Recently missed class?
Find a brief description of what we did below and any upcoming homework assignments. Please see Mr. Will when you return to ensure you are caught up. You can always email me at [email protected]
Class Updates:
GCSE Biology
Monday, September 4, 2023
Friday, September 8, 2023
Monday, September 11, 2023
Friday, September 15, 2023
Monday, September 18, 2023
Friday, September 22, 2023
Monday, September 25, 2023
Friday, September 29, 2023
Monday, October 2, 2023
Tuesday, October 3, 2023
Monday, October 9, 2023
Wednesday, October 11, 2023
Friday, October 13, 2023
Monday, October 16, 2023
Wednesday, October 18, 2023
Tuesday, November 7, 2023
Tuesday, November 14, 2023
Monday, November 20, 2023
***Christmas exam***
Monday, January 8 - Friday, January 12, 2024
Monday, January 14, 2024
Friday, January 26, 2024
Monday, January 29, 2024
Wednesday, February 7, 2024
Monday, February 19, 2024
Monday, February 26, 2024
Friday, March 1, 2024
Monday, March 4, 2024
Wednesday, March 6, 2024
Friday, March 8, 2024
Monday, March 11, 2024
Friday, March 15, 2024
Monday, March 18, 2024
Monday, April 8, 2024
Monday, April 15, 2024
Monday, April 22, 2024
- Today we did an introduction to IGCSE sciences - what our syllabus looks like, what exams students will write at the end of year 11, and how to navigate our class website.
- Our first topic is the 7 characteristics of living things [MRS. GREN].
- Homework: sign up for the class Quizlet if you didn't get a chance in class [see resources tab for the link to the class Quizlets].
Friday, September 8, 2023
- Practice questions on characteristics of living things.
- How to use the different features of Quizlet to revise: Flash Cards, Learn [multiple choice and written], tests, and in class games.
Monday, September 11, 2023
- Warm up: characteristics of living things.
- Today's lesson was all about cells. We looked at the structures found in plant, animal, and bacterial cells, including the functions of cell structure. Students highlighted their diagrams and took notes.
- We also looked at some of the specialized cells we'll be seeing throughout our biology course. We'll see each of these in greater detail in later sections, but we created a summary table today including diagrams.
- Homework: 10 minutes of Quizlet this week before Friday.
Friday, September 15, 2023
- Completed practice questions on cells.
- Students conferenced one-on-one with Mr. Will to check in on Quizlet. Are students able to access it? Have they found it helpful? Have there been any difficulties?
Monday, September 18, 2023
- Three types of transport in cells: diffusion, osmosis, active transport.
- Diffusion: what is it? Recap of what we learned in chemistry.
- Visualizing diffusion activity with cold and hot water.
- Osmosis in plant and animal cells in fresh and salt water.
- What is active transport?
- 4 factors that affect diffusion rates.
- Homework: 10min of Quizlet "Learn" for movement in and out of cells by Friday.
Friday, September 22, 2023
- Recap and summary of transport in cells.
- Visualizing the methods of increasing diffusion with drawings.
Monday, September 25, 2023
- Reviewed some key terms and concepts we've learned so far in biology.
- Biological molecules: a look at carbohydrates, proteins, lipids [fats and oils].
- The four tests for biological molecules.
- Enzymes: how they work, the effects of temperature and pH on enzyme activity.
- Homework: complete chemistry quizlet "learn" elements, compounds, mixtures for tomorrow. If you have not completed the states of matter quizlet that was assigned last week, please complete that as well.
- Biology quiz next Monday, October 2 on characteristics of living things, cell structures, movement in/out of cells [everything we've done in biology up until Friday, September 22, 2023].
Friday, September 29, 2023
- Practice questions on movement in/out of cells.
Monday, October 2, 2023
- Biology quiz in class
Tuesday, October 3, 2023
- Went over the biology quiz together to look at exam technique and make corrections.
Monday, October 9, 2023
- Photosynthesis: word and symbol equation.
- The factors that affect the rate of photosynthesis.
- Parts of the leaf: structures and functions.
Wednesday, October 11, 2023
- There will be a re-quiz on Friday for students who want to improve their quiz grade. Students can select one of the three quizzes [biology, chemistry, physics] they would most like to improve on. There was class time today to go through the syllabus points, ask questions for clarification and start revising.
Friday, October 13, 2023
- Re-quizzes in biology, chemistry, physics.
Monday, October 16, 2023
- Went back over concepts that we've learned in biology so far this year. Students worked to complete summary diagrams to put on display showing what we've learned.
Wednesday, October 18, 2023
- Time to complete corrections for re-quizzes.
Tuesday, November 7, 2023
- Nutrition and digestive system brainstorm
- The 7 essential nutrients, balanced diets, scurvy and rickets
- The organs of the digestive system. Labelling the digestive system and recap of enzymes.
- Homework: do Quizlet for biological molecules and enzymes before FRIDAY - it will be good revision for what we are doing next week!
Tuesday, November 14, 2023
- Recap: digestive system organs and enzymes
- Physical digestion: teeth, stomach, bile.
- Chemical digestion: enzymes, where they're released, where they act, what they break down.
- Practice questions [please finish for Friday if you didn't finish in class].
Monday, November 20, 2023
- We had time to go over what we did in class last Tuesday.
- Students had time to complete their practice questions from last week and we made corrections together.
- If you have not completed your work by the end of class today please complete for tomorrow for homework.
***Christmas exam***
- Your Christmas exam will cover syllabus topics B1-B7 [everything from characteristics of living things to human nutrition].
- You can find a copy of your syllabus, which includes every point, definition and example you could be tested on in the resources tab!!!
Monday, January 8 - Friday, January 12, 2024
- We worked on content for the alternative to practical exam. We did some practice questions, looked at different experimental techniques, reviewed the types of variables, and went over how to plan an experiment.
Monday, January 14, 2024
- Transport in plants
- Movement of water and mineral ions in xylem
- Movement of sucrose and amino acids in phloem
- Transpiration and translocation
- Started practice questions on transport in plants: these are due Wednesday.
Friday, January 26, 2024
- Introduction to the circulatory system.
- The 4 chambers and major vessels of our heart.
- The double loop circulatory system.
- Absent today? Read through pages 98-99 and answer questions B7.13 - B719 in your notebook.
Monday, January 29, 2024
- Coronary heart disease.
- Arteries, veins, capillaries.
- Blood components
- Absent today? Read through the textbook on coronary heart disease and the major blood vessels in the body [starts on page 100]. Answer questions 7.20-7.25 on coronary heart disease and blood vessels [I think they start on page 102 of their textbook].
Wednesday, February 7, 2024
- A recap of blood cells.
- White blood cells: phagocytosis and antibody production.
- Questions 26-28 from page 107.
Monday, February 19, 2024
- Reviewing transport in plants and transport in animals.
- Students completing mind maps for each topic, filling in the blanks on worksheets for each topic.
Monday, February 26, 2024
- Completed revision for transport in plants and transport in mammals.
- There will be a quiz on Friday [multiple choice and short answer] that covers transport in plants and animals for biology and energy for physics.
Friday, March 1, 2024
- Quiz on transport and energy
Monday, March 4, 2024
- Introduction to immunity: immune cells and barriers.
- Students worked on practice questions from their textbook.
Wednesday, March 6, 2024
- Students had time to make corrections on their transport and energy quiz.
- There will be a RE-QUIZ next Monday, March 11, 2024
Friday, March 8, 2024
- Revised for test on Monday: transport in plants/animals, stoichiometry, energy.
Monday, March 11, 2024
- Retest.
Friday, March 15, 2024
- Went more in depth on white blood cells.
- Due Monday: Test corrections + parent signatures.
Monday, March 18, 2024
- Wrap up of immune system.
- Immune system practice questions.
Monday, April 8, 2024
- The respiratory system
- Structures of the respiratory tract.
- Gas exchange in alveoli.
- Diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
- How the lungs are well adapted for gas exchange.
- Practice questions.
Monday, April 15, 2024
- Review: the respiratory system.
- Respiration: aerobic and anerobic respiration.
- Went over practice questions.
Monday, April 22, 2024
- Students completed the Seneca portion of gas exchange and respiration.