Field Museum Assignment
This activity was selected for the On the Cutting Edge Reviewed Teaching Collection
This activity has received positive reviews in a peer review process involving five review categories. The five categories included in the process are
- Scientific Accuracy
- Alignment of Learning Goals, Activities, and Assessments
- Pedagogic Effectiveness
- Robustness (usability and dependability of all components)
- Completeness of the ActivitySheet web page
For more information about the peer review process itself, please see http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/review.html.
This page first made public: Jun 11, 2014
The assignments consists of three essay questions, of which the students were required to complete two of their choice. During a trip to the Field Museum, Chicago, the students were required to use the museum exhibits to explore the questions posed in the assignment. The main goal was to familiarize the students with using museums as a resource, as well as use observation-based techniques of specimens to answer scientific questions.
I gave this assignment during a field trip to the Field Museum in Chicago, taken during a January-term course entitled Dinosaurs And Their Food. The focus of the course was looking at dinosaurs as animals: learning about their biology and ecology in the context of changing floras in the Mesozoic, as well as their cultural relevance to humans.
Skills and concepts that students must have mastered
Basic familiarity with major taxonomic vertebrate groups, strong writing skills
How the activity is situated in the course
This activity was given in the 3rd week of a 4-week course, as a stand alone exercise.
Content/concepts goals for this activity
Observing vertebrate specimens; using museums as a resource
Higher order thinking skills goals for this activity
Major trends in the evolution of vertebrates; convergent evolution in different lineages; using observations as evidence to support a scientific hypothesis
Other skills goals for this activity
Description and Teaching Materials
Field Museum Assignment- using observations of vertebrate specimens to explore scientific questions
Field Museum Exercise (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 61kB Jun11 14)
Teaching Notes and Tips
Students turn in written essays, which are evaluated by:
- Level of insight into the topic based on specimen observations
- Thorough and specific evidence to support arguments
- Correct grammar, essay organization, writing mechanics
References and Resources