Adaptations and keys

Today we will be looking at animal adaptations, and how sientists use keys. Answer the following questions using the links provided:

1. Explain what the word 'adaptation' means in relation to animals - http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Adaptation
2. What species do we belong to? - http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks3bitesize/science/organisms_behaviour_health/variation_classification/revise7.shtml

3. Go to http://mrskingsbioweb.com/worksheets/Classification%20Keys.pdf There are several animals drawn on the page, and a key below to help you identify them.  Pick an animal and see if you can get to the end of the key. Write down the steps you used to get there.
HINT - Snakes, fish, frogs and reptiles (like tortoises) are ectothermic while everything else is endothermic.

4. What are dichotomous keys used for (they are the type of key we made yesterday and used in the last question)? - http://www.saskschools.ca/curr_content/biology20/unit3/unit3_mod1_les2.htm

Try this quiz and other activities once you're finished the questions - http://users.netrover.com/~kingskids/quiz_science/animals/quiz1.html
http://www.teachersdomain.org/asset/lsps07_int_animalclass/
http://sciencenetlinks.com/interactives/class.html
http://www.kidscom.com/games/animal/animal.html

Polar Bears

First of all, check the comments in your books about what youre doing well and what you should try and improve on.

Today we will be finding out more about how polar bears live and survive in thie habitat.  Use the links to answer each question in your books.  Make sure you write in full sentences!

1. What do Polar Bears mainly eat? - http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/polar-bear/diet.htm
2. What colour is their skin? How does this help them? - http://library.thinkquest.org/3500/polarbear.htm
3. How many are there estimated to be left in the wild? - http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/polarbear/polarbear.html
4. What is the main threat facing Polar Bears? - http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/polarbear/polarbear.html
5. When do Scientists think that the polar sea ice might stop forming in winter? - http://www.wwf.org.uk/adoption/polarbear/
6. Give one similarity between Polar Bears and Mammoths: (Think about what they looked like, and threats that they both faced)

Try these once you're done - http://www.electrocity.co.nz/ or http://www.3form.net/flakeshake/

Animal reproduction

This morning we will be looking at how different animals reproduce.  Choose two of the animals from the list below and explain the points from the board about how they reproduce.

• Clownfish (Nemo fish) - http://tolweb.org/treehouses/?treehouse_id=3390
• Great White Shark - http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/sharks/species/Greatwhite.shtml
• Sea Horse - http://www.animalcorner.co.uk/marine/seahorse/seahorse_reproduction.html
• Blue Whale - http://www.blue-whale.info/Reproduction_of_Blue_whale.html
• Elephant - http://www.elephant-world.com/elephant-reproduction.html
• Penguin - http://www.penguins-world.com/penguin-reproduction.html 
• Frog - http://www.vnc.qld.edu.au/enviro/ens/2004/p1-cza-grap.htm

Once you're finished, find someone with different animals to you and compare ways of reproduction. Last of all, try this - http://pbskids.org/dragonflytv/games/dog_breeding_v37.swf

Revision for Monday

Here are the key points that you should be comfortable with for the test tomorrow:

• What the organs of the body do: Brain - controls the body via nerves, Stomach - digests (breaks down) food, intestine - absorbs digested food, lungs - take in oxygen, heart - pumps blood, blood - carries sugar and oxygen to the muscles, muscles - help us move.
• That cells are different in plants and animals.
• Similar cells working together make tissues, tissues make organs and organs make organ systems.
• Problems that can occur with cells (dividing too quickly and forming a tumor), and what they can do (cause cancer).

If you're ok with the points above you'll be fine for the test, don't worry if you have any problems or things you're unsure about, my email is tco with the rest of the cheney address after it (you can get it from the school website, I just don't want to put it up here!).  We'll also have a few minutes to revise before we start that test so bring any questions that you want to ask then too.  Everyone in class has worked really well and we don't need to worry!

I.T. lesson

Today we will be preparing for the chicken thigh dissection that we will be doing in period 3.  Answer the following questions in your books, using the links below to help you if you aren't sure.

1. What makes up all living things?
2. Copy the following sentence into your books, filling inthe gaps: A group of similar               working together make a                , and different tissues working together make                    .  Organ can work together to form                                   .
3. Name three different types of tissue, and what they do in the body:
4. Draw a diagram of a single animal cell, labelling the nucleus, mitochondria and cell membrane.
5. Name one single celled organism:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks3bitesize/science/organisms_behaviour_health/cells_systems/revise1.shtml - This link will help you with questions 1 and 2.
http://msnucleus.org/membership/html/k-6/lc/humanbio/4/lchb4_3a.html - This link has some good information about types of tissues.
http://www.cellsalive.com/cells/cell_model.htm - Cilck on 'Animal Cell' and use the interactive display to find what you need to draw in an animal cell.
http://www.lanesville.k12.in.us/lcsyellowpages/tickit/carl/protists.html#Animal - This site has lots of information, but protists are single celled living things, and it mentions several single celled animals that you can use.

Finally.... try any of the activities on this site - http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/body/index_interactivebody.shtml or http://msjensen.cehd.umn.edu/webanatomy_archive/GAME/default.html

Welcome!

This is the site we'll use through this year so I can put up key points from what we've covered in class, as well as videos and anything else that will help us revise and prepare for tests.  Save the address so you can check it at home whenever you have time.