Having taught biology (and ecology) at traditional high schools and also at a residential gifted and talented high school, I'm astonished by Malcolm's questioning the teaching of ecology at that level. It's an entirely appropriate time to introduce ALL students to the basics of ecology, and junior high would be even better.
The problem with most high school biology courses these days is they are based primarily on a pre-med approach to the subject matter. Teachers are pretty good at getting across things like cell biology, Punnett squares, and photosynthesis, but ecology (and evolution and botany and zoology, etc.) are often in chapters at the back of the text that are never reached before the course ends. Although it's important for high school graduates to understand the basics of cytology, genetics, and biochemistry, it's far more critical for them to know about the big picture than to memorize minutiae that can be looked up in a hurry on Google. An ecology course is the ideal place to learn how the world works and how human beings impact daily on natural processes. Indeed, high school students DO need to improve their math and writing skills, but they also are required to take a certain number of elective courses. Why not have one of those choices be ecology? I know from experience that most high school students get far more excited about a field trip to study the local marsh than they do about memorizing the Krebs Cycle. The corollary is that we can turn kids on to science a lot faster and with longer-lasting impact with a well-designed ecology course. Perhaps it would be even better if ALL high school students took a required course in ecology BEFORE they cover some of the topics that make up typical introductory high school biology courses. Best wishes, BILL ========= >Try using one of the environmental science texts like Miller. Do not use >Molles, it is terrible. Having said this, I question why ecology is being >offered in a highschool. Few community colleges offer this selection, let >alone highschools. Many highschools these days are broadening their >curricula. Meanwhile, students have problems reading, writing, and don't >understand the basic biology, chemistry, or other electives. This doesn't >mean you should not offer it, just something to consider. > > >Something > >On Sun, September 23, 2007 10:52 am, Beth Callaghan wrote: >> Anyone have any recommendations on an ecology text suitable for grades >> 9-12? thanks. >> >> Beth Callaghan >> Easthampton High School >> Easthampton, MA >> > > >Malcolm L. McCallum >Assistant Professor of Biology >Editor Herpetological Conservation and Biology >http://www.herpconbio.org >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >[EMAIL PROTECTED] -- RESEARCH PROGRAM c/o BILL HILTON JR. Executive Director Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History 1432 DeVinney Road, York, South Carolina 29745 USA [EMAIL PROTECTED], (803) 684-5852, eFax: (503) 218-0845 Please visit our web sites (courtesy of Comporium.net): Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History at http://www.hiltonpond.org "Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project" at http://www.rubythroat.org **********
