Biology I Academic Vocabulary – Sheila Smith

Inquiry / Biochemical Basis of Life / Living Organisms and Their Environment / Biological Organization / Heredity / Diversity and Biological Changes / Assessment
Observations / Inorganic /Organic / Abiotic / Characteristics of Life / Dominant / Taxonomy / Conduct
Inquiry / Macromolecules / Biotic / Prokaryotic / Recessive / Binomial nomenclature / Formulate
Process Skills / Carbohydrates / Ecosystem / Eukaryotic / Genotype / Linnaeus’ Classification System / Apply
Scientific Method / Biochemical Reaction / Population / Phenotype / Cladogram / Construct
Problem / Monomers / Community / Nucleus / Homozygous / Kingdoms / Analyze
Hypothesis / Lipids / Habitat / Cytoplasm / Heterozygous / Domains / Recognize
Experiment / Proteins / Niche / Organelles / Mendel / Dichotomous Keys / Communicate
Data / Amino Acids / Predators / Levels of Organization / Chromatin / Variations / Defend
Analysis / Peptide Bond / Prey / Active Transport / Haploid / Adaptations / Evaluate
Results / Enzymes / Symbiosis / Passive Transport / Diploid / Natural Selection / Predict
Conclusion / Product / Mutualism / Multiple Alleles / Invertebrate / Explain
Variable / Substrates / Parasitism / Diffusion / Incomplete dominance / Vertebrate / Compare
Independent Variable / Nucleic Acids / Producers / Osmosis / Codominance / Camouflage/Mimicry / Contrast
Dependent Variable / pH / Consumer / Hypertonic / Sex Linkage / Mimicry / Classify
X-Axis / Water / Herbivore / Hypotonic / Sex Determination / Homologous / Provide
Y-Axis / Polarity / Carnivore / Isotonic / Mutations / Types of Evolution / Critique
Graphs / Photosynthesis / Omnivore / Concentration Gradient / DNA / Darwin / Differentiate
Inference / Cellular Respiration / Food Chain / Endocytosis / RNA / Lamarck / Draw conclusions
Predictions / Aerobic / Food Web / Exocytosis / Transcription / Diversity / Describe
Controlled Experiment / Anaerobic / Pyramid / Unicelluar / Translation / Survival of the Fittest / Develop
Theory / ATP / Water Cycle / Multicellular / Codon / Fossil Record / Examine
Safety Rules / Lactic Acid / Carbon Cycle / Mitosis / Anticodon / Vestigial / Investigate
Microscopes / Glycolysis / Oxygen Cycle / Meiosis / Pedigree / Speciation / Provide
Wet Mounts / Electron Transport Chain / Nitrogen Cycle / Cell Cycle / Karyotype / Gene Pool / Justify
Magnification / Ionic Bond / Succession / Cytokinesis / DNA Fingerprinting / Bacteria / Demonstrate
Resolution / Covalent Bond / Biome / Cancer / Electrophoresis / Viruses / Utilize
Safety / Molecule/ions / Biosphere / Chromosomes / Punnett Squares / Protist / Discuss
Experimental Design / Hydrogen Bond / Detritivores / Vascular / Trait / Fungi / Critique
Equipment / Acids/bases / Trophic Level / Nonvascular / Genes / Plants/Animals / Research
Substrate / Energy Pyramids / Binary Fission / Probability / Animals / Summarize
Scientific Investigation / Autotrophs / Biomass / Crossing Over / Genetic Code / Angiosperm
Scientific Validity / Heterotrophs / Niche / Selective Breeding / Gymnosperm
Accuracy/Precision / Energy Flow / Commensalism / Monohybrid Cross / Evolutionary Relationship
Dihybrid Cross / Species
Verb / Definition
Assess / To measure or determine the value or importance of
Categorize / To place in one or more groups based on similarities
Collect / To gather ideas or evidence
Contrast / To show the differences between objects or concepts being compared
Create / To produce a desired solution, concept, or plan
Deduct / To deduce or reason by deduction; infer by reasoning from the general to the specific
Determine / To make a conclusion, prediction or ruling after investigation or reasoning
Draw Conclusions / To make logical statements or predictions based on available information
Establish / To create or bring about an idea or connection
Form / To develop an idea or conclusion
Formulate / To devise or invent a plan, strategy, or idea
Gather / To bring several ideas, concepts, or objects together
Investigate / To observe or study by close examination or research
Justify / To support a position or conclusion with facts or ideas
List / To write a group of words, objects, concepts or ideas
Measure / To determine the dimensions, quantity, or capacity of an object
Model / To create a representation of a concept, object or system
Predict / To attempt to anticipate a future occurrence based on available information
Produce / To create a product, concept or idea
Propose / To put forward an idea to be considered
Recognize / To identify from past experience or prior knowledge
Represent / To serve as an example of a concept or object
Understand / To comprehend the meaning of a concept or idea
Use / To apply for a purpose

Assessment Verbs - Science Specific Verbs – Sheila Smith

Four-Square Vocabulary Strategy

1. Vocabulary Word / 2. Example
4. Define in your own words / 3. Non-Example

Four-Square Vocabulary Strategy

1. Vocabulary Word / 2. Example
4. Define in your own words / 3. Non-Example

Four-Square Vocabulary Strategy

1. Vocabulary Word / 2. Example
4. Define in your own words / 3. Non-Example

Four-Square Vocabulary Strategy

1. Vocabulary Word / 2. Example
4. Define in your own words / 3. Non-Example

Ten Important Words – Sheila Smith

The Ten Important Word strategy helps builds students’ awareness of the vocabulary words that they encounter in science texts. The students are instructed to find important words or words essential to understanding a text. Those important words are ten gathered, sorted, and graphed. After a discussion about the important words, students include some of those words in a written summary of the text.

Procedure:

1.  Choose a science text passage for students to read. This text should include essential vocabulary words related to your topic of study.

2.  To begin the lesson, share the text with students. Provide them with a short summary of the text. Decide whether students will read independently or in pairs.

3.  Tell students that when they are finished reading, they will identify ten important words in the text and then write one word on each sticky note.

4.  As a whole class, create a bar graph of words that students choose. Use a large sheet of chart paper to make the graph. Each column should represent a different word. Have each student or pair students put the sticky notes in the appropriate place on the bar graph. The sticky notes will create the bars on the graph.

5.  Once all words are plotted, ask students to look at the results. Ask, “Which words were selected the most? Why are these words important? What do they mean in this text? Which words were selected the least? Why do you think fewer students chose these words?”

6.  Distribute copies of resource page. Ask students to work in pairs to write sentences that summarizes the text. They use the words on the graph to write the sentences.

Ten Important Words – Sheila Smith

Directions: Read the selected passage. Then use this page to record your ten important words, and write your summary of the passage.

______

______

______

______

______

______

Summary:

______

Waiting on Ketchup – Scientific Method Activity

Problem: Which brand of ketchup is the thickest?

Hypothesis:

If ______brand is the thickest, then it will go down the ramp the slowest.

Materials:

3 brands of ketchup / Wax paper / Eye drops
Book / Timer / Paper towel

Procedure:

1.  Cover the book with wax paper.

2.  On the wax paper, draw a line at the top of the wax paper, and then a second line 15 cm below it. This is your race track for the ketchup.

3.  Put five squirts of ketchup, one on top of the other, on the top line.

4.  Hold the book so it is perpendicular to the table.

5.  Time how long it takes to get to the second line. Record the time in seconds.

6.  Repeat 4 more times.

7.  Repeat steps 4-6 with the other brands of ketchup.

Data:

Brand
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
Trial 4
Trial 5
Average

1.  What was the independent variable?

2.  What was the dependent variable?

3.  What were the controls?

4.  What are some other ways you could have tested ketchup to determine which one was the best?

5.  Is there a correlation between cost and movement? Explain.

Create a bar graph of your average data.

Conclusion:

Submitted by Sheila Smith – Adapted from NSTA Science Conference

Lab Activity – Life Savers – Sheila Smith

  • Life Savers are introduced in the original Pep-O-Mint flavor. Chocolate maker Clarence Crane was searching for a sweet treat that would withstand the summer heat better than chocolate. To differentiate his mints from other square, pillow-shaped products, Clarence punched a hole in the middle of his mints. Since the mints looked like mini life preservers, he called them Life Savers. Since its introduction, more than 40 flavors of Life Savers have been created.

During a taste and sight experiment in Ms. Smith’s biology class, students wondered if the different colored candies dissolved at different rates. Ms. Smith asked them how they could find out about the solubility rates of the Life Savers candies they were using in their experiment.

Objective

Design an experiment to test which color of life savers dissolve the fastest.

Procedure

Analysis

1.  Was your hypothesis supported? Why or why not?

2.  Identify the variables in your experiment.

3.  Can you improve this experiment to get more accurate results?

Formative Assessment Strategy – Quick Quizzes – S. Smith

Quick quizzes are designed to assess students’ comprehension of new material and their ability to apply it. They are short, so they do not take away too much class time. They are easy to grade, so students get feedback in a short amount of time.

Sample Quick Quiz Implementation

Time / Strategy
3-5 Minutes / Bell Ringer
1-2 Minutes / Discuss Bell Ringer
1-3 Minutes / Review Key Concepts from Previous Lesson
2-5 Mintutes / Quick Quiz
2-5 Minutes / Quickly Grade Quiz
Students are working on one of the following activities: science journal question, vocabulary development, or high-interest science reading activity, etc.

Sample Quick Quiz

1.  Label each of the following as a population change or limiting factor.

A.  Someone has a baby. ______

B.  There is a drought. ______

C.  Three plants are crowded in the same planter. ______

D.  A family moves to the United States from Japan. ______

2.  One hundred black bears are born in Mississippi. The black bear population is already competing for food. Name two things that could result from this situation.

______

Formative Assessment Strategy – SATP2 Biology I Portfolios – S. Smith

Portfolios do not have to be time-consuming. Students write their names on the folders at the beginning of the year. Place portfolios in a plastic crate, organized by class period. Students file all quick quizzes, tests, bell ringers, and other forms of assessments in this folder. Provide students with a tracking sheet for each competency. At the beginning or end of the week, give students their folders and return all graded work for the week. They then use the competency tracker to record their mastery. Students write the number correct over the number of assessment items (e.g., 15/25). They make notes on the bottom of the tracker to indicate what they need to work on for mastery of the competency or objective. These notes can be used to plan differentiated instruction.

Sample Competency/Objective Tracker

Assessment / 3a
Biomes / 3b
Ecological Interactions / 3c
Natural Events and Human Impact
Where Am I? - Identifying Biomes
October 12, 2010 / 12/25
What I need to work on: /
Characteristics of Major Biomes