w
– –
diversity
ofMatter
life Materials
Measuring
Materials
Contents
Kit Inventory List................... 40
Materials Supplied by the
Teacher.................................. 43
Preparing the Kit for Your
Classroom.............................. 45
Planning for Live
Organisms.............................. 49
© Copyright The Regents of the University of California
Not for resale, redistribution, or use other than classroom use without further permission. www.fossweb.com
Care, Reuse, and Recycling..... 52
The Diversity of Life kit contains
• Teacher Toolkit: Diversity of Life
1 Investigations Guide: Diversity of Life
1 Teacher Resources: Diversity of Life
1 FOSS Science Resources: Diversity of Life
• FOSS Science Resources: Diversity of Life
(class set of student books)
• Equipment for five classes of 32 students
Each investigation in this course is divided into two to four parts.
Each part has a Materials section that details the materials in the
kit and the materials supplied by the teacher that will be used by
each group of students and the class. The kit includes most of
the learning equipment needed by students. There are enough
consumable materials in the kit for five classes of 32 students each.
Some of the teacher-supplied items can also be ordered through
Delta Education.
For each investigation, you will need one computer with Internet
access that can be displayed to the class, either by an LCD projector,
interactive whiteboard, or large screen.
For updates to information on materials used in this course and
access to the Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), go to
www.FOSSweb.com. Links to replacement-part lists and customer
service are also available on FOSSweb.
Full Option Science System
NOTE
Delta Education Customer
Service can be reached at
1-800-258-1302.
39
– Materials
diversity of life Kit inventory List
Drawer 1—permanent equipment
Equipment
condition
1 Teacher Toolkit: Diversity of Life (1 Investigations Guide,
1 Teacher Resources, and 1 FOSS Science Resources: Diversity of Life)
32 FOSS Science Resources: Diversity of Life, student books *
1 Brine shrimp eggs, vial ✪
1 Camphor crystal block, in plastic jar
1 Card set, Living/Nonliving, 32 large cards/set
16 Card sets, Living/Nonliving, 31 cards/set
16 Card sets, Levels of Complexity, 21 cards/set
1 Congo red stain, bottle, 10 g/bottle ✪
4 Containers, 1 L
32 Cup lids, plastic, 250 mL
50 Cups, plastic, 250 mL
1 Food coloring, bottle, red, 30 mL (1 oz.) ✪
840 Labels, removable, 1 × 4.5 cm
9 Marking pens, permanent
24Minispoons
1 Polyacrylate crystals, package, 58 g/pkg ✪
1Poster, Outdoor Safety
1Poster, Science Safety
1 Salt, kosher crystals, container, 310 g/container ✪
1 Sand, red, bag ✪
1 String, 30 m/ball ✪
2 Transparency sheets, millimeter rulers, 18/sheet
1Video, The Secret Garden
48 Zip bags, small, 7 × 12 cm
* The student
books are shipped
separately in
two boxes of
16 hardbound
books each.
Drawer 1—consumable equipment
Paper
200
✪ These items might occasionally need replacement.
40
1
1
1
4
1
clips, jumbo
Tape, transparent packing, 5 cm wide, roll
Index cards, unlined, 12.7 × 20.3 cm (5" × 8") package, 100/package
Seeds, barley, package, 28.3 g (1 oz.)/package
Seeds, corn, package, 31.9 g (1 1/8 oz.)/package
Seeds, oats, package, 56.7 g (2 oz.)/package
Full Option Science System
Equipment
condition
3 Seeds, radish, package, 15 g (1/2 oz.)/package
1 Seeds, wheat, package, 1/8 c./package
6 Yeast, package, 7 g (1/4 oz.)/package
Drawer 2—permanent equipment
8
1
1
24
32
16
8
32
1
1
1
100
72
100
8
24
1
12
1
32
Basins, clear, plastic, with lids, 6 L
Bottle brush
Cotton balls, bag, 100/bag ✪
Droppers, plastic
Dropper bottles, plastic, 15 mL
Forceps, plastic
Graduated cylinders, plastic, 50 mL
Hand lenses
Lens paper, 7.5 × 10 cm, package, 50 sheets/package ✪
Methyl cellulose, 1.5%, bottle, 100 mL/bottle ✪
Methylene blue stain, 0.1%, bottle, 250 mL/bottle ✪
Microscope slide coverslips, plastic, box ✪
Microscope slides, glass
Microscope slide coverslips, plastic, box ✪
Microscope tool kit trays
Spoons, plastic
Spoon set, metric
Syringes, 35 mL
Toothpicks, flat, box, 750/box ✪
Zip bags, 4 L
✪ These items might
occasionally need
replacement.
Diversity of Life Course, Second Edition
41
– Materials
diversity of life Drawer 3—permanent equipment
Equipment
Condition
41 Vial holders, plastic, blue
300 Vials, with caps, 12 dram
Drawer 4—permanent equipment
40 Bags, plastic, 36 × 51 cm (14" × 20")
160 Petri dishes, 100 × 15 mm
Drawer 4—consumable equipment
50 Petri dishes, 100 × 15 mm
Drawer 5—permanent equipment
48 Containers, plastic, with lids 1/2 L
Drawer 5—consumable equipment
160
500
600
10
500
5
50
Construction paper sheets, dark
Cotton swabs
Index cards, 7 × 12.5 cm (3" × 5")
Nutrient agar, bottle, 125 mL/bottle
Self-stick notes, 7.5 × 7.5 cm (3" × 3")
Self-stick notes, small
Zip bags, 1 L
NOTE: These quantities and drawer configurations
are for the 5-class kit. If you purchased a 1-class kit,
the materials shown here in Drawers 3-5 are in your
Drawer 3, at reduced quantities.
✪ These items might
occasionally need
replacement.
42
Full Option Science System
Materials Supplied by the Teacher
Each part of each investigation has a Materials section that describes
the materials required for that part. It lists materials needed for each
student or group of students and for the class.
Be aware that you must supply some items. These are indicated in the
materials list for each part of the investigation with an asterisk (*). Here
is a summary list of those items. Some of the supplies and tools are
available from Delta Education. Check the replacement-part list for the
course on FOSSweb.
Technology equipment
• Computers with Internet access
1 Document camera or overhead projector
1 Projection system
• Extension cords with multiple outlets (optional)
Measuring tools
1–2
Balances, electronic, accurate to 0.1 g
1 Beaker, 1 L
3 Beakers, 500 mL (optional)
1 Graduated cylinder, 50 mL
8 Rulers
1 Thermometer, Celsius
Paper
•Cardboard
• Chart paper
• Index cards, (optional)
• Magazine photographs, colored
•Newspaper
• Notebook paper
• Paper towels
• Paper towels, extra absorbent
• Science notebooks (composition books)
• Scratch paper
• White paper, 22 ✕ 56 cm (8.5" ✕ 11")
Resources
• Field guides, insects
• Field guides, plants
Diversity of Life Course, Second Edition
43
– Materials
diversity of life Supplies
Safety NOTE
This course uses seeds and
foods. Be sure to check for
student allergies to these
items.
44
•Bleach
• Bread slices with no preservatives•
• Bucket (optional)
• Celery stalks with leaves
• Dry leaves, grass, soil
•Flowers
• Alstroemeria and/or gladiolus
• Mixed bouquet
• Food for cockroaches (apple, banana, bread, potato chip, etc.)
• Food samples
• Blue cheese or other “mold” cheese
•Bread
• Grain-based foods (optional)
•Mushrooms
• Swiss cheese
• Sauerkraut or kimchi
• Yogurt, plain
• Gloves, rubber (optional)
• Glue sticks (optional)
• Honey or syrup
• Lima beans, bag
• Masking tape
• Mushrooms, button
• Painter’s tape (optional)
• Paper plates, muffin cups, or waxed paper
• Pet food, dry
1 Petroleum jelly, jar
• Plastic spoons, small
• Potting soil, 1 L (optional)
• Rubbing alcohol
• Sheet protectors, clear-plastic
8Straws
•Sugar
• Transparent tape
• Water, bottled spring or drinking
Full Option Science System
Other tools
• Bottle, plastic, 1.5 L
16Calculators
8 Cameras (optional)
8 Clipboards (optional)
• Colored pencils, marking pens, and highlighters
8 Containers, empty, yogurt
1 Flashlight, large
1 Flowerpot, planter, or cup with hole (optional)
1 Heat source, such as a hot plate
1 Hobby knife
1 Knife, sharp, or single-edged razor blade
8Mini-whiteboards
8 Marking pens, whiteboard (optional)
16 Microscopes, 40X–400X
2 Microscopes, dissecting, 10X–30X (optional)
1 Net, sweep (optional)
1 Pan, small
1 Oven mitt
1Pitcher
32 Safety goggles
32Scissors
16 Slides, prepared, human-cheek tissue (optional)
1 Spray mister
2Trays
1Tub
1 Whistle (optional)
TEACHING NOTE
In Investigation 3, Part 4, students
will observe their own cheek cells.
If your district restricts examination
of human tissue, acquire prepared
slides from a commercial supply
house.
Live organisms
8
16
•
•
•
1
Elodea sprigs
Madagascar hissing cockroaches
Paramecium caudatum culture
Plant cuttings
Protist cultures (optional)
Tradescantia zebrina (spiderwort) plant
Diversity of Life Course, Second Edition
45
– Materials
diversity of life Preparing the Kit for
Your Classroom
Some preparation is required each time you use the kit. Doing things
before beginning the course will make daily setup quicker and easier.
Each part of each investigation includes a section called Getting Ready,
which describes what you need to do or consider to be prepared to
conduct the part.
Note that a few items are consumable, but there should be enough in
the kit for at least five classes before you need to restock.
Science Notebooks
You will need to make copies of science notebook sheets before each
investigation. See Getting Ready for Investigation 1, Part 1, for ways
to organize the science notebook sheets for this course. If you use a
projection system, you can download electronic copies of the sheets
from FOSSweb.
One-Time Preparation
Some of the preparation will need to be done only once. Here are
things that require one-time preparation.
Investigation 1, Part 1
Prepare Living/Nonliving card sets. Prepare the set of Living/
Nonliving large cards.
Investigation 1, Part 2
Prepare unknown materials in zip bags.
Investigation 2, Part 1
Prepare microscope kits. Cut out millimeter rulers from
transparencies. Fill 16 dropper bottles with water.
Investigation 3, Part 2
Prepare methyl cellulose slowing medium and put into eight
dropper bottles.
Investigation 3, Part 4
Prepare eight dropper bottles of methylene blue stain.
Investigation 4, Part 1
Prepare Levels of Complexity card sets.
46
Full Option Science System
Investigation 4, Part 2
Make a one-million-dots poster.
Investigation 5, Part 2
Purchase a Tradescantia zebrina plant for stomata research.
Investigation 7, Part 1
Purchase Madagascar hissing cockroaches. Obtain a large
glass aquarium and prepare to maintain a colony as directed in
Investigation 7 or in this chapter.
Investigation 8, Part 1
Prepare a plant-collection grid.
Review Safety Guidelines
There are safety posters in the kit. Consider how to introduce the class
rules so that everyone has a safe science experience. Provide safety
goggles for activities where students are using camphor, congo red stain,
polyacrylate crystals, kosher salt, and methylene blue stain.
You will see a warning label on several student notebook sheets. The
label is required by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission
(CPSC) whenever students work with chemicals. The label should act
as a reminder to you and students to exercise safety precautions when
working with materials in the investigation where the sheet is used. In
these investigations, salt requires this safety labeling.
Reserve Computer Lab
In Investigation 7, students should have access to computers in pairs or
individually. In Investigations 4 and 6, student access is optional. Plan
ahead to use multiple computers at this time.
Consider Outdoor Observations
Students go outdoors in Investigation 1 to collect materials for a
minihabitat. Plan how you will organize students to go outdoors,
where they will go, and the guidelines for behavior while outdoors.
Students go outdoors in Investigation 5 to place plastic bags on
branches or plants to observe the results of transpiration.
In Investigation 8, students go outdoors twice to perform a bioblitz.
Diversity of Life Course, Second Edition
47
– Materials
diversity of life Sequential Classes
The materials are designed to be used with sequential classes. Organize
a materials station in a central location in the classroom. Organize
the materials at the station before first period. Each period, the
appropriate materials are picked up for each group by a Getter, used for
the investigation, inventoried by students at the end of the period, and
returned to the materials station by a Getter. You can quickly review
the materials station to ensure that all the materials came back (and take
appropriate action if they didn’t) and that the materials are ready for the
next class.
48
Full Option Science System
planning for Live Organisms
Some organisms come in the kit (seeds of barley, corn, oats, and wheat).
Other organisms you will need to provide. Plan ahead so that you have
healthy viable organisms in your classroom when students are ready to
start the investigations.
1. Acquire elodea (Investigation 3)
Obtain 6–12 sprigs of elodea, also known as Anacharis. (It looks
like a little green feather boa.) You can order it from Delta
Education when you order your Madagascar hissing cockroaches
and paramecia, or you can pick it up locally at a pet store that deals
with fish.
There are several different species of elodea, and some of them are
restricted in some states. Ask your supplier for the species that can
safely be distributed in your state. Do not place unused elodea in
any local freshwater source.
2. Plan for paramecia (Investigation 3)
You will need a culture of paramecia as examples of single-celled
organisms. Purchase Paramecium caudatum, as these organisms are
hardy and large enough for students to carefully observe.
3. Plan for seeds (Investigation 6)
A new kit has more than enough seeds for five classes of
32 students to conduct the investigation.
Check the package date on the seeds; if they are more than
2 years old, consider ordering new ones. Fresh seeds will increase
the chances of successful seed germination.
We recommend that you order most seeds from Delta Education
to make sure that you have the best variety for classroom use. If
you need the seeds immediately and want to buy them at a local
store, be sure to get untreated seeds. Seeds, particularly corn, are
sometimes powdered with fungicide (you can tell because they
will be pink instead of yellow). Provide only untreated seeds for
classroom use.
Safety NOTE
This course uses seeds and
foods. Be sure to check for
student allergies to these
items.
Grocery stores sell the large lima bean seeds used in
Investigation 6.
4. Plan for Tradescantia zebrina (Investigation 6)
Purchase one Tradescantia zebrina plant to use for students to
investigate stomata. You should be able to find the plant at a local
nursery, as it is a fairly common houseplant and does well outdoors
in warmer parts of the country.
Diversity of Life Course, Second Edition
49
– Materials
diversity of life The leaves of this plant, most notably the purple variety, are
stunningly easy to use. Students simply cannot miss the guard
cells and stomata. Each microscope team needs only a small part
of a leaf, so you should not use the entire plant in a year. After,
Investigation 6, you can make cuttings, which will root in water.
Continue to water and care for the plant, and it will remain a
source of leaves for years to come.
5. Plan for Madagascar hissing cockroaches
(Investigation 7)
You will need a pair of male and female hissing cockroaches for
each group of students (16 total). These oversized cockroaches
have become surprisingly popular as pets and can often be found
for sale at pet stores. You might also check local resources, such
as local schools, colleges, zoos, or natural history museums. It
may be possible to borrow enough cockroaches to conduct the
investigation.
6. Prepare for the cockroaches’ arrival
As soon as your hissing cockroaches arrive, transfer them to a
6 L container or a glass terrarium. Furnish the container with
paper towels on the bottom and quite a bit of structure for the
cockroaches to climb on and under, such as paper-towel tubes,
rumpled cardboard, and sticks. Include a few lumps of dry pet food
and some fresh fruit for food and moisture. You might want to run
a line of petroleum jelly around the inside top of the container and
cover it securely (these cockroaches climb smooth surfaces!). If you
are using a terrarium, prepare a screen cover that fits snugly on top.
Place the container in a cool, dimly lit location and refresh the food
as needed until a couple of days before the investigation.
Check to make sure that you have a male and female for each
group (eight pairs).
7. Care for cockroaches at the end of the course
There are a number of options for dealing with the Madagascar
hissing cockroaches at the end of the course. They are valuable
organisms and should be maintained in your classroom. A large
terrarium with soil and lots of structure should be adequate
not only for maintaining them but for raising (many) additional
members of the population.
50
Full Option Science System
If it is not possible to maintain them at school, check with your
district to see if there is a plan for reusing FOSS living organisms.
Or try to find a high school student, college, zoo, museum, or
biological supply company that will be able to take them and put
them to good use.
Madagascar hissing cockroaches cannot be released into the local
environment. There is always a chance that an introduced species
might displace a native species in the environment, so releasing
such organisms is not an option.
As a last resort, you can put the organisms in a bag and place them
in a freezer overnight.
8. Respect for living organisms
We believe that studying live organisms is a critical part of any
life science curriculum—it is especially important to support the
philosophy that children learn best through direct experiences. We
are committed to including the study of live organisms as part of
the FOSS curriculum.
We know that the use of organisms comes with a unique set of
challenges, but like you, we think it’s well worth the effort. We
continue to support and abide by federal and state regulations and
NSTA guidelines for the responsible treatment of animals in the
classroom while taking steps to ensure that students have hands-on
life science experiences, and teachers and school districts have a
variety of options to obtain organisms.
Diversity of Life Course, Second Edition
51
– Materials
diversity of life Care, Reuse, and Recycling
When you finish teaching the course, inventory the kit carefully. Note
the items that were used up, lost, or broken, and immediately arrange
to replace the items. Use a photocopy of the Kit Inventory List, and
put your marks in the “Equipment condition” column. Replacement
parts are available for FOSS by calling Delta Education at
1-800-258-1302 or by using the online replacement-part catalog
(www.DeltaEducation.com).
The items in the kit have been selected for their ease of use and
durability. Make sure that items are clean and dry before putting them
back in the kit. Small items should be inventoried (a good job for
students under your supervision) and put into zip bags for storage. Any
items that are no longer useful for science should be properly recycled.
52
Full Option Science System