Chapter 1 What is Biology Expectations

By the end of the chapter you should have the following completed:

1.     In your notebook have the following terms defined and give an example when appropriate:

Group A:  Biology, organism, organization, reproduction, species, growth, development, environment, stimulus, response, homeostasis, energy, adaptation, evolution

Group B:  scientific methods, hypothesis, experiment, control, independent variable, dependent variable, data, and theory

2.     All assigned reading should be read with the goal of being able to discuss/explain the information contained in them.

Section 1.1 What is biology?                Section 1.2 The methods of biology

Section 1.3 The nature of biology

3.     Have the following questions answered in a complete sentence in your notebook:

 Group 1 What is biology

1. What are some important reasons for studying biology?

2. Explain the difference between a stimulus and a response and give an example of each.  How do these terms relate to an organism’s internal environment?

3. Why is energy required for living things?  How do living things obtain energy?

4. What is the relationship between energy and homeostasis?

Group 2 Methods of biology

1. Suppose you made the observation that bees seem to prefer a yellow flower that produces abundant amounts of pollen and nectar over a purple flower that produces less pollen and nectar.  List two separate hypotheses that you might make about the bees and the flowers.

2. Describe a controlled experiment you could perform to determine whether ants are more attracted to butter or to honey.

3. What is the difference between a theory and a hypothesis?

4. Why do experiments usually require a control?

5. Describe a say that a baker might conduct a controlled experiment with a cookie recipe.

4.     Labs to be handed in with discussion questions written out and answered in complete sentences:

Collecting Biological Data (p. 26-27)            Problem solving lab 1-2 (p. 22)

Conducting an experiment                           Metric Measuring Day

5.     Know the safety rules of the lab and be able to pass a quiz with a 90.

6.     Know the parts as well as their order in a lab report and what should be in each part.

7.     Record all the notes given in class and learn the material contained in them.

8.     Be able to convert from one unit to another in the metric system using the factor label method.  If you would like more information on factor labeling, click on the link. 

9.     Know all the metric prefixes covered in class and be able to apply them in conversion problems.

Extra Credit: To be eligible for extra credit, all assignments for the chapter are completed on time.  Extra credit has to be passed in before the test is taken  (maximum 3 pts on test)

Write a lab report using the correct lab report form for a lab you design.

Think of a hypothesis.  Design an experiment that tests the hypothesis.  Be sure to include a control and only one variable.  Report your procedure in a very detailed fashion including a materials list.  Make data tables to record your data in.  In the conclusion section of the lab, restate the purpose of the lab, summarize the data you would have collected and state what you think you results would have been.