From: london@sunSITE.unc.edu (Larry London)
Subject: Sustainable Agriculture in K-12 education
Organization: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 17:46:17 GMT

From Gojmerac@plantpath.wisc.edu Wed Jan  6 12:41:42 1993
Date: 4 Jan 1993 12:17:56 CST
From: Gojmerac@plantpath.wisc.edu
Subject: Re: Search for k-12 Education Programs
To: adirondack@igc.apc.org, sanet-mg@oes.orst.edu

Date:       Sat, 2 Jan 93 11:38:04 PST
From:       Adirondack Park Visitor Center <adirondack@igc.apc.org>
Subject:    Search for k-12 Education Programs
To:         sanet-mg@oes.orst.edu

We are new readers to SA net and are interested in learning about what 
various states are doing in reaching out to public school chidren re. SA 
topics.
If you know of anyone developing SA curricula, please let us know.
replies may be made on conference or e-mail to Adirondack@igc.org

Colleen McNerney
Keith Wheeler

This may be a little premature but I'll pass this info on to you.  I'm 
putting the finishing touches on a manual designed to Enhance Science 
Education at the high School level.  I don't know whether you classify S. A. 
as a science, at any rate I will be sending  a direct mail brochure to 
Wisconsin science teachers on or about Jan 16 and a press release will be 
sent out about the same time. If this is what your interested in let me 
know.  My own feeling is that if especially high school student knew more 
about running controlled experiments etc, they can be more easily be taught 
the basic principles of S.A.  My main interest was to teach youngster how 
new information was or is generated, by using insects as test animals in 
controlled experiments.  The manuals are ready to be sent to the printer,  
I'm setting a dealing of March 1. for orders and manuals will be mailed on 
March 15.
I do not have funds to print more that what is presold.  If you want more 
info  let me know

                                           For immediate release
                                             For more information 
                                                    Walt Gojmerac
                                                   (608) 262-1762


       Insect Manuals Enhance Biology Education in Schools


	Walt Gojmerac wants to see a little more life in grade and high school 
life science curricula.  His approach is not to get the bugs out of the 
curriculum but to get the bugs into life science classes.



	Gojmerac, you see, is an entomologist with the University of 
Wisconsin-Madison's College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.



	Although he's spent much of his career telling people how to get rid of 
unwanted insects, Gojmerac thinks teachers should make more use of insects 
in the classroom.



	"Biology is supposed to be the study of living things, yet students are 
seldom given a chance to work with live animals," Gojmerac points out.  "And 
three of every four animal species on our planet are insects."



	"Using living organisms arouses curiosity and attracts students' 
attention," he says.  "Biological principles and concepts are best 
illustrated and taught with living things, not pictures or preserved 
specimens."



	Live insects have been overlooked as part of science education, because 
most teachers never had a formal course in entomology, says Gojmerac  "Even 
if they did have a class in elementary entomology, they probably spent 
little time working with live insects."



	To help correct the problem and improve science education, Gojmerac has 
written a manual that describes ways' teachers can use living insects for 
observations, demonstrations, and controlled experiments in classrooms.



	The key to success, according to the entomologist, is to choose the right 
insect species.  "Some insects are easy to rear in the average classroom, 
easy to handle, readily available, and inexpensive to obtain and maintain.  
Among the best are several small beetles and moths often found in stored 
grain and cereal products,"  Gojmerac says.



	The first manual, titled "Living Insects in Science Education," covers 
basic information teachers need to know when raising and handling insects, 
elementary information about insects which teachers can reproduce and use in 
classes, and several activities and experiments that can be done as 
classroom exercise and special projects.  It is meant to enhance currently 
available teaching units, not to replace them, Gojmerac says.

	The second manual titled "Social Insects in Science Education deals with 
social insects: (termites and honey bees) and can be purchased separately.


	In these manuals, Gojmerac includes demonstrations that relate to animal 
behavior and nutrition, and controlled experiments that students can analyze 
statistically.  The exercises also incorporate mathematics and writing 
skills into biology.


	Teachers and other individuals interested in a copy of the manual can 
order them by writing to:

                    CALS Conference Office
                     620 Babcock Drive
                  Madison, Wisconsin  53706
Cost of the manuals, (including shipping expenses & handling) are:
Living Insects in Science Education.........$15.00
Social Insects in Science Education........ ..$5.00

Plus sales tax (Wis. residents only) If tax exempt, please provide Federal 
ID #.