#do now

Do Now:

The following math problem comes from a manga called Animal Signal. It's stupid and dumb but it has a lot of fun animal facts, thanks to the expert consultant Shinohara Kaori. However, Shinohara-sensei must not be very good at math, because we never see a solution to the problem.

Explain how to solve this problem.

Do Now:

Students work individually or in small groups to reflect on the following quote by Pulitzer prize-winning composer David Lang (source).

HS-LS4-2: Construct an explanation based on evidence that the process of evolution primarily results from four factors: (1) the potential for a species to increase in number, (2) the heritable genetic variation of individuals in a species due to mutation and sexual reproduction, (3) competition for limited resources, and (4) the proliferation of those organisms that are better able to survive and reproduce in the environment.

Do Now:

Behold my beautiful pond!

I love the fact that this pond is an ecosystem. I do not clean out the algae, I do not treat the water. There is a thick layer of mud and decomposed vegetation at the bottom, which helps the fish survive the winter.

The only thing I don't like about the arrangement is that I have to clean the intake filter for the pump every few days, as seen below.

I genuinely do not know where these snails came from, but I do know that they frequently die. That is because they stick their entire soft bodies into the pump's intake, and if I'm not careful when cleaning, the shell will fall off and leave the soft body behind, stuck in the filter without protection where it will surely die.

Describe the niche that these "Intake Snails" inhabit within the ecosystem of the pond.

Given the risk of death, what advantages does this niche offer for the Intake Snails?

Do Now:

Despite many job applications, Leonard is still working for a company that produces bottles of something he calls "Flesh-melting Chemical".

The bottles come in multiple sizes, each with their own custom-designed box. The 20 ounce bottles fit snuggly in this box in a 4×6 rectangle.

After the bottles are packed into boxes, five of these boxes are arranged in a rectangle like so.

Question 1: State the dimensions of this rectangle, using "bottles" as a unit of measurement.

__ bottles × __ bottles rectangle

(Or __ rows each with __ bottles)

Question 2: Use your mathematical reasoning skills to explain why there is a tiny gap between the two boxes on the bottom row. Write your answer in complete sentences.

A pallet of flesh-melting chemical is complete when five layers of these rectangles of boxes are stacked on top of each other like so.

Question 3: How many bottles does one pallet have?

Uh oh! Leonard ran out of wooden pallets! All he has left are plastic ones, but he's not sure if they are strong enough to hold the weight of so many boxes of flesh-melting chemical. Thankfully, the plastic pallet has helpful information printed on the side.

From this we can assume that these plastic pallets will be good to use so long as they are not given more than 1 metric ton of weight.

Refer to the following unit conversions:

1 ton = 1000 kilograms

1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds

1 pound = 16 ounces

Question 4: Will a plastic pallet be good to use?

Do Now:

Sometimes a species will evolve special coloration in order to blend into its environment as a way to avoid predators.

Imagine you are a frog. In which of the following anthropogenic (human-created) environments are you most likely to avoid being eaten?

Do Now:

Imagine you are 5 pages into a book when you see an erroneous comma.

Do Now:

Translate the following sentences and explain what they mean. Students may use a dictionary but no translation software. Exemplar below the cut.

俺：お母さん、スピードレーサーは入手しましょうの?

お母さん：スピードレーサーがわが家にはいるよ。

わが家のスピードレーサー：