WEEK OF June 7 - June 11, 2010:  Science Weekly.  Please download attached file (June 7.doc).

Monday (June 7):  State Exam Reflection

Write a paragraph that answers the following questions about your state exam.

1. Describe 3 things that you think did well on during your performance exam.
2. Describe 3 things that you think did well on during your written exam.
3. What activities do you think were most helpful in preparing you for your state exam?
4. What topics do you think you would have liked more preparation on?  Explain your answer.

 

 

Tuesday (June 8):  Read the following information about frogs, then answer the questions that follow.

 

Frogs are amphibians  (am-FIB-e-ans) that belong to a group called vertebrates which mean animals that have a backbone.   The word amphibian comes from a Greek word that means "two lives."  Amphibians are cold - blooded.  This means that their inside body  temperatures are about  the same as the temperature outside.  Their skin absorbs water into their body so they don't have to drink water in order to survive.  Frogs have very strong legs for leaping great distances.

 

Frogs may be found anywhere in the world (excluding Antarctica), although most frogs are found in the tropics. Most species are found in tropical regions.  You can find frogs in or near places that have water.  Some frogs never go into the water they live mainly on land.  Some frogs even live in trees.  These frogs have tiny, sticky pads on their fingers and toes to help them cling to the trees they climb.  Some frogs burrow.  One old myth says that frogs fall from the sky during a rain.  Actually these burrow frogs leave their burrows during or after a rain at the start of mating season.  Because people seldom see these types of frogs the rest of the year, they imagine the animals fell from the sky with the rain. These burrower frogs live on land and have short hind legs and cannot hop.  Frogs that live in the colder places hibernate during the winter.  They either bury themselves in mud in a pond or marsh or  live in a burrow.

If you're looking for a frog, probably the best time to look is at night with a strong torch - when you shine it on the eyes of a frog you'll see a little red flash (like a fox's eyes).

 

Frogs don't hunt for their food.  Their big eyes are on top of their head so they can see all the way around. Frogs eat other animals, typically bugs and worms. Frogs help humans because they eat so many insect pests. Some large species of frogs, like the African bullfrog, will try to eat just about anything, including other frogs as well as small fish, reptiles, and mammals.

 

Frogs benefit us in many ways.  They eat large number of insects.  They provide us with food.  The meaty hind legs of larger frogs are considered a delicacy in many countries.  In the United States, people eat mainly the legs of bullfrogs, green frogs, and leopard frogs.  Frogs are also used in labs to help researchers to test new drugs and students in school dissect them to learn about anatomy.

 

1. How are frogs beneficial for humans?
2. Describe two types of habitats where frogs are found.
3. Frogs live on land and in the water.  Do you think they have lungs?  Explain your answer.

Wednesday (June 9): 

In the movie Wall-e you saw many ways that technology impacted a fictional society.  From your knowledge of social studies you also know of ways that technology changes society. 

1. Describe 3 examples of new technologies that have benefited American society?  Explain why each invention is beneficial.
2. Describe 3 examples of new technologies that have harmed American society?  Explain why each invention is harmful.
3. Do you think there is a way to predict how a new technology will impact a society?  Explain why or why not.

 

 

Friday (June 11):  Frog Dissection Reflection

1. List 3 body systems that you observed during the frog dissection.
2. For each body system you listed, describe 3 organs (or parts) of the system.
3. How do body systems work together in a frog to maintain homeostasis?  Explain your answer fully.  The definition of homeostasis should be in your answer.