“Making wise decisions in the face of uncertainty.”

Thursday, August 18th, 2011 | STEPHEN BRONI | No Comments

Statistics may be defined as “a body of methods for making wise decisions in the face of uncertainty.”   W.A. Wallis

How  confident are you with Statistical theory and practice?

Would you like to use state of the art analytical software on real problems  to hone your skills?

Otago  University has made a series of video clips  of researchers talking about  using statistics in their research. The clips include  examples from zoology, nutrition, psychology, chemistry, physiology within the university and DoC and AgResearch Ruakua outside the University.

But wait there’s more….!!!!!

The videos come with matching data sets  and a powerful, free-to-use menu-driven schools version of the statistical package GenStat .

A FREE school version of this software has been developed for New Zealand Schools. You can even  access the software freely at home once your  school is registered.

The video clips and data sets come with lessons using `GenStat Schools’ and all of the resources are available from the department’s website www.maths.otago.ac.nz/videos/statistics

A school can apply for a FREE GenStat Schools Licence at www.vsni.co.uk/software/genstat-teaching

If you haven’t heard of GenStat take this to your Maths Teacher right away  and start making use of this great resource.

Isolating Mechanisms

Tuesday, August 16th, 2011 | hamvi58p | No Comments

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/tdc02.sci.life.evo.lacewings/

Check out the section called ‘Background Essay’….. brilliant for your revision, here is a sneak peak.

‘When explaining a breakup, couples will often say, “We grew apart,” or “We both changed in different ways.” That’s a good metaphor for how species are formed: members of a population somehow begin to diverge, usually as a result of being geographically separated from each other. Eventually, they can no longer interbreed, and at that point a new species has formed.

Yet if the two groups continued to live near each other, it’s likely that mating attempts between naturally varying members of the two populations would tend to allow the species to merge again. This is called “gene flow” between the two groups. What keeps this from happening, and what allows new species to arise and endure, are what are known as “isolating mechanisms.” These are either behavioral or structural differences between species that make mating impossible……’ see website for remainder of article.
Discussion Questions:

  • How might different songs keep species of lacewings from interbreeding?
  • Can you think of other examples of traits or mechanisms that would similarly isolate other closely-related species?
  • Speciation resource –

    Tuesday, August 16th, 2011 | hamvi58p | No Comments

    The Origin of Species

    This is a great website for those wanting to apply themselves to what has been taught in the classroom.  The extract below is the background reading, there are applictaion questions as well as the interactive slide show.  A must for serious Biologists and Excellence/Schol. candidates!

    http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/tdc02.sci.life.evo.anorigin/

    The term evolution refers to the cumulative change that occurs in populations of organisms over time. Sometimes evolutionary change is so dramatic that different populations of the same species diverge to become two or more distinct species. In the case of a group of birds called honeycreepers, for example, a single species that colonized the Hawaiʻian Islands about 5 million years ago ultimately diverged into 57 different species.

    This process, which evolutionary biologists call speciation or adaptive radiation, can happen anywhere. However, it is most clearly demonstrated on geologically young land masses, such as newly formed islands or mountains. In these environments a population of organisms will typically find a set of environmental opportunities and pressures very different from the conditions they experienced in their place of origin. These environmental differences come in many forms and often cause sweeping evolutionary changes in a founding population.

    Several environmental factors affect the process of speciation. The structural habitat of an area determines the ease with which creatures are able to move around and find shelter from weather and other organisms. Food, both the type and its availability, dictates the ease with which animals are able to acquire the energy they need to survive and reproduce.

    Competition for various resources is another factor that can drive the process of speciation. Competitive pressure can come from organisms of the same species or from organisms of different species. Generally, in highly competitive environments, traits that minimize competition — traits that, for example, allow two different populations to feed on very different types of food — are advantageous.

    Another factor that can influence speciation is predation. Predators typically reduce the rate of speciation because they limit other organisms’ access to resources. On newly formed land masses, however, the number of predators is typically lower than on older continents. These younger environments, therefore, provide more opportunities for species to evolve into new and different species

    ‘Out of Africa’ Hypothesis: Radio Interview

    Sunday, August 7th, 2011 | STEPHEN BRONI | No Comments

    Rebecca Cann   is “Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology, and member of the International Scientific Advisory Panel of the Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution. She co-authored the influential study which showed modern humans evolved from a single African population”  but there is a strong Otago University link through  Professor Alan Wilson  way back in 1950’s. Check out the story on national radio podcast from Sat 6th Aug  at 9.05 am http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday  

    Science and doubt in the Global Warming arena

    Thursday, July 21st, 2011 | STEPHEN BRONI | No Comments

    Doubt:

      to be uncertain about; consider questionable or unlikely; hesitate to believe. 2 . to distrust

    It’s an individual thing, right? We read something  `we’ decide .

    But can doubt also be `manufactured’ , promulgated  by  orchestrated action?

     I would strongly recommend  you listen to podcast of recent Michael King Memorial Lecture here in New Zealand entitled Science and Doubt  by American Professor of History  & Science Studies Naomi Oreskes. 

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/writers/audio/2493432/michael-king-memorial-lecture-on-science-and-doubt

    Download it to your Ipod  and listen to it on your way down to camp.

    Then make up your own mind

    Zoology Students

    Tuesday, July 12th, 2011 | hamvi58p | No Comments

    Lisa and the Zoology Team have asked that the Zoology students read through the following information prior to their project work.

    Dear Zoology students

    You will find some activities attached here to help prepare you for the Zoology project during this camp. We will be focusing on invasive species, in particular species found within urban areas. As I’m sure you are all aware, this topic can be quite emotive, particularly when addressing issues of impact on native communities and management and control methods. We have asked you to research a couple of questions related to invasive species, gather some viewpoints on invasive species and control, and then finally to do a bit of research into a specific role. At the end of the project we will be undertaking a role play activity where you will be taking on a specific persona and have to argue your case for control. We do realise that the role you are assigned may not reflect your own personal view point, but sometimes they are actually the easiest to argue! 

    Just a reminder to make sure you bring warm clothes, sturdy boots and a torch or headlamp for our early morning excursion on the tuesday. Remember its COLD in Dunedin and snow is predicted this week already.

    Looking forward to working with you all again.

    The Zoology team.

    Questions to think about over the holidays

    There are many introduced species in New Zealand:  >2,000 plant species, 32 mammals, and 33 birds have been introduced. But not all of them are considered to be invaders.

    Can you think about the following, and be prepared to discuss when we meet.

    1. What is the definition of an invasive species?

     

    2.    What makes an invasive species a pest?

    Here are two quotes about possums: think about the implications of these different viewpoints of possums and be prepared to discuss them.

    1.            This quote is by S. Bracegirdle of Egmont Skins and Hides, in the Taranaki Daily News (June 2011), describing his business which collects dead possums, plucks them for fur to sell to wool factories for possum/wool garments:

     “We’re turning a pest into something creative” 

    2.            This quote is by Potts (2009, Society and Animals Vol 17: pp 1-20):

    “Possums are positioned not only as unwanted and dangerous foreign invaders but also as unworthy of compassion and deserving of persecution: it is as if possums are responsible for the prejudice and malice they now face”

    Finally, please gather three viewpoints from your family or acquaintances on possums as pests and their knowledge of current methods of possum control.

    1.

    2.

    3.

    Role Play Exercise

    Management and control of invasive species is often a very emotive subject resulting in a wide range of very different viewpoints. It is important that we consider all of these different views when  planning and implementing management programmes. This exercise is designed to give you an opportunity to explore some very divergent view points.

    Scenario:

    It has been proposed by a group of local environmentalists that an area of land, which includes a cluster of farms (some dairy), significant remnants of native vegetation, and including some small urban areas, be managed to be predator-free with the purpose of improving its biodiversity value. Given that it has been recommended that possum management strategies should include the development of community processes that can assist in the design of appropriate strategies, the leader of the group proposing this plan has organised a meeting at which local stakeholders can express their opinions about the concept of the plan and the control methods used.

    Each of you has been assigned an identity. Be prepared to make a statement based on your identity and defend your point of view. You need to agree on whether the eradication should go ahead, and the methods used to carry out the eradication. Feel free to immerse yourself in your role!

    Roles:

    1. Department of Conservation worker –  Alise
    2. Animal Health Board inspector – Rueben
    3. Dairy farmer whose daughter’s dog died after scavenging a possum that had died from 1080 poisoning – Hannah
    4. Fur trapper – Jenny
    5. Animal rights activist and passionate Greenie – Jamie-Leigh
    6. Urban dweller – Ellyce

    `Optogenetics’: The Stuff of Science Fiction?

    Thursday, July 7th, 2011 | STEPHEN BRONI | No Comments

    When  I was  a wee lad back in Scotland  one of my favourite films  was  a movie called  `Fantastic Voyage’.
    Based on an Issac Asimov novel it’s about a group of scientists who, along with their hi-tech sub are  miniaturised  and injected into the body of an emminent scientist. Their  mission:-  to  perform some very targeted brain surgery from within using lasers.
    (The film is often most remembered by film reviewers for a  scene where our hero has to rip ‘giant’ (to them) `phagocytosing’ white blood cells from a wetsuit-clad Raquel Welsh.  At the time I was way too young to understand why `that scene’ was so appealing to grown-ups!   Especially when there were so many other cool scenes of them travelling  through the blood stream, lungs, inner ear and finally in the brain surrounded by  hanging  neurones!).
    Anyway, when I read this article on `Optogenetics’ -a new technology that  potentially allows scientists to switch  individual neurones on and off by means of light –  the movie leapt into my mind and I  became intrigued to read on.

     It’s  a  facinatating concept  and another example of 21st century ingenuity from   the rapidly expanding world of nanotechnology.

    Check it out here:-

    http://the-scientist.com/2011/07/01/optogenetics-a-light-switch-for-neurons/

    or read full article here

    http://the-scientist.com/2011/07/01/the-birth-of-optogenetics/

    P.S. For all the film buffs out there, a remake of ‘Fantastic Voyage’ in rumoured to be one of James Cameron’s latest projects.

    Capacitor Charging-Discharging

    Friday, July 1st, 2011 | KEV KNOWLES | No Comments

    I’ve set up a virtual lab for you to investigate how a capacitor charges and discharges.

    1. Download this file : Capacitor
    2. Open the AC&DC circuit construction kit here
    3. Load the capacitor file. It will display a capacitor circuit.
    4. Add the voltage chart with the connections across the capacitor [red to the left, black to the right]
    5. Add the current chart with the connection beside the red V connector.
    6. The capacitor charges through the top loop [and switch]
    7. It discharges through the bottom loop.
    8. You can investigate the following
      1. Change the supply voltage Vs [initial 10V]
      2. Change the capacitance [initial 0.1F]
      3. Change the charge resistance [initial 10 ohm]
      4. Change the discharge resistance [initial 5 ohm]
    9. You could also use the built in stopwatch to investigate the time constant

    Examination advice

    Monday, June 20th, 2011 | hamvi58p | No Comments

    Before the exam

    • Check the time and place for the exam.
    • Do not cram at the last minute.
    • Put your equipment in a clear plastic bag the night before.
    • Get a good night’s sleep.
    • Eat before the exam but not junk food.
    • Avoid people who make you feel nervous.
    • Stay calm and confident. Breathe deeply.
    • Don’t forget your equipment.
    • Be early for the exam.

     

    In the exam

    • Stay calm. Relax. Stay focused.
    • Have confidence in yourself.
    • Answer the easy questions first.
    • Do not spend too long on each question. If you have extra time at the end return to the question.
    • Do not use twink, pencil or red pen.
    • Cross out mistakes with a single line.
    • Use diagrams to support your answer. Label clearly.
    • Read questions twice. Circle key terms.
    • Do not bulk up an answer. Keep to the point!
    • Proof read answers. Ask yourself – Have I written a complete answer? Have I answered the question that was asked?
    • Match the length of your answer to the space provided.
    • Watch out for plurals in questions. For example, ‘Name features of graphs’ means that you are required to write at least two features.
    • Label extra pages clearly and attach them to your exam booklet.

    Study tips

    Monday, June 20th, 2011 | hamvi58p | No Comments

    Keeping on track

    • Believe in yourself.
    • Always do your best.
    • Set goals and try to stick to them.
    • Each small task you complete helps to keep you motivated for the next task.
    • Focus on your successes. Forgive yourself for making mistakes.
    • Reward yourself for each success.
    • Attend classes. Keep up to date and stay that way.
    • The sooner you start study, the sooner you’ll be free for other things.
    • If you are feeling low, ask a friend to give you a pep talk, to remind you of all your good qualities and abilities.

    Arsenic-based life debate continues

    Friday, June 17th, 2011 | STEPHEN BRONI | No Comments

    debate cartoonThere’s no more stimulating way to end a busy week than a good scientific controversy!

    And we are NOT talking Global Warming  this time!

    More than a dozen researchers voice their  concerns  about a 2010 paper that claims bacteria can use arsenic in place of phosphorus in its DNA and other biomolecules

    Check out this story in Science from June 2, 2011 and associated links

    http://the-scientist.com/2011/06/02/arsenic-based-life-debate-continues/

    So, which side are you on ????

    Teacher Guides from Howard Hughes Medical Institute

    Monday, June 13th, 2011 | KEV KNOWLES | No Comments

    These teacher guides were developed to provide topic-specific organization of BioInteractive resources optimized for classroom use. The guides offer detailed instructions for both online and DVD access, time lengths, and summaries of each resource. The resources include animations, video clips, virtual labs, lecture chapters, and interactive Click and Learns specific to each topic – Biotechnology, DNA, gene expression, gene regulation etc


    Brilliant resources appropriate for classroom teaching here.
    http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/guides/

    The Biology Corner

    Monday, June 13th, 2011 | KEV KNOWLES | No Comments

    The Biology Corner is a resource site for biology and science teachers.  It contains a variety of lessons, quizzes, labs, web quests, and information on science topics.   You can find lessons related to biology topics in the links  listed under “topics” on the sidebar.  Topics include:  Ecology, Genetics, Anatomy, Cells, Scientific Method, and Evolution.
    Great resources here for student revision also!   Really useful revision tools, plus even has a virtual dissection or two!
    http://www.biologycorner.com/

    Protein Synthesis

    Tuesday, May 31st, 2011 | STEPHEN BRONI | No Comments

    DNA fromwwwbuzzlecomA more sedate way to get to grips with Protein synthesis
    than Kev’s recent link to  DNA Rap song on Youtube

    This set of animated slides with View Again and Go-back options allows you to get to grips with  the process at your own pace.

    http://www.wisc-online.com/objects/ap1302/ap1302.swf

    More animated `learning objects’ can be found at www.wisc-online.com

    LRC Circuit Simulator

    Monday, May 30th, 2011 | KEV KNOWLES | No Comments

    All singing and dancing LRC applet.

    You can control all basic values L, R, C , V0 [peak V] &  f [omega].

    The applet will display the voltage traces for resistor, inductor and capacitor, plus the current in the circuit. It also calculates the reactances and impedance [showing the vector sum as well] showing them as phasors for good measure.

    All you need to know.

    http://www.ngsir.netfirms.com/englishhtm/RLC.htm

    Into ‘Chaos Theory’ ?

    Friday, May 27th, 2011 | STEPHEN BRONI | No Comments

     Ever heard of James Gleick? Fractal

    James Gleick is an American author, journalist, and biographer.
    His first book, Chaos: Making a New Science (1987) chronicled the development of chaos theory, and his subsequent books include Faster: The Acceleration of Just About Everything (1999), and biographies of Richard Feynman and Isaac Newton. His new book is The Information: a History, a Theory, a Flood (Fourth Estate, ISBN: 978-0-00-742311-8).
    He is being interviewed by Kim Hill on RadioNZ National at 9 am tomorrow
    28th May.
    and/or

    Check him out  at  http://around.com/

    Evolutionary Evidence from New Zealand

    Thursday, May 26th, 2011 | STEPHEN BRONI | No Comments

    Kakapo,Kea, kaka complexStruggling to get your head around role of polyploidy in speciation, adaptive radiation and such like?
    This page brings those concepts into focus using New Zealand examples.
    http://sci.waikato.ac.nz/evolution/NZevidence.shtml

    Check out the rest of the Evolution for Teaching site for  information on ‘Human Evolution’, `Darwin & Religion’, Earth’s History & Evolution’ and `Theories, Hypotheses, & Laws’.

    A good authoratative site from University of Waikato with a links to glossary &  a useful FAQ page.

    The TalkOrigins Archive: Exploring the Creation/Evolution Controversy

    Monday, May 23rd, 2011 | STEPHEN BRONI | No Comments

     This web site is intended to provide an overview of the study of human evolution, and of the currently accepted fossil evidence. It also contains a very comprehensive treatment of creationist claims about human evolution. If you are not interested in creationism, you can easily skip those pages. If you are interested in creationism, you can go directly to the pages on creationist arguments; they contain links to the fossils under discussion when necessary.

    http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/

    Mechanics

    Monday, May 23rd, 2011 | KEV KNOWLES | No Comments

    This achievement standard involves knowledge and understanding of phenomena, concepts, principles and/or relationships related to translational; circular and rotational; and simple harmonic motion; and the use of appropriate methods to solve related problems.

    Translational Motion

    • Centre of mass (1 and 2 dimensions)
    • conservation of momentum and impulse (2 dimensions only)

    Circular and Rotational Motion

    • Velocity and acceleration of, and resultant force on, objects moving in a circle under the influence of 2 or more forces, eg banked corners, vertical circles
    • Newton’s Law of gravitation
    • satellite motion
    • Rotational motion with constant angular speed and with constant angular acceleration
    • torque
    • rotational inertia
    • angular momentum
    • rotational kinetic energy
    • conservation of angular momentum
    • conservation of energy

    Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM)

    • Displacement; velocity; acceleration
    • time and frequency of a particle undergoing SHM
    • forced SHM
    • resonance
    • the reference circle
    • phasors
    • conservation of energy.

    Atomic Physics

    Monday, May 23rd, 2011 | KEV KNOWLES | No Comments

    This achievement standard involves knowledge and understanding of phenomena, concepts, principles and/or relationships related to atoms, photons and nuclei, and the use of appropriate methods to solve related problems.

    • The Bohr model of the hydrogen atom
    • the photon; the quantisation of energy
    • discrete atomic energy levels; electron transition between energy levels; ionisation; atomic line spectra (infrared, visible and ultraviolet)
    • the photoelectric effect; the electron volt
    • description of the particle/wave duality of light
    • nuclear binding energy and mass deficit; conservation of mass-energy for nuclear reactions.

    Waves

    Monday, May 23rd, 2011 | KEV KNOWLES | No Comments

    This achievement standard involves knowledge and understanding of phenomena, concepts, principles and/or relationships related to wave systems, and the use of appropriate methods to solve related problems.

    • Interference (quantitative) of electromagnetic and sound waves
    • multi-slit interference and diffraction gratings
    • standing waves in strings and pipes
    • harmonics and overtones
    • resonance
    • beats
    • Doppler Effect (stationary observer).

    Electro-Magnetism

    Monday, May 23rd, 2011 | KEV KNOWLES | No Comments

    This achievement standard involves knowledge and understanding of phenomena, concepts, principles and/or relationships related to direct current (DC) circuits, capacitance, electromagnetic induction, alternating current (AC) circuits, and the use of appropriate methods to solve related problems.

    DC Circuits and Capacitance

    • Internal resistance; simple application of Kirchhoff’s Laws
    • parallel plate capacitor; capacitance; dielectrics; series and parallel capacitors; charge/discharge characteristics of capacitors in DC RC circuits; voltage/time and current/time graphs for a capacitor; time constant; energy stored in a capacitor.

    Electromagnetic Induction and AC Circuits

    • Magnetic flux; magnetic flux density; Faraday’s Law; Lenz’s Law; voltage/time and current/time graphs for an inductor; time constant; self inductance; the inductor; energy stored in an inductor
    • mutual inductance; the transformer
    • the comparison of the energy dissipation in a resistor carrying direct current and alternating current; peak and rms voltage and current; phase
    • phasors in AC; reactance and impedance and their frequency dependence in a series circuit; voltage and current and their phase relationship in LR and CR series circuits; resonance in LCR circuits.

    Particles

    Monday, May 23rd, 2011 | KEV KNOWLES | No Comments

    This achievement standard involves describing properties of atoms, molecules, and ions, and thermochemical principles.

    Properties of particles include:

    • electron configuration of atoms and ions of the first 36 elements (using s,p,d notation)
    • special characteristics of transition metals (variable oxidation state, colour) related to electron configuration. Transition metals will be limited to iron, vanadium, chromium, manganese, copper and zinc
    • periodic trends in atomic radius, ionisation energy, and electronegativity, and comparison of atomic and ionic radii
    • Lewis structures and shapes (up to six electron pairs about the central atom for molecules and polyatomic ions, including those with multiple bonds)
    • polarity of molecules
    • attractive forces between atoms, ions, and molecules. These will include ionic bonds, covalent bonds, and intermolecular attractions due to temporary dipoles and permanent dipoles (including hydrogen bonding).

    Thermochemical principles include:

    • transfer of heat between the system and the surroundings
    • calculations involving the use of specific heat capacity
    • Δc, Δf, Δr, Δvap, Δsub, and Δfus
    • Hess’s Law including application of ΔrH(= ΣΔfH((products) – ΣΔfH((reactants)
    • bond enthalpies.

    Equilibrium

    Monday, May 23rd, 2011 | KEV KNOWLES | No Comments

    This achievement standard involves describing properties of aqueous systems using equilibrium principles.

    Aqueous systems are limited to those in which proton transfer occurs and those involving a sparingly soluble ionic solid.

    Properties of aqueous systems are related to the nature and the concentration of the species present in the solution. Description, explanation and application, or discussion of these properties may be qualitative and/or quantitative.

    Qualitative evidence may include

    • correlation between acid or base strength, Ka and pH
    • relative equilibrium concentrations of dissolved species
    • variability in solubility of a sparingly soluble salt due to the formation of a complex ion, the addition of a common ion, or the reaction of a basic anion with added acid
    • features of titration curves including buffer region, equivalence point and selection of indicator (titrations of weak acids with weak bases are excluded)
    • the nature of buffer solutions.

    Quantitative evidence includes calculations involving

    • Ka, Kw and pH limited to
      • solutions of bases, monoprotic acids and buffers
      • those in which the extent of reaction is small so that the equilibrium concentration of a dissolved weak acid can be approximated by the initial concentration, ie [HA] = c(HA)
      • pH at a particular point in a titration;
    • Ks and solubility limited to
      • AB, A2B and AB2 type solids where neither of the ions A or B react further with water
      • calculating the concentration of one ion given the other
      • calculating the solubility in water and in solutions already containing one of the ions A or B (a common ion)
      • predicting precipitation or dissolution.

    Organic

    Monday, May 23rd, 2011 | KEV KNOWLES | No Comments

    This achievement standard involves describing the structure, physical properties, and reactions of organic compounds.

    Aspects of organic chemistry includes:

    • structures of organic compounds including constitutional isomers and enantiomers
    • naming of organic compounds using IUPAC conventions
    • physical properties of organic compounds
    • reactions of organic compounds.

    Organic compounds are limited to those containing one or more of the following functional groups: alkene, haloalkane, amine, alcohol, aldehyde, ketone, ester, carboxylic acid, acyl chloride, amide.

    Structures and names of organic compounds are limited to those compounds containing no more than eight carbons.

    Physical properties of organic compounds are limited to solubility, melting point, boiling point, rotation of plane-polarised light.

    Reactions of organic compounds include acid-base, oxidation, elimination and substitution reactions. Substitution reactions include esterification, hydrolysis, and polymerisation.

    • acid-base is limited to reactions of carboxylic acids, amines, and carboxylate and alkylammonium salts
    • oxidation is limited to reactions using the following reagents: MnO4/H+, Cr2O72–/H+, Tollens’, Fehling’s and Benedict’s
    • elimination is limited to reactions using the following reagents: KOH in alcohol and concentrated H2SO4
    • substitution is limited to reactions using the following reagents: concentrated HCl, HBr, SOCl2, PCl3, PCl5, NaOH, KOH (in alcohol or aqueous solution), NH3, primary amines, primary alcohols/H+, primary alcohols, H2O/H+, H2O/OH
    • polymerisation is limited to formation of polyesters and polyamides including proteins.

    Redox

    Monday, May 23rd, 2011 | KEV KNOWLES | No Comments

    This achievement standard involves describing oxidation-reduction processes.

    Processes involve reactions and calculations, which may include electrochemical cells and their properties, the use of reduction potentials, and spontaneity of oxidation-reduction reactions.

    Calculations may include determination of oxidation numbers, mole ratios and those related to electrochemical cells.

    • Knowledge of appearance and state of the following reactants and the product to which they are converted in an oxidation-reduction reaction is required.
    • Oxidants will be limited to: O2, Cl2, I2, Fe3+, dilute acid (with metals), H2O2, MnO4 (reacting in acidic, basic or neutral conditions), Cu2+, Cr2O72–/H+, OCl, concentrated HNO3, IO3, MnO2.
    • Reductants will be limited to: metals, C, CO, H2, Fe2+, Br, I, H2S, SO2, SO32–, S2O32–, H2O2, H2C2O4.
    • Appropriate information relating to other oxidants or reductants will be provided.

    Human Evolution

    Monday, May 23rd, 2011 | KEV KNOWLES | No Comments

    This achievement standard involves the description of trends in human biological evolution, cultural evolution, and patterns of dispersal.

    Trends refers to progressive change over a period of time in relation to:

    • human biological evolution
    • human cultural evolution
    • patterns of dispersal of hominins. The term hominins refers to living and fossil species belonging to the human lineage. This is a subgroup of hominids which includes both humans and the great apes.

    Trends in human biological evolution begin with early bipedal hominins and may require comparison with living hominids (apes). Trends are limited to:

    • skeletal changes linked to bipedalism
    • changes in skull and endocranial features
    • changes in the manipulative ability of the hand.

    Trends in human cultural evolution will be limited to evidence relating to: use of tools (stone, wood, bone), fire, shelter, clothing, abstract thought (communication, language, art), food-gathering, and domestication of plants and animals.

    • Interpretations on the origins and trends of human evolution will be based on current evidence and may change as a result of recent developments.
    • Evidence relating to human evolution must be scientific evidence which is widely accepted and presented in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

    Speciation

    Monday, May 23rd, 2011 | KEV KNOWLES | No Comments

    This achievement standard involves the description of processes and patterns of evolution.

    Processes of evolution are limited to

    • ways in which speciation occurs (sympatric, allopatric)
    • reproductive isolating mechanisms that contribute to speciation (geographical, temporal, ecological, behavioural, structural barriers, polyploidy)
    • the role of natural selection.

    Patterns of evolution will be selected from: convergent evolution, divergent evolution (including adaptive radiation), co-evolution, punctuated equilibrium, gradualism.

    Plants & Animals

    Monday, May 23rd, 2011 | KEV KNOWLES | No Comments

    This achievement standard involves the description of animal behaviour and plant responses in relation to environmental factors.

    Animal behaviour and plant responses will be selected from those relating to:

    • orientation (tropisms, nastic responses, taxes, kineses, homing, migration)
    • timing (annual, daily, lunar, tidal)
    • interspecific relationships (predation, parasitism, mutualism, commensalism, competition for resources)
    • intraspecific relationships (territoriality, cooperative interactions, reproductive behaviours, hierarchical behaviour, competition for resources).

    The relationship of environmental factors to behaviour/response may be in terms of the process involved or the adaptive significance.

    The Physics of Climate Change: A Powerpoint Resource

    Saturday, May 14th, 2011 | STEPHEN BRONI | No Comments

    This presentation by  Keith Burrows  is designed for teachers to use in schools or with their local community.

    Picture1 (Small)

    It contains reasonably ‘heavy’ science aimed at senior students or serious adults.

    http://www.vicphysics.org/documents/teachers/ClimateSciNov08.ppt#256,1,The Physics of our Climate

    A ‘lighter’ version is in the pipeline and will be put on vicphysics.org soon. In the meantime, for younger students some sections of this presentation could be omitted.

    Storms of our Grandchildren author in NZ

    Friday, May 13th, 2011 | STEPHEN BRONI | No Comments

    Dr. James Hansen, world renowned climate scientist and described as the ..”scientist with the most powerful and consisitent voice calling for intelligent action….”, is in NZ giving a series of public lectures around the country.

    He will also be interviewed by Kim Hill on RadioNZ National  tomorrow morning. So if can’t get to one of his public talks  have a listen or download podcast of  his interview.

    8:15  Sat 14th May James Hansen
    Dr James Hansen is the Director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York and Adjunct Professor at Columbia University’s Earth Institute, and one of the best-known climate scientists in the world. He is visiting New Zealand to give a public lecture, Climate Change: a Scientific, Moral and Legal Issue, in Auckland, Palmerston North, Wellington, Dunedin, Gore and Christchurch, from 12 to 21 May. He will also participate in the Symposium on the Future of Coal (17 May, Wellington), and the Festival for the Planet (21 May, Auckland).
    http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/
    http://www.facebook.com/JamesHansenNZTour#!/JamesHansenNZTour?sk=events
    http://ips.ac.nz/events/downloads/2011/CoalSymposium_2011.pdf
    http://planetfestival.org.nz/

    Genetics

    Saturday, January 1st, 2011 | ouassa | No Comments

    dnaThis achievement standard involves the description of the role DNA has in relation to gene expression and the determination of phenotype.

    The role of DNA includes DNA structure and replication, the control of gene expression, protein synthesis, and the determination of phenotype.

    The structure of DNA includes the molecular components and their role in carrying the genetic code. The replication of DNA includes the processes involved in replication and the role that enzymes have in producing accurate copies.

    Control of gene expression is limited to factors that operate at transcription level:

    • feedback in prokaryotes (repressors, inducers)
    • enhancers and transcription factors in eukaryotes.

    Protein synthesis includes the role of DNA in determining the structure of a protein and how that protein is produced (transcription and translation).

    The determination of phenotype includes:

    • allele interactions: dominance, incomplete dominance, co-dominance, multiple alleles, lethal alleles
    • linkage and sex linkage
    • gene-gene interactions: epistasis, collaboration, polygenes
    • pleiotropy
    • mutations: gene mutations, chromosomal mutations
    • control of metabolic pathways by gene expression.
     
     
     

    Any views or opinion represented in this site belong solely to the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the University of Otago. Any view or opinion represented in the comments are personal and are those of the respective commentator/contributor to this site.