ИСТИНА

Use IBSE to answer the question “Are leaves symmetrical?”, to make measurements, and to calculate an asymmetry coefficient using traditional methods and and PC for assessing environmental impacts on the symmetry of tree leaves. The theoretical basis of the activity is the method of fluctuating asymmetry. It is based on comparative measurements of leaf asymmetry and leaf surface areas. The measurements performed by students teach them to identify plants, to compare data and to analyze the reasons for any differences they observe. Students also construct hypotheses on differences in growing conditions and examine how global or local factors (including climate) may impact growth and development. The measurements are compared against weather and other data to enable students to draw conclusions and develop forecasts of how measurements may change in the future under various scenarios, which can then be modelled. This research does not require special equipment, which makes it very popular with students. However, the measurements must be performed with great precision, followed by statistical analysis to obtain reliable results. It is therefore difficult to use this method in high school botany classes. These ideas, which were presented during the INQUIRY courses at the Botanical Garden of Moscow State University, are being further developed through the creation of a smartphone app for assessing environmental impacts on the symmetry of tree leaves. This will be available as a free application for mobile devices using the Android operating system. Thanks to modern technology it is possible to automate a number of processes, such as photographing leaves, image analysis, calculation of the fluctuating asymmetry index, and correlation of the data with GPS coordinates. The program will simplify the process of collecting information and help to create a network of students involved in nature studies.