Innovative Strategies for Teaching in the Plant Sciences focuses on innovative ways in which educators can enrich the plant science content being taught in universities and secondary schools. Drawing on contributions from scholars around the world, various methods of teaching plant science is demonstrated. Specifically, core concepts from ethnobotany can be used to foster the development of connections between students, their environment, and other cultures around the world. Furthermore, the volume presents different ways to incorporate local methods and technology into a hands-on approach to teaching and learning in the plant sciences. Written by leaders in the field, Innovative Strategies for Teaching in the Plant Sciences is a valuable resource for teachers and graduate students in the plant sciences.

If global challenges in food production and the impact of ever-declining biodiversity are to be tackled, every country will need plant biologists who have a deep understanding of plant morphology, physiology and genetics, and how these interact to affect plant function in changing environments. These scientists will also need the capacity to use an effective and powerful set of technologies and research strategies. To prepare and inspire our students to become that next generation of researchers and to instill a meaningful involvement in research we created an integrated set of laboratory investigations that we felt truly reflected the mysteries of plant biology and puzzle-solving processes that we had encountered in our research experience. Rather than a set of unconnected experimental activities, we created a series of closely related experiments that focused on solving ‘mysteries’ in the life of the plant Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress). The activities charge students with finding the ‘suspect’ gene responsible for the specific phenotypes of an unknown Arabidopsis mutant, which are encountered when they expose the plants to different environmental stresses. This, we hoped, would give keen but inexperienced student scientists a realistic taste of the joys (and frustrations!) of plant science research. Although thrilled by numerous university and national awards for our innovative teaching, we have been most excited by the interest in our ideas and experimental approaches from other plant science educators in Australia and overseas, who are also seeking to improve their plant biology curriculum and attract more students to plant sciences. We are thus proud to present this manual as a gift to our colleagues worldwide. Here you will find a detailed collection of state-of-the-art procedures in plant biology, as well as background information on more commonly used techniques, and tips for class preparation. The concepts and methods we present can be adapted to meet the specific needs and expertise of the teaching staff, and provide inspiration for scaling up for larger audiences, or simplifying for more junior classes. Through this publication, we hope to support our teaching colleagues in making a significant impact on improving the learning experience of plant biology students worldwide, and hope that we will motivate and inspire a new generation of plant detectives.

Like a spirited idea exchange among experienced professors, Teaching Tips: Innovations in Undergraduate Science Instruction brings you the best thinking from campuses nationwide about how to engage undergraduate science students. Published to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Society for College Science Teachers (SCST), Teaching Tips is a quick-read compilation of more than 50 innovative approaches that SCST members have found especially effective. The book is organized into three parts: 1) Pedagogical Practices includes using instant messaging as an involvement tool, encouraging active learning in large classes, and using "peer coercion" to stimulate teamwork Assessment Activities covers pretests and post-tests to encourage more effective learning, Web-based warm-up exercises to assess student misconceptions, and poetry-writing exercises to encourage creative thinking in the sciences Content Challenges offers approaches to teaching specific topics from calculations and conversions to conceptual physics, and ways to encourage active learning (using a portfolio approach, games like Bingo and Jeopardy, substances like Jell-O, and even student-drawn comic strips). Most of the ideas in the book are applicable across the sciences. Because the tips are only 500 to 700 words each, all contributors have provided contact information so you can learn more by e-mailing them directly.

Approaching the contributions of a world-wide sector of scientific institutions to addressing the extinction crisis, Botanical Gardens and Their Role in Plant Conservation brings together a diversity of perspectives. There are more than 3,600 botanical gardens worldwide, where trees, shrubs, herbs, and other plants are studied and managed in collections. They are foremost among efforts to conserve the diversity of living plant species and ensure that crucial biodiversity is available for the future of humanity. This book is a showcase for plant conservation, restoration, biodiversity, and related scientific and educational work of botanical gardens around the world, featuring both thematic overview chapters and numerous case studies that illustrate the critical role these institutions play in fighting extinction and ensuring plant diversity is available for sustainable use. FEATURES A wide range of case studies derived from practical experience in a diversity of institutional, national, and biogeographical settings, Reviews of topics such as networking amongst institutions, the importance of global policy agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation, Profiles of botanical gardens contributions at the national level to conservation priorities, Real-world examples of programs in plant conservation for both critically endangered wild plant diversity and unique horticultural or cultural germplasm. Botanical Gardens and Their Role in Plant Conservation includes contributions from institutions from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and the Americas, and institutions of all sizes and histories, from long-established national gardens to new gardens offering their perspectives on developing their roles in this vital undertaking.

Gain a clear understanding of what effective teachers do—and how successful students learn Over the past 20 years, a greater concentration on research aimed at both teaching and learning has revealed that “chalk and talk” teaching, copying notes, and “cookbook” practical lessons offer little challenge to students. Teaching in the Sciences: Learner-Centered Approaches steers the learning process away from traditional modes of instruction to a more student-centered, activity-based curriculum that makes science relevant, engaging, and interesting. This innovative book helps educators bring out the best in their students—and themselves—by identifying and meeting students’ needs and providing environments that encourage active, strategic learning. Helpful tables and figures make complex information easy to access and understand. Rather than focusing on teaching methods that merely deal in the content of life science, Teaching in the Sciences: Learner-Centered Approaches promotes a deep learning designed to develop critical and skilled learners. This collection of frank and thoughtful empirically based papers places greater emphasis on learning environments and social interaction patterns, assessment processes, and perceptions of students and teachers in a range of learning and teaching settings in the life sciences. The book presents strategies for mentoring and assessing students, assessments of learning outcomes, innovative approaches to curriculum design, constructivist approaches to teaching science, how to use technology to support learning, and practical examples of learner-centered teaching that mark important steps on a journey to transform the learning process. Teaching in the Sciences: Learner-Centered Approaches examines: using broadband videoconferencing for distance learning in tertiary science assessing for learning in the crucial first year of university studies using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in molecular science applying ICT to provide student feedback teaching biostatistics in the environmental life sciences developing metacognition and problem-solving skills in students the evolution of metAHEAD, an online resource that supports strategy development and self-monitoring in problem solving the development of a problem-based learning approach (PBL) for students in environmental science and natural resource management and much more! While largely centered on the context of undergraduate science instruction, Teaching in the Sciences: Learner-Centered Approaches is filled with valuable lessons for all educators working with students in the pursuit of powerful, effective, and lasting learning.

For courses in Science Methods in Elementary School. This is the quintessential science text designed to introduce future teachers to science instruction through inquiry. Infused with the philosophical intent of the National Science Education Standards, it includes the theory behind knowledge construction, the how-tos of knowledge acquisition, and questioning strategies that promote inquiry. It is overflowing with practical and meaningful activities, information, inquiries, strategies, and lessons. A major innovation of this edition is the majority of chapters that feature at least one activity based on a video that accompanies the text.

Designed for new scholars, this book features a quick and easy-to-read discussion of ethnobotany along with its major developments. The language is clear and concise, objective and straightforward, and structured to lead the reader from the beginning of this science to the most recent developments. While there are some books on ethnobotany, mainly dealing with methods, this book covers the topic in an introductory and comprehensive text that prepares the reader for more advanced study of ethnobotany.