Microbes revision

Here are the main points that you should be comfortable with for the test on monday:
Q1. People still die from infections for several reasons - They might not have access to medicine, the pathogens might be resistant to the medicine, or their bodies' defences might not work as they should (skin, stomach acid, immune system).
Q2. The celebrity could pick up an infection in several ways - eating or drinking contaminated food, being bitten by insects, from animals like mice or rats, from other people (coughing etc.) or by cutting hersef as in question 3.
Q3. Macrophages try to engulf the bacteria, if they don't succeed white blood cells try engulfing the bacteria and then exploding, and finally antibodies can join to the outside of the bacteria (with the antiibody joining to the antigen).
Q4. b, d, a, e, c.
Q5.
a. Some rabbits live in a field.  This is their habitat.
b. A stream flows through a field and many species live there.  The living things and their enivronment from an ecosystem.
c. Lots of different species live in the field so it has a high biodiversity.
d. The total mass of living things there is the biomass.

Q6. Grass, grasshopper, snake owl.
Grass is the producer.
Snake and grasshopper OR owl and snake.

Q7. a. More pike will cause the number of perch to decrease.
       b. The pike would eat the perch, which would leave less for the heron so they wouldn't visit the pond as  much.

Key points:
Make sure youre happy with the four types  of microbes we've looked at - bacteria fungi, viruses, protozoa.  Knowing some good and bad things they can do would also be useful.

Understand the different steps in our bodies fighting microbes - skin, stomach acid, and the immune system (which also has three parts - macrophages, white blood cells and antibodies).

Know how food chains/webs work and how to make predictions using them.  Make sure you can draw them with the arrows going from the PREY to the PREDATOR.

Understand what biomass pyramids represent, and what a normal one looks like.

Good luck!

Food webs

We will be looking at food webs today, continuing on from what we started last lesson.  Use the links below to help you answer the following questions:

1. Complete the food web activity on this link - http://www.gould.edu.au/foodwebs/antarctic.htm .  Click on the answer image once you're done to help you with the next questions.
2. Name three different animals in the antarctic food web.
3. What gets the energy from the sun for the Antarctic food web?  What are organisms that do this called?
4. Which way do the arrows always go in food webs/chains (from what to what)?
5. Imagine that there were more Emperor penguins born in a certain year by chance.  List five other animals this would affect, and whether their numbers would increase or decrease.
6. What is the difference between phytoplankton and zooplankton? Name one similarity as well.
7. How many animals would be affected if phytoplankton became less common?
8. Find out what a 'keystone species' is and give a definition in your book

http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/wildlife/whales/food%20web.htm -  Information on the types of animals and a good diagram of the  antarctic food web.


Complete this crossword once you've finished the questions - http://www.ntscience.co.uk/science-crossword/7c-environment3j.html


One last activity, highest score will get an achievement point! - http://puzzling.caret.cam.ac.uk/game.php?game=foodchain

Tuberculosis

This afternoon we will be doing an assessment in class on tuberculosis, a disease caused by a microbe.  Don't worry as you'll be able to use your books with all the information you're about to collect, as well as asking questions!
To prepare yourselves this lesson, find out using the internet and write in your books -

A short description (1 or 2 sentences) about where in the body tuberculosis can occur:

What the symptoms of tuberculosis are:

How it is caused:

How it can be spread:

The name of the pathogen:

The number of people per year that die from this disease:

Any ways of either treating or preventing the disease:

World Health Organisation: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs104/en/
(Aust.) Government website: http://www.health.vic.gov.au/ideas/diseases/tb_facts
NHS website: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Tuberculosis/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Try this once you're finished: http://www.gamezhero.com/online-games/shooting-games/microbes-games.html

For this lesson, try and answer the following questions in your books.  Use the internet to help you, there are several links below that may help.

1. What are three problems/diseases that bacteria can cause for humans?
2. Where might you find the bacteria vibrio cholerae?
3. Define the word pathogens:
4. How can people stop the spread of pathogens?
5. Why do you think that microbes like bacteria and protozoa have only been discovered since the microscope was invented?
6. How do protozoa move?

Talking about the microscope: http://www.typesofbacteria.co.uk/how-when-were-bacteria-discovered.html
BItesize site with lots of information about microbes: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks3bitesize/science/organisms_behaviour_health/disease/revise1.shtml
Have a go at the games on this site once you're finished:
http://www.themicrobiologyblog.com/2010/05/microbiology-games.html

nviz revision

Here are the answers to the revision sheet if you want to check yours:

Q1. television - d
       Speakers - b
       Spark - e
       Digger - c
       Kettle - a

Q2. a-If the television were more efficient, less heat would be produced as this is wasted energy.
       b-Energy going in, coming out as sound and heat.
Q3. The atmosphere is a layer of gases which surrounds the earth.  By produing more carbon dioxide and releasing it into the atmosphere, we allow the Earth to warm up.  This is called the greenhouse effect and leads to global warming and climate change.
Q4. Renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind and hydroelectric power produce no carbon dioxide while producing electricity.  This will decrease the rate of climate change and prepare us for wen fossil fuels run out.
Q5. Wind and solar power only provide electricity when it is sunny or windy.  This means that they can not be available at times when they are needed.  To fix this this problem, either a battery to store power is needed, or another renewable energy source that provides constant energy, like geothermal or hydroelectric power.
Q6.  Climate change may cause Sea levels to rise, Ocean acidification, increased frequency and severity of extreme weather (storms, hurricanes), droughts, diseases and food shortages.  These problems could lead to many social and other problems.

I.T. lesson

Copy this address into another tab: http://www.fife-education.org.uk/energy/curricular_links/simenergy2.htm
Click on 'try the game' and play a few times so you get used to how it works.  Try and make the most money from the month! Once you've had a go answer these questions:
1. Which renewables provide the same amount of power all the time?

2. Why is it important to investigate before putting in a renewable energy source?

3. When during the day is the family's power useage the highest?

4. What do you need to be able to store the power generated at other times during the day?

Once you have finished that, have a look at these two articles:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/oxfordshire/8210840.stm

http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/forum/letters/8956976.Too_many_turbines/

The first one talks about a plan for more wind generators in Oxford, and lists several reasons why they might be a good idea.  The second one is a letter written by someone opposed to them.  Read both articles, and write your opinions in your book.

Energy

Sorry for the delay in posting items, Ive been trying to upload documents which the pc here used to let me do but now doesn't.  We've finished the sections on what climate change is and how it is caused, and will be looking at ways of reducing impacts it has over the next few weeks.  Make sure you come to class early next week as we will be going to a computer room.

Nviz

As we have started the new unit on climate change, I thought I'd put up this video.  Remember that the Earth is warming, and make sure you know how this occurs.  It's important to be able to back up your theories with facts instead of just making claims!

Acid/Alkali practical

Here is the link to the slideshow from today, with some animations that we didn't quite have time for.  Have a look through them, then see if you can explain why drinking softdrink is bad for your teeth!
https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0ATFUvVu_WNI_ZGRxdDk3a3hfOTVmamt4anBnMg&hl=en

This is a video of the reaction we saw in class today, try and remember why this reaction is important to us!

Oxidation

Here is the link to the slideshow we used today for oxidation - https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0BzFUvVu_WNI_ZWUzZGQ0NDQtOGRlNC00YWM4LWFmNjAtODAzZmMzM2Y1NjQ3&hl=en MAke sure you're comfortable with the points on the last slide as we will be doing a practical later in the week where they will be useful.

Cu + 2AgNO₃ = Cu(NO₃)₂ + 2Ag

This is the reaction that we looked at in class during the practical today.  Make sure you remember which parts are compounds and elements and how they swap over (displace).  We will be doing some exercises with the periodic table tomorrow so make sure you bring your planners to class.

Mythbusters Matches

This is the video we watched in the last lesson, see if you can remember what makes up the three parts of the fire triangle here:

Welcome!

Hello year 8, I've just created this site to share material that will help us with the course.  Make sure you save the address to your favourites or write it down somewhere so you can check in regularly! As the people who were in the last lesson of term will know, we are going to start a unit on PYROTECHNICS after half term.