Enzymes- a fun introduction - YouTube

Enzymes- a fun introduction - YouTube:



'via Blog this'

Success!!! 100% fertilization

Today at day 6 the embryos are 'candled'. We find 100% fertilization, all eggs are developing nicely.

We can see when the egg is placed near an overhead projector that light passes through the transparent egg shell but we see a dark shadow where the network of veins are developing and the even darker still outline of the duck embryo.

We can keep an eye on the development by using this method which is non invasive. The following link has a gallery of images to show duck development visible through candling. Click here. 
We will be able to observe any eggs that die during development and remove these from the incubator if required.

Hatching success rates in incubating duck eggs is rarely 100%, this is often due to fluctuating humidity (water) levels, not turned frequently enough or the duck not breaking through the membrane/shell if the membrane dries out. We can predict perhaps 6-8 of the 12 eggs to complete development and pip successfully.

One of our developing ducks can be seen in this photo

Spiky Tomato!

The weather is getting warmer and it's a good time to get out in the horticulture plot to plant some seedlings.

We have talked about heirloom plants in class, varieties of fruits and vegetables that were commonly grown but are now largely replaced with plants that have traits we consider to be more desirable.
Once purple carrots.....now a vibrant orange. Red, yellow and orange silver beet stems more commonly seen as white.

I returned from the Hawkes bay farmers market with a few interesting seedlings. My favourite was the Litchi Berry Tomato. I can't wait to see how this plant grows and look forward to the challenge of harvesting. Reviews suggest a delicious berry tangy flavour!!

It's easy to see how these sharp looking thorns were undesirable by plant growers and our selectively bred tomato plants with redder, larger, juicier fruits with no thorns came about.

Find out more about the Litchi Berry tomato here. If you have ideas about heirloom vegetables you would like to try out in the plot let me know.

Incubating Cayuga Duck eggs

Day one of incubation begins.

We place 12 duck eggs inside an incubator and set up a roster for turning the eggs 5 times a day (to stop embryo from sticking to the membrane on one side). We are responsible for keeping an eye on the temperature to check it stays stable at 37 degrees celcius and will when turning eggs will mist with spray of water to keep eggs moist and prevent egg drying out.

We will discuss embryo development and observe pictures of what stages our ducklings will be at during the 28 day cycle. We will compare and discuss similar stages of development in human embryos.
To find out more about incubating eggs you can click on this link.

Dissecting a cows eye

Science (ICAS) 2013 Competition

ICAS in Science is a is a skills based  Science Literacy assessment that is completed by over a million students from over 6,300 schools in Australia and New Zealand annually.  Why should you enter?

• Fun and challenging competition
• Great for CV
• Gives you an indication of skill on a national level
• HVHS students have traditionally preformed very well. 
• All students can participate - Y9 to Y13

Students sit the assessment on the 5th June, however if you want to enter you need to hand in permission slip with $8.50 to the resource centre by Friday 3rd May

Find out more here

Phenolphthalein indicator and dry ice bubbles

Click on this link to see what happens when you add the indicator Phenolphthalein to an acid or a base.
Watch cool bubble formed from Carbon Dioxide gas given off by dry ice.
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Dry ice bubbles and Universal Indicator with 10AE

As part of the pHizzing topic 10 AE and 10 SU explored the properties of dry ice. We looked at change of state and sublimation, density of carbon dioxide, and how carbon dioxide can be used to extinguish fires (in fire extinguishers).
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In this clip we see the colour change produced by the neutralisation of a known base (Ammonia diluted in water) as dry ice dissolves in water producing a weak acid (Carbonic acid). We also make 'dry ice bubbles'

Baking Powder and Baking Soda....what's the difference?

Both of these raising agents contain a carbonate (Sodium Bicarbonate) which behaves in a predictable way when reacted with an ACID.

The general reaction
ACID + CARBONATE ----> METAL SALT + WATER + CARBON DIOXIDE.

It is the carbon dioxide gas that produces bubbles of air that makes the mixture rise. Click on this link to find out more.

Parts of an eye

Click here to see an online dissection so that you are familiar with the parts and function of the eye

Y10 Revision Guide - Mr Waring's Model Answers

Click on the following link to access model answers provided my Mr Waring

What is fractional distillation?

Fractional distillation is separating crude oil into other useful components such as LPG, petrol, kerosene and diesel. You can see how this is done by watching the following animation and Powerpoint. 

Y10 Revision class

Revision classes are running in B11 from 1530-1730 on the following dates
Monday (19th November) - Botanix and Forces
Tuesday: pHizzing and Hutt Rocks
Wednesday - Taha Tinana and Son et Lumiere
Friday - Science at Work and Current thinking

Come with questions and snacks.

Forces Lab

Explore the following interactive forces lab. Remember forces are measured in Newtons (N) and forces act in pairs (Weight/gravity vs Support force and Thrust vs Friction). The net or resultant force is the amount and direction when one force is subtracted from its pair.

Why bother with Sex? (Sexual vs Asexual strategies)

Almost all organisms on the planet are a result of sexual reproduction, sex must be an advantage. Find out about some organisms that reproduce by asexual reproduction. What are the costs/benefits??
Click here for video

The reproductive role of Flowers

Find out about the costs and benefits to plants of flowering and how plants avoid self pollination (remember pollination is defined as the transfer of pollen to stigma whereas fertilisation is when the male gamete/pollen fuses with the female gamete/egg. Click here

Selective breeding in Cattle

Click on the following link to find out about how humans have developed over 800 breeds of cattle. Selective breeding is when we 'select for desirable traits' by controlling which parents breed together. Examples can be seen in cat and dog breeds, flowers and vegetable crops.

Magnetism and mapping magnetic fields

Click on the following link to see the image of a magnetic field, and how magnets are used in space to map the field of planets!

Chicks' genders revealed (sex linked traits)

Genders revealed......
Sorry Fran you are a male.....now called Frank
Inigo..........luckily we gave you such a manly name!
Benedict and Pingu our two cute soon to be hens!!
Find out more about how sex can be determined in young chicks using secondary sex characteristics in sex linked traits
http://www.ehow.com/how_6101169_tell-barred-rock-baby-chicks.html

The 'cute chicks' in B11

Inigo the 'fourth born' - a real attention seeking and needy chick who is just so cute!

 Left to right - Fran (Frank), Inigo (photo bombing!), Pingu, and Benedict

 Pingu, Fran (who we think is the most dominant of the chicks at this stage), and the others enjoying their first experience of grass

Inigo and Benedict (youngest and oldest) snuggle up.