TEACHING ALL VOLUMES SUBMIT WORK SEARCH

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SYNOPSIS DESCRIPTION NOTES TO FACULTY STUDENT DATA DOWNLOADS

Guidelines for Stomata Research Proposal:

      At the end of class after the first lab period, you and your partner should submit your research proposal. This document should fit on one page and should contain three sections:

      Introduction: two sentences in length and beginning with "We propose to investigate the effects of ....[describe the environmental difference] ... on leaf stomata density in ... [plant names etc.]. The second sentence should begin with "We hypothesize that stomata density in the.... should be greater because in this environment .....

      Methods: one brief paragraph describing EXACTLY where you will go to locate plant individuals to sample (draw a little map), and EXACTLY from where on each individual plant the leaf samples will be collected. For this lab, we will require that you collect at least 12 different leaves (we will call these replicates) from each environmental type to calculate test statistics such as "average stomata density" in each of the environmental types of interest.

      Possible Results: one brief paragraph and one clearly labeled figure of hypothetical data that would visually provide an answer to your hypothesis (i.e. what would a graph look like if your hypothesis were true or were false?). Your paragraph should begin with something like "If our hypothesis were correct..." or "If it is the case that that under such and such [fill in your choice] .... environmental conditions, then leaves with higher stomata density should be favored because [then, explain WHY...]... " Following this, state something like... "therefore we would expect our data to reveal a pattern such as in Figure 1: Hypothetical Data...." The next sentence should say, "However, if our hypothesis were not correct... if other factors that we don't understand were strongly affecting stomata density... [etc.], then we would expect our data to show ..... see Figure 1..." Obviously, make sure that one can tell which pattern is which in your figure.

      There are lots of ways of crafting the prose in this section. The point is for you to offer a clear proposal of what your results should look like if the environmental difference of interest were to affect stomatal variation in the manner you hypothesize.

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Guidelines for Data Analysis:

      After you have collected your stomata data you are ready to test your hypothesis. Enter your data in a spreadsheet available in lab (such as Microsoft’s Excel). Find the averages, standard deviations for your data groups. Also, construct a graph summarizing your stomata results.

      Consult with your instructor if you have questions about graphics generation using available software and about exactly what statistical test is best for your data; however, in our experience, data from the vast majority of projects may be analyzed using a t-test.

      We have created a detailed PDF of “Appendix 1: Guidelines for Statistical Analysis" of your stomata data that includes information on basic descriptive statistics and the t-test. Please read these pages carefully and consult with your instructor if things are still unclear.

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Guidelines for Oral Presentations:

1. You should always compose the written report first, and then distill salient features for your 12 minute oral presentation (with a 3 minute Q/A session).


2. Oral reports should contain 4 sections each of which serves a specific function:
   • Introduction (3 mins), (Note: CLEARLY STATE YOUR HYPOTHESIS)
   • Materials and Methods (3 mins),
   • Results and Specific Discussion of Them (3 mins), and
   • General Discussion of Results and Future Research Directions (3 mins).
   
   
3. The principal differences between oral reports and written reports are that:
   • oral reports do NOT start with the Abstract, they start with the Introduction,
   • oral reports do NOT detail the methods as extensively,
   • oral reports present the results and offer brief discussions interpreting the results as they are presented, whereas written reports only discuss results in the Discussion section.
   
   
4. You should think very carefully about how to use visuals (overheads, computer projectors, etc.) to convey your findings, and you are encouraged to use presentation development software (such as Microsoft’s PowerPoint [however, select colors that work well together with NO animations or sound effects]).


5. NEVER read your talk, however, neither should you ad lib. Use a normal speaking voice, address your audience (NOT to the blackboard or projector image), and explain what you asked, what you did, what you found, what it means, and what you would do next to follow up. Rehearse your talks at least three times!


6. Lastly, you will lead the 3 minute Q/A session after your talk, during which your peers will be asking you questions. Since good questions and their answers are rewarded, your task is to move things along and answer clearly and succinctly. Encourage the more silent students in the class to engage in the discussion.

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Guidelines for Written Reports:

      You have not done science until you have presented your data and interpretations in a way that is usable by your colleagues. Dozens of books have been written on how to write a research paper, how to write a thesis, etc. Although it is true that the style and content of most scientific papers are fairly consistent, it is not true that good scientific writing is dry and dull. Good writing is catalytic to learning and understanding, and your development as scientists (whether or not you choose a career in science) requires proficiency in oral and written communication.

      At the beginning of Week 3 you and your research partner will submit your written report and you will present your research results to your peers in an in-class symposium. Your written report should conform to a standard format for scientific papers that contains the following sections: Abstract, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Literature Cited (if any), and an Appendix containing the original data. Each section serves a specific and unique function, the details of which are given in the PDF "Appendix 2: Detailed Guidelines for Stomata Lab Written Reports"

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Guidelines for Data Management:

      Your research team will be given a data disk on which you will keep all of your data, analyses, Tables and Figures, and the current version of your manuscript (you must provide a backup disk). *** WARNING *** beware of swapping disks while running MS-Word or Excel - you might get a lockup and lose all unsaved information. We suggest saving all work on the hard disk (or ram disk) of whatever computer you are using (such as in the “My Documents” folder), and then every 10 minutes while working and when done, use MS Windows Explorer to copy your work to your principal and backup disks on the A: drive. Ask if you are unsure about how to do this. You will turn in your data disks to your instructor when you turn in your report. There should be 3 files on your disk (1) your manuscript in MS-Word, (2) your Tables and Figures in MS-PowerPoint, a nd (3) your data in MS-Excel. Details follow:

     (1) MS-Word manuscript file (*.doc extension):

• choose a file name prefix that consists of some abbreviation of your last names as one word of at least 8 characters in length,
• put your Abstract on the very first page using 12 point, single spaced text, and with your names and the title of your project at the top left of this page,
• begin each major section with a new page,
• remove all Tables and Figures from your Word file, however,
• list all of the Table and Figure legends in 1-2 pages after your Literature Cited section,
• your Appendix goes last,

     (2) MS-PowerPoint presentation file (*.ppt extension):

• use the same prefix for your PowerPoint file name as for your manuscript,
• if you used PowerPoint for your Oral Presentation, then simply use your talk for this part of the assignment,
• if you did not use PowerPoint for your Oral Presentation, then this file should contain clean full page versions of each of the Tables and Figures you used in your manuscript - one per PowerPoint “slide” and in their numerical order as they appear in your manuscript.

     (3) MS-Excel date file (*.xls extension):

• use the same prefix for your data file name as for your manuscript,
• clearly label each EXCEL worksheet with a useful name (e.g. “original data”),
• do not combine totally different data and analyses on the same worksheet,
• at the top of each worksheet type into a little text box a written explanation of what is contained in that worksheet, and, most importantly, the date of last update,
• imbed each Table or Figure in the worksheet next to the data it depicts,
• insert a text box containing the “Legend” from the manuscript for every Table, Figure, or statistical analysis you use in the manuscript,
• delete all outdated or inaccurate worksheets, analyses, Tables, and Figures; however, you are welcome to retain versions of figures that you did not use in the manuscript (provided that they are well documented, too)
• beware of making duplicates of data and then forgetting which version is the most current.

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Guidelines for Reflective Reviews of Lab Activities:

       No lab activity is perfect and its participants, YOU, are the best judges of what changes need to be made to make things run more smoothly so that you can get the most out of it. In addition, numerous studies have shown that students learn more if they are involved in the teaching process. This activity is specifically designed to meet both objectives: improve the labs and help you get more out of your time and effort here.

       After the completion of this lab activity, we want you to write a brief reflective review. The text should be formatted double spaced, 12 point, 1" margins, and minimum 300 words in length. Your charge is to convey your most pressing concerns regarding the strengths AND weaknesses of the lab activity. In addition, explain exactly how the lab activity should be modified to improve it. Be constructive. For example, if the lab was in your opinion "too long" which particular activities would you omit and why? If an activity in a lab was "a waste of time," why was it so? Re-examine the objectives of the lab on the first page of the lab write-up. What specific lab objective(s) were or were not met, and what specific activity should be used instead that would accomplish these lab objective(s) that were not met? To repeat, your comments must be constructive to be given credit.

      Your critical/constructive review of the lab activity is due at the beginning of the following Wednesday noon hour meeting. Clear, concise, and insightful reviews that demonstrate your reflection and constructive criticism of a lab activity will earn +20 points.