Let's explore the LAB!!!
I only wish that I taught in a fully functional lab, but I sure do make the best of it. For biology, our first unit is lab safety and safety symbols. During this unit students learn proper laboratory rules and manners so they know how to act properly in the lab. With limited resources and a strict pacing guide to follow, Biology labs are sometimes limited. However, in anatomy and biomedical research we get a little more advanced in the lab where we dissect earthworms and rats and learn about bacteria and cancer cells.
Bacteria in Milk Lab
We first did a virtual bacteria in milk lab and then lead to doing the actual lab in class. We had three sets of milks: a normally refrigerated (control group), a milk left out at room temperature, and milk that is boiled and then put in the fridge. Students first made their hypothesis and determined what milk would have the most and least bacteria growth after two days. Then the students used resazurin color reaction to demonstrate the relative amounts of bacteria that were in each milk sample. The students then had to create a table and graph on their bacteria growth.
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Penny Lab
After learning about the four unique properties of water, we entered into the lab and exemplified adhesion, cohesion, and surface tension. The student's objective is to count how many drops of water they can get on the penny before the water spills over (they do this about 3 times). After they accomplish this task they have to explain what properties of water occurred here and graph their results.
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Acids and Bases
Cabbage Juice Lab After going over acids, bases, and the pH scale, we entered the lab and tested our knowledge on the objective. We used cabbage as the pH indicator and had various liquids in cups to see if they turned red or blue. Some of the liquids that we used were: water, lemon juice, coke, Gatorade, and bleach.
ACIDS: 0-6.9 pH, sour, and turn the litmus paper RED NEUTRAL: 7 {pure water} BASES: 7.1-14 pH, bitter, and turn the litmus paper BLUE
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Can you make an eukaryotic cell for an ordinary sugar cookie?
Students were given a sugar cookie, toothpicks, post-it notes, and various candies on a plate. Their mission was to label as many organelles as they can on the sugar cookie. Along with the cookie, they were given a notecard and they had to define all the organelles on the cookie. If they couldn't label and define the organelles by the end of class, they were not allowed to eat their cookie.
Rat dissectionAfter my Human A&P classes finished reviewing the nervous, skeletal, and muscular system, we explore the parts and functions of them with an anatomical dissection of rats. Over a three day period, we watch a dissection video, read and perform a pre-lab procedure, dissect the rats and label all the parts, have a practical, and conclude the lab with post-lab material. Students seem to really enjoy this lab, especially being the first dissection for the majority of them. Along with the rat dissection, in Anatomy & Physiology, we also do earthworms, sheep eyes, and pig kidneys. For Biology, after the state test we will be dissecting frogs and owl pellets.
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Science Interactive Binder
From the advice of past MTCers I decided to do an interactive binder for Biology and I ABSOLUTELY love it. I cannot believe I didn't to an organized binder like this last year. I was very intimated by it at first, but it makes everything so much more organized and keeps the students accountable for all of their work. If they are missing anything, they instantly know because they have empty sheets on those pages in the book. The binders have also been easier with regards to grading because I take them up every two weeks when the students are taking an exam. I will never go back to a regular binder/notebook and I would recommend this for all!
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