Here's a site for people interested in improving science literacy and education, including but not limited to: Parents, science educators, home school teachers, science industries, botanical gardens, museums, and, zoological garden staff. Please feel free to post a comment with ideas or links. Use the search bar at the top left of the blog to find subjects (If you don't find something, please leave a comment.). The left hand column has reference links and the bottom has a survey.
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"Simply put, Economic Botany is the interaction of people with plants. The word is based on two Greek roots ethnos (race: people: cultural group) and botanikos (of herbs) and can mean the plant lore of a race or people as well as the study of that lore." Source: http://botany.org/planttalkingpoints/economic_botany.php. Accessed 23 November 09. Read more.
If you are interested in a children's (ages 5-10) economic botany lesson plan and book for students, let me know via e-mail or the call me button below.
We recently talked about dreaming big. An example was given of a high school student who went to Australia. Maybe that whet your appetite for an excursion to Australia. Here is some information about one of Australia's many parks and research centers. Take a virtual tour, or, plan a real one to Alice Springs Desert Park. Here are some pictures, quotes and links to the park's website.
"Internet2....consortium...to develop and deploy advanced network applications and technologies, accelerating the creation of tomorrow's internet." Source Security: Email [Internet] Educational CyberPlayGround website; 2004 [cited 2008 October 30]. Available from: http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/technology/email.html
My Father planted a Forest When my father was young, 4-H friends of his got several young trees (He recalls, "one or two thousand...") to plant. They were twig-like. At first they dug very slowly and tucked each tree into the ground gingerly. But, they had only one day to plant the trees. The boys that signed-up for the tree project didn't get very far, so the 4-H leader got my dad and some other 4-Hers involved. Someone came up with the idea of using a broad pick-axe to dig one hole after another and then a kind of assembly line planting occurred....Dig, lift, put in the twig, stomp the ground on top, repeat. Today, there stands a magnificent forest in Hamptonburgh, New York (Near Campbell Hall...) that is a result of this 4-H project. I think we will go and look at the forest again soon.
You, too, can save the environment and plant a forest... Join 4-H or be a 4-H leader. 4-H is a national organization that works with similar groups in other countries. Originally 4-H was mostly farm youth, but now it has membership encompassing farm, sub-urban, and urban youth, too. There are many projects on computers, science, engineering, nutrition, home economics, wood-working, environment, and more. 4-H is well worth checking out.
I came across the following video and it reminded me of the above story and of my own adventures in 4-H. The video is more, "art," than, "science," yet, it triggered me to write this post. I hope the post encourages you to plant or care for a forest.
Monotropa hypopithys L was spotted on a recent field trip up Mount Fuji (See earlier post). So, what is it? Well, it may be a mouthful to say, but doing a search to find out more can be exciting. Do you know how to find out more?
There are many sources. How do you evaluate them? What sources are good? Becoming proficient in higher order thinking skills can help you evaluate the value of different sites, or, texts, or journal articles.
Suppose you want to use "Reach Reading(TM)," to read some journal articles? Where and how would you find them? Think about that.
Sometimes students learn by drawing, or, they focus that way. There notebooks are full of sketches. Channeling that artistic energy and simultaneously teaching something new in both art and science can be done through animation.
Students (and teacher/mentors) can pick a science standard from what you are learning during the year, and, then animate a film about it. There are some websites about animation to give you an idea of how animation is done. But, you can do animation with a flip book if you don't have computer access for everyone. Clay has also been used, as presented in "Botany Beat," linked here.
A website for animation concepts using stick figures is:
A website for adults who want an idea of what is possible with computer animation (but, check it out first, parents may not want this for all ages of children. It is a showcase of animation from Algonquin College): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7X8wHCWUy9g
Another website, an advertisement for a school, also requiring parent or guardian checking, can be found by googling: Very Cool 3D Medical Animation. Some medical images are not suitable for all ages, however, this video can point to a career for some.
Teachers are welcome to attend the Botanical Society of America Conferences.
Teachers get a special (affordable) rate for the conference. Perhaps your school will sponsor you. Information on dates of the next two conferences is shown below. however, you can get much more detail at the BSA website: http://www.botany.org/conferences/
BOTANY 2008 - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, July 26 - 30, 2008, Joint meeting with the Canadian Botanical Association-L'Association Botanique du Canada, American Fern Society and American Society of Plant Taxonomists
Note that the H.O.T. Skills Wheel Workshop will be held on Sunday at the conference. There are still a few openings if you would like to attend.
Botany 2009 - Snowbird, Utah, July 25 - 30, Joint meeting with the Mycological Society of America, ABLS, AFS, and ASPT
The website: www.plantscafe.net is now online (some bits and pieces are still under development, but, most of this great website is up and running now).
You might remember previous posts on herbaria. Here is a link that you might enjoy that can expand your knowledge of plant families while you learn more about herbaria and international cooperation.
Can you find similar plants near where you live? Can you draw pictures of them? In today's electronic age, perhaps you would like to take digital photos. Enjoy the diversity of living things. Contemplate their unity in how they share biochemical mechanisms, like DNA.
JULIET: 'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What's in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet; So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, Retain that dear perfection which he owes Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, And for that name which is no part of thee Take all myself.
Source: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/305250.html Accessed December 28, 2007
...but, a weed by any other name, some may callnoxious, invasive, or, still others may call it medicine...
The Eye of the Donkey game teaches PCR Method. I was surprized at how much the students loved this game. They also said they answered questions on the state final exam correctly because of the game. You might want to read more before you play the game, to improve your chances of winning!!!
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