Labs & Activities
Abuse-a-Cyst- University of Utah
2012 CIBT Alumni Workshop
Animals
Ecology
High School
Inquiry/Scientific Method
Middle School
Brine shrimp populations survive in some of the harshest environments. Subject brine shrimp cysts to extreme conditions then try to hatch them to see just how tough they are! Downloads Abuse a Cyst Lab (University of Utah)
Acid Rain Lab- Katherine Betrus Derrico
2012 CIBT Alumni Workshop
Ecology
High School
Inquiry/Scientific Method
Middle School
Plants
Students will design and conduct an experiment to test the effect of acid rain on the germination of seeds. They will utilize the data from their experiment to explain their conclusions, and also read a passage on acid rain. Downloads Acid Rain Lab Rubric (Katherine Betrus Derrico) Acid Rain Lab… read more of the article entitled “Acid Rain Lab- Katherine Betrus Derrico”
Battle-jar Galactica- Matt Downing
2012 CIBT Alumni Workshop
Ecology
High School
Microbiology
In this investigation students will study the types of bacteria that grow during the formation of sauerkraut, identify some characteristics of each, as well as research the type of respiratory pathway used by the organisms to break down the cabbage to get their energy. Downloads pH Questions (Matt Downing) Bacteria… read more of the article entitled “Battle-jar Galactica- Matt Downing”
Biomagnification Lab- Todd Shuskey
2012 CIBT Alumni Workshop
Animals
Ecology
High School
This lab demonstrates how contaminants can accumulate in organisms within a food web by using paper cutouts and M&M®s candies to simulate fish, osprey, and DDT. Students can see how the contamination levels increase as the trophic level increases. Downloads Biomagnification Lab Pictures (in color) Biomagnification Lab Pictures (in black and… read more of the article entitled “Biomagnification Lab- Todd Shuskey”
Bottle Ecosystem- Tim Downs
2012 CIBT Alumni Workshop
Animals
Ecology
High School
Inquiry/Scientific Method
Middle School
Physical Sciences
Plants
The objective of this lab is to put together a suitable habitat (ecosystem) that will allow one or two guppies to survive to the end of the school year and beyond. Students will make observations of their ecosystems for the three weeks. The ecosystem in this experiment will be closed,… read more of the article entitled “Bottle Ecosystem- Tim Downs”
Edible Earth Parfaits- Groundwater Foundation
2012 CIBT Alumni Workshop
Ecology
Elementary School
Middle School
Physical Sciences
This activity uses soda, ice cream, sprinkles, colored sugars, and food coloring to represent the layers of Earth and aquifers under the surface. Students are instructed to “drill a well” with a straw and “pump the well” by sucking on the straw, as they watch the decline in the water… read more of the article entitled “Edible Earth Parfaits- Groundwater Foundation”
Food Chain Game- Delta Education
2012 CIBT Alumni Workshop
Ecology
Elementary School
High School
Middle School
In this activity, students investigate food chains by assuming the roles of animals that are part of a food chain. Downloads
Lichens on Tree Trunks- Scott LaGreca
2012 CIBT Alumni Workshop
Ecology
High School
Inquiry/Scientific Method
Middle School
Plants
Students will learn to recognize moss and lichens, identify various trees, record observations using a mapping technique, use a compass, and think about the conditions mosses and lichens need to grow. They will identify and mark trees with mosses and lichens growing on their trunks, and try to figure out… read more of the article entitled “Lichens on Tree Trunks- Scott LaGreca”
Mark-Recapture- Nancy Wright
2012 CIBT Alumni Workshop
Ecology
High School
Inquiry/Scientific Method
This lab presents a popular method often used to estimate the population size of a single species of highly mobile animals, such as insects or vertebrates. Students use other students in the school as their population and the Lincoln-Peterson method to determine population size. “Real ecologists” also use this method… read more of the article entitled “Mark-Recapture- Nancy Wright”
Medical Importance of Biodiversity- Mary Keymel
2012 CIBT Alumni Workshop
Animals
Ecology
High School
Human Health
Middle School
Plants
Students assume the role of an ethnobotanist for a start-up pharmaceutical company, who is about to journey to the rainforest, coral reef, or another natural source of medicine in the world. Their mission is to catalog 1 plant or animal species that may be useful to medical research. They will… read more of the article entitled “Medical Importance of Biodiversity- Mary Keymel”
Oh Deer- Project WILD
2012 CIBT Alumni Workshop
Animals
Ecology
High School
Middle School
Students simulate a deer population and its “limiting factors” of water, food, and shelter, which are represented by strips of colored paper. “Deer” who are unable to find a match for their limiting factor do not survive the round, and instead becoming limiting factors. The data is collected and graphed,… read more of the article entitled “Oh Deer- Project WILD”
Oil Spills Lab- Kristen Pizarro
2012 CIBT Alumni Workshop
Ecology
Inquiry/Scientific Method
Middle School
Plants
This activity, used as a 7th grade science laboratory final exam, comes in three sections. Students will first model an oil spill and test materials for cleaning it up. This experiment will help them understand why it is such a difficult task. Next they will examine data about the effects… read more of the article entitled “Oil Spills Lab- Kristen Pizarro”
Predator-Prey Population Oscillation- Bridget Henshaw
2012 CIBT Alumni Workshop
Animals
Ecology
High School
Middle School
This activity introduces students to the oscillating relationship between predator and prey population sizes. Students manipulate small “creatures” (anything from gummy worms to animal crackers to plastic animals) with differing numbers of predators/prey and calculate population changes between rounds of predation. Data is graphed in Excel at the end. Downloads… read more of the article entitled “Predator-Prey Population Oscillation- Bridget Henshaw”
Primary Productivity Lab- modified by Sean McGlynn
2012 CIBT Alumni Workshop
Animals
Ecology
High School
Inquiry/Scientific Method
Physical Sciences
Plants
Students will use LaMotte Test Kits to determine the concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO) in various water samples. The process involves adding some chemicals to the water to “fix” the free oxygen (O2). Once the O2 is fixed, they will add an acid powder, some starch, and titrate to determine… read more of the article entitled “Primary Productivity Lab- modified by Sean McGlynn”
Radish Seed Lab- Chris Courtsunis
2012 CIBT Alumni Workshop
High School
Inquiry/Scientific Method
Middle School
Plants
This laboratory activity will test the effects of various household chemicals on the germination and growth of radish seeds in the lab. Downloads Radish Seed Lab (Chris Courtsunis) Radish Seed Lab Rubrics (Chris Courtsunis)