Lionology: The Behavior and Ecology of Lions

Course Title: Lionology: The Behavior and Ecology of Lions (Panthera leo) 

Format (Class vs. Camp): Please take care when signing up for this class! There are two scheduling options. The first is a course that meets for one hour per week over five weeks. The second is a camp that will meet for one hour for five days in a row. 

Course Description: In this five-session course, students will learn the scientific truth about lions from a professional zoologist and animal researcher. We will learn about how scientist study animal behavior, and we will focus on what we know about lion behavior. Students will have the opportunity to “think like scientists” in a challenging but supportive classroom. 

Background: All you really need to succeed in this class is sense of curiosity and a willingness to learn and ask questions. While a basic understanding of biology would be useful, students of all backgrounds are invited to join this course. Students may benefit from existing familiarity with lions and their behavior. This could include experience with documentary footage of lions, lion movies, readings, etc. However, students with very little knowledge about lions are warmly welcomed!

Materials/Resources/Technology: mini lectures, discussions, readings from the popular press, scientific papers, Google forms, short writing assignments, etc. All documents and links will be provided by teacher.

Student Assessment: Student learning will primarily be assessed by their active participation in the classroom (e.g. asking questions, contributing to discussions, brief written responses). Students will also complete two brief reflective assignments, one at the beginning of the course, and one at the end. 

Accommodations: I am willing and able to provide accommodations for diverse learners (e.g. ADHD, ASD, dyslexia). In fact, part of the curriculum of the class is a celebration of differences and diversity in animals. Students often find the approach to be validating and thought provoking. Please let me know which activities may be difficult, and I will work with you to develop solutions. 

Self-evaluation/Reflection: I will know that the class was successful if students show substantial learning in our conversations and/or their reflective work (pre- and post-course).

Note: What follows is a basic outline of the course. I tailor each section of Lionology to best meet the needs of the unique needs of enrolled learners. This outline is not "set in stone," rather meant to give you an idea of the kinds of topics we will cover and activities that learners will experience in this class.

***Day 1: Welcome to the Course***

Student Preparation “Homework”: 
   Students will complete the following before class:
   1.)	Learning styles worksheet: how do you learn best?
   2.)	Knowledge inventory (pre): what do you already know?

Lesson Plan:
I.) Scientific story telling
II.) Relevance
   a. What is ecology?
   b. Why is lion behavior relevant?
III.) Classroom Expectations
   a. Classroom etiquette
   b. Dr. Annie’s expectations
IV.) Course Overview
   a. Outline of the course
   b. Goals of the course
   c. Questions we will answer
   d. Key terms
V.) Meet Dr. Annie
   a. Who I am
   b. What I do
   c. How I teach
   d. How I learned about lions
   e. Questions?
VI.) Introduction to Our Learners
   a. Meet your classmates
   b. Knowledge inventory: what do you already know?
VII.) Thought Question

***Day 2: Observing Lion Behavior***

Student Preparation (“Homework”): 
   Students will complete the following before class:
   1.)	Survey on lion behavior in popular culture (e.g. Lion King)
   2.)	Read the abstract of a scientific paper

Lesson Plan:
I.) Hook
   a. Scientific story telling
   b. Presentation
II.) Relevance
   a. Discussion/brainstorming
III.) What is Animal Behavior?
   a. Introduction
   b. Scientific paper abstract discussion
IV.) Why Do Scientists Study Animal Behavior?
   a. History of this science
   b. Darwin and 19th Century scientists
   c. Modern research
V.) Why Do Scientists Study Lion Behavior?
   a. Brainstorming 
   b. Why are lions interesting to humans? 
   c. When and where do lions affect humans?
VI.) How Do Scientists Study Lion Behavior?
   a. Examples
   b. Core process
   c. Practice!
VII.) Thought question

***Day 3: What Have Scientists Learned About Lion Behavior?***

Student Preparation: 
   Students will complete the following before class:
   1.)	Read published interview with lion researcher
   2.)	Answer three reflective questions about what they’ve read
   3.)	Mid-course check-in form

Lesson Plan:
I.)  Hook
   a. Scientific story telling
   b. Presentation
II.) Relevance
   a. Lion behavior: current events
   b. Discussion: lion researcher interview
III.) What Do Scientists Already Know About Lion Biology
   a. What have we already learned?
   b. What is the natural history of lions?
   c. Where do lions live?
   d. Why are male and female lions so different?
   e. How do lions raise their young?
   f. Why do lions have manes?
IV.) What Do Scientists Know About Lion Behavior?
   a. What do lions eat?
   b. How do lions hunt?
   c. What do lion communities look like?
   d. How do lion cubs learn to hunt?
   e. When and why do lions fight?
V.) Thought Question

***Day 4: How Do Researchers Study Lion Behavior (Part I)?***

Student Preparation (“Homework”): 
   Students will complete the following before class:
   1.) Students will complete a survey on what aspect of lion behavior they would like to learn more about.
   2.) Students will read a short article describing how researchers use long-term observations to learn about lion behavior

Lesson Plan:
I.) Hook
   a. Scientific story telling
   b. Presentation
II.) Relevance
   a. Discuss one challenge of lion conservation (e.g. tourism, distemper, interference with livestock) 
   b. Why do we care?
   c. How could scientists help solve this problem?
III.) What Have Scientists Learned from Long-term Observations?
   a. Lion field research
   b. A day in the life of a lion researcher
   c. Five scientific abstracts
IV.) What Have Scientists Learned from Playback Experiments?
   a. What is a playback experiment?
   b. Can lions recognize other lions by their roars?
   c. Why do lions have manes?
   d. Five scientific abstracts 
V.) Reading Scientific Literature
   a. Quick tips on how to read a scientific article without getting overwhelmed
VI.) Thought Question

***Day 5: How Do Researchers Study Lion Behavior (Part II)?***

Student Preparation (“Homework”): 
Students will complete the following before class:
1.) Each student will read one scientific paper on a topic of lion behavior that interests them.
2.) Students will also fill out a Google form that summarizes the paper and pinpoints what they learned. 

Lesson Plan:
I.)Hook
   a.Scientific story telling
   b.Presentation
II.)Relevance
   a. How might learning about lions help us better understand human behavior?
III.)Lion Scientific Paper Discussions
   a.Overview presentation
   b.Expert groups
   c.Teaching groups
   d.What do we know now that we didn’t know before?
IV.)Wrap Up Questions
V.)Course evaluations