Describes a field trip to collect planarians as successful in generating interest in the sciences. This activity is suitable for all grade levels as a field trip or biology lab. Planarians can be easily collected from streams across the United States. Once in the classroom, planaria are easily fed and cared for. (SAH)

Describes using domesticated, wild, or feral animals to teach students about nature and animal behavior. Connections can be made with psychology, economics, genetics, history, art, and other disciplines. The study of animal behavior provides opportunities for harmless student experimentation. (SAH)

Describes behaviors of the domestic cat in terms of developing students abilities to observe. Discussed are play, territoriality and pecking order, catnip, feral studies, and chasing. (CW)

Discusses experiments involving classical conditioning of planarians. Suitable for advanced high school students or college-level independent study, flatworms are trained to curl up under a bright light. Then the planarians to are subjected to controlled reproduction experiments to determine whether the learned behavior is inherited by their…

Describes an activity in which students explore how animals hide in nature by using protective coloring and camouflage. Integrates science, math, language arts, art, and physical movement. (SAH)

Describes an activity on biomass measurement which, in this case, is the weight of a group of living things in a given area. The earthworm activity gives students a greater understanding of ecology, practical math applications, and the scientific method. (ASK)

Describes an activity in which students are introduced to the concept of food webs through a role-playing tag game. (Author/CCM)

Describes an activity in which students map mockingbirds' territories and describe at least 10 common behaviors of these birds. (Author/CCM)

Several investigations can be undertaken with live sea anemones. A sea anemone's feeding response, fighting power, color, and symbiotic relationships to other invertebrates (such as a marine hermit crab) can be investigated in the high school classroom. Background information and laboratory procedures are provided. (Author/JN)

Describes activities that link classroom science to real world scientific ventures. Uses field trips to zoos or wildlife centers for in-depth learning experiences that help students observe, investigate, and explore issues in animal science. (SAH)