The scientific method, as a way of acquiring knowledge has been one of the most significant factors in the improvement of the humans’ quality of life. Biological research has given us major advancements in health and understanding of our environment. In this course you will learn and practice the scientific method by doing original biological research. This course is designed as a research service-learning lab, which means you will be immersed in a research experience from day one. Service-learning is a way of integrating relevant community service with academic coursework in order to enhance learning, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities. The lab class is partnering with the Georgia Tech researchers to conduct research that will benefit our learning in biology and the greater Atlanta and scientific community. You will work in teams with the support of the entire class to brainstorm and critique ideas to design a semester-long research project to explore the effects of leaf litter and other variables on the soil microbiome of the Eco Commons here on campus. GT and the research team involved in studying ecosystem health on campus will use our data to help promote healthy sustainability practices. You will participate in all steps of the scientific process performing research on microbiomes and their effects with our research partners here at GT. You will do background research, learning to read and evaluate primary literature to identify areas of potential research. You will design an original hypothesis and a series of experiments to test the hypothesis. You will learn scientific techniques as well as basic statistical analysis of data. You will communicate your findings in both written and spoken presentations.