4/19/19 Biology PLC Minutes

Members Present: Wise, Vermillion, McCandless, Baker

1. Lesson Update- Just finished...
   a. Vermillion- Lesson 7
   b. Wise- Lesson 6
   c. Baker- Lesson 7
   d. McCandless- Lesson 6
2. Next week- Finishing Genetics
   a. No class on April 24- ACT
   b. No block day
   c. Field trips next week
3. Following- Reviewing for testing
   a. Start with ecology and review one unit a week
   b. Prepare students for the setup of the test
   c. Tie up loose ends/practice tests/vocabulary
   d. CER finch argument- Go over this for natural selection
   e. Site for Case Studies for practice Case Study Link
   f. Approx. 13 days for review
   g. Intro, work with concepts again, give practice. Maybe a 10 minute mini lesson
   h. Ecology April 29-May 2
   i. Natural Selection
   j. Evolution
   k. Genetics
   l. Energy
4. Testing May 20 and 22
   a. 60 minute sections
   b. Chemistry- cross-cutting concepts (energy, chem, etc.)
   c. TCT to go through from bio and chem- Energy flows through a system
   d. Do a TCT on Fridays of the week related to that topic


Next Steps: Finish genetics, prepare for review for EOC, look at TCTs to decide on one for each week, look at AP schedule and plan for review weeks, prepare to choose a topic for review to plan (one topic per teacher)

4/12/19 Biology & 1A PLC Minutes

Members Present: Montgomery, Baker, McCandless, Wise, Roberts, Rahmlow

1. Argumentative Essay Progress and data
   a. Wise- Going very well.
   b. Drafts- Final today (Baker and Wise)
   c. McCandless- Final Monday
   d. Digital copy for backpack
   e. English connection and science (genetics) connection
   f. Wording. Punctuation. Capitalization. All things our students need to work on.
   g. Add this to the curriculum for Bio next year at Valley
2. Stella lesson 5 on Monday for Baker, Wise
3. McCandless lesson 3 on Monday
4. Bio testing schedule- EOC Block week
   a. May 20 and May 22, in two parts (No school May 21).
   b. Thurs/Friday juniors are taking on demand writing, so fun science lesson/experiment
   c. Weds/Thurs block dissection May 29-30.
5. Planning a field trip- Zoo- May 28, AP Bio, AP Environmental, Hero
   a. First choice date May 28, after the EOC

Next Steps: Bring data from essays to discuss at next PLC, orders are due April 19 to Baker

3/26/19 Biology PLC Minutes

Members Present: Montgomery, McCandless, Wise, Baker, Vermillion

1. Jurassic World
   a. Location for streaming
   b. Instructional purpose
   c. Schedule for showing- Block Day
   d. Watch, and the day we get back, documentary on positive GMO's (TEDtalk)
   e. Choose a side, write an argument for/against GMO's using evidence from the things you have seen/learned. 6 paragraphs- Intro, 3 arguments, counter, and conclusion.
   f. Can use this as a high-quality backpack artifact by going through feedback process. Real-world, ethics.
2. Lesson 5- Transcription/Translation
   a. Using codons to get amino acids, use the square not the wheel
   b. Mosquito mutations
3. Lesson 6- Proteins
   a. Students given Jaguar, mate and predict the babies
   b. Alleles, no probabilities (not part of the standards, but still important to know)
   c. Homozygous dominant and recessive traits
   d. Write a paragraph using vocabulary
4. Lesson 7- Packaging DNA
   a. PowerPoint and a reading
   b. Meiosis, independent assortment and segregation
   c. Appropriate to do something different if you do not like the lesson for the needs of your students
   d. A lot of vocabulary
   e. Looking at chromosomes, not necessary to know all of the phases
   f. Close read an article of meiosis
5. Lesson 8- Pedigrees
   a. Jaguars
   b. Use the BSCS book for this. Baker will put up on the drive.
   c. CER- Answering the unit central question
6. Timing
   a. Whole week returning from spring break, working on the paper. Start lesson 5 the week after.
   b. Turn in the essay by Friday, or teacher choice.
   c.

Next Steps: Prepare for film; pre-teach argument essay so they know what they are looking for in the film; preview the Stella lessons and prepare for after spring break;

2/26/19 Biology PLC Minutes

Members Present: Wise, Montgomery, McCandless, Baker, Vermillion

1. Genetics Lab Station Feedback
   a. Stations took longer than 20 minutes, they typically took the entire period (50 minutes). Will need to run this activity through Friday.
   b. Station 5 options- print lab instructions for your choice of virtual lab
   c. May flow into Monday, then start Stella.
2. Genetics unit 5 folder created- Wise
   a. McCandless uploaded materials
   b. Wise uploaded intro materials
   c. Vermillion- Stella lessons next week are in the old folder 17-18, McCandless moved to 18-19
3. Energy and Matter Assessment Data Discussion
   a. Math walk-through to help with calculations corrections
   b. Baker AP- 83% after corrections, 75% before corrections (both multiple choice and terrarium CER)
   c. Baker Comp- 58% after corrections, several with zeros and haven't done corrections.
   d. Wise Comp- 62% after corrections
   e. Vermillion- Gave bio AP test, average was lower than last year
   f. Understand vs. just copying down the material
   g. Apathy- not giving full effort on test, sleeping during test.
   h. Terrarium CER was the greatest struggle.
     i. Math
     ii. Written portion expectations (Vermillion)
     iii. Pre-teaching the expectations for the CER
     iv. Next year, have a practice CER and then the formal CER, in the same style.
4. Grades and data discussion
   a. Viking Time intervention for next round list
   b. Round 5 and 6 teachers
   c. Study Island- Standard Recovery Folder- Vermillion sharing materials
   d. Use Study Island for intervention- check with Cotton for access- Baker
5. Department Meeting today

Next Steps: Attend department meeting, prepare Stella lessons for next week, finish grading assessments

2/22/19 Biology PLC Genetics Stations

1. Genetics Stations Folder is complete. See link in previous minutes, or go to Biology 18-19 drive.
   a. Virtual lab- two choices, see document.
   b. Close reading- Two choices, both close reading passages.
   c. Vocabulary- use the frayer model. Make an exemplar, and put out template for students to draw in their notebooks.
   d. Hands-on- Twizzler DNA. Buy/organize your materials! Twizzlers, 4-colored mini marshmallows, toothpicks, paper clips, masking tape.
   e. Making babies coin toss station
2. Plan for 20 minutes for each station. Students who are finished early, have enrichment ready to go. Use the extra close reading passage, extra virtual lab, etc.

Next Steps: Copies, gather materials, etc.

2/19/19 Biology PLC Minutes

Members Present: Wise, McCandless, Vermillion, Baker
(Montgomery in a meeting)
1. Stella emails
2. Equipment- Wise
3. Genetics stations FOLDER
   a. Folder created in the Bio 18-19 drive
   b. Twizzler lab station- McCandless- Materials needed
       i. Mini colored marshmallows (approx. 9 of each color per group)
       ii. Twizzlers (2 strands per group)
       iii. Toothpicks (12 per group)
       iv. Paper clips (5 per group)
       v. Masking tape
   c. Virtual Lab- Wise Virtual Lab Links
       i. Has a great one for AP, working on one for comp
       ii. Classical genetics simulator- can be very detailed if you want it to be
       iii. Analysis page is complicated- goes into chi square analysis.
       iv. Punnett square virtual lab
   d. Making Babies genetics coin toss station-Baker
       i. Uploaded into folder
   e. Literacy- Wise to upload to folder
   f. Vocabulary Frayer Models
       i. Uploaded into folder
   g. Genetics coloring and articles for enrichment
4. Earth/Space science cohort program with U of L

Next steps: Finish uploading the station activities in the folder. Prepare enrichment materials.

2/12/19 Biology PLC Minutes

Members Present: Baker, Montgomery, McCandless, Vermillion, Wise

1. Upcoming Unit: Genetics
2. Next week- Finish up cell resp.
3. Genetics will start Feb 25
   a. Week of the advancED visit
   b. Genetics lab with centers. Online lab, literacy, teacher walking around asking questions, redirecting, assisting.
   c. Notes, intro Feb 25
   d. Stations Tues and Weds/Thurs
   e. Mendelian Genetics Station: teacher decides pacing/rotating schedule based on student needs
             Literacy- Baker, Virtual Lab- Wise, Craft- McCandless/Wise, Vocabulary Foldable- Baker, Creation of genotype/phenotype lab. Plan for approximately 20 minutes.
4. EOC window- Starting May 17
5. Plan to have all review and content done by Derby, May 2nd.
6. Grades for EOC- scores back, 20% final. No scores back, you passed.

Next Steps: Prepare stations, finish cell resp. unit, prepare for advancED visit.