55650 Animal Behavior

Course: Animal Behavior

Course Number: 55650

Credits: .5 credit

Open to: Grades 11 & 12

Length: 1 Semester

Prerequisite: Biology and Chemistry (or concurrent enrollment in Chemistry) strongly recommended

Course Content: This class is for students who have completed biology but want to learn more about topics in animal behavior such as social interactions, parenting, mating, finding food, defenses, courtship and intelligence. Students will make observations of invertebrate and vertebrate behavior in this lab-based class through field experience, readings, laboratory experiments, discussions, and videos. By the end of this course, students should be able to understand the mechanisms involved in the production of a behavioral sequence by an animal and explain how this can be used to understand human behavior.

Course Activities:

• • Analysis of animals via international webcams.

  • A trip to a zoo to observe the behavior of animals in captivity

  • Field notebook/ethogram: Multiple observation periods will be required throughout the course and a field notebook will be used to document observations, species, and behaviors observed. There are 4 required observation activities where students must provide evidence of completion; however, students are encouraged to participate in additional observation activities throughout the course.

  • Development of a research proposal centered around animal behavior with a peer review. It is not likely that students will be able to carry out their research proposal (this takes time and funds). The process of writing the proposal takes immense understanding of their topic and is a skill that will help them succeed in other science classes.

  • To make the research proposals more authentic, we would use Skype or Google Hangout so that the students can receive feedback from a scientist or science professor.

  • Students will read a book that focuses on animal behavior and present their findings to the class.

  • Speakers: Vet and emotional support dogs/owners

  • Field Trips

Student Cost: $25 for field trips to the Zoo and Humane Society