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ERIC Number: EJ1119210
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Nov
Pages: 10
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0036-8555
EISSN: N/A
The Microscopic World of Diatoms
Sultany, Molly; Bixby, Rebecca
Science Teacher, v83 n8 p55-64 Nov 2016
For students in biology, chemistry, or environmental science, diatoms offer excellent insight into watershed health and human impact on the environment. Diatoms are found globally in virtually every habitat that has sunlight and moisture, including polar seas, tropical streams, and on moist soils and mosses. Studying diatoms as biological indicators immerses students in a compelling exploration of aquatic ecosystems. In this article, the authors present a novel and challenging set of activities that foster a greater understanding of scientific phenomena aligned with the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States 2013). This investigation represents a two-year collaboration between a high school science teacher and a diatom researcher, who mentored projects developed by 10th-grade chemistry students in Portland, Oregon. Students designed an experiment to study water quality using diatoms. The article contains an outline of differentiation strategies, including group sizes, timing, and guiding questions for each activity. This lesson can be extended by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) in the classroom.
National Science Teachers Association. 1840 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201-3000. Tel: 800-722-6782; Fax: 703-243-3924; e-mail: membership@nsta.org; Web site: http://www.nsta.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive; Guides - Classroom - Teacher
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education; Grade 10
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Oregon (Portland)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A