This project is a 30 month program that will enhance the teaching of 44 middle school biology teachers, using field experiences that can be conducted within school grounds. Participants (22/summer for each of two summers) will attend a three-week summer institute at The University of Florida. The subject content of the institute will feature the use of insect communities to study food webs, aquatic communities, mating and territorial behavior, social behavior and caste systems, and the role of insects in pollination. Participants will learn how to locate, observe, trap and identify local insect communities. The major thrust of the program is on observation and hypothesis testing. Cost sharing equals 58.4 % of the NSF award.
