Group items tagged

This set of mini cases on the ecology of eastern cottontail rabbits is designed to give students practical experience using statistics in a scientific context. Given a dataset and experimental design, groups of students are asked to play the part of a wildlife management researcher to determine the results for each study. Students practice the scientific process and gain experience making hypotheses and predictions, choosing an appropriate statistical test, interpreting and displaying results, and presenting data to others. Students choose between four basic, commonly used, statistical tests (t-test, one-way ANOVA, linear regression, and Chi-square test), and justify their choices. This activity was developed for undergraduate level students and is applicable to biology courses, particularly those dealing with ecology or management. The case is designed for student groups, but could be modified into clicker questions or individual assignments.

tests their ability to interpret ecological data

This case study focuses on the intersection of defining a scientific species and defining a legal species. The compelling story of Lolita, an orca whale in captivity, is used to highlight the legal significance of species declaration. Students will work through scientific species definitions and data on Orca whales before deciding if Orca whales should be considered as one or several species. After an introduction to Lolita and a mock town hall meeting, students are thrown into the real life situation of contemplating the fate of an Orca in captivity that suddenly has protected legal status. This case was developed for use in a first-year biology course focusing on ecology, genetics, and evolution. It also could be used in upper or lower division courses on ecology, evolution, or conservation.

Symbiotic relationships are interactions between species that live closely with each other and are commonly separated into three types: parasitism, mutualism, and commensalism. Students are often under the impression that these types are distinct and mutually exclusive, but on closer examination some interactions appear to be at times mutualistic, at other times parasitic. Is it perhaps better to think of mutualism and parasitism as two ends of a sliding scale, with commensalism in the middle? In this case study, students consider this question by examining what is often considered to be a classic example of mutualism existing between oxpecker birds and African savanna large mammals. After students examine data from a research study on oxpecker behavior, they then apply a more nuanced understanding of species interactions to a set of additional scenarios. The learning objectives for the case align with the Four-Dimensional Ecology Education Framework. The case was written for an upper-level undergraduate ecology course, but could easily be adapted for an introductory biology course.

Data rich simulation where students adjust parameters and run simulator for 100 iterations and see how 1) two plant species compete for a niche or 2) how composition of a food web changes over time Links to online textbook, videos, visuals, scientists.

Simulators which display cummulative generation graphs for variables.  Very cool data rich resource!  Includes Carbon cycle, demographis (human populations), Disease transmission, ecology, and energy simulations.

Amanda Briody describes two BioInteractive resources focused on Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique. She uses the short film "The Guide: A Biologist in Gorongosa" to introduce students to the park and its scientists. The Gorongosa Interactive Timeline allows her to ask data-based questions on the park's history and ecology, and have students make evidence-based claims.

This case study uses an interactive activity to illustrate density dependence in ecology classes. We developed a "hunt" using paper butterflies with warning signals on the upper side of the wings and symbols that indicate if a butterfly is noxious underneath the wings. Butterflies are distributed in four different patches with varying densities of noxious and palatable butterflies, simulating Batesian or Müllerian mimicry. Students can catch as many butterflies they want for a period of time, but if they catch more than three noxious butterflies they are out of the game. After the activity, students calculate the survival rate of each type of butterfly in each patch and discuss the implications of density and warning signals according to their results. Students then answer questions and build graphs using the data from the activity and knowledge from the class and the discussion. With this case study, students will be able to understand negative and positive density dependence, as well as predation, learning, and convergent evolution, while recalling or being introduced to Batesian and Müllerian mimicry.

This clicker case addresses several concepts related to the evolutionary ecology of herbivore defenses. A survey of several different studies that investigated chemical defenses in Thymus vulgaris (thyme) gives students the opportunity to develop hypotheses, pose potential experiments, and interpret data to develop a better understanding of not only herbivore deterrence, but also how natural selection can involve different pressures selecting for different phenotypes. The case study incorporates group discussion, analysis of experimental design, and data evaluation as central activities. It can be taught in a single 50-minute class session, an economy that is achieved in part by using a "flipped" approach. Students prepare outside of class by watching several short videos (one of which was made by the author) that teach the basics of herbivore deterrence and abiotic and biotic forces in the environment that can influence plant adaptations. The case study was designed for use in a large introductory-level class, but would also be appropriate for smaller classes or upper-level evolution courses.

comprehensive data repository and analysis tools with many data sources to graph and investigate

We're taking a systems approach to learning about the Earth using real scientific data. Our goal is to design easy-to-use curriculum activities and simple, intuitive computer interfaces for accessing online data. It's all part of a NOAA-supported effort called the NODE Project.

In this activity, students analyze scientific figures to understand principles of island biogeography theory that determine the number of species in an isolated habitat. This activity uses a jigsaw approach to explore the processes that determine the equilibrium number of species in a habitat and how they are affected by both area and isolation. Two "Student Handouts" are provided as options for the activity. The "Analyzing Graphical Data" handout engages students in graph interpretation and sensemaking from data. The "Building the Equilibrium Model" handout facilitates a scaffolded investigation of the dynamic equilibrium model of island biogeography; students construct immigration and extinction curves to demonstrate the effects of area and isolation on the equilibrium number of species. 

Polar bears are an iconic symbol of climate change, but regionally relevant examples of susceptible biota are needed to highlight how global forces impact local environments. In this interrupted case study, students follow a young naturalist as she explores why saltmarsh sparrows are increasingly rare in coastal wetlands of the northeastern United States. In small groups, students diagram how sea-level rise may alter saltmarsh sparrow habitat and analyze a graph to determine if there is evidence to support sea-level rise. The social implications of rising sea levels induced by climate change can also be explored with an optional jigsaw activity. Students who successfully complete this case study will integrate key concepts related to sea level rise, interpret scientific data and draw conclusions about environmental change, and evaluate alternative management decisions. Originally developed for an undergraduate ecology course, the case could easily be adapted by college or high school instructors for an introductory biology or an environmental science course.

This interrupted case study addresses several concepts related to climate change and its effect on the American pika. Often called an indicator species for climate change, the pika has a unique set of variables specific to its environment. Factors such as temperature, snowpack, and vegetation can affect the distribution and ultimately the chances of survival. The case was designed for use in a "flipped" classroom in which students prepare in advance outside of class by filling out a worksheet while watching a video. The video, created by the author of the case, provides students with baseline information that they apply in class to come up with key ideas and predictions, followed by analysis of actual data to test the hypotheses they develop. The case study incorporates group discussion, analysis of experimental design, and data evaluation as central activities and can be taught in a single 50 minute class session. The case was designed for use in a large introductory-level class, but is also appropriate for smaller classes.

This interrupted case study, designed for an introductory biology or environmental science course, introduces students to the complexity of ecosystems by examining changes in trophic interactions and abiotic factors in a freshwater ecosystem as a result of human actions. The case narrative describes the recent and undesirable appearance of decomposing algae (Cladophora glomerata) on a public beach in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Students are asked to use the scientific method by creating hypotheses and examining observational data to describe biotic and abiotic components of the Great Lakes ecosystem. The case requires students to differentiate between benthic and pelagic environments (e.g., the influence of depth and phytoplankton density on light availability, and the availability of phosphorus) and the interactions between organisms in both environments. Students also examine shifts in these interactions as a result of the newly introduced zebra and quagga mussels, which have ultimately resulted in the algae's presence on the beach. There are also opportunities to discuss the impact of these ecosystem changes on people who own property and/or visit the beach.

Variety of free tutorials, data sets, and virtual labs

This lesson follows a flipped learning model where teachers don't stand before the class and lecture.  Instead, students become grizzly bear scientists and "discover" the answers to real-world research questions through scientific inquiry. Using real-world demographic data collected over 30 years on grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, students work individually, in three Science Teams, and as a class to determine whether or not this grizzly bear population is biologically ready for delisting.

A team of scientists, in a groundbreaking analysis of data from hundreds of sources, has concluded that humans are on the verge of causing unprecedented damage to the oceans and the animals living in them. "We may be sitting on a precipice of a major extinction event," said Douglas J. McCauley, an ecologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and an author of the new research, which was published on Thursday in the journal Science.

Squirrels are frequent and beloved residents of college campuses throughout the United States, but oftentimes less welcomed by campus maintenance officials who report squirrels nesting in buildings, interfering with airflow from heating and cooling units, and destroying gutters. In this laboratory case, students act as members of a fictitious "squirrel task force" appointed by their campus administrators to provide recommendations for how to manage their school's squirrel population.  Students work in groups to assess the habitat suitability of their campus for squirrels by identifying and measuring trees that provide seasonal food for squirrels, and by identifying desirable hunting perches for common squirrel predators.  Students conduct squirrel surveys in designated campus zones to calculate the number of squirrels per acre on their campus and compare it with mean squirrel densities reported in forested areas and at a rival institution.  Students then compile and synthesize class data to provide management recommendations for university maintenance officials for either increasing or decreasing campus squirrel populations. Originally developed for an undergraduate wildlife biology course, the case could also be used in a lower-division biology or environmental studies course.