In article <Pine.SGI.3.91.970905230517.11682B-100000 at jsd.claremont.edu>,
sschenk at JSD.CLAREMONT.EDU says...
A systematics lab sounds intriguing to me! I would use plankton or
pondwater for animals - make a key based on what the students observe
under the microscope - and then use campus plants for a plant key,
perhaps one vegetative (sort of works with woody plants) and one
more traditionally based on floral or cone characters. They could
come up with their own keys, then compare with what the published
keys have done. They might do a better job! -NH
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>Hi, all. We've changed over to investigative labs in intro bio mostly, but
>some
>faculty want to include a systematics lab. Our normal format is to do
>preliminary experiments one week, then have each student group chose an
>investigation from a list and design an experiment. The second week, the
>student groups carry out their designs and then write up the results in a
>formal report.
>We have the progam McClade available, but we don't have to use it.
>Do any of you have suggestions on how to follow this format so groups
>can carry out different investigations, and so there
>is a real element of the unknown and not just canned stuff? I'd be
>happy to use plants or animals or both, preferably alive rather
>than pickled.
>My everlasting gratitude for any creative ideas you can come up with!
>>Sue Schenk
>The Claremont Colleges
>sschenk at jsd.claremont.edu>
