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  • Geoscience
A Strange Fish Indeed
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Through a series of fictionalized diary entries, this case recounts the 1939 discovery by Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer (and identification by J.L.B. Smith) of a living coelacanth, a fish believed to be extinct for over 70 million years. Developed for use in a freshman biology course as an introduction to the nature and methods of scientific inquiry, the case could also be modified for use in a number of upper-level biology courses such as ichthyology, evolutionary biology, and conservation ecology.

Author:
Robert H. Grant
The Stress That You Apply
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Students learn about contact stress and its applications in engineering. They are introduced to the concept of heavy loads, such as buildings, elephants, people and traffic, and learn how those heavy loads apply contact stress. Through the analysis of their own footprints, students determine their contact stress.

Author:
AMPS GK-12 Program,
TeachEngineering.org
Eduardo Suescun, Janet Yowell
Sustainable Energy - Without the Hot Air
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In his book, MacKay explores our population's addiction to fossil fuels and the problems faced with sustainability. Two issues faced with fossil fuels are they will eventually run out and they are harming our environment during use. McKay does not give one simple solution to the problem, but contrast various advanced technologies and how they may be applied to improve our environment and sustainability. More information may be found at http://www.withouthotair.com/.

Author:
University of Cambridge
Things That Matter to Flocculants
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Prior to reaching households, water is exposed to a variety of treatments designed to render it fit for human consumption and use. One of the first treatment steps is the removal of suspended solids using chemical additives called flocculants. In this activity, students learn about two commonly used flocculants and clean water collected from a local pond or river. They experiment with flocculant, stirring and pH variables.

Author:
Audrey Buttice
TeachEngineering.org
Marissa H. Forbes
STARS GK-12 Program,
Threats to Biodiversity: A Case Study of Hawaiian Birds
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This case study analyzes the impact of introduced species on native bird populations of Hawaii. Developed for an introductory biology course, the case could also be used in upper-level courses such as ecology, conservation biology, evolution, biodiversity, and the biology of social issues, or in a non-majors biology course.

Author:
Paula P. Lemons
Sarah K. Huber
Too Many Deer!: A Case Study in Managing Urban Deer Herds
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A town meeting is the setting for this case study in which students explore the topics of overpopulation, bioethics, and management of urban wildlife. The case makes use of role playing, small group discussion, interrupted case techniques, and critical analytical reflective papers to enable students to examine a common urban forest management problem. Hidden within the examination of making decisions about deer herds is a set of questions that brings out the scientific method and its application. Although developed for a non-majors biology course, by restructuring some of the activities and asking different questions the case could be successfully used in an introductory biology course for majors, an ecology course, a conservation biology seminar, or a course on bioethics.

Author:
Eric Ribbens
Topo Map Mania!
Read the Fine Print
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Maps are designed to allow people to travel to a new location without a guide to show the way. They tell us information about areas to which we may or may not have ever been. There are many types of maps available for both recreational and professional use. A navigator uses a nautical map, while an engineer might use a surveyor's map. Maps are created by cartographers, and they can be very specific or very general, depending on their intended use. The focus of this lesson is on how to read and use topographical maps. Students will also learn to identify the common features of a map. Through the associated activities, students will learn how to use a compass to find bearing to an object on a map and in the classroom.

Subject:
Applied Science
Engineering
Geoscience
Physical Science
Material Type:
Activity/Lab
Lesson Plan
Author:
Integrated Teaching and Learning Program,
Janet Yowell
Malinda Schaefer Zarske
Matt Lippis
Penny Axelrad
TeachEngineering.org
Date Added:
09/18/2014
Tuna for Lunch?  A Case Study Examining Mercury Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification
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This case examines mercury bioaccumulation and biomagnification within the context of the human health impacts of ingesting food (specifically, fish) contaminated with mercury. It was inspired by a 2009 USGS report on mercury in fish, sediment, and water from streams across the U.S. The case is intended to help students make the connection between an environmental contaminant (mercury, a neurotoxin) and the food they eat. Human activities have been increasing mercury concentrations globally, and coal-burning power plants are the most common source of mercury pollution, a fact many students are unaware of. The case has been used in an introductory level environmental science class (predominantly non-majors), a non-majors general biology class, and a sophomore level ecology class (majors).

Author:
Caralyn B. Zehnder
Using Hooke's Law to Understand Materials
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Students explore the response of springs to forces as a way to begin to understand elastic solid behavior. They gain experience in data collection, spring constant calculation, and comparison and interpretation of graphs and material properties to elucidate material behavior. Conduct this activity before proceeding to the associated lesson.

Author:
TeachEngineering.org
Marissa H. Forbes
Integrated Teaching and Learning Program,
Brandi N. Briggs
Walk the Line: A Module on Linear Functions
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Prepared with pre-algebra or algebra 1 classes in mind, this module leads students through the process of graphing data and finding a line of best fit while exploring the characteristics of linear equations in algebraic and graphic formats. Then, these topics are connected to real-world experiences in which people use linear functions. During the module, students use these scientific concepts to solve the following hypothetical challenge: You are a new researcher in a lab, and your boss has just given you your first task to analyze a set of data. It being your first assignment, you ask an undergraduate student working in your lab to help you figure it out. She responds that you must determine what the data represents and then find an equation that models the data. You believe that you will be able to determine what the data represents on your own, but you ask for further help modeling the data. In response, she says she is not completely sure how to do it, but gives a list of equations that may fit the data. This module is built around the legacy cycle, a format that incorporates educational research feindings on how people best learn.

Author:
TeachEngineering.org
Aubrey Mckelvey
VU Bioengineering RET Program,
Water and Dams in Today's World
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Students learn about the importance of dams by watching a video that presents historical and current information on dams, as well as descriptions of global water resources and the hydrologic cycle. Students also learn about different types of dams, all designed to resist the forces on dams. (If the free, 15-minute "Water and Dams in Today's World" video cannot be obtained in time, the lesson can still be taught. See the Additional Multimedia Support section for how to obtain the DVD or VHS videotape, or a PowerPoint presentation with similar content [also attached].)

Author:
Sara Born
Kristin Field
Integrated Teaching and Learning Program,
Denise W. Carlson
Lauren Cooper
Denali Lander
TeachEngineering.org
The Wealth of Water: The Value of an Essential Resource
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Many students take the availability of water for granted. This case study, which focuses on the Cochabamba water revolt in Bolivia, is designed to encourage students to think about water as a limited natural resource. Students learn about the limited nature of freshwater and the impact that access to clean water has on people across all socioeconomic demographics. Designed for a non-majors course in global ecology, the case could also be used in non-majors and majors courses in biology, environmental science, environmental policy, ethics, and international relations, among others.

Author:
Melanie K. Rathburn
Karina J. Baum
What Happens to Water When it Hits the Ground?
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Students will test the percolation rates of 6 different soil samples. Three of the samples are measured sand and clay and three are collected from the schoolyard and wetland.

Author:
Debra Hornfeldt
What Is GIS?
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Geographic information systems (GIS) are important technology that allows rapid study and use of spatial information. GIS have become increasingly prevalent in industry and the consumer/internet world in the last 20 years. Historically, the basis of GIS was in mapping, and so it is important to understand the basis of maps and how to use them as well as why they are different from GIS. In this lesson, students learn the value of maps, how to use maps, and the basic components of a GIS. They are also introduced to numerous GIS applications.

Author:
TeachEngineering.org
Nathan Howell
Andrey Koptelov
National Science Foundation GK-12 and Research Experience for Teachers (RET) Programs,
What is a Species?: Speciation and the Maggot Fly
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This "clicker case" is modified from Martin Kelly's case study "As the Worm Turns: Speciation and the Apple Maggot Fly," also in our collection. Classic cases of incipient speciation such as the apple maggot fly and the hawthorn maggot fly are an excellent way to teach students about the mechanisms of speciation. In this case, students learn about the natural history of apple and hawthorn maggot flies, then apply various species concepts to decide if they should be considered separate species and decide what evidence is relevant to each species concept. The case is designed for use in a general biology course for majors. It consists of a PowerPoint presentation (~8MB) punctuated by questions that students respond to using their clickers before moving on to the next slide. It could be adapted for use without these technologies.

Author:
Joan Sharp
What's Wrong with the Coordinates at the North Pole?
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Students complete a self-guided exercise in worksheet format combined with Google Earth that helps them explore practical and observable differences between different projection and coordinate systems. The activity improves their skills in using various Google Earth features.

Author:
TeachEngineering.org
Nathan Howell
Andrey Koptelov
National Science Foundation GK-12 and Research Experience for Teachers (RET) Programs,
What's in My Water Bottle?: A Question of Environmental Estrogens
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In this interrupted case study, two students explore evidence suggesting that environmental estrogens leach out of some plastic containers and that these chemicals have a negative impact on the development of mammals. Students analyze data, consider the quality of the data, and then develop their own conclusions. They are also asked to consider their role as future scientists in teaching society about potentially harmful chemicals. This case study could be used in upper-level anatomy and physiology courses or in a developmental biology course.

Author:
Janna R. McLean
Where Am I: Navigation and Satellites
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How do we know where we are? What happens if you are completely lost in the middle of nowhere? Does technology provide tools for people lost in their travels? A person cannot usually determine an accurate position just by looking out a window in the middle of the ocean or vast area of land, particularly if it has not been charted before. In this lesson, students explore the concept of triangulation that is used in navigation satellites and global positioning systems designed by engineers. Also, students learn how these technologies can help people determine their position or the location of someone else.

Author:
Janet Yowell
Malinda Schaefer Zarske
Integrated Teaching and Learning Program,
TeachEngineering.org
Jay Shah
Who Can Make the Best Coordinate System?
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Students learn about coordinate systems in general by considering questions concerning what it is that the systems are expected do, and who decided how they look. They attempt to make their own coordinate systems using a common area across all groups and compete to see who can make the best one. Then they analyze why it is that some systems work better than others and consider what those observations mean for evaluating and choosing geographic coordinate systems commonly available today.

Author:
TeachEngineering.org
Nathan Howell
Andrey Koptelov
National Science Foundation GK-12 and Research Experience for Teachers (RET) Programs,