Two days ago, while driving my eldest daughter and a friend to morning swim practice, we ran across, but not over, a rather large snapping turtle crossing the road.  This happened just east of Mission Road on 71st Street in Shawnee Misson, Kansas (it appears that he may have grown up in Indian Hills County Club).  Although the turtle appears to have lived quite a productive live to that moment, we figured that we might increase its life span by moving him somewhere a little bit less populated.

Yesterday, my two younger children and I, released our find in a wetland area adjacent to the Blue River in southern Johnson County.  While there, I treated my kids to one of the ponds I frequent with students when I am teaching about amphibians.  Here is an interesting observation that we made…

A quick google search this morning suggests that field biologist may not fully understand this behavior, and not for lack of thoughtful consideration and experimentation.  I know that school is out and that critical observations and experimentation are dependent on the life cycle of an organism who doesn’t realize that, but I share this observation none-the-less, for its potential…

…and if you want to ID the tadpoles you can do that too…

I am not sure what KABT’s goal for the field trip were but for me they were two-fold.  I wanted to provide an inspirational outdoor experience for four of my senior students, and two of my children, who eagerly participated in the trip, while learning myself about the wonderful short-grass prairie from our very own sage, the Yoda-like natural history master, Stan Roth. 

In both regards the trip was a resounding success, even though I failed to continue to follow Noah’s driving lead into better pastures where he was finally able to witness the character of our pursuit, the endangered a recently re-established Black-Footed Ferret (see Noah’s posts). 

If you are sad that you missed the trip, continue on since I did my best to record it all for you…

More specifically, follow along to see what I saw, learn what I learned, listen while I contemplate what KABT may have learned, and educate yourself on the prairie dog wars of Logan County, Kansas in hopes of a return trip to this wonderful county… 

I apologize up front for the lack of quality audio in some of the following videos…  I was just using a flip mino, and as you will see, it can get quite windy out west. 

Also, two the videos I am sharing are too large for YouTube standards (more than 10 minutes), so I have provided a link to the files being stored elsewhere.  They should open and play in windows media player but if not (which has happened to me already), just right-click, save to your local machine, and view using Quick Time.  I will continue to work on having them display in a more user friendly manner…

What did I see?

I know I won’t be all inclusive since I didn’t record all the plants and birds that we observed, but here goes…

yucca, indian blanket, prince’s plume, little bluestem, buffalo grass, western salsify, prickey pear and button cactus, sage, larkspur, stinkhorn mushroom, green sunfish (in the Smoky Valley River that had flowing water), great plains toad, woodhouse’s toad, plains spadefooted toad, ornate box turtle, prairie lizard, six-linned racerunner, earless lizard, coachwhip, plains garter snake, common kingsnake, bullsnake, prairie rattlesnake, racer, western hognose snake, eastern and western kingbirds, mocking bird, blue jay (two words), orchard oriole, barn owl, red-headed woodpecker, grasshopper sparrow, horned lark, barn swallow, cliff swallow, night hawk, turkey vulture, red-tailed hawk, burrowing owl, ferruginous hawk, unidentified rodents, kangaroo rat, cotton tail rabbit, black-tailed jack rabbit, raccoon, white-tailed deer, mule deer, pronghorn, and swift fox. 

It sounds like a short-grass prairie doesn’t it?

Well, we also saw humans, yellow sweat clover, corn, wheat, a dog, some cats, lambs, chickens, and quite a number of cows.  No herds of bison, at least out west…

• View my pdf slideshow of images from KABT Spring 2010 Field Trip to Logan County, Kansas

What did I learn?

1. From Stan, How to capture a Kangaroo Rat… at least theoretically…

and the empirical results…

more on Kangaroo Rats from David Attenbourgh at YouTube…

2. Stinkhorns really do attract flies! 

Maybe these videos (or pictures from the slide show) could be used in conjunction with Brad’s recent images of aphids to begin to produce a class set of such “interaction” images that students could use as a springboard for learning about interesting and complex ecological relationships…

3. about the Cretaceous Seas of Kansas from Chuck Bonner (~15 minute video).

4. Cochineal scale insects, found on prickly pear cacti, produce a cool pigment called Carmine!

more on Cochineal insects at wikipedia…

5. From rancher Larry Haverfield, How to manage your land for Prairie Dogs (~50 minutes video)

6. How to spotlight for Black-Footed Ferrets!

listen for  Owen’s prophetic response to my saying “but we haven’t seen a ferret yet”…

What may KABT have learned?

Well, I don’t want this to come across wrong but it turned out to be a blessing that so many KABTers were unable to make the field trip this spring.  In an effort to boost participant numbers, Brain Coon approached Stan to consider opening up the trip to a few of our students, and he agreed.  Thanks Stan!  Thus, six lucky high school students were able to be moved by the western scenery of our state.

The trip proved to be a mutualistic group learning experience where besides the tradiational teachers-learning-from-teachers situation, students learned from teachers, teachers learned from students, and students learn from each other. 

My experiences with taking students on the Kansas Herpetological Society spring and fall field trips for over 10 years has taught me that such outdoor opportunities can change the trajectory of a student.  I know that KABT has been open to the children of participants in the past, and I certainly wouldn’t want student particpation to keep a teacher from participating or from overshadow learning by the members themselves, but I think the society should consider killing two birds with one stone and continue to open up appropriate spring field trips to student participation. 

Prairie Dog Wars History & Noah’s Ferret Sighting from My Perspective.

Larry Haverfield, on June 5, 2o1o discussing his ranching approach with KABT Field Trip participants

December 5, 2006, Outlaw Prairie Dogs Find Refuge with Rancher - NPR’s All Things Considered by Jeff Brady

December 6, 2006, In Kansas, a Line Is Drawn Around a Prairie Dog Town- New York Times by Felicity Barringer

August 5, 2007, Landowners, commisioners split over prairie dog control-  The Topeka Capital Journal by Jan Biles

December 20, 2007, Black-Footed Ferret’s Return to Kansas- Audobon of Kansas Website

December, 2007, Black-Footed Ferret’s Return to Kansas! – Defenders of Wildlife website

January 21, 2008, Poison talk not kaput – The Hays Daily News by Mike Corn (here is a link to an entire series of articles on the “Prairie Dog Divide” by Mike Corn)

December 20, 2008 – New war being waged against prairie dogs in Logan County by Mike Corn

November/December 2009, Doggone!- Audubon Magazine by Ted Williams

November 8, 2009, Prairie Dog Wars images - Mat Slaby images for Audubon article

April 2, 2010, Palco students help survey ferrets – The Hays Daily News by Richard Robinson

June 5, 2010, Larry Haverfield in his own words - video taped by Eric Kessler on the KABT Field Trip (same as the 50 minute video above) 

June 21, 2010, When some ranchers use poison – just like the old days – High Country News by Ted Williams

Noah Busch overlooking the prairie dog hole where he last observed the ferret just before sunrise!

Noah Busch and Stan Roth talking to Larry Haverfield about the mornings observations,
and here is the actual conversation…

If this post made you jealous, please consider joining us next year!

What are those dark ones?

In last week’s  “Biology Challenge”, I challenged biology teachers to contribute identifications and descriptions of the relationships illustrated in a photo of aphids, ants and milkweeds.  Sure enough, within an hour the milkweed was successfully identified as Asclepias syrica and the aphids as Aphis nerii.  A number of various Formica species were sent in as tentative identification for the ants in the image.   Though, I would not begin to suggest I know much about ants I am pretty sure you’ll find that these ants belong to the genus Crematogaster–the acrobat ants.   Mark DuBois produced a Checklist of Kansas Ants in the Kansas School Naturalist that includes possible candidates.  There are any number of resources on the web that might lead us to an identification if I collected some of the ants.

But what I really want to get to is the nature of the interactions taking place on the tip of the milkweed leaf.  Several people noted that the ants were tending the aphids in a classic ant/aphid mutualistic relationship.  There’s several items that complicate this however and I think this image can serve as an open door to an incredible landscape of accessible student study.  For starters, while ants do tend aphids on milkweed–the aphids tend to be Aphis asclepias and not A. nerii–that’s what caught my eye.  Hmmmm…A. nerii presumably sports the bright yellows and oranges as warning coloration.  If ants don’t typically tend A. nerii then perhaps the aphid’s  “honeydew” is somehow not as toxic as normal in this instance.   Milkweed plants vary in their toxicity–perhaps parts of the individual milkweed vary in toxicity as well.

Check out Herbivory.com, Anurag Agrawal’s web site for a truly in depth introduction to the milkweed ecological community.  In particular check out his powerpoints and videos under the Multimedia tab.  These will introduce you to the incredible complexity of community level interactions that he and his colleagues are uncovering.  Specifically link to his Publications tab–there, you’ll find a very rich resource of pdf’s that will help you to see the milkweed communities in a different light and help you to guide your students inquiry.   I have spent hours reading these papers.  I think you’ll find that many of them are very accessible.  Here’s a Discover blog post that introduces one of the studies:  Mooney, K. A. and A. A. Agrawal. Plant genotype shapes ant-aphid interactions: implications for community structure and indirect plant defense. American Naturalist 171: E195–E205. Here’s another relevant paper and a link to it:    Smith, R.A., K.A. Mooney and A. A. Agrawal. Coexistence of three specialist aphids on the common milkweed Asclepias syriaca. Ecology 89: 2187–2196.

Once a person starts to focus observations on a relationship like that illustrated in the photo from my original post, then all sorts of questions come to mind.  I propose that this is one of our jobs as biology teachers–put students into a situation/an environment that promotes original and accessible student questions.  Help them to focus their observations and reconcile them with what they know and don’t know.  Questions will follow.   What does this take in the classroom?  Not much really,  start a butterfly garden,  participate in the Monarch Watch’s Waystation Program.  Participate in Monarch Larval Monitoring project.  Here’s a resource on aphid from the MLMP:  Monitoring Aphids.  Participate in the earthworm project that Eric shared.  Participation in projects like these almost invariably leads to students asking all kinds of questions.  At first they are very general and non-focused but with only a little help with some guiding questions from their instructor the students natural curiosity can be turned to powerful questions for study.

Years ago, in the process of helping to establish the Monarch Watch with Chip Taylor, I would promote Monarchs in the classroom by reminding folks of Karl Von Frisch’s description of his honeybees:

“The bee’s life is like a magic well: the more you draw from it, the more it fills with water”.

Really, any natural system is like that once you start to pay attention to detail. Natural systems exude wonder and complexity that begs study. Exploit this with your students—introduce them to doing science by “drawing from the well”….

Looking for a new outdoor ecology investigation to conduct with your students?  … something that will require them to get their hands dirty?  … and aid in their learning and appreaciation for our native fauna? 

Then look no further than the new citizens science project, Earthworms Across Kansas organized by Dr. Bruce Snyder at Kansas State University.  As stated on their website and in an introductory letter I recieved a few weeks ago…

Earthworms Across Kansas is a free program that engages middle and high school students throughout the state in answering some basic, yet unanswered questions about Kansas earthworms, such as “Which species are here?” and “What are the ranges of these species?”

The project aims to educate Kansas’ middle and high school students about earthworm biology and invasive species issues by engaging them as citizen scientists.  One-third of the approximately 170 species of earthworms known to reside in the United States have arrived here from another continent.  We expect that most every earthworm your students collect will be an exotic species.

We are currently recruiting teachers to participate (online registration form), although only until we run out of kits.  Once registered, you can prepare for your participation by viewing curricula and lesson plans associated with earthworm biology that will be posted online through May.  In July or August your kit will be mailed, and your students can complete their collecting anytime during the 2010-2011 academic year.  The data from across the state will be uploaded on their interactive google map, and thus facilitate your students answering the basic questions posed by the project.

If you’d like more information about the program before registering certainly visit their website, and if you have further questions, please email the project at earthworm@k-state.edu.

I haven’t read through the protocols for this project yet but thought you may interested in learning from the active worm collectors and the research associated with their methods.  Check out Worm Grunting, Fiddling, and Charming—Humans Unknowingly Mimic a Predator to Harvest Bait published in PLOS.  Besides the article there are a number of interesting quicktime video links demonstrating the research.

We’ve had a mostly cool and wet spring to date.  The plant involved is about 0.6 m tall at this point and there is a large flower bud within these leaves.  For this challenge, let’s start with the names of the species involved (at least to genus) followed by a description of the interactions involved.  Turns out there is a great site on the web that has this all documented with photos and scientific papers.  Maybe you can find that.  Part of the reason I put this challenge here is to hopefully inspire biology teachers into thinking just what they and their students might be able to investigate with just a small butterfly garden.  Another image:

btw, I’m putting this challenge up on the NABT BioBlog at the same time—I want to see who figures this out first–the KABTer’s or the NABTer’s……challenge on.

The main post contains a list of 16 iPhone apps.  Each app icon is followed by a brief description and links that may be helpful for you in making a decision on acquiring the app.   For those that I have found especially useful, I discuss specific manner(s) it has been used.  Furthermore, if you don’t have an iPhone some of the producers of these apps have websites that may be useful as well.

For those unfamiliar with iPhones, these apps must be acquired through the apps store in iTunes so in many cases there are not internet links to pages with further information on these apps.  To learn more, download iTunes, and search the app names in the iTunes store, or google search and read what you can find.

Happy app hunting…

Apps for Keeping Abreast of Biology

 NPR News (free)

NPR is a wonderful resource for science related news.  This handy app catalogs the most recent science related broadcasts from the diversity of shows that contain such content, from Morning Edition to Science Friday.   So, if you, like me, often hear an interesting segment that could be used as a nice springboard for student discussion, but rarely have time to find the show on the NPR website, this app is for you.  View the youtube video produced by NPR to introduce the functionality of this app, or read about it at this NPR website.  

I have found the “playlist” most helpful in setting aside links to the audio segments that I may share with my students days or months later.  So that your playlist doesn’t become to too cumbersome over time, I would suggest searching the NPR website for the show and downloading its audio file for future reference.

Science Friday by Ira Flatow also has its own stand alone app as well if you want to be able to more easily manage

 TED Talks (free)

As stated on their website:

TED is a small nonprofit devoted to “Ideas Worth Spreading”.  It started in 1984 as a conference bringing together people from the three worlds of Technology, Entertainment, and Design (TED).  We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world.  So we’re building a clearinghouse that offers free knowledge and inspiration from the world’s most inspired thinkers, and also a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other. 

This app gives one easy access to their clearinghouse of free knowledge and inspiration, in other words, videos and audios  of their famed TED Talks.  Although you have to scroll your way through a plethora of non-biological content the content that you will find is worth it.  As an example, I recently listened to an 18 minute talk given by Janine Benyus titled Biomimicry in Action where she discussed the new perspective of engineering which is using biology as it starting reference for design and a web portal for examples using this process (even more recently I listened to Craig Venter’s press briefing about his institutes most recent publication – your students would love to take part in this ground-breaking step in synthetic biology).   The app convieniently allows you to place interesting content within a “favorites”.  To learn more about TED visit their website.

 Amazon (free)

I like to read books, and now with this iPhone app I can easily cut and paste suggetsions from my monthly book review e-mail from the American Scientist into Amazon and save them to my “wish list” or purchase them out right with a few thumb clicks.  This app displays a trimmed down version of the website (it is actually less distracting) with a search window and a few recommendations.   Once you have found your book of choice, you can view a product description, professional reviews, and customer reviews and ratings as at the Amazon website.

 Microbe World ($4.99)

As stated on their website:

MicrobeWorld brings you the latest audio, video, and news content in microbiology, biotechnology, and life sciences from the American Society for Microbiology.  This multimedia application delivers content and news items from the following sources.

“Meet the Scientist” podcast with the renowned author Carl Zimmer
“This Week in Virology (TWiV)” podcast from Columbia Universiy
“This Week in Parasitism (TWiP)” podcast
“MicrobeWorld” video podcasts
“Microbe”, the ASM’s News Magazine in pdf format

This app is a more recent acquisition of mine, but being a fan of Carl Zimmer and familiar with the multitude of resources available via the ASM website, I figured that I would forgoe the cost and support the society with my purchase.  As an example of the content you can find, I recently listened to the most recent podcast of Carl Zimmer’s Meet the Scientist where he interviewed of John Wooley, Associate Vice Chancellor of Research and Professor of Chemistry-Biochemistry and of Pharmacology at UC San Diego, about the emerging field of Metagenomics.

I have more recently begun to listen to TWiP and TWiV in the evening or on a lazy Sunday morning.  These podcasts by Vincent Rancaniello and Dick Despommier from Columbia University are excellent for personal professional development.  Listen yourself and you’ll see why.

 YouTube (with the phone)

I mention this because it could be a useful way for you to by-pass your school’s restrictions.  I guess you would need a phone projector to share with your students though.

Teaching Resources Apps for in the Field

 Google Earth (free)

The Google Earth app is an iPhone version of the software that one can download to view the geography, etc… of the Earth.  View the YouTube video produced by Google to introduce the functionality of this app.  I often introduce my Field Biology and Zoology students to field sites that we plan on visiting via Google Earth on my computer.  Using the sofware gives them a frame of reference and feel for the topography and type of biological communities (whether prairie, forest, or aquatic) at the site.  Now, I can imagine supporting their initial visual introducting to a site through use of this app when we arrive at our destintations as well.

You could even teach your students about cases in which Google Earth images have helped scientists to discover new biological phenomena.

 Weather Bug (free)

Weather Bug is a standard weather app that, once configured for a particular location(s), provides a user with information on the “Current Conditions”, a seven-day “Forecast”, a “Map”, “Video” forecast, and “Camera” image of the weather.  If the National Weather Service has given any warnings, etc… the warning and associated details are posted through the app.  In preparation for this comment, I have just realized that one can view the map as radar, visiable satellite, or infrared satellite as well.  You can even e-mail information to someone else via the app.

I have found this app helpful when trying to make decisions regarding a pending field trips.  Being able to view the radar map as a video over the past hour has helped me to figure out the speed at which weather is approaching, the relative severity of cells in the vicinity, and even predict if there is an expected break in the weather between cells. 

 National Geographic Handled Birds ($14.99)

National Geographics Handheld Birds is the most expensive app that I purchased but I figured that it might help me to become more competent identifying calls.  I have always felt sad for my students, who unlike myself, haven’t had access to a teacher that can impress and inspire students with knowledge of calls.   This app can’t replace a knowledgeable birder for sure but it should help me out.

The app contains content on 867 species of North American birds that is downloaded onto the iPhone so your are not at the mersy of having a network connection at the time of use.  The list of birds can be organized by first name, last name, taxonomically like many current field guides, or by family alphabetically.  There is also a search function but I must add that this is not always useful unless you know the first name in a multi-word name of bird.  For example if one searches ‘cardinal’ or ‘mockingbird’, the search will come back with no results but if you know that they are both ‘northern’ species you would find the entry quite quickly.  In general, I also find all the scrolling one has to do a bit cumbersome.

Once you have choosen a particular species of bird to view the page displays images like those found in the paper copy of their field guide, below which is found a button to play their call.  Beneath the image are Media links that include ‘images’ and ‘audio’, and Description links that include ‘overview’, ‘appearance’, ‘range’, ‘sounds’, and ‘behavior’.  These links contain much information including lists of similar looking and sounding species.  Within the audio link, one can increase the volume of the call playback beyond the range of the iPhone volume controls.  I could easily see that this could be useful in helping students learn the calls of birds, to quiz them in the classroom or in the field, and possibly for even attracting birds for closer identification.

For National Geographic’s description of their product download the following pdf: http://www.handheldbirds.com/HandheldBirds_iPhoneGuide.pdf

 Encyclopedia of Life (free)

The Encylopedia of Life is a website that EO Wilson inspired with the statement “Imagine an electronic page for each species of organism on Earth…” made in at a TED conference lecture a number of years ago.  This EOL app allows one to upload images of organisms that were observed in the field, taken with one’s phone, and to associate your specific location, using the phones internal GPS, with that observation.  In this manner, teachers and students can become citizen scientists helping to develop a database of the specific locations of species throughout the world.  To make the app functional, one has to setup yahoo and flicker accounts (flicker is owned by yahoo), and when opening the app for the first time, one must associate the EOL app with those accounts.  It is a pretty user friendly process.

For an example of its use, I think that once someone identifies Brad’s photos of mammal tracks in the snow, his images, however crude would make a nice addition to the page for that species.  I have already spent time online search for images that would he me in the identification and have realized that I am going to have to pick up a book to find the answer.  If Brad uploads those images, and other like minded individuals did the same, someday the EOL site could use those images in developing a nice key for identification of mammal tracks in snow.  In fact, I could imagine a nice class project where students collect images with such a future goal in mind.

 Pano ($1.99)

The Pano app allow one to easily generate panorama images through providing an easy means of taking multiple overlapping images that the software will stitch together into a single image.  After opening the app one takes a picture using the built in iPhone camera.  Then, after accepting the image the app creates a tranparent sliver of that image on the left hand side of the screen that you can use to align the next image that you take.  Once you have taken all the images for the panorama scene, you can select to merge the images into a single image.  Being a camera phone these images are not of high resolution but it could help you document an entire scene in a simple manner.  I was only disappointed by the fact that it can’t stitch full 360 degree panoramas.

Teaching Resource Apps for the Classroom and Lab

 The Chemical Touch: Lite Edition (free)

The Chemical Touch (TCT) is one of a number of Periodic Table apps available.  I haven’t taken the time to download all of them to compare them and proabably chose this one because is was recommended on some website and is free.  This app provides information on the standard information found on basic period tables inlcuding the name, symbol, and atomic number and mass of each element.  It also contains information on the density, melting point, boiling point, electronegativity for each in a color coded manner that allows one to easily see patterns among the elements.  Similarly, one can view information on the specific heat, heat of fusion and vaporization, and atomic and covalent radii. 

For the designer’s description of the app visit: http://openscience.org/~chrisfen/Pages/Programs/theChemicalTouch.html

 Molecules (free)

Molecules is a simple app for viewing three-dimensional renderings of molecules and manipulating them using your fingers.   The app comes pre-loaded with a DNA model, Acetylcholinesterase, insulin, and the Phenylalanine tRNA.  The app also provides a simple means of downloading other molecules (pdb files) from the  RCSB Protein Data Bank or some other database of your choosing.  Besides allowing one to rotate and zoom in and out of the rendering, one can also change the visualization mode (spacefilling, cylinders, and ball-and-stick) after double tapping on the molecule.  Sadly, it doesn’t have the functionality of freeware like RasMol but it could provide a nice means for those iPhone and iTouch users to become introduced to the protein data bank and molecular visualization.

 Convert ($1.99)

The Convert app is a wonderfully, easy to use, app for making conversions of all types.  Besides the more common convertions in length, temperature, volume, and time, this app also allows conversions in angle, area, computer (bytes, etc…), currency, energy, force, power, pressure, speed, typography (pixels, etc…), and weight.  It also contains a calculator.  Within any choosen convertions one scrolls two column to chose the unit one is converting from and to.  Once, you have chosen your units of conversion, you type in the value for the given unit and the app instentaeously converts and displays the needed conversion.

 Solutions (free)

I currently happen to be one of those biology teachers that infrequently prepares solutions (this will change next year).  When I do, I always check and double check my calculations, and often triple check myself by asking a local chemistry teacher if my logic is correct.  Well, this app from mekentosj.com allows one to quickly calculate the mass, molarity, or volume of a solution from values for the molecular weight, and mass, molarity, or volume that you type in.  The app also provides access to an online database of chemical information and allows you to save information on chemicals that you commonly use.  Learn more at the Solutions website.

 Genetic Code (free) and Genetic Code Pro ($0.99)

The Genetic Code app is a simple app that contains both a traditional table of the genetic code as well as the circular shaped code in the app icon above.  It also contains a picker for you to choose from the 20 amino acids.  Once chosen the app displays the structure of the amino acid which, when tapped, gives you more information on the amino acid including its name, three letter and single letter abbreviations, codons, polarity, side chain formula, side chain charge, type of compound, whether it is essential or not, its relative size, molecular weight, hydropathy, isoelectric point, and pK values.  From the descriptions on iTunes, it is difficult to determine any difference between the free and the pro versions of this app.

 3D Brain

The 3D Brain is a companion app to a portion of the Genes to Cognition website created by the Dolan DNA Learning Center at Cold Springs Harbor Laboratories.  As stated on the app:

The 3D Brain consists of 29 interactive structures that can be rotated in 3D space.  Each structure contains information on associated functions, disorders, brain damage, case studies, and links to contemporary modern research.

This app could be handy visual supplement for student self-review of brain structure and function in the diversity of courses the introduce students to such topics. 

Apps for Keeping in Touch with Students

 Facebook (free)

Besides the more traditional use of Facebook as a means of connecting ‘friends”, Facebook provides a means of maintaining social networks that you have developed in the course of your teaching.  As a rule, I don’t befriend any of my current students or previous students but Facebook provides a means of creating Groups that can facilitate communication without having to become ”friends”. 

Thus, instead of befriending students, I have created a couple of distinct groups that my students or previous students can request to join.  One is for my ex-AP Biology students and the other is for my current Environmental Club.  In either case, groups help to maintain an appropriate virtual distance between the facebook worlds of student and teacher, while taking advantage of the commucations revolution that is social networking.   Specifically, I have used my Environmental Club group to arrange student community service, and have polled previous AP-Biology students to gain important feedback.

It is a bit cumbersome to communicate the initial launching of a group without becoming friends but it can be done (if you choose to do this – contact me for some more tips – since I got blocked from facebook messaging for a while), and once it is up and running your students will actually help spread the word to those that haven’t joined.

 If you have any app suggestions of your own, please take the time to share them too!

As it says in the title–this is an experiment.  I’ll be tweaking things like appearance and options over the next few weeks.  I may add a wiki and other options as well.  If folks find that the new capabilities get in the way then we’ll just remove them and put up the old site.  Let me know what you think.  For now, I’ll leave it up (barring major problems) until the fall KABT meeting to give folks a chance to try it out.

BW

Animal Behavior Lab

While inquiry is a term heard often these days in science education, a move to inquiry activities as a primary mode of instruction would still be a cause for some sleepless nights to many teachers.  Shannon Ralph (a co-author within the program) is no different.  She has been teaching for 9 years in Dodge City, and would have been considered a fairly traditional teacher several years ago.  However, since then she has been converted heart and soul to an inquiry-style teacher.  She writes about her experience with the transition:

“It’s a little scary moving to a new teaching style when it is not the pedagogy I was taught.  What I have found however is that my students are more engaged, enjoy science more, AND learn the content!  It’s a win-win for us!”

Group Cooperation is Critical

The project was formally commissioned a year ago to re-develop a curriculum to be delivered to general biology students in the 10^th grade.  With an honors program in place, the curriculum was designed for use by students in the lower two-thirds of the class.  In the fall of 2009, two teachers (a co-author of the program, Shannon, and a teacher unfamiliar with the project, Kevin) used the materials in two pilot classes.  The classes that would implement the curriculum were chosen at random from the catalogue.  Numerical data was gathered from Kevin and compared to other sections of general biology that he taught using traditional materials (the lessons he had used the previous year, largely unchanged).  Subjective data regarding student opinion was gathered from Shannon’s classroom in the form of written feedback and a video interview.  In addition, both teachers have provided anecdotal feedback and both classes participated in an interview with the building principle during the school year.

Can Beta Fish Learn?

The classroom methods implemented included inquiry laboratory experiences, hands-on activities, a technology rich environment, and contemporary approach to note taking.  53% of all class days include laboratory work.  When hands-on activities are added to the figure and assessments, assessment reviews, and a lab safety day are removed the “active learning day” percentage jumps to 81%.  To supplement the classroom environment, the students had daily access to netbooks (very small laptops).  They used the computers to access the class website for notes, handouts, or assignment turn-in.  They also used the Internet as a resource for projects, the classroom forum for class discussions, and to interact with computer models and simulations.  Finally, the class did not use a formal textbook.  Instead, the students are trained to take effective notes (and use them).  Lectures with note taking are limited to 20 minutes maximums, and PowerPoint slide counts to eight or less.  The slides present the important information as it should be recorded, and nothing more.  Students are allowed to listen to the lecture, because the noteworthy pieces have already been extracted for them.  Afterwards, the product they have is useful to them during labs and activities.

Teaching Beta Fish

Results from the initial semester are promising.  One section of Kevin’s class used the new materials and was compared to two of his sections using traditional materials.  The standardized test scores showed significant change.  On the district specific CRAs (criterion reference assessments), students that pass rose from an average of 41% of the class to 56%.  This is a move of two and a half standard deviations.  On the state assessments, the percentage of the class that achieves an advanced or exemplary score increased from 27% to 49%.  Both control classes had percentages of 27% and 28%.  While the sample size is unfortunately small, these results are at the very least promising.  The numbers are compared in the graph below.

Class Test Performance

The project’s prime directive was to make biology relevant to students.  The student feedback from the semester was overwhelmingly positive.  Students gushed on the written forms, and two volunteered for a video interview.  The principal commented after her interviews that most students responded multiple times during the class discussion, and all had great things to say about science.  The students also had great things to say about themselves and what they felt they could accomplish.  They felt they were working to, and meeting, “higher standards.”

Ecology Biomass Fieldwork

The early results indicate that all kinds of students can flourish in an inquiry environment.  Many students in these classes are students that a teacher may consider unable to handle an inquiry-heavy environment.  One student had already accumulated over 50 discipline referrals in his young career!  However, there were zero behavior problems in either class all semester.  The students indeed surpassed everyone’s expectations in almost every way possible.  This study is ongoing, but the early data indicates science educators may want to rethink who can or cannot benefit from an inquiry-rich environment.

Students Study Macromolecules

For a more complete description of the semester’s results, including the students’ interview and all written feedback forms, visit www.biologyrocks.org.  Kevin is using the inquiry-based materials in all of his courses this semester, and Shannon is using them in her honors courses.  As the results from this semester become available, they will be posted to the project website as well.  Next semester, a third cooperating teacher will begin using the materials in the same building.  The project would also like to work with a beta site for replication.  If you would like more information on the program, materials, or are interested in working with the project, visit the website or email mralph03@gmail.com.

Welcome to the 2010 KABT fieldtrip. This is open to all who enjoy biology, members and non-members, we have a very exciting trip planned to the Nature Conservancy and Haverfield Ranch.

The Smoky Valley Ranch (SVR) is located about 15 miles south of Monument, KS. Lodging for the trip is available at multiple locations. For the purposes of this trip KABT has been given permission to use the primitive bunkhouse located on the ranch. The bunkhouse has 8 beds and also has a bath; you are required to bring your own linens and bedroll. The bunkhouse space will be given on a first come first serve basis. We have been given the permission to camp at the ranch for the nights of June 4 and 5. Other nearby camping locations includes Scott State Lake, located south of the ranch. Hotel accommodations can be found an hour and a half away in Oakley, KS.

The association needs an idea of how many people to expect for the field trip we do ask that attendees RSVP with the number of people that they plan on bringing by emailing bcoon@usd352.k12.ks.us . Please put “KABT trip” in the subject line.

Directions to the SVR headquarters and bunkhouse: To access the Headquarters/bunkhouse: at the east intersection of US-40 & US-83 at the south edge of Oakley, go south on US-83 for 11 miles to Seneca Rd. There are a couple of communication towers there. Go west on Seneca 7 miles to the “T” intersection and turn south. Drive another 7 miles. The SVR Hq. “campus” will be in view and there will be a gate/lane on the left [east] and one ahead [south] that may be closed. Take the east lane and travel s.e. to the metal office/storage/maintenance building and turn right [west] and drive down the lane to the large, stone ranch house………the bunkhouse. The address is 1114 County Rd. 370, Oakley KS

What to bring:
First and foremost, it is highly suggested to have a full tank of gas. Other items to bring include cameras, binoculars, lawn chairs, hiking boots, a cooler of food for 3 meals, (Friday night, Saturday breakfast, and lunch), plenty of water, bug spray, and camping equipment.

Activities:
Friday evening: Meet at SVR for an evening of camaraderie with fellow KABT members.

Saturday: There are two hiking trails located on ranch, various groups will be formed based on biological interest and self-guided exploration of the area will take place. Near one of the hiking trails is a bison jump site. Also, the historic Butterfield Trail crosses the present ranch.

Possible sightings unique to western Kansas include: Prairie dogs, Prairie chickens, ferruginous hawks, Swift fox, Golden Eagles, Burrowing owls, Pronghorn, Prairie Rattlesnakes, short-grass prairie plant species, and at night the possibility of sighting black-footed ferrets on a nearby ranch (approximately 20 miles from Smoky Valley Ranch).

Saturday night: The plan is to meet at Mittens Truck Stop in Oakley, KS for a meal at 6:00, where we will eat (Dutch treat), and prepare for an evening of spotlighting the nocturnal black-footed ferret. Starting at 10-11:00 we will begin spotlighting at Haverfield Ranch.

Sunday Morning: disperse and head safely back to where you call home

For directions to the Smoky Valley Ranch see the nature conservancy website at

www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/kansas/preserves/art63.html

There is no charge for the day and non-members are welcome but we do encourage you to support KABT with your membership ($15/year, $5/year for students).