Motivating Life Science Students with Technology

1
Motivating Life Science Students with Technology

• Karen Benitez
• Science Teacher
• Branciforte Middle School
• Santa Cruz, CA
• kbenitez_at_sccs.santacruz.k12.ca.us

2
Presenter Background

• Single Subject Biology credential (SJSU)
• Masters in educational leadership (SJSU)
• SVEF Teacher of the year (2007)
• Teaching experience 7th grade Life Science/8th
  grade Physical Science in both Title 1 and
  Program Improvement schools
• Masters ARP studied the influence of technology
  on classroom achievement

3
EETT Technology grant

• Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT)
• laptop, LCD projector, student laptop cart of 32
  MacBook computers, wireless printer and internet,
  scanners and set of video cameras.
• 12 teachers at my school site (teams of 3
  teachers), 36 teachers in District

4
Masters Action Research Project

• Masters Cohort group included science, language
  arts and math teachers
• Technology was most successful in the science
  classroom.
• Compared technology vs. non-technology
  assignments
• Completion rate (95 vs. 70)
• Average grade (15 better for tech. assign.)
• Better behavior and more focus

5
Technology in the classroom

• Initially, technology projects can take longer
  and/or be frustrating for the teacher
• Teachers do not have to be the expert on every
  technology used in class, students can (and will)
  be the technology experts.
• Use technology to integrate Language Arts and
  math into science curriculum.
• Set up procedures, routines and clear rules and
  expectations for students, especially when
  technology needs to be shared across a school
  site.

6
Table of Contents

• 1. Fire Alive Essay (typing)
• Cancer and mitosis Essay (typing)
• 2. Cell PPT
• 3. Smiley Face Genetics
• 4. Punnett Square PPT (with gifted extension)
• 5. Mendel Pea Website/experiment
• 6. Pedigree - Seabiscuit website research
• 7. Cochlear Implant Pedigree Unit
• 8. Moth adaptation experiment/website
• 9. Plant iMovie
• 10. DNA Comic Life

7
Essays and Technology?

• These essays involve both internet research and
  basic word processing, good beginning assignments
  to introduce students to computers.
• Teach students to check-in/check-out computers,
  turn on and access software, improve word
  processing, and spell check.
• Train students how and where to save their work,
  print and/or turn in work electronically.
• Can be valuable for students with NO tech.
  experience

8
1. Essays

• Is Fire Alive? Essay
• This assignment is done after studying the 6
  characteristics of Life
• Cancer and Mitosis Essay
• This assignment is done after studying mitosis
  and creating a flipbook of the stages of mitosis
• Students can write in class/homework
• Type final draft including spell check
• Stagger due date of assignment with extra credit
  for turning in early

9
2. Cell PowerPoint Project

• This is a review assignment done at the end of
  the cells unit to prepare students for the unit
  test
• Combination of visual/graphic and written
  assignment will appeal to a variety of learning
  styles
• Use co-operative learning groups
• Students can present their projects to the class
  reinforcing standards

10
Cell Powerpoint

• David G.
• Jayne S.
• 10/14/08
• Period 2

11
Animal Cell

Golgi Apparatus
Cell Membrane
Smooth ER
Cytoskeleton
DNA
Mitochondria
Nucleus
Rough ER
Cytoplasm
Lysosome
Vesicle
12
Plant Cell
Golgi Apparatus
Cell Membrane

Smooth ER
Cytoskeleton
DNA
Mitochondria
Nucleus
Rough ER
Cytoplasm
Vesicle
Chloroplast
Large Vacuole
Cell Wall
13
Mitochondria vs. Chloroplast

• The chloroplast is a part of the plant cell that
  uses light energy to make food for the plant.
  Its only in plant cells, and its green in
  color.
• The mitochondria is a bean-shaped part that is in
  both animal and plant cells. It also makes energy
  for the cell. It takes body sugar and breaks it
  down into energy.

14
Cell Wall Vs. Cell Membrane

• Cell Walls are a protective case found only in
  plant cells. They are made of tiny fibers and
  enclose the cell in a rectangular shape.
• The cell membrane holds the organelles and keeps
  the cells shape. Its in every cell and is made
  up of a double membrane of molecules.

15
Smooth ER Vs. Rough ER

• The smooth ER is a folded membrane that is
  connected to the nucleus. It makes lipids and
  helps get rid of chemicals and poisons.
• Rough ER is important for making proteins with
  ribosomes.

16
Difference
Animal Cell
Plant Cell
Spherical
Rectangular
Lysosome
Large Vacuole
Cell wall
Chloroplast
17
3. Smiley Face Genetics

• Students work in pairs
• Use a coin to determine traits
• Use Microsoft word to draw face.
• For each trait collect data on how many students
  got the dominant or the recessive form of the
  gene.
• Students then graph the class data including
  labels and a key.

18
(No Transcript)
19
Smiley Face Genetics
20
Smiley Face Class Data class of 32 students (can
compare to 150 students)
Trait Dominant Phenotype Recessive Phenotype
Face shape 22 10
Eye shape 24 8
Hair style 21 11
Smile 25 9
Ear style 24 8
Nose style 20 12
Face color 15 15
Eye color 24 8
Hair length 19 13
Freckles 22 10
21
4. Punnett Square PPT

• This project is done after background assignments
  on Mendel, Punnett Squares, and basic probability
• Students write their own genetics word problems,
  create PPT presentations and present them to the
  class for other students to solve.

22
Fish Punnett Square Word Problem

• Student Example
• Period 2

23
Fish Word Problem

• In ocean fish, black fish (B) are
• dominant over grey fish (b). A
• heterozygous black fish and a
• homozygous recessive (true-breeding)
• grey fish have baby fish. Fill in the
• Punnett square and answer box
• showing the offspring.

24
Punnett Square Answers
B
b


Bb
bb
b
Bb
bb
b
25
Punnett Answer Box
Genotype Phenotype Fraction Percent
BB Black fish 0/4 0
Bb Black fish 2/4 50
bb Grey fish 2/4 50
26
Differentiated Punnett word problem

• In Bulldogs, purple bulldogs are dominant (B)
  over yellow bulldogs (b). Two bulldogs get
  married and have 4 puppies. Three of the puppies
  are purple and one of the puppies is yellow.
  What genotype are the parents? Fill in the
  punnett square and answer box.

27
Bulldog Punnett square
b
B
B_ B_
B_ bb
BB
Bb
B
Bb
b
28
Bulldog Answer Box
Genotype Phenotype Fraction Percent
BB Purple 1/4 25
Bb Purple 2/4 50
bb Yellow 1/4 25
29
(No Transcript)
30
(No Transcript)
31
5. Mendel Pea Experiment

• http//sonic.net/nbs/projects/anthro201/exper/
• This is an interactive pea experiment where you
  can breed your own hybrid pea plants.
• Students create a poster of several generations
  of their pea plants and show the Punnett Squares
  explaining their results.

32
6. Seabiscuit Pedigree Project

• http//www.pedigreequery.com/seabiscuit
• Prior to this assignment I have introduced the
  concept of pedigrees with several examples.
• Students research the pedigree of the racehorse
  Seabiscuit and create a pedigree chart following
  a particular trait (successful racing for example)

33
Seabiscuit Pedigree Example
Key Female Male
Successful Racing Female/Male (won more than
10,000)
III.
Whisk Broom
Balance
Man O War
Tea Biscuit
II.
Hard Tack
Swing On
I.
Seabiscuit
34
Cochlear Implant Pedigree Unit

• This project is done at the end of the genetics
  unit after studying pedigrees and includes the
  topic of ethics in science.
• Students watch the Sound and Fury documentary
  movie. http//www.pbs.org/wnet/soundandfury/film/i
  ndex.html
• Students complete a three generation pedigree of
  the deaf family profiled in the movie.
• Finally students write a persuasive essay
  advising the parents of a deaf infant on whether
  or not the cochlear implant is the right decision.

35
Deaf Family Pedigree Example
Key Female Male
III.
Deaf Female/Male Cochlear Implant
Peter Sr.
Marianne
Michael
Nancy
II.
Mari
Nita
Peter Jr.
Chris Sr.
I.
Baby Brother
Older sister
Chris Jr.
Peter III
Heather
Tim
36
8. Peppered Moth Simulation

• http//www.techapps.net/interactives/pepperMoths.s
  wf
• Volunteer students act as predatory birds preying
  on peppered moths. The class collects data on
  moth survival rates for the pre and post
  pollution forests. Students graph and analyze
  the data collected.
• Additional assignments can include the life cycle
  of the moth and the history of the original
  experiments.

37
(No Transcript)
38
9. Plant iMovie

• In groups, students grow plants (radishes) and
  record growth/weight data.
• Students take daily photos or video of plants on
  a daily basis in order to make visual record of
  growth.
• Student graph/analyze data make iMovie of results

39
Student Plant Movie
40
10. DNA Comic Life Newsletter

• Students create a candy model of DNA
• Students use Comic Life software to create a
  newsletter explaining how they have discovered
  the structure of DNA. The newsletter includes
  base pairing rules, the importance of DNA to
  living things, drawings and pictures.

41
(No Transcript)
42
General Technology Websites

• United Streaming- science movies
• http//streaming.discoveryeducation.com/
• BrainPop - science movies
• www.brainpop.com
• Thinkquest - social networking for students
• http//www.thinkquest.org/en/