Ethnobotany is the scientific investigation of plant use by indigenous cultures for food, medicine, pesticides, and other purposes. Discusses the significance of ethnobotany and provides resources and laboratory activities suitable for use in biology and botany courses at the high school and college levels. (MDH)

Describes using the common house plant, "Coleus blumei," to illustrate gravitropic effects, phototrophic effects, and hormonal effects in plants. (PR)

This set of 16 laboratory activities is designed to illustrate the life cycle of Brassicae plants from seeds in pots to pods in 40 days. At certain points along the production cycle of the central core of labs, there are related lateral labs to provide additional learning opportunities employing this family of plants, referred to as "fast…

This document is a pretrip instruction manual that can be used by secondary school and college teachers who are planning trips to visit the tropical habitats in South Florida. The material is divided into two parts: (1) several fact sheets on the various habitats in South Florida; and (2) a number of species lists for various areas. Factsheets on…

This curriculum for gifted/talented students in kindergarten through grade 2 focuses on the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains in the areas of language arts, mathematics, music, physical education (dance), science, social studies, theatre, and visual arts. The curriculum is student centered, experientially based, exploratory,…

This book presents science activities designed for young children. The activities are divided into the following the content areas of chemistry, physics, earth explorations, weather watchers, flight and space, plants, animal adventures, and mathworks. Each activity features sections of language with science, required items, procedures, and…

This book is a compilation of articles from the The American Biology Teacher journal that present biology labs that are safe, simple, dependable, economic, and diverse. Each activity can be used alone or as a starting point for helping students design follow-up experiments for in-depth study on a particular topic. Students must make keen…

Plant tissue culture has developed into a valid botanical discipline and is considered a key area of biotechnology, but it has not been a key component of the science curriculum because of the expensive and technical nature of research in this area. This manual presents a number of activities that are relatively easy to prepare and perform. The…

Describes an activity where students research Native American and colonial uses of herbs, study herb folklore, and observe differences between herb seeds and plants. (PR)

Describes the use of cross-age tutoring in which sixth-grade students are used to teach first-grade students about plants. Provides a list of praise words used by the sixth graders and discusses the mutual benefits received by the students. (MDH)

Illustrates the concept of phototropism and the development of root systems using a classroom-constructed clinostat. Provides instructions to construct the clinostat and tips to promote plant growth. (MDH)

Garlic is an ideal plant for the elementary classroom. It grows rapidly in water without aeration for several weeks and remains relatively free of microbial contamination. Simple experiments with garlic purchased at grocery stores can illustrate various aspects of plant growth. (PR)

A project provided ongoing opportunities for teachers in Iowa to upgrade their expertise in agribusiness management using new technology; production, processing, and marketing agricultural products; biotechnology in agriculture; and conservation of natural resources. The project also modeled effective teaching methods and strategies. Project…

Ranger Rick's NatureScope is a creative education series dedicated to inspiring in children an understanding and appreciation of the natural world while developing the skills they will need to make responsible decisions about the environment. The topic of this issue is "Wading into Wetlands." Contents are organized into the following…

Outlined is a specific computer application which can be used to analyze data on plant community composition from the point quarter sampling method. Procedures, examples of spreadsheets prepared in this manner, and evaluation of the activity are presented. (CW)