PARENT SESSION
Thursday, August 10, 5:00-6:30 pm
Poster Session 25 - Ecological and science education
Exhibit Hall, Ballroom Level, Cook Convention Center
Teaching herbaria in GK-12 education.
Piotrowski, Jeff*,1, Alaback, Paul1, Roberson, Amanda1, Brewer, Carol, 1 University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
ABSTRACT- The value of herbaria in ecology education is widely recognized. In addition to teaching techniques of specimen collection, field observations, systematics and preservation, these repositories can be valuable, hands-on instructional tools for numerous biological and ecological topics (e.g. biodiversity, evolution, community ecology). Region-specific herbaria give students a greater context for these concepts in that they see the species and their relationships in their own backyard, and also provide students a better sense of the range of biodiversity that exists even in urban settings. Plant communities of western Montana are changing with the introduction of invasive plant species, rapid human population growth and climatic shifts. We have developed a series of teaching herbaria specific to this region that will be available to the local school system as an instructional tool. These combine well preserved laminated specimens of local vascular plant species with photos of all life stages and detailed ecological information on the back side of each voucher, all linked to our illustrated on-line natural history guide. Additionally, we have developed associated curricula to teach lessons ranging from plant mounting to plant diversity, to phenology. These herbaria are not only an important teaching aid, but are a dynamic, student generated record of the plant communities of western Montana, during a period of rapid landscape change.
Key words: Teaching herbaria, Ecology Education, GK-12 Programs