It's gettin, it's gettin, it's gettin kinda hectic

We only have about 7 weeks till the end of the semester folks and I'm supposed to teach you everything else you would ever need to know about Biology in that time frame....Ain't gonna happen. But don't let that slow you down - there is no slowing down until we reach the end of the journey that we are taking together. Besides, you don't want your grade to stink, now do you? We still have miles to go before we sleep.

What is going to happen is that I am going to teach you who you are, where you fit in, and how you got here. So beyond Cell cycle and Cell communication, we're going into the organization of living organisms, the evolution of those organisms, and of course the genetics of those organisms since that affects all of the above. But first, we have to step into the energy that  drives us and motivates us. The systems that capture marvelous sunlight and transform it almost magically into the energy that drives our every breath. It's time for Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration. We'll call our study, the study of Cellular Energetics.

But before we get started, here's some humor:

Get ready to hang on for dear life - or at least the study of it! Let's get it started, yeahhh

Fighting Breast cancer is so much more than just wearing pink

To my students today, who received quite a surprise as they were laughing and talking about homecoming. I know the pictures I showed you were disturbing, and the faces I showed you were inspiring, but it's time to get real in our lives. Painting your hair pink doesn't make a difference. Open a door, say thank you, drop a few quarters in a jar, buy the guy on a corner a biscuit, hug those who you love, hug those you don't, research, dig deeper, and dream of a day when we are beating cancer in all its forms. You are the future. Seize it! Don't let it wash over you like a wave that will only get sucked back out to sea... I encourage you to have the courage to view this and realize what it means. This is why we did the posters today. This is why we study Biology. This is why we live, love, and cry.

AP Biology is a chance to search for the answers to our own humanity. Carried within us is the power to do great things and the power to do terrible things. Knowledge about our mortality is the key to some of that power. When we see how cells succeed and how cells fail, we understand more about our own challenges. When we understand how molecules interact and shape the destiny of so many pathways, we learn how communication and interactions with others can shape our own destination. When we experience the wonder of DNA and its incredible organization, we believe we are also a part of something larger than ourselves, something we help define. This is what it means to be human. 

 

The hardest journey...

Moving on folks

So we have covered Cell structure and cell membrane movement. We have a lot of ground to cover. We're on Cell Cycle, and will follow soon with Cellular communication. I'm not gonna waste much time on Mitosis and Meiosis. You have had that in the past. We need to see how cells can communicate and make magical things happen. Please Please Please review your notes on a regular basis.You can look over the PowerPoint for Cellular Communication in advance and go ahead and read through some of the text parts to try to develop some early understanding. Focus on the three most important stages: Reception, Transduction and Response.

 

We'll be working on the microscopic level, down with the macromolecules now. It's important you review your notes on Macromolecules and make sure you understand the structure and function of those molecules. Pay particularly close attention to the proteins and enzymes as these are significant in much of cellular communication. If you need to look back for some review, head HERE. Be prepared to write and keep up. Additionally, you will need to begin using the iPads for research on your organ system project. The printer in the room has been air-linked and is available for use in printing images for your project. Please make sure you have isolated images before printing so we don't end up with hundreds of pages of Google files. To print files, select the up arrow in the upper left hand corner, and then select Print, and choose the HP 8600. If printing multiple images, be sure you don't have double-sided checked.

Additionally, you should continue to use the Quest program to review all of the previous question sets you have completed. These are excellent review for the final exam. All question sets will be opened before the final exam so you may review them. When you come in the room each day, the iPad cart will be unlocked. If you finish assignment or class work early, you may take your iPad and review. Of course you may also access the Quest questions from home and review them at your convenience. 

Ferrum field trip

We just had an awesome field trip to Ferrum to allow students in AP Biology and the Health Sciences courses to participate in an actual cadaver dissection at the college level. Dr. Chris Aylesworth at Ferrum was amazing and our kids had a fantastic experience! What I observed...Our students need more college experiences before they go. They had a chance to see a real college lab in action and experience the interaction between the professor and the students. They had a fantastic tour of a small, private college campus, and had the opportunity to see and talk with some former MV students who are very happy at Ferrum :) Ferrum also provided a campus tour and a chance to eat lunch in the dining hall (so now they know what the Freshmen fifteen comes from LOL). I presented four activities that covered STD's, Epidemiology, Environmental Disorders, and the Vaccine dilemma between RNA and DNA viruses. It was a marvelous experience for all of us :). They loved the interaction, and many were very hands on with the cadaver dissection, which is great :). Great day! :)

The human body is a marvelous machine and now y'all have seen it up close and in more detail than perhaps you ever thought you would see. So it's time to begin putting that to work. You have a new project assignment, which will be part of your final exam. You will select and research one organ system of the body and create a tri-fold presentation of that system. You will need to be thorough and accurate, and will need to learn the material rather than just cutting and pasting as you will be answering questions to a panel of reviewers. So start thinking about the system you'd like to research and be prepared to start gathering data. You can take an advanced look at the Assignment Here. 

If you'd like to see yourselves in action, check it out at Ferrum Field Trip.

Let's get it started, yeah! AP Bio rocks at Magna Vista!

Time to get this Blog started. Welcome to Bunn's AP Bio Blog. I've wanted one for the past few years. So, let's start simple and see what our limits are. My classes had a Cells test this week, following an awesome field trip to Ferrum. I know it was tough switching from the one to the other, but I hope everyone responded okay. Cells are so important to our understanding of living beings that we will be spending a lot more time on them, paying particular attention to their metabolism and their ability to send and receive signals to direct their activities. So bring the recent knowledge you acquired regarding their structure and cellular division and let's move on down the road.