Hello Cross Ram 8th Graders!
March 15, 2008
Welcome to WordPress.com and my weblog for science class. This is my first post! I just learned how to do this and wondered if there were any students that would prefer to use a weblog for the Independent Learning Project for Biology instead of giving a seminar during class time. If you’d like, post the question you were curious about and list the information you found out about that question. Remember to cite any and all sources that you used. Other students can dialogue with you about your question or what you found out. You can also dialogue with other students about their questions, ideas, findings, etc. I hope we can get some great discussions going that will help us all learn more about the world around us.
Happy blogging!
Mrs. Fife
March 15, 2008 at 8:13 pm
Hi, this is a comment.
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April 9, 2008 at 11:37 pm
Indepenednt Biology Project 4/9/08
Question #1: Analyze
1) Is an organism able to completley adapt to it’s environment? Explain why or why not in your own words.
Answer…
An organsim can never fully adapt to it’s enviornemnt because their environment is constantly changing. Changes occur about every tens of thousands of years, except some that happen in a range of about 100-200 years. So no, an organism can’t adapt completley in it’s enviornment, but it can adapt enough for it to survive.
April 12, 2008 at 1:15 am
Independent Biology Project 4/11/08
Question #2: Recall
2) Name an animal that is the best example of a quick change in its enviornement.
Answer…
The Gypsy moths in England had to quick change in their enviornment because of all the pollution from the industrial revolution. The moth’s usual color was a light gray. They were able to camoflauge on trees and avoid predators. Unfortunately, the colors of the trees changed to a darker color because of all of the pollutants. Gradually, the color of the Gypsy moth changed to a dark gray-black. They are an excellent example of a quick change.
April 12, 2008 at 1:20 am
Independent Biology Project 4/11/08
Question #3: Analyze
3) In your own words, describe natural selection.
Answer…
Natural selection in basic terms means survival of the fittest. Best adapted organisms and more likely to survive and pass on traits. So, organisms have to change and adapt on their own in order to survive.
April 12, 2008 at 1:27 am
Independent Biology Project 4/11/08
Question #4: Recall
4) What is an adaptive trait found in humans?
Answer…
An adaptive startegy of humans is their body size. People living in warmer climates are generally taller then the people inhabiting the northern countries. This is because in cold weather, the body must distribute heat and it helps if the body is smaller so it can retain the heat more efficiently. In very hot weather, it is better if the body is taller so that heat is able to disperse and not be so compact. Having it compact would would make the body hotter than it already is. This is a very good adaptive startegy that humans have developed.
April 12, 2008 at 1:33 am
Independent Biology Project 4/11/08
Question #5: Infer
5) Predict what would happen if certain animals were unable to evolve.
Answer…
If animals were unable to eveolve and not live up to natural selection, they would obviously not survive. And if that happened, certain traits would not be able to pass on to offspring. That could or could not affect the entire current population, but I think that it will have some affect on the generations yet to come.
April 12, 2008 at 1:40 am
Independent Biology Project 4/11/08
Question #6: Comparison
6) How is an animal adapting and global climate similar?
Answer…
Our glabal climate is constantly changing. Whether it’s a natural process or not, animals are forced to change in order to survive. Just like the Gypsy moths, other animals’ enviornemnts are changing and fast. So, the main reason an organism has to adapt is because of the global climate and what is in the atmosphere.
April 16, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Independent Biology Project 4/16/08
Question #7: Evaluate
7) Do you think that a change in weight is considered evolution because it is a change over time? Defend your answer.
Answer…
Even though weight loss is change, it is not a change in the genetic material of a population. For an event to be considered evoltuion, it has to be able to be passed on and inherited by the offspring.
April 16, 2008 at 10:19 pm
Independent Biology Project 4/16/08
Question #8: Infer
8)What would happen if the polar bear lost it’s adaptive trait of having white fur and had dark fur?
Answer…
The polar bear uses it’s white fur to camflouge in the artic and the snow. If it had dark fur, it woukd not be able to escape predators or catch prey. This adaptive trait of fur color is very useful for a variety of animals and helps them live up to natural selection. Snow lepoards and cameleons are other examples.