Workshop schedule

8:00 am - 12:00 pm	W-2	Fast Plants in your classroom
8:00 am - 12:00 pm	W-3	A problem-solving approach to using bioinformatics in biology education: Investigating one cell with three genomes

8:00 am - 10:00 am	W-4	Producing, using and distributing curriculum materials in a multimedia world
8:00 am - 10:00 am	W-5	The case of the pilfered plants: Biotechnology (and more) using an interactive CD-ROM
10:00 am - 12:00 pm	W-6	Techniques in producing content in a multimedia world
10:00 am - 12:00 pm	W-7	Teaching with C-Fern: From spores to sporophytes in three weeks
10:00 am - 12:00 pm	W-8	Of cabbages and kimchee: Investigative case-based learning activities from recipes gone wrong to real-time data acquisition and simulation

1:00 pm - 5:00 pm	W-9	Botanical Gardening – Gardens of Lilliput
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm	W-10	Getting to the roots of plant evolution: Genomics and the reconstruction of the Tree of Life

1:00 pm - 3:00 pm	W-11	Producing, using and distributing curriculum materials in a multimedia world (Repeat of W-4)
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm	W-12	The case of the pilfered plants: Biotechnology (and more) using an interactive CD-ROM (Repeat of W-5)
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm	W-13	Of cabbages and kimchee: Investigative case-based learning activities from recipes gone wrong to real-time data acquisition and simulation (Repeat of W-8)
3:00 pm - 5:00 pm	W-14	Techniques in producing content in a multimedia world (Repeat of W-6)
3:00 pm - 5:00 pm	W-15	Teaching with C-Fern: From spores to sporophytes in three weeks (Repeat of W-7)
3:00 pm - 5:00 pm	W-16	Teaching botany/biology using inquiry

Workshop Descriptions

Organizer: Michael R. Gretz (Tele: 906-487-3175, E-mail: mrgretz@mtu.edu), Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931.

This workshop will provide participants direct (albeit brief) experience with current methodologies in such diverse areas as aquatic robotics, remote sensing, molecular biology and advanced microscopy. The format is four 2-3 hour sessions spread over a day. The workshop is designed to provide the opportunity for scientists to learn about techniques outside of their field of interest at a level of complexity sufficient to encourage technology transfer between disciplines. The opportunity to discover an aspect of another research area applicable to your specialization is equally valuable to those just beginning their scientific careers as those firmly entrenched in a certain area of endeavor. Graduate students are encouraged to apply and a travel allowance will be available to a limited number of qualified students. A brief summary of the four sessions are located below.

Graduate students should register as early as possible, as we will be providing up to 10 travel awards to graduate students attending the workshop. These will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to qualified students who provide a short letter from their advisor attesting to their student status. Contact Michael Gretz( E-mail: mrgretz@mtu.edu) for more information on qualifying for the these awards.

Automated in situ discrimination of phytoplankton taxa based on light absorption. Gary Kirkpatrick, Mote Marine Laboratory. This technique utilizes liquid-waveguide technology to continuously acquire particulate absorbance spectra. These spectra are then compared, in real-time, to spectra from known species through an algorithm that evaluates ‘similarity indexes’. This workshop will incorporate a brief overview of the technique, including the fundamentals of the liquid waveguide. This overview will be enhanced by an animated depiction of instrument operation. Recent results dealing with harmful algal blooms will be presented. A new project will be described that develops the capability for taxa discrimination from unmanned aquatic platforms. This development project involves a close collaboration with Webb Research, Inc., the manufacturer of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV). A laboratory demonstration of the instrument will follow the overview. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to evaluate the capabilities of the instrument by manipulating the composition of test samples during the hands-on portion of this session.

The Chlamydomonas Genome Project. Arthur Grossman, The Carnegie Institution of Washington. The Chlamydomonas genome project involves 1) sequencing of cDNAs isolated from cells exposed to various environmental conditions, 2) construction of a high density DNA microarray, 3) construction of genomic contigs that nucleate around specific physical and genetic markers, 4) generation of a complete chloroplast genome sequence and analyses of chloroplast gene expression, and 5) placement of the genomic information on the network in a user friendly format. Aspects of the project emphasized by our group are the generation of normalized cDNA libraries, sequencing of the cDNAs and the use of this information to construct a high density cDNA microarray. I will discuss techniques involved in securing cDNA sequence information, ways in which that information is assembled and analyzed, and potential identification of differentially expressed genes using in silico subtraction as well as high density cDNA microarrays. Computer-based analysis of both the cDNA and microarray information will be demonstrated.

Non-Equilibrium Ecosystem Dynamics: Large-Scale Observational Technologies for Operational Limnology and Oceanography. Judith Budd, Michigan Technological University. This workshop will provide an overview of observational technologies and platforms for studying large-scale ecosystem dynamics. We will review state-of-the-art technologies, including satellite, moored arrays, and ROVs, that provide sustained, time series observations for operational oceanography and limnology. Examples from LEO (Long-term Ecosystem Observatory) off the coast of New Jersey and other coastal observatories, as well as laboratory and computer-assisted demonstrations of instruments will be provided. Workshop participants will access real-time data via the WWW to illustrate potential ecological applications of the technology.

Multiphoton and lifetime imaging. John White, University of Wisconsin. Multiphoton microscopy is a new laser-scanning microscopy technique that allows images of optical sections to be obtained from deep within thick specimens. The technique also is often more benign to living specimens that other methods of fluorescence microscopy. The workshop will demonstrate the application of multiphoton microscopy to the study of developing C. elegans embryos using both fluorescent protein probes and exogenous membrane probes. Recent development work in our laboratory on lifetime imaging will be presented. In this form of imaging, the excited-state lifetime of the fluorescent object in the sample is measured at each pixel and depicted as a color. Lifetime information can be used to identify a fluorescent probe as well as giving information about the microenvironment of the probe.

Wisconsin Fast Plants, rapid-cycling Brassica rapa, are an ideal organism for illustrating many of the important principals in biology through students’ investigative activities. Newly developed materials with Fast Plants will demonstrate the inter-relationships among variation, phenotype, genotype, environment, adaptation to environment, selection and evolution. The workshop will also include ideas in photobiology and tropism.

W-3 A problem-solving approach to using bioinformatics in biology education: Investigating one cell with three genomes

Target-audiences: Faculty/Graduate students; also Junior High School/High School Teachers

Organizers: BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium (Internet: http://www.bioquest.org/), John R. Jungck (Tele: 608-363-2226, E-mail: jungck@beloit.edu), Sam Donovan (Tele: 608-363-2012, E-mail: donovans@beloit.edu), and John M. Greenler (Tele: 608-363-2281, E-mail: greenlrj@beloit.edu), Department of Biology, Beloit College, 700 College Street, Beloit, WI 53511.

Recent technological changes have streamlined access to the data and tools used in the analysis of molecular sequences and structures. These emerging resources challenge us, as educators, to take advantage of new opportunities to engage students with realistic biological problems. Our approach to developing bioinformatics education materials involves three foci: the central role of evolutionary theory as a powerful heuristic for identifying and interpreting homology; the integration of bioinformatics across the introductory biology curriculum; and, providing students with opportunities to engage in realistic problem solving with rich data resources.

In this workshop we will feature a set of activities and investigations around a dataset of proteins produced by the three genomes found within the nucleus, mitochondria, and chloroplasts of a cell. Participants will be asked to engage in evolutionary, genetic, and developmental levels of analysis as they explore the relationships between gene transfer and protein transport across these three linked genetic/physiological systems.

W-4 Producing, using and distributing curriculum materials in a multimedia world

Target-audiences: Faculty/Graduate students & Junior High School/High School Teachers

Organizer: Mike Clayton (Tele: 608-262-2333, E-mail: clayton@facstaff.wisc.edu), Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706.

New technologies open up opportunities for the creation of curriculum materials that encompass different learning styles. Using these new tools the Department of Botany at the University of Wisconsin - Madison has developed teaching resources that include collections of digital images, computer-mediated interactions, digital movies, and word processing documents. While these target specific instructional needs in our department, we also make them widely available to other educators via the World Wide Web (http://botit.botany.wisc.edu ) and CD-ROM. We will demonstrate how some of these resources are integrated into an exercise on the plant cell. Digital images are used in lab to provide a passive reference to students; they are used in the lab manual, and are incorporated into web-based review lessons. We also consider the larger issues of generating and sharing multimedia resources between institutions. The activity is suitable for those involved in education from the junior high through college levels.

W-5 The case of the pilfered plants: Biotechnology (and more) using an interactive CD-ROM

Target-audiences: Junior High School/High School Teachers & Faculty/Graduate students

Organizers: Deborah M. Langsam (Tele: 704-687-3022, E-mail: dmlangsa@email.uncc.edu), Steven Clark (Tele: 704-687-4067, E-mail: sdclark@email.uncc.edu), and Linda M. Simpson (Tele: 704-687-4063, E-mail: lmsimpso@email.uncc.edu), Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC 28203.

The workshop showcases an instructional module in biotechnology developed by the presenters for college-level introductory biology students. The module can stand alone or be accompanied by hands-on lab sessions and includes an interactive CD-ROM forensics case study; students are asked to solve “crimes” involving the theft of plants from university greenhouses and the loss of genetically engineered bacteria from a vandalized lab. Among the unique features of the module: an on-line laboratory manual; sophisticated animations illustrating PCR; and “crimes” that don’t involve murder or rape, but are instead linked to a series of botanical, medical, and environmental issues. The module helps students understand the science behind DNA fingerprinting, fiber analysis, and blood typing and serves as a springboard for discussions of rainforest destruction, genetic engineering, and the ethical issues related to biotechnology research. In this hands-on session, participants will have the opportunity to preview the module. In addition, presenters will offer a variety of teaching tips and ways that the module can be expanded beyond introductory biology for use in upper division courses or with junior high and high school students.

Target-audiences: Faculty/Graduate students & Junior High School/High School Teachers

Organizer: Mike Clayton (Tele: 608-262 2333, E-mail: clayton@facstaff.wisc.edu), Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706.

This will follow our first workshop “Producing, using and distributing curriculum materials in a multimedia world”. It will best serve those who are just beginning to use the computer as an instructional tool or those considering setting up a UNIX server. To address the specific interests of the participants we will break into three groups. Kandis Elliott and Claudia Lipke will lead one group. Kandis is our staff artist and Claudia is our photographer. Their emphasis will be on photo-manipulation of images with the computer. A second group will be led by Mike Clayton and the emphasis will be on the use of software such as Macromedia, Authorware and Adobe Acrobat to develop computer based interactions. A third group led by Seth Price will consider the process and opportunities of setting up a UNIX server. Seth is in computer science and has set up our instructional server using Macintosh OS X server (see http://botit.botany.wisc.edu). Macintosh OS X Server is a UNIX operating system (similar to Linux, BSD, or Solaris) that uses the Apache web server and PHP scripting to serve web pages.

Target-audiences: Faculty/Graduate students & High School/Middle School Teachers

Organizers: C-Fern Group (Internet: http://cfern.bio.utk.edu/index.html), Stephenie Baxter Duncan (Tele: 865-974-6215, E-mail: shammons@utk.edu) and Les Hickok (E-mail: lhickok@utk.edu), Department of Botany, 437 Hesler Biology Building, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996.

C-Fern, a derived strain of the tropical homosporous fern, Ceratopteris richardii, offers a dynamic approach to teaching many basic aspects of plant biology using hands-on and inquiry approaches. It can be adapted for a variety of educational arenas including middle school, high school, undergraduate or independent student projects. C-Fern exhibits a variety of unique features not typically found in other organisms traditionally used in the classroom. These features include: simple and inexpensive culture methods, independent haploid and diploid generations, distinct sexual types within the gametophyte generation, rapid development from spores to sporophytes in three weeks, easily visualized development (including differentiation of basic cell types, swimming sperm, fertilization events and early embryo development), and a variety of distinct visual mutants that can be used in genetic exercises. The ability to routinely culture and score large numbers of individuals in both the haploid and diploid generations allows for actual hypothesis formulation and testing by students and provides an effective means of increasing their understanding of basic genetic principles. This workshop, in addition to providing the opportunity for hands-on manipulation and visualization of various developmental stages of C-Fern (including chemotaxis with sperm), will illustrate how it can be used to address basic principles of biology and genetics. Participants will learn how to construct a Growth Pod (C-Fern portable culture incubator), learn general culture techniques, and analyze cultures that demonstrate segregation patterns for a variety of mutant types.

W-8 Of cabbages and kimchee: Investigative case-based learning activities from recipes gone wrong to real-time data acquisition and simulation

Target-audiences: Junior High School/High School Teachers & Faculty/Graduate students

Organizers: BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium (Internet: http://www.bioquest.org/), Ethel Stanley (Tele: 608-363-2284, E-mail: stanleye@beloit.edu), Biology Department, Beloit College, 700 College Street, Beloit, WI 53511, Margaret Waterman (Tele: 573-651-2381, E-mail: waterman@biology.semo.edu), Biology Department, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701, and Christina Strickland (Tele: 503-657-6958-x 2207, E-mail: chriss@clackamas.cc.or.us), Life Science Department, Clackamas Community College, Oregon City, Oregon 97045.

Kimchee is a traditional, fermented Korean food that offers rich opportunities for inquiry in the classroom and lab. Using an investigative case-based learning approach, we present cultural, nutritional, biochemical, and microbiological aspects of kimchee in a series of activities that include: 1) exploration of a LifeLines OnLine case “The Kimchee Recipes,” 2) construction of take-home kimchee fermentation chambers, 3) demonstration of real time data acquisition to monitor changes in pH, turbidity, CO2 production, O2 consumption, and microbial populations, and 4) demonstration of a new BioQUEST computer simulation, Sim Chee, to build kimchee models and simulate fermentation under different experimental conditions

Botanical gardening, “Gardens of Lilliput,” is an approach which deepens students understanding and appreciation for the world of plants through investigative and recreational gardening. Students can grow a wide phylogenetic range of plants from mosses to angiosperms in low-cost mini systems (i.e., soda bottle caps and deli containers) encouraging investigative learning based on “knowing by growing.”

W-10 Getting to the roots of plant evolution: Genomics and the reconstruction of the Tree of Life

Workshop is FREE and first-come, first served. Preference will be given to high-school teachers (9-12) and is limited to 25. In addition, participants will receive up to $75.00 reimbursement of fees for attending other workshops and field trips, or for registering for the conference.

Phylogenetic analyses using molecular and morphological data have yielded stunning results about the tree of life and how all organisms on earth are related to each other. The use of phylogenetic methods to understand evolutionary history has become a common theme throughout science. Understanding the concepts and basic methodology of these relatively new techniques is an important component of science education at the high school and undergraduate college levels.

This workshop will provide an introduction to phylogenetic methods using examples from the green plants. Using material that is easily accessible nationwide, we will conduct a hands on demonstration of a classroom exercise appropriate for grades 9 - 12 and introductory biology classes at the university level. Using a simple phylogenetic analysis with morphological and genomic data, we will explore the evolutionary relationships of land plants. Results will be used to discuss adaptation to life on land, radiation of the angiosperms, molecular evolution, and the new classification of green plants.

This workshop will provide a foundation for students to (1) conduct a scientific investigation by collecting, categorizing, and analyzing data, (2) read and analyze data summarized in a cladogram, and (3) understand basic evolutionary concepts such as adaptation, diversification, symbiosis, and convergent evolution.

Sponsored by the National Science Foundation (Grant DEB-0090227), The Deep Gene Research Coordination Group exists to integrate green plant phylogenetics and genomics. The group is exploring ways in which comparative phylogenetic studies can inform functional genomic studies, and knowledge of plant genomes can inform the understanding of phylogenetic relationships. For more information, please visit our web site ( http://ucjeps.herb.berkeley.edu/bryolab/deepgene/ ).

W-11 Producing, using and distributing curriculum materials in a multimedia world (Repeat of W-4)

Target-audiences: Faculty/Graduate students; also Junior High School/High School Teachers

W-12 The case of the pilfered plants: Biotechnology (and more) using an interactive CD-ROM (Repeat of W-5)

Target-audiences: Faculty/Graduate students & Junior High School/High School Teachers

W-13 Of cabbages and kimchee: Investigative case-based learning activities from recipes gone wrong to real-time data acquisition and simulation (Repeat of W-8)

Target-audiences: Faculty/Graduate students & High School/Middle School Teachers

Target-audiences: Faculty/Graduate students & Junior High School/High School Teachers

W-15 Teaching with C-Fern: From spores to sporophytes in three weeks (Repeat of W-7)

Target-audiences: Faculty/Graduate students & High School/Middle School Teachers

Target-audiences: High School Teachers & Graduate Students/Undergraduate Faculty

Organizer: Gordon Uno (Tele: 405-325-6281, E-mail: guno@ou.edu), Department of Botany and Microbiology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019-6131.

Inquiry, which has been recognized as the method to drive science education reform, helps students discover and construct an understanding of scientific concepts on their own under the guidance of the instructor. This workshop will introduce participants to different kinds of inquiry and the general techniques of inquiry instruction using a variety of short, hands-on activities and information about the Introductory Botany course at the University of Oklahoma, which is taught using this method. In addition, participants will learn how to develop “discovery” activities on their own and how to make traditional laboratories more inquiry-oriented. We will also address the most common problems in teaching biology today, with suggestions and examples of how to deal with or overcome these problems. This workshop will introduce participants to a new biology education initiative from the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS); ideas for the initiative will be solicited.

August 2-4: Forum on Botanical Education & Outreach
August 4-7: Annual Scientific Conference

Pyle Conference Center
University of Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin

Workshops