thanks On 1/27/13, Sandhya Gunness <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Declan, > Thank you for this!. I think I can use it for the ICT integration in > science and technology module this semester and get a group to work on > learning activities around the resources and post them back to > Wikieducator. > WOnderful resources..as usual :) > Sandhya > > > On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 7:22 AM, Declan <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Hi folks, >> >> I mentioned a resource I was considering some time back; it is now up and >> running. >> >> Applicable to biology/zoology/evolution/stats courses. Cheap, hands-on, >> hypothesis-driven lab activities. >> http://wikieducator.org/Digital_Coyote >> The current summary: >> >> - A virtual museum of carefully photographed, calibrated coyote skull >> images. >> - Still growing, but with 36 skulls from 12 US states and 1 Canadian >> province, I think the resource is ready for use. >> - Measurements accurate to within 2mm (more typically 1 mm) can be >> taken from the photographs. >> - Students can test some hypotheses immediately: >> - H1: Eastern coyote skulls are larger than those from the west. >> Published literature confirms that the eastern population includes >> DNA of >> wolf origin. Body weight measurements are larger in the east. But >> do the >> skulls confirm the pattern? >> - H2: Northern skulls are larger than southern skulls. Bergmann's >> rule would suggest this hypothesis. We have enough material online >> to >> quickly test this. Once our Texas skulls are added we will have a >> more >> robust data set available. >> >> >> - Statistics students hungry to generate their own data could use the >> collection as source data for regression and ANOVA. >> >> The future: >> >> - Our total collection of coyote skulls includes 60 skulls and we >> intend to upload all of them as time permits. We are slow in >> uploading >> because the calibration check on each image takes time, but we'll add 2 >> to >> 4 per week until May. >> - We have a modest collection of 24 domestic dog skulls that we will >> add. This will serve to compare variation in a naturally selected >> population Vs an artificially selected population. >> - We'd love to see a parallel set of skulls from another wild >> population (the 2 populations of black-backed jackals? dingos?). If >> there >> is a curator interested in digitally sharing a collection please let >> me >> know. >> >> How can you help? >> >> - Use the resource and give us feedback >> - Donate images of skulls from your collection (our Kansas skull is >> one such donation). >> - Develop and share laboratory exercises using the collection. >> - Send us skulls of known origin to be added to the research >> collection (non-cleaned skulls should be frozen to kill insect pests >> and >> sealed in plastic bags before shipping; let me know they are coming >> [email protected]). If you have arbitrary skulls gathering dust we'll >> put them to good use in our general teaching collection: Dr. Declan >> McCabe; >> Biology Box 283; Saint Michael's College; Colchester VT 05403; USA >> Trades >> considered also. Our New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona skulls were >> gratefully >> accepted donations. >> >> WE folks: thanks for your support and hosting this project. >> >> Declan >> >> -- >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> Groups "WikiEducator" group. >> To visit wikieducator: http://www.wikieducator.org >> To visit the discussion forum: >> http://groups.google.com/group/wikieducator >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> [email protected] >> >> >> > > -- > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "WikiEducator" group. > To visit wikieducator: http://www.wikieducator.org > To visit the discussion forum: http://groups.google.com/group/wikieducator > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected] > > >
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