The World in A Drop of Water- Wrap Up

Last week, we finished Lab Nine.  It was one of my favorite labs.  In this lab, we looked at water under a microscope.  We got to see so many amazing things, and one of my friends in the other block saw a "water flea" (a cladocera) laying eggs.  I learned about things I never would have guessed have happened before.  Somethings that suprised me were-

• The Eyespot- This is a feature we saw on the euglena.  It can sense lighter or darker.  When it senses the light, it directs the euglena to the light so that the plant can perform photosynthesis.  
• A feature on the amoeba allows it to form a layer around it called a cyst when conditions are harsh.  If the water is too cool or too warm, the cyst is formed and will stay there for as long as it needs.
• On the paramecium and vorticella, small hairs are around them called the cilia, which means eyelash in latin.  They are small  hair-like extensions that help the cell capture food and also help it move around.
• In the paramecium, there are not one, but two nuclei.  The larger one is called the macronucleus, and the smaller one is called the micronucleus.  Both nuclei are of equal vitality.  A scientest performed surgurey on the cell twice, once extracting the marconucleus, once extracting the micronucleus and concluded that the cell needed both nuclei to function.

I enjoyed this unit so much, because I was able to learn so many new things about fresh water, and I had never really wondered about it.  I am so excited to see what this next unit shows us!    

Science Test

In science, we had a test about cells.  We got to look at our test, and correct it.  I thought it was a good experience to correct it, because we were able to understand what we got wrong, or how we could improve in what we got right. 
 In general, my answers were coherent and clear, correct, but I maybe could have added more details.  One of the hardest things for me was finding the similarities and differences between the cells, but once I understood it, it was much easier.  I think that I could have speant more time studying, although I did study a lot.  Overall, I think I earned a B, based on what I got wrong, and how I improved my answers.  (My responses demonstrate mastery of the learning goal(s). There are no major errors or omissions regarding any of the content and skills that were explicitly taught. Some evidence of analysis, synthesis and/or evaluation; may demonstrate originality and insight.  )