InTeGrate

I utilized various elements from A Growing Concern to create a 3-hr laboratory investigation for students in a nonmajors, introductory biology course. The lab is one component of a unit entitled "The Food Crisis," in which students learn about plant and animal biology and relate that knowledge to current challenges faced by the agricultural industry. For the lab, I interleaved the content of A Growing Concern with exercises about (1) plant nutrition and transport and (2) ecosystem services provided by plants and soil biota. Students left lab with an understanding of biotic and abiotic factors that affect plant growth and development, crop yields, and biodiversity.