 | Students from New Haven Public Schools were able to explore the research of Yale Professor David Skelly in an after-school program. The students have since produced the exhibition "Wood Frogs" at the Peabody Museum. |
A new exhibition at Yale's Peabody Museum of Natural History is literally hopping.
The display -- titled "Wood Frogs: Our Masked, Freezing, Quacking Forest Neighbors -- was created by participants in Evolutions (EVOking Learning & Understanding Through Investigations Of the Natural Sciences), an after-school program for high school students in the New Haven Public School system. The program seeks to encourage students' literacy and career-interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics -- as well as college preparation and transferable skills development. Eighty students were recruited for the 2006-2007 school year, all of whom are eligible to earn academic credit at their schools for participating.
Through grants from United Illuminating and the National Science Foundation, the Evolutions students had the opportunity to explore firsthand the research of David Skelly, professor in the School of Forestry and Environmental Science, and the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. Skelly's lab is interested in understanding patterns of animal distribution and abundance. Much of this work is conducted in the Yale Myers forest and focuses on the wood frog. Students were introduced to local pond fauna and collection techniques during a visit to Skelly's field site. Working in groups, students also tried their hand at raising wood frog tadpoles under different experimental treatments in the lab.
This work culminated in the student-produced "Wood Frogs" exhibition now on display at the Peabody Museum. It features a terrarium set up to mimic a local vernal pool (a temporary spring pool), complete with several species of insects and amphibians. An accompanying video highlights the results of the students' tadpole experiments. Also on display are museum panels produced by Evolutions students that highlight various science careers. Exhibits will be on display through the end of July 2007.
Looking ahead, a gift from the H.A. Vance Foundation, along with additional grant funding from the National Science Foundation, is providing opportunities for roughly 32 Evolutions students to participate in paid internships with Yale science faculty over the next 12 months. These students will be involved in research focusing on everything from nano-imprinting to DNA extraction techniques.
The Evolutions program is directed by Jamie Alonzo (jamie.alonzo@yale.edu; (203) 432-6577). Additional information about the program is available at www.peabody.yale.edu/education/afterschool.html.
T H I S
Students' research on wood frogs
is featured in Peabody exhibit
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Campus Notes
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