Termites: Creating
Your Own Colony for Fun and Profit
John A. Acuff
University of Delaware, Dept. of Biology, Newark,
DE 19716
The Termite poster, display, and handout
will discuss and show methods of capture, housing,
and maintaining a culture (colony) of common subterranean
termites. The housing units can be used as a wonderful
observation center for the classroom and/or as
a “never ending” supply of termites
for laboratory observations when cared for properly.
The Biomovies
Project: Interactive Panoramic Movies
to Provide Virgual Field Trips and Studies of
Microscopic Life
Betty L. Black
NC State University, Dept. of Zoology, Raleigh,
NC 27695-7617
Faculty involved in the grant-funded
bioMovies project are producing digital videos
with interactive interfaces to provide a learning
resource for biology educators. These visuals
are designed to teach laboratory techniques and
basic concepts of animal natural history, locomotion,
feeding mechanisms, embryonic development, and
anatomy. All visuals are in the form of QuickTime
movies and are appropriate for use at the college
level. Video clips and still images include audio
and utilize interactive features such as moving
arrows, pop-up labels or explanatory figures,
accompanying text, and links to related materials.
We have recently added a new technique that provides
a 360° view of selected habitats, with hotspots
linked to video clips of animals within the habitat.
Our most recent project begins with a panoramic
view of the ground seen close up. Hot spots link
to high quality images and video clips of small
or microscopic animals that live in the soil,
on moss, and in association with other nearby
vegetation. All visuals are suitable for use in
computer-equipped laboratories or multimedia lecture
rooms, using a web browser as the user interface.
The 360° interactive moves are especially
useful for internet courses or classes in which
field trips are not possible. If a small table
is available near the poster, a laptop computer
will be used to demonstrate the interactive, panoramic
movies to interested faculty.
Mimosa pudica as an Experimental Organism for Botany Lab
Cheryld L. Emmons
Alfred University of Delaware, Division of Biology,
Alfred, NY 14802
Mimosa pudica (sensitive plant)
was used as an experimental organism to allow
Botany students to design original experiments.
Students were introduced to the topic of plant
movements and provided with general information
about Mimosa pudica. The students were then posed
with the challenge of characterizing the response
of the plant to physical stimulus. Specific questions
addressed included “is response time and
/or recovery time dependent on leaf size?”,
“is leaflet folding dependent on adjacent
leaflet responses?”, and “which part
of a leaflet is most sensitive to movement or
touch?”. In assessment of the experiment
I asked students to comment on the most and least
understandable parts of the lab and what would
they change about the exercise. The only change
suggested was to have the plants further apart
in the lab room to reduce interference by other
groups. The least understandable parts were how
the plants were able to move and why they were
not consistent in their responses. This exercise
can be used at any level of botany and increased
in sophistication to be adapted for a plant physiology
course.
Laboratory or Service-Learning (S-L)
Blanche C. Haning and Lynnae Flynn
North Carolina State University, Department of
Plant Pathology, Raleigh, NC 27695
The philosophy of the Biological Sciences
Interdepartmental Program at North Carolina State
University is to prepare graduates who are proficient
in biological sciences and communication while
understanding the world in a holistic manner.
Senior Seminar (BIO 490) is a required course
that affords students the opportunity to reflect
on and integrate biological concepts in view of
this philosophy in a new format, since 2001. Classes
of more than 100 students convene weekly and students
hear invited speakers on ethics, professionalism,
leadership, cooperation, careers and the career
search as well as science-focused seminars by
local experts. Additionally, students are emphatically
reminded that, regardless of career and success,
we are citizens of the world and have obligations
to help improve it through volunteerism, among
other venues. While many seniors have impressive
histories of volunteerism in a variety of areas,
our surveys show that the majority does not. Our
decision to require 8-9 hours of instructional
community service with needy local youth was made
independently of this finding. Seminar students
now teach, tutor, and otherwise mentor youngsters
in science and other areas in eight different
facilities. In spring, 2004, students’ assessment
(means provided) the community benefit from their
individual projects on a scale of 1 to 5, with
5 representing the greatest benefit, as 3.99;
the success of their individual projects, as 4.13;
their own positive benefits, as 4.32, and the
likelihood of their seeking other education-focused
service projects in the future, as 3.91. Community
partners are highly supportive of and grateful
for BIO490 student involvement with their respective
youth programs. Economic value of this engagement
is very substantial. Data from two more semesters
will soon be available. Learning outcomes of laboratory
and S-L are the same, namely, comprehension, execution
and assessment. However, S-L connects students
with the subject manner in an actual work setting.
A Virtual Tool for Introducing Students to
the Compound Microscope
Robert Ketcham
University of Delaware, Dept. of Biology, Newark,
DE 19716
Students who succeed in finding a specimen
the first time they use a compound microscope
usually become engrossed in observing detail never
before available to them. Students who do not
find a specimen during their first attempts often
become frustrated and give up after a short while,
and may never again make a serious attempt to
use a microscope. Even though lab manuals for
Introductory Biology provide clear stepwise directions
for setting up the specimen and the microscope
so that success is certain, the initial use of
the compound microscope continues to be a problem
for instructors who teach at this level. We thought
that digital technology could effectively supplement
oral and written directions, so we developed a
virtual microscope as a teaching tool. It is currently
available at www.udel.edu/scope. Using it requires
no fees or registration. Our interest now is in
letting teachers know that the virtual microscope
is available.
Unseen Life: Engaging Non-science Students
Through Microbiology
Paula Lessem and Debra Wohl
University of Richmond, Dept. of Biology, Richmond,
VA 23173 Elizabethtown College, Dept. of Biology,
Elizabethtown, PA 17022
Microbiology is used as a tool to introduce
non-science students to basic principles underlying
scientific investigations (in general) and tenets
of microbiology (specifically). Students monitor
the bacterial level of Westhampton Lake over a
4 week period. Bacterial populations targeted
include coliforms ( fecal and non-fecal) and other
microbes (typically Gram positive rods and cocci).
These isolates are the basis of their culture
collection. During the course, they will categorize
these microbes based on their Gram reaction, and
growth requirements (oxygen, temperature, salt)
to illustrate the diversity of habitats where
microbes reside. Selected microbes will also be
evaluated as to their susceptibility to common
disinfectants (many of the isolates are common)
and UV radiation. The final investigation will
be the determination of the minimal inhibitory
concentration to selected common antibiotics.
As a result of the experience it is hoped that
students will appreciate the roles played by microbes
and humans.
Mutagenesis: A Laboratory Course Module
for Site-directed Mutagenesis and Gene Knockout
Technology
Lisa K. Lyford and S. Catherine Silver Key
North Carolina State University, Biotechnology
Education Facility, Raleigh, NC 27695
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, SPIRE
Program and Dept. of Biology, Chapel Hill, NC
27599
The techniques of introducing and confirming
specific mutations on isolated cloned genes and
knocking out targeted genes from an organism have
many applications in biotechnology and gene therapy
research. To teach these skills, a course was
developed for undergraduate and graduate students
in site-directed mutagenesis and gene knockout
techniques, and offered in the Biotechnology Program
at North Carolina State University. The combined
lab/lecture course is a two-credit, half-semester
module that was designed not only to teach the
practical techniques of mutagenesis, but also
to engage students in learning basic biological
concepts such as homologous recombination, DNA
replication and protein translation. The overall
course design allows students to apply their newly
acquired skills to design their own site-directed
mutagenesis strategies using computer-based DNA
analysis programs. The wet-lab component is comprised
of three on-going laboratories involving PCR technology
and two easy-to-interpret results: whole organism
color changes on solid media or altered restriction
mapping patterns. Students learn biotechnology
laboratory skills including 1) DNA purification
and quantitation, 2) PCR and primer design, 3)
agarose gel electrophoresis, 4) restriction mapping,
and 5) growth and transformation of bacteria and
yeast cultures. In addition to learning how to
create point mutations versus complete gene deletions,
students observe mutagenesis in both prokaryotic
and eukaryotic systems. Finally, students have
the opportunity to discuss ethics of these biotechnological
procedures and the impact of biotechnology on
society. Overall course evaluations indicate that
students enjoyed the course and felt they learned
the concepts and process of mutagenesis and experimental
design.
Interactive Pedigrees
Marianne Niedzlek-Feaver
North Carolina State University, Dept. of Zoology,
Raleigh, NC 27695
The project goal is to develop highly
interactive web simulations for introductory biology
students to test and refine their understanding
about basic concepts. The first web simulation
generates multiple generation pedigrees to portray
the inheritance of a genetic disease. Students
must determine whether the trait is inherited
as a recessive or dominant allele and whether
the locus responsible is autosomal or sex linked.
The simulation generates as many pedigrees as
required to resolve the basis for inheritance.
Students may submit their “hypothesis” regarding
a particular trait at any time. If their hypothesis
is rejected, students are prompted to consult
resources that may help them better understand
the concepts or how to critically examine pedigrees.
For example, web site resources can aid a student
understanding on how Punnett square analyses relate
to pedigree analyses or provide hints on how to
examine a pedigree for types of matings that can
reveal how a trait is inherited. Other links on
the main menu provide background information about
Mendelian inheritance of common characteristics
such as eye color and ear lobe shape as well as
human conditions such as hemophilia. The production
of this simulation is an NCSU-LITRE grant initiative
and the method of distribution, although not as
yet determined, will ensure free access to educators.
ABLE participants will be provided with appropriate
URLs that will access the simulation site on a
NCSU server or html pages on a CD (+ simulation
Java applets) that they can view with most navigators
and incorporate as desired into their own web
sites.
Low Tech Oxygen Consumption of Terrestrial Animals
Ruthanne B. Pitkin
Shippensburg University, Dept. of Biology, Shippensburg,
PA 17257
I use the Plexiglas Metabolism Apparatus
sold by Wards and Carolina in a junior/senior
Animal Physiology class. The students determine
the oxygen consumption of mice and leopard gecko
to compare metabolic rates of an endotherm and
an ectotherm. The students can then use this technique
to design independent projects with variables
such as temperature, mass, sexes, activity etc.
The data collected by the students is very similar
to literature values. The Metabolic Apparatus
is a Plexiglas tube 91/4”L X 4”W X
4”H closed with a rubber stopper with an
inserted calibrated pipette. There is a place
for drierite and soda lime on the bottom of the
tube with a screen insert for the animal. The
drierite decreases the water vapor and the soda
lime absorbs the carbon dioxide. As the animal
uses up oxygen the pressure in the chamber decreases
and the soap bubble in the pipette moves toward
the chamber in proportion to the amount of oxygen
consumed. The advantage of this system is that
the students are in total control of this experiment
and can see the changes while viewing the animals.
The students calculate the volume of oxygen consumed
under standard conditions, compare their data
to literature values, and use appropriate statistical
tests on their data. The following are some of
the concepts explored: indirect calorimetry, closed
respirometry, factors that affect metabolic rates,
and endothermy versus ectothermy.
Using an Audience
Response System
to Engage Introductory Science Students in Lecture
Karin E. Readel
UMBC, Dept. of Geography & Environmental Systems,
Baltimore, MD 21250
This poster will describe the implementation
of Turning Point Technologies Audience Response
System in the lecture portion of Science 100 (an
introductory lab-based science class for non-majors).
Advantages and disadvantages of the use of this
system will be covered, as well as initial student
response and feedback.
Pros and Cons
of Using Grasshopper Mark-recapture
for Investigating Populations
Richard L. Stewart Jr.
Shippensburg University, Dept. of Biology, Shippensburg,
PA 17257
Mark-recapture of grasshoppers and/or
crickets is a common method to provide a hands-on
experience for students learning about populations
in ecology or natural history. I have utilized
this method in general ecology and field biology
classes for the past 5 years and have observed
students experiencing pitfalls as well as great
learning experiences. I plan to continue utilizing
this technique, with modification, in the future.
The equipment you need to conduct mark recapture
and estimate the population is minimal. The students
must mark and recapture within the same defined
area. I have the students make 10 meter squares
in different old field habitats and delineate
them with flagging material. The size can be larger,
but that will require more searching time. Students
collect grasshoppers, mark them (we use White
Out TM correction fluid), and place them in a
bucket to avoid being trampled. After a period,
the students recollect the grasshoppers, note
the proportion marked, and some remove them from
the sampling area while others replace them as
they are caught. We utilize the Peterson mark-recapture
method, which has several assumptions, like the
population is closed and marks do not affect catch-ability.
Controlling for the assumptions within a classroom
environment is difficult; however, securing a
large enough population of grasshoppers often
provides greater challenges. Since different species,
and families, of grasshoppers functionally occupy
similar niches within the habitat, we have grouped
them into “grasshoppers” to create
a larger population. Alternatively, one may increase
the sampling area to sample a large enough population
of one species but this is very problematic as
there is seldom enough time available to during
class to thoroughly survey the area. While using
this modification estimates the number occupying
the niche, not a population, it provides a functional
understanding of populations and their regulation.
