Habitats, Adaptations & Evolution
| At the Zoo: | Saturdays in the fall: September 11th, October 2nd, November 6th and December 4th |
| At Home or School: | Late-August to Mid-December 2010 |
| Cost: | $580 |
| Credits: | 3 graduate credits from Miami University |
From the dance of honeybees to the feeding strategies of Komodo dragons, the Cincinnati Zoo is an ideal place to explore habitats, evolutionary theory, and adaptation. Together with Cincinnati Zoo and Miami University instructors, participants will draw from the Zoo's 500+ animal species and 3,000+ plant varieties to explore key questions about why species look and act the way they do and the relationship between species and their habitats. We'll also take a look at the implications of evolution for species survival in modern times. Join us while we investigate the conceptual basis of the life sciences and implement vital lessons in educational settings at home.
Course Themes
- The history of life
- The theory of evolution
- The relationship between species and their habitats
- Methods for investigating diversity and adaptation
- Curricular development and educational leadership
- Inquiry-based learning
| "I loved the ability to spend as much time at the Zoo as I could manage and make observations of
animal behavior. I find it immensely interesting, and it's something I have never had the opportunity to do as part
of a class." -- Catherine H., Fairfield, Ohio; high-school teacher and past
participant |
Investigations
All Zoo Expedition graduate students will complete a semester-long research project that incorporates key course topics. With the help of faculty and course peers, Zoo Expeditioners create a research question, which can spring from any discipline from art to social studies to science. Depending on a Zoo Expeditioner's needs, a research project can also cover individual classroom goals or, in a broader sense, district goals or state or national standards. In its entirety, the research project follows the same steps that a practicing research scientist would undergo: creating a testable question; conducting research; writing a paper detailing the research question, methods, and results; and creating a poster of research highlights. Projects may be conducted individually or in groups with course colleagues.
Trista Allen, Catherine Hartman, Melinda Montgomery, and Megan Poneris created the poster below for the 2005 Habitats, Adapations, & Evolution course. (Please click on the image to download some images of the poster.)
(The document above is in Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF), and can be viewed using the program "Preview" in Mac OS X or "Adobe Reader," available as a free download here. Adobe Reader is available for both Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows.)
Zoo Expedition graduate courses provide educators with a unique choice: Should I pursue a question, conduct research, and 'be the scientist' myself? Or should I challenge my students to 'be the scientists' -- asking a question and seeking the answer together? Either way, the possibility of transformation is remarkable.
| "I appreciated and enjoyed the opportunity to try our hand at primary research. Here I am, a science teacher, and I can't tell you the last time that I went through the scientific process myself in an authentic manner. I've come away with a different perspective.:" -- Joshua F., New Albany, Ohio, eighth-grade teacher |
Zoo Expedition students have access to all the research projects created by their classmates. Each research project has the potential to become an investigation to be used in the classroom or at the Zoo. And educators who complete this graduate course come away with countless ideas to use in their classrooms and, even more importantly, an unparalleled experience that has the potential to change the way they see their classrooms, their work, and perhaps their world.
| "(Dragonfly's) inquiry process demystifies scientific research. It provides a framework to organize an inquiry, collect data, present data, and draw conclusions." -- Alice A., Dayton, Ohio, second-grade teacher |
Saturdays at the Cincinnati Zoo
Zoo Expedition courses are designed to fit the schedules of working teachers and informal educators. Accepted applicants join instructors and classmates on four fall Saturdays at the Cincinnati Zoo to interact and collaborate on important education and conservation goals. Please see above for this year's Saturdays. These all-day, face-to-face experiences provide a unique opportunity for educators to engage with each other and with course instructors, while experiencing the Zoo's wealth of plant and animal life. On these Saturdays, students and instructors create, develop, and gather data on their semester-long research projects that can occur at the Zoo and/or in educators' home institutions. Besides including direct assistance establishing research projects, these Saturdays include lectures, seminars, and discussions on course topics. On the final 'Zoo Day,' educators from all three Zoo Expedition courses present posters of the highlights and conclusions of their research projects.
Dragonfly's Web-Based Learning Community
Throughout the fall semester, all Zoo Expedition graduate students join instructors and course colleagues in Dragonfly's collaborative Web-Based Learning Community. Every week in between Saturday 'Zoo Days,' students logon to the Web site for a few hours to interact in a seminar-style discussion about their course readings, assignments, and research projects. From home or work on their own schedule, Zoo Expeditioners discuss course assignments, develop and present projects initiated at the Zoo and in their home institutions, and exchange ideas. A typical week might include reading, project work, and interacting on the Web -- a commitment of approximately three hours a week. Navigating the Web platform is easy -- it's designed for people with no prior computer experience. Dragonfly's Web-Based Learning Community, developed by Miami University's Project Dragonfly, has a proven record of supporting the implementation of course experiences in the classroom. An overview of the Web platform can be found at www.DragonflyWorkshops.org
Course Costs and University Credit
In 2010 a typical three-credit-hour Miami University graduate course costs more than $1,300 for an in-state student and more than $3,000 for a student outside Ohio. To support involvement by a broad range of professionals, the university is offering Zoo Expeditions courses for the reduced cost of $580, representing a savings of almost 60% for in-state students and 80% for out-of-state students. Courses are taken for a grade and cannot be taken on a credit/no-credit or pass/fail basis.
Zoo Expeditions course costs cover:
- Meals, snacks and/or food vouchers on select Saturday “Zoo Days”
- Entrance to the Zoo and parking for each Saturday “Zoo Day”
- Entrance to the Zoo and parking for Inquiry Project work throughout the semester
- One free class or group visit during the semester of enrollment for work related to the student’s Inquiry Project
In addition to course costs, accepted applicants will be required to purchase a course reader. Zoo Expedition students are also responsible for persoanl expenses incurred at the Zoo such as gifts or snacks.
World Community Conference
In January of next year, participants from all Zoo Expedition courses, and their students where appropriate, are invited to present their projects at Earth Expeditions' World Community Conference at the Cincinnati Zoo. At this event, students from Zoo Expedition course share their own and learn about each other's investigations through their Earth Expeditions experiences. Hundreds of regional educators attend each year.