During this week (18-22 April) I was absent on Monday due to the MUN conference, but I heard that we were told to make a summary of what we learned on weebly. On Tuesday, we proceed to our debate. I believed that evolution and creationism should be taught at the same time, because everyone has the rights to choose what they wanted to learn, and we cannot force people and decide for them what to learn. Teaching both theory will allow them to develop critical thinking by analyzing and questioning both theories, therefore allows them to become a better science thinker. However, we should also teach only one of them, which is evolution, because creationism is something that we should know already through the bible, parent teaching and religion teaching, as it is the basic of religion, while evolution is broad, therefore we should learn more about it. On Friday, we learned about the human evolution. Homonids are a human like species that are bipedal and have intelligence. Homonids are not the same as apes, however they are a close relative. Comparing with other species of homonid's fossil, scientist sees a connection in a form of family tree. The first homonoid was thought to be "Lucy", however, discoveries shows that there are more homonids before Lucy. Homo Habilis were the oldest homonid species found. Homo erectus is the first homonid to use fire and is very skilled. Homonids had lived in community and migrated since back then. Then, scientist concluded that all humans came from one homonid female. This homonid female is referred as "Eve" by scientists.
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During this week (18-22 April) we started the class on Monday by learning about adaptation, which is an physical trait and behavior that enables organism to survive better. There are three type of adaptation: structural, chemical, and behavioral (camouflage, warning coloration, mimicry). We then proceed to the research for tomorrow’s debate about whether Sumatra, Tasmania, Madagascar and Australia are not a part of Pangea from the beginning. On Tuesday, we proceed to our debate. I believe that Sumatra, Tasmania, Madagascar and Australia are a part of Pangea, but the fact that they have different organism is due to habitat isolation and reproductive isolation. However, those islands may not also a part of Pangea to begin with due to the difference of ocean alkalinity surrounding it and the different soil it has, which cause their organism to be different as well. If they are a part of Pangea, they should have similar soil and ocean alkalinity, and the organisms from those island should be found on other islands that used to belong to Pangea as well. On Friday, we learned about species and speciation, which explains why every place has their own different organisms and how are there so many similar species. A certain place has their different organism due to reproductive isolation (prezygotic and postzygotic). Prezygotic mechanism includes temporal isolation, habitat isolation mechanical, gamete and behavioral isolation. Allopatric speciation means that populations become genetically different while sympatric population means that they are not geographically separated. During this week (11-15 April) we started the class on Monday by discussing about the last workshop, which is the peppered moth simulation. Then, we were told about tomorrow’s debate about whether platypus and echidna should belong to the kingdom mammals or a new kingdom. Ms Disty then explain about natural selection where a mutation in an organism occur, causing them to become more competent for survival and they end up reproducing more of their self. They will eventually compete will their non-mutated species and win against them. The evidence of natural selection and mutation are common ancestry, homologous structure, vestigial organs, similar embryotic development and fossils On Tuesday, we did our debate session about the platypus and echidna. I believed that platypus and echidna should belong to a new kingdom consisting of “the living fossils”, as they have a very close relation to our ancestor compared to other organisms, which explain their unique and unusual trait. However, I also believed that they should be put in the mammal kingdom because compared to the other kingdoms, they have more similarity to those in mammal kingdom. On Friday, we were told to do a natural selection simulation worksheet about what happens to the white rabbit if they have brown hair, long teeth and long tail instead depending on the environment. The brown rabbit survive better if they are in the equator, while the white rabbit survive better if they are in the arctic. The long teeth rabbit survive better when it comes to food since longer teeth allows them to eat a variety of food easily. The long tail will have less chance of survival when it comes to the predator because longer tail reduces their agility. During this week (4-8 April) we started the class on Monday by learning about the introduction to evolution. Ms Disty shows us a video titled Cosmos, that shows us the big image of what we are going to be learning this term. We then learned from this movie that organisms came from tone same organism and they evolve through time but connected by the tree of life. On Tuesday, Ms Disty shows us a PPT about the intro to evolution. Basically, Charles Darwin made the theory of evolution after he observed the Galapagos turtle neck difference on each island. He learned about the natural selection of which a mutation occurs then its population increase due to the fact that it has a better survival ability. However the theory of evolution is just a theory since it does not have a strong and concrete proof, therefore considered controversial. On Friday, we were told to do a workshop about the peppered moth simulation. I learned that originally there were only with moths in UK. Due to the industrial revolution however, the environment become darker due to pollution and in order to adapt with its environment, a peppered moth mutation occurs. The peppered moth’s population increased as it shows to be more capable than the white moths in the natural selection. During this week (22-26 Feb), we started the class on Monday by continuing to work on terrarium. This will apply for the whole week. I brought the plastic and cover the top surface of the terrarium with it. Then, I brought more napier grass because some of it withered and I want to change it into a new one. I also put some crickets to test if they will survive and if they will eat the nut grass or not. On Tuesday, I brought more napier grass because some of it withered and I want to change it into a new one. I also brought more crickets to the terrarium. I also plan to bring the frog and large wood piece for the decoration next Monday. During this week (15-19 Feb), we started the class on Monday by continuing to work on terrarium. This will apply for the whole week. I change the withered purslane in the terrarium into a new one. I realized that moss is starting to grow on the rocks so I guess I don’t really have to bring moss since it just came naturally. We water the plant to make sure it stays alive. On Tuesday, I brought the purslane and plant it on the corner side of the terrarium. I want to test if the plant will wither or not, by deciding on the number of water and sunlight it gets. I also add more grass since I didn’t brought enough yesterday. On Friday, I brought more purslane because the purslane that I brought yesterday is not enough. But the purslane that we’ve planted kind of withered a bit. We wonder if it lacks of sunlight due to the rainy weather in Jakarta. We want to make sure that water cycle happens in the terrarium so we will cover the top with plastic so that the water will not go anywhere and stay in a terrarium. This week (9-12 Feb) we started from Tuesday by conducting another mini lesson about biogeochemical cycles, which is a process where molecules are passed around again and again within the biosphere. Water cycle is important since most organism is made mostly of water. Water goes to the atmosphere through evaporation and transpiration, then return to the earth through precipitation. Carbon in the Carbon cycle come from volcanic activity, human activity, cellular respiration and decomposition of organisms, it is important since carbon is the building block of cell. Nitrogen cycle is also another important biogeochemical cycles since it makes DNA and RNA in organisms. Another biogeochemical cycle that is important is phosphorus cycle since it also makes DNA, RNA and transfers ATP for cellular respiration. Unlike the other cycles, phosphorus cycle happens on the earth only, not on the atmosphere. On Friday, we continue making our group terrarium. I brought more purslane and nut grass to plant in the terrarium. The grass in our terrarium died because we didn’t put it in a place where there is sunlight and it lacks of water. So we take out the withered grass and will change it into a new grass next week. We also make strategy on how to make the plant in our terrarium get enough water and light so that it won't wither. This week (1-5 Feb), we started the class on Monday by starting to make the terrarium for the group project. My group only brought rocks and soil since we wanted to experiment if the rocks are strong enough to hold the soil from going landslide. It turns out that the rocks is strong enough but we decided to use impraboard instead as a border between the soil and water just in case. On Tuesday, instead of continuing the terrarium making, we conduct a mini lesson about the kingdom Fungi instead. Fungus are composed of strings called hyphae combining together called mycelium. They are heterotrophic since they cannot do photosynthesis. Fungus reproduce both sexually and asexually. They use spores to reproduce asexually. Fungi are divided into four main groups: chytridiomycota, basidiomycota, zygomycota and ascomycota. Fungi also have positive benefits to humans such as for medicine, food and decomposers with also negative effects such as the destruction of food and also pathogenic to humans, plants and animals. On Friday, we continue the terrarium making for the group project. This time, I’ve brought our terrarium along with the soils surfaces and rocks already put on it. We tested if the soil is strong enough not to go landslide and if the water will be absorbed too much by the soil or not. It turns out that after some absorbing, the water level stopped going down, which means it works. Then, we planted the napier grass and purslane on the land surface in the terrarium. This week (25-29 Jan), we started the class on Monday by continuing the terrarium proposal for this term’s group project. The ecosystem that my group choose for this term’s project is pond ecosystem with the main organism worms, green tree frog and green snake. We are still researching to find out the perfect design for our terrarium before making the proposal. On Tuesday, we started the class by conducting mini lesson about plants and its structure. The main parts of plants consist of roots, stem, leaves, seeds and flower. Xylem and phloem are both used to transfer materials throughout the plant. Xylem transfers upward while phloem transfers downward. There are two type of plants based on seed classification. Monocots have parallel vein leaves, fibrous root, flower parts in 3, seed has one part (cotyledon), vascular bundle are scattered and herbaceous stem. Dicots have netted vein leaves, tap root, flower parts in 4 and 5, woody or herbaceous stem, seed has two parts (dicotyledon) and vascular bundle arranged in circle. On Friday, Ms. Disty is absent but we were told to continue making the proposal for our terrarium project. We must send the proposal by the end of the period or it will not be accepted. Luckily, my group submit it on time. We will bring the materials for our terrarium on Monday. This week (18-22 Jan), we started the class on Monday by continuing research for the food web poster that is due on Friday. I have done my research and I'm currently working on making the poster. On Tuesday, we continue the research for the food web poster homework. I have done my research and most of my poster making, I only need to edit just a few things more and print the poster. On Friday, we conduct a mini lesson about animal classification. It is important because some animals have several common names and there are also some animals that are similar to each other. Classification helps us to tell them apart easily. There are kingdoms of organism such as archaebacteria, eubacteria, protista, fungi, plantae and animalia. Genus and family is based on visible similarities. Domain is the grouping based on ribosomal RNA comparison. |
AuthorName: Astrida Nayla Archives
April 2016
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