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Article: Pollen germination as a model system for teaching the process of science to undergraduate non-science majors in an investigative laboratory.
- Article from:
- Bulletin of the New Jersey Academy of Science
- Article date:
- March 22, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 New Jersey Academy of Science. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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ABSTRACT: To help undergraduate non-science majors understand the process of science, an "investigative laboratory" approach was used to teach a one-semester course, "Science in Action," to 15 first- and second-year students. In this course, which was taught entirely in the laboratory, students worked cooperatively with each other and with the instructor on a research problem for which the answer was not known. Pollen grain germination was chosen as a model system, and the goal was to identify nutrient molecules that would stimulate germination of Gladiolus pollen. To adequately prepare the students for this project, the first several class periods were used for ...