The ecology I know is one of the most quantitative of sciences. It has also been my experience that it is quantitative methods that students tend to find "inaccessible". Ecology before college would be a good way to introduce people to quantitative methods and their use in science.
Rob Hamilton "So easy it seemed once found, which yet unfound most would have thought impossible" John Milton ________________________________________ Robert G. Hamilton Department of Biological Sciences Mississippi College P.O. Box 4045 200 South Capitol Street Clinton, MS 39058 Phone: (601) 925-3872 FAX (601) 925-3978 >>> Rachel Schwartz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 9/24/2007 10:34 AM >>> I recommend Molles' text (assuming you really feel the need to use a textbook, and I probably would only use it as reference) despite the previous comment. Many EcoEd members use Molles according to a survey by the ESA education coordinator (join EcoEd if you want to chat about teaching ecology). As for why ecology should be taught before college, as a couple of other members have commented the subject is much more accessible to students than other areas of biology. Once students are excited about ecology then you can get into teaching other aspects of biology, including any fundamentals you feel students need to understand ecological phenomena, and they'll actually listen (take a look at education literature for research and theory to back this up). Rachel Schwartz NSF GK-12 Fellow PhD candidate in Ecology University of California, Davis
