Both activities are intended as group activities for introductory biology labs (originally created for Life103).
Winogradsky Columns and Metabolism Activity: Students are introduced to the concept of Winogradsky columns and led through a hands-on activity creating their own Winogradsky columns to observe throughout the semester. This activity invites students to consider how different prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms obtain energy and which of these organisms will colonize each level of their column over time. This activity connects to the biodiveristy and ecology of local microbial populations found in soil and water.
Winogradsky Columns, Ecosystem Homeostasis, and Microbial Importance Activity: In this activity, students return to their Winogradsky columns after allowing them to develop for an entire semester. Students connect concepts like biodiversity, ecosystem homeostasis, and nutrient cycling to the changes they have observed and recorded in their columns over many months. The lab also asks students to consider and discuss the importance of micobiome biodiversity and how this is impacted by factors like soil depletion.