Here's a fresh way to help your students learn life science by determining how you can help them learn best. "Uncovering Student Ideas in Life Science, Volume 2," offers 30 new formative assessment probes--engaging questions that can reveal what students already know (or think they know) about a core science topic. Armed with that…

Described are the values of a forest ecosystem in terms of its products and processes, and the dangers posed to such ecosystems by the pollution stresses of urbanizations and transportation. Included are options available to slow or stop forest destruction and degradation. (SL)

Argues that the topic of symbiosis has been greatly neglected and underemphasized in general-biology textbooks. Discusses many types and examples of symbiosis, and provides an extensive bibliography of the literature related to this topic. (JR)

How to teach environmental relevance to elementary students using a terrarium as a teaching aid. Includes suggestions for terrarium construction and experiments. (RB)

In this teaching guide the natural and social sciences are integrated with an emphasis on conservation and ecology. The guide contains ten teaching units dealing with various physical and biological aspects of the environment. Unit one deals with the question of what is conservation. Unit two is concerned with the question of what is a natural…

This publication serves as a guide to activities and strategies in environmental education. Lesson plans include objectives and suggested procedures in dealing with the following environmental concepts: (1) The earth is a vast but limited natural system; (2) The total environment is in constant change; (3) A living thing is the product of its…

Described is the construction and use of an environmental garden. The garden serves as a source of both indoor and outdoor laboratory materials, including vascular plants, fungi, algae, mosses, zooplankton, and macroscopic invertebrates. (BB)

Outlined is a procedure for the assessment of fungal growth under different cultural conditions, together with a demonstration of the toxic nature of exudates released from a fungal pathogen during growth in culture, using a simple bioassay. (Author/CW)

This career exploration instructional unit, one of several resulting from the rural southwestern Colorado CEPAC Project (Career Education Process of Attitude Change), introduces the student to jobs in the environment that are related to life science. Content is in five parts: (1) Part I lists the jobs that may be found in environmental careers and…

This guide is a collection of "fun" school site activities for sixth graders. Some of the topics covered are: animals, trees, energy and lifestyle, land use and you, energy conservation, and car-pooling. Each section offers both introductory information about the topic as well as questions to ponder such as what, so what, now what, and another way…

Elements of environmental science and how the science is related to the more traditionally established disciplines are explored in this supplementary text. Two aspects of environmental science are considered--subject matter and decision making. Relevant background material in the physical sciences is presented under the following topics: ecology,…

This unit is designed to introduce the marine environment to those with little or no previous related background. Students define the marine environment, participate in group discussions, view movies, investigate oil spills, and write environmental impact statements. The first three sessions are designed to take three hours with the composition of…

This paper includes a general account of the biology of the brine shrimp, instructions on how the organism may be cultured, the results of some experiments on the ecology and population biology of the species, and some suggestions for further studies. (Author/CW)

Presented is an exercise for high school students which illustrates the principle and practice of measuring energy flow through a community. Included are worksheets, instructions, a flow diagram, and a list of ecosystem parameters. (Author/CW)

Appropriate for secondary school botany instruction, this study guide focuses on the important roles of plants in human lives. Following a rationale for learning the basic skills of a botanist, separate sections discuss the process sunlight undergoes during photosynthesis, the flow of energy in the food chain, alternative plant lifestyles, plant…