Kids Do Ecology Classroom Program: Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Carpinteria

Kids Do Ecology at NCEAS isn't all about this web site. The program also includes an exciting component where 5th-grade students from Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Carpinteria design and conduct scientific experiments with NCEAS scientists. That means that around here, Kids REALLY Do Ecology!

As part of the program, students representing each participating classroom come to NCEAS to talk about their experiments and show their results at a Poster Session.

Here is a sampling of the kinds of experiments students have done each year:

Oh Deer! How Does Destroying Habitat Affect the Population of Deer and Wolves?
Canalino School
Teacher: Vicki Walton
Scientists: Dr. Carrie Kappel and Dr. Francisco Madriñán

Who Will Survive?
Hawks Attack Prarie Dogs
Harding Elementary School
Teachers: Barry Nitikman and Verity Allen
Scientist:  Dr. Christine Petersen and Dr. Jai Ranganathan

Will the Harvester Ants Invade the Argentine Ants Territory?
Monroe Elementary School
Teacher: Annemari Goldsmith
Scientists: Dr. Duncan Menge and Dr. John Parker

Do Animals Use Light to Go to Deeper or Shallower Water?
Peabody Charter School
Teacher: Claire Poissonniez
Scientists: Gerick Bergsma and Robin Pelc

Do Animals Use the Color of Light to Tell Which Way is Right?
Peabody Charter School
Teacher: Claire Poissonniez
Scientists: Gerick Bergsma and Robin Pelc

Birds, Beaks and Food: How Does the Shape of a Bird's Bill Affect What it Can Eat?
Peabody Charter School
Teacher: Claire Poissonniez
Scientists: Dr. Jennifer Balch and Dr. Jennifer Williams

Do Predators Affect Bird Feeding Habits?
Peabody Charter School
Teacher: Claire Poissonniez
Scientists: Dr. Amber Budden, Dr. Marc Cadotte, and Lea Mehrkens