Algae are perfect organisms to use in the scientific classroom to demonstrate many principals of biology and the use of scientific equipment. Algae can be relatively easy to cultivate on the small scale which can provide a continuous supply of material for students to work with.

A few ideas of ways to work with algae in the classroom:

• Demonstrate the use of the light microscope. This is a skill that biology students should have. 
• Measure algal density using spectrophotometer, cell counts and dry weight. These methods are key to algae production and are not difficult to perform. 
• Identify different types of algae. It is important to be able to identify potential contamination in your cultures. 
• Setup and carry out experiments. There are endless possibilities here. Test how differences in media, nutrients, light, temperature or other environmental variables can affect algal growth. 

To get started culturing algae you will need:

• Containers to cultivate the algae. Glass works well, with some kind of lid to minimize evaporation and contamination. 
• A suitable place to grow the algae. Mainly what you need here is the proper level of light and temperature. 
• Starter culture of algae. I provide a few of the most popular strains, however many more species are available through culture collections. 
• A suitable growing media for the algae culture. There are many different kinds of media recipes available and also pre-made media are available. 

I will be adding more content to this website to help facilitate learning about the many different aspects of algae on our planet. Please contact me to let me know what kind of information you would like to see.