Algae:
Ascophyllum nodosum
Fucus vesiculosus
Chondrus crispus
Polysiphonia lanosa
Enteromorpha
Coralline crustose algae
Ulva lactuca

Invertebrates:
Semibalanus balanoides
Littorina littorea
Littorina saxatilis
Littorina obtusata
Lunatia heros
Nucella lapillus
Carcinus maenas
Cancer irroratus
Mytilus edulis
Crepidula fornicata
Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis
Halichondria species
Haliclona oculata
Hydroids, nudibranchs, sea anemones
Amphipods, copepods, isopods
Asterias forbesi
Asterias rubens

Using the Maine Intertidal Zone Investigation website (under Aquatic Ecology on PortaPortal), please answer the following questions:
1.    What does the term INTERTIDAL refer to?
2.    What is ZONATION?
3.    What are the different INTERTIDAL ZONES?
4.    Pick two of the zones you listed for #3.
     a. What are two physical features of each zone you picked?
     b. What are two common organisms found in each zone you picked?

Answer in complete sentences in a blog post using your assigned #.

Facts to find:

Location (including Country (or countrIES), Continent, Latitude, Longitude)
Size (including length, width, area, depth)
Interesting Physical Features
Climate

What Land Biome surrounds it
Important Producers, Decomposers
Important invertebrates (insects, crustaceans, worms, etc)
Important vertebrates (mammals, fish, reptiles, birds, amphibians)

EACH PERSON in your group must pick ONE ADDITIONAL TOPIC from the list below to research for homework.  Make sure not to duplicate topics - Communicate with your group!

• Endangered and threatened species; extinct species
• Keystone species - the most significant species, which help the ecosystem stay in balance
• Environmental issues caused by humans - may include overfishing, erosion, dams, oxygen depletion, runoff (extra nutrients, pesticides, sewage, sediment, introduction of invasive species), etc.
• Biodiversity - what percent of the organisms in this ecosystem are bacteria, fungi, plants, protists, insects, other animals)
• Economic Value of the ecosystem - how is it used by humans/ how is it useful to humans?
• Cultural information - languages, customs, history, etc.

Hello, Marshwood Entomologists!

Introduction:
Today you will learn about some of the common insects that inhabit freshwater ecosystems.  The insects that live in freshwater can be divided into two categories - those that live their entire life (egg to adult) in the water, and those that only spend the beginning of their lives in the water (as in, eggs that hatch into larvae, and eventually fly away). 

Source You Will Use (Plus a mini-lesson on classification!):
Under the heading "Documents to Download", you need to click on "Freshwater Insects."  When you do, it will open a PDF file that contains FIFTEEN common insects that can be found in Maine freshwater ecosystems, some of each category mentioned above.  You will notice that the larval stage and adult stage is given for each one.  ABOVE each picture is information about the classification, habitat, and characteristics of the insect.  (I say ABOVE because you could easily get confused with this... make sure you don't write down the wrong names!!)  You'll see that scientific names are NOT given for these critters.  That's because there are actually many species of each one.  For instance, there are many species of mosquitoes, but all mosquito larvae look pretty much alike.  So... we generally only identify them to the ORDER and/or FAMILY they are in, not the Genus & species.  (They're all in Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Arthropoda, Class Insecta, but then different orders, families, etc.)

What Exactly You Need To Do:
1. Get a piece of white "computer" paper from the front counter.
2. Fold it in half the long way - you get 2 long rectangles.
3. Fold it in half the short way - you now have 4 equal size boxes.
4. Fold it in half the short way again - you now have 8 equal size boxes.
5. The TOP LEFT box is for your title and name.  Title = Aquatic Insect Field Guide
6. Each remaining box, on the front and back, are for sketching one insect larva (and adult, if you can fit it!). 

For your sketches, please use PENCIL!!!  Focus on key differentiating details - you don't have to be the world's best artist to do this well.  Write the common name and family/order.  If you have microscopic handwriting, add a few details about habitat and characteristics as well. 

The FIFTEEN CRITTERS are divided as follows:

These insects are in the water during their Larval Stage Only:
Mayfly, Dragonfly, Damselfly, Stonefly, Mosquito, Cranefly, Midge, Caddisfly, Maggots

These insects are in the water for their Entire Life Cycle:
Water Strider, Giant Water Bug, Water Scorpion, Water Boatman, Backswimmer, Predacious Diving Beetle

Please take your time, work quietly, and pick up after yourselves. 
Have a nice LONG weekend!
-Mrs. S

Homework tonight:

In a paragraph of 5-8 sentences, please summarize the article that you read today in class about the Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus).  Some things to jumpstart your memory: there was a controversy... something about dams... lobster bait... fish ladders...  bass fishermen... spawning...  population of smallmouth bass vs. alewives...  Hopefully that will get you started. :) 

In a second paragraph of 5-8 sentences, please give your opinion about the controversy.  Do you side with the smallmouth bass fishermen on the St. Croix river, or with the scientists trying to protect the alewives?  Why? 

Please post using your assigned number.
   

Hi everyone,
Today you are going to learn about salmon.  Please follow each of these steps outlined below.  Have a great day!
-Mrs. S

1. Open a Pages/NeoOffice document.  You will answer 2-6 in this document, and then cut and paste your work into a blog response.   
2. Research the life cycle of a salmon.  Summarize your findings in paragraph form.
3. Define the terms ANADROMOUS and CATADROMOUS.  Which word applies to salmon?  Why?
4. Look up each salmon species discussed in class yesterday (Coho, Sockeye, etc.), and also look up the Atlantic Salmon.  For each species, please write down the common name, SCIENTIFIC NAME (remember the proper formatting - italics, capitalization), and a brief physical description of the fish. 
5. Find out about the problems facing salmon species - what have humans done to reduce salmon populations?  What can we do to fix these problems?
6. If you have time, find out what other fish species in the USA are anadromous and catadromous.  Write down your findings in list form.  Which ones are found in Maine?
7. Post the work you finished today before leaving the classroom.  Use your number to post.  Logan - your # will be 95 - have a neighbor show you what to do.
8. If your post was incomplete, please spend 20-30 additional minutes tonight finishing your work.  However, don't forget to post what you got done during class.  I want to see how productive you were!! 

Read the article called Mini T.rex by following the link below:

http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20090923/Feature1.asp
 
After reading the article respond to BOTH parts:
 
Part 1 needs to be a short paragraph (3-4sentences or more) and Part 2 needs to be one long paragraph (6-8 sentences or more) or two short paragraphs. Make sure to post by your number, spell check and have proper capitalization.

Part 1: What evidence supports the theory of evolution in the case of the T-rex and Raptorex?
 
Part 2: Select two other animals that you believe share a common ancestor (meaning 2 animals that evolved from the same animal). Name at least two ways in which these animals are similar and two ways in which they are different. 
 

Watch this story about two high school students in New York City who experimented with DNA from 200 sources. 

http://www.sciencefriday.com/videos/watch/10265

After watching, you should be able to:

Describe the project that the two students worked on.
Name the foods that were mislabeled.
Describe a DNA barcode.
Name the organism whose DNA did they NOT find in the database.  Why is it significant that it WASN'T in the database?
Explain how DNA barcoding could be useful.
 
Post a one to two paragraph entry about this video.  What are your unique thoughts about this topic?

Make sure that your entry is spell-checked and proofread. 
Use your assigned number as the name for your post.  No "screen names" please.

Deep Below Antarctic Ice, Lake May Soon See Light 

by Richard Harris, National Public Radio, 02/03/11

"While a team of Russian scientists were drilling ice core samples from their Vostok base in Antarctica, new satellite imagery revealed the outline of a lake the size of New Jersey buried two miles underneath the ice. Scientists have been drilling through the ice and are now just 100 feet away from breaking into the third largest lake on the planet."

As you will learn, there is a debate over whether or not the Russians should drill the last 100 feet to get to the lake.  Why does the debate exist?  What are the possible benefits of exploring the lake?  What are the possible consequences?  If YOU had to decide what to do, would you drill, or not?  Why?

Also, post any words/concepts that you're unfamiliar with, if you'd like.

Check out the rest of the story:
Copy and paste this address into a new browser window. 
http://www.npr.org/2011/02/03/133441327/deep-below-antarctic-ice-lake-may-soon-see-light
You can either read the transcript of the news story, or you can listen to it by clicking on "Listen to Story."  Make sure to check out the pictures & map in the story.

After reading/listening, please post a thoughtful, well-written, proofread, spell-checked response to the questions above.  Use your # as your name to post.

As you have learned, global warming is a complex topic.  The Earth's climate is changing.  From listening to each group presentation, you learned about the history of climate change, causes and effects of global warming, and solutions to reduce human impacts on our climate.

Write a 5-paragraph essay explaining the issues you've learned about.  Your essay should be organized, with a clear introduction, supporting paragraphs, and conclusion.  Please consider your audience as an alien from outer space who knows nothing about our planet!  Explain the topic clearly so your audience will understand.

The ONLY RESOURCE you may use is the page of notes you took while listening to/looking at the group presentations.  Do not use ANY other resources.  You are not permitted to look things up on the internet; I want to know what you learned in class!
 
Discuss MOST of the following topics in your essay.  (These were the group project topics.)
History of Earth’s Climate            
How the Greenhouse Effect Happens    
Climate Change Causes - Man-made and Natural
Climate Change Effects - Humans    
Climate Change Effects - Animals & Plants
Climate Change Effects - Different Regions of the World
The Debate over Climate Change    
Contributions to Global Warming by Different Countries/Regions
Solutions to Slow Global Warming

Use your NUMBER ONLY when you respond to this post.  No "screen names" this time, please.