Biology Inquiries : Standards-Based Labs, Assessments, and Discussion Lessons

by Shields, Martin

• ISBN13: 9780787976521
• ISBN10: 0787976520
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-10-07
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass

Summary

Biology Inquiries offers educators a handbook for teaching middle and high school students engaging lessons in the life sciences. Inspired by the National Science Education Standards, the book bridges the gap between theory and practice. With exciting twists on standard biology instruction the author emphasizes active inquiry instead of rote memorization. Biology Inquiries contains many innovative ideas developed by biology teacher Martin Shields. This dynamic resource helps teachers introduce standards-based inquiry and constructivist lessons into their classrooms. Some of the book's classroom-tested lessons are inquiry modifications of traditional "cookbook" labs that biology teachers will recognize. Biology Inquiries provides a pool of active learning lessons to choose from with valuable tips on how to implement them.

Author Biography

Martin Shields has taught high school biology for thirteen years. He has worked with students of all ability levels from remedial to Advanced Placement. His educational background includes a masters degree in biology and he has had diverse research experiences. He has been published in The Science Teacher and regularly presents on inquiry and other teaching strategies at state and national conventions.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
About the Author	xii
Introduction	1	(16)
What Is Standards-Based Teaching?	2	(1)
Inquiry	2	(10)
Constructivism	12	(2)
Resources for Educators	14	(3)
Science as Inquiry	17	(42)
The Inquiry Cubes	18	(7)
She Turned Me into a Newt (I Got Better)	25	(4)
Storytelling Graphing	29	(4)
Crossed Knives: A Pattern Game	33	(4)
The Distraction Stick: Another Pattern Game	37	(3)
Case Study Study	40	(5)
Investigating Plant Growth	45	(5)
Scientific Inquiry Assessment	50	(4)
Biology Portfolio	54	(5)
The Cell	59	(44)
What Is Life? Part 1: Glue Goblins	60	(5)
What Is Life? Part 2: Investigations	65	(5)
What Is Life? Part 3: The Andromeda Strain	70	(3)
Potato Bubbles: An Introduction to Enzymes	73	(6)
Floating Filter Paper Chips: An Exploration of Enzyme Activity	79	(6)
Breakfast Is Ready: Bacon Diffusion	85	(3)
Investigating Osmosis in Plant Cells	88	(5)
The Osmosis Inquiry Egg	93	(5)
Mitosis Sequencing	98	(5)
The Molecular Basis of Heredity	103	(34)
Mendel's Data	104	(6)
Multifactorial Inheritance	110	(5)
Nature and Nurture	115	(6)
Chargaff's DNA Data	121	(6)
Classifying Oaks with DNA	127	(10)
Biological Evolution	137	(30)
Explaining Evolution	138	(5)
The Lost World	143	(7)
Are Humans Still Evolving?	150	(7)
Dissecting Frog Evolution	157	(10)
The Interdependence of Organisms	167	(18)
History of a Carbon Atom: Part 1	168	(2)
History of a Carbon Atom: Part 2	170	(4)
Life or Death Food Chain Decision	174	(4)
Investigating Forest Succession	178	(7)
Matter, Energy, and Organization in Living Systems	185	(42)
Water Discrepancies	186	(7)
Why Are Plants Green?	193	(6)
Why Are Plants Not Always Green?	199	(5)
Autotroph Inquiries: Comings and Goings	204	(7)
Autotroph Inquiries: Do Plants Respire?	211	(5)
Autotroph Inquiries: Building Organic Molecules	216	(4)
Cold-Blooded Thermometers	220	(4)
Energy Storage Molecules and Natural Selection	224	(3)
The Behavior of Organisms	227	(26)
Termite Trails Mystery	228	(6)
Red Dot Special	234	(6)
The Mozart Effect: Investigating Music and Memory	240	(5)
The Mozart Effect: Are You Buying It?	245	(8)
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives	253
Putting SPF to the Test	254	(5)
Watershed Investigations	259	(10)
Consider the Issues	269	(6)
Debating Biological/Societal Topics	275