Hands-On! Living in the Biosphere: Production, Pattern, Population, and Diversity. Developing Active Learning Module on the Human Dimensions of Global Change.

Biogeography examines questions of organism inventory and pattern, organisms' interactions with the environment, and the processes that create and change inventory, pattern, and interactions. This learning module uses time series maps and simple simulation models to illustrate how human actions alter biological productivity patterns at local and global scales. The module also demonstrates how human alterations of land cover change the dispersal processes that affect the distribution patterns and diversity of organisms. It aims to engage students actively in problem solving, challenge them to think critically, invite them to participate in the process of scientific inquiry, and involve them in cooperative learning. The module is appropriate for use in any introductory and intermediate undergraduate course that focuses on human-environment relationships; it includes more student activities and more suggested readings than most instructors will have time to cover in their courses, so instructors will need to select those readings and activities best suited to the local teaching conditions. Each section of the module presents background information for the specific topic, the instructor's guide to activities, student worksheets, and answers to activities. A glossary of terms, supporting materials, and readings conclude the module. (Contains 17 references.) (BT)