Summer Herpetology Intensive
$176.51
NEW Course! “It’s summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and that means many things, but the most relevant for this class is that reptiles and amphibians are actually in the active season in most areas! The number one suggestion I’ve heard in biology teaching seminars is to use live animals or get your students outside. Obviously we can’t do that online or if it’s winter for most of the class, but now we can!” ~ Prof. El Metler
Enrollment
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| Novice Educator | Prof. El Metler |
| Content Levels | Grades 6-7 • Middle School |
| Course Length | 8 Weeks |
| Live Webinars Held On | Fridays, 9:00 - 10:30 AM Pacific - See below for webinar dates |
| Additional Components | Asynchronous Option |
Whether you’ve taken my other herpetology classes or not, this one brings them back to what’s really important: the animals! At least in the Northern Hemisphere, reptiles and amphibians are active roughly between March and October, and a summer class actually occupies that the entire time!
Summer Herpetology Intensive combines content from Introduction to Herpetology and Herpetology II with additional hands-on study in ecology and real world applications, with creature features focused on student observations and the animals we can find around us. Assignments will include favorites from Introduction to Herpetology and Herpetology II and an ongoing assignment focused on ecological data collection methods and observing local ecosystems and animals.
If you’d like to learn about how to measure animal density, understand habitat selection, and enhance your experience going outside, this is the class for you. It’s still about reptiles and amphibians, but we’ve got more space to explore and observe than in fall or spring. Well, unless summer weather does what it sometimes does, in which case there’ll be experiment ideas you can do with your pets too.
Note to parents:
- Since students are expected to go into outdoor areas to observe native ecosystems every week, if you can’t do that in your backyard, you may want to come with them especially if they don’t have cell phones.
Taught by Prof. El Metler
Webinar Dates:
- June 6th
- June 13th
- June 20th
- June 27th
- July 11th
- July 18th
- July 25th
- August 1st
What to expect in the Required section in the classroom each week:
- One writing and/or creative assignment related to the week’s focus animal group.
- An ongoing weekly assignment on observing local ecology and/or animals.
What to expect in the Highly Suggested & Optional sections in the classroom each week:
- Curated resources, including websites & videos, are provided to excite learners and to add depth to the subject matter.
What to expect during the weekly webinar:
- Weekly webinars are 1 hour and 30 minutes long. Webinars are recorded and are available for students with schedule conflicts. There will be a 5 minute break in the middle of each webinar.
- Primary instruction and guided discussions are provided during live webinars.
- Active Participation (via the microphone and chat) in online class discussions.
Before taking this course, students should be able to:
- Read a solid 5th-grade level or above. Some reading passages may be more advanced or use scientific terminology that may require assistance.
- Write a few sentences independently.
Students should be willing to:
- Actively participate (via the microphone) in the class discussion.
- Encourage class discussion by adding their questions/ideas in the chat window during the webinar.
- Respond with positive and encouraging comments on their classmates’ posts in the classroom forums.
- Go outside and actively observe and write down or draw what they see in natural environments.
Required books & materials:
- It’s highly recommended that students have access to an outdoor area they can revisit each week for the observation assignments. This can be a local park, backyard, or anything else with animals or plants (they don’t have to be reptiles or amphibians, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be a “natural” area). Weekly observation assignments can be done with captive animals or using live video feeds if outdoor locations can’t be accessed safely (e.g. if it’s storming, extremely hot, or you’re out of town).