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Course Description: Building a home along the bank of a river (riparian zone) or draining a wet area (wetland) for “useful” purposes are commonplace activities throughout the country. But how do these activities change the functions of naturally occurring riparian zones and wetlands?
In this course, we will explore the structure and functions of these areas transitional between dry and aquatic communities, and their importance in the natural world. You will complete six activities in this course:
- Read some on-line material about riparian zones and wetlands, and discuss the material.
- Locate and describe an important riparian zone or wetland, a park for instance, in your area, explaining why it is special.
- Locate and describe one or two study areas for your class project that ideally could be used for your own classroom activities.
- Identify 8-10 major plants in your study areas and construct a dichotomous key to the plants that could be used by your students (or friends).
- Quantitatively compare three features between or within your study areas, collecting data and analyzing them statistically (a sample statistics problem will be provided).
- Write a short paper on your project, following scientific paper format. We will have a “Question of the Week” for sparking discussion among class members.
Science standards, federal and state, usually require field activities and ecological understanding. This course will get you outside, investigating areas that you find interesting and relevant to you and your students. This course can be combined with BIOL 513: Terrestrial Ecology of Plains and Prairies, for heightening awareness of the similarities and differences between grasslands and wetter areas.
Meeting Place and Times: Teachers login to the course at a time of day that best fits their schedule. It is necessary to connect at least 4 - 6 times per week to stay current and successfully complete this 2 credit graduate course.
Instructor(s): Joseph Bradshaw, MS.
Prerequisites: Two or more years of teaching experience.
Target Audience: Middle and high school science teachers.
Time Commitment: 12-15 hours per week. If you are unfamiliar with this field of study and/or method of delivery, you may require more time.
| Cost: | | | Tuition | $620 | | | MSU Fees | $6.30 | | | Total | $626.30 |
NSTA Members are eligible to receive a 10% discount. Enter your NSTA Membership Number in the "Comments" section at the end of the online registration form to receive your discount.
The cost of the course assumes that you are taking only online courses from Montana State University (MSU) and/or specially designated courses through MSU Extended University during the semester that the course is offered. If you are also taking regular face-to-face courses from Montana State University, other costs may apply. Montana State University charges a $3.25 per credit hour computer fee for this course. (The fee is $3.15 per credit hour during summer session 2009.) MSU also charges a $30 registration fee per student per semester. If you have not yet paid this fee, you may do so when you register for this course. To learn more, please see the University Business Services' Student Accounts Web page.
Required Books/Materials: - Materials will be provided electronically by your instructor.
Computer Requirements: - Computer running Windows 2000 or newer or Mac OS X
or higher
- CD-ROM drive
- Internet access
This course uses a learning management system. You will learn more closer to the course start date.
For More Information: contact Diana Paterson at dianap@montana.edu or 406-994-5679.
How to Register: Register Online
Register Online
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