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Get
Involved - Stay Informed
edited
by Bob Rose
WORKSHOPS
Teachers
often pick up on new techniques and lab activities by attending
summer classes. However, national conventions offer scaled
down versions of how-to courses in the form of workshops.
Here are some examples:
#1.
Contributions of Women Scientists: Developing User Friendly
Activities with a Historical Perspective
The
presenters for this workshop were drawn together from across
the continent. They represented San Diego State University,
the University of Northern Colorado, Kings High School in
Cincinnati, and the AAAS in Washington, D.C.
Small
groups tried to identify four women scientists from clues
on 3" x 5" cards. The four women scientists were
Sara Josephine Baker, Gery Cori, Rachel Carson, and Diane
Fossey. After the initial exercise, the scientists were
briefly profiled and the groups of participants worked on
activities related to the research of the four scientists.
Suggested
references to follow-up with included: (1) Women Scientists
from Antiquity to the Present: An Index, by C. L. Herzenbery.
1986. West Cornwall, CT: Locust Hill Press. and (2) Profiles
of Pioneer Women Scientists, by E. M. O'Hern. 1985.
Washington, D.C.: Acropolis Books.
#2.
Exploring with Wisconsin Fast Plants.
Through
slides, overhead displays, and hands-on materials, participants
explored the potential classroom uses of the rapid-cycling
Brassicas. For teachers who have heard about new
innovations and equipment for the classroom, attending a
workshop using that material can make the decision about
whether to invest in it a lot easier.
There
is now available to teachers a method of growing plants
in a small area in a reduced period of time. Plants from
the Brassica [mustard] family have been selectively
bred for a variety of characteristics, including a reduced
life cycle. These plants complete their life cycle in 35
days. Seeds germinate in 2-3 days, flower in 20-25 days,
and produce mature seeds in 30-35 days. Plants are available
with variations in physical characteristics such as flower
color, plant size, and variegation. These plants can be
used in activities ranging from general plant anatomy and
physiology to genetics. And, because of the simple setup,
they can be used in elementary through college classrooms.
Teachers can now quickly demonstrate Mendel's principles
of genetics without using the elusive fruit flies.
Wisconsin
fast plants, as they are called, were developed in the plant
pathology department of the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
They are presently available from Carolina Biological Supply
Company in kit form. There are two important requirements
for growing these plants. First, artificial lighting must
be supplied 24 hours a day, spaced from two to three inches
above the growing tips. Secondly, there must be a continuous
supply of water. Both of these can be handled easily by
purchasing materials locally or through supply houses.
#3.
Implementation of DNA Science in the Classroom: A Workshop
in Laboratory and Instructional Procedures
The
DNA Literacy Program at Cold Spring Harbor laboratories
offers a week-long hands-on workshop each semester for teachers
at CSH or through the services of a traveling van called
the Vector Lab. The new facility for the DNA Literacy Project
includes a teaching laboratory/learning center with a library
and computer simulation center. The goal of the project
is to increase public understanding of the uses of DNA technology
through teacher education and through the dissemination
of teaching materials.
This
mini-workshop introduced teachers to techniques and procedures
used in DNA fingerprinting and restriction mapping. After
incubating lambda phage DNA with three separate restriction
enzymes (EcoR1, HindIII, and BamH1) the products of the
digestion were separated by agrose gel electrophoresis.
The bands were labeled with ethidium bromide and visualized
in UV light, and then photographed. Participants learned
how to analyze such bands by figuring out restriction maps
from several examples of data.
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