Using a new platform this term

Our class has been selected to try out a new learning management software, as a result this blog will no longer be updated.

Mental Inventory Preview

Today we reviewed the major themes in evolution, experimental design and clarified the differences standard error of the mean and standard deviation.

Below is your last question on tomorrow's mental inventory:

Our theme for this term was "what/who lives where and why." Using what you know about ecology and evolution, choose an organisms we have talked about this term and explain how ecology and evolution have influenced where this organism lives and why.

For each question you will be asked to evaluate your answer as "meets expectations," "needs improvement" or "falls seriously short of expectations."

Finish the Periwinkles Practice

For Thursday, please finish the Periwinkles Practice packet.

Homework for Tuesday

On Friday in class we read an article on food preference by birds and mammals and the spiciness of chili peppers.  Tomorrow the question sheet for the article is due.  Also a reminder that on Friday you will have a mental inventory on evolution.

http://www.spicelines.com/IMG_1525-chiles%231--400x300.jpg

It's been a long time...

....since we last met.  Today we reviewed your homework from before the Hurrication (see post below).  We discussed how it is important to standardize data collection as well as when planning your experiment think about how you will present your data.

We discussed part of the paper from Kelly et. al (see below) on why a pie chart is NEVER a good idea (click the picture to make it bigger).

Homework: Design an experiment to test if squirrels prefer spicy or non-spicy acorns.  Remember to think about the data that you will collect, sample size and creating a standardized procedure.

In class on Thursday you will present and defend your ideas to the class.

What does it take to be a successful squirrel?

On Tuesday we sampled various fruits to compare their taste between ripe and unripe fruits.  We also looked at how the structure of the fruit helps its seeds to disperse.

For homework you observed a squirrel for twenty minutes and recorded your observations.  Today in class we compared your observations and searched for patterns.  We generated a list of questions about squirrel behavior and from there developed a testable question.  While "Is there a difference between the mass of black squirrels and grey squirrels?" is a testable question, it is not one that WE could test.

The question that we asked was: Is there a difference between how close you can get to a black or grey squirrel before it runs.

We then developed a protocol to test this question and collected data.

Homework due Tuesday:

Export the the data from the google doc to an Excel spreadsheet, then:

1. Suggest ways that you could graph or present this data.

2. Identify two patterns that you see in the data

3. Identify two sources of natural variability in the data.  For each source of natural variability, explain how this could impact your data.

4. Identify two sources of experimental variability in the data.  For each source of experimental variability, explain how this could impact your data.

5. List three ways that this experiment could be improved in the future.  

Fruits and Seeds Follow Up

Please complete the post lab questions.  These are due tomorrow.  You do not need to answer the first question on page 10.