Groups & Topics for the final project

1. Chloe, Carson, Germar & Tanos.................Global Warming
2. Chien, Matt M. & Burrows..........................Biological Weapons
3. Redman, Mike O., Gallo............................HIV / AIDS
4. Allie, Olivia & Andrea...................................HIV/ AIDS
5. Kayla, Whitney & Rachel.............................HIV/ AIDS
6. Dan & Nick.....................................................Biological Weapons
7. Bruce, Paul, Slover & Hamel........................Energy Resources
8. Ben, Nicoya, Gunnar & Carol.......................HIV/ AIDS
9. Pat & Griff......................................................Disease
10. Jun & Tak.....................................................Global Warming
11. Sayde, Jess, Kali & Mike H.........................Depletion of Resources
12. Kiersten & Thrower....................................Global Warming
13. Ji & Moon.....................................................Ozone / Global Warming


Homework: Complete assignment #2. DUE IN CLASS ON TUESDAY MAY 1st.

Find five articles that are from popular news sources (for example: CNN, The New York Times, Newsweek etc..) and complete a summary table. Your summary table must include: the title, author(s), date of publication, date you found the article, complete url or citation and a summary. Your summary should be about five sentances and include the who, what, why, how etc.. What is important in this article?

Bottle Biology A & E blocks

Today A & E blocks came up with their experimental designs and built the TerraAqua Column.

The title of A block's experiment is:
The effects of various concentrations of "acid rain" on the growth of Wisconsin Fast Plants. Acid rain is in quotes because we need to speak to Peg & Barb about the best acid rain we can make.

The title of E block's experiment is:
The effects of various concentrations of "pesticides" on the growth of Wisconsin Fast Plants. Pesticides is in quotes because Kali is going to ask her mom (a landscaper) about the best pesticide to test.

Homework: Groups and topics are due in class on Monday. Remember, once topics are chosen they can not be changed. Choose Wisely!

More Infectious Disease Presentations & Bottle Biology

B Block finished up their infectious disease presentations.

C Block started their Bottle Biology experiments.

What is Bottle Biology?

"Like many good things in life, the inspiration for Bottle Biology arose unexpectedly — in this case from a pile of autumn leaves. While raking his garden, Paul Williams, a professor of Plant Pathology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, asked himself what might be going on in the middle of the large compost pile he was creating. Why not put some of the leaves in an empty soda bottle and watch them to find out, he wondered. The result: The Decomposition Column and the beginning of Bottle Biology."

Infectious Disease Presentations

Here's some of the great work people presented on infectious diseases.





Cut outs from Jun and Tak's Influenza Presentation

Researching in the ARC

Today all classes will meet on the second floor of the ARC to work on their presentations. Remember to look at the rubric so that the project meets all the requirements.

Infectious Saturday

Today all classes worked on their infectious disease presentations.

Presentations are due in class on Tuesday April 24th. Late projects will not be accepted.

Infectious Disease Presentations

In class on Tuesday you will give your infectious disease presentations:

Here's the guidelines:

–5-10 minutes in length
–Include a visual
–Have a handout for the class that includes:
•A description of the disease
•Symptoms
•Populations affected
•Disease progression
•Treatment options

Wikipedia is not an acceptable source for your bibiography. The following sources are:
National Institues of Health -- Emerging Diseases Index
Center for Disease Control -- Emerging Infectious Diseases
University of Iowa -- Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases

HIV/AIDS wrap up quiz*

*This was orginally going to be a quiz, however, given recent events, it is now worksheet.

B & C blocks completed the quiz/worksheet and did very well.

The Global Problem will be "Emerging and Re-Emerging diseases." For this problem, students will choose one of the following diseases from the National Institutes of Health emerging infectious diseases index. Students will create a presentation on their disease for the class. This will be the last global problem we address before students break out to work on their final projects.

Structure & Replication of HIV

Admit Slip: What does HIV look like? How big is it compared with other things in our bodies?

Objectives:

1. Students will take notes from a powerpoint using a graphic organizer with screen shots from the HIV replication animation (see link in side bar).

2. Students will then work in pairs to discuss a case study using their current knowledge on the basic biology of HIV, disease progression, structure & replication of HIV.

Homework All classes: review and organize your notes for an open notes quiz in class tomorrow.

Progression and replication of HIV

Admit Slip: How often is another person infected with HIV? Click here to find out.

Today students took notes on the progression of HIV and how HIV uses a host cell to replicate.
The animation you watched in class is available here and in the side bar on the right.

Homework all classes:
1. Watch the video clip below and follow the instructions for posting your comment.
2. Be prepared for an open notes quiz on HIV & AIDS in class on Tuesday.

Kurt Vonnegut & You

Watch the video clip below (thanks hans!). Post a statement reflecting on something that was said in the video and how it relates to what we learned about global warming or what we are learning now about HIV & AIDS.

For example, here's my statement: (92) HONORABLE PEOPLE: Seeing/listening to this part made me think of when President Mbeki spoke at the 12th HIV/AIDS conference in South Africa. In front of 12,000 people he held to his belief that "a virus cannot cause a syndrome."

Thoughts from Kurt Vonnegut

Found this on YouTube and thought it might support the awesome work this group is doing.

Basic Biology of HIV & Disease Progression

In addition to finishing the movie and going over the final project, A & E long blocks started class notes on the basic biology of HIV and the disease progression.

Did you know: Because of reverse transcription (RNA--> DNA) the mutation rate in HIV is 1,000,000 greater than that of normal transcription (DNA-->RNA).

How do you think this impacts the creation of treatment for HIV?

Movie Wrap Up (Wednesday & Thursday)

Classes will finish watching State of Denial and have a discussion on the impacts of the film. The honors classes will recieve the guidelines for their final exam/project.

PLEASE NOTE: You will only get one copy of the packet for the final project. If you lose it, it is your responsiblity to find another one.

Would you recommend your friends and family see State of Denial

Bonus: Post your response to question #5: Would you recommend this film to friends, family or people in your community? Should this film be shown at Vespers?

A Block: 5 things I learned from watching State of Denial

Post a comment below to answer the question: What are five things you learned from watching the film.

B Block: 5 things I learned from watching State of Denial

Post a comment below to answer the question: What are five things you learned from watching the film.

C Block: 5 things I learned from watching State of Denial

Post a comment below to answer the question: What are five things you learned from watching the film.

E Block: 5 things I learned from watching State of Denial

Post a comment below to answer the question: What are five things you learned from watching the film.

State of Denial

Today and tomorrow students will be watching the documentary State of Denial.

"As powerfully revealed in "State of Denial," many high ranking members in the popularly elected government — sincere heirs to Nelson Mandela — don't believe the HIV virus causes AIDS. This single decision to doubt the link has turned a crisis into a catastrophe. With five million people infected and nearly two thousand new infections occurring daily, South Africa has the highest number of people living with HIV in the world.

The film takes viewers into the lives of people struggling to survive with HIV in the face of social stigma, a severe lack of access to lifesaving treatments, and their president Thabo Mbeki's controversial stance on the connection between HIV and AIDS. A film of quiet outrage, "State of Denial" weaves the personal with the political in an uplifting portrait of ordinary people struggling to survive." - Excerpt from the film's synopsis, to read more click here

While watching the film students will complete a graphic organizer on the nine of the people and one group featured in the film.

Lastly during and after the film students will answer the following five questions:

1. How does President Mbeki's attitude towards HIV make you feel?

2. What was the most difficult thing to understand in the film?

3. What are five things you learned watching this?

4. What are four questions you have?

5. Would you recommend this movie to other students, people in the community, your parents? Why or why not?

Wrap up on Global Warming

We've solved the problem of Global Warming. After our mock debates we decided that everyone just needs to "get along" and "work together."

Between Friday and Saturday, all classes took a quiz on Global Warming, Ecosystems and Food Webs.

While we only scratched the surface of the problem, hopefully now you have a better understanding of the controversy and the problem.

The next unit we are looking at is emerging and re-emerging disease.

HOMEWORK: All Re-D0's for the Newspaper article are due on Monday.

Jess's Newspaper Article on Global Warming & Lakes

Below is Jess's article for the assignment here.

Lake Winnipesaukee – Five Centuries Ago
By Jess N.
May 9, 2507

Recent studies show that at one time our deserted Lake Winnipesaukee was a great vacation place for people fleeing from the summer heat waves from the East Coast. People left cities such as New York City to vacation at such a beautiful area.New York City was once a densely populated, multi-cultured, vibrant city before the ocean level rose and took over the city. Nowadays, we recognize that Lake Winnipesaukee is anything but a safe haven from heat. It is hard to believe that only five hundred years ago, the lake was a vacation paradise.
Today, in 2507, there is little life around the area known as the Lakes Region. Because of the much high temperatures today, photosynthesis has slowed down because the nutrients that once existed in the water couldn’t move to the surface. At the time when four seasons occurred each year, Winnipesaukee would experience spring overturn normally at this time during the year. Spring overturn was when the strong vertical movements delivered dissolved oxygen from the surface water to the bottom of the lake. This released nutrients which moved to the surface. May temperatures about five hundred years ago at Lake Winnipesaukee averaged at about 55°F. On May 5 this year the recorded temperature was 83°F.
Spring overturn was followed by fall overturn, which no longer exists. The purpose of fall overturn was to cycle the nutrients which caused a burst of primary productivity. Fall overturn stopped occurring when the temperature of the world rapidly increased during the mid 22nd century. Without the decrease of temperatures anymore, a permanent thermocline formed and prevented mixing between the warm surface and the cool bottom. The thermocline has been sustained for several hundred years. Life began to disappear within the lake because the thermocline prevented nutruients from growing.
The tragedy known as global warming increased the temperature of this lake and stopped its natural cycle. No more vacations are taken to Lake Winnipesaukee. Instead the area is uninhabited. Maybe in another five centuries, Lake Michigan will even become a vacated terrain.

Debates: US, China, Industry & Environmentalists

There were some great newspaper articles on the future of global warming and our lake ecosystems. These will be posted later this afternoon.

Today (and tomorrow for A and E blocks) students worked in teams to prepare arguements for who should be responsible for affecting change when it comes to CO2 emissions and how these changes will take place.

After reading "confidential documents" containing information on their specific group's point of view, students will debate the issue and must come to a resolution on a climate change policy.

Homework: All students must bring a 2 liter bottle to class on Saturday (E block, bring your bottle on Friday).

Global Warming & Ecosystems

Admit Slip: Do rich nations have an obligation to help poorer ones prepare for potential changes caused by global warming? (taken from a New York Times reader's forum).

Agenda:
1. Discuss admit slip
2. Review critical thinking #4 (work in groups to share experimental designs) and present to the class.
3. Hand out progress reports to students with below a B (84%).

Honors Homework: Read section 42.9 and answer the following question:
Take a trip into the future. How far into the future is up to you. Write a newspaper article on how global warming has affect the lakes. You may want to use Lake Winnipesaukee as the basis for your story. Think about how global warming could effect spring overturn and thermocline formation. Make sure your newspaper article includes: a title, a date of publication (may 12, 20-whatever), a location. The best articles from each class will be posted here.

Justices Rule Against Bush Administration on Emissions

"WASHINGTON, April 2 — In one of its most important environmental decisions in years, the Supreme Court ruled today that the Environmental Protection Agency has the authority to regulate heat-trapping gases in automobile emissions."

For the full story from the New York Times click here. Hats off to Mike H. for reading this article and sending it in.

Geochemical Cycles

First: Apologies to A Block. It was a gong show (and it was my fault). If you're in A block and you talk to anyone in classes later in the day you'll find out that we didn't do notes like your class did. Sorry, but that's what happens when you're the first class of the day on Monday.

Everyone else, very nice job presenting on the carbon and nitrogen cycles (esp. the B block nitrogen group).

Honors Homework: Read pages 739-747 and answer the critical thinking question #4 at the end of the chapter.