Ecosystems and Human Impact

This course focuses on three elements: content knowledge, inquiry and other teaching strategies, and use of multimedia in teaching and learning. Course goals include:

• identifying the components of an ecosystem;
• understanding that plants and animals are as important as the physical environment of the ecosystems in which they live;
• exploring the variety of ways in which organisms can interact;
• understanding that certain aspects of the natural environment are critical to the survival of all species;
• understanding that human-caused environmental changes can be beneficial or detrimental; and
• exploring effective questioning and discussion strategies for the classroom.