Perhaps I can add some light from the perspective of a not-too-long-ago student. I'm currently a senior undergraduate. My high school offered no such programs in Environmental Science, nor any Ecology courses. In fact, I was almost completely unaware of such fields until I entered more science-related fields at my University (last year or so). I believe if more High Schools had Ecology courses -- especially those that involved the student outdoors in some way -- many young people may appreciate nature even more. It allows ones interests to be sparked at a younger age.
I believe letting students actually see ecology in action -- visiting areas in nature with a teacher -- is the most fruitful experience of them all. As often, there is a disconnect between the theoretical knowledge we obtain by power point slides, and the real life observations and applications in "reality". Students sometimes have to seek this connection themselves, as what they learn about species interaction, ecological processes, ect -- is purely through black and white text or chalk. I wish the best to all, tk On 9/24/07, Howie Neufeld <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Dear All - To add another tangent to this discussion, the teaching of > ecology at the high school level can be very crucial for raising student > interest in the field, as well as in the allied field of environmental > science (or perhaps any field of science!). When I was in high school > in the late 1960s, I had an outstanding high school biology teacher, Mr. > Paul Hummer, who went on to be MD state biology teacher of the year, and > a high school biology textbook author. I remember during my senior year > we did an ecosystem project, where once a week, we were taken in a bus > up to the city watershed to look at ecosystem processes. If I recall > correctly, we spent half a day doing this for about 6 weeks in the fall > before it got cold. We measured litter depths and amounts, extracted > soil microfauna using Berlese funnels, measured tree diameters, > collected salamanders, and so on. The project was very intensive, yet a > lot of fun, and I still recall it fondly now more than 37 years later. > I still even have my final report! This one class got me hooked on > ecology at the time, and my take home message is: do something fun for > the students, outside of the classroom, in the field. As Silvert > implies, the rewards will last a lifetime. > As for a book, I can't remember what we used (we had BSCS Biology as > our text) but I think the particular text is less useful than the field > experience itself. > Howie Neufeld (incipient geezer) > > > > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: Re: Why is ecology taught at the HS > Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2007 16:38:13 +0100 > From: William Silvert <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Reply-To: William Silvert <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: [email protected] > > > > An interesting tangent to this discussion, and I would like to take it a > bit > farther afield. For me the important aspect of studying science is not the > collection of facts that one is exposed to, but rather a way of seeing the > world and learning to interpret one's own observations. Subjects where one > can actually see things that lead to scientific conclusions are ideal from > this point of view, and students can see ecology in the field and also see > lots of informative programs on TV. I think they get more out of ecology > than, say genetics, despite the newsworthy importance of genetics. > > It is a delight to show people something that has been before them all > their > lives that they have never seen. My favourite experience with this was > actually in geology, when I took my kids to a crowded beach below a cliff > and at one point showed them some vertical strata and asked them to try to > imagine what it must have taken to tilt those stones 90 degrees. Many of > the > people who were near us overheard me, and the astonishment on their faces > when they realised what had happened there was one of my greatest rewards > for studying science. > > Bill Silvert > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Esat Atikkan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Monday, September 24, 2007 2:32 PM > Subject: Why is ecology taught at the HS > > > > Interesting point to question offering at the HS level. > > I teach a variety of ecology - mar bio courses at a local community > > college and can add an observation - students who have had an enviro > biol > > or ecology course at HS are better equipped to become part of the 'field > > ecology' course and related courses. > > The conclusion may not be statistically significant, but the > correlation > > has been obvious. > > Esat Atikkan > > > > > > E. Esat Atikkan, Ph.D. > > Adj. Prof., Biol. > > Montgomery College, Rockville > > 51 Manakee St > > Rockville, MD 20850, USA > > > > Malcolm McCallum <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > 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] > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone who > > knows. > > Yahoo! Answers - Check it out. > > > > > > > -- > Dr. Howard S. Neufeld, Professor > Department of Biology > 572 Rivers Street > Appalachian State University > Boone, NC 28608 > > email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > departmental webpage: > http://www.biology.appstate.edu/faculty/neufeldhs.htm > personal webpage: http://www.appstate.edu/~neufeldhs/index.html > > Tel: 828-262-2683 > Fax: 828-262-2127 >
