Cell Function Interactive Extravaganza!!!!!!!!!!!!

JohnKyrk.com
Those letters together are all you need to know to find AMAZING interactives that demonstrate all aspects of Cell Structure and Function.  From a general overview of Cell Anatomy, to the specifics of the light and dark reactions of photosynthesis, including molecular structure.


If you go to the website and click "Cell Function Overview", you will end up with an image like this one:

It is a beautiful illustration, but wait until you click on the little tiny orange "play" button (not labeled as such) in the lower left corner of the page.  It makes you microscopic, and brings you down into the cell to view the process of DNA to RNA.
These animations work beautifully on an interactive whiteboard (SMART, Promethean, etc.)

This is where it gets pretty cool. The animation shows the process of DNA transcription.  When the animation pauses, you can read the related text and then press the little orange "play" button again, or rewind to watch the process again.

The animation to  finishes up by showing how ribosomal RNA is transported outside the nuclear membrane and then translated into proteins, shown in the image to the left.


Keep in mind, this is NOT the only animated sequence on the site, there are HUNDREDS of them.  Just keep clicking!  

Cell Function Interactive Extravaganza!!!!!!!!!!!!

Free Download--SMART Notebook Lesson on Tectonic Stress--Assessment Version

Okay, so I posted an earlier version of this lesson before I did the lessons with the kids. This week, we were reviewing for a test, so I upped the ante in the lesson and even tacked on a really FUN game at the end.

My students loved game and I was actually pretty surprised at how challenging they found it to be--you might know the answers, but spelling them correctly with a short time limit is really hard! Click here to download the SMART board lesson. You must have Notebook v10 to save and use this lesson.

Free Download--SMART Notebook Lesson on Tectonic Stress--Assessment Version

One Club to Rule Them All--Middle Earth

This post has very little to do with science, and just a little more with technology. However, I really wanted to share about my "club". Like many middle or high schools, my school has "activity" or "club days" every few weeks. The intent of this is to foster non-academic relationships student-student and student-teacher.

Over the last few years, for scheduling reasons, "club days" as they are called in my school have felt burdensome. More work for me, and less fun for the kids.

NOT ANYMORE!

A genius faculty member who happens to be a friend of mine started a club called "Middle Earth: One Club to Rule Them All". It revolves around most things Tolkien, and all things Lord of the Rings.

Today, our activity was Discovering our Lord of the Rings Names. Mine, since I am trying to embrace my inner orc is "Ufshash, the Devastator". My students (in and out of class) may call me Ufshash, or Mrs. Devastator as they wish. To find your LOTR name, use these name generators:

• http://www.barrowdowns.com/middleearthname.php--here you can find what you were according to the Red Book of Westmarch, as well as Elvish, Hobbit, Dwarvish, Orkish and Adunaic names.
• http://www.myprecious.us/name_generator.php--here you can find Wizard, Dwarvish, Elvish and Human names for yourself. The human names are great! Mine is Melian, Queen of Doriath.

One Club to Rule Them All--Middle Earth

Free Download--SMART Notebook Lesson on Levers

Great middle level or 9th grade lesson on Levers...click here to download it. It includes two matching games to identify first, second and third class levers, two interactive mini apps--one is more advanced to calculate load and effort. The last few slides are a lab activity idea for older students who are very self-directed. Enjoy!

Free Download--SMART Notebook Lesson on Levers

Interactive Mitosis/Meiosis Animations and More!

This site has excellent animations that are especially well-suited for use on an interactive whiteboard. My personal favorites on this site are the mitosis/meiosis animations, which happen to be the first ones that he published. They are beautifully designed, uncluttered, elegant animations that can be translated into 6 languages (just click the "lips" icon on the upper right-hand side of the page).

Interactive Mitosis/Meiosis Animations and More!