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Workshop Offerings for Summer 2012
Bringing the Fossil Record
to Life
The fossil record contains vast information about the history of life on our planet. It shows us patterns of evolution, allowing us to see how life has responded to dramatic changes in the environment and how those changes have influenced the evolutionary pathways of organisms. This workshop provides examples and hands on activities that use the fossil record to tell us about life's history globally and more locally, across Colorado.
We will begin with fossils from Colorado, examining the sedimentary rock and fossil record to see evidence for the Cretaceous Interior Seaway during a time when Colorado was completely under water. Next, we will examine plant fossils to observe the big changes in our landscape and climate that have taken place over time. Mass extinctions are major drivers of evolutionary change, clearing out existing lineages and making space and resources available to develop new ones. We will explore how specific groups of plants and animals have been affected by these major disruptions. As we learn how the fossil record illustrates major concepts in ecology and evolution, we will see how different time periods are defined by the organisms that were alive during that time.
Date: Thursday, June 14, 2012
Time: 9 am - 5 pm
Location: University of Colorado at Boulder
Workshop Cost: Free
CDE Credit: .5 (free)
CU Graduate Credit: .5 ($60)
Designed for: Middle and high school teachers
Instructor: Erin Leckey, BSI Science Squad, PhD Candidate, Geological Sciences and CU Museum of Natural History
Grasshoppers and Climate Change: A Colorado Story
Over the last century global surface and ocean temperatures have increased, and this warming has had a variety of impacts on species. Changes affecting development, distributions, timing of migration and relative abundances have been observed. In this workshop we will explore the effects of climate change on organisms, and then explore how local communities of Colorado grasshoppers may help us understand how recent warming is affecting our native biota.
Together we will work through a field activity to determine how local climate has changed over the last 50 years, how communities of grasshoppers have responded to this non-uniform change, and how species and communities may continue to change in the future. This lab activity makes the issue of climate change more relevant to students because they work with actual data collected from local ecosystems. Other topics that will be discussed include hypothesis testing, insect identification and methods for including insects in class projects. Dr. Cesar Nufio, a CU entomologist, will lead this workshop that features his research.
Date: Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Time: 8:30 am - 5 pm
Location: University of Colorado at Boulder and nearby field sites
Workshop Cost: Free
CDE Credit: .5 (free)
CU Graduate Credit: .5 ($60)
Designed for: Middle and high school teachers
Instructors: Dr. Cesar Nufio, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, CU Museum of Natural History
Dr. Tammy Maldonado, BSI Outreach Scientist
Heidi Freiburger, BSI Lab Coordinator
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