KABT BioBlog

Kansas Association of Biology Teachers’ News and Resources

KABT BioBlog random header image

Entries Tagged as 'KABT News'

Flower ID challenge

June 6th, 2008 · 4 Comments

Eric correctly identified the previous challenge photo as Black Medic–a small plant of lawns.  It’s been reported that Black Medic seeds were a special delicacy in ancient Rome.  It’d take a lot time to collect enough to make even one serving.  Now for an new challenge–maybe easier–maybe harder.  Try and identify this common flower:

[Read more →]

Tags: KABT News · Nature

RNAi KATS Presentation

June 5th, 2008 · No Comments

What is RNA interference. What is the mechanism for this cellular process and how can I use this as an instructional piece for an advance biology or a biotechnology class? If any of these questions are of interest to you, fear not, you are at a one-stop site for joining the movement started by Cold […]

[Read more →]

Tags: KABT News · Labs · Teaching Resources

Return to Ashfall

June 5th, 2008 · 2 Comments

Despite nearly $4 a gallon gas and a 6-8 hour drive 16 KABTer’s and their families made the trip to the Morrill Museum in Lincoln, NE, Niobrara State Park and Ashfall State Park this past weekend. Harry, Charlotte, Brad, Carol, Randy, Josie, Tiffany, Brian Alex, Abbie, Julie, Charlotte, Jennifer, Kayla, Stan, and Janet all […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Field Trips · KABT Meetings · KABT News

Identification challenge

June 4th, 2008 · 2 Comments

Name this common flower.  You’ve all seen it and it is blooming right now….

I’ll name the flower, later this week.
BW

[Read more →]

Tags: KABT News · Nature

Free Update Workshops from Coldspring Harbor

May 22nd, 2008 · No Comments

Here’s info about a number of workshops from the Dolan DNA Learning center at Cold Springs Harbor.  These workshops are great resources and note that two of them will be presented at the Stowers in KC.
BW
The Dolan DNA Learning Center (DNALC) is a pioneer in modern biology
education. Since it’s founding in 1988, more than […]

[Read more →]

Tags: KABT News

Delayed Season

May 13th, 2008 · 5 Comments

In the first week of May of 2003 I took these pictures of Yellow-Lady’s Slipper Orchids.

They were past their prime by May 13th.  Today, I checked on the same orchids–they have not even budded, yet.  The leaves are still unfurling.  It’s truly a late spring for eastern KS.
BW

[Read more →]

Tags: KABT News

The Wonderful World of Dung…

May 13th, 2008 · 1 Comment

For several years I kept a copy of a BBC production that was shown in the early 90’s on the Discovery channel: “The Wonderful World of Dung”. It’s the only video that I would not loan to others in the department–keeping it as a special treat for my students as we wrapped up […]

[Read more →]

Tags: KABT News

Hardy-Weinberg Spreadsheet Model

May 8th, 2008 · No Comments

As part of the KABT thread at the recent KATS KAMP, I argued that we should be asking our students to use spreadsheets to model the concepts of population genetics–in particular Hardy-Weinberg equilibria. I tried to make the case that most of the efforts to model H-W equilibrium in classroom activities such as […]

[Read more →]

Tags: KABT News · Labs · Teaching Resources · Technology

Carl Zimmer’s New Book

May 6th, 2008 · 1 Comment

A Science Writer worth reading - Case
Note from Carl Zimmer;
Hello–
I just wanted to let everyone know that at long last my sixth book publishes today. It’s called Microcosm: E. coli and the New Science of Life. You’ll recognize it at your local bookstore by the eerie glowing Petri dish on the cover. (And if you […]

[Read more →]

Tags: KABT News

An opportunity to test a new curriculum….

April 30th, 2008 · No Comments

Surely there is at least one Kansas biology teacher that would be interested in field testing a new biology curriculum.  I just received the following notification:
Dear Biology Teachers,
I am a former high school biology teacher, and now design curricula for the SEPUP (Science Education for Public Understanding Program) at the Lawrence Hall of Science. Some […]

[Read more →]

Tags: KABT News