Polygenic Inheritance Refertilised
Updated presentation for 2011.
Link to more class resources here: 10.3 Polygenic Inheritance
If you want to download an editable version of the file, please make a donation to one of my charities at Biology4Good. Click here for more information.
Theoretical Genetics Recombined
Updated for 2011, here’s the presentation:
Find more links and resources on the page for 4.3 Theoretical Genetics.
If you want to download an editable version of the file, please make a donation to one of my charities at Biology4Good. Click here for more information.
Draw the Core – exam skills presentation
Biologists need to be able to draw, but don’t confuse it with a colouring-in competition. If you look through the syllabus you will find many examples of assessment statements for draw, label or annotate, as well as others for which a diagram would be a great benefit.With limitations of time and using black pencil (no colours) in the exams, you will need to make them quick, clear and simple.
Draw the Core is a draft presentation for these syllabus items – for the Core content of the course only. This is a real work in progress and will be updated every now and then (when I get some free time). For now, you might find it useful. Later I plan to extend it for the AHL content too.
How could you use it in your revision?
- Flash up the command term slide and race to draw the diagram – then compare it with the next slide.
- Show up the diagrams and try to label them.
- Annotate the diagrams to explain or outline the processes in which they are involved.
- Think about ‘links across the curriculum’ for each of the diagrams.
You can find its permanent home on the Exam Skills page.The diagrams I have drawn in the presentation are Creative Commons, so use them if you will, but cite and link back to this site. Over time, I will add some of these to the Flickr page. I have used a simple USB graphics tablet for the diagrams and Powerpoint for the labels and annotations.
If you have a good, simple, home-made and clear diagram that you would like to donate to the presentation, please let me know in the comments.
Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology Update
Here is the updated presentation for 4.4 Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology. There are some new slides and clearer explanations, as well as a new visual identity. It should also be downloadable as a pptx file.
For many more resources go to the page for 4.4 Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.
Are we ready for neo-evolution?
An entertaining and informative TED talk by medical ethicist Harvey Fineberg on the future of human evolution and the ethics surrounding the decisions that we may soon be able to make regarding our children and our health. With strong links to the Human Genome Project, evolution, ethics, genetic engineering, stem cells and TOK, this is a great video to watch and stimulate discussion and thought in the Genetics unit.
What do you think?
Meiosis Updates
An updated version of the presentation for the HL students, with more focus on random orientation vs independent assortment. for more resources and links, zip over to the 10.1 Meiosis page.
Random orientation refers to the behaviour of chromosomes in metaphase:
Independent Assortment refers to the alleles of unlinked genes:
You’ve got to love Tom McFadden’s Meiosis rap:
TimeTree – Common ancestor calculator
This is a lot of fun. Plug in two species or taxa and TimeTree will give you our best estimate of when they last shared a common ancestor. Drawing on a multitude of sources, you can look through the database and use TimeTree as a launching pad for further research.
Here are some sample results:
- Dogs and Cats, 57.5mya
- Dogs and whales, 82.8mya
- Whales and sharks, 523.1mya
- Dogs and oak trees, 1407.8mya
Fun suggestion – play the ‘higher or lower‘ game with pairs of taxa.
Earth Day 2011: International Year of Forests
The theme for our Earth Day celebrations this year is “International Year of the Forests.” To celebrate, we’re having a day of student-led activities and workshops, a vegetarian international lunch and an afternoon assembly on the 29th April.
This video was produced by the Good Planet Foundation and is the official film of the International Year of Forests. Most of the HPD classes have seen it, and here it is if you want to watch again:
Ideas:
– why not watch the movie yourself in short bursts and spend a few minutes looking up the concepts mentioned in the narration?
– Use Embed Plus to annotate the video with keywords and links to internet resources on the concepts discussed.
Ever the issues in Indonesia, forestry management, biodiversity protection and sustainability should be on our minds all year round, not just on one day. How can we take real action in the school? At the very least we should reduce our reliance on an unsustainable source of paper. Think before you print!
Let’s hope the activities we take part in lead to continued and mindful actions!
i-Biology 