Institute for Biology Teachers in Organismal Biology

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The Cornell Institute for Biology Teachers in Organismal Biology will be a three-week summer Institute for 60 upstate New York high school teachers over three years. The Institute will consist of three main parts: 1) A three credit-hour course in organismal biology, including lectures, lab work and work designed to train teachers in field techniques; the areas covered will include behavior, ecology, physiology, and environmental biology. Concepts from evolutionary biology will be used to integrate the separate elements. Methods to teach evolution will be covered in detail. 2) Lectures and field trips designed to introduce other subjects and more Cornell faculty and resources to the participants. 3) A set of laboratory exercises designed to be taken back to the participants classrooms. Goals of the program include increasing teacher knowledge of organismal biology, dissemination of new teaching materials to enhance biology laboratory teaching, and development of a teacher network and a Cornell extension system for continuing activities. Novel aspects include the use of computers for teaching and communication, increased use of Cornell as resource, and the cooperative development of new teaching laboratories with the participants. An amount equivalent to 40% of the NSF award is being contributed as cost-sharing.