The Planetary Health (PH) approach addresses health risks resulting from anthropogenic climate change. It offers an integrative understanding of nature, whereby humans and their health are regarded as part of nature, and individual concerns are situated in relation to the interactions between society and the environment. However, this approach has…

Place-based learning of a community develops from the collective, experiential learning of many generations and is referred to as Indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) (Stevenson 1996; Ajibade 2003). Africa is rich in indigenous knowledge of edible insects and plants which have bolstered communities in times of food shortage (Hunter et al. 2007).…

Plants and insects share a long evolutionary history characterized by relationships that affect individual, population, and community dynamics. Plant-herbivore interactions are a prominent feature of this evolutionary history; it is by plant-herbivore interactions that energy is transferred from primary producers to the rest of the food web. Not…

Describes the procedures for starting and maintaining a bee hive to enhance any lesson on the study of bees. (ZWH)

Shows that visual acuity is a function of the structure of the eye and that its limit is set by the structure of the retina, emphasizing the role of lens aberrations and difraction on image quality. Also compares human vision with that of other vertebrates and insects. (JN)

Describes the Monarch Watch program that tracks the migration of the monarch butterfly. Presents activities that introduce students to research and international collaboration between students and researchers. Familiarizes students with monarchs, stimulates their interest, and helps them generate questions that can lead to good research projects.…

Describes a funded cooperative project, Bumble Boosters, which aims to create a community of learners to conduct authentic research on bumble bees in Nebraska. (Author/SOE)

Introduces gall-making insects and explains gall development. Explains how to bring galls into the classroom and conduct experiments. Suggests using gall systems to introduce students to the concepts of genetic control, biodiversity, plant and animal development, species interactions, biodiversity, and the flow of energy through the food web. (YDS)

Describes the procedure for dissecting a bulky stick insect. Also describes the maintenance of the live insects and how to obtain them. (MLH)

Describes the benefits and adverse effects of insects and concludes that the benefits outweigh the adverse effects. (LS)

Considers various aspects of bee stings including the physical mechanism of the venom apparatus in the bee, categorization of physiological responses of nonprotected individuals to bee sting, chemical composition of bee venom and the mechanisms of venom action, and areas of interest in the synthesis of bee venom. (CS)

Reports the effects of Bacillus thuringiensis var. Kurstaki (BT), which is highly toxic, to a non-target lepidopteran, the Painted Lady butterfly. Indicates that BT kills some Painted Lady butterfly larvae at the lowest dilution tested after 48 hours. (ASK)

A collection of 18 essays originally published in "The American Biology Teacher" in a column headed "Biology Today" are presented. The essays have been reprinted in chronological order and begin with an essay published in March 1982. A variety of types of writings were selected: some focus on teaching biology, others on the science itself. Several…

Suggests classroom projects for investigating the diversity of insects. (LS)

Suggests instructional strategies and student activities related to the study of insects during the winter. Includes possible collecting sites and classroom activities once the insects have been collected. (JN)