Laboratory Experiences

Click here to download our activities calendar.

Click here to print the application.

IMPORTANT NOTE

The laboratories will take place on Thursdays, starting at 8:30 a.m. They will take place in Laboratory NL-106 in the Humacao campus of the University of Puerto Rico. A maximum of 20 participants are allowed per group. The school must make transportation arrangements to and from UPR-Humacao. The activity is free of cost. The laboratory experience may be modified, depending on the group’s level and the availability of the organisms under study. The person in charge of the group must speak with us in regards to groups / individuals with special needs.

The laboratory experiences will allow students to observe, examine and analyze diverse components in marine and coastal ecosystems. The labs are designed for students between 4^th to 12th grades. All labs last 3 hours. Students will become familiarized with the proper handling and use of a compound microscope, identification cue management, and organism dissection, among other science-related topics.

	Laboratory: Set Adrift! Students will discover the fascinating world of organisms that go adrift. Students will observe a live sample of plankton with microscopes, and they will identify the organisms using simple taxonomic keys. They will also observe their shapes and adaptations to their environment.
	Laboratory: Echinoderms: Spiny Bodies Participants will know and study echinoderms common to Puerto Rico. The group will observe the shapes and adaptations presented by the organisms. Performing a simple experiment, they will observe the organisms’ reproductive strategies, and using a microscope, they will observe life-stage developments.
	Laboratory: Sand: A Treasure Beneath Our Feet Participants will learn the origins of sand, as well as the reason for the variation in the characteristics (size, composition, texture, etc.) of the grains of sand in Puerto Rican beaches and their importance for the conservation and wise use of this natural resource.
	Laboratory: Bony Fish Students will dissect a fish and study its morphology and characteristics. They will also identify some fish species using a dicotomic key.
	Laboratory: Global Warming Participants will study and become familiar with the causes and consequences of global warming. Through simple laboratories, students will understand the greenhouse effect, and its dire consequences to the Planet.
	Laboratory: Squids Through the process of dissecting a squid specimen, students will examine the parts and adaptations used for survival by the species. They will design a squid in order to observe its movement.
	Laboratory: Water Quality Students will examine the sources of pollution affecting our bodies of water, and they will measure water quality parameters (pH, turbidity, phosphates, nitrates, etc.).
	Laboratory: Celenterates and Cnidarians Through this laboratory experience, students will study corals, anemones and hydroids. They will identify the groups based on their characteristics, and they will observe live and/or preserved specimens.
	Laboratory: Poriferans Students will study the morphology and characteristics of sea sponges. They will be presented with dried and/or live specimens in order to perform their observations.
	Laboratory: Marine Botany Students will engage and examine the marine vegetation most commonly found in our coastline, such as mangroves, algae and seagrass. They will also sort them our based on their characteristics and adaptations for survival in marine ecosystems.