Education Commons^™

Zoop Soup (And Poop!), Kristen Sharpe

Reports

Grades: 6-12 Subjects: Biology | Life Science | Environmental Science | Oceanography

Microscopic poops with a global impact!

Students learn about the ecological and global importance of zooplankton and their fecal pellets in the ocean carbon cycle. Students are guided through the scientific method while participating in an activity that simulates real sediment trap fecal pellet research. Students hypothesize where a sediment trap was set based on the "fecal pellets" contained in their sample, identify source species using a dichotomous key, count and weigh biomass of pellets, and graph and share results with classmates.

Identification And Distribution Of Masked And Hayden's Shrews (Genus Sorex) In Iowa, Howard P. Whidden, Alison W. Ray, John B. Bowles

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Masked shrews (Sorex cinereus) and Hayden's shrews (S. haydeni) are both reported from Iowa, but the two species are difficult to tell apart and their relative distributions in Iowa have been unclear. We took 13 skull measurements and examined 2 qualitative features on more than 300 specimens of Sorex from Iowa. The vast majority of our specimens could be identified easily by cranial measurements, and more than half could be identified by the relative position of the maxillary plate. We found no evidence for intergradation between the two species. Masked shrews are present throughout most of Iowa, whereas Hayden's shrews …