Evolution Test Study Guide

Students will have a Unit Test on Evolution on Tuesday.

Study Guide

Vocabulary Terms to Know:

• Adaptation - a behavioural or structural trait that allows an organism to succeed in its environment
• Carolus Linnaeus - Swedish botanist who gave all organisms a Latin name
• Charles Darwin - British Naturalist who studied finches in the Galapagos Islands and came up with the theory of evolution
• Evolution - the gradual change in a species over time
• Extinction - the disappearance of all members of a species from Earth
• Fossil - the preserved remains or imprints of an organism
• Mutation - a change in an organism's DNA
• Natural Selection - a process by which organisms that are better adapted to their environments are more likely to succeed
• Taxonomy - scientific classification
• Variation - any difference between organisms of the same species

Other Important Information to Know:

• Be able to explain some adaptations of animals in different environments. For example, an animal that lives in the snowy tundra might have thick fur and a coat of blubber to keep it warm.
• Know that the peppered moth changed from light to dark after the Industrial Revolution because the light-coloured moths were easier to see on the sooty trees and were eaten by birds.
• Understand that bird's beaks are adapted to the type of food they eat. For example, a hummingbird has a long, narrow beak so that it can reach nectar from inside a flower.
• Know that the half-life of Carbon-14 is 5700 years, and that it can be used to date organisms about 50 000 years old, but not much older, as the Carbon-14 sample will become too small to be useful.
• Understand that DNA carries genes and determines inherited traits from parent to offspring.
• Remember that reptiles and dinosaurs were the dominant organism during the Mesozoic Era.
• Understand that fossils are more likely to form in sedimentary rock and from organisms that contain hard parts (teeth, bones, etc.).
• Understand that organisms in the Precambrian Era were mostly soft-bodied, which is why they didn't leave behind many fossils.
• Understand that "Survival of the Fittest" means that organisms that are more fit (meaning they are better adapted to their environments) are more likely to live and reproduce, passing their "fit" traits to their offspring.
• Be able to define and give examples of the three types of camouflage. For example, concelaing colouration is when an organism uses its colour to blend into its environment, like tree frogs. Disruptive colouration is when an organism has stripes, spots, or other markings that confuse prey and predators, like zebras. Mimicry is when organisms look like something else, like stick bugs.

November 24

This Week:

• We continued to type our short stories. Students who are finished their stories should go back through now and edit for paragraphs, spelling, and grammar.
• We wrote a unit test on decimals.
• We learned about carbon dating.
• We classified humans based on Carolus Linnaeus' taxonomy system.
• We wrote a quiz on French food vocabulary.

Next Week:

• Students will have a Good Grief workshop on Wednesday afternoon, where they will learn about different types of grief and how to get help if it's needed. A notice will go home on Monday for parents with more information.
• There will be a unit test on evolution on Tuesday. Students have a study guide and they should be preparing for the exam. It will be an "open notes" style test, so any notes they've made or taken can be used. They'll need to make sure to have it ready for Tuesday.
• There will be a French verb conjugation test on Wednesday for the verbs avoir, manger, and boire.
• We will look at the common ancestors of humans and apes, and understand how we are similar and different.
• All missing work will need to be completed and handed in by Thursday.
• All chocolate money must be returned by Friday. Make sure to sell what you have left!

Dates to Remember:

• Thursday, November 30 - All missing work needs to be submitted
• Friday, December 1 - End of Term 1; Chocolate money needs to be returned; Scholastic orders due
• Thursday, December 7 - Last exploratory for this term
• Friday, December 15 - Term 1 Report Cards sent home
• Thursday, December 21 - Term 1 Recognition Assembly
• Friday, December 22 - Talent Show 10:30-12:00; Last day before Christmas Break

November 17

This Week:

• We started writing our own short stories.
• We learned the verbs manger and boire in French.
• We learned how to divide decimals.
• We built geological timelines in groups. 
• We raised $50.00 for the Vancouver Island Compassion Dogs program with our bake sale.

Next Week:

• We will have a unit test in math on adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing decimals on Thursday.
• We will learn more about the organisms that lived in different geological time periods.
• We will learn about the classification of early humans.
• We will have a French food vocabulary quiz on Tuesday. 
• Thursday is an early dismissal day - parents can sign up for Parent-Teacher Interviews from 1-7pm at http://journey.schoolsoft.com.   
• Friday will be a Pro-D Day. No school for students. I will be at Oak Bay High School learning about different features of Google Apps for Education.

November 10

This Week:

• We excavated pieces of artifacts from plaster of Paris to understand the work of an archaeologist.
• We multiplied decimals.
• We read the short story "Death by Scrabble" and discussed the types of conflict found within it.
• We played a game called "Funky Monkeys" to understand how environmental changes can affect the populations of organisms that have different features and adaptations.
•  We presented our favourite meals to the class in French.
• We discussed appropriate and inappropriate behaviours in a workplace.
• We had our last Music class. 
• We got to hear a remarkable performance by the Victoria Youth Orchestra.
• We attended the Remembrance Day Assembly, and several of our students participated in the ceremony. Thanks Kya, Anise, Daniel, and Tyler for your contributions!

Next Week:

• Monday is a non-instructional day. It is in recognition of Remembrance Day, which is on Saturday this year.
• We will create a Geological Timeline.
• We will divide decimals.
• We will begin writing our own short stories.
• We will learn about the verbs manger (to eat) and boire (to drink) in French.
• We are hosting a bake sale on Thursday to help support the Vancouver Island Compassion Dogs program.
• We will switch into our new FAST rotation - Woodwork!

Reminders:

• Remembrance Day contest submissions must be in by Tuesday.
• Chocolate money should be returned by November 27.
• Bake Sale on Thursday - Bring Treats!

November 3

This Week:

• We practiced adding and subtracting decimals.
• We explored and observed different artifacts and made inferences about what they were and what they could tell us about the people who created them.
• We learned new French vocabulary about food.
•  We learned about camouflage as an evolutionary adaptation.
• We began our November novels for "Book of the Month."
• We met two military veterans and learned about their service dogs.

Next Week:

• We will have a pop quiz on adding and subtracting integers.
• We will draw and present our favourite meals in French.
• We will read a new short story and look at conflict.
• We will play a game in science to understand natural selection.
• We will use tools to excavate artifacts from blocks of rock and dirt.

Reminders:

•  Scholastic book orders are due on Monday. You do not have to use your free book coupon this month, it is valid until June.
• Keep selling our chocolates! If you've sold your full case, bring the money back as soon as possible.