Countering Contamination: Data and DDE
The Countering Contamination: Data and DDE curriculum introduces high school students to ecotoxicology and, more importantly, guides students through the process by which scientists move from raw data to conclusions about the impacts of contaminants on wild animals. Each lesson stimulates students to first ask questions, and then to determine how to use data to address those questions.
The curriculum contains five lessons developed for use in a high school biology or an environmental science class:
Lesson 1 introduces students to the nature of science, with emphasis on the manner bias can be introduced into science and lead to unfounded conclusions. Throughout the entire unit, students are encouraged to think critically about science and practice identifying signs as well as sources of bias in science. To download a Teacher's Manual and other files for Lesson 1 Click here
Lesson 2 introduces students to ecotoxicology, DDE and bioaccumulation. To download a Teacher's Manual and other files for Lesson 2 Click here
Lessons 3 & 4 focus on data organization and analysis. Students develop critical thinking skills and experience working with Microsoft Excel by analyzing a simplified subset of the CEE-TV database that contains data for bald eagles. To download a Teacher's Manual and other files for Lesson 3 & 4 Click here
Lesson 5 reviews key points. Students are asked to interpret trends they observed in Lessons 3 & 4 and hypothesize about future effects and the need for human intervention. To download a Teacher's Manual and other files for Lesson 5 Click here