Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Summer Wildlife Biology Class

SERC Home School Parents,

We will be offering two blocks of courses this summer for home school students, ages 8-12 and 13-16 yrs. Registration will be online only, starting March 15th at 9 am. I will post a live link to begin registration on the 15th on this blog site.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO REGISTER FOR ONE BLOCK OF CLASSES TO SIGN UP FOR BOTH. If you know your student will miss a class in the block it is up to you to make up the materials with the instructor. Once you register a materials list will be sent to you to prepare for the class (backpack, long pants, etc.).

Here are the details:

Time	Thursdays: 8-12 yr. olds (9-11 am) Fridays: 13-16 yr. olds (9 am-Noon)
Dates and Topics	Wildlife Biology Summer Field Classes                           Block 1: Introduction to Wildlife Biology (8-12 yr. & 13-16 yrs) ·        June 6th & 7th- Introduction to Wildlife Biology ·        June 13th & 14th- Food Webs, Competition, and Wildlife Strategies ·        July 11th & 12th –  Techniques in Tracking and Capturing Wild Animals & Ethics ·        July 18th & 19th-  Introduction to Estimating Wild Populations Block 2: Wildlife Biology-Studying Wildlife (8-12 yr. & 13-16 yrs) ·        August 1st & 2nd- Wildlife Biology and Physiology ·        August 8th & 9th-Reptile and Amphibian Study ·        August 15th & 16th- Bird Study ·        August 22nd & 23rd- Mammal Study ·        August 29th & 30th- Practicum
Cost	You must register for classes by block: 8-12 year olds (2 hrs): Block 1—Introduction to Wildlife Biology: $85 Block 2- Wildlife Biology-Animals and Organisms: $100 13-16 year olds (3 hrs): Block 1—Introduction to Wildlife Biology: $97 Block 2- Wildlife Biology-Animals and Organisms: $112
Expectations	Students will be respectful of other students and be familiar with the provided vocabulary and pre-class materials at  http://serchomeschool.wordpress.com/.
Registration	Registration is online only beginning  March 15th
Refunds	Refunds are made only under emergency circumstances.
Special Needs	Contact Karen McDonald to discuss special needs, allergies, or other concerns.
Arrival	Plan to arrive 10 minutes early. Classes are short and late arrivals disrupt the class. We close the door 5 minutes after class begins and ask that parents and students do not enter the room after that time for safety reasons.
Attire	Students will invariably be getting dirty and wet. Please wear old clothes and closed-toed shoes, no sandals or crocs.
Siblings	Siblings are welcome on the SERC campus, but must be supervised by an adult, separate from the home school activity.
Inclement Weather	Call (443)482.2388 for a voice-mail recording regarding the status of the class or check the blog at www.serchomeschool.wordpress.com.
Questions	Contact Karen McDonald, with any questions at McDonaldK@si.edu.

Course Descriptions

 Thursdays: 8-12 yr. olds (9-11 am) Fridays: 13-16 yr. olds (9 am- Noon)

You must sign up for an entire block of classes. If you cannot make a class you will be asked to make up the material with the instructor, either in person or through e-mail at McDonaldK@si.edu .  Registration will begin on March 15^th.

Block 1: Introduction to Wildlife Biology

June 6^th & 7^th- Introduction to Wildlife Biology: Students will learn about the field of wildlife biology, staring with what the definition of wildlife is, how wildlife is managed, biotic systems, and ecology.

June 13^th & 14^th- Food Webs, Competition, and Wildlife Strategies: In this class we’ll explore the complexity of food webs and energy, what niches and habitats are, how competition works, and wildlife strategies to survive. This will include fun hands-on games and examples.

July 11^th & 12^th- Techniques in Tracking and Capturing Wild Animals & Ethics: Students will learn about how wildlife biologists track, capture, tag, and follow wildlife as well as the ethics behind these techniques.

July 18^th & 19^th- Introduction to Estimating Wild Populations: We will learn how wildlife biologists estimate wild populations through several modeling scenarios and games.

Block 2: Wildlife Biology—Studying Wildlife

August 1^st & 2^nd – Wildlife Biology and Physiology: In this first class we will learn the basics about animal physiology, from how to read tooth dentition to the difference between horns and antlers.

August 8^th & 9^th- Reptile and Amphibian Study: Students will learn to identify some of the common reptiles and amphibians of Maryland and then we’ll use those sills to identify them in the field.

August 15^th & 16^th- Bird Study: We’ll learn the major group of birds, key identification markers, and how to look for them in the field.

August 22^nd & 23^rd- Mammal Study: We’ll look at the major groups of mammals found in Maryland, where to find them, and we’ll see if we can find some small rodents using basic trapping techniques. We’ll also learn about research conducted by SERC scientists on white tailed deer and their effects on the native forests.

August 29^th & 30^th- Lab Practicum: Students will be given a practical with information about everything they have learned in the previous classes. This will include identifying skulls, skins, pictures, dentition, the parts of binoculars and more.