Labs & Activities
Labs & Activities
Thanks to generous support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the National Science Foundation and the Cornell Biotechnology Program, CIBT has developed a number of labs and classroom activities. Our materials have been developed through partnerships between science faculty and classroom teachers. Many of the labs require little equipment and elaborate supplies, while others are time and equipment intensive. Many of the labs are now kits that are made available to CIBT alumni teachers. For kits, see the Equipment Lending Library.
The labs contain two sections. The first is a teacher section with extensive background information, suggestions for time management of the lab and lists of needed reagents and materials. The following section is for distribution to the students. It contains relevant background and data collection sheets.
All of our labs and classroom activities are available for download at no charge!
Full Listing
Click the Lab titles below to view their abstracts. | expand all
- Aquatic Communities
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These activities were designed to familiarize students with pond ecosystems and the diversity of life found there, then having the student develop his/her own investigations to answer basic life-history questions for organisms often encountered in a northeastern pond. There are four discrete parts:
Part I: Field Trip & Collecting. Students collect live invertebrates at a pond and set them up for study in the classroom.
Part II: Identification, Enumeration & Diversity. Students identify and count the invertebrates, and apply this information to calculate community richness, dominance, and a dominance-diversity curve.
Part III: Organismal Investigations. Depending on which particular invertebrates are collected, students address questions on the biology of those organisms. This section offers the student (and teacher) great flexibility.
Part IV: Using the Scientific Method. Students address questions on the biology or behavior of organisms. Students will develop hypotheses, collect and analyze data, and accept or reject hypotheses
The teacher may wish to omit some section(s) of this set of laboratories and still present a valuable laboratory. For example, if no pond is convenient for a field trip, Sections I and II may be omitted and organisms secured from the field in advance by the teacher or purchased from a biological supply company.
This set of laboratories should be undertaken between mid- March and late June; this is when pond invertebrates reach their largest size and are easiest to identify.
- Becoming a Plant
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Students will plant seeds at various depths in the soil and make observations after seedlings emerge. Based on their observations, students will decide what measurements could be made. They will make these measurements and look for an explanation for differences in their measurements. They will write a hypothesis that describes how a specific variable affects their measured parameter and then design an experiment to test their hypothesis. In their experimental design, they will decide the type and number of seeds to plant, the conditions to germinate the seeds, and what measurements to make once the experiment is in progress or complete. Pairs of students will turn in a worksheet that describes their experiment and details what materials they will require. The teacher will comment on their experimental design before the experiment is initiated. After considering teacher input, the students will implement their experiment. Data will be collected and summarized in charts, tables, and/or graphs.
- Biological Shapes
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Remember the old salad dressing commercial tag line "...because oil and vinegar don't mix!" Water has that same love/hate relationship with many other molecules. Through this series of lessons, students will learn about the properties that make other molecules "love" or "hate" water. They will also begin to build a concept of how molecules derive their shapes when placed in water-based environments such as cellular cytoplasm. The packet is divided into several activities that are described below. These activities are designed to be completed in the order indicated.
- "It's All in the Shape" - Students use gumdrops and toothpicks to build 3-D models of simple molecules, demonstrating that even simple molecules have 3-D shapes, though structural formulas appear to only have two dimensions.
- "To Mix or Not to Mix" - Students make selections, observations, and conclusions, and form hypotheses regarding solution miscibility. Students discover what makes a molecule either "water-loving" or "water-hating". Then, through demonstration, students will observe the behavior of oil droplets in alcohol. For homework, they will carry out a set of calculations and make some conclusions based on their calculations and their observations from the oil/alcohol demonstration.
- "As the Molecule Turns," - Students will use references to learn about five different proteins of their choosing. They will also classify several of the 20 amino acid side chains as either "water-loving" or "water-hating, based on the results of "To Mix or Not to Mix". Then students will use a computer program to visualize proteins and to discover how the behavior of "water-loving" and "water-hating" amino acids plays an important role in regard to protein shape.
- Blood Vessels
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This laboratory investigates the physical mechanisms by which our blood vessels function in allowing the circulatory system to do its job. Blood vessels are not simply rigid tubes that conduct blood to our tissues like copper pipes carrying water to our houses, nor are they infinitely extensible balloons that can accommodate any amount of blood pressure or volume. In fact, blood vessels have a complex composition that allows them to do several different jobs and change their function depending on the situation. In essence, blood vessels are a dynamic tissue rather than a static one. Just as with other organs of the body, blood vessels are complex in nature because of the demand for their complex function. When a disease state changes these properties, it can have devastating and often fatal effects. In this exercise students will use models of blood vessels to determine the effects of normal blood vessel distensibility on the dynamics of blood flow, and investigate the nature of aneurysms.
- Bouquet of Flowers
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This series of four different lab activities all relate to flower reproduction. They have been designed to relate to each other and to stand alone.
Name that Pollinator focuses on adaptations for successful pollination. Both pollen and pollen vectors are examined. Observing, data gathering, making measurements through the microscope, and constructing tables are all emphasized. This lab would work equally well in ecology, evolution, or reproduction units.
The World's Best Artificial Flower is a cooperative learning venture which has students either construct 3-D models or write essays on a fictitious flower, pollinator, habitat system.
In Flower Dissection, students identify, remove, arrange, and tape down the essential and accessory parts of a flower. Students also examine pollen grains and the possibility of pollen tube formation.
"To form a pollen tube...or not to form a pollen tube," allows students to design their own experiment to investigate some variable influencing pollen germination. The parts of a research paper are outlined and students are expected to follow that format when writing their final report.
- Building Blocks of Life
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The shape of a protein determines its function. In this lab, students will be given a hypothetical DNA sequence for part of an enzyme. Using the Universal Genetic Code, they will then determine the amino acid sequence coded for by the DNA. Students will examine a "substrate" and predict the shape of an enzyme that could interact with that substrate. Differently shaped Lego blocks will represent different amino acids. Next they will construct the "enzyme" using pieces as specified in the code and see if it a) matches their prediction and b) fits the substrate. Effects of mutant DNA sequences on the enzyme structure will be examined to see how the interaction between the enzyme and substrate are affected.
- Catalase
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The structure and function of enzymes is a central theme in cellular and molecular biology. In this laboratory exercise, a crude cell extract is prepared from potatoes. Activity of the enzyme, catalase [which catalyzes the reaction 2H2O2(l) —> 2H2O(l) + O2(g)], is then studied using a simple assay for O2. To conduct the assay, a filter is soaked in crude potato extract, then transferred to the bottom of a beaker containing hydrogen peroxide. Catalase causes O2 to collect in the filter, which in turn causes the filter to rise. Students are able to explore the effect of enzyme and/or substrate concentration and pH on the amount of product formed by measuring the time taken for each filter to collect enough oxygen to rise. Students average their results, calculate the inverse of the "time to rise," and pool the data in order to plot the characteristic curve showing the dependence of enzyme activity on substrate and enzyme concentration.
1 period to prep students and demonstrate preparation of potato extract. 1 period to collect data. 1 period to compile class data and analyze results.
- Diffusion
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This lab uses two different sizes of dialysis tubing to represent cellular and organelle membranes. Students design experiments in which they place solutions of iodine, starch, and glucose on different sides of a membrane. The movement of these materials is monitored with the use of indicator solutions.
Students are given a list of tasks, a description of supplies and equipment, and some instructions on how to get started. They are then asked to design a set of experiments that will allow them to accomplish as many of the tasks as they can in the allotted time.
- DNA Profiling
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Students will cut DNA with restriction enzymes. The DNA fragments will be separated electrophoretically on an agarose gel. The results will simulate a DNA profile. Students can learn how this type of evidence is prepared and interpreted.
- Easy Stats Lab
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no abstract available
- Elodea
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This lab involves the qualitative measurement of the changes in carbon dioxide concentration associated with both respiration and photosynthesis in the fresh water plant Elodea. Bromthymol blue is used as an indicator for the presence of CO2 in solution. When CO2 dissolves in water, carbonic acid is formed. A bromthymol blue solution, acidified to pH 6.0 by the addition of carbon dioxide produces a yellow color. The blue color is restored when the CO2 is removed and the pH becomes higher than 7.6.
Students are responsible for the basic design of this investigation. Given a list of tasks, and the student background sheet entitled "Photosynthesis and Respiration in Elodea," they are asked to design an experiment which will allow them to demonstrate the use of CO2 by a green plant in photosynthesis, and net production of CO2 (by respiration) in the absence of photosynthetic activity.
- Fetal Development
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Students will measure pictures of developing cow embryos to generate data for size, then interpret data from graphs to determine age as well as mass. Students will then compare changes of mass during fetal development with changes in size. Finally, students will contrast developmental trends in cows with that of humans. If the dissection of the pregnant bovine uterus was done, the fetal measurements from that lab may also be included.
- Goldenrod Galls
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This investigation examines natural selection and co-evolution using goldenrod (Solidago canadensis), its stem gall insect (Eurosta solidaginis), and associated parasites, parasitoids, and predators that feed upon the stem gall insect. Through measurements of gall size and an investigation of events occurring within the galls, a correlation between gall size, frequency of predation, and type of predator can be made. An analysis of histograms and data tables charted from gall measurements and frequencies of various events leads to the conclusion that parasitic organisms select goldenrod galls within specific ranges of size. A statistical analysis using standard deviation and tests of reliability also lead to the conclusion that the forces of natural selection and co-evolution are operating within this stem system.
- HIV Transmission
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This activity can be done easily in a classroom setting. The materials are readily available and are safe for students to handle. Role playing is involved and every student takes an active part. It's FUN! ("Awesome" is the word my 10th graders used!) This is the best way I can imagine to introduce such a sensitive/vital issue in a non-embarrassing way and still get the message across: the HIV virus is transmitted by sharing body fluids, there are specific high risk behaviors, and what you choose to do is the greatest determining factor in whether or not you contract the disease. There is a concern that has been expressed by some teachers that this subject needs to be dealt with in a way that all students can feel comfortable. In some schools there may be HIV positive students and many students have personal experience with friends and relatives who are HIV positive.
- How Many CATS
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In this paper simulation, students will "cut" DNA samples from a mother, a baby, a husband, and a rape suspect using a restriction endonuclease. They will then "run" the DNA fragments on a "gel" to simulate the process of electrophoresis. A fluorescent probe is then washed over the gel. Finally, students will analyze the gel to identify the father of the baby.
- Insect GENEration
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Students build a model insect based upon genetic information provided to them in the lab directions. Gene forms (alleles) contributed by each parent are determined by tossing a coin with one side representing the dominant form of the gene and the other side representing the recessive form. Student teams record the genotype and phenotype for each trait and then construct the insect using inexpensive, readily available materials.
- Light and Vision
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no abstract available
- Microscopy and Cell Biology
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no abstract available
- Plant Game
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This exercise presents an opportunity for students to think about—in a fun and enticing manner— how plants grow. In the Plant Game, teams of students "grow a plant" composed of "leaves," "roots," and "flowers." The goal of the game is to produce a maximum number of flowers. This is possible only if the students have a good strategy to keep their "roots" in water and produce enough "leaves" to support adequate photosynthesis. Students "grow their plant" in a graduated cylinder in which the paper clip roots dangle in water. Measured amounts of water are added to and removed from the system by "rainfall" and "transpiration," respectively, which are determined according to a roll of the dice. The game ends when another roll of the dice indicates a "frost." Since the rate of growth of each student's plant is limited by the "weather" and by the students' choices in how they allocate their fixed carbon, a few repetitions of the game clearly demonstrate the functions of leaves, roots, and flowers, and some of the environmental stresses on plants.
The data collected during this game lends itself well to graphical analysis. Students may graph various parameters of their plants' growth and compare the results from one "season" to the next or between strategies for growth in a single season.
- Shake and Break: An Earthquake Simulation
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An Earthquake simulator, or seismic table is constructed and then used to test the structural soundness of several types of student built houses. Several different constructions materials are used to demonstrate what type best survives an earthquake. Two different geological foundations, bedrock and water saturated sand, are tested to show the effect of liquefaction on buildings. The model seismic table is useful in gathering data that are representative of actual damage incurred during severe earthquakes.
- Slug Lab
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Students will investigate the food preferences of garden slugs (Arion subfuscus) using simple equipment including margarine tubs, graph paper, scissors, and common plants, both wild and cultivated. The exercise is genuine scientific research in that: a) the student devises his/her own "research question" about slug feeding behavior, and b) the results are truly unknown to the student-experimenter (and possibly to the instructor) prior to the experiment. In carrying out the complete set of experiments described below, students learn that one way to achieve precision and accuracy is by designing experiments with many replicates.
The following laboratory write-ups are included: I. Slugs and the Scientific Method: This exercise uses slugs to teach the difference between "observation" and "opinion" and introduces the concepts of "controls" and "hypothesis testing." II. The Vermiculturist's Experiment: This paper exercise illustrates the importance of controls, variables, and replicates in experimental design. III. Food Preferences of Slugs: Students design and carry out their own experiment to test a slug's preference between two or more food sources. IV. Food Preferences of Slugs (continued): Students will also benefit from the opportunity to further practice their experimental design skills by looking more closely at the complex question of "How do you determine what a slug really likes?" This lab should be undertaken at a time of the year when slugs can be collected easily (see Tips on Collecting Slugs at the end of the Teachers Section.)
- Spice Lab
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no abstract available
- Teeth Lab
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Students will investigate the characteristics of teeth and what teeth can tell about an animal's life style. Students will sort and categorize 10 or 12 teeth. Given information about what canines, incisors and molars are, students will identify which teeth are which and why and which teeth came from what animal. Students will compare the given teeth to their own, decide what kind of teeth they have and which teeth are used to eat which kinds of food. Students will make a study of bacteria in the mouth and how it is affected by brushing. The unit will conclude with a study of jaws from carnivores, herbivores and omnivores. Based on the teeth structure, students will hypothesize which jaws belong to which type of animal.
- Tell Tale Heart
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The Tell Tale Heart is an activity during which students familiarize themselves with the structure of the heart. They locate the atria, ventricles, and major blood vessels. Through "surgical" procedures, students perform coronary bypass surgery and correct patent ductus arteriosus. Human and dog hearts are compared in terms of common structure and defects.
- The Mystery of the Skulls - What Old Bones Can Tell Us About Hominins
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In this laboratory activity students will examine nine hominin skulls for specialized features, and take measurements that will enable them to determine the relatedness of these species. They will identify the placement of each specimen on a phylogenetic tree that also reveals the geological time frame in which each species lived. Based on the data that they generate and using similar scientific methods as paleoanthropologists to analyze them, students will be able to arrive at the same conclusions about hominin evolution as the ones currently accepted by the scientific community.
- The PHOOT Lab
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In this lab students will investigate the application of physical principles to a living organism. Students will analyze the foot and its function as a machine by applying lever mechanics to the "walking" foot. Analysis will incorporate anatomical terms for some of the muscles and bones involved in plantigrade motion.
"It has been our experience that many instructors of biology, (whether they be at the junior high level all the way up to the college level) have a 'natural' aversion to physics. We, the authors, believe it is especially important that the teachers implementing this exercise should try not to let this aversion (should one exist) carry over into the classroom. Since this is probably the place that the students will first learn how to approach the sciences, one can see that the teacher's attitude is as important as the students'. Also, it is important to remember that the students (usually) have no preconceived notions about physics except what they hear from teachers like yourself. Hopefully, any physical principals presented here are relevant enough to apply to a biological setting and they are presented in a way that is interpretable enough so that both the teacher and the student have an educationally profitable experience."
- Using Protein Gel Electrophoresis to study Evolution
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Students will separate a mixture of proteins from skeletal muscle using SDS- polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). PAGE is a powerful analytical technique having numerous applications in modern biology. Evidence for evolutionary relatedness amongst organisms can be determined using this technique. Suggested organisms to compare include various fishes, mammals, poultry and/or sea foods, all of which are available from the grocery store. During the laboratory, students will develop an experimental design, prepare samples of muscle tissue from various organisms, observe the process of electrophoresis and analyze their results. Analysis consists of comparing protein bands according to their molecular weights on the gel.
- Uterus Dissection
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The instructor will dissect an early to mid-pregnant bovine reproductive tract. Data on crown rump length and fetal mass can be collected for use with CIBT's Fetal Development lab. Some appreciation of the form and function of the various organs should be developed by students. This exercise will also serve as a comparative reproduction lab and highlight some of the differences between human and bovine anatomy.
- Wolbachia
