Okay, so all scheduling weirdness aside, overall the main point of today was a couple of heads up warnings, and some time to start working on the research paper we'll be spending some time on in Science.
So, we have recently read about the evolution of sexual reproduction, which involves a kind of cell reproduction called meiosis. We have also read about the basic ideas behind Mendel's theories of inheritance. Based on this, an on personal curiosity, there are some basic questions we need to answer:
1. What is meiosis? How is it different from mitosis? How does it work? What is it for? (Keywords: gametes, meiosis, sexual reproduction, haploid, diploid.)
2. How does inheritance work? Why are some traits more common and visible, while others less common and hidden at times? How can children be similar to their parents in some ways and different in others? What rules control heredity? (Keywords: dominant, recessive, trait, gene, allele.)
The target for this lesson is: By the end of this lesson, you should be able to write a research paper using citations that explains the process of meiosis and explains the basic laws of inheritance, as well as another related topic of your choice. (Topics so far: explaining the presence of certain family traits, of genetic diseases, of certain unusual conditions like different eye colors, etc.)
Over the next few days, we will have research time in class to use textbooks and computers to read about these topics in order to learn, and then to record what we've learned as paraphrased and quoted notes. At least 30 important notes are due Monday as a homework grade. We will then ask questions about what we've read, and then assemble our notes into a rough draft/outline for our research paper. This will be due next Friday, and will be a formative grade. Then, we will turn our (graded) outlines into a full research paper will will be due on Friday, March 7. The goal here is NOT the grade...it is the learning. If you learn from your research, then you can easily turn that into a passing grade. If, however, you simply copy information down and try to turn it into some sort of product, you will likely fail because you didn't learn: you transcribed.
This project will require at least 3 resources of your choice, at least one of which must be a text (book or magazine.)
Okay, the other news is a set of reminders:
1. We are running out of time for the Constitution Tests. As it stands, we will take slightly longer than I had planned to complete the Preamble, so there is a small extension on making up failed exams (any score below an 80% does not technically pass!) Still: get them done!
2. This Friday is the last possible day to retake/resubmit subpar or missing work if you want it reflected on the official Progress Reports for the midterm of Quarter 3.
3. The final day to retake the Eukaryotic Cells test is this coming Monday (or Wednesday if you get lucky and I have a meeting after school on Monday.) If you do not retake it and pass by then, I swear upon the bones of all my ancestors that I will make sure you do study and pass it: you just won't get credit for it in your grade.
Carry on.