Participants will explore the diversity of organisms from a range of different communities. They will begin with field studies into particular habitats and compare biodiversity among habitats. Initial observations of the organisms themselves, including classification to the kingdom level, will lead to a study of how organisms are organized into populations, communities, and ecosystems. They will subsequently explore culturing organisms in the classroom and studying populations, the mathematics of population growth, and life cycles, and relate these concepts to the analogous characteristics of humans. In the final unit, participants will draw from their experiences studying diversity in habitats and populations to explore communities, ecosystems, and succession. Throughout the semester, participants will be organized into groups that share observations, conduct investigations, and create presentations online. They will be continuously engaged in hands-on activities, adaptable for use with middle-school students.

OrganismsDiversityAndInteractionSyllabus

ODICommunicationAndParticipation

ODIPortfolioGuidelines