Animal Behavior Teaching ResourcesThis is the final assignment given in my Evolution & Behavior class that requires students to use what the have learned about evolution and behavior throughout the semester and apply it to hominins.
This assignment requires students to go to the AMNH and hunt for the answers to the provided questions.
Course content area – Human Evolution & Behavior
Course – Evolution & Behavior (100 level)
Campus – Hunter College
https://academic.oup.com/icb/article/61/5/1762/6302378#supplementary-data
Davis-Berg, E. C. & Rafacz, M. L. (2021). Incorporating Research into an Undergraduate Animal Behavior Course using Zoos and Webcams. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 6(5), pp. 1762-1768. https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icab137
Article describes a semester-long research project assignment that utilizes project-based learning (PBL) for students who are both majors and non-majors taking an animal behavior class. This assignment was developed to provide Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) which aims to introduce, assesses, and apply a research methods typically included as fundamental ethology/animal behavior course concepts. This student-led project involves the application of the scientific method in which students conduct background research, formulate a hypothesis, engage in non-invasive animal behavior observations for collecting data using different behavioral sampling methods, develop ethograms, analyze data, and finally write and present their research findings. Supplemental materials are included with sample assignments and rubrics.
Class type and size – works for both in-person and online. Original class sizes unknown but has worked with class of 150 through modification.
I use this worksheet after discussing the different factors that can affect the mating system of populations.
This assignment helps reinforce previously taught material from sexual selection (sexual dimorphism, operational sex ratio), as it requires the students to apply that knowledge to mating systems.
The goal of this assignment is for students to gain knowledge about the many characteristics of populations and individuals that can affect mating systems and get a sense that mating systems are not fixed.
Accompanying slides are available in the Animal Behavior Shared Class Resources Folder (for verified CUNY instructors).
Course content area – Mating Systems
Course – Evolution & Behavior (100 level)
Campus – Hunter College
This is a series of discussion board prompts that I use throughout the semester to encourage in-class discussion of the upcoming class material. These are low-stakes assignments that are graded as complete/incomplete.
Course – Evolution & Behavior (100 level)
Campus – Hunter College
