First Sightings of the CWB larva.

We have one of our first sightings of the Cabbage White Butterfly.

Here is a picture of it in the first instar stage.

Cabbage White Butterfly Eggs are here!

We just received our Cabbage White Butterfly Eggs before break and have placed these on the radish leaves.  We should see the larva emerge soon!  Here are the eggs under the digital microscope.

Bean Plant Image

Some of you bean plants did not grow as expected.

You may use this image as and example of growth and leaf structure.

Friday December 12th- Parts of a Flower.

Students started to look at flowering plants today to understand the different structures in a flower.  This will allow them to begin to classify the plants into the categories of perfect or imperfect which links to the ways they can reproduce.  

They took pictures with our digital microscopes and took cross-sections of the pistils of some plants.  

Here are some of the images they took.

Lesson #9 - Parts of a Flower

Complete the following reading by Friday December 12th.

Lesson #9 - "The Wonder of Flowering Plants"

p. 116-119

Click here to access the pdf.

Here is a link to the questions on the reading "The Wonder of Flowering Plants" p. 116-119

Make a copy an complete these by Friday December 12th.


Here is a movie on Cross-pollination.

Honey Bees and Pollination

From our discussion today in class here is a list of plants that require cross-pollination.

Click here to access

Also here is a link that is helpful in learning more about the importance of bees.
Click here to access pdf.

Here is a movie focusing on Bee CCD

Parts of a Germinating Plant

The following is a picture of 3 types of germinating seeds.

Use this picture to identify the parts of the germinating seed you have sketched.

Exit Slip for December 9th - Cuthbert Exit Slip

Click here to access.

Students sketched the growth of their germinating seeds today.  They documented the growth and changes that have occurred since they planted the seeds Tuesday, December 2nd.

Corn Plant 

Bean Plant- cotyledons exposed and split true leaves emerged.

Radish Plant - seed coat split, cotyledon halves exposed and split and true leave forming.

Parts of a seed --> a Plant

Here are some links to help with finding the structure and function of parts of a seed.

Parts of a seed answer key.
Click here to access both corn and bean. 

Colorado State- Garden Notes

Arizona State - Master Gardener

Seed Biology

Seed site

Students creating the Grow Planters for our Botany Unit

Today students put together planters for our radish, corn, bean and Wisconsin Fast Plants.  They will be tracking he growth of the plants and use them to compare and contrast monocot and dicot plants.  

Readings for the Quiz Tomorrow

Intriguing Insects Reading for WOW BUG

Click here to access the reading - Lesson #2

Click here to access Black Worm Reading - Lesson #3

Micro to Macro Reading - "From Seed to Adult Plant and Back"

"From Seed to Adult Plant and Back"

Click here to access.
Reading is on p. 59-63
Click here to access the text questions

Be sure to cover the procedure p. 51-55 on creating the growing systems.

Black Worm Video

Black Worm Video under the digital microscope.

Notes for Macro to Micro Chapters #1-3.

Click here for the link to Chapter #1-3 Notes.

Copy of the completed Notes from Class

Intriguing Insects Reading for WOW BUG Worksheet

Intriguing Insects Reading

Click here to access the reading. p. 22-23

Black Worm Reading - Lesson #3 Macro to Micro

Click here to access Black Worm Reading.

Celestron Digital Microscopes

This week, students got to explore using the new Celestron Digital Microscopes. These microscopes were purchased with grant money awarded to the 7th Grade Science teachers by the Yarmouth Education Foundation (Thank you YEF!). Here are some shots students took of everyday objects. Can you identify any?

    

Starting from top left: Ring, Cheezit, Computer Screen, Eye with contact, Ear, Pencil case, Eraser, Mesh on the inside of a headset, Table, Zipper on computer case

Wow Bugs!

Today the students were introduced to a parasitic wasp, the Wow Bug.  

Here are some images at scanning and low power.

Microscope Pioneers Reading

Click here to access the reading. p. 26-27

Microscope Pioneers

10 Important points for a Sketch

How to make a good scientific sketch?

Click here to access.

Starting to use Hand Lenses and Magnification

Today our students revisited their definitions of "What does it mean to be living?"

After that, they moved onto using hand lenses.  They studied text in their book as well as pennies to try to find distinguishing marks.  Many were able to locate initials of the artist who created Lincoln's portrait. 

 The rest of this week we will explore light compound microscopes, how to focus into a specimen and what a good scientific sketch is composed of.

Powers of 10 Video

Click here to access

Reading and Worksheet - Your Habitat is in My Ecosystem.

This Google Document goes along with the reading, 

"Your Habitat is in My Ecosystem."

Click here to access.

Read the article “Your Habitat is in My Ecosystem” on pages 43-45 of the Macro to Micro text. Then answer the questions in the Google Document above.
Or click here to access the book on line.

You will also need the following worksheet on parts of a microscope.
Click here to access the picture.

Then read the following link giving you directions on how to use a light microscope.
Click here to access.

Guided notes on classification and vocabulary

What does this pie chart tell us?

Guided notes on Classification

Click here to access the guided notes document.

Some Helpful links to Taxonomy

Taxonomy Check-in to go with the following links.  
Click here to access.

Greek and Latin Roots- Click here to access

Tim and Moby Video on Life- Click here to watch

Fun PBS Interactive on different crocodiles based on different environments - Click here to interact. 

Macro to Micro - New Unit

Today we started our New Unit- Macro to Micro.

The learning goals were:
1. Identify and list physical characteristics of organisms.
2. Understand how organisms earn there scientific name.

Students constructed a working definition of physical characteristics/traits.

They also learned new vocabulary:

• taxonomy
• nomenclature
• binomial nomenclature

Here is the link to today's reading and questions document.  Click here to access

Make a copy of the Google document and complete the reading on "What is an organism?" p. 8-11.  Then answer the questions provided on the sheet.  

Final Study Guide for Ecology Assessment and AMU Rubric

Quizlet-
Questions
and
Vocabulary


Final Study Guide
Go to the following link. 

Make a copy of the document and answer the questions.  

You may use your notes to answer the questions.  Take your time and be specific.

Here is the link to the AMU Rubric as well to check against your project.
Click here to access

Spear Farm Preserve Nature Walk- Invasives.

Tuesday November 28th we will go to Spear Farm Preserve off of Bayview Street.

Here is a map of the preserve.

Some Pictures from today's trip.

Think about these questions on our field trip and complete them when we return.  Be sure to use complete sentences and proper mechanics.

1. What are some native, non-native and invasives found in Yarmouth Green Spaces?

2. What kinds of things do conservation management specialists need to think about when they deal with invasive species?

3. What current practices are University of Maine systems and Royal River Trust doing to combat invasives in Yarmouth?

4. What kind of impact have humans had in Yarmouth introducing invasive species?  How did they get here?

5. What kind of things can you do to help manage some invasive species?

Ecology Study Guide and Work packet

Click here to the Ecology Study Guide


Click here to access the Ecology Work Packet
You have a hard copy of this.  

Constructed Response - Wolves in Yellowstone

Today you will be given a task to summarize central ideas/key events using key details from a scientific news story.

Click on the below link to access the document and make a copy. 

Be sure to read carefully and provide evidence to support your ideas within your response.  

HINT - Quotations from the text might help state your case.

Access the student document here.

After you have read and responded to the article, check out this video about the wolves in Yellowstone. The views are somewhat opposing between the article and the video. What do you think?

Access the video here.

America's Most Unwanted Project and Ecology Review.

Today students reviewed some ideas in ecology with the following questions.

Four check-in questions:

1. Compare and contrast a food web to a food chain.  Which is more realistic?  Why?

2. How does a modeling program like Ecobeaker help us in science?  What are its limitations (What can't it provide for us)?

3. List three different trophic levels found in an ecosystem.  Give a specific organism that can be linked to each of the levels and what it feeds on (how does it get its energy?).

4. How does the energy in a food chain transfer from one trophic level to another?  How much energy actually passes from one organism to another organism?

We also started to discuss the America's Most Unwanted Project.

Here is the link for the project

Here you will find resources, graphic organizers, and the rubric.

Link to Devil's Project Page - Click Here to Access

Link to Tweetie's Project Page - Click Here to Access

Invasive Species

Here are the links for today's activity on invasive species.
Specifically, we will be looking at the Northern Pike, 
but keep your eye out for other invasive species as well.

Portland Press Herald
and
Bangor Daily News



Questions to answer for Mr. Cuthbert's Science Classes
Click here to access

Link to Ecology Quizlet Vocabulary and Online Food Web Game

Click here to access Quizlet.

Brain Pop's - Food Fight- click here to access

Ecology Food Web Project

Today you will be completing a food web of a habitat you are familiar with.

Have fun and be creative!

Here is an example of an Arctic Food Web to help guide you.

Food Web Project

Directions: Create a food web for an ecosystem that is nearby. For example a

forest, stream, backyard, saltmarsh, or beach. You are encourage to choose an

ecosystem that you are familiar with. You should organize your food web so that

relationships between organisms are demonstrated (like we did in class).

Vocabulary to keep in mind:

organism

ecosystem

decomposer

food web

producer

consumer

trophic level

Required Items

Your food web should:

• have 15 - 20 organisms represented in the food web.
• identify the name of each organism.
• include arrows to indicate the flow of energy.
• have at least 2 of every trophic level represented (decomposer, producer, consumer).
• show many organisms interacting.
• contain a sketch for each organism.
• use a ruler to draw straight lines.
• contain color.
• contain a title (example - A Tidal Pool Food Web).
• contain your name and group.

Ecobeaker Maine Explorer

Students have been introduced to the concepts of modeling and simulations.
Students have access to an amazing technology resource in EcoBeaker Maine Explorer.  This modeling program takes them into a Maine Lake and how the organism interact within it.
Here is an image of the program.

Ecology Introduction

As we begin our new unit on Ecology, here are some important links to get us started:

Link to Sciencesaurus Reading:

Click here to access

Link to Ecology Vocabulary
Click here to access
Make a copy, Replace "Copy of" with your last name, and move to your science folder.

Modeling Slideshow
Click here to access
This is the slideshow we looked at today in class

Final Review - Parts of an Experiment

Click here to access the Lab/ Article Connection Spreadsheet. 

Make a copy and rename it with your last name.

Study Guide for Parts of an Experiment

Click here for the link to the Study Guide.

Mummification of an Apple

Student Results of the mummification of an apple.

Students working hard on the Mummification of an Apple Lab

Devil's Lab Information - click here to enter data 

Tweetie's Lab Information - click here to enter data

Mummification of an Apple Lab

Click here to access