"The Biology of Chordates continues with an excellent survey of this phylum and never lets the viewer forget what it takes to be considered a chordate. This tape begins with the evolution of chordates. Then, the invertebrate tunicates are discussed. The hagfishes, cartilage and bony fishes, and finally the tetrapods are mentioned in enough detail to support any biology curriculum. At each section, the narrator tells about the special adaptations each group has for living where it does." Jeff Sack, Valley Regional High School, Deep River, CT 06417; The American Biology Teacher, Volume 65, No.1, January 2003

"The Biology of Chordates program discusses, in detail, the unique features of the Phylum Chordata. The video highlights the structures that allowed the transition of the chordates from water to terrestrial life thand the program includes a guide that provides relevant questions, activities and teaching strategies. The cinematography in the video is excellent; the combination of close up and wide angle views makes learning through a visual/video based medium ideal. The fossil footage in the program is detailed, there is good balance of microscopic footage in the program, the use of computer generated progression through time is valuable and the use of charts to visually connect the concepts is excellent." The program transitions from one concept to the next very well. As new concepts are introduced there are review segments that are not overdone. The review segments help to link concepts together, give viewers a "bigger picture" and allow the viewer or instructor to break the program down further .

"The Biology of Arthropods explains why this phylum is the most successful branch of animal life. The arthropods make up the largest percent of the Earth's biomass, as well as having the greatest number of species. This video discusses every class of the group, including Crustaceans, Chelicerates, and Uniramians. It does an excellent job of showing diversity within each group, as well as explaining how to tell once species from another." Jeff Sack, Valley Regional High School, Deep River, CT 06417; The American Biology Teacher, Volume 65, No.1, January 2003

"After viewing The Biology of Arthropods, a 24-minute, closed captioned video, produced by BioMEDIA ASSOCIATES, I had a strong compulsion to show and vacuum, as the video presents a spectacular visual array of a few of the organisms that live around and on human beings. This video is sure to interest students in this very larege, diverse phylum of organisms. Though the organisms are small, their biomass exceeds that of any other group of animals, for what these animals lack in size, they make up in sheer numbers. Again, this video is most appropiate for 9th through 12th grade students, as some higher level words and phrases, such as "ecological niche," are presented and it is assumed that the viewer has prior knowledge of the vocabulary. The video is excellent in that it provides both a review of and an introduction to many biological terms."

'This short, interesting introduction to the sponges covers the three different classes in the phylum Porifera, as well as differences in the chemical nature of their spicules. The program discusses the three major habitats in which these sponges are found--fresh water, a hard substrate (such as pilings) in shallow marine waters, and the deep-sea benthic environment--and some of their ecology, such as the presence of predator repellant chemicals in their tissues. Also discussed is the creatures’ developmental biology, including regeneration, asexual reproduction, and sexual reproduction. The last segment shows the similarity between the collar cells in sponges and in their single celled ancestors, the choanoflagellates, and indicates that DNA analysis has confirmed this close relationship. Indeed, the similarity constitutes supportive evidence for the evolution of multicellular animals from single celled ancestors. The presentation is clear most of the time, and both the macro and microphotography are excellent.

"The Biology of Sponges is a superb 15-minute crash course in the phylum Porifera and is the newest addition to the well respected Biology of... series from BioMEDIA ASSOCIATES. ...The video is divided into ten sections which describe everything about sponges ranging from their specialized cell types to their ecology and reproduction. The producers introduce facts and concepts in lay terms but provide the scientific terminology (i.e. archeocytes, choanocytes, etc.) both in the narration and on screen, making this video accessible to a range of audiences. ...excellent underwater footage, microscope footage and time-lapse segments make this a very informative and well illustrated introduction to sponge biology. This video is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for all libraries, particularly those supporting a science curriculum." "Highly Recommended" Reviewed by Barbara Butler, University of Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, Educational Media Reviews Online November 19, 2004

...Each segment in the video version lasts from 2-5 minutes and is designed to be used to support in-class instruction and as a visual enhancement for learning units. The video is structured to easily start and stop for each algae species. Music and sound effects are plesant and add to the overall viewing experience. The color photography of various algae species is superb and augments the narration. ...The Biology of...series is a high quality product that supports classroom instruction with the concise, understandable facts enhanced by the visual images and graphics that support the concepts outlined in each section. This program would be suitable for junior and senior high schools, as well as beginning level college biology courses. Highly recommended." "Highly Recommended" Reviewed by Gloria Maxwell, Reference Librarian, Penn Valley Community College, Kansas City, MO Educational Media Reviews Online November 3, 2004 http://libweb.lib.buffalo.edu/emro/search.html

"The five evolutionary lines of algae (red algae, brown algae, green algae, dinoflagellates, and euglenoids) are patiently explored in this well-shot video. Viewed and filmed through electron microscopes, these photosynthetic organisms display widely varying forms and intricate geometric shapes. Clear captions label each example. Footage of scientists sampling seashores and ponds shows that habitats of each type of algae and clarifies the endless adaptations prompted by climate and predators. Modes of movement, reproduction, and food gathering are also illustrated. The terminology is quite technical, and the visuals are excellent in this useful teaching tool." Candance Smith, Booklist, December 1, 2004

"Previously, whenever surfing during a red tide, I've vaguely wondered what the heck I was actually floating in: now, thanks to 'The Biology of Algae,' I know with absolute certainty that I was amongst the dinoflagellates, which are more closely related to ciliated protists than to other forms of algae (a catchall term for various photosynthetic organisms). ...In addition to dinoflagellates, the program looks at the other evolutionary branches of algae, including red, green, brown, and euglendids-using both stock footage and excellent microscopic photography-while specific examples such as Spyrogyra (not the jazz band) or Euglena help pinpoint identifying characteristics. The DVD version also includes a study guide in DVD-ROM accessible PDF format. Recommended" *** of **** Recommended E. Gieschen January/February 2005 (Volume 20, Issue 1), Video Librarian

Conveniently split into nine modules, Branches on the Tree of Life: Protists is a 45-minute DVD that describes how this group of single-celled eukaryotes is actually derived from diverse phylogentic branches and is currently undergoing reclassification. The film opens with a definition of protist and is accompanied throughout by superbly photographed live organisms viewed under a light microscope. The narrator explains that an explosion in genetic information about protists has led to the requirement that they be reclassified. Eight more modules, each of which describes a single family of protists and the criteria used for defining that family, follow the introduction. The film assumes some knowledge of biology: The viewer must be familiar with such terms as chloroplast, zygote, flagella, and microtubule. Thus, the program is most suitable for college-level students or teachers. However, it lacks enough detail to accompany more specialized undergraduate classes such as field biology or ecology. One of the high points of the film is that it shows how specimens desired for microscopic examination may be collect from a pond or stream and kept in the classroom. The program is an excellent, quick reference guide to the identification of such specimens. A nice, additional feature at the end of the film is 22 minutes of footage without narration, for students who don't have access to a pond or a microscope to practice identification of the protists. College, Teaching Professional Acceptable AAAS Science Books & Films, September/October 2004

'The Biology of Protists is a 20-minute program with interesting footage of live cellular organisms in beautiful visual detail. The organisms are shown in their natural habitats and are not from laboratory-grown cultures. The narrator describes these eukaryotic and prokaryotic life-forms to a high degree of accuracy. The information emphasizes especially the type of movement the protists exhibit in their aquatic environments. There is much discussion of evolutionary links to other protists and to higher complex life-forms with respect to conjugation, the sexual reproduction of cells, and photosynthesis. The information presented in this program is excellent for seventh- and eighth-grade cell biology curriculums. The video can be viewed in the classroom, allowing time for discussion of euglenoids, diatoms, heliozoans, amoebae and paramecia after the class has viewed films on those organisms. Science Films and Books JH ++(two out of two) September/October 2004

"...Every organism shown in the video came from bird baths, local ponds, roadside ditches, or horse troughs. For classroom laboratories, protists collected from any of these habitats will thrive in jars of water if kept at room temperature and out of direct sunlight. The color photography of living organisms is superb and augments the narration. Music and sound effects are pleasant and add to the overall viewing experience. The video is designed for each module to be viewed independently, stopping for discussion, and then resuming the viewing to summarize the content. Laboratory observations of organisms such as parameciums and volvox will reinforce concepts outlined in the video." "...The Biology of...series is a high quality product that supports classroom instruction with the concise, understandable facts enhanced by the visual images and graphics that support the concepts outlined in each section. This program would be suitable for junior and senior high schools, as well as beginning level college

This DVD offers information on the basics of classification, morphology, and life processes. The photography is vivid, the animations, and graphics instructive, and the narration clear and concise. A detailed study guide is also available, making this package quite useful for biology teachers. Much of the photography includes laboratory specimens of bacteria and viruses, but there is also a 12-minute segment of video clips featuring living bacteria. Viewers can observe bacterial decomposition and its effect on the atmosphere, recycling of natural materials through bacterial decomposition and its effect on the atmosphere, recycling of natural materials through bacterial action, bacterial reproduction, shapes of structures, comparisons of bacteria with eukaryotic cells, and the action of photosynthetic bacteria. There are examples of beneficial symbiotic relationships and agents of infection. The short section on retroviruses is particularly clear in its explanation of the cellular mechanics of HIV infection. This self-paced study of viruses and bacteria is a broad, attractively presented instructional tool. Individual segments could provide an excellent introduction to each topic, or the entire DVD could be used as review. BioMEDIA's website (http://ebiomedia.com) also contains additional resources, images, and links to accompany the DVD. Cary Seideman Science Teacher Summer 2005

"The Light Microscope is a collection of computer-generated graphics and live pictures that show how to use a microscope. After a brief explanation of the history of the invention, this tape goes on to discuss the discovery scope and then the compound light microscope. It explains, in detail, how to adjust the focus, calculate the magnification, and modify the iris diaphragm. It shows how to increase contrast and use oil immersion lenses. This tape finishes with a music video with scenes of different freshwater and marine microorganisms. Emphasizing that light is the key to good viewing, this tape would be an excellent introduction to any biology class needing to have a 'window on the microcosm.'" Jeff Sack, Valley Regional High School, Deep River, CT 06417; The American Biology Teacher, Volume 65, No.1, January 2003

"The Biology of... series is a collection of videos that examines the natural histories and taxonomies of a wide array of organisms that inhabit the Earth. With astounding photography and in-depth narration, this set provides an excellent resource for teachers wanting to introduce a new phylum or ecosystem to their students. Each video discusses all the major groupings or habitats and shows, in detail, what their representative organisms look like." Jeff Sack, Valley Regional High School, Deep River, CT 06417; The American Biology Teacher, Volume 65, No.1, January 2003