BIOL 123: Animal Behavior Virtual Lab 

Objectives:
​Following this lab you should be able to…​
  1. Examine different categories of behaviors
  2. Experiment on pillbugs with light vs. dark and wet vs. dry treatments
  3. Record scientific data on taxis behavior
  4. Learn the chi-square statistic 
  5. Use chi-sq to analyze your pillbug data
  6. Create a scientific poster about your pillbug experiment
Overview
  • Exercise I. Find Your Pillbugs & Run Your Experiments
  • Exercise II. Analyze Your Results
  • Exercise III. Prepare Your Scientific Poster​
​Before you begin! Open the Animal Behavior Post-Lab. 
​Follow these directions in each exercise closely so you know what to put in your Post-Lab to receive full credit for this online activity.​
  • Exercise I
  • Exercise II
  • Exercise III
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Find your pillbugs & run your experiments

Procedure Part 1
  1. Find some pillbugs! Where should you look? Think about what you have learned about pillbugs!
  2. You can find them in cool, moist, dark places. Especially were there is detritus (dead, decaying organic matter): under rocks, logs, trees, woodpiles or bushes.
  3. Collect as many as you can. You need a minimum of 5 but more is always better! Be gentle with them. They cannot hurt you in anyway. They are relatively hardy, but take care not to smash them while collecting. 
  4. Take pictures while collecting and notes on where you find them.
  5. Count your final catch and complete Part 1 of Exercise I in your post-lab.
Procedure Part 2
  • Experiment Set-up
    • Now that you have your pill bugs, you need begin construction of some type of testing chamber. You need a chamber with sides and a flat bottom: tupperware, serving dish, shoe box or pan. If you find your pillbugs are able to crawl up the sides of your chamber, use any type of cooking, vegetable or olive oil to "grease" down the edges. This will keep them in place. 
    • You will also need some type of holding chamber, like a paper or plastic cup, smaller tupperware, etc. . 
    • You need to place a papertowel cut to fit in the bottom of your chamber. It should lay flat.
    • You will also need a light source (desk or table lamp), some type of cover (construction paper or cardboard), and some means of providing moisture (a wet paper towel).
    • Need a review on hypotheses? This YouTube video is helpful. Also, review the PowerPoint on Animal Behavior.
  1. Conduct your first test: Pillbugs and Phototaxis
    1. This is Task 4 in your paper manual.
    2. Develop your hypotheses. Record them in the post-lab.
    3. Place your pillbugs in your chamber.
    4. Place your cover over the entire chamber, and leave it on for 3 minutes. This allows your pillbugs to acclimate.
    5. After the 3 minute "acclimation period," place a lamp directly over your chamber,
    6. Adjust the shade cover so it now it only covers half of the chamber.
    7. Record your data: In the table in your post lab, record the number of sowbugs in the light vs. dark sides of your chamber. Do this every minute for 12 minutes.
    8. Take a photo of your experiment for the post lab.
    9. Answer the questions.
  2. Conduct your second test: Pillbugs and Hydrotaxis
    1. This is Task 5 in your paper manual.
    2. Slowly drop water on one side of your paper towel until (roughly) half the bottom is wet and half is dry.
    3. Allow your pillbugs to re-acclimate. Be sure your light is now off.
    4. Place your cover over the entire chamber, and leave it on for 3 minutes. This allows your pillbugs to acclimate.
    5. After the 3 minute "acclimation period, you can start recording some data.
    6. Record your data: In the table in your post lab, record the number of sowbugs in the dry vs. wet sides of your chamber. Do this every minute for 12 minutes.
    7. Take a photo of your experiment for the post lab and answer the questions.
  3. Conduct your third and final test: Environmental Preference
    1. This is Task 6 in your paper manual. 
    2. Gently shake your chamber a bit to redistribute your pillbugs.
    3. Check your wet environment to ensure it is still moist enough and still only covers half of the chamber. If you need to replace it with new paper towel, put your pillbugs in your holding chamber, re-set it up and re-introduce your pillbugs to the testing chamber. 
    4. Place the shade cover over the dry side of your chamber and turn on your light. At this point, one one of your chamber is dark but dry and the other side is wet but bright. 
    5. Record your data: In the table in your post lab, record the number of spillbugs in the dark/dry vs. light/wet sides of your chamber. Do this every minute for 12 minutes.
    6. Take a photo of your experiment for the post lab and answer the questions.

Watch the video below before moving on!!!

Hypothesis Testing Chi-Square (X2 ) Goodness of Fit Analysis: ​

You’ve likely made statements using terms like “more, less, lower and higher” regarding your data thus far. That is a good place to start. However, now we must ask…if the patterns we see in our data are biologically relevant (i.e., related to sowbug preferences) or just from chance alone (i.e., sowbugs moved around regardless of environment)? We term potentially relevant findings as significant- that is, differences, or patterns that are significantly different from those we would expect from chance alone, may be biologically important. We cannot know whether your results are significantly different from chance, without performing a statistical analysis on your data. 
Picture
The chi-sq test can tell us is our results are from chance alone or perhaps from environmental preference.
​Here, you will learn the Chi-Square Goodness of Fit analysis. It will reveal which stimulus is preferred, if any, by your pillbugs. This statistic compares your distribution of data to that of a distribution you might predict from randomness. For example, if pillbugs did not prefer moist or dark environments, then we would expect to see them spread equally throughout the chamber at each time interval, regardless of light or moisture levels. Is that what you observed? ​​

​Procedure​
  1. Review your results from Task 6 and your hypotheses.
  2. You should be able to make a few statements about your results from the raw data, such as, “there were more sowbugs in the in the [blank] environment” OR “the sowbugs clumped together in the first few minutes and then separated.” Look at your entire data table and write a few statements about your data in post-lab.
  3. The data you have collected in the above table can be used to assess sowbug environmental preferences. First you must determine which data you will use. You have three options:
    1. Use the data at the 12m mark: With this option you assume the sowbugs are becoming habituated during minutes 1-11 and their position at the 12m mark represents their “preferred habitat choice.”
    2. Use the sum: With this option you assume that each sowbug is making a choice at each minute, meaning the sum of their choices over the 12m represents their “preferred habitat choice.”
    3. Use the mean: With this option you assume the number of sowbugs most often in each of the two environments over the course of 12m represents their “preferred habitat choice.”
  4. None of these choices are wrong; none are ideal. Researchers make these types of methodological choices all the time. Now, review your H0 and H1 and review the data you have selected to use. What statements can you make about your hypotheses based on your findings? Record them in the post-lab.
  5. Once you've decided, you are ready to calculate your chi-sq stat. Use the DIRECTIONS HERE, to do so. Record your results in the post-lab.
  6. Check your chi-square calculation with the calculator in the side bar. Record your results in the post-lab.
Watch the video above for a great explanation of the chi-square goodness of fit test.
Chi-Sq Calculator to check your work. Your categories are Light/Wet and Dark/Dry and you must enter the data as "count" data
You will be creating a scientific poster to display the research you have been doing on pillbugs as well as the results from these experiments, including your chi-square analysis. 
​
​The scientific poster is a form of scientific expression and one way researchers communicate their work with the wider scientific community, Most often, researchers will use the poster format as a way to put their preliminary research together and test the waters of scientific critique. Posters often come before presentations and manuscripts and they are presented at scientific conferences in large halls or rooms. Attendees wonder from poster to poster, get a 5 minute brief from the researcher and then a discussion begins. The appearance/content varies widely by field or lab, but they are often produced in PowerPoint and printed as 36" x 48" posters for display.
Your Poster
  • Will be created in PowerPoint using a provided template available on blackboard
  • We will print & display the 3 best from BIOL 123, which will earn extra credit (TBD)
Due Dates
  • Optional Draft: The week of Apr 13 - 17, on your lab day, the hour your lab begins. Blackboard submission only. Only one submission per group. Comments within 1 week, with 1 week remaining to make changes.
  • Final Draft: The week of Apr 27 - May 1, on your lab day, the hour your lab begins. Blackboard submission only. Everyone in your group MUST submit their own copy.
Content
  • Specific directions on what to include in each section are available on the poster template in the sidebar.
  • Many other references are provided in the supplemental content section of Blackboard, including tips and tricks and example posters.
  • A rubric is also provided in the sidebar.
Formatting: You have a lot of leeway! Review the examples in the sidebar.
  • Colors: Your choice.
  • Length: Variable section length. Typically, the results section takes up the most space, but include the least amount of text.
  • Font: Use serif font (e.g., cambria or times), non sans serif (e.g., arial or calibri)
  • Font size: You can go a bit smaller or a bit larger but stay close to these and be consistent within levels. Title: 80-100pt., Authors: 60pt., Sub-headings: 28-58pt., Body text: 24-32pt., Captions: 18pt.
  • Tables & figures: Your design! Stay clean and readable. Tables get labeled (Table 1.) with titles that go above. Figures (diagrams, graphs) get labeled (Figure 1.) with captions that go below.
  • Citations: 5 minimum
  • Be creative and have fun with this.​

In the post-lab, be sure to explain how you will work on this assignment. 
Lab Groups 
You decide! One person could catch the pillbug, another do analysis and 2 more could work on the poster. Or can attampt this on your own. Your call. Work it out together!
Written and collated by Natalie Mountjoy & Steve Huskey
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BIOL 123 Online Lab Manual © 2022 by Natalie Mountjoy is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0