Biomagnification: you are what you eat but don’t excrete

Jon Akin

Terry Davin

Win Everham

Evelyn Gaiser

Amanda McConney: Facilitator

Courtney Richmond

Course description

• Introductory ecology course

• Small to large courses

• Part of a larger unit on cycling matter

• Prerequisite knowledge• Graph structure, types of graphs• Appropriate graph for a given data set• Trophic structure & energy flow

Teaching challenges

• Understanding the scientific process

• Critical thinking skills

• Ability to interpret graphs

• Critical consumers of scientific information

Student learning objectives

By the end of this unit, the student will be able to:

Interpret graphs and draw conclusions from them

Describe the process of biomagnification

Analyze graphs to identify factors that influence the process of

biomagnification

Apply the law of conservation of matter to biomagnification

Sequence of eventsDay 0 • Pre-test

Day 1 • Review Pre-test• Introducing complexity with a graph• Jigsaw

Stage 1: Expert Groups Stage 2: Mixed Groups

Day 2 • Case studies: graph analysis *• Report back to class• Wrap up

Later • Post-test

http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ncp/pub/pdf/bio/ch3-4_e.pdf

PRE-TEST

Learning objectives addressed:

• interpret graphs & draw conclusions

• describe biomagnification

Day 1

• Guided review based on results of pre-test

• think-pair-share to introduce complexity with a graph

Day 1

• Jigsaw stage 1: experts review factors that influence biomagnification

• Organismal factors

• Community factors

• Landscape factors

• Jigsaw stage 2: mixed groups - experts peer teach

Day 2

• Jigsaw stage 3: mixed groups analyze case studies

• Case study 1

• Case study 2

• Case study 3

Student Directions

1. Refresh your expertise on the factors that influence biomagnification

(organismal ,community, landscape)

2. Discuss your case study with your group

3. Come to a consensus on the case study questions

4. Be prepared to report to the class

(assign spokesperson)

Case study 1

Click for graphs

Case study 2

Cadmium concentration (mg/g wet weight) in muscle, liver and kidney of different age groups of habour porpoise from Greenland (Source: Johansen, P., 1997, Paludan-Müller et al. 1993 ).

Case study 3

Day 2: wrap-up

• Common trends among case studies

• Overview of factors that affect biomagnification

• There is no away (persistence in the environment)

Assessments

• Pre-test (formative)

• Post-test (summative)

• Think-pair-share (formative, not graded)

• Graded exam question(s)

Feedback

• Please make any editorial comments on the material & return to the team

• Did we ask the right questions on the pre-test?

• Did the handouts have enough information for the tasks?

• Should the pre-test and post-tests be identical?

• Timing of post-test administration