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Call for Proposals

Call for Education Share Fair Roundtable Proposals

The Education Share Fair has become a unique feature of the Life Discovery Doing Science Education conference. Proposals will be accepted on a first come first served basis until available spots are filled. For more Information.

 

Theme

Microbiomes to Ecosystems: Evolution and Biodiversity across Scale, Space, and Time

Our knowledge about the Earth’s biodiversity across space, time, and scale is expanding rapidly. New tools, like remote sensing, are creating new data sources, while other tools, like digitization, are freeing traditional datasets from the cabinets and drawers of labs and collections and making them accessible online. How do we teach students about biodiversity at different scales and contexts with these new data, tools, and resources? How do we best enable and develop the next generation of 21st century scientists and create data-driven educational programs aligned to national initiatives such as Next Generations Science Standards and Vision and Change for Undergraduate Biology Education? The Life Discovery – Doing Science Biology Education Conference will build on the 2017 data theme and challenge educators to create opportunities for their learners to explore our theme across:

Scale – Through new technologies, we can study biodiversity scaling from an individual’s microbiome to the Earth’s biomes. How do we help students explore biodiversity concepts and evolution at different scales and investigate interactions across scales?

Space – We now have access to environmental and biodiversity data spanning habitats, ecosystems, and landscapes. How do we help our students think in broader geographical contexts about evolution, biodiversity, ecology, and conservation?

Time – We have the ability to look at life on earth across geologic time through the fossil record and through digitized natural history collections. How do we approach big questions like how have populations, species, and communities evolved over time and how will big scale processes like climate change and human impacts affect biodiversity in the future?

What are Education Share Fair Roundtables? 

This is a unique part of the conference experience that has come to be appreciated by participants.  This session is designed for educators to create or revise lesson plans or activities with a peer working group. Proposals can be submitted for ideas and lessons at any stage of development. You receive immediate feedback and suggestions from your peers in a friendly, constructive environment.

This allows you to develop new lessons or to work on modifying currently existing lessons to a new grade level, teaching style, or learning objective(s). Each lesson or idea will be presented by the author at a roundtable with up to 9 other participants.  You will also be able to add participants to your network for future feedback.

Presenters spend about 15 minutes describing their lesson idea. Discussions will follow where participants are invited to provide feedback and ideas regarding the core concepts addressed, methodology, misconceptions, assessment or educational extensions.

Presenters are strongly encouraged to submit finished work in the LifeDiscoveryEd Digital Library.

While presentations focused on the theme are especially welcomed, presenters may submit ideas on any topic relevant to environmental or organismal biology.

What Participants Said

It was my first time doing the round table discussion – loved it! Loved the small group and getting the feedback and ideas. ~ 2017 LDC participant. 

The round table sessions were unique and interesting to attend and get new ideas. I like the smaller format and the increased interaction these afforded participants. ~ 2017 LDC participant. 

Proposals should:

We are especially interested in proposals that:

  • Focus on bringing research data into the classroom
  • Address developmental needs of learners
  • Provide insights into teaching and learning of diverse audiences
  • Integrates the socioeconomic and cultural relevance of data in biology

All proposals whether focused on the theme or otherwise will be considered.

 

Session Formats and Conference Tracks

The conference accepts proposals for three formats, four curriculum topics and three pedagogical areas. Details are available at:

http://www.esa.org/ldc/tracks/

 

Submit Your Teaching Idea to the LifeDiscoveryEd Digital Library!

All presenters are highly encouraged to submit their final products for formal publication in the digital library. Authors retain copyright. Presenters will choose to submit through one of the four portals of the LifeDiscoveryEd Digital Library (LDDL), managed by LDDL partner societies.