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| Monday, June 18 | |
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| Tuesday, June 19 | |
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| Wednesday, June 20 |
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| Thursday, June 21 |
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| Friday, June 22 |
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| Saturday, June 23: Post-Conference Field Trips and Activities | |
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| Chicago, with a population of 3 million people, is the third largest city of the U.S. The city was founded in the early 1800s on the banks of the Chicago River where it flowed into Lake Michigan. (Note that in a feat of engineering, the flow of that river was later reversed with the addition of locks so that it now flows out of the Lake.) |
Chicago developed rapidly into a major industrial center
and transportation hub (road, rail and air), yet the
city foresightedly retained its lakefront as parkland
for all of its citizens to enjoy. It has become an architectural gem with many historic and modern buildings, which represent important stages in the evolution of contemporary architecture on the scale of both skyscrapers and single-family homes.
diversity of its population and its rich cultural mix
of neighborhoods, museums, festivals, music clubs and
restaurants. Within a short drive of The Loop, as the
center of the city is known, are wooded forest preserves,
prairie (remnants and restored), sand dunes and beaches.
The city itself has an extensive system of 500 parks,
which include many bathing beaches, an 18-mile bike path
along the lakeshore, and beautifully landscaped green
space in the heart of the city.
Hyde Park/Kenwood
Hyde Park/Kenwood, the
neighborhood which includes the main campus of the University
of Chicago, is seven miles south of The Loop, only 20 minutes
away by public transportation (express bus or train). Approximately
45,000 people of many nationalities and economic groups live
in this area, and the community is often referred to as one
of the most successful racially and economically integrated
communities in the U.S. Most of the students and about 60%
of the faculty live in the immediate neighborhood of The University
in an eclectic mix of single family homes, apartment buildings
and dorms.
Despite its proximity to the heart of a very
big city, Hyde Park/Kenwood is a quiet, tree-lined neighborhood.
It contains several outstanding museums: The Museum of Science
and Industry, The Oriental Institute, and the Smart Museum
of Art; and the DuSable Museum of African-American History
is very nearby in Washington Park. There are also a number
of historical landmark buildings such as the Robie House,
which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and is now owned
by The University. There are many interesting, small, relatively
inexpensive, ethnic restaurants in the neighborhood, and some
of the city’s best bookstores, selling both new and used books,
are in the shopping areas near campus.
The University of Chicago
The University of Chicago
is one of the world’s leading private, research universities.
It was founded in 1892 as a private, non-denominational, co-educational
institution of higher learning and research. At this point
The University consists of four graduate divisions (Biological
Sciences, Humanities, Physical Sciences and Social Sciences),
an undergraduate college, and six professional schools (Business,
Divinity, Law, Medicine, Social Service Administration and
Public Policy Studies). The total student enrollment is approximately
10,000; about 3,800 are undergraduates.
The University campus is on 203 acres and spans
the Midway, a very wide grassy boulevard, which was literally
the midway of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. The campus
buildings are predominantly neo-Gothic architecture, and the
grounds are now maintained as a botanic garden, making the
campus a very attractive environment in which to pursue “the
life of the mind”. See http://www.uchicago.edu/docs/maps
for maps of Chicago, Hyde Park and the U. of C. campus.
Biological Sciences Collegiate Division
The ABLE conference will be hosted by The Biological Sciences Collegiate
Division (BSCD), the unit of The University responsible for undergraduate
study in biology. We are housed in The Donnelly Biological
Sciences Learning Center (BSLC), a very spacious and well-equipped
building, which we have occupied for about seven years. There
are currently fifteen teaching labs and twelve classrooms
of appropriate size for groups ranging from small seminars
up to lectures for 225.
The ABLE workshops, lunches, breaks and meetings
will take place in BSLC. The teaching faculty for BSCD is
primarily the research faculty of the graduate Division of
Biological Sciences. There are, in addition, eight Lecturers
and Senior Lecturers who report to Dr. Jose Quintans, the
Master of BSCD. The Lecturers and Senior Lecturers are responsible
for developing, coordinating and teaching laboratories for
biology courses and for teaching some introductory courses,
generally for non-biology majors.
Dorm Rooms: Single and double rooms are available
in Pierce Hall (5514 S. University Ave.), a U. of C. campus
dorm at the corner of University Ave. and 55th St. The room
charge is $43.25/night and $34.25/person/night for single
and double rooms, respectively. The dorm is a pleasant four-block
walk from BSLC where most of the conference events are scheduled.
The dorm is convenient to city bus transportation and a block
from the campus parking structure. Additional double rooms
with an optional cot are available for couples or couples
with one child in Hitchcock Hall (1009 E. 57th St. — entrance
is on the south side of the building inside the campus); please
see the housing form for the Hitchcock options and their charges.
Bathrooms in both dorms are communal but not coed. Linens
are provided. Neither dorm is air-conditioned. All dorm prices
include full breakfast served in the Pierce dining hall. To
reserve a dorm room, please complete and submit the housing
form.
Motel Rooms: For participants who prefer to stay
off campus, we have reserved a block of double- occupancy
rooms at the Ramada Inn Lakeshore for $90/night. The room
charge includes a continental breakfast and free shuttle to
campus (check with the motel desk about the shuttle schedule).
The motel is approximately 2.5 miles from BSLC. Make a reservation
for a room at the Ramada Inn by calling 800-228-2828; be sure
to mention that you are attending the ABLE conference to obtain
our reduced room rate.
A full breakfast in the Pierce dining
hall is included in the dorm room charge for Pierce and Hitchcock
Halls. A continental breakfast is provided at the Ramada Inn
Lakeshore. Box lunches will be provided on Wednesday, Thursday
and Friday and for the Saturday all-day field trips. Tuesday
evening, the conference will open with the Master’s Welcome
Reception, which will include a light supper. There are two
special optional dinner events for which there is an additional
charge: a dinner cruise on Wednesday evening and a conference
banquet on Friday evening. On Thursday evening conference
participants are on their own to sample Chicago’s many fine
restaurants.
Travel to Chicago: Flying (or taking the train) is
highly recommended. Chicago has great bus and train public
transportation and parking can be very expensive in the heart
of the city.
Flying: Chicago has two major airports, O’Hare and
Midway. There is public transportation from both airports
to Hyde Park at a reasonable cost. From O’Hare, take the Omega
shuttle (http://www.omegashuttle.com).
Follow the red bus icons through the airport to the Regional
Bus Center. The Omega shuttle leaves the Regional Bus Center
hourly at 45 minutes after the hour. The fare is $17 and,
by special arrangement, the driver will take you directly
to Pierce Hall without an additional charge. Otherwise the
nearest regular stop is at the Quadrangle Club which is two
blocks south of Pierce Hall and two blocks east of Hitchcock
Hall. The shuttle also makes a regular stop at the Ramada
Inn Lakeshore. For less expensive transportation from O’Hare,
follow the train icons to the CTA train station in the airport.
Ride the train to the Washington St. stop. Exit to Randolph
St. and walk east on Randolph to State St. Catch the #6 (Jeffrey
Express bus) on the west side of State Street and request
a transfer. Ride the #6 bus to the intersection of 55th St.
and Hyde Park Blvd. in Hyde Park. Cross to the northwest corner
and ride the Garfield Blvd./55th St. bus to the University
Ave. stop. Pierce Hall is across the street on the corner
of University and 55th; Hitchcock Hall is two blocks south
and two blocks west of the corner of 55th St. and Ellis Ave.
From Midway Airport, take the Garfield Blvd./55th St. bus
directly to the University Ave. stop. Pierce Hall is on that
corner; Hitchcock Hall is two blocks south and two blocks
west of it. Sharing a cab from either airport is, of course,
also an option, and cars can be rented at either airport.
If you plan to use the Omega shuttle for your return trip
to O’Hare, call them (773-483-6634) the day before so they
know they will have a pickup at Pierce Hall.
Driving: If you do drive, take the Garfield Blvd./55th
St. exit from I-94/90 (also called the Dan Ryan) and drive
east on Garfield Blvd./55th St. to Ellis Ave. in Hyde Park
(it has the first traffic light after you cross Cottage Grove
Ave.). Parking is available in the campus parking garage on
the block between Ellis and Greenwood on 55th (entrance is
on Ellis Ave.). There is a charge for parking during weekdays,
but parking is free at night and on weekends. Parking on the
street is also an option if available. Travel within Chicago:
The Garfield Blvd./55th St. bus stops on the corner of University
and 55th St. in front of Pierce Hall. To take the bus to the
Loop and points beyond, request a transfer, ride to the intersection
of 55th St. and Hyde Park Blvd, and get on the #6 (Jeffrey
Express) bus on the northeast corner using your transfer.
The Jeffrey will take you to the Museum Campus stops and to
the Loop. To go farther north, you can again use your transfer
to take a bus from the northeast corner of Michigan Ave. and
Randolph. Take the CTA Red Line train if you want to go farther
north than the Water Tower area (more route and fare information
at http://www.transitchicago.com/).
Chicago has extremely variable weather
in June, and the weather can change very rapidly. Bring a
variety of clothes such that you can layer for 50oF
but also deal with 90oF. Rain is possible, so an
umbrella may be useful. The Tuesday evening reception is come-as-you-are.
The Wednesday evening dinner cruise is on a small informal
boat, so wear whatever you like (but be prepared to keep warm
if the wind comes up). The Friday evening conference banquet
at the Field Museum will call for business casual attire.
If you plan to eat out in a very upscale restaurant Thursday
night, when there is no conference event planned, you may
want to bring suit and tie equivalent clothes. Otherwise,
Chicago is an informal city and casual sport clothes are fine.
Campus Recreational Facilities
During the conference, ABLE conference
registrants will be welcome to use the U. of C. recreation
facilities for a one-time fee of $15.00. The fee is payable
at the counter in the Henry Crown Field House, which is next-door
to Pierce Hall, the ABLE dorm. The Field House has a running
track, weight room, cardiovascular exercise area, and courts
for basketball and raquetball. In June there will be only
one swimming pool on campus because of renovations and new
construction. That pool is in Ida Noyes Hall. The University
is building a new athletic facility two blocks west of the
dorm, but it (like the new air-conditioned dorms) won’t be
ready for use in June 2001. Swimming in the lake, jogging
in Hyde Park (e.g., on the Midway), and jogging on the lakeshore
(preferably in groups) are also options.
You can download the conference,
housing and workshop registration forms as
one PDF file. (You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view
or print these documents; Adobe Acrobat can be downloaded
from here.) Please download the forms, print them and send the
completed forms as a packet to the address at the bottom of the forms.
Payment must accompany your forms and must be made by check
or money order to The University of Chicago or by VISA or
MasterCard. Registration fees are as follows:
- ABLE members on or before May 7: $180
- ABLE members after May 7: $205
- Nonmembers on or before May 7: $200
- Nonmembers after May 7: $225
The registration fee includes the Welcome Reception; a box
lunch on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; the workshops; the
workshop documents; and refreshments at morning and afternoon
breaks. It does not include the Wednesday evening dinner cruise
or the Friday evening conference banquet. There are additional
fees for those events (see the information below under Special
Events). Accompanying persons who do not attend the workshops
may register for $45; they may then attend the Welcome Reception,
lunches and refreshment breaks.
The conference is limited to 180 participants. Housing and
workshop places will be assigned in the order in which registration
forms are received, and priority will be given to ABLE members
whose dues for 2001-2002 are paid by May 7 (ABLE membership
runs from June 1 of one year to May 31 of the next year).
You may join ABLE or renew your membership now by sending
in your $35 membership fee when you register to attend the
conference.
If you need to cancel your registration for the conference
and/or special events, you will receive a full refund providing
you notify Lora Evans (contact information below) by or on
May 7. Fees will not be refunded for cancellations after that
date unless we have a waiting list for registration and/or
the events in question.
Conference T-shirts with the ABLE 2001 logo will be available
for $10. They may be ordered on the registration form.
| Please send conference registration, housing and workshop forms with payment to: |
|
| Lora Evans BSCD 924 E. 57th St. Chicago, IL 60637-5415 |
Voice: 773-702-7963 Fax: 773-702-2254 E-mail: levans@midway.uchicago.edu |
| For further information about the workshops and special events, please contact: |
|
| Roz Potter Host, ABLE 2001 BSCD 924 E. 57th St. Chicago, IL 60637-5415 |
Voice: 773-702-7079 Fax: 773-702-2254 E-mail: rsvp@midway.uchicago.edu |
The ABLE membership fee is $35 per
year. Membership includes a reduced registration fee for the
conference, the Proceedings of the Conference, and the newsletter,
Labstracts. The membership fee is payable with your
registration (please see the registration form). If you would
like to join ABLE or renew your membership but do not plan
to attend the 2001 conference, please complete the Membership/Renewal
form on the ABLE web site and send it with $35 to Denise Martin (ABLE Membership
Chair), Biology Department, St. Michael’s College, Box 283, 1 Winooski
Park, Colchester, VT 05439. For further information contact
Denise at 802-654-2628 or dmartin@smcvt.edu.
Major workshops are three hours long,
and generally, the same workshop will be offered on the morning
and afternoon of a given day (exceptions are noted below).
Each participant may select a total of five major workshops
to attend Wednesday morning and afternoon, Thursday morning
and afternoon and Friday morning. Morning sessions will be
8:30-11:30 AM; afternoon sessions will be 1:30-4:30 PM. This
year, Friday afternoon will again be exclusively mini workshops,
for which participants will sign up at the beginning of the
conference.
| 1 – Using the LEGO Mindstorms Systems for Teaching Optimal Foraging and Evolution Marc Albrecht (University of Nebraska at Kearney) |
| The LEGO Mindstorms system allows students to program, build, test, and release their own robots. These robots can be constructed to investigate many concepts; here we will focus on optimal foraging behavior and the evolution of traits and behaviors. Through participating in the exercise students learn both computer/technology skills and a new way to learn biological principles. The complexity of even simple organisms becomes clearer as students attempt to get their ‘creature’ to move, turn, and stop where they wish. In this lab the goal is to build a robot that discovers as many resources as possible in a limited time period. The materials for the lab present instructions on how to use the Mindstorms system and the biological analogs and concepts entwined in the lab. Each group works independently and is encouraged to follow whatever strategies they feel will work best. The finished robots are released into an arena where they move independent of any external control to locate resources. After a first run, a modification period is allowed and a second run of all machines is then completed. |
| 2 – Digital Photography in Biology Lab Teaching Ted Gurney (University of Utah) |
| This workshop is designed for biology lab teachers who are not using digital photography, yet. My focus will be on the cheapest and simplest equipment that will do the job, not on the best or latest equipment. I will cover the basics of color and grayscale digital photography, biometry, closeups, and photomicrographs with or without a trinocular head on the microscope. We will make a little time-lapse movie with a still camera. Computers will be garden variety PCs or Macs. For software I will use mainly the freeware Scion/NIH Image. I will bring two of our own cameras, a $900 “scientific” camera and a $250 “consumer” camera. I will share the few things I know and I welcome the participation of colleagues, maybe co-authors I have not yet met, who can share even more. I would appreciate communicating with other teachers who might like to contribute to this workshop. |
| 3 – Blue Plants: Transgenic Plants with the Gus Reporter Gene Susan J. Karcher & Stanton B. Gelvin (Purdue University) |
| This workshop presents an investigative laboratory developed for the introductory biology curriculum using transgenic plants. The transgenic Arabidopsis plants we use contain the GUS reporter gene under the control of the cor15a gene promoter, which responds to cold stress. Following induction by cold or other environmental signals, the gusA gene will respond by producing the enzyme beta-glucuronidase (GUS). When plant tissue is incubated with the chromogenic substrate X-gluc, those tissues that produce GUS turn blue. Using investigative experiments, students monitor both the physiological response of plants to these signals, as well the induction of gene activity as reflected by GUS activity. The GUS assay is highly visible, safe for the undergraduate laboratory, easy to conduct, and relatively inexpensive. Blue Plants, developed at Purdue University with support from NSF-DUE grant #9354721, are one of the Research Link 2000 systems (http://www.researchlink.ferris.edu/). |
| 4 – Teaching Reaction Equilibrium Using Stella Modeling Software Robert J. Kosinski (Clemson University) |
| Equilibrium of biochemical reactions is seldom taught in introductory biology labs. However, equilibrium is an excellent topic for the introduction of simple mathematical modeling into the lab curriculum. When properly done, modeling can allow an exploratory, hands-on approach to equilibrium, as well as teach a valuable application of mathematics. Stella modeling software facilitates the exercise by allowing students to construct sound models without dwelling on mathematical details. This workshop will illustrate a modeling approach to reaction equilibrium and some aspects of thermodynamics. We use this exercise in introductory biology laboratories at Clemson. In addition, the workshop will give the participants sufficient experience with Stella to enable them to apply modeling to other teaching problems. |
| 5 – Exercise Physiology: The Use of Treadmills and Stationary Bicycles in Hypothesis Testing Eric Larsen (University of Chicago) |
| Oxygen consumption is used as an indirect measure of metabolic rate in this laboratory in which students can investigate the energetics of locomotion and physiological response to exercise, either on a stationary bike or a treadmill. Students are divided into groups of three or more to accomplish the tasks required to measure oxygen consumption/carbon dioxide production in a subject at rest and during aerobic exercise. Exhaled air is collected at rest and during exercise. The total volume is measured and a sample is tested for O2 and CO2 concentration. Using these data students can then estimate the amount of different nutrients (e.g., fats or carbohydrate) used during the experiment. Students are encouraged to test a hypothesis of their own choosing with the exercise equipment provided. |
| 6 – A Skeleton Tells Its Own Story: Forensic Anthropological Analyses for the Science Laboratory Virginia L. Naples & Jon S. Miller (Northern Illinois University) |
| The techniques of forensic anthropology and pathology can provide new information to increase the interest of students in studying the structural details of the human skeleton. We present a simplified methodology for assessing skeletal sex, age, stature and ethnicity, An inexpensive method has been devised for constructing an osteometric board to allow students to measure long bones accurately. The effects of aging and the influence of lifestyle alterations of skeletal elements are presented along with the prediction of their effects on the living individual. This laboratory is intended to acquaint students with the process of collecting and analyzing data and interpreting scientific results, as well as learning how to assess the accuracy of their conclusions. Gathering and analyzing their own data sets should allow students a better understanding of the Scientific Method and give them an increased ability to translate this understanding to other scientific disciplines. |
| 7 – Fluorescence Microscopy and the Cell Christopher Schonbaum (University of Chicago) |
| Students enter into a lab with perceptions of the cell mainly based upon illustrations in their biology textbooks. In this exercise, students use several techniques of fluorescence microscopy to look at various cellular structures, including organelles, the cytoskeleton and DNA. In addition to revealing the cellular structures in a dramatic fashion, the exercise shows that the distributions, sizes and shapes of the structures are not always as the students imagine them. The lab consists of three parts: (1) Observation of organelles (mitochondria, Golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum) in living PtK2 cells, using fluorescent vital stains. (2) Observation of the cytoskeleton in fixed PtK2 cells, which employs a combination of immunofluorescence and fluorescently labeled phalloidin to observe microtubules and microfilaments, respectively. DNA stains are included in both the live and fixed cells, enabling the students to observe the changes in organelle/cytoskeleton morphology as the cell undergoes mitosis. (3) Observation of cytosolic vs. mitochondrial targeted green fluorescent protein (GFP) in transgenic tobacco plants, which demonstrates the use of GFP reporters for tracking cellular structures in living cells. |
| 8 – Species Diversity, Island Biogeography, and the Design of Nature Reserves Part I: In the Field K. Greg Murray, Kathy Winnett-Murray & Lori Hertel (Hope College) [“Part II: In the Lab” will be Thurs. afternoon (workshop #16); both workshops are planned so that they can be taken separately or in series.] |
| This field investigation comprises the first part of an open-ended exercise designed to test predictions derived from island biogeography theory using various-sized fragments of leaf litter arthropod communities as “island” systems. We will make a field trip to Bauer’s Woods in northwest Indiana, demonstrate the mechanics of setting up the leaf litter island experiment, collect leaf litter, and use Berleise Funnels to extract arthropods that will be analyzed in “Part II: In the Lab” on Thursday afternoon. |
| 9 – Multi-Species Interactions: Indirect Effects Christine Andrews (University of Chicago) |
| In this laboratory exercise, we will test for an indirect effect due to interaction modification in a three-species system consisting of guppies (Poecilia reticulata), water fleas (Daphnia magna), and aquatic plants (Myriophyllum sp.). We will observe female guppies foraging on Daphnia for an hour (divided into 12 five-minute intervals) in the presence and absence of plants. We will perform t-tests to determine whether the mean number of prey consumed (including only successful prey strikes) and the mean number of prey attacked (including successful and unsuccessful prey strikes) differ between the “plant” and “non-plant” treatments. If we find a difference between the two treatments, it will likely be due to the plants’ modification of the predator-prey interaction. We will also plot the mean number of prey consumed and attacked in each time interval to see if the change in foraging rate over the hour of observation appears to differ between the “plant” and “non-plant” treatments. |
| 10 – Bioinformatics, Virtual Labs, and the Human Genome Project Anne Cordon (University of Toronto) & Dennis Liu (Howard Hughes Medical Institute) |
| This session introduces bioinformatics using a case study of pathogenic bacteria identification via a virtual lab and NCBI web database searches. The subtheme of this session is the use of virtual laboratories (vlabs) for teaching scientific concepts, methods, and process to supplement an analytical “dry” lab or when a “wet” lab is impossible or impractical. An abridged version of the lab is available online at http://www.cquest.utoronto.ca/botany/bio250y/labs/6-dnaseqlab.htm. |
| 11 – Using Bromelain in Pineapple Juice to Investigate Enzyme Function William V. Glider (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) & Mark S. Hargrove (Iowa State University) |
| This investigation introduces students to the structure and function of the proteolytic enzyme, bromelain, which is present in large quantities in the fruit, leaves, and stems of pineapple. In this lab exercise students study the rate at which bromelain catalyzes the hydrolysis of gelatin (substrate) at different temperatures and pH. Strips of developed black and white photographic film are placed in freshly squeezed pineapple juice under different experimental conditions. The time it takes for the film to clear is used as an indication of the rate at which bromelain catalyzes the digestion of the substrate (gelatin) which binds the black silver grains to the plastic. This lab exercise has been used in General Biology labs non-majors as well as mixed majors/ non-majors labs and can be easily adapted to an investigative approach. |
| 12 – Swallow Cliffs Restoration Area Field Trip Alison Hunter (University of Chicago) |
| Ice and fire created the original communities of Swallow Cliff Woods. As the glaciers retreated north 12,000 years ago, they left behind a varied landscape of morainal hills, pothole lakes, and marshes. Meltwater from the ice scoured out the Sag Valley whose steep southern wall forms the Swallow “Cliffs”. The fires started later, some caused by lightning, and some by Native Americans who used them to improve forage for big grazing animals like bison and elk, and to drive animals when hunting. Fire interacted with the topography to create a mosaic of natural communities. In recent decades, the natural biodiversity of Swallow Cliff Woods has been threatened by the suppression of fire and by the invasion of exotic plants. See the restoration efforts of the Forest Preserve of Cook County on this all-day field trip. |
| 13 – A Guided Inquiry in a Computer-Based Biology Laboratory Phyllis S. Laine & Linda J. Heath (Xavier University) |
| Participants will work in cooperative groups as a Research Team of 3-4 to conduct a guided inquiry designed for non-major biology students in a computer laboratory. Computer technology will be used by the Research Teams to search for background information for the inquiry, organize this information into a concept map, complete an electronic template (the TLNB: Team Lab Notebook), and analyze data with Microsoft Excel. A computer projection system will be used to present findings to other teams. The presenters will discuss how this format can be adapted to doing open and guided inquiry laboratories in biology, as well as how to introduce the non-major student to science writing. Funds for the development of this laboratory project were from NSF under the Course, Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement Program DUE 99-50373 and Xavier University. |
| 14 – Using Handheld Wireless Computers to Increase Interactivity and Collaborative Learning in Large Classes Betty Black, Marianne Niedzlek-Feaver & Hal Meeks (North Carolina State University) |
| This workshop will first present the results of our pilot study, which used two types of handheld computers to involve the students during lecture courses. We will discuss what worked and, more importantly for those venturing into this arena, what did not. In the main part of the workshop, participants will be placed in the role of students attending such a non-traditional lecture. They will learn to use the major features of the Jornada 820 and the Handspring Visor to access course notes, annotate images and beam notes to one another. They will collaborate to solve problems utilizing both text and graphics and will access web sites via a wireless Airport access point. Also, we will demonstrate the preparation of a quiz for wireless access, which will be taken by the participants and summarized for immediate viewing on a web site. Suggestions for using handhelds in a laboratory setting will be solicited and discussed at the end of the workshop. |
| 15 – The Power of Genetics: Using Classical and Molecular Genetics to Study “Real” Developmental Phenomena Leonard Pysh (Roanoke College) |
| Laboratory exercises in a typical course in genetics usually include Drosophila crosses, microscopic studies of meiosis and mitosis, and maybe a DNA isolation or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of polymorphisms among the student population. Unfortunately, this traditional approach often fails to demonstrate the utility of a genetic approach in understanding the complex processes upon which all of life depends, and the students soon forget much of what is learned. In order for students to appreciate the power of the genetic approach, they need to see how it can be applied to “real life” investigations. As has been elegantly demonstrated time and again, genetic analyses can be used to dissect both biochemical and developmental pathways. In this workshop, we will conduct an exercise I designed for an undergraduate Plant Anatomy and Physiology course that uses classical and molecular genetic analyses to study the process of cell shape determination in the genetic model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. |
| 16 – Species Diversity, Island Biogeography, and the Design of Nature Reserves Part II: In the Lab K. Greg Murray, Kathy Winnett-Murray and Lori Hertel (Hope College) [This workshop can be done without doing Part I on Wednesday. However, priority will be given to people who have participated in Part I.] |
| This laboratory investigation comprises the second part of an open-ended analysis designed to test predictions derived from island biogeography theory using various-sized fragments of leaf litter arthropod communities as “island” systems. Using leaf litter arthropods collected with the Berleise Funnel technique, we will practice identification, compute diversity indices, and construct dominance-diversity and species area curves. These analyses will allow us to draw conclusions about the effect of fragment size and insularity on arthropod diversity in the Bauer’s Woods leaf litter community. |
| 17 – Exploring Important Concepts Using Biology Workbench, a Suite of Bioinformatics Tools Mary V. Ball (Carson-Newman College), Garry Duncan (Nebraska Wesleyan), Deanna Ranieri (University of Illinois) & Stacey Kiser (Lane Community College) |
| The field of bioinformatics has important applications in taxonomy, conservation biology, and medicine. Using the online tools at the Biology Workbench web site (http://workbench.sdsc.edu/), we will access DNA and protein sequence databases, select and align sequences, and create inferred phylogenetic trees and color-coded alignments. We will work through a sample exercise for use in a General Biology course to explore the sequence diversity across species for the four regions of the preproinsulin molecule: the signal sequence, the B chain, the C peptide sequence, and the A chain. As time allows, other sample exercises will be used to demonstrate the capabilities of Biology Workbench. |
| 18 – Eutrophication – A Project Lab for Multi-Section Lab Courses Virginia Bennett & Alison Morrison-Shetlar (Georgia Southern University) |
| This lab is designed to simulate the process of eutrophication over an 8- to 10-week period. Students use a water-soluble fertilizer (similar to Miracle Grow) to determine the effects of nutrient loads on both terrestrial and aquatic environments. By using three aquariums, Elodea, and radish plants, students can examine the ongoing process of eutrophication by taking weekly measurements of water quality and looking at plant growth. Students become “experts” on such equipment as dissolved oxygen meters, conductivity meters, pH meters, and spectrophotometers. The project culminates in a student and teacher evaluated poster session. |
| 19 – Training of Teaching Asistants: Techniques for Standardizing Grading of Papers Rudi Berkelhamer (University of California, Irvine) & Anne Cordon (University of Toronto) |
| This workshop is a continuation of an ABLE dialogue on training teaching assistants. This year, we plan to move from a general discussion of training techniques to a specific one focused on training assistants to grade consistently. We will compare several approaches including marking papers with a holistic rubric and marking papers with guidelines that break the papers down into their required components. |
| 20 – Paleoecology: Documenting Long-Term Environmental Variability Robert K. Booth, Mark E. Lyford, & Jane M. Beiswenger (University of Wyoming) |
| This lab demonstrates the utility of paleoecology in documenting long-term (centuries to millennia) environmental variability. The objectives are to familiarize students with paleoecological techniques, illustrate relationships between climate, vegetation, hydrology, and fire, and use the application of macrofossil analysis to provide insight into local vegetation dynamics. A hypothetical macrofossil record from a small wetland is compiled and interpreted by the class, with each student responsible for identifying the plant remains from a specific time interval. |
| 21 – Detection of Genetically Modified Food Diana Brandner & Teresa Werhane (Madison Area Technical College) |
| Has your food been genetically modified? Isolate genomic DNA from food products. Then test the DNA from those products with a simple, EU approved, procedure using PCR. You may be surprised. |
| 22 – A Dynamical Systems Approach to Understanding Neural Excitability Jennifer Foss (University of Chicago) |
| Excitable nerve cells are one of the most important applications of mathematical modeling in biology. Both researchers and students use computer programs to simulate neurons at varying levels of complexity and realism. These programs rely on the fact that the behavior of neurons can be accurately described by differential equations, but many people use these simulation programs without understanding the mathematics behind them. In a hands-on format, this workshop will combine simple mathematics and graphical computer techniques to gain an intuitive understanding of how certain differential equations can produce the complex excitable behavior we see in neurons. The only background knowledge expected is an intuitive understanding of the term, derivative. |
| 23 – Island Biogeography: Students Produce Colonization on Islands to Test Hypotheses James W. Haefner & Alice M. Lindahl (Utah State University) |
| This highly interactive field biology exercise requires students to colonize islands on an outdoor lawn or indoor carpet with model species, using string outlines to simulate islands and petri plates to simulate species. From their data, students estimate species immigration and extinction rates and obtain colonization curves for each island. They then develop a model for island colonization that is tested with additional data in a second lab session. When they have completed the exercise, students can solve quantitative problems in biogeography and conservation biology relating to the design of nature reserves. The goal of this exercise is to improve reasoning-level thinking and quantitative problem-solving using mathematical models closely tied to data collection. |
| 24 – A Novel Method to Archive Plant Material for DNA Analysis Kathleen Nolan (St. Francis College) & Ted Gurney (University of Utah) |
| Participants in this workshop will crush plant material (spinach leaves) onto special cards that were used originally to archive blood samples. They will punch small holes from the cards and treat the punches with reagents to isolate the spinach DNA. A gel will then be run of pre-amplified, pre-prepared samples, and DNA will be visualized. Other methods of archiving and isolating DNA from plant material will be discussed. Applications for the method will also be considered. |
Mini workshops will all take place
Friday afternoon (1:30-4:30 PM). Below are a few examples
of mini workshops that will be offered. Approximately half
of the workshops are 30 minutes long; the others are 60 minutes
long. The full list of mini workshops with descriptions and
a schedule will be available at the conference. Participants
will sign up for the mini workshops then.
- Creating Laboratory Access for Students with Disabilities
- Assume Nothing, Expect Everything
- Student-Selected Biology Lab Activities
- Reinventing General Biology: Striving Towards a More
Active Learning Environment - Making Graphs in Excel
- Student-Designed Experiments: Getting Biochemistry Students
to Think About Kinetics - Post-It-Note Science: DNA Replication, Transcription
and Translation - To What Group Do You Belong?
- Investigating Your Watershed: Using Benthic Macroinvertebrates
as a Measure of Water Quality - Minds-On Microscopy: A Forensics Approach
Special Events, Tours and Activities
Buses for conference special events, tours and activities, for which transportation is provided, will load passengers in the lot on the west side of Pierce Hall.
Welcome Reception: The Welcome Reception
will take place at Ida Noyes Hall, a gracious, Gothic-style
building with a cloister and garden. Ida Noyes Hall is on
the corner of 59th St. and Woodlawn Ave across the street
from Rockefeller Chapel and its carillon (a pleasant five
block walk south from Pierce Hall — no bus will be provided).
ABLE members will be the guests of Dr. Jose Quintans, the
Master of The Biological Sciences Collegiate Division. A light
supper will be served and late-comers will be able to register
at Ida Noyes during the reception.
Lakefront Dinner Cruise: Wednesday evening
there will be a relaxed, informal, buffet dinner cruise on
the lakefront. The enclosed decks of the boat have huge windows
for watching the Lake and Chicago skyline go by, and there
are outdoor decks for mixing and enjoying the night sky. The
boat is docked at Navy Pier, which itself offers a range of
attractions from Crystal Gardens to a 150-foot Ferris Wheel,
modeled after the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition Ferris
wheel which was on the Midway in Hyde Park. Also on Navy Pier
are several restaurants, shops, a Children’s Museum, an Imax
3D Theater, and The Chicago Shakespeare Theater. There will
be a $45 fee for the dinner cruise, which will include all
boat and bus transportation and the buffet dinner. There will
be a cash bar available. Dress as informally as you like,
but be sure to dress appropriately for the weather. It can
be dramatically cooler out on the Lake if the wind comes up.
Dinner in the city on your own: For Thursday evening,
we will provide a list of restaurants as a starting point
for your dinner plans. There are a huge number of excellent
restaurants readily accessible in Chicago with menus representing
most, if not all, cuisines of the world. The restaurants on
the list will range from nearby (easily walkable) and informal
to reachable by public transportation and more formal. After
dinner, you may want to explore clubs and bars in the Lincoln
Park, Wicker Park, River North and Old Town areas.
Conference Dinner at The Field Museum of Natural History:
Friday evening we will have the conference dinner at The
Field Museum, an international center for public learning
and scientific research, which is just south of The Loop on
the lakeshore Museum Campus. (The Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium
and Soldier Field, where the Bears play home games, are also
on the Museum Campus.) The Field Museum is home to Sue, the
world’s best, most complete and best preserved Tyrannosaurus
rex, as well as world-famous natural history and anthropological
collections and exhibits. We will have hors d’ oeuvres in
the Hall of Asian Mammals and dinner in the Rice Wildlife
Research Station exhibition hall surrounded by mammals of
the African plains. Thanks to generous sponsorship by the
Field Museum, Biological Sciences Collegiate Division and
ABLE, the fee per person for the banquet and transportation
is $40. After dinner, people who are interested in Chicago
nightlife, will be able to take off on their own to explore
clubs and bars in the Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, River North
and Old Town areas.
Pre-Conference Trips and Activities on Tuesday, June 19
ABLE pre- and post-conference field trips are meant to be
educational experiences for the adult participants. Individuals
age 17 or older who are accompanied by a conference participant
may attend field trips if space is available and they pay
the full field trip fee. Chicago offers many attractions for
families with younger children to visit on their own. A partial
list is below, and brochures and guides to other attractions
will be provided in the conference bags.
| 1 – Oak Park Frank Lloyd Wright Architectural Trip |
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2 – Brookfield
Zoo TripBrookfield Zoo is home to nearly 2,300
animals representing more than 400 species of mammals,
birds, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. The animals
inhabit 20 naturalistic exhibits within the Zoo’s 216
acres. In addition to providing enjoyment and education
for the public, the Zoo is very active in international
conservation efforts of several types; these include captive
management of endangered species, research concerning
genetics, behavior and nutrition, and support of field
conservation programs around the world. The bus transportation
to the Zoo will leave the dorm at 1:00 pm and return by
6:00 pm. While at the Zoo, you are on your own to view
the exhibits you find most interesting. The fee for this
trip is $17; this includes bus transportation and zoo
admission.Pre-Conference attractions
to see on your own, walking or by public transportationIn Hyde Park: Museum of Science and Industry:
This world-famous museum is on the lakeshore at 57th
Street, a comfortable walk (or cab ride) from the University
campus. Its collection includes over 800 interactive
exhibits with a focus on science and technology. Highlights
include the Henry Crown Space Center, an Omnimax Theater,
an underground coal mine and a submarine. Admission
is $7.00/adult with special exhibits requiring extra
fees. Hours: 9:30 am-4:00 pm weekdays; 9:30 am-5:30
pm weekends. Robie House: Frank Lloyd Wright, modest man
that he was, referred to his 1909 Robie House as “the
cornerstone of modern architecture”. This elegant and
historic Prairie style house is only a block from the
U. of C. main campus (5757 S. Woodlawn Ave.) and is
open for tours weekdays 11 am, 1 pm and 3 pm, and weekends
every 30 minutes from 11 am to 3:30 pm. Admission is
$8.00/adult. If you don’t have time for a tour, you
might enjoy seeing the exterior of the house and perhaps
visiting the gift shop, which is at the east end of
the building.
Smart Museum of Art: The Smart Museum, which
is between Pierce Hall and BSLC at 5550 S. Greenwood
Ave., houses a permanent collection of over 7000 objects
which span five centuries of both Western and Eastern
civilizations. Admission is free and sandwiches and
beverages are available at a small cafe. Hours: 10 am-4
pm on Tues. thru Fri.; noon-6 pm Sat. and Sun.
57th Street Beach: Just east of the Museum
of Science and Industry where 57th Street ends on Lakeshore
Drive is a bathing beach with restrooms, a concession
booth, and life guard station. The beach and Promontory
Point to its north are favorite destinations for Hyde
Park families and students. There is an overpass over
Lakeshore Drive to the Beach and there is an underpass
to The Point. Admission is free.
Pre-Conference attractions
to see on your own, walking or by public transportationIn the Loop or on the Museum Campus south of
the Loop:Directions: Take the Metra train from
the 55-56-57th St. station (appropriate Metra stops
are indicated for each attraction below) or take the
Jeffrey (#6) express bus (ask driver to stop at the
Museum Campus or Loop location as appropriate).The Field Museum of Natural History: The Field
Museum, an international center for public learning
and scientific research is just South of The Loop on
the lakeshore Museum Campus. If you take the Metra train,
get off at the Roosevelt Road stop and head east following
signs for the Field Museum. The Field Museum is home
to Sue, the world’s best, most complete and best preserved
Tyrannosaurus rex, as well as world famous natural
history and anthropological collections and exhibits.
The Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium and Soldier Field,
where the Bears play home games, are also on the Museum
Campus and worth a look if you have time Tuesday afternoon
(or you could make a return trip to the Museum Campus
on Saturday). Admission is $8.00 /adult. Hours: 9 am-5
pm.
Shedd Aquarium: The Shedd exhibits more than
6,000 aquatic and marine animals in an elegant Beaux-Arts
building on the lakeshore Museum Campus. A highlight
is the coral reef exhibit, a recently rebuilt 90,000-gallon
tank swarming with barracudas, stingrays, moray eels,
and other marine life native to the Caribbean. A new
addition is an elaborate walk-through exhibit of life
along the banks of the Amazon River, which includes
birds, monkeys, a marmoset, a sloth and a 30-foot anaconda.
If you take the Metra train, get off at the Roosevelt
Road stop and head east following signs for the Museum
Campus and then Shedd Aquarium. The Aquarium is due
east on the lakeshore. Admission is $13/adult for the
Aquarium plus Oceanarium. Hours: 9 am-6 pm daily.
Art Institute of Chicago: The Art Institute
is in the Loop and houses more than 300,000 works of
art, including the largest collection of Impressionist
paintings outside the Louvre in Paris. The museum is
also famed for its collections of photography, prints,
drawings, textiles, suits of armor, and other fine and
decorative arts. Art from North America, Europe, Africa,
Asia and Latin America is on permanent display, and
the Art Institute also plays host to very impressive
traveling exhibits. Lunch in their outdoor Garden Restaurant
features trees, sculpture and a fountain as well as
good and interesting food. If you take the Metra train,
get off at the Van Buren-Jackson stop and head north
on Michigan Avenue to Adams Street. Enter the Art Institute
at the Michigan Avenue entrance guarded by their famous
lions. (Suggested donation for admission is $8.00/adult.)
Hours: 10:30 am-4:30 pm on Mon., Wed., Thurs., and Fri.;
10:30 am-8 pm on Tues.; 10 am-5pm on Sat.; noon-5 pm
on Sun.
Post-Conference Trips on Saturday, June 23
ABLE conference field trips are meant to be educational
experiences for the adult attendees. Individuals age
17 or older who are accompanied by a conference participant
may attend field trips if space is available and they
pay the full field trip fee. The Chicago area offers
many attractions for families with younger children
to visit on their own. In addition to those listed above,
the Indiana Dunes State Park and parts of the National
Lakeshore are accessible on your own by train. Talk
with Roz Potter if you would like information about
going to the dunes by train.
3 – Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
| Located approximately 50 miles from Chicago in northwest Indiana, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore comprises miles of beach, sand dunes, bogs, wetlands, and woodland forests, which cover a total area of 15,000 acres (including Indiana Dunes State Park). The Lakeshore is ranked 7th among national parks in plant diversity with 1,418 vascular plant species recorded within the park boundaries; 90 of these plants are on the state of Indiana’s threatened or endangered list. The all-day trip to Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore will include stops and hikes in different units of the lakeshore including Cowles Bog, named after University of Chicago professor, Henry Chandler Cowles, who conducted landmark ecological studies in the area in the 1890s. Snacks and a box lunch will be provided. Bring sunscreen and insect repellent and dress for poison ivy if you are sensitive to it. There is a fee for this trip of $38; this includes bus transportation, lunch, snacks and tour leader |
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4 – Goose Lake Prairie
and Starved Rock State Park
The largest prairie remnant in Illinois
is in Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area, approximately
50 miles southwest of Chicago; this area was grazed
but not plowed. The Natural Area includes tall grass
prairie, ponds and wetlands; the latter were created
when Goose Lake was drained in an unsuccessful attempt
to create farmland back in the 1890s. There are many
native prairie grasses and forbs, including grasses
that grow 8-12 feet tall by summer’s end. The Prairie
is also home to many species of mammals, birds, reptiles,
amphibians and insects. After an interpreter’s program
which will include hiking a prairie trail, we will
drive on to Starved Rock State Park and have lunch
(individually purchased — modest prices) at the historic
park lodge, which was built by the CCC in the 1930s.
After lunch, hike on your own in Starved Rock State
Park, which includes rock formations, stream-fed canyons,
miles of forest trails, and dramatic overlooks over
the Illinois River. There is an optional pontoon/paddlewheel
boat trip up the Illinois River with commentary on
the human and natural history of the area. The ride
lasts 1 hour and 10 minutes and costs $8. Bring sunscreen
and insect repellent and dress for poison ivy if you
are sensitive to it. The fee for this trip is $28;
this includes bus transportation, and a morning snack.
Lunch is on your own at the Starved Rock Lodge.
5 – Chicago Architecture
by Kayak
| This trip involves paddling kayaks down the Chicago River from a northside boatyard to the Loop, where a knowledgeable guide will provide interesting commentary on many of Chicago’s most notable twentieth century buildings. This tour has been called a “duck’s eye view of the Windy City” and does not require any prior experience with kayaks. The kayaks used are broad and relatively stable, and because they are not used with spray skirts, they are open boats, similar to canoes. The tour will be in the morning and will involve three hours in the kayaks (not all paddling time — a fair amount of the time will be spent bobbing and listening to the guide). After the tour there will be transportation back to campus, or you can spend the afternoon having lunch and exploring Chicago’s northside and Loop on your own. Because of the nature of this activity, participants will need to sign two waivers of liability (one for the WaterRiders and one for the U. of C.). The fee for this activity is $55; this includes bus transportation, the kayak tour and a snack. |
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The following organizations have generously
contributed funds and valuable resources to the ABLE 2001
conference:
- Association for Biology Laboratory Education
- Biological Sciences Collegiate Division, University of Chicago
- The Field Museum of Natural History
- McGraw-Hill Higher Education Group
- Hayden-McNeil Specialty Products, LLC
