This article reports a case of incorporating a field-based ecological project as a resource into an undergraduate research and scholarship (RS) intensive course. Student research projects were conducted in an outdoor experimental compound with wetland mesocosms as well as in local created wetlands to study soil organic matter content as part of an…

Providing undergraduate biology students with ecological knowledge and environmental awareness is critical for developing professionalism in sustainable development. In addition to the cognitive and psychomotor development, outdoor ecological exercises combining place-based education and experiential learning can stimulate the affective domain of…

Studies the effects of ecological-restoration fieldwork and in-class instruction on students' ecological behavior, environmental attitudes, and perceptions of restorative qualities in a natural environment. (Author/CCM)

Presents three designs for the construction of a school pond. Explains the use of the pond as a teaching resource to illustrate certain ecological principles and makes suggestions for appropriate quantitative student projects. (Author/GS)

A Maryland school district and the Smithsonian Institution have become partners in outdoor science education. Working together, they have developed a series of activities for students in grades 1-8 that are an integrated part of a total unified science curriculum, meeting the need of teachers and students alike. (MA)

Sea Semester combines a six-week apprenticeship on a sailing ship with an intensive shore preparation component. Through Boston University, students learn marine and nautical sciences before putting some of this information to practice. Students, having completed the shore and sailing components, can enroll in more advanced shore component…

Discusses the properties desirable in a natural area to be used as a teaching tool in college courses such as general biology, botany, zoology, entomology, and ecology. Describes the use of a natural area at Harford Community College, Maryland, and outlines the community involvement in planning and utilizing the area. (JR)

Describes field work utilizing common weeds to teach ecological concepts to biology students. (LS)

The concept of community energy flow provides a basis for a field course. This paper describes the methodology used in a field course for estimating parameters and for monitoring physical environmental variables. The paper culminates in the construction of a model of energy flow through the community. (Author/MA)

Presented is a classroom activity designed to acquaint students with sampling techniques before going into the field. Using a one-inch quadrat, students sample a printed page and learn to collect and interpret their data. Performance objectives, preassessment, teaching strategies, postassessment, and illustrations are included. (MA)

Describes the procedures used by a high school biology class in an ecological study related to the degeneration of grasslands. The canopy-coverage method of vegetational analysis was used to compare a low-grade, over-grazed pasture with a nearby high-quality prairie. An interpretation of the results is also presented. (JR)

Presents a method for calculating age specific expectation of life for human populations by examining obituary entries in newspapers, tombstones, and parish records. Examples are given which illustrate large differences between the sexes, social classes, and dates at a given locality. (Author/CS)

As part of an updated series of activity oriented educational materials dealing with aspects of the Guam environment, this publication focuses on the common plants and animals found in schoolyards on Guam. Like a field guide, this publication contains descriptions, ecological information, and some historical notes about the common trees, shrubs,…

Describes an environmental program in which sixteen students and three biology teachers from Northfield Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts spent two weeks examining the ecology of a Caribbean reef.. (JR)