return to home page Digital Cameras in Education eBooks in Education Technology Enhanced Literature Circles Effective Distance Education Assistive Technology in Education Teaching Science with Dinosaur Footprints Science Education Resources Other Technology Applications and Fun Stuff
Quick menu - click on the above images

  return to homepage
more about us
courses we teach
educational resources
some of our books and other publications
workshops that we will present
some of our recent presentations
search the DrsCavanaugh site
contact us by email

Bioluminescence

Materials: Cypridina (a tiny sea crustacean), black film canisters, water

Crush or crumble the Cypridina. In a darkened room, take a pinch of the Cypridina and place into a film canister. Next add about a teaspoon of water to the canister. Gently swirl the mixture and observe. You could also try this experiment with water at different temperatures and observe the effect of temperature.

The bioluminescent reaction involves the oxidative decarboxylation of luciferin. Cypridina produces enough light that during World War II the Japanese used it to read maps.

Unfortunately you usually cannot purchase Cypridina locally, but must order it.
Any number of biological companies such as Modern Biology (1-800-733-6544) or Carolina Biological Supply (1-800-334-5551) should carry Cypridina.

Tree Slice Observation

Obtain an actual slice of a tree trunk (firewood makes a good source) and make a diagram of the tree rings. Using the tree trunk slice measure the thickness of each growth ring. Once you have measured the thickness of each ring, make a graph of the growth of the tree on a yearly basis. Measure the average radius thickness of the tree slice and using the number of rings, calculate the average growth rate of the tree.

You could also do the same experiment using a tree borer. Care needs to be taken while using the borer. You could contact your local forestry service for more information on use, safety, and possibly borrowing tree borers.

Return to the Learning Science With Science Fiction Main Page
Site Search

Drs.Cavanaugh

 

Send mail to cavanaugh@drscavanaugh.org with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2006 Drs.Cavanaugh  Last modified: March 06, 2008