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1. The Relation between Essentialist Beliefs and Evolutionary Reasoning (EJ806454)
Author(s):
Shtulman, Andrew; Schulz, Laura
Source:
Cognitive Science, v32 n6 p1049-1062 Sep 2008
Pub Date:
2008-09-00
Pub Type(s):
Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Peer-Reviewed:
Yes
Descriptors: Evolution; Student Attitudes; Historians; Children; Beliefs; Science Education; College Students; Animals; Animal Behavior; Anatomy; Interviews; Questionnaires; Comparative Analysis; Preschool Children
Abstract: Historians of science have pointed to essentialist beliefs about species as major impediments to the discovery of natural selection. The present study investigated whether such beliefs are impediments to learning this concept as well. Participants (43 children aged 4-9 and 34 adults) were asked to judge the variability of various behavioral and anatomical properties across different members of the same species. Adults who accepted within-species variation--both actual and potential--were significantly more likely to demonstrate a selection-based understanding of evolution than adults who denied within-species variation. The latter demonstrated an alternative, incorrect understanding of evolution and produced response patterns that were both quantitatively and qualitatively similar to those produced by preschool-aged children. Overall, it is argued that psychological essentialism, although a useful bias for drawing species-wide inductions, leads individuals to devalue within-species variation and, consequently, to fail to understand natural selection. (Contains 2 tables and 3 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract
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2. Investigating Invasives (EJ817856)
Lightbody, Mary
Science Teacher, v75 n8 p56-60 Nov 2008
2008-11-00
Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Descriptors: Investigations; Ecology; Learning Processes; Science Instruction; Wildlife; Student Projects; Learner Engagement; Plants (Botany); Student Research
Abstract: Invasive species, commonly known as "invasives," are nonnative plants, animals, and microbes that completely take over and change an established ecosystem. The consequences of invasives' spread are significant. In fact, many of the species that appear on the Endangered Species list are threatened by invasives. Therefore, the topic of invasive nonnative species can provide the focus for projects that engage students in authentic science investigations. Here the author describes how she launched her students into a study of invasives while supporting their local environment using the 5E Learning Cycle (engage, explore, explain, extend, evaluate). (Contains 1 figure, 6 resources and 7 online resources.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract
3. Investigating Effects of Invasive Species on Plant Community Structure (EJ813863)
Franklin, Wilfred
American Biology Teacher, v70 n8 p479-482 Oct 2008
2008-10-00
Descriptors: Field Trips; Science Laboratories; Biology; Ecology; Plants (Botany); Natural Resources; College Science; Science Instruction; Surveys; Data Collection
Abstract: In this article, the author presents a field study project that explores factors influencing forest community structure and lifts the veil off of "plant blindness." This ecological study consists of three laboratories: (1) preliminary field trip to the study site; (2) plant survey; and (3) analyzing plant community structure with descriptive statistics. In this field study project, students have the chance to learn local plant species, investigate issues of invasive species, use the line-intercept method of plant sampling, gain experience in experimental design, practice summarizing data with descriptive statistics and, depending on their level, learn more elaborate statistical tests. (Contains 3 figures and 1 table.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract
4. "Growing" a Campus Native Species Garden: Sustaining Volunteer-Driven Sustainability (EJ793139)
McKinne, Kristan L.; Halfacre, Angela C.
International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, v9 n2 p147-156 2008
2008-00-00
No
Descriptors: Plants (Botany); Community Characteristics; Campuses; Participant Observation; Urban Environment; Content Analysis; Gardening; Guidance; Volunteers; Sustainable Development; Case Studies; Interviews; Higher Education
Abstract: Purpose: This paper aims to examine the challenges of volunteer-driven college campus sustainability projects through a case study of the development of an urban native plant species garden on the College of Charleston campus in Charleston, South Carolina, USA. Design/methodology/approach: The research used participant observation as the primary data-gathering technique. The primary author coordinated this volunteer-driven sustainability project, and recorded observations throughout the process. The authors used content analysis to examine garden volunteer interview data and campus/community documents. These methods allow the reader to view this case first-hand, providing a unique look at undertaking projects of this nature. Findings: The paper provides specific guidance for creating sustainable sustainability projects in similar communities and college campuses, identifies challenges specific to this case study that are easily generalized to other volunteer-driven sustainability projects, and provides solution strategies to avoid or address these challenges. Research limitations/implications: The findings have relevance for projects with similar campus and community characteristics as displayed in the case study, whilst the study provides important guidance for campuses seeking to initiate and sustain volunteer-driven sustainability projects. Further, it offers a step-by-step account of the process of creating a native species garden in an urban environment. Practical implications: The paper provides a "handbook" for undertaking similar volunteer-driven sustainability projects. Originality/value: This paper fulfills a need to provide first-hand information for the ever-growing effort to create more sustainable sustainability projects on college campuses world-wide. It is the first paper of its kind to document the process of campus native species garden creation and the challenges inherent with this type of volunteer-project. Solution strategies are offered that can be followed for those seeking to implement similar sustainability efforts on their campuses. (Contains 1 table.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract
5. Quantity Representation in Children and Rhesus Monkeys: Linear Versus Logarithmic Scales (EJ796030)
Beran, Michael J.; Johnson-Pynn, Julie S.; Ready, Christopher
Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, v100 n3 p225-233 Jul 2008
2008-07-00
Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Descriptors: Measures (Individuals); Geometric Concepts; Comparative Analysis; Computer Uses in Education; Animals; Children; Classification; Evaluation; Scaling; Experimental Psychology
Abstract: The performances of 4- and 5-year-olds and rhesus monkeys were compared using a computerized task for quantity assessment. Participants first learned two quantity anchor values and then responded to intermediate values by classifying them as similar to either the large anchor or the small anchor. Of primary interest was an assessment of where the point of subjective equality (PSE) occurred for each species across four different sets of anchors to determine whether the PSE occurred at the arithmetic mean or the geometric mean. Both species produced PSEs that were closer to the geometric mean for three of four anchor sets. This indicates that monkeys and children access either a logarithmic scale for quantity representation or a linear scale that is subject to scalar variability, both of which are consistent with Weber's law and representation of quantity that takes the form of analog magnitudes. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract
6. The Library as Ecosystem (EJ813056)
Walter, Scott
Library Journal, v113 n16 p28-32 Oct 2008
2008-10-01
Descriptors: Figurative Language; Ecology; Academic Libraries; Educational Environment; Interpersonal Relationship; Collegiality; Librarians; Library Personnel
Abstract: Ecology is the study of interactions between organisms and their environment, and the academic library could be considered to be an ecosystem, i.e., a "biological organization" in which multiple species must interact, both with one another and with their environment. The metaphor of the library as ecosystem is flexible enough to be applied not only to interactions among (and between) library professionals but also to those between library professionals and library users. The library is home to multiple species, and their relations grow more complex every day. In this article, the author discusses how this new way of thinking about the academic library embraces the concepts of mutual benefit and coevolution. (Contains 5 online resources.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract
7. Socio-Scientific Discussions as a Way to Improve the Comprehension of Science and the Understanding of the Interrelation between Species and the Environment (EJ813574)
Castano, Carolina
Research in Science Education, v38 n5 p565-587 Nov 2008
Descriptors: Constructivism (Learning); Bilingual Schools; Scientific Concepts; Grade 4; Empathy; Science Education; Private Schools; Pretests Posttests; Teaching Methods; Intervention; Decision Making
Abstract: This article reports on a qualitative and quantitative study that explored whether a constructivist Science learning environment, in which 9 to 10-year old Colombian girls had the opportunity to discuss scientific concepts and socio-scientific dilemmas in groups, improved their understanding of the concepts and the complex relations that exists between species and the environment. Data were collected from two fourth grade groups in a private bilingual school, a treatment and a comparison group. Pre and post tests on the understanding of scientific concepts and the possible consequences of human action on living things, transcriptions of the discussions of dilemmas, and pre and post tests of empathy showed that students who had the opportunity to discuss socio-scientific dilemmas gave better definitions for scientific concepts and made better connections between them, their lives and Nature than students who did not. It is argued that Science learning should occur in constructivist learning environments and go beyond the construction of scientific concepts, to discussions and decision-making related to the social and moral implications of the application of Science in the real world. It is also argued that this type of pedagogical interventions and research on them should be carried out in different sociocultural contexts to confirm their impact on Science learning in diverse conditions. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract
8. Teaching the Toolkit: A Laboratory Series to Demonstrate the Evolutionary Conservation of Metazoan Cell Signaling Pathways (EJ799379)
LeClair, Elizabeth E.
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, v36 n3 p225-233 May-Jun 2008
Descriptors: Genetics; Science Laboratories; Molecular Biology; Cytology; Teaching Methods; Science Instruction; Evolution; Databases
Abstract: A major finding of comparative genomics and developmental genetics is that metazoans share certain conserved, embryonically deployed signaling pathways that instruct cells as to their ultimate fate. Because the DNA encoding these pathways predates the evolutionary split of most animal groups, it should in principle be possible to clone representatives of such signaling pathways from almost any species, demonstrating their sequence conservation. Here I describe an 8-week laboratory series that tests this prediction by attempting to clone multiple members of a known signaling pathway from a species where the targets are unknown. Beginning with the molecular components of a signaling pathway and publicly available sequence information from related taxa, students designed partially degenerate PCR primers to amplify the corresponding mRNA sequences from a "new" organism, in this case a turtle ("Trachemys scripta"). Using a single round of degenerate PCR and standard DNA cloning techniques, we were able to retrieve 6 out of 16 species-specific homologs on the first attempt ([similar to]40% success rate). To conclude the project, the novel sequences were submitted back into the original public database. The molecular methods of the lab can be adapted to any combination of pathway and organism, demonstrating the conserved components of cellular signaling in any biological process, from gastrulation to aging. The linked labs offer intensive research-based training in bioinformatics and molecular biology, while empirically demonstrating the ubiquity of the metazoan cell-signaling toolkit. (Contains 3 figures and 2 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract
9. Teaching Students about Biodiversity by Studying the Correlation between Plants & Arthropods (EJ796382)
Richardson, Matthew L.; Hari, Janice
American Biology Teacher, v70 n4 p217-220 Apr 2008
2008-04-00
Guides - Classroom - Teacher; Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Descriptors: Entomology; Ecology; Biodiversity; Urban Environment; Plants (Botany); Science Instruction; Correlation; Middle School Students; Teaching Methods
Abstract: On Earth there is a huge diversity of arthropods, many of which are highly adaptive and able to exploit virtually every terrestrial habitat. Because of their prevalence even in urban environments, they make an excellent model system for any life science class. Since plants also exploit virtually every terrestrial habitat, studying the relationship between plants and insects is accessible to all classrooms. The relationship between plants and arthropods is worthy of investigation because the diversity of arthropods, especially insects, exploded when angiosperms evolved. Insects use plants for food, but plants also increase habitat space and thus, trophic complexity. Studying the relationship between plants and arthropods will help students understand that organisms among different taxa are interconnected. Two components of biodiversity are richness (i.e., number of species) and abundance (i.e., number of individuals of each species or taxa). The objective of this project is for students to investigate how plant richness affects insect biodiversity (i.e., richness and abundance across taxa). The plant community directly affects arthropod abundance and richness, so biodiversity of arthropods should be positively correlated to plant richness. In urban environments, the plant community is fragmented and often represented by a limited number of species. The authors developed this project in an urban environment with middle school students to demonstrate how arthropod biodiversity can easily be increased by simple habitat modifications to their yards. Working outside the classroom in students' backyards is the sort of authentic "hook" teachers need to snare their students' attention and engage in real learning. Thus, they developed a simple experimental protocol for studying biodiversity that will allow teachers and their students to determine the diversity of arthropods in various urban habitats. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract
10. Globalization and Invasive Species Issues in Hawaii: Role-Playing Some Local Perspectives (EJ778138)
Fox, Alison M.; Loope, Lloyd L.
Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education, v36 p147-157
2007-00-00
Descriptors: Science Activities; Science Instruction; Relevance (Education); Critical Thinking; Thinking Skills; Student Research; Social Problems; Quality of Life; Global Approach; Parks; Ecology; Natural Resources; Role Playing; Political Science; Geography; Social Sciences; Conservation (Environment); Entomology
Abstract: Increasingly recognized as having significant economic and ecological impacts, non-native invasive species have become an important interdisciplinary topic in biological and social science courses. Oceanic island systems like Hawaii have been particularly susceptible to invaders and efforts to prevent further invasions focus on reducing the accidental and purposeful pathways by which harmful species arrive. A proposal that was initiated in 1988 to expand the airport at Kahului to allow direct international flights to Maui was embraced by some residents as a much-needed plan for expanding tourism and providing long-term economic improvements. Others predicted that if flights arrived from a variety of Pacific Rim countries, invasive species would be introduced that could find a suitable new home somewhere in Maui's diverse habitats. Such invaders would likely include new agricultural pests and threats to natural resource conservation, especially to the many endemic species in Haleakala National Park, and hence could have negative long-term impacts on the ecology and quality of life on Maui. We have developed materials based on this on-going, real-world scenario so that students can develop their research, communication, and critical thinking skills through examination of these conflicting ecological and social issues. Used either as a classroom role-playing exercise or as a case study for students working independently, participants will integrate information from biological, geographical, social, and political science disciplines, while learning how local business and conservation interests can influence, and be influenced by, changes in global trade and transportation. (Contains 4 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract
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