Commenting on Another Student's Blog

Today is the last day to comment on Immune System. Your task first is to summarize both the Innate and Acquired Responses. Each should be a separate paragraph. You can choose to upload an image or video if it is applicable to your posting.

Remember to use the power paragraph structure for your post. Each paragraph...what is the topic? What are three facts? Can you provide up to two points of detail for each fact?

After you have finished your blog, I will give you another student's blog address. Your job is to read all of that student's posts and to provide your own comments. Remember, comments should be constructive (building on understanding). They can be critical (noticing and correcting errors), but remember that how you critique is important, so that feelings aren't hurt and the information is viewed as constructive. It is not appropriate to simply compliment a student on his/her blog.

Finally, after you have posted your blog and commented on another students...go back to your blog and view all of the comments made. Respond to those comments. This may mean finding more information or answering questions, so be prepared to think and look before you respond.

test post for video embed

Here is my blog.

This video is about antibodies preventing foreign antigens (also called pathogens) from connecting with cells in the body.

Notice the funnel-shaped green and purple antigens on the outside of the cells. These are used for recognition and attachment. The green Y-shaped antibody wants to prevent attachment of foreign antigens (large red blobs), so it joins with those antigens. Notice in the video that once the green Y-shaped antibody has joined to the antigen, the antigen can no longer bind to the cell.

What happens next is very exciting! A large phagocyte comes along and eats the antigen-antibody complex. The antigen is destroyed!

Immune System

Monday, Jan. 11 - we are going to be watching a series of videos related to the Immune System. You’ll watch them in the same order that they are listed below. There are SIX videos to view. You'll use your ear buds (ask Ms. Malloff if you don't have them). Please stay on-task - you've a lot to accomplish this class!

I haven't figured out how to embed the "how stuff works" videos, so you've got them written on the whiteboard in the lab. In addition, I've given each of you a handout for this lesson.

You'll learn all sorts of stuff about the Immune System by watching the videos. Your blogging goal for today is to learn to embed a video. Here are the instructions - please ask Ms. Malloff for help if you're confused!

To embed a youTube video:
1. Open your blog and select new post.
2. Look to the right of the Title spot for "Edit Html" click that.
3. Then, open a second Explorer window (keep your blog posting open) and go to the YouTube video that you want... look to the right side. See the grey box with "Embed". You'll copy that code. It's a long code, so get it all!
4. Go back to your blog and paste that code into the main area (where you normally post).
5. Look back up to that right corner of your blog and select "Compose"
6. Do the rest of your blog posting, where you comment on the video that you selected:

Consider your learning about the following:
a. what an antigen is; relate an antigen to sickness
b. how the body recognizes and responds to antigens
c. how different blood cells participate in the immune response
d. Origins of antibodies - what an antibody is, what it does.
e. how the body responds to the flu



2. You need to view the first How Stuff Works video "Disease Defense: The Immune System "







6. There is a final How Stuff Works Video to watch. "Investigating Human Biology: How the Body Fights Flu "

Listen to this and respond

http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/510221/120634721/npr_120634721.mp3?_kip_ipx=1970889975-1259816949

First Test Thursday

Today we marked the homework and then clarified any student questions related to measuring density or using density information to identify materials and predict sinking/floating. The small test on Thurs. will be very similar to the homework and the lab that they did in class with the five cylinders.

Can you? 1. use both the graduated cylinder and electronic scale properly 2. understand the concepts of mass vs. volume vs. density (we imagined what density would look like at the molecular level) 3. use the density formula to calculate density if you know an object's mass and volume 4. use displacement to determine volume of things that don't pour into graduated cylinders 5. analyze densities of different items and determine whether or not items are the same material - or - analyze densities to determine whether an object will float/sink in water - or - analyze densities to determine how different liquids might layer (float/sink) if they were carefully put together. 6. need to memorize density formula and pure water's density.

New info studied today - we got our textbooks out and read a short section (368-71) that compared fresh and ocean water. We used the Smartboard to show what we thought were most important ideas in each paragraph.

No homework - but everyone should study for the test and make sure they finished the notes on 368-71.

Homework from Today (Tuesday)

I gave you a 'Homestudy' sheet. Parts A & B are review now and part C is what we'll be linking to today's lab the next time I see you. Get the whole sheet finished for Thurs. class.

You all did a good job with today's lab. We'll graph the data next class and look for that new information. Don't forget to come to school tomorrow all ready to run for Cody :-)

Homework 2009...Sept. 14 update

Hello to this year's grade 8's. For now, I'll use this to communicate homework and points of interest. However, eventually, we'll use this blog for some interactive learning :-)

You've had two homework assignments to date and both involve your parents. Remember, homework is always due the next class, right at the beginning of class.

*First, remember that last week you were supposed to get your course outline signed. I got roughly 1/3 of them handed in today. Get yours in ASAP!
**Today's homework...get your parent to look at & discuss those three graduated cylinder readings...they aren't always easy to read, are they?!? Try to explain to your parent how you interpreted the reading to be a specific number. If your parent is able, s/he could explain to you how she'd interpret it. It isn't simply about writing an answer down on paper, but trying to understand the process of taking a reading. You need a parent signature as your 'proof' that you talked about it.