A 3-week laboratory module was developed for an undergraduate microbiology course that would connect student learning to a real-life challenge, specifically a local water-quality project. The laboratory series included multiple field trips, sampling of soil and water, and subsequent analysis for bacteria and nitrate. Laboratory results confirmed the usefulness of comparing real environmental samples, and student survey and performance data supported the original hypothesis of this study in terms of student learning objectives.

Keywords:
Water quality, microbiology, agriculture, nitrate, Escherichia coli
© 2012 by National Association of Biology Teachers. All rights reserved. Request permission to photocopy or reproduce article content at the University of California Press’s Rights and Permissions Web site at http://www.ucpressjournals.com/reprintinfo.asp.
2012
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