- I can interpret two different graphs of population growth: exponential and logistic.
- I can classify examples of factors that limit a population's growth as density-dependent or density-independent.
- I can predict what will happen to a population's size if the following occur: emigration, immigration, and changes in birth and death rates.
Well, maybe not. I know that I would jump right into these I can statements, but I am a science dork to the zillionth power (shocking revelation there). My students....not so much. Remember, these are high school students who have been used to the "drill and kill" method of instruction for many, many years. Natural curiosity is no longer natural for them.
So, when I sat down to review and plan this unit, I thought about how I could draw my students in to this fascinating ecological topic. My thought process pretty much went like this:
"Hook them. Engage them. Engagement means doing something they want to do. What do they like to do? Sit and watch me. Sit and watch things happen. Sit and watch TV. TV means videos....watch a video? What video? YouTube, here I come."
I brought this idea to my fellow Biology teacher and our reading consultant (Cecilia Frank), and we all helped create this lesson for introducing population growth to our students, tying in how relevant population growth is when considering the problem of invasive species. In sum, they first watched a short video about the invasive snakehead fish, and then they read a USGS article about them.
It was freaking amazing. This teacher-nerd was in teaching nerdvana.
After students watched the video, we discussed their questions as well as the questions in the lesson. My students were brimming with questions, launching them at me faster than I could answer them. And, when I asked them if they would like to read more about this invasive species, my students' answer of "YES" almost knocked me down. As I ended the lesson by having them predict the growth curve of the snakehead fish population on a graph (previewing the first I can statement), I didn't have to verbally prod anyone into action. Several students from each of my classes lingered after the bell, talking about/asking more questions about not only the snakehead, but also about the Asian carp and those annoying biting ladybugs that aren't ladybugs but are really Asian lady beetles.
I was excited by all the questions, because questions are where all learning begins.
So this is what all those teacher-readings mean by "engagement." You have to plan for it; it doesn't just magically happen. It's what turns a good lesson into a great lesson.
(Here is a cleaner copy of the learning activities that are on the website.)