Education
Are you on the lookout for good ecology education resources? Hosted by the Ecological Society of America (ESA), the Ecology Education Network (EcoEdNet) provides educators with "a forum to contribute and locate peer reviewed, scientifically and pedagogically sound ecology education content." The website offers eight browsing categories including: Ecology as a Science; Biodiversity; Ecology: Technology, Society, and Policy; and Energy Transfer. The site also provides a basic textbox search engine as well as an advanced search option with such fields as Title, Discipline, Audience / Educational Levels, Author, and more. In addition, EcoEdNet offers options for submitting resources, an Ecoed Listserv and a link to ESAs other education activities. Note: The site provides free access to resources, but site visitors must first register with EcoEdNet. [NL]
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/anthophyta/anthophyta.html
Did you know that we depend on flowering plants for much of our food, clothing, and medicine? Presented by the University of California - Berkeley Museum of Paleontology, this online exhibit explores basic aspects of the earth’s largest group of plants: the Anthophyta (otherwise known as the flowering plants). The exhibit is divided into three sections including Fossil Record, Systematics, and More on Morphology. The hyperlinked sections and sub-sections cover information about monocots and dicots, paleoherbs, bromeliads, land plants, photosynthetic pigments, and more. Some of the exhibit pages also contain outside resource links for more information on various aspects of the flowering plants. (Check back later for the Life History & Ecology section which is currently under construction.) [NL]
http://es.rice.edu/projects/Bios321/social.wasp.home.html
This fascinating website on the Polistine Wasps was developed as an educational resource for undergraduate, high school, and elementary school students by Dr. Joan E. Strassmann and her colleagues at Rice University. Based on research done by Dr. Strausmann in Texas’ Brazos Bend State Park, the website provides information, video clips, and images about Polistine Wasps. Topics covered in the site include wasp behavior, head size, ovaries, and more. The information and research data are accompanied by three assignments originally designed for undergraduates, eleventh and twelfth graders, and fifth graders. In addition to these pilot assignments, the website’s resources could be used to develop some interesting classroom activities for a wide variety of ages. [NL]
http://www.pbs.org/americanfieldguide/teachers/mammals/mammals_sum.html
From PBS - American Field Guide, this website presents a downloadable unit of three educational activities that address mammal habitats, adaptations, and other behaviors. The Mammals lesson is designed for 6-8th graders, and through the activities students observe, collect data, and analyze mammal behaviors. The first activity encourages students to research biomes for different mammals and features a video clip about prairie dogs. The second activity focuses on mammal adaptations and features a video on Oregon bats. The final activity, on mammal behavior, features video clips on border collies and Oregon coyotes. Each activity is laid-out clearly, and the site includes a section for related National Contents Standards. The site also links to related downloadable documents including a Biome list, Mammal Distribution Worksheet, Behavior Data Sheet, and more. [NL]
http://www.apsnet.org/education/IntroPlantPath/Top.html
Hosted by the American Phytopathological Society-Education Center, this website presents a great collection of introductory Plant Pathology resources. Although the Introduction to the Major Pathogen Groups is still under construction, it still contains three informative articles covering vascular-colonizing bacteria, parasitic flowering plants, and plant-parasitic nematodes. The site also offers plant pathology laboratory exercises offered by faculty at various universities, including Cytology of Fungal Infection from P. Vincelli of the University of Kentucky, and Oomycetes from V. Heffer, M.L. Powelson, and K.B. Johnson of Oregon State University. The site includes an article on Plant Disease Diagnosis by M.B. Riley, M.R. Williamson, and O. Maloy, and an extensive Illustrated Glossary as well. The website also links to a nice online guide for Plant Disease Lessons (reported on in the NSDL Scout Report for the Life Sciences, June 13, 2003). [NL]
http://www.wisc-online.com/objects/index.asp?objID=AP1101
Hosted by the Wisconsin Online Resource Center, this fun and informative web-based tutorial on the Construction of the Cell Membrane was created by Barbara Liang and Chad Blohowiak. Although the site content is geared for an older audience, the tutorial is so clear and easy to navigate that younger students curious about cells will enjoy it as well. Through the process of building the molecular structure of an animated cell membrane, site visitors will learn "the makeup and the basis for cell membrane function." The 23-page tutorial is fairly brief and interactive with questions and assignments such as placing the fibrous receptor or glycoprotein into the cell membrane. This site also has link for downloading the required software plug-in. [NL]
