Presenting Practical Botany to Engage Students

 

Karen A. McMahon

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2015, Volume 36

Poster file:

Abstract

The following are examples of the lab exercises that highlight economically useful plants and botanical products to engage non-majors in the Plants and Society Laboratory, a course in the general curriculum for the science requirement. Exercises include: viewing free-hand sections of parsnips with differential staining to understand the functional organization of roots; demonstrating a drying test for plant oils to understand the importance of unsaturated fatty acids; examining fibers from plant-derived fabrics to illustrate the differences between primary cell walls and secondary cell walls; making soap from plant oils; and making paper from plant fibers. Students readily embraced these laboratory activities and came to recognize the importance and value of plants to society.

Keywords:  economic botany

University of Oregon (2014)