Unit 1 Test

Even though its been a beautiful weekend, I hope you are still finding a bit of time to study for your test!  Here is a list of some of the things you should know for unit 1:

Biomes  and ecosystems are divisions  of the biosphere.

• Biomes have similar abiotic and biotic components. (1.1)
• Abiotic factors influence the characteristics and distributions  of biomes (1.1)
• Adaptations are characteristics that enable organisms to better survive and reproduce  (1.1)
• Biomes are often named for their dominant  vegetation or for a geographical or physical characteristic.  (1.2)
• Abiotic components  in ecosystems include oxygen, water, nutrients,  light and soil. (1.2)
• Biotic interactions  in ecosystems include trophic and symbiotic relationships  as well as competition and predation. (1.2)

2  Energy flow and nutrients  support life in ecosystems.

• Energy flows from producers to primary consumers to secondary consumers and is modelled in food chains and food webs. (2.1)
• Food pyramids show the loss of energy from one trophic level to another.  (2.1)
• The nutrients carbon, nitrogen,  and phosphorus  move in and out of the abiotic and biotic components  of terrestrial  and aquatic ecosystems. (2.2)
• Human  activities affect nutrient cycles and cause harm to an ecosystem. (2.2)
• Contaminants such as persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals can  bioaccumulate and biomagnify affecting consumers and the health of ecosystems. (2.3)

3  Ecosystems continually  change over time.

• Adaptive radiation and natural selection are processes that change organisms in response to changes in the abiotic and biotic components  of an ecosystem. (3.1)
• Ecological succession changes the abiotic and biotic components  of an ecosystem over time. (3.1)
• Natural  events such as flooding, tsunamis, drought, and insect infestations quickly change the abiotic and biotic conditions  of an ecosystem. (3.1)
• Human  activities including deforestation, agriculture,  resource exploitation, and the introduction of foreign species change ecosystems and result in habitat loss. (3.2)
• Invasive introduced  species can affect native species through competition,  predation, disease, parasitism, and habitat destruction. (3.3)

Nutrients!

Earlier this week we talked about bioaccumulation and its impacts on food webs and ecosystems as a whole.  But plants and animals don't just absorb bad things but also take up the good things that help them to survive and grow strong.  Nutrients are essential for life, and the way they cycle through ecosystems and the methods in which they are stored on the earth are a specific processes that are carefully balanced.

Have a look at the class notes page for links to notes and the assignments!

Energy through Food Chains

Check out THIS presentation on food chains.  It's a pretty simplistic representation -but in reality there is a whole lot going on!  Energy transfers from the sun through the food chain, but at each level only 10% of energy that an organism consumes is passed along.
This transfer rarely occurs in a solitary line from just one species to the next, but in complex ecosystems, there are often many connections between different producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers and beyond.

Your task, for tomorrow is to draw a food WEB (not a single chain) showing the many relationships between organisms in an ecosystem that is familiar to you (like your backyard, your cabin, your fav vacation spot in Hawaii).  Remember arrows show the direction of energy, not who is eating who.

Climatographs

Climate is a huge influence on the characteristic in any particular biome and each biome has a distinctly unique climate.
Desserts are pretty dry where as rain forests are pretty wet. The boreal forest has big extremes in temperature, but a different range of extremes from the Tundra.  Because of these factors, different plants and animals are able to live successfully in these different environments.

Reading climate graphs or climatographs gives us an overview of the specific climate in an area, and helps us understand the conditions that permit specific life to thrive.

In class, you completed pages 30-31 in your text -drawing and analyzing climatographs.  These graphs and questions are due in class this week.

The Biomes we know and love

We are constantly surrounded by natural environments, but how often do we stop and look around and perhaps appreciate it all?

Part 1

Your task this morning is to adventure around the school campus and capture a picture of an ecosystem with a partner.  Your picture can be small scale or large scale (lots of detail/zoomed in or little detail/zoomed out) but it should be clear what your picture is of and the dynamics of the community obvious.

With this picture, return back to class and examine your picture, answering the following questions:

1. Make a list of all of the living components
2. Brainstorm a list of other plant and animals which live in this environment (think big and small, seasonal, high/low etc)
3. Examine these plants and these animals and identify common characteristics (plants compared to other plants, animals to other animals)
4. Identify what you believe are the top three (3) plant and animal characteristics for optimal survival in your ecosystem -and justify your selection with a sentence or two (fully explaining)

Part 2

Search the internets for a picture of a different biome or ecosystem.  When you have made your selection (make sure you can identify which biome you're looking at) complete steps 1-4 above.

Part 3

Looking at your two biomes/ecosystems (local and pic from internet) identify 1. similarities and 2. differences between the two biomes (based on communities and their specific characteristics).  Then infer why these similarities and differences are present in relation to the abiotic characteristics of these separate biomes.

TO HAND IN:
1. your pictures (with biome identified)
2. Part 1 answers/analysis
3. Part 2 answers/analysis
4. Part 3 analysis

DUE:
block 3 class: Thursday March 5
block B class: Tuesday March 10

Chapter 7 You Should Know!

For the Chapter 7 test on Thursday you should be familiar with the following:

• determine the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in an isotope
• write nuclear symbols to represent isotopes
• describe the difference between alpha, beta, and gamma radiation
• complete nuclear equations for alpha, beta, and gamma decay
• calculate the amount of parent isotope left after a period of time
• calculate the amount of time needed for a parent isotope to decay to a certain amour
• get information out of a decay curve
• complete nuclear equations for nuclear fusion and fission reactions
• describe the differences between nuclear fusion and fission 

Nuclear Equations Practice

Hey!
Here are some links to help you practice balancing nuclear equations and recognize Alpha, Beta and Gamma decay!  Fill in the appropriate numbers and element (you'll need a periodic table) and check your answers.  Keep track of how many rounds you need to go to get a perfect page (and let Ms. Logher know)

BALANCING NUCLEAR EQUATIONS

Also, HERE is a question sheet with more problems to solve! (I have a copy of this and will hand it out next class... this is just if you want/need a head start)

We will all have a test on Chapter 7 on Thursday February 26th

Isotopes and Decay

Chapter 7 is upon us and we have begun exploring the unique characteristics of isotopes and radioactive decay!

Below is a model of carbon -12, carbon -13 and carbon -14.  Can you spot the differences in these nuclei of the different isotopes?

(credit Leiah for their construction)

We have also talked about decay and how unstable nuclei will emit high energy particles or energy in the attempt to stabilize.  

Alpha, Beta and Gamma decay/radiation are the highlight of the popular music video above.

Remember -we will have a quiz next class on the three different types of Decay!

Chapter 6 just flew by!

It feels as though we have just come back from holidays, and already we're preparing for a test!  Chapter 6 is already over and done, so we are ready to pack it up and move along.

Here is an update from the girls in the front row of block 3:

Hey Gang,

So as you may already know there is a quest on chapter 6.1 and 6.2 happening soon, and I want you guys to be prepared! (Don't worry, you'll all do great!!) Some of the things you would want to study are the 5 types of reactions (AB equations etc...), Identify WHY it's that reaction (ex its a synthesis because there's only 2 reactants so obviously they're gonna combine into 1). Know the 4 factors affecting reactions rates, and why those are factors.

Best of luck

Test dates are:

Block B = Tuesday January 27

Block 3 = Monday January 26

**If you have made special arrangements with Ms. Logher -then those specific dates are yours**

Science 10B Tuesday Homework

Welcome back!!  I hope you're holidays were fun and you're ready to jump right back into Chemistry!  We went through chapter 6.1 today -have a look at the notes and complete the following for next class (Thursday).  Remember to write down any questions you have.

1. Complete worksheet questions (back side)
2. Create 5 unique analogies for the 5 different reaction types (remember double replacement is the same as a neutralization) to share in class