Hands-on biology experiments encourage students to dig deeper into the lesson, as opposed to sitting back and unconsciously letting information go in one ear and out the other.

In an experiment on Jan. 6, the first period biology class observed the phases of mitosis after discussing the order and events of the process.

“Students were examining slides of onion root tip under the microscope to observe the process of mitosis,” teacher Bill McGowen, not pictured, said. “They will then compare it to the process of meioisis which occurs in sex cells (gametes) in humans.”

As the students studied the slides, they were able to comprehend how each stage of mitosis differs from others.

“I like labs better than just taking notes,” Allison Camden, ’12, not pictured, said. “It’s easier to grasp the concept when I’m actually doing it rather than just listening to a lecture.”

For the project, each of the students were assigned lab partners. Freshman Amanda Merzon, left, collaborated with classmate Morgan Childs to assure the right phase of mitosis was determined.

“It was interesting to see all the different phases of mitosis occurring,” Childs said. “We had to identify which one out of four was taking place.”

For more information on classroom experiments, visit Chemistry’s porcelain crucibles or Flaming peanuts.