The proposed project will support travel and meeting costs for 3 behavioral scientists to participate in a symposium entitled "Behavior as a Way of Knowing Science," scheduled for presentation at the 12-16 February 2004 meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Seattle, WA. The goal of this symposium is to demonstrate that animal behavior is a powerful and effective way to teach science to students at all levels. We will show that studies of animal behavior are simple, inexpensive and integrate diverse systems. Behavioral science allows students to engage in hands-on activities. It allows students to work in groups. It provides a means for collecting statistically tractable data sets and, it provides an interesting subject on which students can discuss and present their results. In short, by studying animal behavior, students at all levels can learn science by doing it themselves. This symposium will be directed toward a wide audience that can be reached through resources sponsored and encouraged by AAAS. Our primary audience will include practicing K-12 and university educators who can benefit directly by using animal behavior to teach science in their classrooms and laboratories.
