2009 LTER All Scientists Meeting - Education

The Global Institute of Sustainability

Marcia Nation — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:32:13 +0000

Poster Number:

389

Presenter/Primary Author:

Brenda Shears

Co-Authors:

Charles Redman

Co-Authors:

Robert Melnick

The Global Institute of Sustainability (GIOS) at Arizona State University conducts research, education, and problem-solving related to sustainability, with a special focus on urban environments. Many of the research initiatives under GIOS, such as the Central Arizona–Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research (CAP LTER) project, focus on the Phoenix metropolitan area. Greater Phoenix is one of the fastest-growing urban environments in the United States and, as such, is a preeminent laboratory for solving problems that face urban areas around the globe.

Niwot Ridge LTER Program: Alpine Ecosystems as Early Warning Systems

Mark Williams — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:42:43 +0000

Poster Number:

377

Presenter/Primary Author:

Mark Williams

Co-Authors:

Tim Seastedt

Co-Authors:

Diane McKnight

Co-Authors:

Alan Townsend

Co-Authors:

Bill Bowman

Co-Authors:

Steve Schmidt

Co-Authors:

Peter Blanken

The Niwot Ridge (NWT) LTER site was one of the five original LTER sites established in 1980. The LTER program is based at the University of Colorado-Boulder and is administered through the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) and in cooperation with the Mountain Research Station, with special use permits from the US Forest Service.

Konza Environmental Education Program's Schoolyard LTER: Teaching Science Through Ecology

Annie Baker — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 02:40:36 +0000

Poster Number:

366

Presenter/Primary Author:

Jill Haukos

Co-Authors:

Annie Baker

Konza Prairie Biological Station established its education program in 1996 for visitors and students interested in learning about the tallgrass prairie. With the Schoolyard LTER supplements (1998), programs for school children were developed to parallel the long-term ecological research on site and also to add information useful to scientists. Teachers participate in annual professional development workshops to learn about the prairie ecosystem, experience the protocols of several long-term scientific activities and choose one or more of these activities to add to their curriculum.

Seabirds as Indicators of Climate Change

Beth Simmons — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:32:43 +0000

Poster Number:

346

Presenter/Primary Author:

Beth Simmons

Co-Authors:

Kirsten Carlson

A new Schoolyard children's book called Sea Secrets: Tiny Clues to a Big Mystery uncovers clues connecting the Cassin's Auklet from the California Current Ecosystem LTER and the Adelie penguin from Palmer Station LTER helping students understand that seabirds may be indicators of climate change.

Students Actively Involved in Authentic Research through Citizen Science: Coweeta LTER Schoolyard Program

Jason Love — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:14:33 +0000

Poster Number:

329

Presenter/Primary Author:

Jason Love

Co-Authors:

Jennifer E. Love

Co-Authors:

Ted L. Gragson

Schoolyards can serve as an extension of the science classroom and provide authentic research opportunities for students. Schoolyard science illustrates that science does not have to take place in a lab or an exotic location – it can take place wherever questions are asked and answers are sought. As extensions of the science classroom, schoolyards are also cost-effective as they are available on demand to students and teachers, and require no access fee or transportation costs.

Undergraduate research training in tropical ecology at the Luquillo LTER, Puerto Rico

Alonso Ramirez — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:01:46 +0000

Poster Number:

327

Presenter/Primary Author:

Alonso Ramirez

The Luquillo LTER program (LUQ) provides research experiences to undergraduate students by immersing them in its active research environment. LUQ offers a variety of programs and opportunities to undergraduate students that allow them to gain research experience and technical skills in tropical ecology. Our goals are to (1) provide students with research experiences under the advice of established scientists and (2) supplement experiences with educational activities designed to equip students with the necessary tools to conduct scientific research.

Defining Learning Progressions in the Science and Culture of Water

Andrew Warnock — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:26:18 +0000

Poster Number:

325

Presenter/Primary Author:

Andrew Warnock

Co-Authors:

Kristin Gunckel

Co-Authors:

Aubrey Cano

Co-Authors:

Bess Caplan

Co-Authors:

Beth Covitt

Co-Authors:

Bill Hoyt

Co-Authors:

Nicole LaDue

Co-Authors:

Jen Shuttlefield

Co-Authors:

Sara Syswerda

Co-Authors:

Ray Tschillard

Population growth has and will continue to put pressure on our water resources. Yet students are only exposed to rudimentary basics that lend themselves to engaging in indoor experimentation (e.g. water phase changes and the water cycle) and fact-based assessments. Consequently, the majority of citizens hold on to inaccurate conceptions of where water exists, how it moves, how it gets used, and how it relates to biodiversity and climate change. These more critical concepts, unfortunately, do not appear in state content standards or assessments.

Culturally relevant ecology, learning progressions and environmental literacy

John Moore — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 21:18:47 +0000

Poster Number:

304

Presenter/Primary Author:

John Moore

Co-Authors:

Charles Anderson

Co-Authors:

Alan Berkowitz

Co-Authors:

Alison Whitmer

Co-Authors:

Ray Tschillard

Co-Authors:

William Hoyt

Co-Authors:

Robert Mayes

Co-Authors:

Sarah Haines

Co-Authors:

Bob Waide

Biology and Calculus: What would you like biology majors to take from calculus?

Nissa Yestness — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:52:38 +0000

Poster Number:

301

Presenter/Primary Author:

Nissa Yestness

We are in the process of developing a Calculus for the LIfe Sciences to serve biology majors at our institution. We have begun developing Excel labs and homework assignments in the biological contexts such as the lung, population modeling, and logistic growth. We are intersted in your feedback on these assessments in their draft stages. We also welcome any input about the course. What skills from calculus would help biology majors in their future academic endeavors?

This poster will present the draft assessments and provide space for feedback.

Student Poster:

Yes

Weaving Quantitative Reasoning into Learning Progressions for Environmental Citizenship

Nissa Yestness — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:04:39 +0000

Poster Number:

299

Presenter/Primary Author:

Mark Davis

Co-Authors:

Shandy Hauk

Co-Authors:

Nissa Yestness

What mathematical skills, particularly in the area of reasoning about proportions, rate of change, and rate of growth are needed for a high school graduate to effectively use knowledge and tools from environmental science as an informed citizen in a democratic society? What are the quantitative reasoning stepping stones from elementary school through high school that might help develop this key to environmental science literacy?