A laboratory project that investigates Cu(II) bind to bovine serum albumin (BSA) in an aqueous solution is developed to assist undergraduate students in gaining better understanding of the interaction of ligands with biological macromolecule. Thus, students are introduced to investigation of Cu(II) binding to BSA by potentiometry with the Cu(II)…

One important goal of introductory biology laboratory experiences is to engage students directly in all steps in the process of scientific discovery. Even when laboratory experiences are built on principles discussed in the classroom, students often do not adequately apply this background to interpretation of results they obtain in lab. This…

The locust is well known for its ability to jump large distances to avoid predation. This class sets out a series of investigations into the mechanisms underlying the jump enabling students to bring together information from biomechanics, muscle physiology, and anatomy. The nature of the investigation allows it to be undertaken at a number of…

Leon Foucault's dramatic demonstration of the rotation of the Earth using a freely-rotating pendulum in 1850 shocked the world of science. Scientists were stunned that such a simple proof of our planet's rotation had to wait so long to be developed. Foucault's public demonstration, which was repeated at many locations around the world, put an end…

Pendulums which swing in two dimensions simultaneously and are designed to leave a record of their motion are termed "harmonographs". The curves which they draw are known, alternatively, as "Bowditch curves" or "Lissajous curves". A variety of designs of harmonographs have been invented over the years. These may be a "Y-suspended" "simple"…

A project to invite high school students into research laboratories to plan and carry out an investigation over several weeks, using the sophisticated equipment available there, can help to break down social barriers and enhance outreach activities.

The spectacular increase in Internet-based applications during the past decade has had a significant impact on the education delivery paradigms. The user interactivity aspect of the Internet has provided new opportunities to instructors to incorporate its use in developing new learning systems. The use of the Internet in carrying out live…

In area CA1 of hippocampal slices which are allowed to recover from slicing "in interface" and where recordings are carried out in interface, a single 1-sec train of 100-Hz stimulation triggers a short-lasting long-term potentiation (S-LTP), which lasts 1-2 h, whereas multiple 1-sec trains induce a long-lasting LTP (L-LTP), which lasts several…

The effect of video and photograph reinstatement on 18-month-olds' recall was assessed in 3 experiments. In Experiment 1, children learned to produce novel actions in a laboratory playroom, then returned 2 weeks later to either reenact the activities or watch a videotape of the actions. They were tested 10 weeks after reinstatement. Although…

Courses in Introductory Biology typically include a laboratory assignment in which students generate a dichotomous key. The exercise is designed to help students gain skills in observation, to recognize character differences, to develop vocabulary to communicate those differences, to understand the basis of either Linnaean of cladistic…

The author has taught beginning, intermediate, and advanced electronics/electricity classes for more than 20 years. During that time--each and every semester--students struggle with measuring current in the laboratory. As all electronics/electricity instructors know, this results in blown fuses, burned parts, and just plain frustration on…

This article describes a lab activity conducted in an introductory manufacturing class. In this good, simple, mass-production project, the students designed and produced a small game composed of a piece of plywood and 14 glass marbles. In appearance, the game is something like Chinese checkers, but it involves jumping over marbles, then removing…

Nontraditional laboratories can provide primary pathways by which students comprehend and apply modern astronomy. To teach a nontraditional astronomy lab, we must give students opportunities to critically contemplate unsolved questions and evaluate current data sources. In doing so, students can develop their own conjectures that will lead to…

A laboratory experiment for undergraduate physical chemistry courses that uses the experimental technique of dielectric relaxation spectroscopy to study molecular mobility in a crystal is proposed. An experiment provides an excellent opportunity for dealing with a wide diversity of important basic concepts in physical chemistry.

Synthetic polymers are prepared and tested in a study for their molecular recognition properties of an adenine derivative, ethyl adenine-9-acetate (EA9A), within two laboratory periods. The procedure introduces undergraduate chemistry students to noncovalent molecular imprinting as well as the analytical techniques for assessing their recognition…