TREESTEM: TEACHING (IN) RESTORATION, ECOLOGY, & ENVIRONMENTAL STEM

Credit Hour: 1 · Undergraduate Lower-Level

Urban ecosystems provide valuable spaces for investigations of biodiversity, ecosystem structure, and the impacts of human activity on plant and animal communities. Students in this course will explore these phenomena two ways: first, through learning and applying ecological techniques and then developing a field school curriculum to teach these skills to their peers from local community colleges. This “community of practice” instructional model gives students an opportunity to organize and guide their own learning while also providing mentorship to other learners. This course will build authentic skills in scientific communication, educational pedagogy, peer mentorship, while also providing an immersive experience addressing the environmental challenges that are facing the Houston area. Repeatable for Credit.