| NIMBioS Education and Outreach | ||||||
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| Pre-College | College | Industry/Gov | Opportunities | E&O Spotlight | Resources | E&O Contacts |
NIMBioS Education and Outreach Modules
These modules were developed for NIMBioS Education and Outreach Programs and are freely available for educational use.
The Mathematics of Understanding Disease.
In this module,
students use beans in a cup to simulate a disease outbreak and learn how mathematical disease models are created. In a second activity, students use real world health data and a computer data visualization tool to discover trends about malaria.
Designed with NIMBioS collaborator Hands On for grades 9-12; may be adapted to lower grades.
Writing the Abstract.
This module introduces what an abstract is, explains why it is important to write it well, and provides general guidelines and abstract writing strategies. The module includes a worksheet file and an online PREZI presentation about abstract preparation. This module was created by NIMBioS for undergraduate and graduate students, but could be used by anyone interested in tips on abstract writing.
Measuring Biodiversity.
In this module, students learn the ecologists' definition of biodiversity, and also two ways an area's tally of organisms can differ: species richness and species evenness. Then, using hypothetical examples of insect data, they create a hypothesis and apply Simpson's Index of Biodiversity to test their hypothesis. Designed for grades 6 and up.
Measuring a Forest.
In this module, students learn about
the area and distribution of forests in the United States and why it is
important to measure and monitor forests. Two important measurements
students learn about are DBH (Diameter at Breast Height), a measurement
of tree trunk diameter, and forest stand density. Students create their own DBH tapes and test them on tree "cookies." Designed for grades 6 and up.
Modeling Predator-Prey Relationships in Soil.
In this module, students
define the terms predator and prey and identify examples from soil
ecology. They
create a hypothesis about how prey numbers will affect a predator
population, use a mathematical model to perform calculations
that will either support or refute their hypothesis, and create and interpret a graph of results. Designed for grades 9 and up.
Education and Outreach Contacts
Dr. Suzanne Lenhart
Associate Director of Education, Outreach, and Diversity
Email: lenhart_at_math.utk.edu
Ph: (865) 974-4270 Fax: (865) 974-9300
Kelly Sturner
Education and Outreach Coordinator
Email: ksturner_at_nimbios.org
Ph: (865) 974-9364 Fax: (865) 974-9300
National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis
University of Tennessee
1122 Volunteer Blvd., Suite 106
Knoxville, TN 37996-3410
