Evaluated is the impact of the landscape upon children in 21 schools in England. Past and present experiences of 8- to 11-year-old children were measured. Results indicate that both past and present experiences make a small but significant contribution to the children's development of botanical knowledge and environmental dispositions. (Author/CW)

Botany meets computer science in this activity, which challenges students to create a computerized seed catalog. Class members work together to develop a database of plants, much like the major seed companies do. (PR)

Discusses the significance of the decisions made at the Eighth Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) when governmental delegates and nongovernmental organizations from around the world decided the fate of potentially threatened and endangered species of plants and animals. Particular emphasis is placed on the politics…

Investigations that facilitate experimental design, the concept of replication, data analysis, and other aspects of scientific study are described. A list of materials, the recommended plants, and the directions for building the hydroponics unit are included. (KR)

Examples from research that incorporate plants to illustrate biological principles are presented. Topics include dried pea shape, homeotic genes, gene transcription in plants that are touched or wounded, production of grasslands, seaweed defenses, migrating plants, camouflage, and family rivalry. (KR)

Describes using the aquatic plant, duckweed, for open-ended investigations and learning about factors important in photosynthesis. (PR)

Outlines the stages of a cell biology "pulse-chase" experiment in which the students apply autoradiography techniques to learn about the concept of the cell cycle. Includes (1) seed germination and plant growth; (2) radioactive labeling and fixation of root tips; (3) feulgen staining of root tips; (4) preparation of autoradiograms; and…

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)

Events in a community can lead to valuable learning experiences in science. By the end of the summer of 2001, the Green Knoll Fire had burned almost 4000 acres of forest south of Wilson, Wyoming. This article describes how students at the Journeys School of Teton Science Schools participated in a collaborative project with the United States Forest…

Children from two primary schools--one a state primary and the other a private school--have been involved for some eight years with planning, making and maintaining a conservation area beside the River Thames in Berkshire. The work is part of the curriculum and involves habitat studies, identification of local species and learning about animal…

The relationship between language, thought, and concept formation has been a central issue in many studies and theoretical discussions in various domains--philosophy, psychology, anthropology, and linguistics. The relation between language and concept development can be framed as two opposing questions: (1) Does the child learn concepts first and…

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…

An ethnographic study was conducted with the goal of evaluating the botanical concepts of sixth-grade students. One aspect of the study involved examination of the levels of abstraction students use for naming plants. Nine sixth-grade students were interviewed individually. Each was asked to identify the plants seen in a set of 64 slides and…