Author: Zareh Demirdji

11 Bio U5 Blog Pic 1

11 Bio U5 Blog Pic 2

As we approach the end of this new online frontier, the grade 11 biology class has completed its second to last unit, The Anatomy of Mammals. We broke the unit into three parts, the first being the anatomy of various body systems. The unit began with an in-depth look at the circulatory system, exploring its various components (the heart, blood vessels, and blood cells), their structures and functions. Next, we looked at the respiratory system and finished off part one by taking a voyage through the digestive system. Once the three body systems were explored, we moved into part two of the unit and discussed how different body systems interact with one another. We finished off the unit by examining the impacts our choices have on our body systems.

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With the genetics unit in the rearview mirror, the grade 11 biology class moved ahead to its second online learning unit, microbiology. The unit began with a look at the anatomy and morphology of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. The structure and functions of eukaryotic cells was a review for the class as we had gone over that material in the past, but the form and function of bacterial and viral cells was new for everyone. Next we learned about how each of the aforementioned cells reproduce themselves and then proceeded to learn about their life cycles.

We ended the unit by focussing on various types of symbiotic relationships and the dynamics of each. The unit itself being a fitting topic for the world we currently find ourselves living in, we spent the last class of the unit discussing bacterial and viral infections, their similarities and differences, and how to treat and prevent both types. To demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the unit, students worked on a mini research project identifying and discussing the various impacts microorganisms have on their environments and the ethical issues related to their use in biotechnology.

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electrical

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Our second online learning unit was physics, where we focused on electricity and its applications that are used by professionals like AB Electrical & Communications. After briefly discussing the different sources of energy to start the unit, we spent an entire class learning about the ins and outs of static electricity where students once and for all understood the mechanics of how those pesky static shocks work when we grab a doorknob, especially in the winter months. We finished off our discussion on static electricity by discussing the different ways to create and dissipate it.

The rest of the unit was all about current electricity and the different ways we produce it. We first learned about the two types of current electricity, alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC), focusing on the latter. We then moved on to the major components of electric circuits, electrical quantities (current, voltage, resistance) and looked at how each of them behave in series and parallel circuits. Students observed these quantities via online circuit simulators and recorded what they saw and discussed their observations. We ended the unit by looking at the different sources of electricity (solar, wind, hydro, nuclear, fossil fuel) and discussed the advantages and disadvantages of each.