UPDATED February 5, 2009
NOTE: The National Science Foundation is no longer funding the Chautauqua short course program. It is necessary to charge an additional course fee to cover instructor honorariums, materials, copying costs, refreshments and incidentals. Those short courses held on The University of Texas at Austin campus will require a $50 registration fee and the field courses will require a $75 registration fee. After April 1, 2009, an additional $50 late registration fee must be charged.
Application found at Center website http://www.edb.utexas.edu/csme/
Email your completed application to gails@mail.utexas.edu
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2009 Chautauqua Short Courses Sponsored by the
Center for Science and Mathematics Education
The University of Texas at Austin
James P. Barufaldi, Director
Center for Science and Mathematics Education
E-mail: jamesb@mail.utexas.edu
Website: http://www.edb.utexas.edu/csme/
512-232-6203
Gail Seale, Chautauqua Program Administrator
E-mail: gails@mail.utexas.edu
512-232-6202
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Ancient Inca Mathematics And Culture: Cuzco, Machu Picchu, And The Sacred Valley Peru
DR. EDWIN BARNHART, Maya Exploration Center
Date: May 30 – June 6, 2009
Note: Participants will be responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from Cuzco, Peru. Current airfares are running $700-1200. An additional course fee to cover in-country costs for lodging, transportation, breakfasts, lunches and entry fees, estimated at $1200, will be paid in advance by participant. Dinners during the week and other incidentals will cost an estimated additional $180.
This course will bring its participants into the Andes Mountains of Peru to learn in the heartland of Inca Civilization. The mathematics of the Inca will be studied through learning about their sacred calendar and their little understood khipus, bands of colorful knotted strings known to represent numbers, and probably other information. From studying the quipu, participants will see the Inca had developed a base 10, positional counting system, along with the concept of zero. At ruins in the region, the group will conduct measuring experiments to see if the Inca were using dynamic geometric proportions in their construction. More broadly, the course will also teach about ancient Inca culture, studying their origins, social organization, religion, astronomy, and, of course, their legendary skills as architects and engineers.
The home base for the course will be Cuzco, the former capital of the Inca Empire. At 11,000 feet above sea level, the first two days of the course will be spent adjusting to the altitude by attending lectures and visiting only nearby museums. The scope will then expand, first to the ruins around Cuzco, then by train to the ruins of Machu Picchu for two days. On the way back from Machu Picchu, a day will be spent in the ruins and modern Inca villages of the Sacred Valley. The course’s final day will be spent back in Cuzco, where participants will learn how to construct their own Inca khipu.
For college teachers of: mathematics, general sciences, architecture, geography, archaeology, anthropology, history, art history, sociology, philosophy and other related social sciences fields.
Prerequisites: While not a requirement, participants are encouraged to have at least some knowledge of ancient Inca culture. Dr. Ed Barnhart can recommend readings for those interested in learning more before the trip. The tours will involve climbing ruins in high altitudes and cold weather. Participants in weak physical condition are encouraged to build strength and stamina before the trip.
Instructor Bio: Dr. Barnhart has worked in Mexico and Central America for the last fifteen years as an archaeologist, an explorer, and an instructor. During his four years as the student of Dr. Linda Schele (world renowned for finally breaking the Maya code of hieroglyphics in 1973) he developed a strong background in Maya hieroglyphics, iconography, and archaeoastronomy. During his graduate career, South American iconography and shamanism were also major foci of his studies. From 1998 to 2000 he was the Director of the Palenque Mapping Project, an archaeological survey that discovered over 1100 new structures in the Maya ruins of Palenque. He received his Ph.D. in Anthropology at The University of Texas at Austin in 2001 and is now the Director of the Maya Exploration Center, a non-profit research center based in Austin, Texas and Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico. He and his team are currently investigating archaeoastronomy and ancient geometry in the ruins of Chiapas. Visit www.mayaexploration.org for more information about Dr. Barnhart and the Maya Exploration Center.
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Ancient Astronomy And Mathematics In Angkor And The July 2009 Solar Eclipse In China
DR. EDWIN BARNHART, Maya Exploration Center
Date: July 12-24, 2009
**Angkor Only Option--July 12-20
Note: Participants will be responsible for arranging their own flights to and from Siem Reap, Cambodia. Since part two of the course begins and ends in Hong Kong, flight arrangements to Siem Reap should be made through Hong Kong. Current airfares to Siem Reap through Hong Kong are running $2400-2700, but may lower when the 2009 prices are posted. An additional course fee of $2600 will cover all of the following during the two weeks of the course: In Cambodia - lodging, ground and water transportation, breakfasts, English speaking guides, and entry fees. In China – round trip airfare from Hong Kong to Shanghai, all ground transport, all meals, eclipse viewing equipment, English speaking guides, and lectures from eminent astronomers. Lunches and dinners during the week in Cambodia and other incidentals will cost and an estimated additional $180. Visas to Cambodia and China will cost an additional $200. Clearly, this is not an inexpensive course, but the solar eclipse makes it a once in a lifetime experience.
Part one of this two week course will focus on the mathematics and astronomy of the ancient Khmer civilization as seen through a field analysis of Angkor’s art, architecture, and hieroglyphic texts. For decades the incredible ruins of Angkor were hidden from the world by the rebels of the Khmer Rouge, but Cambodia has now entered an age of peace and new research is revealing some surprising results. Not least among them was a French remote sensing project which proved that Angkor’s peak population was over one million people, making it the largest city in the world at 1400 AD.
Course participants will spend the first week in Siem Reap, the modern city within Angkor’s sprawling boundaries, visiting different sections of the city each day. Measurement experiments within the ruins will hunt for hindu inspired sacred geometry proportions in art and architecture and nightly lectures will teach about Khmer astronomy, mathematics, and culture. Elephant safaris within the ruins and a visit to Cambodia’s Great Lake (Tonlé Sap) will also be part of the week’s learning adventure.
Part two of the course will step into the present and a once in a life time experience–witnessing the solar eclipse in China. Participants will fly out of Hong Kong to Shanghai where they will join an international group of astronomers. On July 22 they will travel to Hangzhou on China’s coast and view an incredible 6 minutes of full solar eclipse. Due to the popularity of this event, Dr. Barnhart has reserved a travel package for just 30 people and the course fees will include round trip airfare from Hong Kong to Shanghai, all lodging, ground transport, and meals.
For college teachers of: astronomy, mathematics, general sciences, architecture, geography, archaeology, anthropology, history, art history, sociology, philosophy and other related social sciences fields.
Prerequisites: While not a requirement, participants are encouraged to have at least some knowledge of ancient Khmer culture and the history of Cambodia. Dr. Ed Barnhart can recommend readings for those interested in learning more before the trip. The tours will involve climbing ruins in hot and humid rain forest conditions. Participants in weak physical condition are encouraged to build strength and stamina before the trip.
Instructor Bio: Dr. Barnhart has worked in Mexico and Central America for the last fifteen years as an archaeologist, an explorer and an instructor. During his four years as the student of Dr. Linda Schele (world renowned for finally breaking the Maya code of hieroglyphics in 1973) he developed a strong background in Maya hieroglyphics, iconography, and archaeoastronomy. From 1998 to 2000 he was the Director of the Palenque Mapping Project, an archaeological survey that discovered over 1100 new structures in the Maya ruins of Palenque. He received his Ph.D. in Anthropology at The University of Texas at Austin in 2001 and is now the Director of the Maya Exploration Center, a non-profit research center based in Austin, Texas and Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico. He and his team are currently investigating archaeoastronomy and ancient geometry in the ruins of Chiapas. Visit www.mayaexploration.org for more information about Dr. Barnhart and the Maya Exploration Center.
**Angkor Only Option
After receiving the responses from a number of folks who are interested in my Angkor course but concerned about the cost, I'm considering an Angkor Only option. This would be for 8 days, from July 12-20, and the price will be $1400 (add $300 for single supplement lodging.) If this would make a difference in your commitment to join the course, please let me know.
That being said, I can't imagine getting that close to the solar eclipse in China and not seeing it! I'm going for sure. Arrangements for the second part of the course are all inclusive, including round trip airfare from Hong Kong to Shanghai, four star hotels, all meals, and a team of professional eclipse hunters.
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Archaeoastronomy And Mathematics In The Maya Ruins Of Chiapas, Mexico: Palenque, Bonampak, And Yaxchilan
DR. EDWIN BARNHART, Maya Exploration Center
Date: August 1-8, 2009
Note: Participants will be responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from Villahermosa, Mexico. An additional course fee, estimated at $1100, to cover in-country costs for lodging, ground and water transportation, breakfasts, and entry fees. Dinners during the week and other incidentals will cost and an estimated additional $180.
It has long been known that the ancient Maya of Mexico and Central America were highly skilled astronomers. Have you ever wondered what evidence supports that assertion? This one-week travel course and lecture series will investigate the observation methods developed by the Maya and what astronomy may have meant to them as a people. Archaeoastronomy as seen through Maya calendars, hieroglyphs, and architecture will be the foci of lectures during the course. The dates of this course are chosen specifically to coincide with a solar event of premier importance to the Maya – zenith passage.
Palenque will be the course’s home base. Presentations on Maya history, archaeoastronomy, calendar systems, and mathematics will be given in hotel conference rooms during the week. Going first to La Venta Park in Villahermosa, participants will learn about Mesoamerica’s “mother culture,” the Olmecs, and how they were responsible for developing the region’s first mathematics and calendar systems. Moving on to the ruins of Palenque, the group will visit the site at dawn on zenith passage and witness the tricks of light and shadow that occur within the Temple of the Sun on that special day. At Bonampak, participants will learn about the how the Maya connected Venus to warfare and timed battles to its helical rise as morning star. The next day an hour long boat ride up the misty Usumacinta River will bring the course to the ruins of Yaxchilan at dawn, again hitting the day of zenith passage for that particular latitude. Back in Palenque, the final lecture will cover the topic of the coming of the 13th Baktun and the “end” of the Great Cycle of Maya time.
For college teachers of: astronomy, mathematics, archaeology, anthropology, history, art history, architecture, sociology, philosophy and other related social sciences fields.
Prerequisites: While not a requirement, participants are encouraged to have at least some knowledge of ancient Maya culture. Dr. Ed Barnhart can recommend readings for those interested in learning more before the trip. The tours will involve climbing pyramids in hot, humid weather. Participants in weak physical condition are encouraged to build strength and stamina before the trip.
Instructor Bio: Dr. Barnhart has worked in Mexico and Central America for the last fifteen years as an archaeologist, an explorer and an instructor. During his four years as the student of Dr. Linda Schele (world renowned for finally breaking the Maya code of hieroglyphics in 1973) he developed a strong background in Maya hieroglyphics, iconography, and archaeoastronomy. From 1998 to 2000 he was the Director of the Palenque Mapping Project, an archaeological survey that discovered over 1100 new structures in the Maya ruins of Palenque. He received his Ph.D. in Anthropology at The University of Texas at Austin in 2001 and is now the Director of the Maya Exploration Center, a non-profit research center based in Austin, Texas and Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico. He and his team are currently investigating archaeoastronomy and ancient geometry in the ruins of Chiapas. Visit www.mayaexploration.org for more information about Dr. Barnhart and the Maya Exploration Center.
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Abandoning Dead Ends: Presenting The Heart Of Mathematics To All Students
DR. MICHAEL STARBIRD, The University of Texas at Austin
Date: June 2 - June 4 (1:00 p.m)
Note: Participants will be responsible for all costs and fees associated with transportation, lodging, and meals. An additional course fee of $200 is required. A portion of the registration fee is used to offset processing, mailing, phone charges, duplication of course materials, and refreshments.
Question to typical college graduate majoring in the liberal arts: You graduated from college 15 years ago. What was the final mathematics course you took? Former student: Pre-calculus.
Interviewer: What was your final literature course? Former student: Pre-Shakespeare.
Students study the best paintings, the most glorious music, the most influential philosophy, and the greatest literature of all time. Mathematics can compete on that elevated playing field, but we must offer all students our grandest and most intriguing ideas. Infinity, fractals, and the fourth dimension; topology, cryptography, and duality--these ideas and many more can compete well with any other subject for depth and fascination. In addition, the powerful methods of analysis that generated these fabulous ideas can enrich every student's ability to think. Unfortunately, instead of grappling with culturally significant high points of mathematics, students are often asked to struggle up the first few rungs of a long ladder they will never climb. We should abandon educational strategies that lead to dead ends. Mathematicians have a great story to tell and that story could and should be an important part of the education of all students. Participants in this short course will develop effective ways of presenting intriguing, deep ideas in mathematics to all students and the general public.
For college teachers of: mathematics.
Prerequisites: none.
Instructor Bio: Dr. Starbird is a University Distinguished Teaching Professor in Mathematics at The University of Texas at Austin. He is a member of the Academy of Distinguished Teachers at UT and has won many teaching awards. Among them are several student-selected awards that were awarded largely in response to his required liberal arts mathematics course, thus proving that, in the minds of students, mathematics can compete well with any subject at the university. With co-author Edward B. Burger, he has published The Heart of Mathematics: An Invitation to Effective Thinking, a textbook based on his and his co-author's 15 years of experience in developing lively mathematics courses for students who are not technically inclined.
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Models and Modeling in the Science and Mathematics Classroom: Making Learning Visible Through Multi-tier Interaction
DR. GUADALUPE CARMONA, The University of Texas at Austin
Date: June 8-9, 2009
Note: Participants will be responsible for all costs and fees associated with transportation, lodging, and meals. An additional course fee of $200 is required. A portion of the registration fee is used to offset honorarium, processing, phone charges, duplication of course materials, and refreshments.
Course Description:
Education in the 21st century places knowing and learning in mathematics and science by all students as one of the most important challenges and a priority in our era. A better understanding of mathematics and science is needed in order to meet industry's demands in preparing professionals that are competitive and for people to make informed decisions in their everyday life. Science and math teachers, especially, are presented with questions that need to be addressed by the educational community. From a teacher’s perspective, in order to better prepare instruction, it is important to elicit and document students’ ways of thinking about relevant math and science ideas that are learned in the classroom and how they can apply these ideas in their professional lives and in everyday situations.
In a research-based effort to address these questions, this course will introduce model-eliciting activities (MEA’s) (Lesh, Hoover, Hole, Kelly, & Post, 2000) and provide guidelines for implementation. These activities allow students to elicit and document their ways of thinking about relevant mathematical and scientific ideas, while they create models of real-life based situations. MEA’s represent an important advancement in the theory, learning, and evaluation of mathematical and scientific knowledge through Models and Modeling. We will address topics, including the design of these activities, and how educators can use these as instructional and assessment tasks to allow all students to access powerful mathematical and scientific ideas, and allow educators to have a window into their students ways of thinking.
This course will involve real collaboration of multiple agents in the math and science educational community (students, teachers, and researchers) and the use of network-based technologies that foster formative assessment in the classroom while learning through Models and Modeling. The topics and activities in this course will provide teachers with:
- quick and feasible ways of finding out what students know and learn;
- ways to identify new students who are previously labeled as weak, but who are actually quite capable in math and science;
- activities that are aligned with current state national standards for math and science;
- new opportunities for students to engage in problem-solving and critical thinking;
- new opportunities for students to engage in group work and collaboration;
- new opportunities for participation of all students and increased student engagement in the math and science classroom;
- activities that involving students in self-assessment of their learning that foster reflection of their own learning and the learning of others in the classroom.
For teachers of: mathematics and science
Prerequisites: none
Instructor Bio: A native of Mexico, Dr. Carmona serves as an Assistant Professor teaching in the UTeach secondary certification program and the graduate program in Mathematics and Science Education at the University of Texas in Austin. Dr. Carmona worked for the Ministry of Education in Mexico, and later obtained her doctoral degree in Mathematics Education at Purdue University. Her research focuses on student learning, curriculum development, and evaluation and assessment, with heavy emphasis on design and implementation of distributed and collaborative learning environments.
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Ecology and Biodiversity of the Big Thicket National Preserve
DR. JIM WESTGATE, Lamar University
Leslie Dubey, Park Ranger, Big Thicket National Preserve, National Park Service
DATE: May 27-30, 2009 in Saratoga, TX
Note: Participants must provide their own transportation to southeast Texas. Vans will provide transportation from Southeast Texas Regional Airport for those flying into Beaumont. There will be a $200 additional course fee per participant to cover copy costs, refreshments, van, canoe rental, and four nights lodging at the BTNP Field Research Station dorm in Saratoga.
This is a three-day & four-night field course which explores the ecology and biodiversity of the Big Thicket National Preserve in southeast Texas where eastern hardwood forests merge with western prairies in a subtropical coastal plain setting. In 1981 the Big Thicket Preserve was added to the UNESCO list of International Biosphere Reserves where nearly 100,000 acres are managed to preserve their renowned biodiversity. Plant associations of BTNP include the following communities: longleaf pine uplands, pine savannah wetlands, beech-magnolia-loblolly, arid sandy lands, prairies, stream floodplains, acid bog-bay gall, palmetto-hardwood flats, and cypress-tupelo swamps. In 2001 the American Bird Conservancy designated BTNP a globally Important Bird Area (IBA).We will explore the diversity of BTNP via hiking trails and canoes in the company of BTNP ranger-naturalists.
For college teachers of: all disciplines.
Prerequisites: none.
Instructor Bio: Dr. Jim Westgate is Professor of Earth & Space Sciences, Lamar University. Ranger Leslie Dubey is an Education Specialist with the Big Thicket National Preserve where she has more than two decades of experience in residence.
Details of proposed field study - The following communities will be explored by the group in the company of BTNP Ranger Naturalists, Jim Westgate and additional Lamar University faculty during these field experiences:
Plant associations of Big Thicket Preserve:
Longleaf pine uplands Pine savannah wetlands Beech-magnolia-loblolly Arid sandylands Roadsides |
Prairies Stream floodplains Acid bog-baygall Palmetto-hardwood flats Cypress-tupelo |
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Birding in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas
DR. R. RUSSELL WILKE, Angelo State University and
DR. WILLIAM J. STRAITS, California State University Long Beach
Date: May 21 - May 24, 2009 in South Texas
Note: Participants will be responsible for all costs and fees associated with the course including transportation, lodging, meals, and entrance and tours fees. Required additional course fee, $175 will cover all entrance and tour fees and transportation during the course (excluding airfare). Course fees must be sent in advance to the Field Director’s office in Austin.
The Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) is an ecologically diverse region of the United States. Many different habitats converge within this region including estuarine, riparian, barrier-island, and sub-tropical scrubland. The LRGV is also a focal point of the North American central flyway for neo-tropical migrants. Subsequently, this region is home to more than 400 bird species.
While the vast majority of our time will be spent birding in many of the local hotspots, participants will also attend short lectures detailing the unique biological significance of this diverse area to complement the birding experience. Birding day trips may include visits to Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park and World Birding Center, Sabal Palm Audubon Center and Sanctuary, Frontera Audubon Society, Quinta Mazatlan and World Birding Center, and South Padre Island depending on local conditions and participants needs/interests. Birds participants may expect to encounter include Plain Chachalaca, Great Kisskadee, Green Jay, Altamira Oriole, Ringed and Green Kingfishers, Olive Sparrow, Groove-billed Ani, Aplomado Falcon, White-collared Seed Eater, Clay-colored Robin, Buff-bellied Hummingbird and many others.
In addition to appreciating the avian life of the region, participants will have several opportunities to experience the culinary, historical, and natural features of the LRGV.
Whether you are a new birder or a seasoned professional, this course will give you the opportunity to visit a unique area of the United States and enjoy its diverse birdlife and natural history. We invite you to join us in Harlingen, Texas for this one of a kind experience.
For college teachers of: All disciplines and all levels of birding experience.
Prerequisites: none.
Instructor Bio: Dr. Wilke is an associate professor of biology at Angelo State University in western Texas.
Dr. Straits is an assistant professor of science education at California State University Long Beach in southern California. They are bird enthusiasts who have birded across the United States and share a particular interest for the birds of the American southwest.
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Increasing Student Interest in the Sciences by Introducing Forensic Science into the College Class Room
DR. EDWARD B. WALDRIP, Southern Institute of Forensic Science, New Orleans, Louisiana
ALAN A. PRICE, Program Director, Southern Institute of Forensic Science,
Regional Field Service Office, Greeley, Colorado
Co-sponsored by and offered at Millsaps College, Jackson, Mississippi
DATE: July 13 – 15, 2009 in Jackson, MS
Note: Participants will be responsible for all costs and fees associated with the course including transportation, lodging and meals. Required additional course fee $200 to cover instructor’s honorariums, copying costs, course materials and refreshments at Millsaps College. Course fees must be sent in advance to the Field Director’s office in Austin.
The recent increase in interest in forensic science has made this discipline an excellent vehicle to introduce the scientific method and critical thinking to a greater number of college students. This Chautauqua short course is structured around lectures and laboratory exercises that can be incorporated into basic college level courses.
A variety of forensic specialties will be discussed, including Basic Forensic Pathology, Forensic Anthropology, Forensic Odontology, Forensic Photography, Finger Printing, Blood Spatter Analysis, Establishing a Realistic Crime Scene, Evidence Collecting, and case reports from the instructors.
At the conclusion of the course registrants will assume the roles of crime scene investigators and medical examiners. This exercise based on a real case will allow participants to analyze evidence, autopsy reports, lab reports, interviews with witnesses, and other bits of information to establish the cause, manner, and mechanism of death.
Material from lectures, laboratory reports, and the crime scene exercise will be provided to each registrant for use in their classroom. The format will stimulate student interest in the scientific method, and introduce the concept of critical thinking in the classroom.
For college teachers of: basic sciences, biology, physical science and chemistry.
Prerequisites: Knowledge of anatomy, chemistry and the basic undergraduate sciences.
Instructor Bio: Dr. Waldrip has an M.S. in Biology, and a PhD. in Anatomical Studies. He served as chairman of the Department of Biology at William Carey College for ten years. After 27 years of college teaching he became Executive Director of the Southern Institute of Forensic Science. The role of his group is to provide college level courses in forensic science and workshops to professionals in a variety of disciplines. He is retired as the elected Coroner and Chief Medical Examiner Investigator for Lamar County, Mississippi. Dr. Waldrip has coordinated forensic science courses for the Universities of Loyola, New Orleans, Southern Mississippi, Memphis, New Orleans, and Colorado State. His research interests include fetal bone development, recognition of bone pathologies, and the mechanisms of bone trauma.
Instructor Bio: Mr. Price has a B.S. in Criminology from California State University, Fresno and a M.A. in Sociology from Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho. Mr. Price's emphasis in Sociology was in Social Research Methodology and he completed his Master's Thesis on: Occupational Stress among Rural Police Officers. He retired from law enforcement in 2003, after a thirty year career during which time for twenty years he was assigned to the Major Crimes Unit responsible for investigating sex crimes and homicides. Mr. Price has attained the status of being an Active-Life Member in the International Association for Identification as well as being an Active Member in the American Academy of Forensic Science. He is currently adjunct faculty at the University of Northern Colorado within the Department of Criminal Justice. He is also Program Director for the Southern Institute of Forensic Science, a national forensic science consortium. Mr. Price presents around the Country on crime related matters and has published numerous articles on police topics.
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The Volcanoes and Igneous Landforms of New Mexico
JIM WYSONG, Hillsborough Community College
DATE: July 18 - 20, 2009
Note: Course fees must be sent in advance to the Field Director’s office in Austin. The Volcanoes and Igneous Landforms of New Mexico will be based out of Albuquerque, NM. Participants will be responsible for their own travel to and from Albuquerque, as well as lodging in Albuquerque. The course fee of $275 will cover transportation, entrance fees, course materials, copy costs, refreshments and supplies. Approximately 24 contact hours course and field work.
New Mexico offers one of the greatest collections of volcanic landforms in the United States. Though this fact may escape the notice of the typical visitor, geologists and other earth scientists have long trekked to New Mexico to study the volcanic landscape. From one of the youngest large calderas on the planet, to the easternmost site of recent volcanism on the North American Plate, New Mexico is the perfect outdoor classroom to explore igneous landforms. Our field trips will begin each day in Albuquerque, where a line of volcanoes dot the skyline on the West Mesa. During our travels, we will explore lava caves and hike on one of the largest young basalt lava flows in the world. We will also visit and discuss volcanic necks, hot springs, calderas, and fantastic landscapes carved from massive tuff deposits. At each location we visit, the formation and significance of the feature will be explained, as well as the geologic and tectonic context in which it exists. While the focus will be primarily on the physical landscape, we will also examine the relationship that humans have had with this dynamic land from the time of the Paleo-Indians to present day.
Note: an optional two day extension to cover additional volcanic features in the Raton-Clayton Volcanic Field in Northeast New Mexico may be available following the conclusion of the short course – contact course instructor for details.
Instructor Bio: Jim Wysong is a Professor of Earth Science and Program Manager of Sciences at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Florida. He is a life-long resident of Florida and has been actively involved in geographic and geological education workshops and field programs in the U.S. and abroad.
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Marine Ecosystems of Belize
DR. LAURENCE MEISSNER, Concordia University
Date: January 4-8, 2010, held in Belize
Note: An additional course fee of $850 will be charged for participation in this short course which covers all ground transportation, lodging, and meals from international airport pickup in Belize on January 5, when the course begins to international airport return in Belize on January 9, when the course ends. Since participants make their own arrangements to travel to and from Belize, there is an opportunity to arrive early or stay after the course for additional exploring on their own. A portion of the application fee is used to offset processing, mailing, phone charges, and duplication of course materials. Participants will be housed at the Wee Wee Caye Biological Station and Possum Point Biological Station. These sites are popular base stations for many university biology classes from the U.S. and the hosts are very knowledgeable biologists. The station maintains a large library of field guides and published papers pertaining to research done in the local area. Detailed information on these sites and their facilities can be found at http://www.marineecology.com/fac.html
Or contact the course instructor, Dr. Meissner (Larry.Meissner@concordia.edu).
The course will emphasize the native marine wildlife of Belize in various ecosystems. Pristine marine ecosystems are difficult to find on this hemisphere due to heavy fishing and tourist pressure especially in areas near resorts. Some less populated areas of Belize, however, are still relatively unspoiled and offer views of a great variety of creatures in several marine communities. This course will emphasize the native marine wildlife of Belize in various ecosystems including riverine, lagoon and mangrove systems, intertidal zones, and various reef communities of Eastern Belize. Our base of operations will be a privately owned caye off the coast of Sittee River, Belize, not far from the island where the Smithsonian Institute has been doing research for many years. In addition to the corals, marine algae, fish, and echinoderms typical of reefs at popular resort sites, participants should also be able to observe a large variety of sea cucumbers, tunicates, crinoids, and other marine species not commonly seen by tourists. The island where we will stay is also host to a number of birds and a healthy population of boa constrictors. Evening discussions will focus on sharing observations and impressions from the day's field work, lectures on topics relating to effective strategies for teaching biology, as well as discussions of conservation issues related to marine ecosystems.
For college teachers of: any discipline, but especially science education.
Prerequisites: good physical health, ability to swim, interest in nature and conservation.
Instructor Bio: Dr. Meissner, professor of biology and science education at Concordia University, Austin, Texas has led groups to Belize for over 20 years and has also led nature study trips to Hawaii, Jamaica, Mexico, and sites throughout the US. He earned his Ph.D. in science education from the University of Texas at Austin and has a special interest in strategies for engaging teachers and students in experiential learning throughout the United States.
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Tropical Rain Forest Ecology & Conservation
DR. MARK MANTEUFFEL, St. Louis Community College and Washington University
Dates: June 6-June 12, 2009 in Costa Rica
Note: Participants will be responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from San Jose, Costa Rica, as well as paying their own departure taxes and fees. Current airfares are running $400-900. An additional course fee of $950 must be paid in advance to cover instructor honorarium, in-country costs for lodging, roundtrip transportation from airport to La Suerte, breakfasts, lunches and dinners.
In this course we examine the ecology and conservation of tropical rain forest ecosystems. From our home base at La Suerte Biological Field Station, we will discuss, plan and design exploratory, inquiry-based scientific investigations and field activities that demonstrate research and teaching techniques suitable for college and university courses. The focus of these activities will center upon measuring and monitoring the biological diversity in the lowland rain forest surrounding the field station. Each day will involve implementing these inquiry-based scientific investigations as well as designing new ones. Evening discussions will examine how baseline biodiversity data such as we gather is necessary for conservation planning and management.
Our home base, La Suerte Biological Field Station, is a 750-hundred acre private retreat nestled in the spectacular Atlantic lowland rainforest of Costa Rica. The field station is ideally suited for college and university courses where a major learning goal is experiencing a total immersion in the tropical rain forest being examined.
For college teachers of: all disciplines.
Prerequisites: While not a requirement, participants are encouraged to have at least some knowledge of tropical lowland rain forest ecology. Dr. Mark Manteuffel can recommend readings for those interested in learning more before the trip, as well as suggested clothing and field gear.
Instructor Bio: As a research scholar and a professor, Dr. Manteuffel has explored and studied earth’s biodiversity for over 20 years in the United States, Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Australia. He received his Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Miami in 2001. Dr. Manteuffel is currently Adjunct Professor at Washington University and Assistant Professor of Biology at St. Louis Community College, where he is Coordinator of Environmental Studies. His current research and teaching focuses on measuring and monitoring the reptile and amphibian communities of tropical rain forests in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. He is especially interested in community response to disturbance, such as human habitat disturbance and climate change.
Please email your completed application to gails@mail.utexas.edu
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2009 Chautauqua Short Course Application
Center for Science and Mathematics Education
The University of Texas at Austin
NOTE: In addition to the additional course fees all short courses held on The University campus must charge a $50 registration fee and all field courses will require a $75 registration fee. These charges will help cover course instructor honorarium, copying costs, course materials and refreshments. After February 15, 2009, an additional $50 late fee must be charged.
Mail payment to:
Dr. James P. Barufaldi, Director
CSME/UT Austin
1 University Station (D5705)
Austin, TX 78712-0382
Please make check payable to Chautauqua Program/UT Austin
COURSE TITLE: _____________________________________________________________
NAME: Mr. Ms. Mrs. Dr. Last: __________________________ First: ______________
MAIL ADDRESS Department: _______________________ Institution: __________________
Street-City-State-Zip: ____________________________________________________________
Phone: _________________________________ Email: ________________________________
GENERAL BACKGROUND: ___Male ___Female Year of Birth______
Your highest degree:______ Institution:__________ Year:_____
CURRENT POSITION:
Type Institution: ___Public ___Private ___Two-Year ___Four-Year
Highest Degree Offered in your Department:
___Associate ___Bachelors ___Masters ___Doctorate
Your Main Responsibility: _____________________________________________________
TEACHING BACKGROUND:
Number of years taught at: _____College _____Secondary _____Other (specify)____________
Courses ordinarily taught: ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
PREVIOUS CHATAUQUA EXPERIENCE: (course, center, year):
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
REQUIRED STATEMENT OF INTEREST:
Please indicate why you want to take this course.
How will you use the information at your home institution?
______________________________________________________________________________
SIGNATURE: _____________________________________________
How did you learn of this year’s program? ____Web site ____Other (specify) _________
Special services or accommodations needed due to disability: ________________________
Please email your completed application to gails@mail.utexas.edu
