Re: Teaching Ecology in grades 9-12

[Elmer J. Finck]

Malcolm -- Why cannot ecology be offered at an introductory level?  Is not 
 A & P at the high school introductory?   .You make the assumption that 
all high-school teachers just have a BS.  In Kansas some have MS with 
specialized training in ecology.  gSofd



Malcolm McCallum <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 
Sent by: "Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news" 

09/24/2007 08:56 PM
Please respond to
[EMAIL PROTECTED]


To
ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
cc

Subject
Re: Teaching Ecology in grades 9-12






Most highschool teachers have multiple courses under their belt in
anatomy, physiology and general organismal biology.  They have a well
rounded education in biology with only a single course in ecology.

When they teach biology they have that broad background to draw off of. 
If they teach ecology they have virtually no background to draw off of.

Its is atune to having a person with one math class teach algebra.  And,
we already have enough of that going on in the schools today.  I know of
one person who teaches math and science and doesn't have but a few
courses.  If the coursework and degrees don't matter, then why even have
them?  Ecology is not an introductory course!

I do not think it is wise unless the teacher has special education in the
discipline, and then, I still see no point in watering down the highschool
curriculum with more advanced courses, when the basics are barely
fulfilled.  If the teachers aren't covering the material in general
biology because they are unable to finish the book, its time to raise the
standards and make them finish the book.  The text "Modern Biology" if
they are still using it, simply isn't that difficult to complete.  Place
some expectations on the students beyond tying their shoelaces.  Expect
them to read something outside of class.  IF students were expectations in
reading, writing, and even math were implemented in the general biology
course, maybe the class would make it to the end of the book!  Why? 
because the students who don't care would not take the class and slow it
up.

On Mon, September 24, 2007 3:13 pm, Larry T. Spencer wrote:
> Here's my two cents.  Personally, I would rather have students come
> away from high school with a positive feeling for science and I think
> that they might be achieved more readily by teaching ecology and
> evolution than teaching the Krebs cycle and cell metabolism (not to
> denigrate those topics). I think it might be easier for a student to
> see the idea of hypothesis and hypothesis testing in ecology than in
> the normal science course. The fact that ecology can also be taught
> from a quantitative viewpoint could also mesh well with the math the
> student is taking in other hs classes and perhaps math teacher and
> biology teacher could work together such as they often do at the middle
> school level.
>
> In any case, the fact that the teacher lacks a Ph.D. is not really
> germane to the teaching of ecology or any science at the hs level.  If
> that were true the teacher would need a Ph.D. to teach the Krebs cycle
> and other topics.
>
> Larry
>
>
> --
> Larry T. Spencer, Professor Emeritus of Biology
> Plymouth State University
>
> 
> This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program.
>


Malcolm L. McCallum
Assistant Professor of Biology
Editor Herpetological Conservation and Biology
http://www.herpconbio.org
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

Re: Ecology Text suitable for grades 9-12

[Teresa M. Woods]

Beth,

I second Jim's wonderful suggestion to use the local environment as the
textbook for high school students.  I know field trips are at a
premium, but there's obviously a lot to learn from urban areas too,
including the schoolyard.  A lot can also be brought into the
classroom.  I was a Waldorf teacher for many years, and the students
themselves created their own portfolios that served as their
personalized textbooks on the subjects they learned.  They treasure
them and refer to them for years.  Pressing plants, drawing organisms
and habitats, drawing local food webs, population and community
dynamics, etc.  with detailed text from both your guidance and
their own investigations from different resource books.  Some colleges
use a portfolio model too.

The TIEE online journal (Teaching Issues and Experiments in Ecology) is
also a great resource for ideas and exercises, some of which include
experience with different ecology metrics and experiments. 
http://tiee.ecoed.net/

I also agree with Jim's suggestion about how to use Ricklef's book. 
Another one you might have around as a resource is The Nature
Conservancy's *Precious Heritage: The Status of Biodiversity in the
United States* (2000.  Stein, Kutner and Adams, Ed.).  It has great
chapters you might pull from.

I also think it's fantastic that you're teaching ecology in high school.
 The field of environmental education has been expanding its body of
place-based education research, showing generally positive results in
achievement.  There's an interesting model being implemented in many
public schools called the Environment as Integrating Context (EIC)
model, with often dramatic positive outcomes in areas across the
academic spectrum.  http://www.seer.org/pages/eic.htmlFood for
thought.

Good luck!

Teresa

Teresa M. Woods
CORES Program Coordinator
25A Seaton Hall
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS  66506-2905
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
785-532-9834



Quoting "James J. Roper" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:

> Beth,
>
> It is fantastic that you are teaching ecology to younger students.
> But,
> I think you do not need a text book, especially to make it
> interesting
> for the students.  First, YOU should have a text book for yourself -
> and
> I recommend Ricklefs, for several reasons, one of which is the
> extensive
> web-based information that you can access.  Use that book to guide
> YOU
> and your students, but make them study the topics based on their own
> experiences, logic, directed readings from (perhaps) chapters from
> Ricklefs and a variety of popular books (Tropical Nature, any of the
> many books about Darwin, and so on).  Have them research local flora
> and
> fauna using Field Guides from your area. You present them with
> questions
> about how natural selection (and evolution by natural selection)
> would
> work, and so on and so forth.  Get the students involved as active
> participants in nature - books are too dry.  I teach many field
> courses
> and see that most college students (and each year is worse) have no
> field experience - they don't even know what common birds (easy to
> see),
> plants (even easier) and other organisms are, much less what they do.
> If students started learning about ecology by watching nature rather
> than keeping their noses in books, I think they would be better off
> (don´t get me wrong, they will absolutely NEED books to help them
> understand what they see!).
>
> Cheers,
>
> Jim
>
> Beth Callaghan said the following on 23/Sep/07 12:52:
> > Anyone have any recommendations on an ecology text suitable for
> grades 9-12?  thanks.
> >
> > Beth Callaghan
> > Easthampton High School
> > Easthampton, MA
> >
> >
>
> --
>
>
>   James J. Roper, Ph.D.
>
> James J. Roper
> Ecologia e Dinâmicas Populacionais
> de Vertebrados Terrestres
>

> Caixa Postal 19034
> 81531-990 Curitiba, Paraná, Brasil
>

> E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
> Telefone: 55 41 33857249
> celular: 55 41 99870543
>

> Ecologia e Conservação na UFPR 
> Econciência - Consultoria e Traduções
> 
>

>
>

Post-doctoral Position: Landscape / Invasive Plant Ecologist

[Donald M. Waller]

Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply for a Research Associate post-
doctoral position with Prof. Don Waller in the Department of Botany at the 
University of Wisconsin – Madison. This position is supported by a grant 
from the USDA–CSREES program on weedy invasive species. It will provide a 
stimulating work environment and strong training opportunity.

Project: Our interactive group is studying historical and current patterns 
of weedy plant invasion into the forests of S and N Wisconsin, focusing 
primarily on Alliaria petiolata, Rhamnus cathartica, and Lonicera x bella. 
We are interested in evaluating how local site and surrounding landscape 
conditions combine to affect patterns of invasion; the impacts of these 
invaders on tree regeneration and understory diversity; and how invading 
plants interact with exotic earthworms and deer herbivory to affect forest 
understory communities.

This project is supported by an award from the USDA-NRI CREEES program:
“Predicting invasions and their impacts on forest regeneration and plant 
diversity”
Further details about the projects and this award can be found 
under “Grant Proposals” at:
http://idisk.mac.com/donwaller-Public  
For further information about activities of the Waller Lab and reprints of 
recent work, see:  http://www.botany.wisc.edu/waller/

Qualifications & Skills sought:
We seek recent PhD’s with skills in some reasonable subset of the 
following:
* The application of geo-spatial / GIS analyses to analyzing ecological 
data including proficiency with ArcGIS
* Expertise in statistics including experimental design, exploratory 
analysis, general linear models, structural equation modeling, regression 
trees, and/or neural net analysis
* Knowledge of the eastern / Midwestern flora and plant communities
* Ability and willingness to work effectively as part of a team
* Excellent writing and communication skills
* Knowledge and experience in managing databases (e.g., Access)
* Experience supervising students and/or technical staff

Term: 1.5 – 2.5 years, starting Winter 2007 or Spring 2008
Closing Date: Open until filled
Compensation: Starting salary of ~$36K, commensurate with skills & 
experience, plus an excellent benefits package including high-quality 
health care and ice fishing in the winter . . .

Application Procedures:
Please look over the materials mentioned above and then compose an 
application consisting of:
1. A cover letter specifically addressing which of the skills and  
qualifications listed above that you would bring to the position
2. A current curriculum vitae
3. 1-2 (p)reprints of your papers or manuscripts – pdf’s are fine
4. A list of 3-4 references including current contact information (email 
and phone number)
5. A 1-2 page statement laying out:
   a) what you expect or hope to get out of this experience,
   b) what particular aspects of the position most interest you (and why)

Please send a full set of application materials (preferably as email 
attachments) to:
Don Waller  [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Dept. of Botany (608) 263-2042
232 Birge Hall
430 Lincoln Drive
University of Wisconsin
Madison, WI 53706 USA

Re: [Fwd: Re: Why is ecology taught at the HS]

[tim knab]

Perhaps I can add some light from the perspective of a not-too-long-ago
student. I'm currently a senior undergraduate. My high school offered no
such programs in Environmental Science, nor any Ecology courses. In fact, I
was almost completely unaware of such fields until I entered more
science-related fields at my University (last year or so). I believe if more
High Schools had Ecology courses -- especially those that involved the
student outdoors in some way -- many young people may appreciate nature even
more. It allows ones interests to be sparked at a younger age.

I believe letting students actually see ecology in action -- visiting areas
in nature with a teacher -- is the most fruitful experience of them all. As
often, there is a disconnect between the theoretical knowledge we obtain by
power point slides, and the real life observations and applications in
"reality". Students sometimes have to seek this connection themselves, as
what they learn about species interaction, ecological processes, ect -- is
purely through black and white text or chalk.

I wish the best to all,
tk





On 9/24/07, Howie Neufeld <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> Dear All - To add another tangent to this discussion, the teaching of
> ecology at the high school level can be very crucial for raising student
> interest in the field, as well as in the allied field of environmental
> science (or perhaps any field of science!).  When I was in high school
> in the late 1960s, I had an outstanding high school biology teacher, Mr.
> Paul Hummer, who went on to be MD state biology teacher of the year, and
> a high school biology textbook author.  I remember during my senior year
> we did an ecosystem project, where once a week, we were taken in a bus
> up to the city watershed to look at ecosystem processes.  If I recall
> correctly, we spent half a day doing this for about 6 weeks in the fall
> before it got cold.  We measured litter depths and amounts, extracted
> soil microfauna using Berlese funnels, measured tree diameters,
> collected salamanders, and so on.  The project was very intensive, yet a
> lot of fun, and I still recall it fondly now more than 37 years later.
> I still even have my final report!  This one class got me hooked on
> ecology at the time, and my take home  message is: do something fun for
> the students, outside of the classroom, in the field.  As Silvert
> implies, the rewards will last a lifetime.
> As for a book, I can't remember what we used (we had BSCS Biology as
> our text) but I think the particular text is less useful than the field
> experience itself.
> Howie Neufeld (incipient geezer)
>
>
>
>  Original Message 
> Subject:Re: Why is ecology taught at the HS
> Date:   Mon, 24 Sep 2007 16:38:13 +0100
> From:   William Silvert <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Reply-To:   William Silvert <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
>
>
>
> An interesting tangent to this discussion, and I would like to take it a
> bit
> farther afield. For me the important aspect of studying science is not the
> collection of facts that one is exposed to, but rather a way of seeing the
> world and learning to interpret one's own observations. Subjects where one
> can actually see things that lead to scientific conclusions are ideal from
> this point of view, and students can see ecology in the field and also see
> lots of informative programs on TV. I think they get more out of ecology
> than, say genetics, despite the newsworthy importance of genetics.
>
> It is a delight to show people something that has been before them all
> their
> lives that they have never seen. My favourite experience with this was
> actually in geology, when I took my kids to a crowded beach below a cliff
> and at one point showed them some vertical strata and asked them to try to
> imagine what it must have taken to tilt those stones 90 degrees. Many of
> the
> people who were near us overheard me, and the astonishment on their faces
> when they realised what had happened there was one of my greatest rewards
> for studying science.
>
> Bill Silvert
>
>
> - Original Message -
> From: "Esat Atikkan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: 
> Sent: Monday, September 24, 2007 2:32 PM
> Subject: Why is ecology taught at the HS
>
>
> > Interesting point to question offering at the HS level.
> >  I teach a variety of ecology - mar bio courses at a local community
> > college and can add an observation - students who have had an enviro
> biol
> > or ecology course at HS are better equipped to become part of the 'field
> > ecology' course and related courses.
> >  The conclusion may not be statistically significant, but the
> correlation
> > has been obvious.
> >  Esat Atikkan
> >
> >
> >  E. Esat Atikkan, Ph.D.
> >  Adj. Prof., Biol.
> >  Montgomery College, Rockville
> >  51 Manakee St
> >  Rockville, MD 20850, USA
> >
> > Malcolm McCallum <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >  Try using one of the environmental science texts like Mi

Post-doctoral position – Plant Community Ecologist

[Donald M. Waller]

Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply for a Research Associate post-
doc position with Prof. Don Waller in the Department of Botany at the 
University of Wisconsin – Madison. This position (supported by NSF’s 
Ecology program) will provide an exciting work environment and exceptional 
training opportunity.

Project: Our group is evaluating patterns of long-term ecological change 
in Wisconsin forest plant communities. Our primary goals are to determine 
how ecological conditions interact with species characteristics to affect 
community dynamics. We are particularly interested in learning how site 
and landscape conditions interact with plant functional traits to 
determine stochastic patterns of species persistence, colonization, and 
local extinction. The work is supported by an NSF grant entitled: “A 
functional approach to analyzing long-term change in plant communities”

Further details about the project can be found under “Grant Proposals” at: 
http://idisk.mac.com/donwaller-Public  
For further information about activities of the Waller Lab and reprints of 
recent work, see: http://www.botany.wisc.edu/waller/

Qualifications & Skills sought:
We seek recent PhD’s with skills in some reasonable subset of the 
following:
* Expertise on the measurement and functional analysis of plant traits
* Experience and expertise with data management and databases (e.g., MS   
Access)
* Interest and expertise in analyzing theoretical models and/or empirical 
patterns of community structure and change – macroecology, neutral models, 
etc.
* Expertise in multivariate statistical analysis
* Proficiency in applying ordination techniques (e.g., PCOrd or Primer)
* Experience supervising students and/or technical staff
* Knowledge of the eastern / Midwestern flora and plant communities
* Excellent writing and communication skills
* Ability and willingness to work effectively as part of a team

Term: 1.5 – 2.5 years, starting Winter or Spring 2007-08
Closing Date: Open until filled
Compensation: Starting salary of ~$36K, commensurate with skills & 
experience, plus an excellent benefits package including high-quality 
health care and ice fishing in the winter . . .

Application Procedures:
Please look over the materials mentioned above and then compose an 
application consisting of:
1. A cover letter specifically addressing which of the skills and 
qualifications listed above that you would bring to the position
2. A current curriculum vitae
3. 1-2 (p)reprints of your papers or manuscripts – pdf’s are fine
4. A list of 3-4 references including current contact information (email 
and phone number)
5. A 1-2 page statement laying out:
   a) what you expect or hope to get out of this experience,
   b) what particular aspects of the position most interest you (and why)

Please send application materials (preferably as email attachments) to:
Don Waller   ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
Dept. of Botany (608) 263-2042
232 Birge Hall
430 Lincoln Drive
University of Wisconsin
Madison, WI 53706 USA

Re: Ecology Text suitable for grades 9-12

[Wirt Atmar]

Bill Hilton writes:

> Having taught biology (and ecology) at traditional high schools and
> also at a residential gifted and talented high school, I'm astonished
> by Malcolm's questioning the teaching of ecology at that level. It's
> an entirely appropriate time to introduce ALL students to the basics
> of ecology, and junior high would be even better.
>
> The problem with most high school biology courses these days is they
> are based primarily on a pre-med approach to the subject matter.
> Teachers are pretty good at getting across things like cell biology,
> Punnett squares, and photosynthesis, but ecology (and evolution and
> botany and zoology, etc.) are often in chapters at the back of the
> text that are never reached before the course ends.

I've never taught high school, indeed by chance I've never even taught an
undergraduate class in biology, but we have several users of our software that
do. One of our users, who does have a PhD in mammalogy, who is a former student
and who does teach high school zoology, ecology and human biology at a
well-regarded Catholic girls' academy, uses Holt, Rinehart & Winston's "Modern
Biology." I believe that he is quite satisfied with the book.

I've looked at the book in some detail and I too think that it's quite
excellent. More importantly, it's not a college textbook. It's designed for an
introductory year of biology at the high school level and touches on all aspects
of biology, including ecology, evolution and the concepts of organization at
multiple levels.

By chance, because of his efforts, I have Chapter 1 of the book loaded on one of
our servers. Chapter 1 outlines the material to come in the remainder of the
text.

HR&W supplies additional supplements with the book, including an audio rendering
of the text and PDFs of each of its pages. He combined the audio and PDF images
using our software. Because he showed me what he was doing, I happen to have
Chapter 1 available on-line here:

   http://67.41.4.238/books/modernbiology/chapter1/chp1.qcshow

He did this for the entire book and the book's loaded on his internal server so
that it's available to his students, but it's not accessible from the outside.
While the material is copyrighted, I consider showing you this chapter a potent
advertisement for HR&W's book, which I obviously have no financial interest
otherwise.

To view the chapter, you will need to download and install our (Windows-only)
player:

   http://www.aics-research.com/qcshow/playerhome.html

Quick instructions on using the player occur just below the downloading
instructions.

Wirt Atmar

Re: Teaching Ecology in grades 9-12

[Malcolm McCallum]

Most highschool teachers have multiple courses under their belt in
anatomy, physiology and general organismal biology.  They have a well
rounded education in biology with only a single course in ecology.

When they teach biology they have that broad background to draw off of. 
If they teach ecology they have virtually no background to draw off of.

Its is atune to having a person with one math class teach algebra.  And,
we already have enough of that going on in the schools today.  I know of
one person who teaches math and science and doesn't have but a few
courses.  If the coursework and degrees don't matter, then why even have
them?  Ecology is not an introductory course!

I do not think it is wise unless the teacher has special education in the
discipline, and then, I still see no point in watering down the highschool
curriculum with more advanced courses, when the basics are barely
fulfilled.  If the teachers aren't covering the material in general
biology because they are unable to finish the book, its time to raise the
standards and make them finish the book.  The text "Modern Biology" if
they are still using it, simply isn't that difficult to complete.  Place
some expectations on the students beyond tying their shoelaces.  Expect
them to read something outside of class.  IF students were expectations in
reading, writing, and even math were implemented in the general biology
course, maybe the class would make it to the end of the book!  Why? 
because the students who don't care would not take the class and slow it
up.

On Mon, September 24, 2007 3:13 pm, Larry T. Spencer wrote:
> Here's my two cents.  Personally, I would rather have students come
> away from high school with a positive feeling for science and I think
> that they might be achieved more readily by teaching ecology and
> evolution than teaching the Krebs cycle and cell metabolism (not to
> denigrate those topics). I think it might be easier for a student to
> see the idea of hypothesis and hypothesis testing in ecology than in
> the normal science course. The fact that ecology can also be taught
> from a quantitative viewpoint could also mesh well with the math the
> student is taking in other hs classes and perhaps math teacher and
> biology teacher could work together such as they often do at the middle
> school level.
>
> In any case, the fact that the teacher lacks a Ph.D. is not really
> germane to the teaching of ecology or any science at the hs level.  If
> that were true the teacher would need a Ph.D. to teach the Krebs cycle
> and other topics.
>
> Larry
>
>
> --
> Larry T. Spencer, Professor Emeritus of Biology
> Plymouth State University
>
> 
> This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program.
>


Malcolm L. McCallum
Assistant Professor of Biology
Editor Herpetological Conservation and Biology
http://www.herpconbio.org
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

Teaching Ecology in grades 9-12

[Larry T. Spencer]

Here's my two cents.  Personally, I would rather have students come 
away from high school with a positive feeling for science and I think 
that they might be achieved more readily by teaching ecology and 
evolution than teaching the Krebs cycle and cell metabolism (not to 
denigrate those topics). I think it might be easier for a student to 
see the idea of hypothesis and hypothesis testing in ecology than in 
the normal science course. The fact that ecology can also be taught 
from a quantitative viewpoint could also mesh well with the math the 
student is taking in other hs classes and perhaps math teacher and 
biology teacher could work together such as they often do at the middle 
school level.

In any case, the fact that the teacher lacks a Ph.D. is not really 
germane to the teaching of ecology or any science at the hs level.  If 
that were true the teacher would need a Ph.D. to teach the Krebs cycle 
and other topics.

Larry


-- 
Larry T. Spencer, Professor Emeritus of Biology
Plymouth State University


This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program.

post-doctoral position in land-atmosphere interactions

[Henebry, Geoffrey]

We seek a broadly trained scientist to work on a project funded by NASA
to explore the biogeophysical consequences of expanded cultivation of
biofuel feedstocks across the Northern Great Plains.

=20

The post-doc will interact with an interdisciplinary team of scientists
from South Dakota State University (SDSU), South Dakota School of Mines
and Technology, and the USGS Center for EROS. Desired qualifications
include experience with mesoscale meteorological modeling (e.g., MM5 or
WRF-ARW) and/or land surface hydrological modeling (e.g., SWAT or VIC)
as well as remote sensing and geospatial data processing, programming,
and analysis. The position is based in the Geographic Information
Sciences Center of Excellence (GIScCE) at SDSU.

=20

Salary and benefits are competitive and the State of South Dakota levies
no income tax. The position is initially available for one year and
renewable for up to two additional years. Email an application letter,
CV, reprints, and contact information of three references before
November 1st to [EMAIL PROTECTED] US citizenship is not
required; SDSU is an AA/EEO employer and encourages applications from
women and minorities. For additional information about the position and
GIScCE visit the Opportunities page at
http://globalmonitoring.sdstate.edu
 .

=20

=20

[Fwd: Re: Why is ecology taught at the HS]

[Howie Neufeld]

Dear All - To add another tangent to this discussion, the teaching of 
ecology at the high school level can be very crucial for raising student 
interest in the field, as well as in the allied field of environmental 
science (or perhaps any field of science!).  When I was in high school 
in the late 1960s, I had an outstanding high school biology teacher, Mr. 
Paul Hummer, who went on to be MD state biology teacher of the year, and 
a high school biology textbook author.  I remember during my senior year 
we did an ecosystem project, where once a week, we were taken in a bus 
up to the city watershed to look at ecosystem processes.  If I recall 
correctly, we spent half a day doing this for about 6 weeks in the fall 
before it got cold.  We measured litter depths and amounts, extracted 
soil microfauna using Berlese funnels, measured tree diameters, 
collected salamanders, and so on.  The project was very intensive, yet a 
lot of fun, and I still recall it fondly now more than 37 years later.  
I still even have my final report!  This one class got me hooked on 
ecology at the time, and my take home  message is: do something fun for 
the students, outside of the classroom, in the field.  As Silvert 
implies, the rewards will last a lifetime. 
As for a book, I can't remember what we used (we had BSCS Biology as 
our text) but I think the particular text is less useful than the field 
experience itself.
Howie Neufeld (incipient geezer)



 Original Message 
Subject:Re: Why is ecology taught at the HS
Date:   Mon, 24 Sep 2007 16:38:13 +0100
From:   William Silvert <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To:   William Silvert <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU



An interesting tangent to this discussion, and I would like to take it a bit 
farther afield. For me the important aspect of studying science is not the 
collection of facts that one is exposed to, but rather a way of seeing the 
world and learning to interpret one's own observations. Subjects where one 
can actually see things that lead to scientific conclusions are ideal from 
this point of view, and students can see ecology in the field and also see 
lots of informative programs on TV. I think they get more out of ecology 
than, say genetics, despite the newsworthy importance of genetics.

It is a delight to show people something that has been before them all their 
lives that they have never seen. My favourite experience with this was 
actually in geology, when I took my kids to a crowded beach below a cliff 
and at one point showed them some vertical strata and asked them to try to 
imagine what it must have taken to tilt those stones 90 degrees. Many of the 
people who were near us overheard me, and the astonishment on their faces 
when they realised what had happened there was one of my greatest rewards 
for studying science.

Bill Silvert


- Original Message - 
From: "Esat Atikkan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: 
Sent: Monday, September 24, 2007 2:32 PM
Subject: Why is ecology taught at the HS


> Interesting point to question offering at the HS level.
>  I teach a variety of ecology - mar bio courses at a local community 
> college and can add an observation - students who have had an enviro biol 
> or ecology course at HS are better equipped to become part of the 'field 
> ecology' course and related courses.
>  The conclusion may not be statistically significant, but the correlation 
> has been obvious.
>  Esat Atikkan
>
>
>  E. Esat Atikkan, Ph.D.
>  Adj. Prof., Biol.
>  Montgomery College, Rockville
>  51 Manakee St
>  Rockville, MD 20850, USA
>
> Malcolm McCallum <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>  Try using one of the environmental science texts like Miller. Do not use
> Molles, it is terrible. Having said this, I question why ecology is being
> offered in a highschool. Few community colleges offer this selection, let
> alone highschools. Many highschools these days are broadening their
> curricula. Meanwhile, students have problems reading, writing, and don't
> understand the basic biology, chemistry, or other electives. This doesn't
> mean you should not offer it, just something to consider.
>
>
> Something
>
> On Sun, September 23, 2007 10:52 am, Beth Callaghan wrote:
>> Anyone have any recommendations on an ecology text suitable for grades
>> 9-12? thanks.
>>
>> Beth Callaghan
>> Easthampton High School
>> Easthampton, MA
>>
>
>
> Malcolm L. McCallum
> Assistant Professor of Biology
> Editor Herpetological Conservation and Biology
> http://www.herpconbio.org
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
>
> -
> Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone who 
> knows.
> Yahoo! Answers - Check it out.
>
> 


-- 
Dr. Howard S. Neufeld, Professor
Department of Biology
572 Rivers Street
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC 28608

email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
departmental webpage: http://www.biology.appstate.edu/faculty/neufeldhs.htm
personal webpage: http:

Re: Ecology Text suitable for grades 9-12

[James J. Roper]

Beth,

It is fantastic that you are teaching ecology to younger students.  But, 
I think you do not need a text book, especially to make it interesting 
for the students.  First, YOU should have a text book for yourself - and 
I recommend Ricklefs, for several reasons, one of which is the extensive 
web-based information that you can access.  Use that book to guide YOU 
and your students, but make them study the topics based on their own 
experiences, logic, directed readings from (perhaps) chapters from 
Ricklefs and a variety of popular books (Tropical Nature, any of the 
many books about Darwin, and so on).  Have them research local flora and 
fauna using Field Guides from your area. You present them with questions 
about how natural selection (and evolution by natural selection) would 
work, and so on and so forth.  Get the students involved as active 
participants in nature - books are too dry.  I teach many field courses 
and see that most college students (and each year is worse) have no 
field experience - they don't even know what common birds (easy to see), 
plants (even easier) and other organisms are, much less what they do.  
If students started learning about ecology by watching nature rather 
than keeping their noses in books, I think they would be better off 
(don´t get me wrong, they will absolutely NEED books to help them 
understand what they see!).

Cheers,

Jim

Beth Callaghan said the following on 23/Sep/07 12:52:
> Anyone have any recommendations on an ecology text suitable for grades 9-12?  
> thanks.
>
> Beth Callaghan
> Easthampton High School
> Easthampton, MA
>
>   

-- 


  James J. Roper, Ph.D.

James J. Roper
Ecologia e Dinâmicas Populacionais
de Vertebrados Terrestres

Caixa Postal 19034
81531-990 Curitiba, Paraná, Brasil

E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Telefone: 55 41 33857249
celular: 55 41 99870543

Ecologia e Conservação na UFPR 
Econciência - Consultoria e Traduções 

Re: Ecology Text suitable for grades 9-12

[Research at Hilton Pond]

Having taught biology (and ecology) at traditional high schools and 
also at a residential gifted and talented high school, I'm astonished 
by Malcolm's questioning the teaching of ecology at that level. It's 
an entirely appropriate time to introduce ALL students to the basics 
of ecology, and junior high would be even better.

The problem with most high school biology courses these days is they 
are based primarily on a pre-med approach to the subject matter. 
Teachers are pretty good at getting across things like cell biology, 
Punnett squares, and photosynthesis, but ecology (and evolution and 
botany and zoology, etc.) are often in chapters at the back of the 
text that are never reached before the course ends.

Although it's important for high school graduates to understand the 
basics of cytology, genetics, and biochemistry, it's far more 
critical for them to know about the big picture than to memorize 
minutiae that can be looked up in a hurry on Google. An ecology 
course is the ideal place to learn how the world works and how human 
beings impact daily on natural processes.

Indeed, high school students DO need to improve their math and 
writing skills, but they also are required to take a certain number 
of elective courses. Why not have one of those choices be ecology?

I know from experience that most high school students get far more 
excited about a field trip to study the local marsh than they do 
about memorizing the Krebs Cycle. The corollary is that we can turn 
kids on to science a lot faster and with longer-lasting impact with a 
well-designed ecology course.

Perhaps it would be even better if ALL high school students took a 
required course in ecology BEFORE they cover some of the topics that 
make up typical introductory high school biology courses.

Best wishes,

BILL

=

>Try using one of the environmental science texts like Miller.  Do not use
>Molles, it is terrible.  Having said this, I question why ecology is being
>offered in a highschool. Few community colleges offer this selection, let
>alone highschools.  Many highschools these days are broadening their
>curricula.  Meanwhile, students have problems reading, writing, and don't
>understand the basic biology, chemistry, or other electives.  This doesn't
>mean you should not offer it, just something to consider.
>
>
>Something
>
>On Sun, September 23, 2007 10:52 am, Beth Callaghan wrote:
>>  Anyone have any recommendations on an ecology text suitable for grades
>>  9-12?  thanks.
>>
>>  Beth Callaghan
>>  Easthampton High School
>>  Easthampton, MA
>>
>
>
>Malcolm L. McCallum
>Assistant Professor of Biology
>Editor Herpetological Conservation and Biology
>http://www.herpconbio.org
>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>[EMAIL PROTECTED]

-- 

RESEARCH PROGRAM
c/o BILL HILTON JR. Executive Director
Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History
1432 DeVinney Road, York, South Carolina 29745 USA
[EMAIL PROTECTED], (803) 684-5852, eFax: (503) 218-0845

Please visit our web sites (courtesy of Comporium.net):
Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History at http://www.hiltonpond.org
"Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project" at http://www.rubythroat.org

**

Re: Ecology Text and teaching ecology to HS

[Robert Hamilton]

The ecology I know is one of the most quantitative of sciences. It has
also been my experience that it is quantitative methods that students
tend to find "inaccessible". Ecology before college would be a good way
to introduce people to quantitative methods and their use in science.

Rob Hamilton

"So easy it seemed once found, which yet
unfound most would have thought impossible"

John Milton


Robert G. Hamilton
Department of Biological Sciences
Mississippi College
P.O. Box 4045
200 South Capitol Street
Clinton, MS 39058
Phone: (601) 925-3872 
FAX (601) 925-3978

>>> Rachel Schwartz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 9/24/2007 10:34 AM >>>
I recommend Molles' text (assuming you really feel the need to use a
textbook, and I probably would only use it as reference) despite the
previous comment.  Many EcoEd members use Molles according to a survey
by
the ESA education coordinator (join EcoEd if you want to chat about
teaching
ecology).  As for why ecology should be taught before college, as a
couple
of other members have commented the subject is much more accessible to
students than other areas of biology.  Once students are excited about
ecology then you can get into teaching other aspects of biology,
including
any fundamentals you feel students need to understand ecological
phenomena,
and they'll actually listen (take a look at education literature for
research and theory to back this up).

Rachel Schwartz
NSF GK-12 Fellow
PhD candidate in Ecology
University of California, Davis

Department Head position--University of Louisiana at Monroe

[Ricky Fiorillo]

Please post:

 

The University of Louisiana at Monroe invites applications for the position
of Head of the Department of Biology.  This is a position at the associate
or full professor rank with a contract starting date of August 2008
(contingent on funding).  The head is expected to have a strong commitment
to advancing the research and teaching missions of the undergraduate and MS
programs.  The department includes 19 faculty, over 300 undergraduate
majors, and ~ 30 MS students.  The successful candidate will possess a Ph.D.
in the biological sciences, demonstrated administrative experience,
significant accomplishments in teaching, research productivity, external
funding experience, and excellent communication skills.  Additional
information can be found at www.ulm.edu/ biology
 . 

 

Review of applicants will begin immediately and continue until the position
is filled.

Applicants should send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, summary of
teaching, research, and administrative philosophies, and the names and
contact information for three references to:  Biology Search Committee,
College of Arts and Sciences, University of Louisiana at Monroe, 700
University Ave., Monroe, LA  71209.  

 

 

Ricky Fiorillo, Ph.D.

Department of Biology

209 Garrett Hall

University of Louisiana at Monroe

Monroe LA 71209

318-342-1797

Email   [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Web page www.ulm.edu/~fiorillo/

 

Re: Ecology Text suitable for grades 9-12

[Malcolm McCallum]

Why is it a bad idea?

How about we just dump the entire highschool curriculum and turn it into a
college curriculum?  Have them take engineering, ecology, linguistics,
differential equations.

Never mind that few highschool teachers have phds in ecology.
Never mind that few highschool teachers have masters in ecology.
Never mind that in some regions, highschool teachers may not have even
take ecology!

AP ecology is a real mess.  We have people with M.Ed.s teaching college
courses, that, had they been offered at the university proper the teacher
would have been ineligible!  When was the last time you got a class full
of freshman and said, "gee they were well prepared by their highschool?" 
I can identify individuals who were well prepared, but I see no real
trends with Highschools, except that some are really bad and some are
adequate.  Adding in more electives is not going to solve or help with
this problem and could even make it worse.

Some community colleges in Illinois and Missouri offered ecology as I
recall, but more often they offered environmental science.  Which brings
me to a different point.  EVS and Ecol are completely different fields! 
Unfortunately, most community colleges and highschools (even universities)
that teach EVS teach it as a watered down ecology class.  EVS should be
multidisciplinary in focus.  It should have biological, chemical,
geological, mathematical, economic, and political components!  It is not a
glossed over ecology course! :)

If Highschools were regularly sending me well prepared students I would
not be so hard on this topic.  In preparation I am not speaking of
ability.  These kids don't know how to take notes, they can't spell or do
basic math, despite having good grades!  Is this preparation for college?


On Mon, September 24, 2007 5:06 am, Chris Williams wrote:
> Miller is a good text and I have used it before.
>
> Additionally, many community colleges ARE offering ecology and
> environmental
> science since 1) it is required for many education majors in addition to
> current teachers that are seeking re-certification (many states require an
> environmental science class) and 2) ecology and environmental science are
> two of a handful of courses that people who "don't like science" will
> actually take and will actually get them EXCITED and EDUCATED about
> science.
>
> And that is also why it is offered at some high schools. At some schools
> it
> is offered as an advanced class for those that are looking to get a head
> start in college. For others, the students have not done well in science
> and
> would probably not take a science class at all. But if there are more
> attractive sounding options such as ecology or environmental science, then
> they would take these classes and they would at least get some science
> that
> they wouldn't have otherwise considered. It can increase their scientific
> literacy - so why is that a bad idea?
>
> Penny Rodrick-Williams
> Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology
> University of Delaware
> 253 Townsend Hall
> Newark, DE 19716
> 302-831-1507
>
>>-Original Message-
>>From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news
>>[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Malcolm McCallum
>>Sent: Sunday, September 23, 2007 2:33 PM
>>To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
>>Subject: Re: Ecology Text suitable for grades 9-12
>>
>>Try using one of the environmental science texts like Miller.  Do not use
>>Molles, it is terrible.  Having said this, I question why ecology is
>> being
>>offered in a highschool. Few community colleges offer this selection, let
>>alone highschools.  Many highschools these days are broadening their
>>curricula.  Meanwhile, students have problems reading, writing, and don't
>>understand the basic biology, chemistry, or other electives.  This
>> doesn't
>>mean you should not offer it, just something to consider.
>>
>>
>>Something
>>
>>On Sun, September 23, 2007 10:52 am, Beth Callaghan wrote:
>>> Anyone have any recommendations on an ecology text suitable for grades
>>> 9-12?  thanks.
>>>
>>> Beth Callaghan
>>> Easthampton High School
>>> Easthampton, MA
>>>
>>
>>
>>Malcolm L. McCallum
>>Assistant Professor of Biology
>>Editor Herpetological Conservation and Biology
>>http://www.herpconbio.org
>>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>
>


Malcolm L. McCallum
Assistant Professor of Biology
Editor Herpetological Conservation and Biology
http://www.herpconbio.org
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

Re: Ecology Text and teaching ecology to HS

[Malcolm McCallum]

I have no doubt that adding an ecology course to highschool could improve
ecology grades in college.  However, the students coming out of
highschools in the five states where I taught/teach college biology aren't
prepared enough to take intro to biology let alone ecology.

I would use Smith and Smith, it covers the material and has been around
long enough that the various publishing errors and miswritten definitions
are no longer a factor.  I haven't used the book in two years, so they may
have straitened out the problems by now.  IT was getting rave reviews from
the schools where teaching evolution was a problem.  I think the book
dumbs down a lot if areas to the point of being marginally correct.  I
recall the community ecology section being poor and I was very unhappy
with it.  THere is a place for Molles, maybe highschool is it, but I would
never use it in my college classes again.  Too many students came back
from reading it with misconceptions arising from the way the author
presented ecological and evolutionary phenomena.


On Mon, September 24, 2007 10:34 am, Rachel Schwartz wrote:
> I recommend Molles' text (assuming you really feel the need to use a
> textbook, and I probably would only use it as reference) despite the
> previous comment.  Many EcoEd members use Molles according to a survey by
> the ESA education coordinator (join EcoEd if you want to chat about
> teaching
> ecology).  As for why ecology should be taught before college, as a couple
> of other members have commented the subject is much more accessible to
> students than other areas of biology.  Once students are excited about
> ecology then you can get into teaching other aspects of biology, including
> any fundamentals you feel students need to understand ecological
> phenomena,
> and they'll actually listen (take a look at education literature for
> research and theory to back this up).
>
> Rachel Schwartz
> NSF GK-12 Fellow
> PhD candidate in Ecology
> University of California, Davis
>


Malcolm L. McCallum
Assistant Professor of Biology
Editor Herpetological Conservation and Biology
http://www.herpconbio.org
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

Re: Ecology Text and teaching ecology to HS

[Rachel Schwartz]

I recommend Molles' text (assuming you really feel the need to use a
textbook, and I probably would only use it as reference) despite the
previous comment.  Many EcoEd members use Molles according to a survey by
the ESA education coordinator (join EcoEd if you want to chat about teaching
ecology).  As for why ecology should be taught before college, as a couple
of other members have commented the subject is much more accessible to
students than other areas of biology.  Once students are excited about
ecology then you can get into teaching other aspects of biology, including
any fundamentals you feel students need to understand ecological phenomena,
and they'll actually listen (take a look at education literature for
research and theory to back this up).

Rachel Schwartz
NSF GK-12 Fellow
PhD candidate in Ecology
University of California, Davis

Re: Why is ecology taught at the HS

[William Silvert]

An interesting tangent to this discussion, and I would like to take it a bit 
farther afield. For me the important aspect of studying science is not the 
collection of facts that one is exposed to, but rather a way of seeing the 
world and learning to interpret one's own observations. Subjects where one 
can actually see things that lead to scientific conclusions are ideal from 
this point of view, and students can see ecology in the field and also see 
lots of informative programs on TV. I think they get more out of ecology 
than, say genetics, despite the newsworthy importance of genetics.

It is a delight to show people something that has been before them all their 
lives that they have never seen. My favourite experience with this was 
actually in geology, when I took my kids to a crowded beach below a cliff 
and at one point showed them some vertical strata and asked them to try to 
imagine what it must have taken to tilt those stones 90 degrees. Many of the 
people who were near us overheard me, and the astonishment on their faces 
when they realised what had happened there was one of my greatest rewards 
for studying science.

Bill Silvert


- Original Message - 
From: "Esat Atikkan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: 
Sent: Monday, September 24, 2007 2:32 PM
Subject: Why is ecology taught at the HS


> Interesting point to question offering at the HS level.
>  I teach a variety of ecology - mar bio courses at a local community 
> college and can add an observation - students who have had an enviro biol 
> or ecology course at HS are better equipped to become part of the 'field 
> ecology' course and related courses.
>  The conclusion may not be statistically significant, but the correlation 
> has been obvious.
>  Esat Atikkan
>
>
>  E. Esat Atikkan, Ph.D.
>  Adj. Prof., Biol.
>  Montgomery College, Rockville
>  51 Manakee St
>  Rockville, MD 20850, USA
>
> Malcolm McCallum <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>  Try using one of the environmental science texts like Miller. Do not use
> Molles, it is terrible. Having said this, I question why ecology is being
> offered in a highschool. Few community colleges offer this selection, let
> alone highschools. Many highschools these days are broadening their
> curricula. Meanwhile, students have problems reading, writing, and don't
> understand the basic biology, chemistry, or other electives. This doesn't
> mean you should not offer it, just something to consider.
>
>
> Something
>
> On Sun, September 23, 2007 10:52 am, Beth Callaghan wrote:
>> Anyone have any recommendations on an ecology text suitable for grades
>> 9-12? thanks.
>>
>> Beth Callaghan
>> Easthampton High School
>> Easthampton, MA
>>
>
>
> Malcolm L. McCallum
> Assistant Professor of Biology
> Editor Herpetological Conservation and Biology
> http://www.herpconbio.org
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
>
> -
> Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone who 
> knows.
> Yahoo! Answers - Check it out.
>
> 

Why is ecology taught at the HS

[Esat Atikkan]

Interesting point to question offering at the HS level.
  I teach a variety of ecology - mar bio courses at a local community college 
and can add an observation - students who have had an enviro biol or ecology 
course at HS are better equipped to become part of the 'field ecology' course 
and related courses.  
  The conclusion may not be statistically significant, but the correlation has 
been obvious.
  Esat Atikkan
   
   
  E. Esat Atikkan, Ph.D.
  Adj. Prof., Biol.
  Montgomery College, Rockville
  51 Manakee St
  Rockville, MD 20850, USA

Malcolm McCallum <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
  Try using one of the environmental science texts like Miller. Do not use
Molles, it is terrible. Having said this, I question why ecology is being
offered in a highschool. Few community colleges offer this selection, let
alone highschools. Many highschools these days are broadening their
curricula. Meanwhile, students have problems reading, writing, and don't
understand the basic biology, chemistry, or other electives. This doesn't
mean you should not offer it, just something to consider.


Something

On Sun, September 23, 2007 10:52 am, Beth Callaghan wrote:
> Anyone have any recommendations on an ecology text suitable for grades
> 9-12? thanks.
>
> Beth Callaghan
> Easthampton High School
> Easthampton, MA
>


Malcolm L. McCallum
Assistant Professor of Biology
Editor Herpetological Conservation and Biology
http://www.herpconbio.org
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[EMAIL PROTECTED]


   
-
Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone who knows.
Yahoo! Answers - Check it out.

Ecology Text suitable for grades 9-12

[Chris Williams]

Miller is a good text and I have used it before.

Additionally, many community colleges ARE offering ecology and environmental
science since 1) it is required for many education majors in addition to
current teachers that are seeking re-certification (many states require an
environmental science class) and 2) ecology and environmental science are
two of a handful of courses that people who "don't like science" will
actually take and will actually get them EXCITED and EDUCATED about science.

And that is also why it is offered at some high schools. At some schools it
is offered as an advanced class for those that are looking to get a head
start in college. For others, the students have not done well in science and
would probably not take a science class at all. But if there are more
attractive sounding options such as ecology or environmental science, then
they would take these classes and they would at least get some science that
they wouldn't have otherwise considered. It can increase their scientific
literacy - so why is that a bad idea?

Penny Rodrick-Williams
Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology
University of Delaware
253 Townsend Hall
Newark, DE 19716
302-831-1507

>-Original Message-
>From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news
>[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Malcolm McCallum
>Sent: Sunday, September 23, 2007 2:33 PM
>To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
>Subject: Re: Ecology Text suitable for grades 9-12
>
>Try using one of the environmental science texts like Miller.  Do not use
>Molles, it is terrible.  Having said this, I question why ecology is being
>offered in a highschool. Few community colleges offer this selection, let
>alone highschools.  Many highschools these days are broadening their
>curricula.  Meanwhile, students have problems reading, writing, and don't
>understand the basic biology, chemistry, or other electives.  This doesn't
>mean you should not offer it, just something to consider.
>
>
>Something
>
>On Sun, September 23, 2007 10:52 am, Beth Callaghan wrote:
>> Anyone have any recommendations on an ecology text suitable for grades
>> 9-12?  thanks.
>>
>> Beth Callaghan
>> Easthampton High School
>> Easthampton, MA
>>
>
>
>Malcolm L. McCallum
>Assistant Professor of Biology
>Editor Herpetological Conservation and Biology
>http://www.herpconbio.org
>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>