2/22

This week students continued to show their understanding of Punnett squares.  Next, students explored how traits can attach to the x chromosome of an organism.  They continued to use their knowledge of the Punnett squares by crossing individuals with x linked genes.  We were able to see the various outcomes.  Students are really impressing me with how quick they are grasping onto these concepts!  Keep up the good work!

2/19

I hope everyone had a nice long weekend!  Students are picking up right where they left off with genetics and Punnett Squares.  Students are working on different scenarios of crosses in organisms to visualize what outcome for the offspring might occur.  Students are demonstrating their understanding very nicely.
Next, students will be exploring how some traits are carried only on the X chromosome.  We will explore how these traits are not always dominant and how, in fact, they do appear.  This will be a nice background for the students as we getting closer to our Genetics Project, which we will be initiating in a week and a half.

2/8

Students have had an exciting week while learning about DNA.  Earlier in the week, students constructed a piece of the DNA chain.  I had quite a few students help me after school to combine all classes together to form a long 7th grade DNA chain.  Later in the week students partook in a DNA isolation and extraction lab where they were able to look at actual DNA.  Students completed this lab with split peas, though really could do this with anything that is or was living.  We broke the cell wall, nucleus and other proteins away from the DNA in order to see it clearly in the test tubes.  I was really impressed with how well the students did in this lab.  They were really able to see quite a bit of DNA.  We finished off the week reading about genetics and heredity.  We will be exploring the work of Gregor Mendel and his pea plants and discuss what this has to do with us, early next week.

2/1

Students had a second day of review on Monday to prepare for their Cell Process Test on Tuesday.  After the unit ended, 7th graders got right into our next unit of DNA and Genetics.  We are beginning to understand how tiny these stings of molecules really are, yet so detailed in their nature.  We also discovered that DNA unites all living organisms!
 Students started to build their own strand of DNA, Friday in class.  All the strands of DNA will be done by Tuesday so we can combine and assemble the 7th grade DNA ladder.