ResearchBiology Summer Review

These review activities are designed to help you review material you probably have had in previous science classes. You are asked to complete these over the summer in order to be prepared for the beginning of Honors Biology. There are three activities:

  • Metric System Review Packet
  • Scientific Method and Experimental Design Review Packet
  • Characteristics of Living Things Worksheet – Find and list 5 examples of each Characteristic of Life

Please print the required pages (do NOT do the activities on a computer),and complete them prior to the first day of classes. Anything not completed over the summer will need to be completed by September 5th (A day) and September 6th (B day). It is suggested that you work on these 1-3 weeks before school starts so that the material will be fresh in your mind for class.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Dr. Swanchara at

or Mrs. Sobota at

Research Biology Summer Review

Also called the SI system (Système International d'Unités). Why do we use it?

Based on units of ___10______

kilo = kDeka = Ddeca = dcenti = cmilli = mmicro = μ

Conversions to English system:

a. 1m = ~ 39 inches b. 2.54 cm = 1 inchc. ~ 30grams = 1 ounce

d. 1 kg = 2.2 poundse. 1 L = 1.06 quart(s)

Temperature: Celsius (C)

_____0 C = ______0 F freezing point of water

_____0 C = ______0 F room temperature

_____0 C = ______0 F human body temperature

_____0 C = ______0 F boiling point of water

Try these conversions using the metric ladder method:

1000 mg = ______g1L = ______mL

160 cm = ______m 14 km = ______m

109 g = ______kg250 m = ______km

1 μ (micrometers) = ______mm

Try these conversion using the ladder method:

1)2000 mg = ______g

2)74 km = ______m

3)4800 cm = ______m

4)1.2 kg = ______g

5)12.2 mm = ______cm

6)2.1 L = ______mL

7)198 mg = ______kg

8)15 mL = ______L

9)502 cm = ______mm

10)150 mL = ______L

11)710 cm = ______m

12)5 m = ______cm

13)1 μm = ______mm

14)6 mg = ______g

15)1 L = ______μL

16)12.5 m = ______cm

Compare using <, >, or =

17) 125 cm 12 m

18) 267 mL 2 L

19) 1500 mL 1.5 L

20) 43 mg5 g

21) 3.6 m36 cm

22) 120 μL12.0 mL

Using the metric system

A. What units would you use to measure:

  1. the mass of a water bottle?______
  2. the mass of a car?______
  3. the volume of a car key?______
  4. the area of an iphone screen?______
  5. distance from school to your house?______

B.Measuring you. The relationship between arm span and height was first written by a Roman architect about 2000 years ago named. He also looked at other ratios on the human body, such as the height of the head (top to chin) is 1/8 of the man's height. There are many proportions he wrote about that are useful in figure drawing and art.

Leonardo da Vinci drew a man using these proportions, which he called "Vitruvian Man." This is a famous drawing that you may have seen before.

  1. Measure yourself and other 2 other people if possible (all measurements in metrics!).

Name / height / arm span / ratio
(arm span ÷ height)*

* (Divide to get a decimal.)

C.Conversions (must include units)

  1. What would the mass of a 150 pound person be in kg? ______
  2. What is the mass of a 15.55 ounce World Cup soccer ball?

(assume 1 ounce = 28.53 grams) ______

D.Measurement of length, area, volume (Show your work)

All measurements should be in metrics. One inch is the same as approximately 2.54 cm. If you want to measure in cm (and you do), which side of the ruler will you use? (Indicate on the ruler which side you would use.)

  1. If a box (cube) is 1 cm on each side, what is the surface area of the box? ______. Be sure to include units. Remember that the area of one face is length x width, and that there are 6 faces on a cube.
  1. What is the volume of the box? ______. Be sure to include units. Remember that the volume is length x width x height.
  1. What is the surface area: volume ratio (SA:V) of this box? ______(*Divide to get a decimal.)
  1. How does this ratio change as the dimensions of the cube increase?

Show calculations here:

dimensions of cube / surface area (SA) / volume (V) / SA:V *
1cm x 1cm x 1cm
2cm x 2cm x 2cm
3cm x 3cm x 3cm

* (Divide to get a decimal.)

  1. What is the SA:V ratio of the following?

Show work here:

Scientific Method and Experimental DesignName ______Date _____

  1. Watch this video on the Scientific Method and take notes on the experimental design:
  1. Research Questions –
  1. Hypothesis –
  1. Independent variable –
  1. Dependent variable –
  1. Controlled variables (constants) –
  1. Control group -
  1. Read the following descriptions of experiments. Identify for each experiment:

(1) independent variable(s) – underline once

(2) dependent variable(s) – underline twice

(3) control group – put parentheses around (or write one if not included in experiment)

(4) constant(s) - circle

(5) Write a hypothesis

  1. Leah read that bees were attracted to certain colors and wondered if crickets also had a color preference. She divided an aquarium into three sections containing different-colored dishes (red, blue, yellow) and put 2 grams of mustard seeds in each dish. She place 30 crickets into the aquarium. She observed the number of crickets in each section at the end of 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes. She recorded the mass of the mustard seeds consumed at the end of 120 minutes. She was careful to place the aquarium so that the amount of light was equal throughout the aquarium.

Hypothesis: ______

______

  1. Joan read that the gas company was burying sheets of magnesium next to pipelines to prevent rusting. She decided to investigate the effectiveness of various metals in preventing rusting. She placed the following into for separate test tubes of water:
  2. iron nail
  3. iron nail wrapped with magnesium strip
  4. iron nail wrapped with copper strip

She used the same amount of water, equal amounts of the metals, and the same size iron nails. At the end of five days, she recorded the amount of rusting and the color of the water.

Hypothesis: ______

______

  1. Review the Scientific Method below. Not all science is done in this way, but it is one approach that we will use in class this year.
  1. What is the value of doing research on what is already known? (You will need at least 3-4 sentences to answer this completely.)
  1. Create an experimental design with ONE independent variable (called a controlled experiment) for the following research question.

RESEARCH QUESTION

What is the relationship between the amount of homework given and students’ test grades in Honors Biology classes?

HYPOTHESIS

This is the predicted outcome. Write it in the form of a statement. (Example: Plants exposed to country music will grow taller than plants exposed to classical music or no music.)

INDEPENDENT VARIABLE

What the scientist changes. What I put IN to the experiment. (Example: type of music)

Experimental groups:

Different levels or values of the independent variable (Example: country music, classical music, no music)

Control group:

Which experimental group is the most common? What will the scientist compare the results to?

(Example: no music)

DEPENDENT VARIABLE

What will the scientist measure? How? In what units? (Example: The height of each plant in cm after 20 days)

IMPORTANT CONSTANTS

Things that will be the same in EVERY trial (be sure not to include the independent variable here). (Example: type of plant, amount of light and water, temperature, humidity, type and amount of soil)

  1. Calculate the means (averages) in the data table below. Graph the means of the data. Be sure to include a title, labels for the x- and y-axes, and a label for each category.

Average % test grades / Minutes of homework per class
Trials / 10 / 30 / 60
1 / 88 / 94 / 99
2 / 87 / 93 / 97
3 / 85 / 98 / 99
4 / 82 / 92 / 92
5 / 83 / 98 / 98
Mean (average)

Characteristics of Life - Provide 5 examples of each Characteristic of Life.

1. Living things are made up of units called cells.

2. Living things reproduce.

3. Living things are based on a universal genetic code.

4. Living things obtain and use materials and energy.

5.Living things respond to their environment.

Characteristics of Life - Provide 5 examples of each Characteristic of Life.

6.Living things maintain a stable internal environment.

7. Living things grow and develop.

8. Taken as a group, living things change over time.