Wil Franklin's blog

I've been thinking about a lab activity on catalase enzyme and struggling to find an interesting and compelling reason why students need to know about the idea of enzymes and the subtler points about enzyme kinetics.  To put a fine point on it, I want a very particular problem or question that cannot be answered fully without the understanding of enzymes.  What follows in my latest train of thought.

Wil Franklin playing around on his blog

I've been teaching for 9 yrs, at Bryn Mawr for 7 yrs and coordinating the Summer Institute for 5 yrs.

I come from a family of educators, mom, dad, brother, sister, wife.

Students and summer institute participants have been the greatest shapers of my teaching appoarch.

I teach less for what I have to say and more for what I can learn about teaching and learning.  The institute and my classroom are my research, my labortory and field site.

My favorit metaphor for a classroom is that of  an "Improvisational Dance" -  both between students and students and teacher.

Using Our Website

for the Science as Interactive, Interdisciplinary Inquiry

National Geographic - The Greatest Journey

Y-Haplogroup World Map

Definitions of Haplogroups/types

Slide show of Human Migration

Digital Photos of Macroinvertebrates sampled by Delaware Valley Friends School seventh grade science class on September 28, 2008 from Rhoads Pond and Mill Creek, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

Ongoing Research:

Students should research one organism below (it may or may not be the one you photographed yourself).  In the blog section below, post information on the life cycle of your organism and identify with the name given next to the photograph.  In addition to life cycle facts, you may report on eating habits, prefered habitat, and unique or interesting behaviors.

FungiPhoto.com - by Taylor Lockwood

University of Wisconsin Botany - Fungal Image Archive

University of California, Berkeley: CalPhotos - Fungal Image Database

LichenLand

Mary Ellen - ...an atmosphere in which we could use our own background knowledge base, bounce ideas off each other, and have the time to process what we were experiencing through trial and error.

Anne - ...don't miss all the great images of us looking for homologies

Diane - I think I would introduce one tree at a time and discussed why the right answer made more sense than the other 2 choices.

Photos of Us Searching for Homologies of Ourselves

What do you see?

Organism Puzzle

Understanding Ecosystems: Structure and Function

Make a Legend for this Map.
(one possible legend)
(another possibility)