SUNY: Environmental Science Seminar
In Environmental Science Seminar (Fall 2008), we talk about the process of science writing, critique primary literature and develop a research topic for a secondary literature review paper on a topic of environmental concern. We critically evaluate and discuss journal articles, and debate the pros and cons of hot topics- most recently nuclear energy. The students also act as peer evaluators of their own literature and embark on writing resumes and creating web pages.
In order to expose students to primary literature writing, I had them run mock-field experiments in Spring 2009. I brought in Sherman traps, my field kit for collecting animal metrics, and baggies containing scientific names of common small mammal species and sex for "easy" sampling. Later students wrote a methods and results section based on their data collection. Students chose to sample in 2 different habitats ranging from rural to urban TO unmowed versus recently mowed hayfields. See pictures below of both classes!
In order to expose students to primary literature writing, I had them run mock-field experiments in Spring 2009. I brought in Sherman traps, my field kit for collecting animal metrics, and baggies containing scientific names of common small mammal species and sex for "easy" sampling. Later students wrote a methods and results section based on their data collection. Students chose to sample in 2 different habitats ranging from rural to urban TO unmowed versus recently mowed hayfields. See pictures below of both classes!