PARENT SESSION
Poster Session 16: Ecology Education
Tuesday, August 9, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM, Exhibit Hall 220 A-E, Level 2, Palais des congrès de Montréal
A teacher's guide to aquatic ecology: lab and field-based activities for K-8 students.
Smith, Sigrid*,1, Caceres, Carla1, Jeffords, Michael2, 1 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 618012 Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, IL, 61820
ABSTRACT- Providing exciting activities and background information to primary and secondary school teachers is essential to engage young students in ecology. We are developing an educational manual for central Illinois school teachers to enhance their curricula in ecology with hands-on classroom and field activities. We focus on the lakes at Kickapoo State Park, a local park frequently visited on field trips, and explore topics including the physical aspects of the lakes, biota inhabiting the lakes, food webs, eutrophication, and exotic species. For each topic, we are crafting lesson plans and accompanying handouts with (1) instructions for interactive classroom activities (e.g., aquaria experiments, educational games, interdisciplinary exercises, computer activities), (2) methods for aquatic sampling and field experiments using simple equipment, and (3) supplementary information (background information, user-friendly pictorial field guides for taxa, and lists of additional resources available from nearby nature education centers). Some of these materials have already been developed and tested successfully in classes, while others are being developed currently. With the completed manual, teachers will be able to select from a wide range of lesson ideas compiled in one reference. Ultimately, this will help teachers better use this local natural area as a tool to excite their students about ecology.
Key words: education, teaching, k-8, aquatic ecology