Happy Vacation!

I hope you all have a wonderful vacation. You have no homework over the break, except to bring back food for the can drive. Please help those who are less fortunate than you.

While I'm on JUA

Mrs. Joslin will be covering your class, please be nice to her :)
You should be working on your cancer pamphlets. E block: Mrs. Joslin will collect your pamphlets at the end of class on Tuesday. D block, I will collect yours in class.

Cancer Pamphlet

While I am on JUA you will be working on creating a pamphlet that discusses a particular cancer's causes, symptoms, detection, prevention and treatment.


For information on specific types of cancer, click here.

Food Drive!

Here's the video from school meeting.

Mitosis and Cell Cycle Project

The past few days students have been working on a cell cycle and mitosis project.

To see exemplary student samples from last year, click here.

Below are the guidelines for the project. This is due in class on Friday for E block and Saturday for F block.

REQUIREMENTS: Each Student MUST READ CHAPTER , focusing on ,

Draw, Label, and Define ALL the PARTS of The Cell Cycle.

A. INTERPHASE - THE TIME OF THE CELL CYCLE BETWEEN CELL DIVISIONS. (3 PHASES) DRAW/MAKE A MODEL AND LABEL ONLY ONE PICTURE BUT DEFINE ALL THE PHASES.

B. MITOSIS (M PHASE) - A FOUR STAGE PROCESS WHICH THE NUCLEUS OF THE CELL DIVIDES INTO TWO NEW NUCLEI WITH IDENTICAL GENETIC MATERIAL. (FOUR STAGES) DRAW AND LABEL ALL FOUR STAGES AND DEFINE MITOSIS AND DESCRIBE EACH PHASE.

C. CYTOKINESIS - THE CYTOPLASM AND ORGANELLES OF THE PARENT CELL DIVIDES IN TWO NEW CELLS CALLED DAUGHTER CELLS. DRAW AND LABEL ONE PICTURE AND DEFINE AND DESCRIBE CYTOKINESIS. BE CAREFUL! Plant and animal cells undergo cytokinesis differently.

What would you do?

Today students read and discussed the following case study.

Sam (73) had a growth inside of his mouth for some time that he finally had checked out by his doctor. Following some tests, Dr. MacAvee, an oncologist, told Sam he had cancer of the gum (a squamous [skin] cell cancer). Unfortunately, the cancer had spread to Sam's lymph nodes in his neck and into his tongue and jaw. Dr. MacAvee told Sam they could do radical surgery to take out part of his tongue, the right side of his jawbone, and all of the lymph nodes in his neck, followed by chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Sam has refused. Sam's wife, Lois, seems reluctantly supportive of his decision. Sam's daughter, Michelle, has been lobbying Dr. MacAvee to convince her father to accept as aggressive a treatment as possible, so that Sam might have as much time as possible with his twin grand-daughters

What are the consequences of the course of treatment the doctor has suggested?

What is the likely prognosis (what will happen) for a metastatic skin cancer

Does Sam's decision to decline treatment make reasonable sense? Please discuss from the perspective of all people involved.

How should a physician respond to the wishes of a family member

Homework: none :)

Cancer & You!

E Block:
Objective: Complete a jigsaw activity for the cancer reading.

Students read a packet of information on cancer causes and treatments then shared their answers with a partner.

Homework: Due Monday for both E and F blocks

1. Click here to get the list of types of cancers
2. Choose a cancer that begins with the same letter as your first name (unless your name begins with an F or a J, then you can choose any cancer).
3. Write down:
a. the name of the cancer
b. a 3-5 sentence description of the cancer
c. how many new cases happen each year
d. how many deaths happen each year.

F block:
Objective: Examine the relationship between the cell cycle and cancer.
Students completed a review of the cell cycle worksheet, took notes from a powerpoint and had a discussion on cancer.

Homework: see above

Cell Cycle

Objective: Introduce the cell cycle and complete a review of mitosis.

Homework: Play the cell cycle game here and answer the questions on the worksheet you got in class.

Mitosis "Flip Books"

Objective: Today students will create mini flip books for the stages of mitosis an animal cell.

There should be one card/stage. The stages are: prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase and cytokinesis. On the front of each card should be a drawing of mitosis with the appropriate cell parts labeled (scroll down for pictures). On the back of the card should be the name of the stage and a description of what is happening in the cell and what number the stage is (1, 2, 3 or 4).

Homework: Complete the mitosis summary table worksheet. Extra credit: Mitosis coloring sheet.