BIOL 411 Lab

About the course BIOL 411 newly redesigned as an Inquiry course – Meets new Discovery Program requirements Attributes of Inquiry course – Compose open-ended questions that lead to further investigation into increasingly focused problems and issues – Develop understanding and perspective taking. – Clarify standards of thinking through identifying, comparing, and evaluating different interpretations (hypotheses, explanations) of a given phenomenon. – Create effective communicators: present in clearly organized written and oral form the results of the investigation into questions or problems they have posed.

Lab grade is 25% of entire BIOL 411 grade 40% for four lab reports 20% for weekly participation in small group activities and for attendance 10% for one oral presentation given during lab sessions 15% for quizzes administered in lab session. 15% for “My Proposed Experiment” forms No make-ups for missed labs

Schedule for the semester Four learning modules/units – Week 1: explore topic, develop lab skills, formulate experiment – Week 2: conduct experiment, record data, preliminary analysis – Week 3: discuss results, develop conclusions, oral & written communication of work ***Module 4 will have four weeks to complete, discuss, and present Biology 411 Laboratory Schedule, Spring 2013 UnitLab Module # Week of…ActivityNotes First Week of Classes 21-Jan No labs in session Molec. Found. of Biology 128-JanDesigning scientific experiments 4-Feb 11-Feb Cellular Biology218-FebCell Structure and Function 25-Feb 4-Mar Spring Break 11-Mar No labs in session Cell physiol. & communication 318-MarEnergetics and Photosynthesis 25-Mar 1-Apr Genetics and Molec. Biol. 48-AprDNA isolation and analysis 15-Apr 22-Apr 29-Apr

Unit 1: Designing Experiments Textbooks and scientific papers do not reflect the actual practice of science Scientific knowledge is constantly being refined, re-considered, and sometimes accepted “truths” are overturned

The scientific method is cyclical Observe Create hypothesis Design experiment Analyze results If hypothesis supported… If hypothesis rejected…

Observations Looking for systematic patterns in a biological phenomenon How to make observations (i.e., collect data is crucial (more later…)

Testable hypothesis Hypothesis is a potential explanation for a phenomenon Testable hypothesis makes predictions that can be tested Testable hypotheses result in one of two outcomes: – Disproven – Supported (but never proven!)

Components of experimental design Proper design of experiments is critical Control group: – Positive control – Negative control Experimental group – Set up to test your hypothesis Two types of variable in an experiment – Independent variable (what is being manipulated) – Dependent variable (what is being measured)

Collecting data Summarizing raw data – Table records the initial observations – Visual presentation helps to identify trends Random versus reproducible – Replication of experimental and control conditions is essential

Goals for today Studying movement of termites to determine whether they follow trails and under what conditions Exercise 1: becoming familiar with the behavior of termites through observation and some initial tests Exercise 2: Generate testable hypotheses based on initial observations. Before leaving today: fill out “My Proposed Experiment” and turn in to instructors Next Week: perform your experiment, collect data and analyze results

Assignment for next lab session Meet as a group (electronically or in person) to define the testable hypothesis and the experimental design for your experiment. This hypothesis and plan should be a consensus of all group members. You may write collectively a single statement that defines the hypothesis and the experimental plan which each of you can submit.