The purpose of this project is to allow students to integrate computer technology into their life science curriculum by using an outdoor field-work experience. In this case, our students have used the local salt marsh as the research setting. Within this research setting, students have been studying the vegetation and animal parameters using a variety of techniques, such as vegetation identification and density measures, crustacean, and fish studies. The goal of our salt marsh project is four-fold: first, to enable students to gain an increased awareness and appreciation for our environment, second, to teach the students how to effectively use tools in the field, third, to analyze and interpret data. The third point is where technology is critical. In this way, students learn a variety of skills in Microsoft Excel in order to accurately portray the data collected. Fourth, working in a natural setting enables students to realize their dependence upon and connection to the natural world. In summary, students have actively used the scientific method to design an experiment, collect and interpret data, and summarize results.
Back to Symposia: Chemical Education - Applications Based Teaching
Back to The 33rd Northeast Regional Meeting (July 14-17, 2005)