Showing papers in "American Biology Teacher in 1988"

Students' Understanding of Photosynthesis

Abstract: Photosynthesis is an essential issue in biology and is learned by all Israeli high school students, even those who are not biology majors. The science curriculum in Israel deals with photosynthesis in the junior high school as part of the topic "The Plant and Light," and again only in the biology mainstream in high school or at the university (Israeli Education and Culture Office 1977). The main reason for the decision to teach photosynthesis in junior high school lies in its importance for a basic understanding of how the world functions as an ecosystem. (Not all students will learn advanced biology courses in high school or at the university.) Previous studies revealed quite a few misconceptions about essential scientific concepts, including photosynthesis. (Bell & Brook 1984; Brumby 1982; Lavender & Anderson 1982; Osborne 1980; Simpson & Arnold 1982b; Stavy, Eisen & Yaakobi 1987; Wandersee 1983). The objective of this study is to find out how students who did not study advanced biology courses understand how the world functions in relation to photosynthesis and related concepts. Five central concepts related to photosynthesis were studied: oxygen release by plants, respiration, autotrophic feeding, food and harnessing the sun's energy. The understanding of these concepts enables the understanding of the mutual relationship of organisms in the ecosystem, one of the main goals in biology education.

Biology: A Hypothetico-Deductive Science.

Abstract: Ralph W. Lewis Ralph W. Lewis is professor emeritus at Michigan State University, Department of Natural Sciences, East Lansing, MI 48824-1031 where he taught botany, plant pathology, biology and natural science from 1937-1980. He earned his Ph.D. at Michigan State and was a resident fellow at California Tech in 1948. In 1958, Lewis studied at the Instituto Superior di Sanita in Rome. He has done research on fungus nutrition, succinic-less mutants of Neurospora, infection of rye with ergot fungus and a method of large volume spore production by this fungus. Lewis has written papers on the structure of knowledge and its potential for improving education. He believes that through continued work, science education can be largely converted from rote exercises into intellectually active leaming once teachers leam the logical structure of their science and put it to work in their teaching.

Teaching Evolution: Improved Approaches for Unprepared Students.

Abstract: Duane Keown Duane Keown is a professor of science education at the University of Wyoming, University Station, Laramic, WY 82071. He has a MAT in biology from Colorado State University and an Ed.D in biology from Ball State University. Before coming to the University of Wyoming in 1975, Keown was a high school biology teacher and a junior high school principal. His duties at Wyoming are with the laboratory school and teaching science methods courses in the College of Education. He has published numerous articles and a book in the areas of science education and science/religion and is interested in environmental education and the teaching of evolution.

An Investigation of Exemplary Biology Teaching.

Abstract: Research in science classrooms suggests that much of what students are required to do is not demanding, is tedious and has little relevance to the world outside the classroom. For example, in a study of 11 seventh grade life science classes the teachers focused on teaching factual content during recitations and conveying information in a segmented topic-by-topic fashion. The most common academic task was completion of worksheets in class, and all academic tasks shared "'an overwhelming reliance on problems requiring low-level cognitive processing" (Mitman, Mergendoller, Packer & Marchman 1984). It seems that most of the problems can be related to the emphasis placed on individualized work from the textbook and whole-class activities in which teachers interact with only a few of the students. In most classes, little emphasis is given to small group discussions or laboratory activities. In contrast to the pessimistic picture painted by a review of research in science classrooms, Penick and Yager (1983) advocated studies of successful science programs that could provide models for science teachers to emulate. These ideas were incorporated into a project in the U.S. known as the Search for Excellence and coordinated by Penick, Yager and others at the University of Iowa (Penick & Yager 1986). Because the Search for Excellence caused considerable excitement, optimism and motivation among teachers, our group of researchers decided to conduct a similar research effort in Western Australia. We believed that case studies of exemplary practice could lead to improvements in science and mathematics teaching by motivating and guiding teachers' attempts to improve their practice. This paper describes the teaching practices of one of the exemplary teachers from our study-Les, a male biology teacher. The case study identifies teaching practices considered exemplary and worthy of attention and analysis by biology teachers and teacher educators.

Advances in Biological Science.

Abstract: It is a major task for educators to keep up with the advances in biology that occur almost daily. The National Science Foundation-supported "Advances in Biological Science" program (NSF-ABS), now in its third year, was designed to provide Los Angeles teachers with developments at the cutting edge of the biological sciences and to disseminate this information nationally. The program features scientists, including Nobel laureate Francis Crick, known for outstanding research contributions as well as awardwinning teaching. This article is the second in a series in The American Biology Teacher of "Advances" papers based on the NSF-ABS program. Here, we review major developments in areas that are at the cutting edge of biology today. The advances selected for this article represent fields as different as cancer and marine biology, the common thread being that exciting new developments have recently occurred in each.

A Chess Analogy: Teaching the Role of Animals in Ecosystems

Abstract: Information only has meaning within a context, and outside its context, information may be of little use. Context supports information and provides a framework that makes it useful. For teaching to be effective then, both information and context need to be communicated. This is not always easy, and often we take context for granted and just teach basic information. In this paper I describe a teaching exercise I use to demonstrate the importance of context in studying the ecology of animals. The exercise uses the game of chess to examine the relationship between information and context and, secondarily, as an analogy with ecology. Students in the class are divided into two groups, those who know how to play chess ("experts") and those who have never played ("non-players"). Sometimes a third group is formed of those students who have been introduced to the game but do not feel they confidently know how to play ("novices"). Students decide for themselves which group they belong in, but it is important that no "experts" are included with the "novices" or "nonplayers." Each group is given a set of chess pieces and is physically separated from the other groups so there is

Discussing Creation Science.

Abstract: Capt. Kenneth W. Kemp Kenneth Kemp is an associate professor of philosophy at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO 80840, where he teaches ethics and the philosophy of science. He has degrees from Georgetown University, The University of Texas at Austin, St. John's College and the University of Notre Dame. His research interests include the history of the idea of evolution and the relation between science and religion.

Of Chaperones and Dancing Molecules: The Power of Metaphors

Abstract: Once in a while, I'll read an article on biology that makes my day. For some reason, it is so intriguing that my mind keeps returning to it. This is one of the great pleasures of being a biologist, and one that I experienced recently when I read an article on "'molecular chaperones" (Ellis 1987). Molecular chaperones are cellular proteins that ensure both the proper folding of polypeptide chains and the assembly of multi-chain or oligomeric proteins. For example, nucleoplasmin is an acidic nuclear protein required for the assembly of nucleosomes from DNA and histones. It interacts with histones so as to shield their positive charges and thus promote histone-histone interactions by reducing electrostatic repulsion between them. Like any good chaperone, nucleoplasmin does not form part of the final relationship, but slips away to service another histone interaction. As with their human counterparts, molecular chaperones also prevent improper interactions, ones that would produce incorrect molecular structures. Some disassemble protein structures that are no longer needed or that form during stresses, such as heat shock. The heat-shock proteins hsp 70 and hsc 70 migrate to the nucleoli of heatshocked cells. There they bind to and disrupt insoluble preribosome aggregates, thus helping recovery of normal nucleolar structure. I'm fascinated by molecular interactions, so this article was naturally interesting to me, but it was of special interest because of the intriguing metaphor used to describe this interaction. At first glance, proteins and chaperones do not seem closely related, so the mental process that leads to seeing such a relationship is a satisfying experience of discovery. Now "metaphor" is a topic usually associated with literature, not science. Metaphors are figures of speech that add richness to language and thought by likening two seemingly dissimilar things. But the development of a metaphor is a creative process which is as essential to science as it is to'literature. Philip Gell (1983) says that

AIDS Knowledge: The Media and the Biology Teacher.

Abstract: Arthur M. Vener Lawrence R. Krupka A.M. Vener is a professor of social science at Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824. He has a B.A. in economics from Queens College and a M.A. in sociology and anthropology from Michigan State University. Vener is an advisory editor for Drugs, Society and Behavior annual editions. His education specialty is socialization through the life cyde and his research specialty is social pharmacology. L.R. Krupka is a professor of natural science at Michigan State University. He has a B.S. in bacteriology from Cornell University, a M.S. in pl. pathology from the University of Delaware and a Ph.D. in pl. pathology from Louisiana State University. Krupka is an advisory editor for Drugs, Society and Behavior annual editions. His educational specialty is biotechnology and human values and his research specialty is drug use in various stages of the life cycle.

An Instructional Approach to Modeling in Microevolution

Abstract: Microevolution has been described as the evolutionary change that occurs in local breeding populations (Dobzhansky 1951). This, of course, is the general theme of basic population genetics, a significant element of many biology courses, from introductory biology and genetics to advanced courses in evolution and population biology. As Wallace (1981) so clearly articulates, the beauty of population genetics lies in its abstractions, or models, rather than with a detailed listing or description of the actual events. This is not meant to denigrate the importance of empirical studies, but rather to stress the role that models serve in the theoretical framework of the subject, on which the empirical studies depend. Historically, models and model building have been closely associated with the development of various aspects of population biology. The classic works of Fisher (1930), Wright (1931) and Haldane (1932) in population genetics are only a few of many examples. Modeling not only continues to play a major role in population genetics, but functions in a similar way in other areas of population biology, as exemplified by the work of Maynard-Smith (1974) in population ecology. Because modeling and the use of models are an important aspect of population biology, a part of our instruction to students should include the importance, utility and development of models. As with a number of other biologists (Spain 1982; Hedrick 1984 & Price 1985), one of my goals as an instructor is to assist students in developing an appreciation for models and how they can enhance our understanding of biological processes, in particular microevolutionary processes. With this in mind, I have developed a course in population genetics and evolution which incorporates instruction in modeling and the development of microcomputer models, along with the traditional declarative aspects of the material in micro and macroevolution. This paper describes this approach as well as some of the ways the models can be used to enhance understanding of the processes being studied. The Instructional Plan At the beginning of the course, the foundations of modeling and simulation are first presented in a lecture-demonstration fashion. Students are encouraged to apply these principles to the construction of simple mathematical expressions of events such as exponential and logistic growth. Throughout the semester, one period per week is set aside to individually examine existing microcomputer models, develop skill in BASIC programming, or, as a group project, develop a specific model in microevolution. Because all biology majors at Ithaca College are required to complete a year of college level mathematics, and because the majority of students have also had an introductory course in programming, the initial introduction to modeling and programming goes very quickly. For example, by the fourth week of the semester the students usually are capable of writing a program that will simulate a simple model of complete selection against a recessive gene. Table 1 is a listing of a typical program; it shows the modest level of programming skill needed for this simulation. To assist the students in their programming, I have assembled a simplified manual on Applesoft BASIC for student use. I also provide an initialized programming diskette containing a general purpose graphic utility file constructed for use in this class. This graphics file, which we use in all our microcomputer models, allows students to display the numeric data from the simulation models in the form of line graphs. Following the initial introduction to programming and modeling, the students, working as a team with me serving as a resource person, approach the major class project of the semester-the modeling of one of the phenomena of microevolution. This includes such topics as genetic drift, a general selection model and migration. Instead of constructing a programming flow chart, our usual format is first to outline what the model must do biologically. This includes all the possible events we can easily follow. However, I learned early in the development of this inSteven Thompson is an associate professor of biology at Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY 14850. He received a B.S. in general studies (science) from Portland State College and an M.S. and Ph.D in zoology (genetics) from Oregon State University. He has published articles on genetics and on the application of computers in biology education and is the author of a commercially published statistics software package. At Ithaca College, he teaches genetics and introductory biology and is the biology coordinator of the Science Education Program.