In the information age, the acquisition of data literacy skills has become increasingly important for undergraduate student success, yet these skills are not emphasized in the lecture setting. Here we present a study to inspire educators to scaffold graph knowledge and interpretation into their classrooms. Specifically, we sought to understand how…

Children can have a new favorite animal every week or even every hour. The more familiar the children become with an animal, the more they will be able to understand how its body form and behavior allow it to survive. Learning about the characteristics of organisms and how organisms relate to their environment is part of the National Science…

Describes having a pot-bellied pig in a classroom. Students learned how to care for the pig and train it. Describes other animals in the classroom and the class putting on shows for other students. (PR)

Presents an activity that teaches children the language of the honeybee--and which transforms the classroom into a honeybee colony. Children mimic the foraging behavior of honeybees and learn to appreciate the importance of community effort among animals. (PR)

Describes a field study of dragonflies and damselflies. After a bit of background reading and equipped with paper, pencil, insect net, and work sheet in hand, students will come to appreciate the behaviors of these insects as they gain a deeper understanding of the natural world. (PR)

Examines the various adaptations, food-getting strategies, and defense mechanisms that mammals have employed in surviving from one season to the next. Contains exercises in simulating animal movements and in identifying animal tracks and habitats. (ML)

These activities allow students to investigate behavioral responses of the large Milkweed bug, "Oncopeltus fasciatus," and the mealworm, "Tenebrio molitor" or "Tenebrio obscurus," to external stimuli of light, color, and temperature. During the activities, students formulate hypotheses to research questions presented. They also observe insects for…

Describes a class project to determine which environmental condition, such as light, heat, and type of basking substrate, would result in the least and most turtle basking behavior. (PR)

The study of starlings in the urban environment integrates nervous regulation, the senses, and animal behavior, while also providing an excellent example of how the biology of an animal is related to the demands of the physical environment. (PR)

Describes an interdisciplinary minicourse on dinosaur fossils, morphology, ethology, and energetics. Suggests and provides examples of hands-on activities for junior high school- through college-level students. (DS)

Discusses how to teach students in primary and intermediate grades to record and organize information. Highlights include developing a research question; collaborative planning between teachers and library media specialists; consistency of data entry; and an example of a unit on animal migration based on an appropriate Web site. (LRW)