Using Wiki to find National Parks-Searching as Part of Science Literacy

Finding information is a part of literacy. In science literacy, we have searched for journal articles before, but, today I did a search for myself that I turned into the blog post. I learned from doing this search and thought you would enjoy my journey, perhaps finding a new path for your own searches.

Searching for Kabarega National Park on Google came up with a map, but, not much information. There was a link to Wiki, however, so I took it. Still, I didn't come up with much. So in Wiki, I went to request information and was directed to a page to choose a topic. The closest was, "biology." Under, "biology," I selected, "conservation."

There, I found, "National Parks by Country."

I continued my search for Ugandan parks, and I will post what I found. You can look, however, for parks in the country of your interest.

List of national parks of Uganda Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Kibale National Park Kidepo Valley National Park

Kyambura Game Reserve Lake Mburo National Park Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Mount Elgon National Park

Murchison Falls National Park Queen Elizabeth National Park Rwenzori Mountains National Park Semuliki National Park

One of the links mentions the Uganda Wildlife Authority, which controls the parks and its website (http://www.uwa.or.ug/)provides additional information.

Clicking on the National Parks of Uganda, however, I did not locate, "Kabarega National Park." So, it is possible for me to go back in to Wiki and ask for someone knowing about that park to post an article. Of course, people may also submit comments or send an e-mail to post an article here, too.

Now, you can try to find some national parks. Pick a geographic location of interest to you. Select a country here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Conservation_by_country. Then, try finding a list of national parks in that country. I'll go through what I found for another country, then, let you check out some on your own. Adults may post their or their children's experiences with this exercise.

In Bolivia, for example, we find the following:

Apolobamba Integrated Management Natural Area Beni Biological Station Biosphere Reserve Cordillera de Sama Biological Reserve Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve

El Palmar Integrated Management Natural Area Manuripi-Heath Amazonian Wildlife National Reserve Template:National Parks of Bolivia Pilón Lajas Biosphere Reserve and Communal Lands

San Matías Integrated Management Natural AreaT Tariquía Flora and Fauna National Reserve Tucavaca Valley Municipal Reserve Ul

Have fun with this exercise, plan travels, or find e-mail friends or pen friends or penpals. Learn about natural science in the region and share information on your country's natural science.

Post script: Another reference on national parks that I came across during my search today is ParksWatch an organization that fosters biological diversity through park systems. You might like to check out what this group does.

Dr. J

Koalas for School....

Try visiting Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane, Australia, or, checking out their educational programs.
http://www.koala.net/lonepine/index.htm

If you can't get there, look up Australia on a map and create a virtual visit or design a travelogue for a pretend visit.

What is special about the animals found at this sanctuary?

Have you been there? Tell us about it.

One of my Boston students did get a chance to go there. She is now a scientist that works on marsupials. We raised grant money for her to go. You might be able to raise funds for your own studies there.

Try using Google map (and comparing it to plotting the same trip using a paper map, in case the computer is down...) to go from:

Murdoch University

90 South St

Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia

to:

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
Jesmond Road, Fig Tree Pocket Qld 4069, AUSTRALIA

and, then, to:

Sydney Airport
www.sydneyairport.com.au
The Ulm Building
1 Link Rd, Sydney International Terminal, NSW 2020, Australia

for the trip home to your own country.

Dr. J

Love to cook? Here's a way to start reading journal articles in science.

Do you love to cook? Or, do some of your students or their parents or grandparents love to cook? Spices provide an interesting and potentially economically interesting link to the technical science literature that you may all find exciting. An introduction to journal articles is perhaps easier if you have another interest, such as cooking, to which you can link new skill in science reading.

For example, Coriandrum sativum L., the spice coriander and also fresh coriander greens, which in Spanish is, "Cilantro," is the subject of the following primary source article, or..."lab report:"

Coriander Under Irrigation in Argentina

Gustavo Luayza, Roberto Brevedan, and Rosana Palomo

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1996/V3-590.html

Take a look at it and see if you can find the various parts that are common among laboratory reports around the world.

• Introduction
• What did you find?

• Materials and Methods
• What did they do? What did they use to do it?

• Results
• Are there charts, graphs, photos, verbal descriptions? Explain what you found. (Opinions should not be located in this part of the laboratory report. Are there any here?)
  

• Discussion and Conclusions (Summary)
  
• What opinions are expressed (Here, they can be expressed!)? Is public policy suggested? What do the authors say about more experimentation? Are other sources of information used in the discussion?

• Literature Cited
• Did the authors site primary sources? Secondary sources? Personal communication?
• 
  

Reflection: Do you use similar parts in your laboratory reports? What do you think about what you read? Could you understand it? Perhaps you could just get one or two ideas. If you are just starting to read journal articles, that is certainly to be expected. (Even if you are familiar with journal articles in one field, looking at them in another field may require more vocabulary development and other "Reach Reading" skills.) So do not worry if journal articles seem hard.

So, spices and cooking can provide an introduction to the technical literature. To make the introduction here on coriander relate to other experiences in your life, you might try some foods made with this plant. (Do remember not to eat in the laboratory, however. Follow safety rules.)

Add in some geography: Look at the places where coriander is grown and the countries that use the herb and seeds of coriander in their cuisine.

Coriander/Cilantro Recipes

1. http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Herbs-and-Spices/Spices/Coriander/Main.aspx http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Herbs-and-Spices/Spices/Coriander/Top.aspx
2. http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=coriander

About Coriander

1. http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/c/corian99-s.jpg
2. http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=COSA
3. http://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=profile&symbol=COSA&display=31
   

(c) 2008 J S Shipman

Potential New Crop Plants via Australian Portal

Here's a link to potential new crop plants

Have you thought about new crops?

What is the benefit of diversifying agriculture?

Do you need to think about, "invasive species," when introducing a plant to a new area?

Should a lawn be composed of several species? Why or why not?

What is a monoculture?

I've given you some open-ended questions for a brisk fall day's science discussion.

Have fun.

Dr. J

FYI: New Crops Authors

(c)2008 J S Shipman

Australian Ideas for Science Education

Here is a link to Australia K-6 ideas:
http://science.uniserve.edu.au/school/curric/k_6/ouroz.html

For example, you can take a virtual field trip to Australia.


You might like to compare and contrast Australian environmental weed control methods with Control of invasive species in your own country.

Science Education in Latvia

Click here for a link to science education ideas found on the Latvian site: which was found by searching Meklētie vārdi: science education and Serveris: www.lzp.lv

http://www.rtu.lv/ Rigas Tehniska Universitate (Technical University)

Malawi: Information, Floras, and, Herbals

Do you know much about Malawi? Can you find it on a map? Here are some links to some resources on Malawi's economic botany and other information on Malawi. If you know more, please add them in the comments section.

Chewa Medical Botany (herbal)

The Flora of Zomba Plateau, Phase II: 1996-2000

The Survey of the Algae of Zomba Water Bodies: 1990-2000

The Inventory and Conservation of the Flora of Lunyangwa Forest Reserve: 1990-2000

The Revision of the Phaseoleae (Leguminosae) of the Flora Zambesiaca region (Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Zambia): 1986-, and

The Biodiversity and Conservation Status of Protected Areas in Malawi: 1992-.

Orchids

www.nhbs.com/evergreen_forest_flora_of

malawi_tefno_117441.html

http://www.admin.uio.no/fa/felles/countries/africa/malawi.html

http://www.africanconservation.org/index.php?option=com_mtree&task=listcats&cat_id=86&Itemid=3

http://www.iamshaman.com/lotus/botany.htm

http://www.ossrea.net/ssrr/no14/no14-07.htm

Cassava

Have you been to Malawi? Share your science stories from Malawi.

Thanks

Dr. J

Thank you for visiting!

I am very happy to announce that recent visitors to this science education/global sustainability blog have been from many places on the globe. Most recent visitors have been from the following countries:

Australia * Canada * Colombia * France * India * Japan * Maldives * New Zealand * Pakistan * Phillipines * Portugal * Singapore * Switzerland * United Kingdom * United States of America

What a wonderful global forum. Please add your comments and suggest posts. Each person might contribute something on his or her own educational system, how science is taught, new research to discuss and other science ideas. Welcome.

You may contact me via my e-mail, or, by leaving a comment.

Thanks,
Dr. J

Recent Visitors have been from many Parts of the World. Thank you.

	Num	Perc.	Country Name
	356	78.24%	United States
	49	10.77%	Canada
	20	4.40%	Unknown	-
	4	0.88%	Japan
	4	0.88%	United Kingdom
	3	0.66%	Mauritius
	3	0.66%	India
	3	0.66%	Australia
	2	0.44%	Serbia
	2	0.44%	Ireland
	2	0.44%	Philippines
	1	0.22%	Sweden
	1	0.22%	Thailand
	1	0.22%	Israel
	1	0.22%	New Zealand
	1	0.22%	Belgium
	1	0.22%	Netherlands
	1	0.22%	South Africa

Source August 23, 2008