DIGITAL MICROSCOPY:IMPROVING IDENTIFICATION & QUANTIFICATION IN A FRESHMAN BIOLOGY CLASSROOM

Elizabeth SmithWest Aurora High SchoolRET fellow, 2010 & 2011University of Illinois-ChicagoNSF Grant CBET-EEC-0743068

20112010

BACKGROUND: MY RET AT UIC Dr. Michael Cho’s lab

hMSCs

Effect of substrate

topography on differentiation

hMSCs & Adipocytes

Changes in membrane cholesterol

levels during differentiation

Breast CancersEffect of substrate rigidity on

cellular structures

Our District (%)

State Averages

(%)

Low Income 45 45Mobility 18.6 13Limited-English Proficient 16.6 7.6Graduation Rate 71.3 87.8PSAE Meets & Exceeds: Reading Math Science Writing

41434141

54535255

BACKGROUND: MY SCHOOL, MY STUDENTS

BACKGROUND: MY SCHOOL, MY STUDENTS

3

18

62

Sections of Bi-ology

Honors BiologyBioTech ELL Bio

ALL students take some Biology

Biology: 50/50 Freshman &

Sophomores Most students:

Read below grade level ~30% of students have

parents that attend Open House or Conferences or attempt to contact the teacher

TECHNOLOGY

9 Biology classrooms Each has computer +

LCD projector 6 Compound Light

Microscope sets 13 scopes each

2 scope cams

Technology: Cameras are old,

only show B/W images

TVs are small, whole class can’t see

Students: Less than half have

used a microscope Students have little

concept of what they are seeing!

Current Technology Current Challenges

TECHNOLOGY

USB-based microscope camera

1.3 Mega Pixel camera Calibration slide for

accurate measurementsSoftware: Motic Images

2.0 Capture stills & video Measurements (including

area) JPG, etc. to email/print Image processing & more!

A Solution MOTOCAM 1000

OBJECTIVES Use the MOTOCAM 1000 to:

Show the whole class proper microscope technique

Capture videos for later use & posting on school website Includes narration software

Capture images for statistical analysis Quantifying Biology! Compatible with Excel

ILLINOIS STANDARDSGoal 11

Inquiry and Design• A.3a Formulate

hypotheses that can be tested by collecting data.

• A.4b Conduct controlled experiments or simulations to test hypotheses.

• A.4c Collect, organize and analyze data accurately and precisely.

• A.4d Apply statistical methods to the data to reach and support conclusions

• A.3e Use data manipulation tools and quantitative and representational methods to analyze measurements.

• A.3g Report and display the process and results of a scientific investigation.

Goal 12Concepts and

Principles• A.3a Explain how cells

function as “building blocks” of organisms; describe the requirements for cells to live.

• A.5a Explain changes within cells and organisms in response to stimuli

• A.4b Describe the structures and organization of cells and tissues

• A.3c Compare and contrast how different forms and structures reflect different functions

Goal 13Science, Technology

and Society• A.4b Assess the

validity of scientific data by analyzing the results, sample set, sample size, similar previous experimentation, possible misrepresentation of data presented and potential sources of error.

• A.3c Explain what is similar and different about observational and experimental investigations

TEACHING: MICROSCOPY TECHNIQUES

Students learn how to use a microscope Wet mount slides

Letter “e” Crossed threads Printed paper

Misc. prepared Slides (bugs, etc)

Analyze Which way is the image

facing? What happens when you move

the slide left? Why can’t you focus on both

threads at once?

Show students what “in focus” looks like!

Avoid the “Bubble Eureka!” moment

Intro to Microscopes Digital Microscope Application

TEACHING: PLANT V. ANIMAL CELLS

Have students create & examine 3 cell samples: Onion skin cell Elodea cell Human Cheek cell

Analyze Compare & Contrast

the 2 plant cells Compare & Contrast

the plant v. animal cell

The first time that many students see cells! Most have no idea

what the are seeing: which things are cells?!

Capture stills Great for referring

back or for absent students

Capture video of moving chloroplasts

Comparing Cell Structures

Digital Microscope Application

TEACHING: OSMOSIS

Using Elodea samples, create a slide, observe

Flood the slide with saline solution, observe

Analyze What happens to

the cell? How could you

reverse the process?

Record video samples of the lab to share with absent

students & when teaching about

hyper-/hypo-tonic solutions

Watching Water Move Digital Microscope Application

TEACHING: MITOSIS & THE CELL CYCLE

Use Onion Root tip or other premade mitosis slides

Students find & sketch examples of interphase, mitosis (PMAT), and cytokinesis

Identify cell membrane, cell wall, chromosomes, cleavage furrow, cell plate

Analyze Compare & contrast mitosis

in plant & animal cells

Before lab, use digital projector to identify the parts of mitosis in real cells

In lab, have students take turns capturing & printing images of different parts of the root tip. Count the # in each phase Create a graph to show

number of cells in each phase

Analyze: Which phases are the longest? Shortest?

Seeing Mitosis Digital Microscope Application

TEACHING: POND WATER & PROTISTS

Depression slide + pond water,

Sketch, identify, and label the structures. Cell membrane, cytoplasm,

chloroplasts, cilia, flagella, nucleus

Analyze Beside each, describe:

Unicellular or multicellular? Autotroph or heterotroph? How does this protist move? How does this protist feed?

Have the class work as a group to capture an image of each new organism

Volvox & ameobae are rare most years; capture a video to share with other classes

Use pictures captured to label in later assessments

Protists in the Water! Digital Microscope Application

TEACHING: PLANT ADAPTATIONS

Have students exam cross sections of a dicot leaf; draw & label: Cuticle, epidermis, palliside

mesophyll, spongy mesophyll, vascular bundle (xylem + phloem) stomata, guard cells

Analyze Describe how each helps

with photosynthesis or protection

Have each group capture a picture of the epidermis from a tropical & a desert biome Count the number of

stoma in the same size area

What differences do you see? Why?

Anatomy of a Leaf Digital Microscope Application

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS NSF Grant CBET-EEC-0743068 Prof. A. Linninger, RET Program Director Dr. Michael Cho, Research Mentor Brandon Lutz and Hannah Wirtshafter, fellow

researchers University of Illinois- Chicago

REFERENCES & RESOURCES Illinois Interactive Report Card

http://iirc.niu.edu/ Swift Optical Resources

http://www.swiftoptical.com/EducationalResources.aspx

Pictures http://www.subbody.net/01subbody/Unfold/240/071013_volvox.jpg http://www.kuhnphoto.com/gallery/biology/microscopic/stomata.jpg http://faculty.irsc.edu/FACULTY/TFischer/bio%201%20files/test-yourself%2

0mitosis.jpg https://kleinsclasses.wikispaces.com/file/view/handbook-microscope_nosh

adow-T.jpg/56048204/handbook-microscope_noshadow-T.jpg http://www.workshopplus.com/productcart/pc/catalog/moticam1000setup

_809_detail.jpg http://www.tedpella.com/cameras_html/camera2.htm http://www.ndt-educational.org/images/Artefatti26.jpg http://wikidoc.org/images/a/a6/Chloroplasten.jpg