Daphnia have been used to demonstrate the physiological effects of stimulants such as caffeine and energy drinks in activities designed for secondary school and college labs. We describe how these activities were enhanced by coupling a microscope to a video recording device and digital data recording system to facilitate more accurate quantification of the rate of heartbeats in daphnia. Also, the technology facilitates measurements of the changes in the size of the heart due to the effect of stimulants. We describe the setup for the video recorder, data acquisition system, and microscope, the results obtained, and how these activities could be replicated in a secondary school laboratory setting to increase student engagement and be used as a primer to enhance learning and understanding of biological systems by students. This work aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards, in that students “use a variety of equipment and software to enter, process, display, and communicate information in different forms using text, tables, and pictures.”
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January 2017
Research Article|
January 01 2017
Using Videography to Study the Effects of Stimulants on Daphnia magna
Maria Greene,
Maria Greene
1MARIA GREENE is an Adjunct Lecturer and Doctoral Student in the Department of Science, The Borough of Manhattan Community College, City University of New York, and Department of Urban Education, The Graduate Center, City University of New York; e-mail: mgreene@bmcc.cuny.edu.
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Wesley Pitts,
Wesley Pitts
1MARIA GREENE is an Adjunct Lecturer and Doctoral Student in the Department of Science, The Borough of Manhattan Community College, City University of New York, and Department of Urban Education, The Graduate Center, City University of New York; e-mail: mgreene@bmcc.cuny.edu.
WESLEY PITTS is an Associate Professor in the Department of Urban Education, The Graduate Center, City University of New York and Department of Middle and High School Education, Lehman College, City University of New York; e-mail: wesley.pitts@lehman.cuny.edu.
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Brahmadeo Dewprashad
Brahmadeo Dewprashad
1MARIA GREENE is an Adjunct Lecturer and Doctoral Student in the Department of Science, The Borough of Manhattan Community College, City University of New York, and Department of Urban Education, The Graduate Center, City University of New York; e-mail: mgreene@bmcc.cuny.edu.
BRAHMADEO DEWPRASHAD is a Professor in the Department of Science, The Borough of Manhattan Community College, City University of New York, and Department of Urban Education, The Graduate Center, City University of New York; e-mail: bdewprashad@bmcc.cuny.edu.
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The American Biology Teacher (2017) 79 (1): 35–40.
Citation
Maria Greene, Wesley Pitts, Brahmadeo Dewprashad; Using Videography to Study the Effects of Stimulants on Daphnia magna. The American Biology Teacher 1 January 2017; 79 (1): 35–40. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2017.79.1.35
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University of California Press