The Mysterious Case of Bob Bacon

Our AP Biology class recently dissected fetal pigs as a way to interactively learn about the systems of the body. After doing so, we split up into groups of five to create a CSI mystery on how one of the pigs died. We created a story line, made up interactive clues, and set up a presentation where the class went to each of the stations to find the clues and attempt to figure out who killed the pig, how, and what body system was affected.

I worked with Amanda, Bharathi, Abi, and Jen S. Our system was the immune system, and we called our dead pig Bob Bacon. We set up his death as a murder mystery, starting off with a Breaking News TV Clip explaining that scientist Bob Bacon has died, and that the police had five possible suspects – all of which were his neighbors. The class was then asked to help out with investigations by visiting each of the “homes” of these suspects and determining who could be guilty based on the timeline, Bob’s medical record, and outside information. After spending about 7 minutes at each table, we reconvened as a class and asked everyone to collaborate and guess who the murderer may have been. We then released two more Breaking News Forecasts, which led the class to conclude that one of the scientists was responsible for giving Bob Bacon HIV 10 years ago, and that it was actually Bob’s cat who killed Bob by transmitting a disease. This disease, called toxoplasmosis, was able to kill Bob because his immune system was weakened from the HIV, which had eventually turned into AIDS. Here is our intro video which set up the scene for the project!

This was definitely one of the hardest projects I have ever had to do. The fact that it was a group project, even though I love all the members of our class, made it that much more difficult. Unfortunately, I was sick during most of the time that we got to work on this project during class, so our group was forced to utilize social media in order to communicate. Even with that disadvantage, I would say that we still did a great job! I enjoyed the creativity allowed through this project. I was able to throw in a lot of special touches and puns (such as the pigs name – ex. Connor Mc. Snorts) which delighted me and (hopefully) amused everyone else. It was interesting that we had to make some sort of wild connection that was so abstract that the class would most likely not be able to guess it at first, and THEN have to actually make them guess it within the time period. I am disappointed that I was not able to see the other groups’ projects (I hate being sick!) but I can only imagine that they were fantastic!

LiMPETS Reflection

This last Wednesday, our AP Biology class took a field trip to Fitzgerald Marine Resort to interact with the tide pools that line our coast. We all bundled up in layers and went out on the beach, viewing the marine life and collecting scientific data for Save The Bay along the way.

Photo by R. Girard

I learned a lot more things on this field trip than I actually expected. The first thing I spotted after stepping upon the beach were hundreds, maybe even thousands, of Velella Velella. They looked like plastic to me at first, but our naturalist, Abby, explained to us that they were actually jelly-fish-like-looking Cniderians! Velella are cobalt colored with clear sails (which I had mistaken for plastic) that help them move along the surface of the ocean. These mysterious beauties lined the sand and the rocks like confetti – it was quite the sight to see!

Photo by S. Conde

Something that became very apparent to me during this field trip was how dynamic the ocean and tides really are. Our teacher Ms. Girard researched the tide schedule beforehand to find the optimal time to go out when the tide was as its lowest so that we could explore more and see the most organisms. However, we ended up arriving about 20 minutes late, and it became very apparent that the tide was on the rise! While doing our research we had to check behind our backs every few seconds to make sure we weren’t swept up by a wave. We started out as far as we could go and worked our way back to the shore quickly in order to get the most amount of data. I thought it was so interesting how quickly the waves changed and found that change to be fascinating.

Photo by R. Girard – our group collecting data 27 meters from shore!

Another thing that I learned was about the ocean zones. After exploring the tide pools for a while, it became obvious that there were certain areas where organisms of the same type resided. After we collected data with our small groups, we all got together and counted the amount of Big Green and Sunburst Anemones in a larger zone and were astonished about how many we counted. I did some research on my own afterwards and learned that there are four commonly recognized tidal zones based on exposure during tidal periods,  wave action and shoreline features. Factors that determine whether or not an organism can live happily in one of these zones includes temperature, water depth, exposure to water, salinity, and wave action. The zones are displayed in the picture below:

Photo taken from http://oregontidepools.org/tidalzones

Unfortunately, I was not at the class where Abby came in and gave our AP Biology class information about the tide pools and the organisms that inhabit it. However, I was able to make some connections to various things we learned in class. First of all, I was able to see how many organisms had adapted to the environment in which they were living. For example, the anemones were able to live both in and out of water by holding different shapes depending on whether or not they were submerged. Another thing that was very evident to me was how all the organisms worked and lived together. I witnessed some organisms eating each other (and let me tell you, seeing an anemone eat a Sea Star was quite dramatic) but for the most part I saw everything living in peace and harmony. It really exemplified a working ecosystem for me. There were many memorable moments on this field trip, but perhaps the most was getting to see my classmate, Simone, pick up a Sea Star and hold it in her hands. I am quite a fan of Sea Stars, and I usually do not get to see them when I go to the tide pools on my own time, so that was very cool for me. I also enjoyed getting to collect data for a research organization such as Save the Bay – it was not hard at all, and it was in my opinion a better way to learn about all of the creatures living there. I would definitely recommend that future classes continue to go on this field trip – I am a huge advocator for hands-on learning and I think field trips are the best way to really experience that. The only thing I would change about this field trip would be to talk more and learn more about the Seals that were sunbathing on the rocks. There were even some pups there, and I would love to learn more about them! But overall, I had a blast, and would definitely be interested in going back!

Photo by R. Girard

Here is a link to the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve!

https://parks.smcgov.org/fitzgerald-marine-reserve

Works Cited:

“Tidal Zones.” Tidal Zones. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. <http://oregontidepools.org/tidalzones&gt;.

Animal Therapy

As an animal lover, I have always been interested in the relationship between humans and animals and how we affect one another. While it is not accurate to go so far as to say that it is a symbiotic relationship (thank you humans for pretty much destroying everything we touch), science is showing that the beneficial effect animals have on human is evident and strong.

As this research is popping up and showing more results animal therapy is becoming more popular as well. Animals have been used in medical settings for over 150 years, but it is only since the 1970s where researches have been observing and testing the bond between humans and animals. One of the main effects of animals is mood improvement; the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine has been focusing in particular on oxytocin levels, claiming that animals increase those levels in humans through touch, interaction, and just through general proximity (oxytocin is a hormone which not only helps us feel happy and trusting, but also has some healing power and is known to help regenerate new cells).

Animals such as dogs, cats, and horses are the more popular “therapists” and have shown some of the best results and improvement among children with various disabilities. Some of these improvements include social skills, cognitive skills, increased awareness and processing skills, and just a general increase in happiness levels in patients.

As mentioned above, therapeutic animal places (especially barns) are becoming more and more popular around the country and in our very own Bay Area! One local place is BOK Ranch in Woodside (http://www.bokranch.com/index.html), and if you know of any others please comment and let me know! Feel free to microSCOPE it out (ba doom tsss) and have a great day!

Works Cited

Rovner, Julie. “Pet Therapy: How Animals And Humans Heal Each Other.” NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 27 Aug. 2014. <http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/03/09/146583986/pet-therapy-how-animals-and-humans-heal-each-other&gt;.