Life+Science

This lab allows students to explore the movement of carbon throughout the carbon cycle. Students incorporate their knowledge of photosynthesis, cell respiration, and decomposition while playing the original game. This activity leads into discussion of the greenhouse effect. (Schrager and Bignami)
 * The Carbon Cycle Game: ** SC.8.L.18.3



This lab combines labs on photosynthesis in the aquatic plant //Elodea// and the Essential Lab "Respiration in Yeast" with a kinesthetic activity to highlight how the equations of photosynthesis and cellular respiration are related. Students will use bromothymol blue (BTB) to observe how photosynthesizing aquatic plants remove carbon dioxide from solution and produce bubbles of oxygen as a waste product. Students will measure temperature, mass, and balloon diameter over an hour time period to see how cellular respiration of yeast produces carbon dioxide while mass is conserved. This lab requires more than one block time period to complete. A description of the kinesthetic activity can be found in the Carswell Kinesthetic Activity file. (Ms. Thompson & Ms. Van Ee)
 * __Photosynthesis & Cellular Respiration:__** SC.8.L.18.4, SC.8.L.18.1, SC.8.L.18.2, SC.912.L.18.7

Students will be able to identify cell theory, cell parts, and cell function through this lab. Students will act like CSI detectives to try to determine what portions are missing in the cell "crime scene" photo they receive as well as identify if it is a plant or animal cell. They will also identify how the missing portions impacted their cell, preventing it from functioning. The explanation portion of the lab will involve building a cell cake to reach tactile learners and help reinforce ideas about cell structure and function. Authors: Ebonie Battle and Karolina Janik
 * __Cell Theory:__** SC.F.1.3.2 and SC.F.1.3.6

In this lab, students will be able to construct a model of the carbon cycle in nature, describe the organisms that use carbon dioxide in nature, describe the organisms that produce carbon dioxide from the sun, and explain that the energy for this process comes from the sun. In this lab, students will be given a list of instructions for a carbon cycle activity. This activity is essentially a human powered simulation of the carbon cycle. During the activity, students will explore the cause and effect relationship that results in a balanced and an unbalanced carbon cycle. (Demetria Henderson and Stacy Assael) 
 * __The Carbon Cycle- What Goes Around Comes Back Around:__** SC.8.L.18.3

SC.8.L.18.1, SC.8.L.18.2
 * You Are My Sunshine - Photosynthesis and cellular respiration lab**

Students will act out the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in group skits. They will also reinforce their understanding of the photosynthesis formula by using cards with element names on them and putting them together in the proper way. They will put them up on a poster after group work. As a final activity, students will create a restaurant menu for plants and what they need to survive and thrive. (Ms. Shneyderman and Mrs. Kwon)

[|Photosynthesis Kwon Shneyderman.doc]

SC.8.L.18.3., SC.8.N.1.1., SC.8.N.1.2, SC.8.N.1.6
 * The Carbon of Our Lives - Carbon Cycle lab**

Students will recall what produces and releases carbon dioxide by performing 3 mini-experiments with bromothymol blue solution and the carbon dioxide from their lungs, a plant that has not been exposed to light, and a plant that has been exposed to light. They will elaborate on this activity by manipulating a virtual environment with levels of fossil fuels used and amount of deforestation. Finally, students will design a T-shirt that will communicate an idea in pictures or words about global climate change. (Ms. Shneyderman and Mrs. Kwon)

[|Carbon cycle Shneyderman Kwon.doc]

OUTBREAK! - PBL Students will explore viruses and bacteria, how to treat each, types of sicknesses through a PBL. This PBL will encourage students to research the symptoms that the characters are displaying and the potential sources of the sickness. Students will then take the PBL and extend it into a lab on bacteria presence around the school (see lab: "What's Growing On?). Finally, students will create a Public Service Announcement about a disease of their choice, the symptoms, treatments and disease prevention (Myers, Bernal, Jackson, Arienzo).

Is DNA in You? SC.7.L.16.1 Students will make their own DNA strand out of candy. Students will the review the parts of the DNA strand and the vocabulary. Students will then extract DNA from various vegetables and human cheek. Students will then use dyes (possibly methylene blue) to determine if the DNA is a plant or animal and determine if the unknown is a plant or animal. finally, students will make a descriptive video about the methods. (Jackson & Arienzo)

__**The Carbon Cycle:**__ SC.8.L.18.3 Students __will__ act as the main components of the Carbon Cycle. This will be done by dividing student into three main groups (humans, trees, and the ocean) and having them "produce" and "absorb" CO2 (ping pong balls). They will be able to visualize the main producers of CO2 and where the excess CO2 ends up. This lesson plan will then be linked to the Greenhouse Effect. (Ms. Henderson and Ms. Assael)

Students will be ask to form groups of 2-4 and visit all 4 stations in the sea creature gallery. They will read the information in the station to answer questions about the specific adaptations of each organism. Groups will compare organisms and decide which one will be the “Ultimate Survivor” in the South FL environment and why. They would present their findings to the group for peer review. (Ms. Thompson & Ms. Van Ee)
 * Adaptation & Variation: Survivor -- South Florida Edition:** SC.G.1.3.2

__**Nature of Waves:**__ **SC.8.E.5.11** Understand the complexities of the electromagnetic spectrum, including its application in everyday life. Students will explore electromagnetetic spectrum topic by utilizing an infrared camera at the Science Museum to capture images and convert them into visible colors. (Monroe&Nick)

__**Who's Your Daddy?? (DNA and Punnett Squares) PBL**:__ SC. SC.7.L.16.1, SC.7.L.16.2 Students will follow a script about people on a reality TV show who are trying to identify the father of the baby. They follow the instructions to learn about DNA and how Punnett Squares can determine the probability of genotypes being transferred from parents to offspring. (Mallory, Sasha, Noelle, Ernestine, Demetria, Stacy)

This lesson plan focuses on natural selection, specifically how an organisms characteristics will determine how they thrive or die in a given environment. Students will have different utensils that will function as their "beaks" as they try to capture different types of food in a pan filled with sand. Students will track data as they compete for food, and at the end they will analyze how the demonstration mirrors natural selection in the real world. (Ms. Belinkie and Ms. Watson)
 * __Natural Selection Beak Lab:__** SC.7.L.15.2, SC.7.L.15.3

Students will be given various samples of pond water to display under a microscope. The students will then have to compare and contrast the cells, identifying if the cell is a plant or animal. The teacher should create a wiki beforehand about things that they should expect to see in pond water. The wiki will be called “Things to look out for.” The pictures will link to articles describing what they see in the pictures. (Delgadillo, Simmons)
 * __Cells [Life in a Drop of Water]:__** SC.6.L.14.4

This exploration will take course over a four-day cycle. For each day the students will work together to complete a lab that will address some of the human body systems. The labs are outlined as follows. Day #1: Lab: Working Model of the Lung Day #2: Lab: Working Model of the Heart Day #3: Lab: Working Model of the Skeletal and Muscular System(Model of Hand), where they create a robot hand. (Delgadillo, Simmons)
 * __Major Systems of the Human Body [Dr. Who? Dr.You!]:__** SC.6.L.14.5

This PBL lead students through a scenario involving future climate change and extreme weather. Throughout the investigation students discover that increasing hurricane frequency and sea level rise are due to climate change driven the CO2 production from fossil fuel use. (Group 1: Schrager, Monroe, Battle, Bignami, Weremijewicz, Janik)
 * __How Strong are Those Hurricanes? Climate Change PBL:__** SC.8.L.18.3

__**The Carbon Cycle:**__ SC.8.L.18.3, SC.8.N.1.1, SC.8.N.3.1 The purpose of this lab is to describe the carbon cycle, identify organisms that **use** carbon dioxide and organisms that **produce** carbon dioxide and investigate a model in which the carbon cycle can be observed. (Mrs.Costa&Mrs.Borrego)

__**Photo, Carbon, Action! (Photosynthesis):**__ SC.8.L.18.1, SC.8.N.1.1 The purpose of this lab is to identify the factors that are needed for Photosynthesis to occur and explain the role of light, CO2, water, and chlorophyll in the process and products of photosynthesis. (Mrs.Costa&Mrs.Borrego)