Microbiology Newsletter   Tags: microbiology, newsletter  

For this newsletter, I thought I would highlight some of the library's databases.  You can access the following by going to the library's website (library.weber.edu), clicking on Article Databases, selecting the first letter of the database of interest, and clicking on the database title.

Science, Technology, and Society 
Science, Technology, and Society contains over 130 A to Z signed articles written by major scholars and experts from academic and scientific institutions and institutes worldwide. It emphasizes an interdisciplinary and international coverage of the functions and effects of science and technology in society and culture. Each article is accompanied by a selected bibliography.

Scitation 
Scholarly journals, magazines, conference proceedings, and other special publications from prestigious scientific societies and technical publishers.

Encyclopedia of Underwarter Life 
A breathtaking insight into underwater life, this Encyclopedia offers unrivalled coverage of the fish and aquatic invertebrates that inhabit our rivers, lakes, and oceans. It describes in detail the anatomy, behaviour, habitat, breeding, and conservation status of species: from microscopic, single-celled organisms swept along by water currents to gigantic powerhouses of the deep. Fascinating feature articles examine some of the strangest and most interesting aspects of these species in more depth, such as the origins of coral reefs; the cycle of the salmon; and how fish produce and use artificial illumination

Microbe Library: Visual Media Briefs Collection
http://www.microbelibrary.org/about/52

The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) has a vast online Microbe Library that provides access to educational resources and activities for educators seeking to edify their students about everything from the germ theory of disease to laboratory techniques. This particular corner of the Library site features a host of visual media briefs. These briefs feature slides accompanied by brief introductory essays, descriptions of methodology, and discussions of the various conditions and procedures associated with each exploration. All told, there are over 40 visual media briefs here, including "Cultivation Media for Bacteria," Metagenomic Soil DNA Analysis," and "Soil Fungi." [KMG]

Bacterial Identification Virtual Lab
http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/vlabs/bacterial_id/index.html

Created by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), the Virtual Bacterial Identification Lab provides interested parties with a great way to learn about the science and techniques used to identify different types of bacteria based on their DNA sequences. Visitors can enter the lab and get started by preparing samples from a patient, copying the desired pieces of the DNA, and then sequencing and analyzing the DNA. The entire experience is quite interactive: visitors can record their observations in the Notebook area and also learn about the various samples, which were obtained from stool, lymph nodes, urine, and blood. Finally, there's the Reference area, which contains a glossary of terms, a list of tools in the lab, and an encyclopedia of selected bacteria and other pathogens. [KMG]

Scientific American: 60-Second Science
http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/podcasts.cfm?type=60-second-science

Science in a minute? Sure, why not! Scientific American is offering up these bite-sized offerings that give a brief intro to a range of science-related topics and investigations. New, minute-long offerings are added every weekday, and recent additions have included "Fly Cells Divide by the Clock," "Twitter Reveals Language Geographic Distribution," and "Bed Bugs Bollixed by Bean." Visitors can sign up to learn about new additions via their RSS feed or iTunes. These short audio blurbs could easily be usedin any number of classrooms to keep students engaged. It's a great resource and one that can be used with a range of learners. [KMG]

Teacher to Teacher: Critical Thinking in the College Classroom
http://www.utexas.edu/academic/ctl/criticalthinking/accessible.php?section=1

How do educators teach critical thinking to college students? It's an important task, and one that can be done creatively and in a fashion that speaks to a wide range of learners. This website created by the University of Texas at Austin's Teacher to Teacher initiative compiles fourteen modules: ten focused on specific critical thinking skills and four on specific teaching methods. The Explore tab can be used to look around the modules as organized by class size, type of module, or location (such as in class or out of class) Each module contains a definition and exploration, an annotated bibliography, real classroom footage from the University of Texas, and reflective commentaries from teachers. The modules are divided into four sections dedicated to critical thinking and metacognition. [KMG]

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2013. https://www.scout.wisc.edu/