The material found at this site provides original, multidisciplinary, inquiry-based ideas to help enrich science teaching using the world famous Great Salt Lake as a springboard theme. During the lesson students will have the opportunity to view two types of algae (fresh water and Great Salt Lake species) under 400x magnification with a compound microscope. Students will make observations and record their observations on a recording sheet where they will describe what they see through drawing and words. The students will learn to identify different qualities such as cell structure, movement and other behavioristic qualities of the two different types of algae.

"Apples to Atoms" is a collection of activities focused on important concepts underlying nanoscience, developed for middle school science and math students. Each of the four chapters (Size and Scale, Measurement, Microscopy, and Surface Area to Volume Ratios) contains a series of linked activities, and readings which provide context for the concepts developed in the activities. Suggested assessment items are also included. The chapters are inter-related, but are designed so they may be taught independently or in any order.

A brief overview of the kinds of instruments used in nanotechnology research, including the scanning tunneling microscope and the atomic force microscope.

This on-line collection of exercises can be conducted to illustrate the formation and properties of microbial biofilms. Activities include: A Biofilm Primer, An Interesting Paradox, Build a Biofilm Reactor, Bring 'em Back Alive, Buccal Epithelial Cells & Bacterial Cells: Negative Staining, Buried Slide Technique, Dental Biofilms, Flow Through Gram Stain, Microbial Fishing, Pellicle Formation in a Hay Infusion, Rhizosphere Visualization, Microbial Leaching of Copper Ore, Build a Winogradsky Column, Growth of Dental Plaque in vitro, Biofilms from Soil Crumbs, Vinegar Production and Acetic Acid Titration, Isolation of Azospirillum, Observation of the Formation of Biofilms in a Flowing Environment, Measuring Biofilm Depth.

This course covers sensing and measurement for quantitative molecular/cell/tissue analysis, in terms of genetic, biochemical, and biophysical properties. Methods include light and fluorescence microscopies; electro-mechanical probes such as atomic force microscopy, laser and magnetic traps, and MEMS devices; and the application of statistics, probability and noise analysis to experimental data.

The Biology Faculty is a new, free educational resource for secondary schools and especially those A-level students thinking about applying to University. We have a growing library of short, downloadable films of university lecturers speaking on topics from the A-level curriculum

The Bugscope project provides free interactive access to a scanning electron microscope (SEM) so that students anywhere in the world can explore the microscopic world of insects. This educational outreach program from the at the supports K-16 classrooms worldwide.

This hands-on activity gives students the opportunity to use skills and concepts developed in a unit on cells with an unknown organism. They are asked to design and complete a controlled experiment which attempts to answer a simple question about the slime mold Physarum. The activity includes background information, preparation time, abstract, materials, procedure, evaluation, and additional thoughts. The activity is part of The Access Excellence Fellows Collection, an archive of the favorite classroom activities submitted by high school biology and life sciences teachers participating in the Access Excellence program.

This Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education activity (PDF) encourages students to practice experimental design and scientific writing through the study of bioluminescence. Students observe and experiment with bioluminescent dinoflagellates (Pyrocystis fusiformis), learning how and why they produce light. The activity includes information for teacher preparation, an introduction to bioluminescence, defined vocabulary terms, a list of necessary materials, procedure, assessment questions, and references.

This hands-on exercise introduces students, grades K-8, to the idea of soil as a habitat for many different organisms, links between the biological adaptation of an organism and the physical demands of its habitat, and identification of soil and aquatic organisms. The activity includes objectives, standards addressed, materials needed, teaching tips, procedure, questions with potential answers, summary of learned material, and additional resources. The exercise was a product of the Soil and Environmental Camp June 2003. PDF document.

This is the first semester in a two-semester introductory course focused on current theories of structure and mechanism in organic chemistry, their historical development, and their basis in experimental observation. The course is open to freshmen with excellent preparation in chemistry and physics, and it aims to develop both taste for original science and intellectual skills necessary for creative research.

While all cells have a great deal in common, there is no end to the variation among them. These images provide a sense of the wondrous diversity found in the world of cells.

This lab was designed to promote the integration of a freshman biology lab and an Applied Statistics course. Students collect data sets to be used in statistics for examples and projects, and then present their findings in biology lab. Students learn how to determine the actual size of cells using calipers for chicken eggs, microscopes with ocular micrometers for onion root cells, microscopes with digital cameras/measuring software for red and white blood cells, and rulers for measurements of organelles and bacterial cells on electron micrographs. Students are also introduced to SPSS software to be used in both classes.

Scanning Probe Microscopy is an important tool for scientists and engineers. A classroom analogue constructed using Lego(R) building blocks is an effective way to represent how these tools work and to interpret the images produced by them. Background information for building a Lego(R) AFM and SPM are shown. Two laboratory activities are suggested, complete with advanced set-up information, pre-laboratory discussion, laboratory directions, and post-laboratory discussion. Instructions on making Surface Plots are included for Excel PRE 2007. More recent releases of Microsoft Excel no longer have this feature.

This image-rich website from the Australian Antarctic Division's Biology program describes its research in marine microbial ecology. It includes an introduction of microbial ecology and microbial processes, followed by information about the research project. Field sampling, microscopy, flow cytometry, pigment analysis, flourometry, HPLC, culturing, feeding experiments, and the research staff are each discussed using vivid imagery. Links are provided to related websites.

In this course, the student will study microscopic anatomy. The course begins with an overview of basic cell structure follow by an explanation of how single cells come together to make up tissues. The student will then study each of the organ systems in the body, understanding how these tissues fit together structurally to form organs and organ systems that carry out specific functions. Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to: differentiate among the types of microscopy and describe the importance of microscopes in microscopic anatomy; correctly use the compound light microscope with a working knowledge of the function of each part; identify the organelles within a eukaryotic cell and list the basic function of each; compare and contrast meiosis and mitosis, identifying the steps of each in microscopic images; outline what makes each epithelial, connective, nervous, and muscle tissue unique, where each is found within the body, and how each interacts with other tissue types; point out circulatory system features, including intercalated disks and valves, as well as the differences among different vessel types; identify the cells found in blood and the role of each; define how the tissues and anatomical features that make up the gastrointestinal and respiratory systems come together structurally to support the function of these organ systems; identify the features of the epidermis and dermis of the skin, including the cells, layers, glands, and other features of each layer; explain how the structural arrangement of the lymphatic system and lymph node supports its physiological role of filtering; compare and contrast the structural arrangement of spongy and compact bone; map out the path of plasma filtrate as it moves through the neuron and into the ureter, bladder, and urethra, identifying what types of cells are located in each part; describe the basic structure of endocrine organs, including the reproductive organs; identify what features make special senses tissue unique. (Biology 406)

Naturally occurring air/water interface biofilms are ubiquitous, but largely unexplored. They provide ideal samples for introductory microscopy and microbiology. This activity introduces a simple method for collecting samples from nature or the lab and gives detailed instructions on preparing a simple collecting kit and optimum viewing with student microscopes. Useful features of this activity include: the ideal nature of a wide assortment of ubiquitous air/water interface biofilms for microscopy, the ease of preparing the collection slide and collecting the biofilm, economy, efficiency, and success rate, as well as hands-on discovery opportunities, new concepts in microbiology, and high student interest level.

This website features the NFSC Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) Program, which works cooperatively with other NOAA agencies and provides information concerning HABs and marine biotoxins to the public, state and federal agencies, tribes, university, and others in the Eastern Pacific region. A 20 minute video: "Science at Sea - The Hunt for Killer Algae"
is presented with a classroom curriculum for download.

This is the website of the Olympic Region Harmful Algal Bloom (ORHAB) partnership, which was organized to develop collaboration and cooperation among federal, state and local management agencies, coastal Indian tribes, marine resource-based businesses, public interest groups, and academic institutions. The ORHAB partnership investigates the origins of blooms of toxic algae, monitors where and when the blooms occur, assesses the environmental conditions conducive to blooms and toxification of intertidal shellfish populations, and explores methods that can be used to reduce HAB impacts on humans and the environment. Information in this website is organized into the following categories: Home, About ORHAB, HAB impacts, project plan, partnerships, benefits, meetings, gallery, sustaining ORHAB, education, and outreach.