A Civic Biology, Presented in Problems

by George W. Hunter

First Term

First week. Why study Biology? Relation to human health, hygiene. Relations existing between plants and animals. Relation of bacteria to man. Uses of plants and animals. Conservation of plants and animals. Relation to life of citizen in the city. Plants and animals in relation to their environment. What is the environment; light, heat, water, soil, food, etc. What plants take out of the environment. What animals take out of the environment. Dependence of plants and animals upon the factors of the environment. Laboratory: Study of a plant or an animal in the school or at home to determine what it takes from its environment.

Second week. Some Relations existing between Plants (Green) and Animals. Field trip planned to show that insects feed upon plants; make their homes upon plants. That flowers are pollinated by insects. Insects lay eggs upon certain food plants. Green plants make food for animals. Other relations. (Time allotment. One day trip, collecting, etc.; two days' discussion of trip in all its relations.) Make a careful study of the locality you wish to visit, have a plan that the pupils know about beforehand. Review and hygiene of pupil's environment, 2 days.

Third week. Study of a Flower, Parts Essential to Pollination Named. Adaptations for insect pollination worked out in laboratory. Study of bee or butterfly as an insect carrier of pollen. Names of parts of insect learned. Elementary knowledge of groups of insects seen on field trip. Bees, butterflies, grasshoppers, beetles, possibly flies and bugs. Drawing of a flower, parts labeled. Drawing of an insect, outline only, parts labeled. Careful study of some fall flower fitted for insect pollination with an insect as pollinating agent. Some examples of cross-pollination explained. Practical value of cross-pollination.

Fourth week. Living Plants and Animals Compared. Parts of plants, functions; organs, tissues, cells. Demonstration cells of onion or elodea. How cells form others. What living matter can do. Reproduction. Growth of pollen tube, fertilization. Development of ovule into seed. Fruits, how formed. Uses, to man.

Fifth week. What makes a Seed Grow. Bean seed, a baby plant, and food supply. Food, what is it? Organic nutrients, tests for starch, protein, oil. Show their presence in seeds.

Sixth week. Need for Foods. Germination of bean due to (a) presence of foods, (b) outside factors. What is done with the food. Release of energy. Examples of engine, plants, human body. Oxidation in body. Proof by experiment. Test for presence of CO₂. Oxidation in growing plant, experiment. Respiration a general need for both plants and animals.

Seventh week. Need for Digestion. The corn grain. Parts, growth, food supply outside body of plant, how does it get inside. Digestion, need for. Test for grape sugar. Enzymes, their function. Action of diastase on starch.

Eighth week. What Plants take from the Soil, How they do This. Use of root. Influence of gravity and water. Why? Absorption a function. Root hairs. Demonstration. Pocket gardens, optional home work, but each pupil must work on root hairs from actual specimen. How root absorbs. Osmosis; what substances will osmose. Experiments to demonstrate this.

Ninth week. Composition of Soil. What root hairs take out of soil. Plant needs mineral matter to make living matter. Why? Nitrogen necessary. Sources of nitrogen, the nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Relation of this to man. Rotation of crops.