Discover Biology 4E Laboratory Manual

Discovering Biology in the Lab cultivates the critical thinking skills of non-science majors by constantly asking them to consider:

* Why are you doing what you're doing? * How do your observations and results connect to the overall objectives of the lab activities and more...
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Discovering Biology in the Lab cultivates the critical thinking skills of non-science majors by constantly asking them to consider:

* Why are you doing what you're doing?
* How do your observations and results connect to the overall objectives of the lab activities and more broadly, the biological concepts you're learning about in lecture and in your textbook?
* How does what you're learning apply to the real world?

Teaches students to think critically about what they're doing in the lab and why

Most lab manuals command students to do this, observe that, write some notes, and move on to the next command. Discovering Biology in the Lab, by contrast, constantly asks students to consider why they're doing what they're doing. The result is a lab experience that keeps students engaged, develops critical thinking, and immediately demonstrates how working in the lab enriches and deepens their understanding of biology.

Concept Checks after each activity teach students to connect what they're doing in the lab to key biological concepts

Like the Concept Checks in Discover Biology, this feature teaches students to step back from the details and consider the big picture. In doing so, students recognize that the key biological concepts emphasized in the lab connect to the key concepts they're learning about in lecture and in their textbook.

Lab activities demonstrate how biological concepts apply to the real world

Applications include antibiotic resistance (Lab 13: "Evolution of Resistance"), birth control (Lab 18: "Mammalian Reproduction"), nutrition (Lab 5: "Chemical Building Blocks and Nutrition"), and global change (Lab 22: "The Impacts of Global Change on Ecosystems"). By making connections between the labs and the real world, students are able to understand the ramifications of scientific inquiry and enhance their scientific literacy. As a result, students will gain a greater appreciation for how science directly affects their everyday lives.

Evolutionary thinking is introduced early and incorporated throughout the manual

Students are taught principles and mechanisms of evolution and shown concrete connections between this fundamental biological concept and their surrounding environment. For example, evolution is used to explain the development of biological diversity, the structure of eukaryotic cells, antibiotic resistance, and other phenomena.

Great artwork and figures, presented at the right level of detail for non-majors

Discovering Biology in the Lab features many of the clear and direct figures found in Discover Biology. Particular attention has been paid to focusing on key concepts and avoiding overly complex figures and captions.

The most flexible and affordable lab manual

The following features of Discovering Biology in the Lab are designed to make it easy to tailor the lab activities to your course:

Self-contained Content

In its introduction and activities, each lab contains all the information necessary for students to learn and complete the lab without referring to additional labs or references. The stand-alone nature of each lab allows instructors to coordinate the labs with the order of topics taught in their course.

Activities that fit your schedule

Discovering Biology in the Lab is designed for use in lab sessions of varying length. Each lab consists of a series of discrete activities that can be mixed and matched so that instructors can run labs that fit in their lab sessions without sacrificing educational objectives and quality.