By separating sperm from the fertilization process, we can study more closely this one component in the process. In this way we hope to be able to understand better the entire fertilization process. At first you may think that there is not much we can do with only sperm, but researchers have spent their entire careers studying just sperm. Ask and answer questions while introducing the model to insure active participation and check understanding. This will be a VERY difficult lesson for some students who are not used to thinking on their own.
Students gather necessary materials.
As their experiments proceed, it is vital that the instructor monitors laboratory procedures and be available for questions. This is what scientists spend their entire lives doing. Students write up their lab reports and give oral presentations to the class. This lesson will require students to organize their time over a period of several days.