We introduce a strategic role-playing exercise that is based on the fact that the strategies animals use in storing food for periods of famine differ in the degree to which the cache is successfully relocated and defended from pilferers. This highly engaging board game offers high school and college students a clear understanding of the process of natural selection.

We question the use of mechanical models, such as coin flipping, to represent the probabilities of gender distributions in sibship families consisting of two children. Both the assumptions of the models and the reliability of the data should be evaluated. Using models without these critical evaluations may tend to perpetuate myths rather than elucidate biological realities.

We examine the interdisciplinary nature of ethnobotany from a broad perspective and consider its application to the biology classroom and lab. The concept of biophilia and students' relationships with plants arc integral components. Botanical nature journaling, discussion of diverse cultural practices, and collection of plants are used to encourage students' interest in local plants. Interwoven with these topics is a plant/microbial lab, which focuses on the local environment and the potential antimicrobial properties of plant parts.

We examined how college students' knowledge of evolution is associated with their self-described religious beliefs and the evolution-related content of their high school biology courses. On average, students entering college know little about evolution. Religious beliefs, the absence of evolution-related instruction in high school, and the presence of creationism-related instruction in high school were all associated with significantly lower scores on an evolution exam. We present an ordered logistic model that helps to explain (1) students' diverse views and knowledge of evolution, and (2) why college-level instruction about evolution often fails to significantly affect students' views about evolution.

In this animal behavior laboratory, designed to promote a discovery-based approach to laboratory teaching, students first observe the study organism, which gives them the opportunity to decide what behaviors interest them. They work collaboratively to develop their own hypotheses, which can range from simple to complex depending on the course's level. Student groups then design and run experiments to test their hypotheses. At the end of the exercise, the groups present their results to their peers, who are given time to ash questions. This kind of flexible, student-led exercise develops students' reasoning skills and ability to think creatively.

Tribolium castanaeum is a widespread insect in temperate regions. Because of its short generation time and easy handling, it serves as a model organism for various scientific questions. However, T. castanaeum, or its larger-sized relative Tenebrio molitor, can also he used at a school or college level to foster students' experimentation skills. We present a set of inquiry tasks that build stepwise on one another, using T. castanaeum or T. molitor as the model. The students will learn not only about insect ecology, hut also about the influence of nutrition on several fitness parameters, such as development time and offspring number.

We describe a simple field study that we have found useful in introducing students to experimental design. Students manipulate the nutritive gain available from flowers to test the hypothesis that the foraging behavior of nectarivorous insects maximizes energy gain rate. They add sucrose solution to some flowers and water to others; additional flowers are left unmanipulated. Visit durations of foraging butterflies are then measured to test the prediction that individuals will forage longer at patches that offer higher energy gains. The project encourages students to consider how a study's design influences the results obtained, and helps to develop scientific reasoning skills.

Engaging students in ethnobotanical concepts can be a challenge if you present the topic as a straight lecture. 1 used the art of brewing tea, accompanied by numerous herbals (books), to impress upon my students how people have learned what plants are helpful or harmful to humanity.