RE: Good News Everyone!!! (The joysplosion thread)
05-13-2016, 03:09 PM
The end of the school year is often one filled with bored students and teachers ready to fly out the door.
NOT FOR THIS GUY THOUGH!
Since Biology is the only science that Texas students need to pass a standardized test in order to graduate, there is a lot of stress and structured placed on what you do and do not have time to teach during most of the year.
Our Biology test is over, though, so we have entered the part of the year where bio teachers can effectively "do whatever".
So it is LAB CENTRAL up in here! I have 2 weeks where I get to show my students the cool or weird things about biology that really enjoyed during my study of it. Its a butt-ton of extra work but essentially they get a new lab every day about something they've never really gotten to think about.
We started the week with bacteria cultures (SO MUCH BACTERIA ON YOUR PHONES), Wednesday we had a CLONING lab (plant's are very easy to clone! and the kids get to take their clone home once it grows roots!). Yesterday we saw some HYDRA, talked about how they are IMMORTAL and how they have cellular organelles (parts of the cell with jobs like, hold DNA, make energy, move proteins), but in particular they have some MASSIVE ones whose entire job is to FIRE POISON TIPPED HARPOONS into prey!
(One hydra wanted to be a joker though and pulled its tentacles back so when I projected the microscope my students all got to see a giant DONG-shaped SILHOUETTE - SO FUNNY HYDRA, how do you like that acetic acid I poured on you to see your nematocysts fire off? Oh you didn't, because you're dead now? Well we all make sacrifices for EDUCATION!)
Today is EARTHWORM day. I have been wormed pooped on a hundred times and it is a blast! (not the poop, that just kind of drips out, it's mostly dirt anyway) It is the best feeling seeing 20+ kids all taking and squirming and straight-up-hands-on-LEARNING about how these little guys respond to light, touch, smell etc.
I have a bucket of crayfish I've been saving for next week and BY GOLLY I do not care how bad it reeks we are DISSECTING SOME SQUID.
This is the best time of year.
NOT FOR THIS GUY THOUGH!
Since Biology is the only science that Texas students need to pass a standardized test in order to graduate, there is a lot of stress and structured placed on what you do and do not have time to teach during most of the year.
Our Biology test is over, though, so we have entered the part of the year where bio teachers can effectively "do whatever".
So it is LAB CENTRAL up in here! I have 2 weeks where I get to show my students the cool or weird things about biology that really enjoyed during my study of it. Its a butt-ton of extra work but essentially they get a new lab every day about something they've never really gotten to think about.
We started the week with bacteria cultures (SO MUCH BACTERIA ON YOUR PHONES), Wednesday we had a CLONING lab (plant's are very easy to clone! and the kids get to take their clone home once it grows roots!). Yesterday we saw some HYDRA, talked about how they are IMMORTAL and how they have cellular organelles (parts of the cell with jobs like, hold DNA, make energy, move proteins), but in particular they have some MASSIVE ones whose entire job is to FIRE POISON TIPPED HARPOONS into prey!
(One hydra wanted to be a joker though and pulled its tentacles back so when I projected the microscope my students all got to see a giant DONG-shaped SILHOUETTE - SO FUNNY HYDRA, how do you like that acetic acid I poured on you to see your nematocysts fire off? Oh you didn't, because you're dead now? Well we all make sacrifices for EDUCATION!)
Today is EARTHWORM day. I have been wormed pooped on a hundred times and it is a blast! (not the poop, that just kind of drips out, it's mostly dirt anyway) It is the best feeling seeing 20+ kids all taking and squirming and straight-up-hands-on-LEARNING about how these little guys respond to light, touch, smell etc.
I have a bucket of crayfish I've been saving for next week and BY GOLLY I do not care how bad it reeks we are DISSECTING SOME SQUID.
This is the best time of year.