Dept. of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-4120
These resources were compiled as part of an Independent Study project in science education conducted under the supervision of Prof. J. E. Armstrong. Project Completion: July 1993
The following entries are from books, journals, and microfiche and provide many ways in which simple, inexpensive laboratories may be run. Using the information provided below, you may locate the article and prepare an activity that has been shown to provide useful learning in the secondary classroom. It is the intention of this project to provide only resource and helpful citations to teachers interested in performing successful laboratories. These resources were compiled in preparation for student teaching, and having done the work, these citations are made available to teachers without access to ERIC and other educational databases, and to save others from having to make similar searches.
AUTHOR: Houston Independent School District
The Houston Independent School District list the following as objectives for Biology Courses; these are especially relevant for Ecology studies: 1> To assess the effects of the changing environment on organisms. 2> To analyze the causes and effect of land resource problems on living things. 3> To compare and contrast adaptions of plants and animals to environmental changes. 4> To determine individual responsibility in improving and maintaining land resources.
TITLE: See How They Grow. 1983
Science-and-Children; v21 n2 p42-43 Oct 1983
DOCUMENT TYPE: Journal Articles (080); Reports - Descriptive
DESCRIPTORS: Biological-Sciences; Deduction-; Elementary- Education; Fertilizers-; Metric-System; Observation-; Physical- Environment; Science-Education
DESCRIPTORS: *Botany-; *Elementary-School-Science; *Environmental-Influences; *Hypothesis-Testing; *Plant-Growth; *Science-Activities
ABSTRACT: Describes laboratory activities which encourage students to develop and test hypotheses related to the effects of changing environmental factors on plant growth. Uniform (fair) testing and careful observation and measurement, supplemented by graphing, are emphasized as important in reaching valid conclusions. (JM)
AUTHORS: Evelyn Morholt and Paul F. Brandwein A Sourcebook for the Biological Sciences
--Miniponds, page 587 Students can start their own miniponds by gathering dry grass and soil from different locations in baby food jars. Add two rice grains to each jar and fill half with water; leave jars open and set aside in moderate light at room temperature. Algae, protozoa and bacteria will soom appear. The students can pipette samples from their jars in a few weeks and view them under the microscope. After an initial proliferation of heterotrophic bacteria feeding on available organic molecules, there follows, in succession, small flagellates and herbivorous ciliates such as Colpoda and Parameium, suceeded by carnivorous ciliates and amoebae. Students can also hypothesize about the chemical nature of the minipond environment. After two month the cultures may contain Vorticella and rotifers.
TITLE: Resource Ecology Activities for Introductory High School Biology. 1990 American-Biology-Teacher; v52 n7 p414-18 Oct 1990
DOCUMENT TYPE: Journal Articles (080); Guides - Classroom - Teacher (052)
DESCRIPTORS: Biology-; Higher-Education; Science-Education; Science-Experiments; Secondary-Education; Secondary-School- Science
DESCRIPTORS: *Animals-; *College-Science; *Ecology-; *Laboratory- Procedures; *Natural-Resources; *Science-Activities
ABSTRACT: Provided is an outline of laboratory activities involving a full year of student investigations of natural- resource ecology and an example of an activity, "Home Range Analysis." Objectives, background information, key vocabulary, skills, materials, procedures, extension activities, and evaluation of this three-lesson activity are discussed. (CW)
TITLE: Science Laboratory Exercises for Vocational Agriculture Students.
CORPORATE SOURCE: Hawaii Univ., Honolulu. Coll. of Education.
SPONSORING AGENCY: Hawaii State Dept. of Education, Honolulu. Office of the Director for Vocational Education. 1986
DESCRIPTIVE NOTE: 145 p.
DOCUMENT TYPE: Guides - Classroom - Teacher (052)
DESCRIPTORS: Agricultural-Production; Behavioral-Objectives; Learning-Activities; Science-Education; Secondary-Education
DESCRIPTORS: *Agricultural-Education; *Laboratory-Experiments; *Ornamental-Horticulture; *Plant-Growth; *Science-Experiments; *Vocational-Education
ABSTRACT: This manual provides learning activities for use in two vocational agriculture courses--ornamental horticulture I and agricultural technology I. These activities are intended as aids in the teaching of application of science principles. An introductory chart gives a summary of how vocational agriculture objectives match objectives of specific science courses. A listing of both vocational agriculture and science objectives follows. All of the 67 laboratory activities that make up the bulk of the manual are components of the unit entitled "Plant Growth and Development." Fifteen subunits are plant anatomy, plant physiology, media, plant propagation (by seeds, cuttings, and layerage), transplanting, chemical regulation, environmental factors, plant nutrition, soil management, composting, chemical safety, chemical application, and turfgrass management. One to 15 exercises are provided for each subunit. Components of each laboratory exercise are title, objectives, materials, procedures, and discussion questions. (YLB)
CORPORATE SOURCE: Gateway Technical Inst., Racine, WI. 1985
DESCRIPTIVE NOTE: 50 p.
DOCUMENT TYPE: Guides - Non-classroom (055)
DESCRIPTORS: Access-to-Education; Disabilities-; Job-Skills; Laboratory-Equipment; Laboratory-Procedures; Secondary-Education; Special-Education; Student-Characteristics
DESCRIPTORS: *Exceptional-Persons; *Job-Analysis; *Laboratories-; *Laboratory-Training; *Mainstreaming-; *Vocational-Schools
ABSTRACT: The importance of analyzing laboratory situations in a technical school special needs area is increasing rapidly. Such a system is essential for objectively analyzing the content of laboratories and describing the tasks performed there in a standardized and easily understood manner. The laboratory description can be easily used to provide program placement information to advisors of special needs students. It becomes a basic document for special needs staff orientation and student assessment. The laboratory analysis used in this document was based on a job analysis technique developed by the U.S. Department of Labor. This system identifies and describes in a systematic, succinct manner the following components: (1) what the student is required to do in the laboratory in terms of activities or functions; (2) how the laboratory activities are done--the methods, techniques, or processes involved, and the devices used; (3) student characteristics--the skills, knowledge, abilities, and adaptabilities needed to accomplish the laboratory activities; (4) the results of the laboratory activities--the goods produced, services given, and materials used; and (5) the context of the laboratories in terms of environmental factors and the nature of the student's discretion, responsibility, or accountability. The use of this adaptation of job analysis techniques within a vocational technical school's laboratory will allow for increased access, increased quality, and increased success for special needs students in vocational education. (KC)
CORPORATE SOURCE: Alberta Environment, Edmonton. Environmental Education Resources Branch. 1984
DESCRIPTIVE NOTE: 43 p.
DOCUMENT TYPE: Guides - Classroom - Teacher (052)
DESCRIPTORS: Ecology-; Field-Trips; High-Schools; Science- Education; Units-of-Study; Water-Pollution
DESCRIPTORS: *Biology-; *Environmental-Education; *Laboratory- Procedures; *Science-Experiments; *Secondary-School-Science; *Water-Quality
ABSTRACT: The objective of this environmental studies unit is to establish a water quality monitoring project for high school students in Alberta while simultaneously providing a unit which meets the objectives of the Biology 20 program (and which may also be used in Biology 10 and 30). Through this project, students assist in the collection, identification, and tabulation of the invertebrate fauna of selected Alberta rivers. The project not only develops an awareness and critical understanding of the environment and current social problems (such as pollution), while contributing to the development of vocational knowledge and skills, but also represents an additional attempt by Alberta Environment to accumulate scientifically reliable information to determine areas of concern and whether remedial action is necessary. This teaching guide includes: information on materials and methods supplementary to information in the student manual; teacher and student preparation for field and laboratory activities; sampling procedures; a description of physical and chemical field studies; suggestions for further investigation; an outline for a student research paper; and a bibliography for teachers.
TITLE: Teacher's Resource Guide on Acidic Precipitation with Laboratory Activities.
CORPORATE SOURCE: Maine Univ., Orono. Land and Water Resources Center.
SPONSORING AGENCY: Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. 1983
AVAILABILITY: Land and Water Resources Center, Univ. of Maine at Orono, 11 Coburn Hall, Orono, ME 04469 ($1.00). DESCRIPTIVE NOTE: 21 p.
DOCUMENT TYPE: Guides - Classroom - Teacher (052)
DESCRIPTORS: Energy-; Environmental-Education; Resource- Materials; Science-Activities; Science-Education; Secondary- Education
DESCRIPTORS: *Geology-; *Laboratory-Procedures; *Meteorology-; *Physical-Environment; *Science-Experiments; *Secondary-School- Science
ABSTRACT: The purpose of this teacher's resource guide is to help science teachers incorporate the topic of acidic precipitation into their curricula. A survey of recent junior high school science textbooks found a maximum of one paragraph devoted to the subject; in addition, none of these books had any related laboratory activities. It was on the basis of this near void that this manual was developed. The guide includes introductory material designed to give an overview of causes and effects of acidic precipitation, its relation to energy production, and some possible ways of reducing or eliminating it. In addition, six laboratory activities (independent of one another) are included. These investigations are appropriate for students utilizing concrete operational patterns. Some are modifications of activities published by the Acid Precipitation Awareness Project. The guide also references several additional resources for teachers and students who wish to pursue the topic further. In addition, instructions are provided for preparing acid rain (using solutions prepared from nitric or sulfuric acids) should this be necessary to complete the investigations. (JN)
CORPORATE SOURCE: Duke Power Company, Educational Services Dept., Charlotte, NC. 1982
DESCRIPTIVE NOTE: 29 p.
DOCUMENT TYPE: Guides - Classroom - Teacher (052)
DESCRIPTORS: Coal-; Educational-Games; Elementary-School-Science; Elementary-Secondary-Education; Environmental-Education; Interdisciplinary-Approach; Science-Activities; Science- Education; Secondary-School-Science; Solar-Radiation
DESCRIPTORS: *Conservation-Education; *Energy-; *Energy- Conservation; *Learning-Activities; *Power-Technology; *Utilities-
ABSTRACT: This document consists of energy vocabulary activities, three games, worksheets, laboratory activities/exercises, and an introductory classroom exercise designed to introduce energy concepts to students. Vocabulary activities focus on coal and energy consumption. The three games (with instructions) focus on various aspects of energy and energy consumption/conservation. Content area emphasized, objective(s), materials needed, and instructional strategies and suggested activities are provided for the worksheets and laboratory activities/exercises. Topics of worksheets and laboratory activities/exercises include, among others, paying utility bills; values placed on energy sources; burning properties of different materials; acidity of fly ash; geiger counter experiments; half-life; effects of solar energy on a radiometer; solar collectors; insulators; and water pressure.