Investigative Methods for the Science Teacher

The basis for this research project was the idea: Why tell or lecture students about an idea or fact when, if given the appropriate information, they would be able to figure it out for themselves? This does not mean that we hand the students a text and tell them to learn about the subject on their own, nor is this investigative approach to be used all the time. Because of the different levels of reasoning needed for various topics, one cannot expect a student to deduce the composition of an atom as easily as he can deduce the composition of granite. Some topics have more meaning if they are explained. Others, however, are more meaningful if the student discovers them. The topic of this research was to experiment and find ways in which to make certain topics investigative

Evidence for vestibular regulation of autonomic functions in a mouse genetic model

Physiological responses to changes in the gravitational field and body position, as well as symptoms of patients with anxiety-related disorders, have indicated an interrelationship between vestibular function and stress responses. However, the relative significance of cochlear and vestibular information in autonomic regulation remains unresolved because of the difficulties in distinguishing the relative contributions of other proprioceptive and interoceptive inputs, including vagal and somatic information. To investigate the role of cochlear and vestibular function in central and physiological responses, we have examined the effects of increased gravity in wild-type mice and mice lacking the POU homeodomain transcription factor Brn-3.1 (Brn-3b/Pou4f3). The only known phenotype of the Brn-3.1(−/−) mouse is related to hearing and balance functions, owing to the failure of cochlear and vestibular hair cells to differentiate properly. Here, we show that normal physiological responses to increased gravity (2G exposure), such as a dramatic drop in body temperature and concomitant circadian adjustment, were completely absent in Brn-3.1(−/−) mice. In line with the lack of autonomic responses, the massive increase in neuronal activity after 2G exposure normally detected in wild-type mice was virtually abolished in Brn-3.1(−/−) mice. Our results suggest that cochlear and vestibular hair cells are the primary regulators of autonomic responses to altered gravity and provide genetic evidence that these cells are sufficient to alter neural activity in regions involved in autonomic and neuroendocrine control