I was exited to find this fun and curriculum-relevant eighth grade lesson on resources4rethinking.ca*, because learning outside is not only beneficial for small children. My engineer husband told me about the Raspberry Pi resource for the second eighth grade lesson below.
Understanding Life Systems: Cells
Understanding Structure and Mechanisms: Systems in Action Understanding Life Systems: Cells
Curriculum expectations are always based on the Ontario Ministry of Expectations. Many of the activities will reinforce, rather than teach, those expectations. As such, no assessment ideas or rubrics are included. The outdoor activities suggested for these units overlap in terms of learning opportunities.
Overall Expectations:
- assess the impact of cell biology on individuals, society, and the environment;
- investigate functions and processes of plant and animal cells;
- demonstrate an understanding of the basic structure and function of plant and animal cells and cell processes.
- assess the personal, social, and/or environmental impacts of a system, and evaluate improvements to a system and/or alternative ways of meeting the same needs; investigate a working system and the ways in which components of the system contribute to its desired function;
- demonstrate an understanding of different types of systems and the factors that contribute
- to their safe and efficient operation.
Pollen CSI
Eighth grade students can 'participate in a criminal investigation' in the school yard this fall or in the spring by collecting pollen from their school yard and examining their samples under the microscope.
Pollen contains the male gametes of a flower. Flowers make use of insects, birds, wind, and even water to help facilitate the transfer of these gametes from one flower to another. Pollen is produced on the stamen and collected on the pistil. The transfer from stamen to pistil is called pollination. The pollen grain’s hard outer coat protects the sperm cells until they arrive at their destination. This protective coat can be the cause of many allergies: light-weight pollen is easily inhaled, bringing it into contact with the sensitive nasal passages where the shape of that coat can be an irritant. An allergy to pollen is called hay fever. While this can be a pain to those who are sensitive, pollen can be useful to forensic scientists.
Sometimes, the investigation of a crime will involve a specialist in palynology, the study of pollen. A forensic palynologist can, for instance, examine pollen found on the clothing of a murder victim and be able to tell where the murder was committed, if a potential suspect was at the crime scene, or even the time of year the crime was committed. Forensic palynologists examine and identify the types of pollen found on the suspect, victim, or crime scene. Each crime scene will have a unique mixture of plants from the surrounding area, and therefore leave a unique pollen “fingerprint”. In this lab, we will be looking at the pollen “fingerprint” of your school yard.
During your CSI visit, you examine how pollen could be used in forensic analysis of a crime scene. If a crime occurred in your school yard, what kind of pollen would investigators find? How many different types of pollen do you think are in the air around your school yard?
During your CSI visit, you examine how pollen could be used in forensic analysis of a crime scene. If a crime occurred in your school yard, what kind of pollen would investigators find? How many different types of pollen do you think are in the air around your school yard?
This lesson should be done after a series of lessons introducing students to microscopes, so that they are familiar with the instrument, its parts and its functions.
Objectives:
Upon completion of this investigation, students should be able to
1. Demonstrate proper use of a compound microscope.
2. Explain where pollen is produced and how it travels.
3. Explain how pollen causes allergies.
4. Prepare a slide for observation under the microscope.
Materials (for each group):
-Glass slide and cover slip
-Applicator sticks
-Silicone grease (tiny amount)
-Permanent marker
-Compound microscope
-EITHER Calberla’s staining solution. It's a solution that you prepare yourself, with 5 ml glycerol, 10 ml 95% ethanol, 15 ml distilled water, 2 drops saturated, aqueous solution of basic fuchsine**. Does the high school or college in your area have some for you to use?
-Silicone grease (tiny amount)
-Permanent marker
-Compound microscope
-EITHER Calberla’s staining solution. It's a solution that you prepare yourself, with 5 ml glycerol, 10 ml 95% ethanol, 15 ml distilled water, 2 drops saturated, aqueous solution of basic fuchsine**. Does the high school or college in your area have some for you to use?
-OR Safranin O***. This solution is much easier and inexpensive to procure.
Procedure
1. Student groups should coat a slide with a thin layer of silicone grease (about one square inch of grease is good). Each group should use a permanent marker to write their initials, time, and date on the edge of the slide.
2. Take the class outside and instruct each group to place the slide on any flat surface that won’t be disturbed. Groups may each choose a different, distinct location. Leave the slides out overnight to pick up pollen from the air.
3. After a twenty-four hour period, instruct students to bring the slides inside.
4. Each group should stain the slides using Calberla's solution** or Safranin O***, or decide that only the teacher should do this step. To see the pollen properly, they should be stained a light pink and not a dark red. It may be necessary to adjust the fuchsine concentration.
5. After being stained, groups then are to place a cover slip over the grease.
6. Finally, slides are mounted on the microscope stage for viewing. Students should always start with the lowest objective. When they see pollen (which will appear pink), they may switch to a higher power objective and draw the different pollen grains in detail. Drawings should include notations of relative size, shape, color, and apparent texture. Descriptions should be included alongside the drawings.
Evaluation
The following questions are listed under the Analysis section of the student handout and may be used as part of a report, class discussion or assessment.
1. What is a pollen grain?
2. What part of the flower produces pollen?
3. How is a daily pollen analysis (both qualitative and quantitative) of the air be useful to allergy sufferers?
*For a printable PDF of this lesson, click here.
**Basic fuchsine is widely used to stain nuclei in cells. Following precautionary measures should be taken while handling the basic fuchsine dye:
-Avoid breathing freely as basic fuchsin is toxic. Wear a mask.
-Wear proper gloves and masks for handling.
-Avoid eye contact because it can cause irritation.
-If inhaled keep the victim in fresh air for some time.
-If touched, wash the exposed part immediately.
-Keep the dye away from heat as it is flammable.
-Dispose of the waste properly after the experiment.
***"One way to determine if a laboratory has pollen contaminants is to place several glass slides on the counters, tables, under air conditioning vents, and near windows that have a drop or two of glycerin on them. Let the slides sit for a week. Add one drop of Safranin O stain to the glycerin and mix well with an applicator stick. Cover the drop with a cover slip..." www.pollinationecology.org Journal of Pollination Ecology, 9(13), 2012, pp 96-107 Gretchen D. Jones
Safety Sheet:
-Wear proper gloves and masks for handling.
-Avoid eye contact because Safranin O is damaging to eyes.
-If inhaled keep the victim in fresh air for some time.
-If touched, rinse the exposed part with plenty of water immediately.
-Dispose of the waste properly after the experiment.
-Avoid eye contact because Safranin O is damaging to eyes.
-If inhaled keep the victim in fresh air for some time.
-If touched, rinse the exposed part with plenty of water immediately.
-Dispose of the waste properly after the experiment.
Build NatureBytes Wildlife Cameras
"The Naturebytes Wildlife Cam Kit is a wildlife camera that anyone can build to take stealthy high definition images of wildlife. Beginner, expert, wildlife enthusiast or hacker, the Raspberry Pi powered kit is a fun way to develop your digital making skills and an exciting new insight into your natural world. The Naturebytes kits can be used by anybody to develop digital skills that enable you to see the natural world in ways that weren’t possible before.
The kit includes electronics: Raspberry Pi model A+ computer, SD card with pre-installed operation system software, a camera module and more. We have built activities and materials specifically designed for educators of all abilities to deliver Naturebytes as part of their educational programme."
This is how the NatureBytes website explains their kits. These kits make a worthwhile opportunity to combine the learning and practice of the technical sciences with life science learning.
The eighth grade teacher and his or her school will have to plan ahead for this project by finding and applying for STEM funding. Each NatureBytes kit costs £110, and are available on Amazon. Once the school has the beginnings of a naturalized area, the wildlife cameras can be installed in strategic places for students to observe what nature activity and changes are happening in their own schoolyard.
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