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In our experience, providing students with opportunities to explore outdoors has benefited them greatly in appreciating the outdoors and learning more about the environment. Similarly, researchers recognize that participants of outdoor schoolyard instruction have a more significant increase in cognitive understanding of ecological science concepts compared to students of traditional instruction (Cronin-Jones 2000; Eick 2012). However, such experiences not only provide opportunities to gain scientific content knowledge but also help students develop their writing skills. In this article, we describe a fifth grade unit on writing schoolyard field guides and provide examples of ways that we see these concepts translating across grade levels and content areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper demonstrates that an informal field trip can have a lasting impact upon aspects of learning in a primary school context. Specifically, we consider the longer term impact of an informal trip to a rocky shore upon scores achieved in literacy assessments taking place five months after a relevant five months after a fieldwork. Pupils provided with an opportunity to write about organisms that they had encountered during the field trip and with which they were therefore familiar achieved higher literacy levels than those children writing about less familiar animals that had not been encountered during fieldwork. Specific improvement in the ability of the children to use specialised vocabulary and elaborated descriptive were recorded. Our work adds to the growing body of research evidence that demonstrates the benefits of outdoor learning experiences focused upon ecology/biology across the wider curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article presents an activity designed for middle school science classrooms in which students create a replica of animal scat using play dough and a variety of mix-ins as a way to teach students about local wildlife, animal sign identification, and animal diet classifications. It addresses the connection between the activity and student interest in ecology.

The article discusses the use of interactive plant community simulations, particularly the Virtual Plant Community Simulation (VPCsim), to teach U.S. middle school students about ecology. It addresses the ability of students to explore the impact of environmental changes on plant communities, the connection of the VPCsim to individual experimentation and inquiry-based learning, and the use of technology in education.

The article presents a lesson plan for a middle school unit on ecosystem dynamics that incorporates geographic information systems (GIS) and global positioning system (GPS) technologies in order to study watersheds.

Predator-prey dynamics are an important concept in ecology, often serving as an introduction to the field of community ecology. However, these dynamics are difficult for students to observe directly. We describe a methodology that employs model caterpillars made of clay to estimate rates of predator attack on a prey species. This approach can be implemented as a field laboratory in almost any natural or seminatural setting, and is designed to allow educators to pursue any number of student-generated hypotheses representing varying degrees of scientific sophistication ranging from middle school to college level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Populations of the Eastern subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes, are widespread throughout most of the eastern United States. Subterranean termites have the ability to survive flooding conditions by lowering their metabolism. This lesson investigates the connection between the ability of termites to lower their metabolism to survive floods and their feeding behavior Using an incubator, Petri dishes, and different types of mulch, termite consumption can be measured and compared. These results can be analyzed with a simple statistical test to look for significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This semi-guided inquiry activity explores the macroinvertebrate fauna in water sources affected by different levels of pollution. Students develop their ability to identify macroinvertebrates, compare aquatic fauna from different sources of water samples, evaluate water quality using an index, document and analyze data, raise questions and hypotheses, and discuss other possible issues that could be investigated at a later time. These sets of activities were designed for freshman high school students but are applicable to middle school students as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I present a framework for ecology and evolution laboratory exercises using artificial caterpillars made from modeling clay. Students generate and test hypotheses about predation rates on caterpillars that differ in appearance or "behavior" to understand how natural selection by predators shapes distribution and physical characteristics of organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed an exercise for a university-level ecology class that teaches hypothesis testing by examining acorn preferences and caching behavior of tree squirrels (Sciurus spp.). This exercise is easily modified to teach concepts of behavioral ecology for earlier grades, particularly high school, and provides students with a theoretical basis for examining commonly observed squirrel behavior. Students gain experience in testing hypotheses and revising predictions. They evaluate how well predictions of competing hypotheses are supported by statistically analyzing and interpreting class data using t-tests and chi-square tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 1968, biologists have known that termites line up and follow some ballpoint ink lines but not others. Suggestions for class lessons based on this observation have become widespread. However, many of these are incomplete, superficial, conflicting, and/or occasionally inaccurate, and most provide only simple demonstrations or cookbook-style confirmations. Here, we provide added background for this activity to update, clarify, and expand it. Some ways to use termite trail-following to teach fundamental life and physical science concepts though hands-on inquiry are presented, based on our experience with university students and teachers. These activities, adaptable to many instructional levels, range in scope from a single laboratory session to extended investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many high school science students do not encounter opportunities for authentic science inquiry in their formal coursework. Ecological field studies can provide such opportunities. The purpose of this project was to teach students about the process of science by designing and conducting experiments on whether and how honey bees (Apis mellifera) avoid predators. Students summarized their findings in scientific papers and presentations to research scientists. We found that this project increased student knowledge of the scientific process, scientific writing, what scientists do, and the importance of the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a science kit designed to be taken home by students over the weekend as a complement to an in-class ecology lab. Simple activities for students and their families to complete including classifying soil, measuring the turbidity of water, and recording air and water temperatures are described, and a list of necessary materials for the kit is provided.

This study aims to investigate two expert ecology teachers' ability to attend to essential details in a complex environment during a field excursion, as well as how they teach this ability to their students. In applying a cognitive dual-memory system model for learning, we also suggest a rationale for their behaviour. The model implies two separate memory systems: the implicit, non-conscious, non-declarative system and the explicit, conscious, declarative system. This model provided the starting point for the research design. However, it was revised from the empirical findings supported by new theoretical insights. The teachers were video and audio recorded during their excursion and interviewed in a stimulated recall setting afterwards. The data were qualitatively analysed using the dual-memory system model. The results show that the teachers used holistic pattern recognition in their own identification of natural objects. However, teachers' main strategy to teach this ability is to give the students explicit rules or specific characteristics. According to the dual-memory system model the holistic pattern recognition is processed in the implicit memory system as a non-conscious match with earlier experienced situations. We suggest that this implicit pattern matching serves as an explanation for teachers' ecological and teaching observational skills. Another function of the implicit memory system is its ability to control automatic behaviour and non-conscious decision-making. The teachers offer the students firsthand sensory experiences which provide a prerequisite for the formation of implicit memories that provides a foundation for expertise. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We describe the use of Euglena gracilis for student-designed investigations of environmental factors that affect population growth of this unicellular flagellate. Each group of students can choose a topic of interest to them, but within the confines of a simple cell culture system that requires little space for each student group, and at a fairly low cost. Students are provided with stock cultures of E. gracilis, along with detailed instructions on preparing control medium and counting cells using a hemocytometer. Students then design their own experiments to test factors that possibly affect population growth over several weeks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ubiquitous learning (u-learning), in conjunction with supports from the digital world, is recognized as an effective approach for situating students in real-world learning environments. Earlier studies concerning u-learning have mainly focused on investigating the learning attitudes and learning achievements of students, while the causations such as learning style and teaching style were usually ignored. This study aims to investigate the effects of teaching styles and learning styles on reflection levels of students within the context of u-learning. In particular, we investigated the teaching styles at the dimensions of brainstorming and instruction and recall and the learning styles at the dimensions of active and reflective learning. The experiment was conducted with 39 fifth grader students at an elementary school in southern Taiwan. A u-learning environment was established at a butterfly ecology garden to conduct experiments for natural science courses. The experimental results of one-way ANCOVA show that those students who received a matching teaching–learning style presented a significant improvement in their reflection level. That is, matching the learning styles of students with the appropriate teaching styles can significantly improve students’ reflection levels in a u-learning environment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Field experiments are at the core of ecology, yet rarely find their way into education, probably due to a combination of technical challenges and risks associated with fieldwork. This may compromise student education and perception of the subject, making interesting, readily manageable experiments extremely important. We describe how the daily cycle of nocturnal mass movements by river invertebrates (‘drift’) can meet these challenges. The observation of this daily cycle, and simple manipulations using light (to test hypotheses about the triggers for drift) and fine sand (simulating degradation of stream habitats), requires minimal specialist equipment or expertise, yet affords numerous practical benefits and captures student interest through the novel fieldwork. Invertebrate drift illustrates numerous biological principles through investigations adjusted to suit different educational levels. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This essay chronicles the author's recent attempt, as a teacher-scholar working in the humanities, to develop an innovative ecopedagogy from his research in cultural theory, environmental rhetoric, and new media. Centered on a project he calls 'eco-blogging,' this pedagogy references a broad array of (eco)theoretical approaches including ecocomposition, ecocriticism, ecofeminism, electracy, just sustainability, and green cultural studies. In explaining eco-blogging, the author draws on these theoretical frames to critique established, consumeristic online communications such as green listing. In addition, by featuring an example of eco-blogging from his class, he discusses its value to just sustainability focused pedagogy. Ultimately, the author suggests that eco-blogging is a useful counterpart to other forms of environmental communication online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With science and technology playing profound roles in mediating human relationships with the environment, a key question concerns which expectations and views of science and technology have emerged and prevail in visions of the social and environmental development of contemporary societies. This study engages this question through examining children's views of science and technology in South Korea. Eighty-six sixth graders from Seoul, a highly urbanized city, were invited to share their views. A drawing and writing activity and an open-ended questionnaire were administered for data collection. The study found that the children's views are grounded in optimistic and positive expectations and visions of science and technology even as some of the children show awareness and concern about environmental destruction. They may also offer contradictory views toward social development and environmental destruction. The paper discusses these findings in light of the complex meanings of development in modern Korean society and the challenges teachers there may face in cultivating sustainable views and relations via science and environmental education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The popularity of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) has grown enormously, with communities of players reaching into the millions. Their fantasy narratives present multiple challenges created by the virtual environment and/or other players. The games' potential for education stems from the fact that players are immersed in a virtual world where they have the opportunity to manipulate and explore, thus motivating the construction of knowledge. The interaction and collaboration between participants allows students to exchange information, test their understanding and reflect on what they have learned. Given the promising results of using MMORPG technologies for educational purposes, this paper translates the multiplayer role playing game (MRPG) aspect, the essential concept behind MMORPGs, into the classroom context. We present the abstraction behind a Classroom Multiplayer Presential Role Playing Game (CMPRPG) and the development of a CMPRPG for teaching ecology. The game has a quest structure in which each result highlights a key teaching objective. It is implemented at a high level, with interaction between reusable game elements defined using triggers. It is observed that the implemented CMPRPG has appropriate usability levels, benefits the learning and application of the concepts of ecology and, in the interactive dimensions, it encourages participation and collaborative narrative structures among participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Urban students often have limited access to field sites for ecological studies. Ubiquitous ants and their mounds can be used to study and test ecology-based questions. We describe how soil collected from ant mounds can be used to investigate how biotic factors (ants) can affect abiotic factors in the soil that can, in turn, influence plant growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims at highlighting young children’s reasoning about human interventions within a forest ecosystem. Our focus is particularly set on whether preschoolers are able to come up with any basic ecological interpretations of human actions upon forest plants or animals and how. Conducting individual, semi-structured interviews with 70 preschoolers (age 4–5), we first tested their ability to consider the forest as a habitat and recognize simple food chains in it, and then we traced their reasoning about the consequences that human actions upon plants or certain forest animals may possibly have for other animals that also live in the forest. The analysis of our qualitative data with “NVivo” software does reveal an ecological aspect in preschoolers’ reasoning, which is thoroughly discussed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using mini-aquaria experiments, a learning unit on the effects of light period on aquatic ecosystems was developed for 7th grade students. This guided inquiry unit was aimed at helping students understand basic ecologi- cal principles involved in relationships among physical, chemical, and biological components in aquatic ecosystems. It involved asking guiding questions to direct students' investigations and experimental designs, providing experimental data for analysis and interpretation, and facilitating students' construction of explanations. The students' achievements were assessed through a questionnaire, written documents, interviews, and classroom observation. In this study, students were encouraged to ask questions throughout the learning sequence, in which they did ask more intelligent questions, generate fruitful ideas, and finally develop their own understanding. Students gradually accumulated conceptual understanding through the designed learning activities, and both students and teachers had a positive attitude toward the learning unit. The minimum and maximum values of the students' perceptions on the learning unit were found to be 4.14 and 4.65 (on a 5-point scale). The mean and standard deviation of the 15 items on perception were 4.41 and 0.41, indicating a moderate level of approval. One advantage of this learning unit is in its low cost for implementation while producing effective learning activities, especially in schools with budgetary and time constraints. This study should inspire teachers to adapt and adopt the proposed activities to enhance students' understanding of the ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes an activity program for middle school students which aims to help students understand the balance of the ecosystem using Jenga as an analogy.

This study draws on information from 11 in-depth interviews, two focus groups and 72 written questionnaires to evaluate an extra-curricular environmental education programme on forestry designed for preparatory school students from a small rural community in Mexico. Specifically, the study assessed the impact of the programme on the ecological knowledge of 72 students. Qualitative feedback suggests that students learnt about forestry, acquired greater awareness of the importance of conservation for the local environment and enjoyed the participatory teaching methods used in the programme. Quantitative results show a positive and significant association between the number of times a student participated in the programme and the student's ecological knowledge. Students who participated in the programme once had a 16.3% higher knowledge on ecological concepts and knew, on average, 1.5 more local forest plants than students who never attended it (p<.001). Findings suggest that the inclusion of participatory environmental education programmes in preparatory schools would improve the acquisition of ecological knowledge. Further research could consider the consistency of the findings by replicating participatory methods presented here and by using an experimental research design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes a laboratory approach in an upper-level undergraduate course in Population and Community Ecology. The students were informed that the class would design and conduct a greenhouse experiment which examines factors that influence the interactions between two plant species. Survey results showed an increase in students' comfort with experimental design and analysis. It is recommended that projects must be flexible to allow students leeway in the design phase. In addition, the complexity of the design can be reduced to increase replication and statistical power.

Abstract  In this study, a self-organizing map (SOM) was utilized to classify habitats in the Chilika lagoon located in India, the largest lagoon ecosystem in Asia (maximum length, 64.3 km; mean width, 20.1 km). The lagoon was marginally eutrophic (nitrate, 0.25 ± 0.22 mg L−1; orthophosphate, 0.26 ± 0.22 mg L−1; n = 1,980, respectively) for six years (1999–2004), and it used to be warm, shallow, turbid and predominantly brackish. The SOM model successfully identified the changing patterns of limnology in the lagoon using the monthly limnological dataset from 30 study sites (July 1999–December 2004). Comparative re-sectoring evaluation of current monitoring sites was accomplished based on the outcome of the modeling. The new site clustering that emerged from the model was similar to conventional ones, and several sites were reorganized. Water physicochemistry was affected by freshwater inflow during monsoon and the new lagoon mouth constructed in September 2000, which resulted in variations in site characteristics in terms of limnology. The results of this study may provide information on the limnological patterns in Chilika lagoon, and they leave room for further study into functional changes in the lagoon ecology with respect to changes in climatic factor, freshwater flow and lagoon morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the study and teaching of the food chain and the ecosystem. It discusses the photography of the artist Catherine Chalmers and presents lesson plan ideas for teachers. Chalmers' photography series "Food Chain" is examined and the ways in which teachers can use the photographs are explored. Tips include asking students to do creative writing on the art, creating their own illustrations of insects, and discussing the view points of different animals in the series. The style of photography is also noted.

The Human-Environment Research Observatory (HERO) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program aimed to develop the next generation of researchers working on place-based human-environment problems. The program followed a cooperative learning model to foster an integrated approach to geographic research and to build collaborative research skills. The program hosted 12-16 students annually, who first engaged in an intensive short course and then formed three- or four-person teams to conduct research in four biophysically and socioeconomically diverse places. The teams used cyberinfrastructure to collaborate and integrate their research and findings. Most of the REU students have opted to attend graduate school and specialize in human-environment research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on a lesson plan in zonation in which students develop an understanding of quantitative sample techniques and learn to evaluate the best methodology for different surveys in different types of areas. Zonation is the distribution of plants and animals into separate spatial areas and includes the study of basic ecological concepts, including unique habitats, predation and competition.

Presents information on Trash Ecology, a hands-on activity designed for Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn, New York Science and Technology Entry Program to expand the scientific knowledge and research experiences of students. Advantages of the activity to instructors; Procedures; Steps in doing field activity; Data analysis.

Tree rings can be used not only to look at plant growth, but also to make connections between plant growth and resource availability. In this lesson, students in 2nd-4th grades use role-play to become familiar with basic requirements of trees and how availability of those resources is related to tree ring sizes and tree growth. These concepts can then lead into studies of ecology and further inquiry-based investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the author's views on assessing students' science process skills through habitat activity programs. She developed an activity involving nature transects, which required students to use process skills to reach a conclusion. According to her, a transect is defined as an imaginary line spanning between two distinctly different habitats. She viewed that observation of an area, collection of data, critical thinking, and evaluation of the data are involved in transecting. She said that nature transects can be an addition to the elementary curriculum, which provide teachers an idea about their students' science-process skills.

The article presents information on the Envirobox Project that aims to develop the understanding of habitat among first- to fifth- grade students from around the United States. In the Project, students sent each other a shoebox containing sixteen environmental samples. After receiving samples, each class started their investigations to identify the samples. The Project offered student-focused questions and investigations and provided many opportunities for interdisciplinary activities. The project was prepared through networking with friends, searching the Internet, and going through address books. The project provided opportunities to students to hypothesize, communicate, record, and interpret samples. The Project allowed students to make connections between science and other disciplines in a significant and comprehensive way.

Discusses how to use team learning and the interrupted journal case method to promote content, process and application learning in an environmental biology course. Case study on wetland delineation; Teaching notes; Classroom management.

Describes a method for teaching the nutrient tolerance of algae. Mathematical and scientific skills involved; Use of the method in cooperative learning groups; Teaching the ecological aspects of nutrient load of mixing natural waters.

Focuses on the use of field trips to wetlands to teach students about ecology and environmental awareness as part of the curriculum in general biology. Sensitivity of mangrove forests and freshwater marshes to wetlands; Wetlands as lands of transition from one ecosystem to the next; Provision of opportunity to compare and contrast different ecosystems.

Features the basic concept of ecosystem and explores the Great Basin to analyze it in all its aspects, including vegetation, relief, resources, and more. Details of restoration of ecosystems, and activities for students; Overall exercise to make students more responsive to environmental needs. INSETS: Looking to the future.;Did you know...?..

This article outlines an exercise that assesses student knowledge of food-web and energy-flow concepts. Students work in teams and use manipulatives to build food-web models based on criteria assigned by the instructor. The models are then peer reviewed according to guidelines supplied by the instructor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]