the stomata?

5.   What is a cuticle for?

STEM 

drawings:

A. monocot vs dicot 

b. longitudinal section of coleus stem 

 1. MONOCOT VS DICOT  Examine and compare the monocot and dicot stem   cross section slide.  Label the vascular bundles, xylem and phloem.  How do you know which specimen is monocot and which is dicot? (page 285) 

2. LONGITUDINAL SECTION Draw the longitudinal section.  The xylem is stained red.  What is the purpose of xylem?  

Flower and Fruit Lab : Angiospermae contrasted with early Tracheophyta specimens

 PLEASE OMIT NUMBER 6 BELOW, BUT DO THE REST

I am giving you a handout which is like a  colouring book showing the structures of flowers, leaves and fruit.  It is from the "Botany Colouring Book", a resource for university level botany courses.

Use this as a reference.

FLOWER and FRUIT LAB part 1
Go into the school garden and find the following specimens.  Bring them back for dissection and observation under the dissecting microscope.

Draw each specimen.  2 marks
Identify the flower type and label the parts.  2 marks
Write one interesting observation you notice  1 mark

 Each drawing should be at least a half page.  

Use a blank paper to draw your observations.

SPECIMENS: FOR EACH NUMBER BELOW, USE HALF A PAGE TO DRAW THE FOLLOWING: 
1.  Find a small HEAD type of flower  and draw it (simlar to a sunflower) . It ought to have a disk flower and ray flower within the head.  Observations:  Count the disc flowers in your specimen.  What is the advantage of this kind of flower? 

2.Draw these specimens

    a.  Find a branching type of flower, such as a SPIKE type of flower
    b.   Find a BRANCHING type of flower like a head type

    c.   Find any other type of BRANCHING type. 

3.  Find a BASIC FLOWER.  Is it hypogynous, perigynous or epigynous?  Draw it and label its parts


4. Fruit specimens:  find a fruit specimen from the school garden.  Identify the type of fruit it is and draw it. Classify the fruit according to your colouring book reference.  Examine a sample under the microsope. label any parts you see according to the reference. 

5.  Seed specimens:

find 4 kinds of seeds from the school garden: 

a."helicopter style" seeds 

b. parachute seeds

c. seeds composed of 2 parts (dicotyledon)

d. seeds composed of 1 part (monocotyledon) 

6.  EARLY TRACHEOPHYTA : these are not angiospermae 

a.  Fern specimen:  Note that ferns are NOT angiospermae. They have spores and no seeds.  Look at their spores and draw them. 

b.  Horsetail specimen:  Horsetails have silica to discourage herbivory.  Examine under the dissecting microscope.  Draw this specimen

7.  LIVING FOSSIL TRACHEOPHYTA SAMPLE:  Gymnospermae

a.  Ginkgo: Examine the ginkgo leaf under the microscope and look at the fossil

50 marks for the specimens

15 marks for presentation, completeness, creativity

total: 65 marks

ANGIOSPERMAE, the lateset plants in evolutionary history

 Read the Angiosperm Review Sheet  

(review sheet copyright Ms. V. Hui)

Here are the notes 

Go into the school garden and find the following items: Observe under the dissecting microscope   Dissect and draw. Hand in.

1. A flower with a stamen, stigma, pistil, petals

2. a fruit

3. a seed, is it a dicot or monocot? 

4. A leaf showing the *veins*

5. A pollinator photo

Evaluation: 

18-20 outstanding, careful  labelled drawings. in colour

15-18 Excellent drawings, labelled. no colour

10-14 Very well done. Not labelled.

0-10  Good start. It's incomplete.

Take a look at wood specimens under the light microscope

 observe cross sections of a pinus plant

this is a 3 year old cross section of a pine from the Berkshire Community College

Bioscience Image Library

Wood structure

Examine the wood specimen 

Plant evolution lab activity: Study questions for Alternation of Generation

 1.  What is the definition of a plant?

2.  Write the equation for photosynthesis
3.  Glucose can be used for three purposes for plants.  What are these three purposes?
4.  Review how sexual reproduction occurs in multicellular animals and explain the meaning of the words "haploid" and "diploid"

5.  The earliest plants in evolutionary history were bryophytes.  What are bryophyte characteristics?
6.  Explain Alternation of Generation
7.  What characteristics of tracheophytes help them survive on land?
8.  What is the order of evolutionary history:   fern, flower, moss, cedar tree...what is the correct order?

 First go into the school garden and bring back some mosses and fern specimens.  You will start this Plant evolution lab activity .  

1.  Examine MOSSES and FERNS by using the DISSECTING MICROSCOPES located in the back room.   These have TWO OCULAR LENSES: two eye pieces, not one.   

2.  Draw your specimens while observing under low power. Put your specimens on paper towel.   if a petri dish is available, try submerging your moss under water. It looks very much like seaweed. Why does it resemble algae?  

As you work through this lab, note that we do not have certain specimens. We have no liverworts or horsetails in our school garden so you cannot examine them.  Just answer the questions for liverworts and horsetails.  

Plants alternate their generations.  If humans did this, it would be something like this: I will explain this when I come back to school.

Watch this video and learn about alternation of generation 

Plant evolution webquest

do  this webquest on plant evolution.     Hand in your work

15 marks for the completed webquest.

https://natmus.humboldt.edu/exhibits/plants-history/evolution-land-plants

plant evolution lesson

  

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.

Bird nest lab

 

FYI if you are working from home, I will upload clear pictures of the bushtit nest here on this blog and on TEAMS, so you may do this assignment.

Investigation:  Write a report as a  document or slide show. 

1.  a.  Here is some info on  Bushtit biology right here:  an excerpt from the website:

"Bushtits need to eat 80% of their body weight each day to keep up with their speedy metabolisms when weather is warm- they eat even more when it cools down. According to a study from 1907, bushtits in California had diets that consisted of 81% insect matter through most of the year, and which increased to 100% insect matter in the spring. "  

http://wildfarms.weebly.com/blog/bushtit-fluffy-insect-eating-swingers

write 10 points which characterize bushtit biology

1.  NEST SAMPLE (shared microscope) : Observe the tiny sample of the nest under the microscope and report what you see.  Can you see the spider silk?  The moss?  feathers?  Take a picture with your camera if you can.

2.  COLLECT YOUR OWN SAMPLE OF a similar species of MOSS and LICHEN  that is NOT from the nest  from outside and examine this magnified either under the microscope ( OR using your camera to take a really close shot )  and draw your sample.  Answer this question: What properties of moss make it suitable for nesting material? 

3.  Listen for the sound of a bushtit around our school.  Observe for bushtits over a few days.  Draw a map of where and when you hear this sound and include it in the report.   

4.  Optional extra observations:  Some of you began looking at other interesting specimens in our class and using our microscopes.  If you looked at other specimens and photographed them, include them here too.  If you did not, no worries, number 4 is optional.

Evaluation

17-20 - This is a beautifully presented assignment with clear observations, photos, drawings and observations.  It is insightful and excellently done. It is typed or written in ink and in colour

13-16 - This assignment is complete and very well done with great photos and observations. It is in pencil

5- 12 - This is a good start with some good observations but it is incomplete

Environmental Science review safety rules

have a look at this standard science safety quiz

1. 

                         WHMIS -  WORKPLACE HAZARDOUS 
                         MATERIALS INFORMATION
                         SYSTEM 

      THESE symbols are on the MSDS sheet for
       all chemicals    Materials safety Data Sheet. 

THESE ARE MY SCIENCE SAFETY RULES:

1. Follow teacher instructions

a.     If you wish to change instructions, check with teacher

b.     If you break anything or get hurt, report it REPORT ACCIDENTS

2.     .No horseplay, fooling around

3.     Keep yourself safe

a.     Hair tied back, no loose clothing, shoes are closed

b.     If chemicals get on skin, use water

c.     Use eyewash if anything gets in eyes

d.     Wear goggles if needed

e.  If you wear contacts, inform the teacher

4.       Keep your area safe

a.     your work area is neat and organized

b.     you have your lab instructions

c.     aware of fire safety and chemical safety

5.     Keep the classroom safe

a.     Carry materials in a safe way

b.     Aware of fire safety procedure

c.     Don’t remove any experiments from the classroom

d.     Don’t do experiments without first checking with teacher.

6.       Hot and cold and chemical safety

a.     never assume the temperature of something.  Take precautions

b.     hot beaker and cold beaker look identical

c.     always point a test tube away from everyone

d.     when smelling a chemical, waft.

You will create safety rules by reading and summarizing the safety procedures in your poster

The rules can be under the following categories:
HIGHEST PRIORITIES:
THESE RULES CAN BE SUMMED UP LIKE THIS
      Talk to the instructor                     

KEEP ORGANIZED AND SAFE
Keep the classroom safe
Keeping your work area safe
Keep safe with your colleagues
Keep yourself safe
KNOW THE SYMBOLS
Know the correct symbols, WHIMIS symbols


COMMUNICATE AND REACT TO AN EMERGENCY
     be familiar with emergency procedures for fire, toxins, spills, and evacuation  

Environmental Science : Dead or Alive Activity

 

Monday, February 5, 2024

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