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Workshop for New and Pre-Service Biology Teachers

This annual workshop held the weekend of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is specifically designed for new teachers K-12 (generally pre-tenure) and pre-service teachers (students enrolled in a college or university program leading to certification in secondary education).

Draft Schedule for 2008 Workshop

Descriptions of Session Options

Making Statistics Make Sense, presented by Dave Bock (AP Biology)
Testing hypotheses about genetics without much familiarity with Statistics is sure to raise some vexing questions among AP Bio students (and their teachers)! What's the reasoning behind hypothesis testing? What does a chi-square calculation measure? What does a P-value mean? What can (and can't) we conclude? We'll try to shine some light on these issues, and (time permitting) address other questions you may have about working with data or probabilities. Teachers are encouraged to bring a calculator.

Teeth Kit, presented by Florianna Blanton (Grades K-8)
In this session we will utilize CIBT's Teeth Kit, and allow students to investigate how the structure of a tooth relates to its function and the diet of different animals. The unit also includes a comparative study of jaws from carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores, as well as a review of proper oral health care.

Bird Adaptations, presented by the Cornell Nanobiotechnology Center (Grades K-4)
Students will learn about general types of bird beaks and understand the differences by comparing what different birds eat and why. They will utilize different "tools" that represent different beak types in order to pick up various types of food. The inheritance of genetic traits (beak type) among birds is addressed. Optional activities and extensions of the lab that can be performed in your school are discussed.

How Many CATs?, presented by Cheryl Galvani (Grades 8-12)
In this paper simulation, students will "cut" DNA samples from a mother, baby, husband, and rape suspect using a restriction enzyme. 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" in order to determine the paternity of the baby. This exercise addresses the biology of the DNA molecule, the function of restriction enzymes, and the process of gel electrophoresis.

Crickets in Your Classroom, presented by Florianna Blanton (Grades 3-7)
This CIBT laboratory exercise is designed to encourage elementary and middle school students to utilize the scientific method to discover what live crickets eat, the relationship between temperature and frequency of chirping, and the response of crickets to light. Students record and graph their observations of cricket behavior.

Motivating Students with Easy and Inexpensive Science Labs and Activities, presented by Megan Wieboldt (Grades 5-8)
Looking for labs and activities to get your students motivated? This session will provide you with hands-on activities for topics that include microscopes, cells, osmosis, and more. You will walk away with the following ready-to-use labs: Case of the Missing Candy Jar (this is a forensics-type lab), Money and the Microscope Lab, Cellopoly (great board game for review), the Cell Organelle Play, and Gummy Bear Osmosis Lab. If you are looking for labs/activities on a shoestring budget, then this is the session for you.

Mapping Genes that Increase Risk for Complex Diseases, presented by Jason Mezey (Grades 8-12)
This presentation will focus on the approach used to identify the genomic position of genes that increase an individual's risk for developing a disease (such as diabetes, etc.). We will discuss the data and some basic analysis methods that could be implemented by high school level students that require very minimal statistical knowledge, as well as how these approaches could be implemented using a statistics package.
Presentation (4.1 MB)
Nature Article (4.1 MB)

The Spice Lab, presented by Laurel Southard (Any grade level)
Does eating spicy food provide some useful function in the human body? This scientific method-based session will introduce you to ethnobotany, the study of how different cultures utilize indigenous plants. We will discuss the use of spices and their known antimicrobial properties.

Photosynthesis and Respiration in Elodea, presented by Mary Kay Hickey (Grades 8-12)
This lab involves measuring changes in carbon dioxide concentration associated with both respiration and photosynthesis in the freshwater plant Elodea.

Light and Vision, presented by Lora Hine and Cheryl Galvani (Grades 5-8) - this session is limited to 15 participants
Material presented during the first half of the workshop is from the Lawrence Hall of Science GEMS curriculum. Participants will receive a free copy of the "Color Analyzers" Teachers Guide. The four activities covered in this guide investigate properties of the visible spectrum and quickly draw students into learning why different objects appear to be different colors. Topics covered during the second half of the workshop will cover principles of light as they relate to vision. This will include properties of light as it interacts with matter, lenses, eyes, and diseases of the eyes. Participants will conduct four different activities that will teach this information.

Taking Biology Into Space - Adding "Astro" to Biology, presented by Nancy Schaff (Grades 5-8)
The Astro-Venture Astronomy lessons were developed by NASA for the purpose of increasing students' awareness and interest in astrobiology and the many career opportunities that utilize science, math, and technology skills. There is a free downloadable Astro-Venture Biology Educator Guide (updated in 2005) for grades 5-8 that can be used in conjunction with Astro-Venture web-based multimedia modules, as well as with the Astronomy, Geology, and Atmospheric Sciences Educator Guides, and a final Design a Planet project. There is a strong emphasis on careers in this fun, standards-based supplemental curriculum. Biology lessons include 'The importance of food', 'Producers make their own food', 'Consumers get energy from other living things', 'Decomposers get energy from dead things', and 'The cycle of matter.' Sample lessons and a CD with educator guides will be provided.

The Building Blocks of Life Lab: Importance of Enzyme Shape, presented by Florianna Blanton (Grades 8-12)
This exercise will take students through the steps of protein synthesis, from a DNA sequence to "building" part of an enzyme using Legos�. The effect of various mutations on the wild-type enzyme will be illustrated.

Application

The application deadline was January 6. To receive announcements about future workshops, please subscribe to CIBT-info-L.