Online Courses » Open for Enrollment
Biodiversity in Your Backyard
Begins March 9
What’s living in your backyard? What kinds of plants and animals are present? How are these species the same as—and different from—what’s living in my backyard? Why do those similarities and differences exist? Is it important to have a wide variety of species around your house?
This course will explore these types of questions. As we delve into the topic of biodiversity, we’ll go on amazing adventures—real and virtual—that will illustrate the variety of life that surrounds us. We’ll take time to stop and truly observe the magnificent plants and animals all around us, right here in North Carolina, in our own backyards, and we’ll examine the importance of biodiversity and threats to this richness of life.
This six-week course developed by the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center will expand your content knowledge specific to the life-science objectives found in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. While developing lesson plans won’t be a major emphasis, your classroom instruction in the life sciences will be enhanced as a result of the readings, discussions, and activities built into this course.
Grab a notebook, dig out your rain gear, and meet us in the backyard. We’ll be playing outside every week, rain or shine. We can’t wait to see what we discover!
This course will help you think systematically and critically about learning in your classroom: Why learning happens and what can be done to improve student achievement. You will learn to demonstrate knowledge of processes needed to support students in acquiring critical thinking skills and problem solving skills. Further, you will begin to evaluate and reflect upon the effectiveness of literacy instruction within your content area, as well as cultivate an awareness of appropriate methods and materials necessary to meet the needs of all students.
Syllabus
You can view the full course syllabus here.
Prerequisites
Participants must teach science in a K-5 classroom.
Course objectives
By making observations and conducting experiments in their backyards, K-5 teachers will develop understanding of the fundamental concepts underlying biodiversity.
- Discuss the importance of biodiversity
- Discuss the value of environmental education for elementary students
- Explain how North Carolina’s geological history has shaped its ecological zones and given rise to the habitats found within each zone
- Use scientific tools and personal observation to gather information about the habitats found in your backyard.
- Define “ecosystem” and explain how ecosystems maintain equilibrium
- Use “niches” to explain the ways in which habitats and species influence each other
- Identify key factors that have led to biodiversity on Earth
- Explain how humans benefit from biodiversity
- Discuss ways in which humans have negatively affected biodiversity
- Discuss ways in which humans can positively affect biodiversity
- Design an educational activity that teaches at least one key concept about biodiversity
Audience
This course is appropriate for K-5 science teachers.
Standards Alignment
This course addresses the following North Carolina teacher standards:
- Standard 1: Teachers demonstrate leadership
- c. Teachers lead the teaching profession.
- Standard 3: Teachers know the content they teach.
- a. Teachers align their instruction with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study.
- Standard 4: Teachers facilitate learning for their students
- c. Teachers use a variety of instructional methods.
- Standard 5: Teachers reflect on their practice
- a. Teachers analyze student learning.
- e. Teachers help students develop critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.
This course also satisfies standards from the National Staff Development Council, the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC), and International Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) from the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).
Time commitment
Approximately 4 hours per week
Materials required
The textbook required varies depending upon the region of the state in which you live. (Ask the instructor for assistance if you are unclear on your region.)
- For participants in the Coastal plains and sandhills:
Backyard Carolina: Two Decades of Public Radio Commentary by Andy Wood - For participants in the piedmont and Foothills:
The Piedmont Almanac (2001) by Dave Cook (contact the Eno River Association at 919.620.9099 or www.enoriver.org to order) - For participants in the mountains:
Hollows, Peepers & Highlanders: An Appalachian Mountain Ecology (2nd Edition) by George Constantz
Take this course!
This course is scheduled to be taught beginning March 9.
It will be open for enrollment until March 9 or until maximum enrollment has been met.
