THE INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES OF A FRESHMAN COURSE IN GENERAL BIOLOGY ARE ORGANIZED FOR THE STUDENT'S EASE OF REFERENCE. THE COURSE IS OUTLINED, BY DEGREE OF COMPLEXITY, AS FOLLOWS--(1) ORIENTATION AND INTRODUCTION, (2) ORIGIN AND ORGANIZATION OF LIFE, (3) CYTOLOGY, (4) METABOLISM AND BIOCHEMISTRY, (5) PLANT LIFE (VASCULAR AND NON-VASCULAR), (6)…

Discusses some basic principles regarding why a certain inorganic element (compound) is specifically required for a certain function in biological systems. (HM)

This study was undertaken to examine prospective elementary teachers' learning about science inquiry within the context of an innovative life science course developed specifically to meet the unique needs of elementary education majors. As part of the course, prospective teachers not only engaged in an extended science investigation, but also…

Describes a physiology laboratory designed to localize digestive enzymes within the digestive tract of cockroaches and develop a general conclusion about the similarities to mammalian digestion. This approach not only demonstrates the practicality of lecture material, but also provides a springboard for independent research opportunities.…

Proposes domestic pests as ideal material for ecological studies to provide readily accessible and relatively simple communities. Describes the booklouse and a number of other suitable species. Suggests the use of the students' own homes as habitats to investigate and for use in teaching the principles of population dynamics. (RT)

Presented is an activity that uses ground ivy to display different growth forms under different light intensities. Specimen preparation, materials, procedures, and probable results are discussed. Examples of graphs of the data are provided. (CW)

Examines the content knowledge of genetics as it is organized for solving effect-to-cause problems. Reviews proposed reasons explaining why students find genetics difficult to learn. Explains dominant and codominant inheritance patterns, multiple alleles, and X-linkage. (RT)

Presents information on owl's taxonomy, characteristics, and influences on man. Describes owl pellets, which are digestive discards, and explains how they can be used to determine the owl's diet as a science activity. (PR)

The carpel is a highly modified leaf enclosing the ovules. This article describes methods for teaching about the evolution of the carpel and the nature of carpel fusion. Presents an illustration of the evolution of the most common types of compound pistil arrangement from the ancestral single-carpel marginal type of placentation. (PR)

Reports on data gathered to determine the quantitative course requirements of undergraduate programs in various life science fields. (ZWH)

We report the development of a simplified procedure for restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of mushrooms. We have adapted standard molecular techniques to be amenable to an undergraduate laboratory setting in order to allow students to explore basic questions about fungal diversity and relatedness among mushroom species. The…

The 1998 Boyer Commission Report advocated improvement of undergraduate education at large research universities through large-scale participation of undergraduates in the universities' research mission. At a recent conference sponsored by the Reinvention Center, which is dedicated to furthering the goals of the Boyer Commission, participants…

This investigation explores how underrepresented urban students made sense of their first experience with high school science. The study sought to identify how students' assimilation into the science classroom reflected their interpretation of science itself in relation to their academic identities. The primary objectives were to examine students'…

The grade three curriculum set out by the British Columbia Ministry of Education has four categories for science: Processes of Science, Life Science, Physical Science, and Earth and Space Science. Within each of these categories there are numerous topics to teach. For example, the physical science curriculum requires students to learn about…

The Faculty Institutes for Reforming Science Teaching (FIRST II) network was established in 1998 by ecologists accustomed to conducting their research in the field. The original impetus behind establishing FIRST was to engage biology faculty in active, inquiry-based science teaching, first in the field, an ideal environment for cooperative…