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Talking Turkey: Using a short story to facilitate learning and appreciation of energy flows through ecosystems

Human beings are storytellers. This exercise uses the universality of storytelling to engage undergraduate students in ecological science. Students read a fictional narrative that connects scientific principles of ecology to their daily life and in doing so helps students become more personally engaged in the scientific material and more interested in analyzing and evaluating the role of science in society. The story “Talking Turkey” is about a college student’s interactions with her family when she informs them at Thanksgiving of her decision to stop eating meat for ecological, not ethical reasons. To appreciate her decision, students have to understand food chains, energy flows, the first and second laws of thermodynamics, and ecological efficiency. My story puts a human face on these concepts and students actually enjoy critically analyzing the character’s decision. Students are assessed on their understanding of the underlying science and engagement with the material during online discussions and on short answer questions.
Associated files
Format
Primary or BEN resource type
Secondary resource type
Discipline Specific Core Concepts
Life science discipline (subject)
Keywords ecosystems,energy,narrative,food chains,vegetarian
Audience
Intended End User Role
Language
Educational Language
Pedagogical Use Category
Pedagogical Use Description The assignment can be easily adapted to fit one’s own teaching style and needs. I post the story and assignment in a classroom management program (e.g. Blackboard) and verbally discuss my expectations for the assignment. I then devote two 50-min lecture periods to covering the scientific topic of energy flow through ecosystems such as food chains, trophic levels, net primary production, the first and second laws of thermodynamics, and ecological efficiency. Covering these materials can be done in whatever method the instructor has found to be effective. The story and its associated discussions are meant to be a supplement to course material, not a replacement.
Aggregation Level
Structure
Full Name of Primary Author David R Bowne
Primary Author Controlled Name
Primary Author Affiliation Department of Biology
Elizabethtown College
Elizabethtown, PA 17022
Primary Author email bowned@etown.edu
Added By Id
  • mcmilla
Submitter Name David R Bowne
Submitter Email bowned@etown.edu
Rights David R Bowne
License
Publisher
Review type
Drought and Water Ecosystem Services Collection Off
Conservation Targets Under Global Change Collection Off
Big Data Collection Off
Editors Choice No
Resource Status
Date Of Record Submission 2013-04-29
I Agree to EcoEdDL's Copyright Policy & Terms of Use No
Date Of Record Release 2013-10-21 08:11:36
Last Modified By Id
  • kklemow
Date Last Modified 2013-10-21 08:11:36
Release Flag Published

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